Some books are easy on the eyes and some are easy on the hands. Okay, let me explain, books that are printed and illustrated will make reading them appealing and effortless, even by the reluctant reader. Books that are easy to handle in terms of size, binding, weight and texture of the page become easy for the hand.

Sunnah for Children, compiled by Nahid Khan, gets top marks in both these things. It’s simple and easy to be read by children eight years or older and contains easy lessons based on the acts and sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). A lot of habits that we pick up in childhood remain with us throughout our lives, so why not do things the right way and learn the right manners by following the example of the most exemplary man in the world.

There are two sections, “Personal Life” and “Public Life”. The first section contains very brief and to the point lessons regarding how the Holy Prophet did everyday things — eating, drinking, sleeping, greeting, etc. Then come his actual sayings or Hadith, regarding eating, sleeping, controlling, behaving with family, etc.

Then we have the Hadiths regarding how we should behave with our relative, the sick and elderly. I found the last section very interesting because most of what I had read so far is well-known Sunnah, but I got to know how the prophet behaved with animals for the first time.

Sunnah for Children is a suitable book to gift children as they can easily read it and pick up the right manners at the right time. Moreover, the illustrations are plentiful and pretty, and well-made by Mariam Khan.

Available at Paramount Books

Published in Dawn, Young World June 24th, 2017