Tag Archives: Ibrahim’s Search

Ibrahim’s Search by Qasim Najar illustrated by Patricia Meehan

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Ibrahim's Search

What a surprisingly insightful book, mashaAllah.  The pictures look like they are done with crayons and colored pencils, and the type set is completely uninviting.  The text  is a bit too wordy, yet somehow it does a decent job overall of conveying how a child might understand Allah (swt) in a logical, critically thinking manner.  The book works well for four year old children to maybe about 2nd grade.  There are 40 pages and the story takes on a insightful repetitive pattern as young Ibrahim searches for Allah.

The book opens with a humorous nod to moms everywhere.  Ibrahim learns that Allah is the creator of everything and wants to see Allah.  His teacher says he can’t show him Allah, so Ibrahim goes to find someone who can, his mom.  Ummi tells him that we understand Allah swt through his creations all around us, but Ibrahim is not satisfied with her answer either.  And because Muslims are encouraged to ask questions and seek knowledge, Ummi allows Ibrahim to go search for Allah so that he might thank him.

Ibrahim sees a mountain, and thinks perhaps something so big and strong is Allah, then he notices the stream running through the mountain and wonders if then the water is Allah.  When the water evaporates, he wonders if the sun is Allah, this goes on and on until he realizes that the one who made the world, holds it together, and keeps it in balance is Allah.  He also appreciates that his mother was right and goes home to tell her, Alhumdulillah.

This book goes well with Ilyas & Duck Search for Allah and Allah Created Everything if you are doing a story time, as they all convey the same information in different ways and appeal to the same audience more or less.