The Buruja
Storybook

Long ago, in the hot city of Makkah, where the sand burned your feet at midday, there lived a man named Bilal ibn Rabah (radiyallahu anhu). Bilal was tall and strong, with a voice more beautiful than anyone else's. But Bilal was not free. In those days, some people were made to work as slaves, and Bilal belonged to a rich man who worshipped idols, statues of stone and wood.

Then one day, Bilal heard something that changed everything. A man called the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was teaching that there is only one God, Allah, who made the sun and the stars and every single person. And Allah does not care if you are rich or poor, free or enslaved. He looks only at your heart.

Bilal believed it at once. His heart felt like a door opening.

But his master was angry, so angry. He told Bilal to say the names of the idols instead. Bilal said no. They hurt him, and they put a heavy stone on his chest under the burning sun, but he would not stop saying one word: Ahad. Ahad. One. One. Only one God. That was all Bilal knew, and he held on to it with his whole heart.

Then a kind man came, a friend of the Prophet ﷺ named Abu Bakr (radiyallahu anhu). He paid the master money and set Bilal free. Free! His master sneered that Bilal was not worth even one coin. Abu Bakr answered that he would have paid a hundred times the price. That is how much Bilal was worth to the believers, because they measured him by his love of Allah, and nothing else.

Later, in the city of Madinah, the Muslims needed someone to call everyone to prayer. This call is named the adhan, and it rings out over the rooftops so everyone knows it is time to pray. And who did the Prophet ﷺ choose, out of everybody? Bilal. The man who had said One, One under a heavy stone now stood up high, and his beautiful voice floated over the whole city: Allahu Akbar, Allah is the Greatest.

Five times a day, before every call, Bilal would come to the Prophet ﷺ. Five quiet visits a day with the one he loved. And the Prophet ﷺ told Bilal something amazing. He said he had heard the sound of Bilal's footsteps ahead of him in Paradise. Bilal's footsteps! Already walking in Jannah!

Years later, when the Muslims returned to Makkah, Bilal climbed to the very top of the Kaaba, the holy house of Allah. And there, in the same city where he had once suffered in the hot sand, he called the adhan for everyone to hear. The man some people had called worthless stood in the highest place of all.

So tonight, when everything is quiet, remember Bilal. He was patient. He was brave. He held on to one true thing, and Allah lifted him higher than anyone dreamed.

Close your eyes and picture the sea at night. The waves roll softly, the sky is black, and deep, deep down, the water keeps its secrets. Tonight's story goes all the way down there, deeper than any boat can reach. And here is the wonderful thing: Allah sees and hears everything, even there.

A long time ago, Allah sent a prophet called Yunus (alayhis salam), which means peace be upon him. Yunus was sent to a big city with more than one hundred thousand people. He told them, Allah made you, so worship Allah alone. But the people would not listen.

Yunus felt sad and tired of waiting. So he left the city, even though Allah had not yet told him to go. He walked to the coast and climbed onto a big wooden ship, packed full and heavy.

Out at sea, a storm came. The wind pushed and the waves lifted the ship up and down. The sailors decided the ship was carrying too much; someone had to go into the water. They picked names, and every single time, the name that came up was Yunus. So Yunus went into the sea. And Allah did not forget him, not for one moment.

Allah sent a great fish, a huge one, and it swallowed Yunus in one gulp, without hurting him at all. Now Yunus was inside three darks at once: the dark of the night, the dark of the deep sea, and the dark inside the fish.

What do you do in the darkest dark? Yunus prayed. He said that there is no god except Allah, that Allah is perfect, and that he himself had made a mistake. He did not even ask to be rescued. He just talked to Allah, because Allah always listens.

And Allah heard him, all the way from the bottom of the ocean. The Qur'an says, "And thus do We save the believers." The great fish carried Yunus to the shore and set him down safely on the sand. Yunus was weak, so Allah grew a leafy plant right over him, to shade him and help him get strong again.

Then Yunus went back to his city. And do you know what happened? This time the people believed, every single one of them, and Allah kept them all safe. It was the city whose faith came just in time.

Yunus's prayer from the dark is still ours today. Anyone who feels lost or worried can say it, and Allah hears. So tonight, remember: there is no place too deep, too dark, or too far away for Allah. He heard Yunus inside a fish under the sea. He can always hear you, right here in your cozy bed.

A long, long time ago, before the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was even born, there was a king far away in the south named Abrahah. He built a huge, fancy building and said: from now on, everyone must come and visit MY building! But the people would not come. Year after year, they kept traveling to Makkah instead, to the Kaaba, the simple square house of Allah that Prophet Ibrahim had built long before.

This made Abrahah so cross that he made a terrible plan. He would march to Makkah and knock the Kaaba down! And to do it, he brought something the Arabs had never seen before: giant war elephants, led by a great big elephant named Mahmud. Imagine the ground trembling, thump, thump, thump, as the army came near.

On the way, the army took animals that belonged to the people of Makkah, including two hundred camels that belonged to a noble old man named Abd al-Muttalib. Now, here is something special: Abd al-Muttalib was the grandfather of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. He was tall and wise, and such a fine leader that even Abrahah stood up to show him respect.

Abrahah thought the old man had come to beg him to spare the Kaaba. But Abd al-Muttalib asked only for his camels back. Abrahah was surprised. You are worried about camels when I have come to knock down your holy house? And Abd al-Muttalib gave an answer people still repeat today: I am the lord of the camels, and it is my job to protect them. The House has its own Lord, and He will protect it.

Do you hear how calm that is? He knew the Kaaba belonged to Allah, and Allah does not need any man's help to guard what is His. The people of Makkah could not fight such a big army, so they went up into the mountains, and Abd al-Muttalib stood at the Kaaba and asked Allah to take care of His own house. Then they waited.

Down below, the army turned the great elephant Mahmud toward Makkah. And Mahmud knelt down. He would not walk. They pushed him and urged him on, but he would not take one single step toward the Kaaba. Turn him any other way, and off he trotted, happy as you please. But toward the house of Allah? He refused to budge. Even the elephant knew.

Then the sky began to fill with birds. Flocks and flocks of little birds, each one carrying small stones. Allah sent them against the proud army, and that mighty army crumbled, just like that. The Quran says they became like eaten straw, like the leftover stalks in a field. The Kaaba stood safe and still, without one scratch. Allah had protected His house Himself, without any army at all.

And here is the softest, most wonderful secret of that whole year. In a little home near the Kaaba lived a young mother named Amina, and she was expecting a baby. That baby was the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. He was born just a little while later, in that very same year, which people forever after called the Year of the Elephant. So you see, Allah was not only guarding a building that day. He was guarding a tiny baby who would one day fill the world with light.

And the same Allah who guarded the Kaaba, and guarded that little baby, is guarding you tonight, right here in your cozy bed.

Think of the biggest, most beautiful tree you have ever seen. Branches reaching high into the sky. Sweet fruit hanging down. Birds singing inside it. Now here is a secret: the most important part of that tree is the part you cannot see.

Under the ground, in the dark, are the roots. They hold the tree up, and they drink the water. The taller the tree grows, the deeper its roots go. That is why the wind can huff and puff all it likes, and the tree just stands there, calm and strong.

In the Qur'an, Allah draws us this very picture. He tells us that a good word is like a good tree, with a root planted firm in the ground and branches reaching high into the sky, giving its fruit again and again by its Lord's permission. This kind of picture is called a parable, a word-painting Allah gives us so our hearts can understand.

So what is a good word? The best word of all is saying there is no god but Allah. And a good word is also a kind word, a true word, a gentle word. Like saying thank you. Like saying sorry. Like telling someone about Allah in a soft voice. A good word is sweet like cool, clean water, easy to take in, never hard and shouty. Even the right words stop being good if we throw them like stones.

And here is the wonderful part: when you say a good word, it is like planting a seed. Maybe you cannot see anything happen right away. That is okay! Seeds always do their first growing underground, secretly, where nobody can watch. Allah takes care of that hidden part Himself.

