Reading Islamic children's books aloud: a lovely bedtime ritual

Pyjamas on, teeth brushed, and your child may choose one more book. A small moment, but also a lovely opportunity to be together. With an Islamic children's book, stories about faith, kindness and everyday life can find a place in your evening.

You don't need to turn it into an elaborate lesson. A short story, a sincere question and attention for what your child tells you are a good start.

Choose a story that suits this evening

Don't just look at the age on the product page. Also consider the amount of text, the topics and how tired your child is. A book that is fascinating during the day can raise too many questions just before bed, or be too long.

For young children you can start with baby and toddler books. With older children you can browse the Islamic children's books together. Let your child choose from two suitable books. That keeps the choice manageable.

Try a simple reading ritual

The routine below is a practical example. You can shorten it or make it longer if that suits you better:

1. Settle in first. Sit down together and ask where you left off last time.
2. Read one complete section. That can be a very short story or a few pages from a longer book.
3. Leave room for a reaction. Ask, for example: “Which part stayed with you?”
4. Finish in a familiar way. Put the bookmark in place and agree where you will continue tomorrow.

You don't have to ask a question after every page. Sometimes a child mainly wants to listen and sit close to you.

From a story to a real conversation

Is the story about honesty? Then don't immediately ask what the right lesson is. Start with what happened: “Why do you think he found that difficult?” Or briefly tell your own story about a moment when being honest took courage.

For children who are interested in the life of the Prophet ﷺ, in English you can look at The Simple Seerah or Golden Seerah for the Young Generation. Stories of the Prophets and The Clear Quran for Kids also work well for reading aloud in short sections. For Dutch-speaking families there is De Profeet Mohammed voor kinderen (Dutch edition). Choose a suitable passage in advance and check whether the language and topic suit your child.

What if your child always chooses the same book?

That's fine. You don't have to offer something new every evening. Perhaps your child wants to hear a favourite event again or look at a detail. You can vary it by letting your child tell one page while you read the rest.

Do you have children of different ages? First read a short section together. Then give the older child room for an extra page or a question if you like. Not every child has to take part for the same length of time.

And if a big question comes up?

A story can unexpectedly raise a question about Allah, death or sadness. First listen to what exactly your child means. It's fine to say you want to look something up before answering. Save a long conversation for a calmer moment if needed, but do come back to it.

Start tonight with a book you already have. Notice that your child is ready for new stories? Then browse our children's stories or the English Islamic books together and choose one title you are both curious about.