The Story of Little Zayd

Organising the Library

Abu Hafs Madani

On some lazy Sundays, many families love to snooze a bit longer. But at Little Zayd’s house, this Sunday was buzzing with activity! It was like a mini tornado had come to visit. After a busy week, everyone was making the most of their free day. Mom was cooking up something yummy in the kitchen, and Sister was busy organizing the wardrobe. She had cleaned it all by herself, but now she wanted Little Zayd to join the fun and help her put the clothes back. Just as they were almost done, they heard Dad calling out for Little Zayd.

When Little Zayd came outside and looked, he saw Father in the home courtyard. As soon as he saw Little Zayd, he exclaimed, “It’s been many days since the bookcase was cleaned!”

Little Zayd was overjoyed, as cleaning the books and placing them in order with Father was one of his favourite things to do. This was something he could do all day and never grow tired of. He found it so interesting to pick up books, place them in order and spend time with his father.

During this time, father and son would have pleasant conversations. Dad would pick out a book and dive into a lively discussion with Little Zayd. He’d talk about the person who wrote the book and the exciting tales it held. As they chatted and laughed, the books found their way back to their spots, and time just flew by.

Today was no different, and whilst picking up a book, Little Zayd said, “This one is so heavy! I don’t know how you read such big books!”

Father smiled. “Books truly are amazing,” he remarked. “And they themselves make us read them. Whenever I sit down to read the book you’re holding, I don’t feel like stopping.”

Spotting the twinkle of curiosity in Little Zayd’s eyes, Dad knew that he was eager to learn more about the book in hand. “Hand this book to me,” he lovingly said, “and bring that stool here.”

So, Little Zayd brought the stool close and sat on it.

Father began to speak, “You already know that Allah sent many prophets and messengers to guide His slaves to the straight path and to teach them about right and wrong.”

As soon as Father paused, Little Zayd chirped, “Yes, I know this! Allah sent 124,000 prophets.”

Father remarked, “Only Allah and His Messenger know their exact number. So whenever we mention the number of prophets, we should not say a number with certainty. Instead, we should say Allah sent around 124,000 prophets. Of these, 27 have been mentioned by name in the Quran.”

Father then pointed at the book in his hand and said, “The blessed biographies of these 27 prophets have been compiled in this book. Shall I tell you something else interesting about this?” Little Zayd said yes in an instant.

Father explained:

We can learn so much from the blessed lives of the prophets. They taught people how to be loyal servants of Allah, face big challenges, and remain strong and patient. Each of them has a special story with lessons we can learn from. This book is like a collection of their best moments, all put together by a wise man.

“Who is the author?” Little Zayd quizzed.

“Mufti Muhammad Qasim Attari is the author,” he replied. “The book is called Sīrat al-Ambiyāʾ. We should read about the lives of the prophets and apply the lessons we learn from them in our own lives. Let’s continue putting the books away now.”

Little Zayd stood up to help, even though he wished to continue listening to Father’s words.