Think about what a big, good tree does all day long. It gives shade to anyone who is hot. It gives fruit to anyone who is hungry, even strangers passing by. It lets birds build their nests, and bees come to visit. Everybody loves being near it. A person full of good words is just like that tree: people feel happy and safe around them.

But a tree with tiny, shallow roots? One big storm, and over it goes. So we grow our roots too, quietly, on the inside: loving Allah, learning about Him, and talking to Him even when nobody is watching. That is how a heart grows strong enough for any windy day.

And the fruit? Allah says the tree gives its fruit by His permission. That means when you plant kind words, Allah decides how they grow. He can grow them bigger and more beautiful than we can imagine, even much later, in places we never get to see.

So tonight, plant one little seed before you sleep. Say a good word: Alhamdulillah, which means all praise is for Allah. And while you dream, somewhere in the quiet dark, Allah will be growing something beautiful from it.

Far away in Persia, in a grand house, there lived a boy named Salman (radiyallahu anhu). In the middle of his home burned a big fire that was never allowed to go out, because his family worshipped fire. Salman's father loved him so much that he kept him home all the time, like a treasure locked in a box. Salman had never even seen the streets of his own town.

One day his father asked him to go out to the family garden. On the way, Salman got lost. And as he wandered, he heard voices. People were praying inside a church, praying to God, not to a fire. Salman stopped. He listened. An hour passed, then another. Something inside him whispered: this is better than what I know.

When Salman said he wanted to follow this new way, his father was upset and kept him locked at home. But you cannot lock up a heart that is searching. Salman slipped away with a caravan of travelers and set off across the world to learn.

He found a wise teacher and served him. When that teacher grew old, he sent Salman to another teacher, in another far city. And that one sent him to another. And another! City after city, year after year, Salman kept learning and kept searching. At last, his final teacher, who was very old, told him a secret: a prophet was coming soon, in the land of the Arabs, in a town full of date palm trees between two fields of black rock. And there would be signs. The prophet would not eat food given as charity, but he would eat food given as a gift. And between his shoulders there would be a special seal, a mark of prophethood.

Salman set off again. The journey was long and very hard. Some travelers cheated him, and for years he had to work as a slave, watering date palms. But listen to this. The town where he ended up, Madinah, sat between two fields of black rock, and it was full of date palms. Exactly like his teacher had said!

One day, high up in a palm tree, Salman heard news: a man from Makkah had come, and people said he was a prophet. Salman's heart nearly leapt out of his chest. But he remembered the signs. First he brought dates and said they were charity. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ let the others eat, but did not eat himself. One! Then Salman brought dates as a gift. This time the Prophet ﷺ ate. Two! And then one day Salman saw the seal between the Prophet's shoulders, the third sign, and he wept for joy. After more than thirty years of searching, he had found the truth at last.

The Prophet ﷺ and his companions helped Salman become free. They even planted three hundred palm trees to do it, and the Prophet ﷺ planted them with his own hands. And when people argued about which tribe Salman belonged to, the Prophet ﷺ said the most beautiful thing: Salman is one of us, he is from the people of my household. The boy from far-away Persia had found something better than gold. He had found the truth, and a family.

Look up at the night sky in your mind. Can you count eleven stars? Long, long ago, a little boy saw eleven stars in a dream, and the sun and the moon too, and they were all bowing down to him, like flowers bending in the wind.

That boy was Yusuf (alayhis salam), which means peace be upon him. He was the youngest of twelve brothers, and his father was a prophet too, Yaqub (alayhis salam). In the morning, Yusuf ran to his father and told him the dream.

His father understood at once. The dream meant Allah had chosen Yusuf for something very special. But he said gently: keep this dream to yourself, my son, and do not tell your brothers. Because Shaytan, the sneaky whisperer, loves to slip in and make brothers jealous of each other.

But Yusuf was little, and happy news is hard to hold in. The brothers found out. A jealous feeling grew and grew in their hearts, because they thought their father loved Yusuf the most.

One day the brothers asked to take Yusuf out to eat and play. And far from home, they did something very unkind. They put their little brother down inside a deep, dry well and left him there. Then they told their father that a wolf had eaten him, and showed him Yusuf's shirt. But the shirt was not torn even a tiny bit, so the wise father knew it was not true.

Did Yaqub shout? No. He said words we still love today: sabrun jamil, which means beautiful patience. Patience that stays soft, does not get bitter, and quietly trusts Allah.

And what about Yusuf, down in the dark well? He was not alone, not for one second. Allah sent comfort straight into his heart: one day, Allah let him know, you will stand in front of your brothers again, and they will not even recognize you. The well was not the end of the story. It was the first step of the dream.

Soon a caravan of travellers stopped near the well. A man lowered his bucket for water, and when he pulled it up, there was a boy holding on! Good news, he cried, a boy! They took Yusuf with them all the way to Egypt. And Allah was carrying him, step by step, toward the dream.

Many years later, Yusuf grew up wise and great in Egypt. He saw his family again, and he forgave his brothers with a kind heart. The eleven stars were his brothers, and the sun and the moon were his parents, and the dream came true, just as Allah planned.

So if something ever feels unfair or dark, remember Yusuf in the well: Allah is always writing a good ending, even when we cannot see it yet. And tonight, you can fall asleep knowing the very same Allah is taking care of you.

When the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was born in Makkah, there was a custom among the families of the city. They would send their babies to live for a while with kind mothers out in the desert, where the air was clean and fresh, and where children grew up strong and learned to speak the most beautiful Arabic.

Every year, mothers from the desert tribe of Banu Sa'd would ride into Makkah to each take home a baby to care for. The city families would pay them, and that money helped the desert families, who were often poor.

That year, a gentle woman named Halima came with the other mothers. Times were very hard for her family. When the women heard about baby Muhammad ﷺ, they also heard a whisper: his father had passed away before he was born. An orphan baby, they thought. His family will not be able to pay us much. So one by one, the mothers passed him by. One by one, they chose other babies. Soon every mother had a baby in her arms, except Halima. And the only baby left in all of Makkah was Muhammad ﷺ.

Halima did not want to ride home with empty arms while all her friends had babies. And her husband said something wise and kind: take the orphan. Perhaps Allah will bless us through him.

So Halima lifted the little one nobody had chosen, held him close, and carried him home to the desert. And do you know what happened? The blessings began at once, like rain after a dry summer. Their old goat, which had stopped giving milk long ago, suddenly gave milk again, plenty of it! Their tired old riding animal became the fastest in the whole caravan. Everywhere this baby went, goodness followed, because Allah was with him.

Halima loved him so much that when it was time to return him, she asked his mother again and again: please, let him stay a little longer! And so the little Prophet ﷺ grew up for a while in the desert, under the wide open sky, playing with Halima's children, including her daughter Shaima, who carried him on her back like a big sister does.

Now, here is the part that might make your heart glow. Many, many years later, when the Prophet ﷺ was a grown man and leader of the believers, an old woman came walking to see him. He looked up, and he knew her at once. It was Halima. And what did he do? He stood right up for her, took off his own cloak, and spread it on the ground for her to sit on, like a throne for a queen. The baby nobody chose had become the most beloved man in Arabia, and he never, ever forgot the woman who chose him when no one else would.

He remembered Shaima too. When they met again after many years, he welcomed his desert sister with honor and gifts and sent her home happy.

So tonight, remember little Muhammad ﷺ, sleeping under the desert stars, watched over by Allah the whole time. And remember Halima, whose one act of kindness came back to her, soft and warm as a cloak spread upon the ground.

Hold out your hand and imagine one tiny seed sitting in your palm. Just one. So small you could drop it and never find it again. Can anything big come from something so small? Oh, just wait.

A farmer presses that one seed into the soil and covers it with earth. Now it is gone, hidden in the dark. But down there, something amazing begins. The seed cracks open, and a little green shoot starts climbing up, up, up toward the sun.

In the Qur'an, Allah tells us about a very special seed. From one grain grow seven whole ears of grain, like seven full heads of wheat, and inside every single ear there are one hundred grains. Count with me: seven times one hundred... that is seven hundred! One little seed became seven hundred.

