To continue the celebration of Women’s History Month, I present a review of the Mothers of three Prophets. This is a small book that children age 8 and up will enjoy reading on their own. (See here for the review I did for International Women’s Day)
Let’s take a look at three mothers who played very important roles in the lives of their sons, sons chosen by Allah to be prophets. These women faced severe tests beyond the abilities of the average woman to endure. Each was inspired by Allah to be faithful, devoted and strong.
The Mothers of three Prophets contain stories that narrate the lives of three phenomenal women. They are: Hajar, the mother of Ismael (alyahis salam); the mother of Musa (alyahis salam) and Maryam, the mother of Isa (alyahis salam).
These women are showcased not only because they were the mothers of three of Allah’s prophets but also because they were outstanding individuals. They possessed personalities, attitudes and approaches to life that we could all learn from.
The stories are told in a way that a child of eight should be able to read on his/her own. But I think the significance of the stories may be better understood by children who are a bit older (possibly 10 and up). The concepts of sacrifice, obeying and submitting ones will to Allah are conveyed throughout the book. Ayat (verses) of the Quran are woven seamlessly into the narration while emphasizing the importance of the situations described.
Apart from telling us the history of the prophets, this book is a tribute to all mothers and it teaches us how obedient we must be to Allah, despite hardship, fear of loss or being ashamed of ridicule.
Talking points: The three stories in this book can be used as the starting point of a discussion among older children (10 and up) on the meaning of sacrifice and obeying Allah’s commands. Let students talk about characteristics they posses that reflect the characteristics of the mothers of the prophets and what they can do to develop such characteristics. The stories in this book are good for reading aloud as well to a group in the classroom or masjid.
Title: The Mothers of three Prophets
Author: Jameelah Jones
Publisher: Ta-Ha Publishers Ltd.
Date: 1994 (reprint 2001)
ISBN: 189794022X
Age Group: 8 – 12 years
Ummah Reads 
such books are need of hours