Stories from the Quran 1

Stories from the Quran 1 is an Islamic picture book for children aged 4 to 6 with two short stories: the creation of the universe, and the Prophet Nuh (AS) and the Ark.

The first story begins with Allah alone, before anything else existed. He says "Be!", and everything is made: light and dark, the angels, millions of stars, galaxies, comets and planets, then the Earth with its sky, rain, mountains, volcanoes and valleys. Forests and gardens fill with fruit and flowers, animals, insects and birds, and the seas fill with fish. Last, Allah makes Adam (AS) to take care of it all, and the story ends by reminding children that Allah watches over His creation all the time and never sleeps.

In the second story, Allah tells Nuh (AS), called Noah in the book, to build a big boat. He plants trees, chops the wood and builds, while some people laugh at him. When the boat is ready, the believers and the animals, two by two, go on board, and it rains until even the mountains are under water. After a long time the rain stops, and the boat comes to rest on top of a mountain, with everyone on it safe.

The book gives very young children a first, simple picture of Allah as the Creator of everything, and of a prophet who obeyed Allah when others mocked him. It is written by Nura Durki and takes about four minutes to read aloud.

The book held two stories: the first about the creation of everything, and the second about the Prophet Nuh (AS), called Noah in the book, and the Ark.

In the beginning, there was only Allah, and Allah was all alone. Then He decided to make everything. He said "Be!", and everything was made. He made light from dark. From the light He made the angels, and in the dark He placed the stars, millions of them. Then He made galaxies and comets, planets and the Milky Way.

Then Allah made the Earth. On the Earth He made the sky, to hold the water and the air. From the sky came rain, and rain made life. Then He made tall mountains, volcanoes of fire and deep dark valleys. On the Earth He made every kind of plant and animal. From the trees and plants came forests, and gardens of fruit and flowers: yellow and red, green and orange, big and small, round and thin. In the forests lived the animals, the insects and the birds, and in the seas lived the fish. There were whales and elephants and gorillas, mice and ladybirds and ants, all of them swimming, crawling, flying, climbing and creeping.

Then Allah made man, to take care of the forests, trees and plants, and the animals, birds, fish and insects. The man's name was Adam (AS). And Allah looks over all of His creation, all the time. He never naps or sleeps.

In the second story, Allah told Nuh to build a big boat. First Nuh planted some trees. Then he chopped the wood, and then he began to build the boat. It was very big. Some people laughed at him and thought he was crazy, but Nuh was a prophet.

When the boat was built, Allah told him to bring the good people on board, and all the animals, two by two. Monkeys, parrots and pandas, crocodiles and turtles, giraffes, rhinos and elephants, lions and tigers: the animals all came running, and they all hurried into the boat.

Soon it began to rain and rain. All the land was covered with water, even the mountains. Nothing was there but the big boat, bobbing up and down. After a long time, the rain stopped. Nuh sent out a dove to find land, and it came back with a leaf from a tree. Land was near, and the boat landed on top of a mountain. The good people were safe, and so were the animals.

• Surah Ya-Sin 36:82: When Allah wills a thing, He only says to it "Be", and it is.
• Surah Al-Anbiya 21:30: The heavens and the earth were joined together and Allah parted them, and He made every living thing from water.
• Surah Al-Baqarah 2:30: Allah tells the angels that He will place a successor (khalifah) on the earth.
• Surah Al-Baqarah 2:255: Ayat al-Kursi; neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Allah.
• Sahih Muslim 2996: The angels were created from light.
• Surah Hud 11:36-44: Allah tells Nuh (AS) to build the Ark; his people mock him; the believers and a pair of every kind board it; the flood comes, and the Ark comes to rest on Mount Judi.