i
WONDER
ABOUT
THE
PROPHET
I Wonder About the Prophet
Published by THE ISLAMIC FOUNDATION
Distributed by KUBE PUBLISHING LTD Tel +44 (01530) 249230, Fax +44 (01530) 249656 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.kubepublishing.com
First published in Turkey by Uğurböceği Publications,
a Zafer Publication Group imprint, in 2008.
This edition first published in 2016.
Text © 2008 Ozkan Oze
Translation © 2015 Selma Ayduz
Illustrations © 2008 Zafer Publishing
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner
Author Özkan Öze Translator Selma Aydüz Series Editor Dr Salim Aydüz Illustrator Sevgi İçigen Book design Zafer Publishing & Nasir Cadir Cover Design Fatima Jamadar
A Cataloguing-in-Publication Data record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978-0-86037-508-1
eISBN 978-0-86037-558-6
3
BOOK
i
WONDER
ABOUT
THE
PROPHET
Özkan Öze
Translated by Selma Aydüz
Illustrations: Sevgi İçigen
The Prophet Muhammad does not appear in any of the pictures in this book.
Contents
Why was the Prophet born in Makkah?
What was Muhammad like before he was a prophet?
Who named the Prophet?
What is the Salawat?
Did the Prophet know how to read and write?
Why was a person chosen to deliver Allah’s message?
Did the Prophet Muhammad perform miracles?
How did the Prophet treat animals?
Did the Prophet like children?
Did the Prophet have fun and joke with his friends?
What is the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad?
“If the Prophet lived today would he clean his teeth with miswak (stick toothbrush) or with a toothbrush?”
THE STORY OF the “I Wonder About Islam” series started one day with my son asking me, “Why can’t I see Allah, dad?” The question was so unexpected that I didn’t know what to say, although I actually knew the answer.
But when he asked so suddenly, I just said, “Umm, well…” He opened his eyes wide and started staring at me as if to say Come on, give me the answer! I beat around the bush for a while. You know, I was humming and hawing. In the end, I said, “Your eyes are so small, yet Allah is so big! This is the answer to the question. Because of this, you can’t see Allah!”
“Oh, really?” he said. He turned his Spider-Man toy around in his hands. Then, as if he hadn’t said anything, he went to his room. He was only five years old…
Perhaps, for a child his age, this answer was enough. I had handled the situation. However, as he got older, he would ask heaps of new questions about Allah. I had to prepare my answers.
So, that is how I started the “I Wonder About Islam” series.
The best thing about this book is that not only my kids, but kids from around the world can read my answers.
The first and second books in the “I Wonder About Islam” series consist of answers I have given to questions about Allah.
In the third book, you will find answers to questions about the Prophet, peace be upon him.
The fourth book is about the Muslim holy book, The Qur’an.
As for the fifth book, the topic is death and life after death. In particular, you will find answers to questions about heaven.
In the sixth book, I answer questions about belief in fate.
The last book of the series is about angels.
Have I answered all the questions about all these topics? Of course not! I’ve only tried to answer the most frequently asked ones. But if you look at how I have answered these questions, it will help you work out the answers to other questions yourself. If you hang on to your question’s tail and pull as hard as you can, a huge answer will follow.
And after reading this book, you will see that questions don’t frighten you as much as before. You will bravely ask the questions you thought were the hardest to answer, and soon you will see that you can’t think of a question that doesn’t have an answer. Asking a question is saying, “I want to learn!”, “I want to understand!”, “I want to know better and love more!” You should never be afraid of asking questions, and don’t ever give up asking questions!
