CHILDREN’S CORNER

Selections from Best-Loved Quran Stories

Goodword is an award-winning publishing company with a splendid range of Islamic Books in many languages. It offers innovative products for children, including Quran stories, moral stories, craft and activity books, gift packs, Islamic games, Arabic and Islamic readers for home and school. Best-Loved Quran Stories, authored by Dr Saniyasnain Khan, is a collection of Quran stories to read, love and cherish. With full-colour illustrations on every page, this book is a perfect way to introduce the little ones to the stories, prayers and teachings of the Quran. We present here two stories from this beautiful volume.

---

THE KING’S DREAM

LONG ago in Egypt’s distant sands, there lived a king who ruled the desert land. One night, the king tossed and turned in his bed for he had had such a strange dream. His sleeping mind had conjured up seven large cows grazing in a field of grass. These thin cows were eaten up by seven fat cows. Soon after, seven green ears of corn appeared before him. Then in time, the green ears of corns turned yellow.

These strange visions began to worry the king, so he called for his wise men. Surely they would know the meaning of his dream. Curious questions filled the royal court, but nobody could answer them. Nobody knew the meaning of the dream at all.

Soon the king grew desperate. There had to be somebody who could tell him what his dream had meant.

One day, a thought struck a servant in the court. He was the king’s cupbearer. His job was to pour wine for his Royal Highness. The cupbearer thought deeply about a memory he had. He thought deeply of a promise he had made long before. The servant told the king how he himself had met a wise man.

His name was Yusuf. Perhaps the man was still locked away. Perhaps he was still there forgotten within those prison walls. Soon the king invited the Prophet Yusuf to his royal palace. Eagerly, the ruler asked him about what his dream could mean. The Prophet Yusuf truly was a wise man. He was wiser than those in the king’s court.

“Seven fat cows means seven years of good harvests. After the first seven years, there’ll be seven more years of drought,” Yusuf explained. “Seven green ears of corn turning yellow means the same. There’ll be seven years of good harvests. After those seven years, there’ll be seven years more of drought.”

The king’s mind was finally calmed. He now understood what his dream had meant.

In return, the king made the Prophet Yusuf minister of his court. The Prophet Yusuf was finally a free man again.

So for seven long years, the kingdom enjoyed good harvests. The new minister made sure that the extra wheat was saved and stored. When the water dried up and the drought finally came, the kingdom was safe once more. The corn didn’t grow, but the kingdom was prepared for Prophet Yusuf had plenty in store.

My Quranic Prayer
My Lord, You have given me power and taught me the interpretation of dreams. (Yusuf 12:101)

THE VALLEY OF ANTS

A long while ago in the land of Jerusalem, there lived a grateful king by the name of the Prophet Sulayman or Solomon. He was a ruler like no other for he had a great kingdom on the earth.

This king did not only protect his people in this world, he prepared them for the next world too. This was because he was a prophet of Allah and the son of the Prophet Dawud.

The Prophet Sulayman’s Lord gave him many gifts. These were special gifts that no one else could ever give him. He could control the winds.

He knew how to speak to animals and he controlled the jinn too. Nobody on the earth could be compared to the Prophet Sulayman.

One day, the Prophet Sulayman and his grand army marched through the land. These soldiers passed the dusts of the deserts and stretches of green grass. In time, they neared a valley that needed to be crossed.

Suddenly, the Prophet Sulayman heard a tiny voice in the distance. “O ants, o ants,” the creature called. “Run! Quick! Go before Sulayman and his army crush you by mistake!”

But the Prophet Sulayman simply smiled. He stopped his army so the ants could scatter to safety. He realized again how lucky he was. Because of this, he could look after even the tiniest of creatures that walked the earth.

Then the Prophet Sulayman thanked Allah for the gifts that He had given him. It was because of his Lord that he was so blessed. It was because of his Lord that he could be so wise.

My Quranic Prayer
Lord, inspire me to be thankful for the blessings You have granted me and my parents, and to do good deeds that please You; and include me, by Your grace, among Your righteous servants! (Al-Naml 27:19)