But why does Allah tell us this? Because that is what sharing for His sake is like. When you give something for Allah, when you share your money, or your snack, or your helping hands, it is like planting a seed. It looks small when it leaves your hand. But Allah grows it and grows it, into seven hundred, and even more than that, as much as He wants. Allah's treasure never, ever runs out.

Here is something funny about farmers. They never have a party on planting day. They wait and worry: will the rain come? Will the little plants be okay? They only celebrate at harvest time, when the crop finally stands tall and golden in the field.

But when you share for Allah's sake, you can be happy right away, on planting day! Because Allah has already promised the harvest. The moment your little gift leaves your hand, the growing has already begun.

And listen carefully, because this part is just for you: small does not matter to Allah. In the picture Allah gave us, He did not grow a whole farm. He grew one single grain. So if all you have is one coin, or half a cookie, or one kind helping hand, give it happily. The smallness was never a problem. Allah loves to take the littlest seed and grow it the biggest.

Maybe you will share something tomorrow and never see what happens next. That is fine. Seeds grow quietly. Somewhere, some day, maybe even long, long from now, your little seed will be a whole golden field waving in the wind, waiting for you as a beautiful surprise from Allah.

So tonight, before your eyes close, think of one small thing you could share tomorrow. One seed. Then plant it, and let Allah do the growing. He always does.

In the city of Makkah there lived a gentle, honest man named Abu Bakr (radiyallahu anhu). He sold beautiful cloth in the market, and because he never ever cheated anyone, everybody trusted him. He loved raising baby camels, and that is how he got his name: Abu Bakr means the father of the young camel.

Abu Bakr had a best friend. They had been close since they were young, for almost forty years. That friend was the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

One day, the Prophet ﷺ told Abu Bakr that Allah had chosen him to be His Messenger. Do you know what Abu Bakr said? He did not say, let me think about it. He did not say, are you sure? He simply said: I believe you. The Prophet ﷺ later said that everyone else hesitated a little at first, everyone except Abu Bakr. That is because Abu Bakr knew his friend's heart, and he knew the truth when he heard it.

Abu Bakr was rich, but he did not keep his money in a big pile. He used it to help people. In Makkah there were slaves who were hurt for believing in Allah, like Bilal, who suffered under the hot sun. Abu Bakr went and bought their freedom, one after another, until most of his money was gone. When someone asked him why, he said he wanted only what is with Allah.

Then came the biggest adventure of all. The Muslims had to leave Makkah and travel to a new city, Madinah, far across the desert. The Prophet ﷺ chose one person to travel beside him: Abu Bakr. When Abu Bakr heard this, he cried, and his daughter Aisha (radiyallahu anha) said she never knew before that day that a person could cry from happiness.

The journey was dangerous, because unkind men were searching for them. So the two friends hid in a small cave in a mountain called Thawr. While the Prophet ﷺ rested, Abu Bakr covered a hole in the cave with his foot to keep his friend safe. Something stung his foot, and it hurt, and quiet tears rolled down his face. But he did not move, not even a little, because he did not want to wake his friend.

Then the searchers came so close that Abu Bakr could see their sandals from inside the cave. His heart thumped. He was not afraid for himself, only for his friend. And the Prophet ﷺ calmed him with words the Quran keeps forever: do not grieve, Allah is with us. And do you know what? The men looked and looked, and then they simply walked away. Allah kept the two friends safe, all the way to Madinah.

On the road, a kind woman offered milk. It was given to the Prophet ﷺ first, and he passed it to Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr said no, you drink first, three times, even though he was so thirsty. That is what a loyal friend is like. Their heart says: you first.

So tonight, think of Abu Bakr, safe in the cave, trusting Allah. When you love your friends and put them first, and when you trust Allah, you never have to be afraid.

Picture a big wooden boat. Not by the sea. Not by a river. On a mountain! Tonight's story is about the man who built it, and why.

A very long time ago, Allah sent a prophet called Nuh (alayhis salam), which means peace be upon him. His people had forgotten Allah. They bowed to statues instead, statues that could not hear or see or help anyone at all.

So Nuh talked to them. He talked in the day. He talked in the night. He talked to big groups, and quietly to one person at a time. Do you know how long he kept trying? Nine hundred and fifty years! That is longer than anyone you have ever met has been alive. But most people just pushed their fingers into their ears and pulled their clothes over their heads so they would not hear him.

Nuh also told them something beautiful: ask Allah to forgive you, because He loves to forgive, and watch what He pours on you! Rain from the sky, and gardens, and rivers, and families. That gift is still true today.

Only a few people listened. Then Allah told Nuh: build an ark, a great big boat. Nuh had never built a boat in his life, and Allah told him to build it on a mountain, far from any water! People walked by and laughed. A boat on dry land? But Nuh kept working, plank by plank, because Allah's plan is always the best plan.

Then the day came. Nuh gathered all the believers onto the ark, and the animals too, a pair of every creature, two by two. Climbing aboard, they said: in the name of Allah it sails, and in the name of Allah it comes to rest.

Rain poured from the sky, and water bubbled up from the ground, until water covered everything. The waves outside were as big as mountains. But inside the ark, everyone was warm and dry and safe. Allah was holding that boat steady the whole time. Not one believer, and not one animal, was lost.

At last the rain stopped. The earth drank up the water. The ark came to rest gently on a mountain called Judi, and Allah told Nuh to come down in peace, with blessings. Everyone stepped out into a fresh, washed world.

And here is a secret: every person in the whole world today comes from the family of Nuh, the family that was safe on the boat. The man people laughed at became a father to us all.

So if you are ever doing the right thing and someone giggles at you, remember the boat-builder on the mountain. Keep going, gently and patiently, and let Allah take care of the rest. He kept a whole boatful of believers and animals safe, and He is keeping you safe tonight too.

One hot afternoon in Makkah, when the streets were empty and everyone was resting from the sun, there came a knock at Abu Bakr's door. It was the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, with his face wrapped in his turban. He had wonderful news: Allah had given him permission to leave Makkah, where people were being unkind to the believers, and travel to a new city called Madinah. And he had chosen Abu Bakr (radiyallahu anhu) to travel with him.

Abu Bakr was so happy that he cried. His young daughter Aisha (radiyallahu anha) was there, and she said she never knew until that day that a person could weep for joy.

Abu Bakr had secretly been getting two camels ready for months, feeding them well for the long desert road. He offered the best one to the Prophet ﷺ as a gift. But the Prophet ﷺ said: only if I pay its price. He wanted to make this special journey with his own camel, bought fairly, because that was his beautiful way.

Abu Bakr's daughter Asma packed food for the road, but oh no, there was nothing to tie the food bag with! So quick-thinking Asma took off her own belt, tore it in two, and used half to tie the bag. From that day on, people called her the lady of the two belts.

Now, some men in Makkah did not want the Prophet ﷺ to leave, and they went searching for the two travelers. So the friends did something clever. Instead of riding north toward Madinah, they went south, the opposite way, and climbed up to a small hidden cave in a mountain called Thawr. It was a tiny cave, just a crack in the rock, barely big enough for two.

For three days and nights they stayed hidden. Abu Bakr's son quietly brought them food and news from the city. A shepherd walked his sheep over their footprints so the sand would keep their secret.

But then, one day, the searchers climbed the mountain. Their footsteps came closer. And closer. From inside the cave, Abu Bakr could see their sandals, right there, at the mouth of the cave! He whispered: if one of them looks down at his feet, he will see us. His heart was beating fast, not for himself, but for his friend.

And the Prophet ﷺ answered, calm as calm can be: what do you think of two, when Allah is the third of them? Allah was with them in that little cave. And the men looked here, and looked there, and never looked down. Then they turned around and went home. The two friends were safe.

On the road to Madinah, a desert rider named Suraqa chased after them, hoping for a big reward. But each time he came close, his horse stumbled and sank in the sand, once, twice, three times! Suraqa understood then that this man was protected by Allah, and he called out for peace instead. The Prophet ﷺ forgave him and let him go home, and years later Suraqa became a believer too.

