Iqra! That first word of revelation is a command to READ, which leads to discovery, awareness, education, and insha Allah, eventual success.As a children’s book author and a huge advocate for children’s books – both Islamic and otherwise – encouraging our children to #bewellread is something very near and dear to

As a children’s book author and a huge advocate for children’s books – both Islamic and otherwise – encouraging our children to #bewellread is something very near and dear to me, because books open our eyes to different worlds. Books allow us to have different experiences from the comfort of our own homes. Good quality books allow us to feel emotions, connect with different characters, appreciate different circumstances and explore different realities. They help us develop empathy, and increase our understanding of humanity.”Anna Dewdney, children’s book author, says “empathy is as important as literacy. When we read with a child, we are doing so much more than teaching him to read or instilling in her a love of language. We are doing something that I believe is just as powerful, and it is something that we are losing as a culture: by reading with a child, we are teaching that child to be human. When we open a

Anna Dewdney, children’s book author, says “empathy is as important as literacy. When we read with a child, we are doing so much more than teaching him to read or instilling in her a love of language. We are doing something that I believe is just as powerful, and it is something that we are losing as a culture: by reading with a child, we are teaching that child to be human. When we open a book and share our voice and imagination with a child, that child learns to see the world through someone else’s eyes. I will go further and say that that child then learns to feel the world more deeply, becoming more aware of himself and others in a way that he simply cannot experience except in our laps, or in our classrooms, or in our reading circles.”

Razeena Gutta, author and founder of @readlittlemuslims.

Thank You, Razeena Gutta, for sharing your perspective on what it means to #bewellread. This forms part of our campaign to call people back to the first Qur’anic command to mankind which was ‘Read’. #callto1stverse