Muslim Views columnist Jasmine Khan launched her latest book in April, this year. SHANAAZ GOOL-HAMIT gives her views on Khan’s latest offering.
IN order to teach our children about salaah, we as adults need to be au fait with the subject. We need to know how to perform it, why we do it, what to recite and we need to be consistent.
We are the first teachers of our children, and if one is battling as an adult, what example would we be to our children and grandchildren? Granted, we are all human beings and tend to wane sometimes where our spirituality is concerned, not in a drastic way perhaps but, be that as it may, we know that Allah SWT is Most Merciful.
We live our lives on a daily basis, some of us rise at or before Fajr, have to get the children ready for school and return when the sun has set. It’s a hectic life. We must ensure that we perform our salaah and the majority of us are not in an Islamic environment. Thus the importance of a strong foundation.
We have to inculcate in our children the love for Allah SWT, the love for deen, the love for salaah at an early age. How will we do this? Part of it is to pick up a copy of the book, The Secret of the Prayer, authored by community activist, author and above all, a woman with intense love and care for her community, Sister Jasmine Khan. She is a mother and grandmother. An attribute that speaks volumes through the many books she has authored.
On picking up the book, don’t be fooled by its 142 pages; it’s an intense read and takes you on a spiritual journey where you want to read and re-read chapters. It has Quranic quotes and hadith that makes it easy for one to grasp, and saves you from doing the research yourself. The author has done that on your behalf.
The book is conveniently divided into chapters that cover all aspects of salaah but, importantly, develops the understanding and passion for the salaah and its benefits. It assists you with that spiritual waning and ensures that the salaah is not just a ritual but your connection to Allah SWT on a daily basis, five times a day.
It’s all the things you’ve learnt about salaah through the years in one book, from being one of the pillars of Islam to the many facets of prayer, the wudu and so much more. It is a book that should be on your coffee table so that anyone who visits you can pick it up and read.
You can have conversations around the dinner table about it and the youth can maximally benefit from the discussions, chapter by chapter. It’s your companion throughout your life as you proceed through the different stages of life.
When you read the book, it feels like you are in a one-on-one conversation with the author. The book is inspirational for the youth and adults.
This is a book that will appeal to humanity for generations to come. We say shukran to Sister Jasmine Khan for making this very important aspect of our deen alive. May Allah bless you always.
- Shanaaz Gool Hamit is senior executive producer at Radio 786.