And so the two friends reached Madinah at last, where the people were waiting to welcome them with open arms and open homes.

So tonight, if you ever feel worried, remember the little cave, and remember the calm, gentle words of the Prophet ﷺ: do not grieve, Allah is with us.

In the city of Madinah, there lived a man named Julaybib (radiyallahu anhu). Julaybib did not have a family that anyone knew of. He did not have a tribe, which in those days was like not having a team, no one to stand up for you. He was poor, and he was very short, and some people were unkind about the way he looked. Some men made fun of him, so Julaybib learned to stay quiet and keep to the edges of the crowd.

But there was one person who never, ever passed him by. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ loved Julaybib. When there was a gathering, the Prophet ﷺ drew him near. When something was being given out, he brought Julaybib to the front of the line. Where other people saw someone small, the Prophet ﷺ saw a treasure.

One day, the Prophet ﷺ went to a family and said he had come with a marriage proposal for their daughter. The family was so excited! But then he explained: the proposal was not for himself. It was for Julaybib. The mother did not want to say yes. Julaybib? The man with no tribe and no money?

But the daughter had been listening. And she said something so wise that people still repeat it today. She said: marry me to him, for the Prophet ﷺ would never let me go to waste. She trusted that if the Prophet ﷺ chose something, it was good, even if it did not look shiny on the outside. And the Prophet ﷺ made a beautiful dua for her, asking Allah to pour good upon her, and good upon that, and good again. So Julaybib, the man nobody wanted, was married into a kind family, and his wife was blessed her whole life long.

Then one day, there was a battle, and Julaybib went out bravely with the Prophet ﷺ to defend the believers. When it was over, the Prophet ﷺ asked everyone: is anyone missing? Each tribe counted their people. All here, they said. All here. But the Prophet ﷺ looked around and said: I am missing Julaybib.

Think about that. The man with no tribe had someone counting him after all. The Prophet ﷺ himself was his family.

They searched the field and found him. Brave Julaybib had defended his friends with all his strength before going home to Allah. The Prophet ﷺ knelt beside him and said, three times: this one is from me, and I am from him. Then, because Julaybib was small, the Prophet ﷺ lifted him gently in his own two arms, and with his own hands he laid him softly in the earth, like tucking someone in.

Julaybib went to Allah carried by the arms of the one he loved most. Can you think of a softer way to go home?

So tonight, remember this: it does not matter one bit how tall you are, or how much money you have, or what anyone says about how you look. Allah sees your heart. And the people the world forgets are often the ones Allah holds closest of all.

Have you ever asked a question that nobody wanted to answer? Tonight's story is about a boy who asked the biggest question of all, and would not stop until he found the truth.

Long ago, in a city called Babylon, there lived a boy named Ibrahim (alayhis salam), which means peace be upon him. In his city, people carved statues out of wood and stone with their own hands. Then they bowed down to those statues and asked them for things! Even Ibrahim's own father carved statues in his workshop.

Little Ibrahim watched and wondered. He asked the people: can these statues hear you? Can they see you? Can they help you at all? Nobody had a good answer. They only said: our fathers and grandfathers did it, so we do it too.

But Ibrahim thought hard, all by himself, like this: who made me? Who feeds me when I am hungry? Who gives me a drink when I am thirsty? Who makes me better when I am sick? Only Allah! So Ibrahim decided: I will only worship the One who made me. He was still young, and he had already worked out the most important thing in the whole world.

One day, when everyone in town went out to a festival, Ibrahim stayed behind with the statues. He broke them into pieces, all except the biggest one, and he hung his axe on the big one's shoulder. When the people came back, they cried: who did this to our gods? Ibrahim said: why not ask the big one? Ask them, if they can talk! And for a moment, the people knew deep inside that statues cannot talk at all.

But instead of thanking Ibrahim, the people got very angry. They built a huge fire and wanted to throw Ibrahim into it. Ibrahim stood all alone, but his heart was calm, because he said: hasbunallahu wa ni'mal wakil, which means Allah is enough for me, and He takes care of everything.

Then Allah spoke to the fire itself. Allah told the fire to be cool and safe for Ibrahim. And the fire obeyed its Maker! It could not burn Ibrahim. It only burned the ropes off his hands. Ibrahim sat in the middle of that fire as comfortably as if he were sitting in a garden. Later in his life, he even said it was the best time he ever spent. And everybody saw the truth with their own eyes: the statues could do nothing, but Allah kept His friend perfectly safe.

A young man named Lut (alayhis salam) watched all this and believed, the very first one to join Ibrahim. And Ibrahim grew up to become one of the greatest prophets ever. Allah gave him the most beautiful title: the friend of Allah.

So tonight, think like Ibrahim. Who made you? Who feeds you? Who keeps you safe while you sleep? Allah does. And just like Ibrahim said in front of that fire, Allah is enough for you, always.

In the city of Madinah, before Islam had even arrived there, lived a clever and strong-hearted woman named Umm Sulaym (radiyallahu anha). She could read and write when hardly anyone could, and she knew beautiful poetry. She had a little boy named Anas, whom she loved with all her heart.

When a teacher came to Madinah with news of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his message, that there is only one God, Allah, Umm Sulaym listened, and she believed at once. Some say she was the very first woman in the whole city to believe. She began teaching little Anas the words of faith while he was still small, the way you learn your favorite song.

Later, a rich and important man named Abu Talha wanted to marry her. He owned more gardens than anyone in Madinah! But he still worshipped idols, statues made of wood. Umm Sulaym told him something surprising. She did not want gold or silver as her wedding gift. She said: if you accept Islam, that will be my dowry, and I will ask for nothing else. She even asked him gently, what happens to a wooden idol if it falls in a fire? It would burn, he admitted. Was it not a bit silly to bow to a piece of wood? Abu Talha went away and thought, and thought. And then he came back and said: I believe in what you believe. Her son Anas said no woman ever had a nobler wedding gift than his mother. Her treasure was faith.

Umm Sulaym gave the Prophet ﷺ another gift too, the most precious thing she had. She brought young Anas to him and said: O Messenger of Allah, this is my son. He is in your service. So Anas got to grow up right beside the Prophet ﷺ, helping him every day. And the Prophet ﷺ prayed for Anas to be blessed in everything, and he was, his whole long life.

The Prophet ﷺ loved visiting Umm Sulaym's home. It was a simple little house, with one mat that was their bed at night, their floor by day, and their table at mealtimes. But it was full of warmth. She even kept a special corner just for praying.

One day, Abu Talha thought the Prophet ﷺ sounded hungry. Umm Sulaym had only a little bread in the house. She wrapped it in a cloth and sent it with Anas. But the Prophet ﷺ arrived with all the people from the mosque! How could a little bread feed so many? The Prophet ﷺ blessed it, and from that small bread, about eighty people ate until they were full. And the family ate from the same bowl for two months more. When Allah blesses something small, it becomes big.

And here is the most wonderful part of all. The Prophet ﷺ once said that he entered Paradise, and there he saw Umm Sulaym. The mother with the little house and the giant heart was already known in Jannah.

So tonight, snuggled in your bed, remember: the best treasure is not gold. It is faith, and a warm heart, and a home where Allah is remembered.

Picture a wide, wide river sparkling in the sunshine. On the water floats a little basket. And inside the basket, fast asleep, is a tiny baby. Where is he going? Only Allah knows, and Allah is steering.

Long ago in Egypt there lived a king called Pharaoh, and he was not kind at all. He thought he was the greatest of everyone, and he was very unkind to one group of people, so unkind that their mothers were afraid for their baby boys.

Musa (alayhis salam), which means peace be upon him, was born right in that scary time. But listen to what Allah did. Allah put a message into his mother's heart: feed your baby, and when you feel afraid for him, place him in the river. Do not be afraid, and do not be sad. I will bring him back to you, and I will make him a messenger.

