Salat in Secret
Age: 7-10
- ★★★★★
- ★★★☆☆
- ★★★★★
- ★★★★☆
- Courage
- Manhood
- Responsibility
- Routines
Values
Struggles
Why Should My Child Read This Book?
This tender story earns our Gold Star as it captures a child’s most important rite of passage: a young boy stepping into the responsibility of prayer, guided by his loving and joyful father. Gifted with a new prayer rug on his seventh birthday, the young boy builds his confidence as he learns where to make wudu and how to find the right space to pray at school. By watching his father prioritize prayer wherever he goes, the boy learns that this pillar of faith is something we build our lives around both inside the home and out. Ultimately, he discovers that prayer is an honor Allah ﷻ has gifted us—wherever we may be. Salat in Secret reinforces prayer as a pillar of our lives—holding and strengthening faith through consistency and resolve. It makes a perfect gift for a seven-year-old beginning their own personal prayer journey.
How Can I Use This Book?
- What are the five pillars of Islam?
- What are pillars used for in a building? What happens if a pillar is missing? Why are the five pillars called pillars? If a pillar is missing, the building can weaken or fall. Just like pillars hold up a building, the five pillars of Islam help hold up Islam in our hearts and in our lives.
- Prayer is the second pillar of Islam. How many times a day has Allah ﷻ commanded us to pray?
- Why do you think prayer is the second pillar of Islam? Prayer keeps us connected to Allah ﷻ through the whole day—from early morning until night.
- Why do you think we are asked to pray five times a day? So we remember Him ﷻ all the time!
- Why do we want to remember Him ﷻ? Allah ﷻ created us and knows exactly what we need. Prayer is a gift He has given us to help us stay close to Him. Does Allah ﷻ need our prayers? No, Allah ﷻ does not need anything. But do we need our prayers? Absolutely!
- Observe how carefully the boy makes wudu. Do you know how to make wudu? Go over the steps of wudu.
- Making wudu is a gift. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ told us that every mistake we make with our eyes, our face, our hands and even our feet washes away every time we make wudu! (Muslim) When we meet Allah ﷻ, our faces, hands and feet will shine on the Day of Judgement because of our wudu. (Muslim)
- Do you have a special place where you love to pray? Where can you pray? Did you know that the whole world is your prayer mat? Discuss this hadith: “The entire earth has been made a place of prayer, except for graveyards and washrooms.” (Tirmidhi) How easy has Allah ﷻ made prayer for us!
- Muhammad receives a new prayer mat for his 7th birthday. Do you have a special prayer mat you love to pray on?
- Turning seven is a special birthday. You will begin to build your habit of prayer. The habit of prayer grows as we grow.
- Suggestion for parents to build a strong prayer habit:
- When the child turns 7, help them choose one prayer they will do consistently every day.
- Keep adding prayers every year or every six months, until they work their way up to all 5 prayers by the time they turn 10. By the time you turn 10, you have built a beautiful prayer habit.
- Why are good habits important, especially the habit of prayer?
- Allah ﷻ loves when we make habits out of our good deeds. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ told us “the most beloved deed to Allah is the most regular and constant even if it were little.” (Bukhari)
- What happened when his father prayed outside? Sometimes, when a non-Muslim sees a Muslim praying, they may be confused. They may stare or try to talk to you because they don’t understand. When the police officers came, his father was shaking during prayer—but did that stop him from praying? No. His father continued to pray, doing what he knew was right. Being brave means doing the right thing even when we are scared.
What’s This Book About?
A boy named Muhammad receives a special salat rug on his seventh birthday. Seven is the age when Muslim children are encouraged to pray, and Muhammad is determined to do all five daily prayers on time. But one salat occurs during the school day--and he's worried about being seen praying at school. His father parks his truck to worship in public places, and people stare at and mock him. Will the same thing happen to Muhammad? In the end, with help from his teacher, he finds the perfect place to pray.
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Anything I need to be aware of?
VIEW FLAGSGenres: General Fiction
Publisher: Random House Studio
*This review applies only to ISBN number noted above.
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