Allah Subhanallahu wa taala said in the quran :

“Allah will raise those who believed among you and those who were given knowledge, by degrees” (Quran, 58;11)

Undoubtedly, the verse above refers to Islamic knowledge, but we cannot deny the fact that throughout history, seeking knowledge and striving to learn have been the most vital aspect in Muslim world.

And one of the main ways to learn and educate oneself is through reading.

The first revelation (wahyu) sent down to prophet Muhammad PBUH by the angel Jibreel is that he commanded the prophet PBUH to READ.

If we look back to the Islamic history, there were once a time where Muslims were scientists, astronomers, mathematicians and many more. I always believed that in order for us to relive in that glorified period of time, we need to first and foremost, nurture and cultivate the love of learning in our children- because they can be the future Muslims scientists and explorers, discovering new things inshaAllah.

Children need to read , learn, gather information to discover the wonders of Allah’s universe.

Children need to read because it is the first step to comprehend Islam, our religion, to help others to learn the teaching of Quran & hadith.

Children need to read because it is the most natural thing ever!

So here are a few ways that we can cultivate the love of reading in our children

1. Parents- You are the role model!

We are raising the future ummah here parents! Do not expect your child to pick up a book and read by themselves if you are not doing the same thing. Remember, children learn best through observation.

They watch, look and observe because that is the first stage of education for them. And they take the example of those who they look up to. The first individuals –which are their parents. So if we were to spend most of our time with our phones, it would be difficult if we suddenly ask our children to read a book while we scroll down on our social medias.

You do not even have to call your child to read. Just pick up a physical book, sit on the couch and open up the pages, your child will obeserve and do the same.

Find a specific time to read. For example between maghrib and isya, dedicate that time to read Quran together. Your child might play around you. It is okay! Continue reading and let them listen to your recitation while they are playing. Sooner or later or when they are older, they will sit down and pick up a book and read too inshaAllah.

I always suggest parents to use physical books rather that E-books downloaded on your gadgets. Because, yes you are reading a book, but your child won’t know the difference do they? They would say “oh Ummi is just playing with her phone” So one way to let your child imitate you is you yourself pick any books,magazines,newspapers anything and read it.

2)Start them young.

There is no minimum age to start reading. The love of reading must be instilled as early as possible. I think the most powerful and heartful image is when a baby who had just learn to sit up, sit and leaf through a book. He might not understand anything yet. But to let your baby learn to hold a book, leaf the pages would go a long way for their reading journey.

For babies, choosing books with large print can help them recognize the words easily. Read to them slowly and clearly. Board books are a great way to start with high contrast images.

Don’t worry if the baby is not looking at the book, just make the experience a good one.

3)  Read aloud session.

“One of the greatest gifts adults can give – to their offspring and to their society – is to read to children.” Carl Sagan

Reading aloud provides a number of opportunities and benefits for  children of all ages. Among them:

a) Expands vocabulary

b) Strengthens cognition

c) Increases attention span

d) Promotes bonding between you and your child

e) Provides a safe way to identify strong emotions

Children loves to hear stories, one way is to read aloud to them. As you read, stop and ask about what is happening in the story, listen to their side. Discuss new words and the meanings.

Choosing a rhyming book that has repetition words is great because younger children can join in too.

Something that I do to my kids when they were a bit younger, I don’t usually read the book by text. I would use simple words and point at the pictures/images instead and prompt them with question. For example a page showing a farm. I can say “Look, that is a duck, duck waddles” “What sound does a duck make?” and I will wait for my daughter to answer.  Make it fun and easy. An enjoyable moment between you and your child.

And yes, kids get easily distracted! It doesn’t matter if you read only 2-3 pages and your child loses interest. Try again next time. The key here is consistency!

I read somewhere that said young babies will only listen for a minute. But this time will stretch as the months go by. Do not expect to read a book from beginning to end or even in the right order. Your toddler may want you to start in the middle and jump around. Follow her lead.

4) Setting up an environment that cultivates the love of reading

You do not need to buy so many books for your children or need a big space for them to read. Choose a comfortable spot or set a reading corner where you have low shelves to prop the books so it is easily accessible for them to choose.

Make a trip to the library as often as possible. There is nothing more exciting than having a new book in your arm.

Another way to make reading fun is to have a “reading tea time”  You can make some tea for your older kids and read books together around the table or bake something to munch on while you read to them.

If you happen to have quite a large collection of books, do not put it all up on the shelves. This is to avoid boredom as the kids will feel like they have read all the books already or they might even be overwhelmed with the large quantity of books.

Instead do a “book rotation” Choose a few books that you want to put up on the shelf and keep the rest. Rotate and change the books after a month or two. Kids will feel excited to see “new” books on the shelf and they will get more interested in reading it. Plus, you save money from buying more new books!

A front facing book shelf is also a great idea so your kid can choose the books easily.

5) Provide reading resources and materials which resonates our Islamic method of Tarbiyah (upbringing)

I always choose what kind of books that enter our house. That means, no books that promotes shirk/disbelieves, fairy tales or sorcery, books that supports immorality or simply does not have any values.

So whenever we go to the library, even if I let my child to choose any books, before leaving, I will always do a second check to make sure the books are suitable in the eyes of Islam.

This is quite difficult to be honest living in a secular environment. But we really need to protect our children from any harm.

6) Make the book ‘alive’.

There are many ways to do this. You can role play the story from the book. So the kids can enjoy it more. Make a ‘bookish’ play for example, we read about the life cycle of a caterpillar. After we were done reading, we then make our own caterpillar using pompom balls and discuss the different parts of the caterpillar’s body. This way kids can retain the information better.

There are many times where we bring our books outdoor. For example if we read a book where the character goes to the beach, we bring the book and go to the beach too! We try to make reading as light and enjoyable as possible.

Reading is definitely a powerful tool to gain knowledge and enrich our children’s lives. We are the ummah of Iqra’!  (Read) and may we uphold that responsibility strongly and lead our children together with us ameen!