That is a very hard thing for a mother to do! But she trusted Allah completely. She tucked baby Musa into a little basket and let the river take him. And that basket was not just drifting along. Allah was carrying it, like the safest pair of hands in the world.

And where did the river bring the baby? Right to the garden of the palace, the palace of Pharaoh himself! The king's wife found the little baby, and her heart melted with love the moment she saw his face. He is a comfort for my eyes, she said. Let us keep him as our son. Allah had poured His own special love onto Musa, so that hearts turned soft whenever they looked at him.

Now baby Musa got hungry. But here comes another secret part of Allah's plan: the baby would not drink milk from any woman in the palace. Every nurse tried, and the baby turned his little face away and cried. The whole palace did not know what to do!

Musa's big sister had been quietly following the basket along the riverbank, watching everything. She stepped forward and said: shall I show you a family who will feed him and truly care for him? Yes, they said, bring her, bring her!

And so baby Musa was placed back into the arms of his very own mother. He drank his milk right away. Nobody in the palace knew who she was, but Allah knew. The mother held her baby again, exactly as Allah had promised, and the palace even paid her and looked after her! The Qur'an tells us Allah returned him to her so that her eyes would be cooled and she would know that the promise of Allah is true.

Musa grew up strong and safe, and became one of the greatest prophets of all time, the prophet mentioned most in the whole Qur'an. But it all started with a basket, a river, and a mother who trusted Allah.

So when you snuggle down tonight, remember the little basket on the big river. When Allah makes a promise, He always, always keeps it. And the One who watched over baby Musa is watching over you.

In the city of Madinah lived a lady named Nusaybah bint Ka'b (radiyallahu anha). When the message of Islam came to her city, her whole family believed: her husband, her brothers, and her children. Faith filled their house like sunlight fills a window.

Nusaybah was not the kind of person who waited for things to come to her. When the people of Madinah traveled far to meet the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and promise to stand by him, most families sent the men to make the promise for everyone. Not Nusaybah. She made the long journey herself, one of only a few women there, because she wanted to make her own promise with her own voice.

Then came the day of Uhud, a hard day when the believers had to defend themselves by a big mountain. Nusaybah went along to help. She carried water to the thirsty and cared for anyone who was hurt. That was her job that day. Or so she thought.

In the middle of the day, everything turned upside down. Things went wrong for the believers, and many people got scared and ran away from the danger. But Nusaybah looked across the field and thought of just one thing: the Prophet ﷺ. Was he safe?

She put down her water bag. She picked up a shield and a sword. And she ran, not away from the danger, but toward the Prophet ﷺ, to stand in front of him like a wall. Her husband and her two sons stood there too, a whole family of brave hearts. The Prophet ﷺ said afterward that wherever he looked that day, left or right, in front or behind, he saw Nusaybah there, protecting him.

She was hurt that day, and one of her hurts took a whole year to heal. But when the Prophet ﷺ saw her family standing so firmly around him, he was amazed at them. And Nusaybah made just one request. Not for treasure. Not for rest. She asked him to pray that her family would be with him in Paradise. He raised his hands and prayed: O Allah, make them my companions in Paradise. And Nusaybah said that after that, she did not care what happened to her in this world. The promise was enough.

Nusaybah noticed things, too. She once asked the Prophet ﷺ why the Quran often mentioned the believing men, and she wondered about the women. And Allah sent down a verse naming the believing men and the believing women side by side, together in every good thing. Because of her brave question, every Muslim girl and woman can find herself in the Quran.

Nusaybah lived to be an old lady, walking peacefully through the streets of Madinah. Even the great leader Umar honored her. When he was given a gift of the finest silk, he did not keep it for his own family. He sent it to Nusaybah, saying she deserved it most of all.

So tonight, close your eyes and think of brave Nusaybah. Being brave does not mean you are never scared. It means you love something so much that you protect it anyway.

Close your eyes and picture the very beginning. Before there were any people at all, before there was a single child anywhere, Allah decided to make someone new. Not from nothing, and not from the sky. He made the first person out of the earth itself.

Allah gathered dust from all over the whole world. He took a little from the hills and a little from the valleys. He took red soil and pale soil and dark soil, soft sand and hard rock. He mixed it with water until it became soft, like the clay you squish in your hands. And do you know why He gathered it from everywhere? So that people would come in every colour and every kind. That is why no two of us are exactly the same, even now.

Allah shaped that clay into the very first person, and He named him Adam (alayhis salam). Then Allah breathed life into him. The life came in from the top, from his head first. His eyes opened. And the first thing Adam ever saw was the beautiful garden all around him, because Allah had made a special home for him called Paradise.

As the breath reached his nose, Adam did something we all still do. He sneezed. And right away he said, alhamdulillah, which means all thanks belong to Allah. Isn't that lovely? When you sneeze and say alhamdulillah, you are saying the very same words the very first person said, a long, long time ago.

Then Allah taught Adam something amazing. He taught him the names of everything all at once. This is a tree. This is a stone. This is a mountain. This is a bird. The angels, who are made of light and always praise Allah, could not name those things. But Adam could, because Allah had taught him. Knowing things is a gift, and Allah gave it to people first.

Allah gave Adam a lovely greeting to say too. He told him to say, assalamu alaykum, which means peace be upon you. When you say it, you are telling someone, you are safe with me. It is the kindest hello there is, and it began right here with Adam.

Then Allah gave Adam a companion so he would not be lonely. Her name was Hawa (alayha salam). Allah gave them the whole garden. Eat anything you like, He told them, wherever you like. Only one tree, He said, please do not go near that one tree. Everything else was theirs. Just that one little rule.

But there was a sneaky one called Iblis who did not want them to be happy. He kept whispering, go on, taste that tree. He whispered and whispered until, one day, they forgot the rule and tasted it. Right away they felt sorry. They wished they had not.

Now here is the most beautiful part. Allah did not stop loving Adam. Allah taught him some special words to say. Adam lifted his hands and said, our Lord, we were wrong, please forgive us and be kind to us. And Allah forgave him at once. Adam was the very first person ever to say sorry to Allah, and Allah wrapped him up in love.

So remember, little one. When you make a mistake, you never have to hide. You can do just what Adam did. You can turn to Allah, and say sorry, and Allah is always, always ready to forgive. Allah made you from the good earth, He taught you kind words, and He is watching over you gently, right now, as you close your eyes to sleep.

Close your eyes and picture a big, busy city in the desert long, long ago. The city was called Makkah. The sun was hot, the streets were full of camels, and over one special house flew a green cloth, high on the roof, like a little flag.

That flag meant something kind. It said, if you are hungry, come here. If you are poor, come here. In this house, you will be helped. The house belonged to a woman named Khadijah (radiyallahu anha), and the people of Makkah had a special name for her. They called her the pure one, because she never told lies and never said an unkind word about anyone.

Khadijah was clever and hard-working. She had the biggest line of camels in the whole city, carrying goods far away to sell. She needed an honest helper to travel with them, and everyone pointed to the same young man. They called him the trustworthy one. His name was Muhammad, and one day he would be the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.

He did his work so honestly and so beautifully that Khadijah wanted to marry him. When she told him why, she did not talk about money. She said, I chose you because of your good heart and your truthful words. So they were married, and their home was full of love.

The years went by softly. Then one day, something new happened. The Prophet ﷺ liked to go up to a quiet cave on a mountain to sit and think about Allah. The climb was long, and dear Khadijah would walk all that way herself to bring him food and water.

One evening he came home from that cave shaking, like a leaf in the wind. He was frightened by something wonderful and enormous he had seen. Cover me, cover me, he said. And Khadijah wrapped him up warm and safe and held him close until he was calm again.

He whispered that he was afraid. But Khadijah was not afraid at all. She spoke gently and surely. No, she said. Never. Allah would never let you down. You are kind to your family, you always tell the truth, you help people who are struggling. And she was right.

Soon Allah gave the Prophet ﷺ a message for all people. You are the very first person I am telling, he said to her. And Khadijah answered without waiting even one moment. And I am the very first to believe you.

