I like listening to stories… the longer the better. :) One of the things that I hope to do in shaa Allah is to retell stories from the Qur’an, Hadeeth and other books of Islamic history to Marz. We have to take the cue from Islam’s rich oral history to know that lessons, stories and poetry, however complex can inspire and endure.
I spoke about the cuddle factor earlier. When we take the time to sit with our children and make the effort to make the stories mesmerizing, we are really creating a loving atmosphere… we are bonding with them and telling them that they matter.
Storytelling can be a wonderfully creative experience for both the storyteller and the listener. The narrator does have a challenging task – she would need to find or create stories that BEG to be told and then weave a web of delight through powerful language and colourful expressions.
The listener learns about the joy of making inner journeys – there is no limit as to where her imagination can take her. She learns how words can move. She learns how listening is important. She learns to read into details and to look for subtle cues and nuances. In short, she learns about the art of communication.
I am still new at this, but the little I have done has inspired me. In shaa Allah I’ll try to include some Islamic stories here that you can try with your kids – one I’ve started with is The Leper, the Bald Man & the Blind Man from Sahih al-Bukhari.
Get comfy… snuggle up with your kid and let the story transport you…
