Ayat Jamilah: Beautiful Signs

Sarah Conover has written six books on world wisdom traditions and the spiritual education of families. Her interests lie in building bridges of understanding between people of differing world cultures and wisdom traditions. As a former high-school teacher, she strived to bring multicultural perspectives to her students by collaborating with other educators worldwide. She was the recipient of two U.S. State Department grants that brought U.S. teachers to the Middle East to initiate classroom collaborations between students in the two regions. Sarah lives in Spokane, Washington, where she teaches creative writing and Buddhist meditation. Freda Crane is an educator who has worked to develop Islamic curriculum on three continents. She received an MA in curriculum from the University of California, Berkeley, and an EdD from the University of Cincinnati. A practicing Muslim for over thirty years, Dr. Crane has developed instructional methods and curriculum for Muslim students in the United States, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Malaysia. For several years she was children's book editor for American Trust Publications, an Islamic publishing house, and she has long been active in the Islamic Society of North America. Dr. Crane lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her family. Valerie Wahl is a graduate of Washington State University where she studied Fine Art. She is the illustrator of Kindness: A Treasury of Buddhist Wisdom for Children and Parents and Ayat Jamilah: Beautiful Signs: A Treasury of Islamic Wisdom for Children and Parents.

Preface


To the Reader


The Honorable Joha, Mulla Nasruddin Hodja and the Famous Donkey Story


The Bandage: A True Story of Rabiah Al Adawiya of Basra


The Brothers: A Hausa Tale from West Africa


It’s Not the Sun: From the Qur’an


Manifold Increase: A True Story of Uthman ibn Affan


The Honorable Joha, Mulla Nasruddin Hodja and the Tricky Case


The Wise Sailimai: A Tale from China


All in the Family: A Tale from Pakistan


What if? A Tale from Iran


The Honorable Joha, Mulla Nasruddin Hodja and the Pumpkin Tree


Words to Live by: A Tale from Iran


Hajar and Ismael: from Hadith


The Castle in Cordoba: A True Story of King Hakim


The Honorable Joha, Mulla Nasruddin Hodja, Affanti and the Donkey’s Tail


True Inheritance: A Tale from Iraq


A Tent for the Emperor: A Tale from Turkey


The Parrot and the Grocer: A Tale from Iran


The Head and the Lute: A True Story of Bayazid Bustami


The Clever Kantchil: A Tale from Indonesia


The Best Investment: A True Story of Rabia ar Ray


The Price of a Secret: A Tale from Azerbaijan


The Honorable Joha, Mulla Nasruddin Hodja Feeds His Coat


Know Yourself: A Tale from the Middle East


Infant Jesus: From the Qur’an


What the Birds Know: A Tale from Iran


The Water Pot and the Thief: A True Story of Rabiah Al Adawiya of Basra


The Storm: A Tale from Iran


Trustworthy Traveler: A True Story of Abdul Qadir Jilani


The First Supporter: A True Story of Khadija bint Khuwailid from Hadith


It Is So: a Tale from Mali


Gate of Knowledge: a True Story of Ali ibn Abu Talib


The Best Witness: from Hadith


The Honorable Joha, Mulla Nasruddin Hodja and the Judge


The Web and the Dove: from Hadith


True Worth: a Tale from Syria


Whose Crown? A Tale from the Middle East


Zah! A Tale from Iran


The Hidden Teacher: A Story of Malik Dinar


The Honorable Joha, Mulla Nasruddin Hodja, Goha Gives Thanks


Notes and Sources


Sources of Quotes and Sayings


Story Sources