And so it was. Out of everyone in the whole world, Khadijah was the first to believe. The first to say yes. The first to stand beside the Prophet ﷺ when no one else had.

She gave everything she had to help him, her time, her kindness, and her money, and she never once complained. Allah loved her so much that He sent her His own greeting of peace, and the happy news of a beautiful home waiting for her in Paradise, a home made of a single shining pearl, quiet and cozy, where no one is ever tired again.

When Khadijah grew old, she went home to Allah. The Prophet ﷺ missed her for the rest of his life, and he never, ever forgot her. He would smile and say, she believed in me when no one else did.

So snuggle down now, little one. Somewhere there is a home of pearl, soft and warm, waiting for a brave and gentle heart. And Allah, who never lets anyone down, is watching over you too. Goodnight.

Once, long ago, there lived a very clever people called Thamud. They were so strong and so skilled that they could carve whole houses right into the sides of the mountains. Imagine that. Not building with bricks, but cutting rooms and doorways straight into solid rock, like scooping tunnels out of a giant stone.

Because their homes were made of mountain, they thought nothing could ever hurt them. The wind cannot blow down a mountain, they said. The water cannot climb up here. We are safe. But slowly, they forgot to thank Allah for all the good things He had given them.

So Allah sent them a kind teacher, and he was one of their very own people. His name was Salih (alayhis salam). Everyone liked him. He was gentle and wise. He said to them, my people, worship Allah. He made you, He gave you everything, so remember Him and thank Him.

But the people wanted proof. Show us a sign, they said. And they thought of the hardest thing they could imagine. They pointed at a huge rock and said, if your Lord is real, bring a camel out of that rock. Not just any camel. A big one, taller than any camel we have ever seen, and she must be about to have a baby. They were sure it could never happen.

Salih prayed to Allah. And the great rock split open. Out walked a beautiful, enormous camel, exactly the way they had asked. She was a real, living miracle, standing right in front of them.

This is the she-camel of Allah, said Salih. She is a special sign for you. Let her walk freely and drink her water. Be kind to her, and do not hurt her. It was easy. All they had to do was share the water. One day the camel would drink, and the next day was for all their animals. Just take turns, and be gentle.

Some of the people believed and became good and kind. But some did not like sharing the water. They grumbled and grumbled. And one night, a few of them did a very unkind thing. They hurt the special camel.

Salih was so sad. He had warned them to be gentle. He told them, Allah has given you three days. And then he waited, hoping they would say sorry.

But this story ends softly, little one, because Allah always takes care of the good people. Allah told Salih and everyone who had believed with him to leave that place and go somewhere safe. And they did. Allah gathered up all the kind ones and kept them close and protected, far from any harm.

So the ones who shared, and were gentle, and listened to Salih, were safe and sound because Allah was watching over them. And that is the same Allah who is watching over you tonight. When you share, and when you are gentle with animals and with people, Allah is so pleased with you. Now snuggle down. You are safe, and Allah is near.

Imagine you are ten years old, and your mother takes your hand and walks you to the kindest person in the whole city. That is exactly what happened to a boy named Anas ibn Malik (radiyallahu anhu).

Anas lived in a city called Madinah. His mother did not have gold or silver to give. So she brought the most precious thing she had, her own dear son. She said to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, please take Anas, and let him help you. And then she asked, please make a prayer for him.

The Prophet ﷺ made a beautiful prayer. He asked Allah to give Anas a long, happy life, lots of children, and to forgive him. And every single part of that prayer came true.

So Anas became the Prophet's little helper. His home was right next door, so every morning he would hop out of his door and go straight to the Prophet's door, ready to help with the day.

The Prophet ﷺ was so gentle with him. He gave Anas sweet nicknames, and sometimes just called him, my son. For ten whole years Anas helped him. And do you know what Anas said about all those years? He said the Prophet ﷺ never once shouted at him. Never said an unkind word. Not even one time did he frown at him.

There is a lovely story Anas loved to tell. One day the Prophet ﷺ asked him to go and do something. But Anas was a little boy, and on the way he saw other children playing. So he stopped to play, and he forgot all about the errand.

After a while, he looked up. And there was the Prophet ﷺ, sitting nearby, watching him, and smiling. He was not cross at all. He just asked kindly, little Anas, did you go where I asked you to go? That was all. Just a gentle question and a warm smile.

Because Anas was always close by, he saw how loving the Prophet ﷺ was to everyone. He saw him play with little children, pat their heads, and pray for them. He saw him be gentle to the poor and never turn anyone away.

Anas tried hard to be just like him. He learned to pray the way the Prophet ﷺ prayed. And the Prophet ﷺ taught him a lovely secret for a happy heart. He said, my son, if you can go to sleep and wake up with no anger toward anyone, then do that. It is part of my way.

So Anas would empty his heart of any grumpy feelings before he slept, and wake up fresh and kind again. What a peaceful way to fall asleep.

Anas lived a very, very long life, longer than almost anyone. And here is the most wonderful part. Long after the Prophet ﷺ had gone home to Allah, Anas said that every single night, he saw his beloved Prophet ﷺ in his dreams. Every night.

So close your eyes now, little one, with a soft and happy heart, just like Anas. Let go of any little worries from today. Allah is watching over you, and tomorrow is a brand new day to be kind. Goodnight.

There was once a king, and his name was Dawud (alayhis salam). Now, most kings love their gold and their palaces best of all. But Dawud was not like that. Dawud loved Allah most of all, and that made him the happiest king who ever lived.

Allah gave Dawud so many wonderful gifts. He was a king, and he was wise, and he was brave, and he was a prophet who taught people about Allah. But do you know what the very best gift was? Allah gave Dawud the most beautiful voice in all the world.

When Dawud sang his praises to Allah, something magical happened. The great tall mountains would echo the praise back to him. And the birds up in the sky would gather all around and sing along too. Can you imagine that? A whole valley of mountains and a whole sky of birds, all singing to Allah with the king. People would stop and stand still, just to listen, their mouths open in wonder.

Allah gave Dawud another special gift. When Dawud held iron in his hands, the hard metal became soft, like warm play dough. He could shape it with his fingers. So he made strong armour to keep his people safe. Only Allah could make iron go soft like that.

Now here is the thing that made Dawud so special. He had everything a person could want. But every single night, while everyone else was fast asleep, King Dawud would get up quietly to pray to Allah. And on many days he would not eat at all, so that he could feel closer to Allah, and then the next day he would eat happily again.

He did this because he was so, so grateful. Being grateful is not just saying thank you with your mouth. Dawud showed his thank-you with his whole self. He prayed with his body, he sang with his voice, and he shaped iron with his hands, all to please Allah.

Dawud had a young son called Sulayman (alayhis salam), and Sulayman was clever and kind. One day two men came to Dawud with a problem about a garden and some sheep that had wandered in. Dawud gave a fair answer. Then young Sulayman said, father, I have another idea. And Dawud, who was a good and humble dad, smiled and said, tell me. Sulayman shared his gentle idea, and it was a lovely one, and Dawud was so proud of his boy.

Do you know how Sulayman grew up to be so good? He grew up watching his father Dawud pray, and thank Allah, and be fair to everyone. Children learn by watching. When Sulayman saw his dad on his knees at night, he wanted to do it too.

So King Dawud, with his crown and his kingdom and his singing mountains, spent his life bowing to the One who gave it all to him. That was his secret to being happy.

And you can be grateful just like Dawud. When you say alhamdulillah, thank you Allah, the whole world is thanking Him with you, in a language too quiet for us to hear. The trees, the birds, the little stars outside your window are all praising Allah right now. And Allah, who gave Dawud the singing mountains, is watching over you, softly, as you drift off to sleep.

Once there was a young shepherd who loved animals. He looked after a flock of woolly sheep out in the fields. And do you know his little secret? He kept a soft baby kitten tucked safely in his sleeve, so it could travel with him everywhere he went.

Because he loved that little kitten so much, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ gave him a sweet and funny name. He called him Abu Huraira (radiyallahu anhu), which means, the father of the little kitten. Abu Huraira loved that name most of all, because the Prophet ﷺ had given it to him.

