Issue No: 225
27th February 2015
7th Jamadi ul Awwal 1436
Salamun alaykum
Children to receive a £1 book token:
Next week on Thursday 5th March every child in full-time education in the UK and Ireland will receive a £1 book token. The token can be swapped for one of specially produced £1 books or get £1 discount off a full-price book. Each year, since 1998, on the first Thursday in March every child in full-time education in the UK and Ireland receives a £1 book token.
What is the occasion?
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) organises the Annual World Book Day on 23rd April. This day is an occasion to promote reading, publishing and copyright. In the United Kingdom, due to the Easter School holidays, the day is instead recognised on the first Thursday in March.
In order to encourage children to read regularly, schools have put in place innovative programmes such as Home Reading Diary, Reading Passport, Story Sharing time and other schemes to develop and promote the habit of reading by children.
Why is reading so important?
When the time comes to approach education of any type, including teachings of Islam, reading comes naturally to humans. Reading is at the heart of all learning. Reading is a skill for life. It is also a catalyst for growth and development. The benefits of reading come like no other.
Evidence suggests that children who read every day not only perform better in reading tests than those who don’t, but also develop a broader vocabulary, increased general knowledge and a better understanding of other cultures. The same holds even when reading is done for enjoyment. Reading is a skill for life.
The centrality of reading in Islam is emphasized by the fact that, the first verse, in the first revelation of the Noble Qur’an to Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.w. commenced with the verb: Iqra – Read. For muslims this underscores the significance attached to reading, learning and gaining education.
Reward for reciting Noble Qur’an:
Numerous traditions reported from the Noble Prophet and Ahlul Bayt a.s. emphasise on reading the noble Qur’an and its reward.
“I advise you to recite the Qur’an and remember Allah much, for surely the Qur’an will remember you in the heavens and it will be a divine light for you on the earth.”
“Surely this Qur’an is the rope of Allah, and a manifest Light and a beneficial cure. Therefore, busy yourselves with the recitation of it, for Allah – The Mighty and Glorious- grants the reward of ten good deeds to you for every letter which is recited.”
“Nothing is harder for shaytan to bear than a person who recites the Quran by looking at the pages (of Quran).” Noble Prophet s.a.w.w.
The above selected narrations on the benefit of reciting Noble Qur’an are just a sample of the immense Divine reward reaped by one who undertakes this deed.
Just as £1 book token is presented as a gesture to encourage reading, are you promoted to undertake reading of the Noble Qur’an by the afore quoted traditions of the Noble Prophet?
Will you now make reading the Noble Qur’an an essential part of your daily schedule?
Are you disappointing shaytan daily by reading the Noble Qur’an?
Wa ma tawfiqi illa billah
Fazle Abbas Datoo
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Resident Alim
Wessex Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat