Nana Asma'u
The true story of Nana Asma'u, the West African scholar and poet who sent women teachers across the Sokoto Caliphate, in an audiobook for young children.
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What is Nana Asma'u about?
Nana Asma'u is an Islamic audiobook for young children about Nana Asma'u, a Muslim scholar, poet and teacher from West Africa, who found a way to bring learning to everyone in her land.
Many years ago in West Africa there lived a curious little girl who wanted to know about everything: religion, history, art, culture, science and all that lay between. She went on adventures, asked lots of questions and learned from the wise and educated women in her community. By the time she grew up, she had learned all about Islam and the teachings of the Prophet ﷺ, memorised the Qur'an and could speak four languages. Her favourite thing was to write poems about all she had learned.
Her land had seen a lot of conflict, until her father, Shehu Usman, brought peace and founded the Sokoto Caliphate. Nana felt that the new community would prosper only if its people were educated. But how? The land was too big and dangerous for her to teach everyone herself, and she did not have enough books to send. So she chose women from different regions and taught them through her poems. These women, the jajis, went home and taught the poems to their own people, just as Nana had once learned from the women around her.
The book ends with facts: Nana Asma'u was a leader, a poet, a highly respected scholar and a peacemaker, and the travelling teachers she founded, the Yan Taru, still exist today. Written by Aaliyah Tar Mahomed and read by Paul Panting, it is part of the WomanKind series, takes about three minutes and is music-free.
What your child will learn
- Seeking knowledge is part of being a Muslim, for girls and boys alike.
- Asking questions is a good way to learn.
- When we learn something good, we can share it with others.
- One person's good idea can help a whole community.
Talk about it afterwards
- What was Nana Asma'u curious about when she was a girl?
- Why did Nana want the people of the Sokoto Caliphate to be educated?
- How did she find a way to teach so many people?
- What have you learned that you could teach someone else?
Words to know
- Jajis
- The women Nana Asma'u taught, who went home to teach her poems to others.
- Yan Taru
- The group of travelling women teachers that Nana Asma'u founded.
- Caliphate
- A land ruled by a Muslim leader called a caliph.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Nana Asma'u?
A Muslim scholar, poet and teacher in 19th-century West Africa, and the daughter of Shehu Usman, who founded the Sokoto Caliphate. She founded the Yan Taru, a network of women teachers.
Is Nana Asma'u a true story?
Yes. Nana Asma'u was a real person, and the book tells her life in simple words for young children.
How long is Nana Asma'u?
About 3 minutes.
Does Nana Asma'u have music?
No. It is music-free.