Abu Huraira came to Madinah to be near the Prophet ﷺ. He did not have much at all. But he loved the Prophet ﷺ so dearly that he wanted to stay near him every single moment, to hear every wise and beautiful thing he said.

He was so poor that sometimes his tummy was empty and rumbly. But instead of going home early like others, he stayed close, listening and learning. He used to say, I stayed near the Prophet ﷺ even when I was hungry, so I could hear what others did not hear.

Now, Abu Huraira loved his mother very much too. But she did not believe in Allah yet, and one day she said some unkind words. It made Abu Huraira so sad that he cried. So he went to the Prophet ﷺ, and instead of being angry, the Prophet ﷺ simply raised his hands and prayed, O Allah, guide the mother of Abu Huraira.

Abu Huraira ran home. When his mother opened the door, the very first thing she said was that she now believed in Allah. Abu Huraira cried again, but this time they were happy tears. Allah had answered the prayer.

Abu Huraira wanted to remember every word the Prophet ﷺ said, but sometimes he worried he might forget. So the Prophet ﷺ made a special prayer for him. And after that, something amazing happened. Abu Huraira never forgot anything he heard, not one single word.

He remembered so many wonderful sayings of the Prophet ﷺ that he shared them with everyone. He would sit and teach, and people would gather around to learn all about the Prophet ﷺ from him.

And even though he became so wise and important, he stayed silly and happy and kind. He played hide and seek with the children of Madinah. He carried his own firewood through the market and called out cheerfully to make everyone laugh.

The Prophet ﷺ taught him five little things to keep his heart happy. Stay away from bad things. Be happy with what Allah gives you. Be good to your neighbour. And love for other people the good things you love for yourself.

Abu Huraira lived a long and gentle life, always loving Allah. Right at the end, he looked up with a smile and said softly, O Allah, I love to meet You.

So cuddle up now, little one. Maybe there is a soft kitten purring somewhere, and a kind Allah who hears every prayer, even the quiet ones. Sleep well, and dream sweet dreams. Goodnight.

There was once a king named Sulayman (alayhis salam), and he was the son of the good king Dawud (alayhis salam). Sulayman was given more amazing things than any king who ever lived, before or since.

Guess what Allah gave him. Allah let Sulayman command the wind. Yes, the wind! In just one morning, the wind could carry him as far as most people could travel in a whole month. And Allah taught Sulayman to understand the animals, all the birds and the little creatures, and to know what they were saying.

Sulayman had a huge, wonderful army, with people, and birds flying above, and even jinn who worked for him. They would all march together in neat rows. You would think a king with all of that might feel very big and very proud. But Sulayman was not proud at all. The more Allah gave him, the more he loved Allah, and the more thankful he became.

One day, Sulayman was leading his enormous army across the land. And they came to a valley. It was the valley of the ants. Now, one tiny little ant looked up and saw the great army coming. And she called out to all her ant friends, quick, everyone, hurry into your homes, so that Sulayman and his soldiers do not step on you by accident.

Because Allah had taught him the speech of the animals, Sulayman heard that tiny ant. Just imagine. The most powerful king in the whole world, with the biggest army, heard one little ant, smaller than your fingernail. And he smiled. He was so pleased. He stopped so that no ant would be hurt.

Then Sulayman said a lovely prayer. He did not say, look how great I am. Instead he said, my Lord, help me to be truly grateful for everything You have given me and my parents, and help me to do good that pleases You. Isn't that a beautiful thing for a king to say?

Another day, Sulayman was counting all his birds, and he noticed one little bird was missing. It was the hoopoe, a bird with a fancy crown of feathers on its head. When the hoopoe came back, it had news. Far away, said the bird, there is a queen and her people, and they bow down to the sun instead of to Allah.

Sulayman wanted to gently teach them about Allah. So he wrote them a kind letter. He did not send his big army to frighten them. He wrote, in the name of Allah, the Most Kind. He wanted to help them find the right path, softly.

One day, Sulayman was even shown a great throne carried to him from very far away, in the blink of an eye, faster than you could clap your hands. And when he saw it, did he say, look what I can do? No. He said, this is from the kindness of my Lord. Everything I have is a gift from Allah.

So the greatest king who ever lived spent all his days saying thank you to Allah, and being gentle even to the tiniest ant. That is what made him so good. And Allah, who cared for kings and ants and hoopoe birds, cares for you too, little one. He hears you, even when you whisper. Now close your eyes, safe and sound, and let Allah watch over you.

Once upon a time, there was a kind woman with a beautiful name. Her name was Baraka, which means blessing. And what a blessing she truly was.

Baraka came from a faraway land, and she lived in the home of the Prophet Muhammad's family in Makkah, long before he was born. She was gentle and caring, and everyone in that little house loved her.

Then a wonderful day arrived. A baby boy was born, and Baraka was right there in the room. Hers were the very first hands to hold the little baby who would grow up to be the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. She said she saw a soft light shining the moment he was born.

Baraka helped care for that special little boy. But when he was only six years old, something sad happened. His mother became very sick, and she went home to Allah. Before she left, she whispered to Baraka, please, take care of him like a mother.

And Baraka did. She wrapped her love around that little boy and never, ever left him. She stayed by his side as he grew from a boy into a man. He loved her so much that he called her a beautiful name. He said, she is my mother after my mother.

Later, she had a son of her own named Ayman, and so everyone began to call her Umm Ayman (radiyallahu anha), which means the mother of Ayman.

When the Prophet ﷺ told people about Allah, Umm Ayman believed him right away. She was one of the very first people to believe, because she had known his kind heart her whole life.

One time, on a long, hot journey through the desert, Umm Ayman ran out of water. She was so thirsty. But then, she said, a bucket of cool water came down to her from the sky on a rope, and she drank until she was happy. After that day, she was never thirsty again.

Umm Ayman looked after the Prophet ﷺ like a loving mother his whole life. He visited her almost every day. One day he asked her, how are you? And she gave the sweetest answer. She said, as long as the message of Allah is safe and good, then I am good too.

She could even make the Prophet ﷺ laugh. Sometimes she said funny words by mistake, and he would smile his warm and kind smile.

Umm Ayman was there on the very first day of the Prophet's life, and she was still there, loving him, on his very last day. No one else in the whole world can say that. What a caring, faithful friend she was.

So snuggle in now, little one. Just like Umm Ayman cared for that little boy, someone cares for you, and Allah loves you very much. You are safe, and you are loved. Goodnight.

Let me tell you about a very special lady named Maryam (alayha salam). From the time she was a little girl, Maryam loved Allah with her whole heart. She spent her days in a quiet corner, praying and being good and kind. Allah loved her so much that He chose her above all the women in the world.

One day, an angel came to Maryam with wonderful news. Maryam, said the angel, Allah is going to give you a baby boy, and he will be a very special prophet. His name will be Isa.

Maryam was surprised. But how can I have a baby, she asked, when I am not even married? The angel said something amazing. This is easy for Allah, he said. When Allah wants something to happen, He only has to say Be, and it happens. Just like that.

So by the power of Allah, baby Isa (alayhis salam) began to grow, and Maryam took care of him. When it was nearly time for the baby to come, Maryam went to rest under a tall palm tree. She felt worried and all alone. She wished she could just hide away.

But Allah took care of her. A gentle voice called out to her, do not be sad. Look, Allah has made a little stream of fresh water right below you, to drink. And shake the palm tree, and sweet ripe dates will fall down for you to eat. So Maryam drank the cool water and ate the sweet dates and felt much better. Allah was looking after her the whole time.

Then baby Isa was born, tiny and beautiful. Allah told Maryam to carry her baby back to her people, and not to worry.

When Maryam came home holding her new baby, the people were confused. They did not understand. They started asking her lots of questions, all at once. But Allah had told Maryam not to speak that day. So instead of answering, Maryam just pointed at the baby.

The people laughed. How can we talk to a baby, they said. He is just a tiny newborn in her arms! How silly, they thought.

