Eid and My Empty Wallet
“I have collected Rs. 13,000 this Eid!” announced Ahmed, proudly counting his Eidi (money received as gift on Eid). Ali frowned and whimpered: “Don’t show
Allah (swt) Gives Everything
There was once a very pious man. His name was Hatim Al-Asam. One day, he gathered all his children and told them that he would
A Child’s Taqwa
There was once a man, whose job was to spy on people in the market, make a daily report of whatever conversations he over-heard and
“Little Engineers”
“Stop it!” yelled Ali at the top of his lungs. Hana casually went on demolishing the ant hills in their backyard. Samra Apa gently scooped
Sturdy as a Rock
“Today, we will discuss what it means to be steadfast in the way of Allah (swt),” announced Sir Hammad, our teacher, as he turned around
Ugh! That Smells Of Onions!
It was a magnificent mansion. Ahmed, my school pal was about to move into a huge house his family had built. We went to check
Replaced for a Reason
Ali threw his school bag on the sofa and plopped himself in a chair with an angry frown. Mom walked in and greeted him cheerfully:
My Mom’s Teacher
“Mmm… these Kebab rolls are scrumptious!” complimented Ali, as he started on his second helping. Samrah Apa smiled merrily from behind the sizzling fry pan,
Eating an Enormous Beast at Sea
Islamabad winters chill you to the bone. And it is not exactly comforting when you are on a farm in the middle of nowhere listening
The Magic of Movies
“Assalamu alaikum, kids! How are you all doing?” boomed Wael Ibrahim, our guest speaker at the LiveDeen conference in Karachi. He had flown all the
Ali Goes Green
“What’s the big idea?” shouted a surprised Ali at the top of his voice. Hannah had just ruined his science project by spilling her drink
Do You Want a Crown and a Gown?
“I am not going back to school… that’s it!” Ali yelled with a firm chin raised and arms crossed against his chest. Dadi Jan and
“Take That, Pow!”
Ali, Omar, and Hassan were taking turns to play. Ali’s cell phone had broken down. Omar’s had been taken away by his parents for a
Dad Takes Over
“I want Mama!” wailed five-year-old Hannah. Dad cradled her gently. “Nani is very ill. Right now, Mama needs to be with her Mama. Nani needs
The Red-Bearded Admiral
Ali, Omar and Hassan stood gazing at the sea. Wild currents crashed to the shore, spraying frothy water and salty droplets on their faces. Their
Tossing Away a Treasure
“That was my favorite ring. How could I be so careless?” Samra Apa sniffed away a tear. Mama gently stroked Samra Apa’s head, which was
A Twelve-year-old Chases Bandits
Dadi Jan, dad, mom, Samra Apa, Ali and Hannah were all huddled up in the car, enjoying the gentle April rain pattering softly on the
Messing up with Mom
It was a lazy Sunday. I was still in bed. My bedroom looked like a battle ground: clothes on the floor, games and books strewn
A Real Hero
“Can men actually fly?” asked a wide-eyed Hannah. Samra Apa chuckled: “Where have you seen that?” “In the movie,” replied five-year-old Hannah innocently. “Hmm…” Samra
“I hope you are not dreaming of taking over my empire”
“Slam!” the door banged open, and Ali walked in red-faced. Dad was replacing a fused bulb in the living room. He looked up and raised
Head-Turning Fashion
Ali wheeled down the park on his shiny black bike in the lovely November breeze. Not far, he spotted Omar and Hassan talking to a
The Fearsome yet Forgiving Soldier
“I hate math!” protested Ali, with a firm chin held high. Mom reasoned with a smile: “There are many things in life that we hate,
The Day Adhan was Called in a Church
“Oh, come on! Don’t be so secretive. After all, I am your brother. Tell me, how will you solve this problem?” pleaded Ali with Samra
Swimming to Save Her Life
“One female polar bear swam for nine days straight in the Beaufort Sea north of Alaska, USA. Can you believe that?” Dad peered from behind
An Orphan Leads An Army
“Pakistan Ka Matlab Kiya?” Omar hollered at the top of his lungs, while waving Pakistan’s flag. “La Ilaha Illa Allah!” shouted Ali. “Why are you
Tariq Ki Dua
Ali and Omar were racking their brains for their upcoming exams. They flipped and skimmed through the pages of their Urdu textbook, groaning and moaning.
Girl Power!
“‘Why can’t girls be strong and smart?” asked Hannah, innocently. Samrah Apa’s face turned red; however, being older and more sensible, she stopped herself from
Captured!
“I want to sleep!” whined Ali, digging deeper into his soft dark blue comforter. “It’s Fajr. You have already missed the Jamaat. Now rise and
Are girls as good as boys?
“You were born to whine and whimper!” Saad pulled a face and laughed out loud at Sarah. Sarah turned crimson red and dignifiedly replied to
“I am not sure if Erum will like my house”
Samra Apa was busy re-arranging her bedroom furniture. There were tall stacks of books scattered around. All the closet doors were wide open. She was
The Game Changer
“Aiiieeeee….!” came a screaming noise from the stairs, as Ali came rolling down like a ball. Everyone ran to see what had happened. Ali was
Warrior of the Pen and the Sword
“Is it possible to be brave and intelligent at the same time?” Ali asked mom, as she weeded her flowerbed. “Why not?” Mom turned around
Major Massey Meets a Fine Soldier
“Today Miss Elizabeth came wearing a scarf to school. She informed us that she converted to Islam!” Ali broke out the news flash of the
The Richest Man
“What do you want to be, when you grow up?” Dadi Jan asked me, tapping away at her keyboard. (She loves to read, research and
The Four Complaints
Omar and Hassan entered Ali’s house, fuming at him. Ali followed shortly with a grim face. Dad was setting out for some work. Sensing the
The Tiger of Mysore
“You won’t believe this! One of my friends got a tiger cub for a pet!” Samra Apa shrieked, as she came through the door. “Assalamu
The Three Tricksters
Ah! The irresistible, mouth-watering smell of cake baking! “Mom! Are you baking a chocolate cake? Can I, please, have just a little piece?” Ali peeked
Who Will Be My Vice Captain?
“Please choose me as your vice captain,” pleaded Omar. Ali was perplexed. He was the captain of the school cricket team and responsible for selecting
“Bill Gates – This Close to Being a Muslim”
“I have decided the topic of our project, guys!” announced Ali from across the school canteen table. “Thank God I don’t need to rack my
The Best Super Power
Bang! Boom! Crash! It sounded like thunder rolling. “What’s going on?” Grandpa came down the stairs, only to find Ali, Omar and Hassan parking their