The House of Ibn Kathir: The Competition Begins
The House of Ibn Kathir: The Competition Begins
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It’s Yusif’s first time away from home. The Dar Al Ilm Academy (boarding school) seemed to be the ideal place for him to pursue his studies and achieve one of his lifelong ambitions – to memorise the Qur’an, or so his parents had decided... However, just when he thought he was settling in, Yusif finds himself with more on his hands than he had bargained for. When mysterious events start happening around the school, it begins to seem as if Dar Al Ilm has more in store for him than he had ever imagined!
"A story of leadership, friendship and forgiveness" - five-star review by Adama Munu for SISTERS magazine.
Pages: 254 pages (paperback, novel)
Recommended ages: +10 years
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The format of this 250-page novel can be loosely compared to boarding school stories like Harry Potter and even Malory Towers with the children separated according to their year groups and in different houses, each with a housemaster. The Dar al Ilm Academy is a hifdh boarding school for boys and Yusif, an 11-year-old, is leaving his parents for the first time to attend the school, in the coastal town of Hastings.
I loved that this is an Islamic boarding school novel, especially since the houses are named after famous Islamic scholars (Ibn Kathir, Abu Hanifa, Ibn Majah and Ibn Ajeroom), and children can be exposed to these scholars in a fun way. Yusif meets Reda, Daud and Warsoma and so begins their adventures in Quran memorisation in the picturesque and prestigious school. I purchased this book when my son was 8 and definitely too young to attempt it, since it is 250 pages (it does include some illustrations) and the recommended reading age is over 10 years. However, after turning 9, he began reading it (a chapter at a time while reading other books), until halfway through the novel where he really got into it and began thoroughly enjoying the idiosyncratic characters. Highly recommend it!
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The format of this 250-page novel can be loosely compared to boarding school stories like Harry Potter and even Malory Towers with the children separated according to their year groups and in different houses, each with a housemaster. The Dar al Ilm Academy is a hifdh boarding school for boys and Yusif, an 11-year-old, is leaving his parents for the first time to attend the school, in the coastal town of Hastings.
I loved that this is an Islamic boarding school novel, especially since the houses are named after famous Islamic scholars (Ibn Kathir, Abu Hanifa, Ibn Majah and Ibn Ajeroom), and children can be exposed to these scholars in a fun way. Yusif meets Reda, Daud and Warsoma and so begins their adventures in Quran memorisation in the picturesque and prestigious school. I purchased this book when my son was 8 and definitely too young to attempt it, since it is 250 pages (it does include some illustrations) and the recommended reading age is over 10 years. However, after turning 9, he began reading it (a chapter at a time while reading other books), until halfway through the novel where he really got into it and began thoroughly enjoying the idiosyncratic characters. Highly recommend it!