And then, the most astonishing thing happened. The little baby Isa opened his mouth, and he spoke! A newborn baby, talking! Everyone went completely quiet. And do you know the very first thing baby Isa said? He said, I am a servant of Allah. Allah has made me a prophet, and blessed me, and told me to pray and to be good, and to be kind to my mother.

The people could not believe their ears. A baby had spoken clear, wise words. This was a miracle, a special sign from Allah, to show everyone that Maryam was good and that her baby was truly special.

As Isa grew up, Allah let him do more wonderful things, always by Allah's power. He could make a bird out of clay and it would fly away alive. He could gently touch someone who was sick, and by Allah's leave they would feel well again. Every wonderful thing he did was a gift from Allah, to help people believe.

So little one, remember this. Nothing is too hard for Allah. He only has to say Be, and it is. He looked after Maryam under the palm tree, and He made a baby speak. And that same mighty, gentle Allah is looking after you, right now, as you close your eyes. Sleep softly. You are safe with Him.

There was once a young man named Jafar ibn Abi Talib (radiyallahu anhu), and he looked so much like his cousin, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, that his own mother loved him a little extra for it.

Jafar had a kind and generous heart. His name means a flowing river, always giving, always sharing, and he grew up to be just like his name.

In those early days, life in Makkah became very hard for the people who believed in Allah. So a group of them set off on a long journey across the sea, to a faraway land where a good and fair king ruled. This king was known for being kind and never letting anyone be treated unfairly.

The Prophet ﷺ chose Jafar to be the leader of this group and to speak for them all. Jafar was only a young man, but the Prophet ﷺ trusted him.

One day the king called Jafar to his grand palace. Everyone was watching. Would the king let them stay safely, or send them away? Jafar took a deep breath and stepped forward.

He did not boast, and he was not rude. He simply told the truth, softly and clearly. He said, once we did not know any better, but Allah sent us a kind prophet. He taught us to speak the truth, to keep our promises, to be good to our neighbours, and to care for children who have no parents.

Then the king asked Jafar to share some of the beautiful words that Allah had sent. So Jafar recited a lovely part of the Quran about Maryam and her baby son. When he finished, he looked up, and there were tears rolling down the king's cheeks. The whole room was crying softly at the beautiful words.

The kind king smiled and said, I will never, ever send these good people away. And so they were safe.

Jafar lived in that faraway land for many years, and his three little sons were born there. At last, he came home. When the Prophet ﷺ saw him, he was so happy that he hugged Jafar and kissed him gently between the eyes.

In his new home, everyone gave Jafar a special name. They called him the father of the poor. Do you know why? Because he loved to sit with people who had very little. He would listen to them and share whatever he had. Once he only had a jar of honey left, so he opened it up and shared every drop.

The Prophet ﷺ said something wonderful to him. He said, Jafar, you are like me, not just in your face, but in your kind heart too.

Jafar spent his whole life being brave and gentle and giving. And the Prophet ﷺ told everyone that Jafar was flying happily in Paradise, soaring with two beautiful wings. From then on, everyone called him the one with two wings.

So close your eyes now, little one, and imagine soaring gently through a soft, happy sky. Be kind like Jafar, and share what you have, and one day, who knows how high a kind heart can fly. Goodnight.

Let me tell you about a young man named Yusuf (alayhis salam). When Yusuf was a boy, some things happened to him that were not fair at all. He ended up far away from his family, in a land called Egypt, all on his own.

But here is the special thing about Yusuf. No matter how hard things got, he never, ever forgot Allah. Even when he was alone, even when nobody was watching him, Yusuf was always good. He knew that Allah could always see him, and that was enough for him.

One day, some people wanted Yusuf to do something wrong. But Yusuf would not do it. Even when they got angry, even when it would have been easier to just give in, he stayed good. He said, I would rather be somewhere hard and stay good, than do something that would make Allah unhappy. And so Yusuf ended up in prison, even though he had done nothing wrong at all.

Now, prison is a hard place. But do you know what Yusuf did there? He did not sit and feel sorry for himself. He was kind to the other people in the prison. He was so gentle and helpful that everyone could tell straight away, this is a good man.

Two men in the prison each had a strange dream, and they asked Yusuf what the dreams meant. Before Yusuf told them, he gently taught them about Allah. He said, why worship lots of different things, when there is only One Allah who made us all and takes care of us? Even in prison, Yusuf was teaching people about Allah.

Through all of it, Yusuf trusted Allah. He believed, deep in his heart, that Allah had a good plan, even when everything looked wrong. And Yusuf was right.

Because Allah was planning something wonderful the whole time. After all those hard years, the king of Egypt heard how wise and honest Yusuf was. And do you know what happened? Yusuf was set free, and he was given a very important job, helping to look after the whole land of Egypt. The boy who had been treated so unfairly became one of the most respected men in the kingdom.

Then came the most beautiful part of all. There was a hard time when food was scarce, and people came from far away to Egypt to ask for grain. And one day, who should come but Yusuf's own brothers, the same ones who had sent him away long ago. They did not even recognize him now that he was grown.

Yusuf could have been angry with them. But he was not. His heart was full of kindness. When the time was right, Yusuf gently told them, it is me, your brother Yusuf. His brothers felt so sorry for what they had done all those years ago. And Yusuf, with a soft and loving heart, forgave them. Do not worry, he told them. It is all okay now.

Then Yusuf asked for his old father and his whole family to come and live with him in Egypt. And they all came, and they were together again at last, safe and happy, after so many years apart. It was the happiest ending you could imagine.

So remember this, little one. When something feels hard or unfair, it does not mean Allah has forgotten you. Allah is always planning good, even when we cannot see it yet. Stay good, keep trusting, and forgive people with a kind heart, just like Yusuf. And know that Allah is watching over you, planning lovely things for you, as you fall gently asleep tonight.

There was once a young man named Saad ibn Abi Waqqas (radiyallahu anhu), and he was very good at one special thing. He could shoot an arrow from his bow and hit exactly what he was aiming at, every time. He made his own bows and arrows too.

One night, while he was sleeping, Saad had a dream. He was standing in a wide, dark place where he could not see anything at all. It was very dark. But then, up in the sky, a big round moon began to shine.

Saad followed that bright moon. And when he reached its light, he saw three good people already standing there in the glow. When he woke up, he heard that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was quietly telling people about Allah. So Saad hurried off, and he believed right away. He was one of the very first people to believe.

Saad loved his mother very much. But when he told her he now believed in Allah, she became upset and wanted him to stop. To try to change his mind, she decided she would not eat any food.

This made Saad so sad. He loved his mother dearly. He kept bringing her food and water and saying gently, please, mother, please eat. But he could not stop believing in Allah, because his love for Allah was the strongest love of all.

And do you know what Allah did? He did not say anything unkind about Saad's mother. Instead, Allah sent down beautiful words teaching Saad to always be gentle and good to his parents, and to say thank you to them, even while he kept believing. So Saad stayed kind to his mother, and soon she began to eat again.

Saad became the Prophet's brave archer. He stood close and protected him, shooting his arrows carefully. The Prophet ﷺ handed him arrows himself and cheered, well done, Saad!

Then the Prophet ﷺ gave Saad a very special gift. He made a prayer, saying, O Allah, please answer Saad whenever he calls to You. After that, everyone knew that when Saad made a prayer, Allah would hear it. So Saad was very careful, and he only ever made important prayers, never silly ones.

Saad grew up to be a wise and brave leader. But when he was old, some of the people started to argue and fight with each other. Saad did not want any part of the fighting at all.

So do you know what he did? He gathered up his fluffy sheep and walked quietly up into the peaceful green hills, far away from all the noise and arguing. He wanted to be calm, and close to Allah, and content with what he had.

Saad said that Allah loves the person who is gentle, who is happy with what they have, and who does good quietly, without needing everyone to watch. And that is exactly how Saad chose to live.

So settle down now, little one, somewhere soft and quiet like Saad's peaceful hills. Allah hears every little prayer you make. Whisper one now if you like, and then drift off to sleep. Goodnight.