5 Inspiring Islamic Moral Stories for Kids
I’m just going to say it – Islamic moral stories for my kids are a MUST in my house!
I don’t know about you but whenever I want to ‘teach’ my daughter about right and wrong, she straight up rejects it.
This can happen even if I’m being gentle and kind. It happens even if I pretend I’m talking about someone else. She just doesn’t wanna know!
I think somehow she feels that I’m questioning her character if I try to teach her about morality directly.
That’s why I absolutely LOVE stories with Islamic morals for kids.
Why are Islamic moral stories for kids so powerful?
Storybooks are one of the best parenting tools to have at your disposal.
Well-written moral stories do the job that, perhaps like me, you feel less able to do as a well-intentioned parent.
Stories create natural distance between the child and the topic so that it doesn’t feel too personal. At the same time, they can also create a connection between the child and the story.
And this makes children more open to really hearing and learning from the lesson being told within the story.
Children don’t even notice they’re being taught a moral lesson! They just absorb the teachings without realising.
Personally, I’ve found my daughter is much more receptive to taking moral lessons from an Islamic story book than she is from me!
This is just one of many reasons why fantastic stories can be so incredibly powerful in the life and mind of a young child.
With all this in mind, below is a list of brilliant Islamic moral stories for kids.
The stories are perfect for young Muslim children, have engaging storylines and include interesting characters that they can relate to.
Looking for more Islamic story recommendations for children? Check out my post about the best Islamic stories for young children to learn about the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) and other inspiring Muslim figures.
Islamic Moral Stories for Kids: My Top 5 Picks
Please note, there are some Amazon affiliate links in this post, though these have not influenced my choices of stories below.
‘Bibi’s Blessing‘ by Lela Usama Goldsmith
‘Bibi’s Blessing‘ is a touching story of a young Muslim girl and her grandmother who live in Lamu, an island just off the Kenyan coast. It’s suitable for children aged 3+.
In this storyline, a young girl called Mwana accidentally drops her bibi’s mofas (bread) and therefore can’t sell them and bring money home.
When Mwana tells her bibi about her mistake, Bibi thanks God for the blessing. Mwana is confused by her grandma’s response.
After a few more similar incidents, Mwana realises the moral her bibi is secretly teaching her! That we should always thank God for blessings, even when we don’t know what that blessing might be.
What I loved about the book:
This story is a wonderful representation of Kenyan Muslim culture.
The author gives an authentic insight into life on Lamu through the relationship between a young girl and her grandma (bibi).
She seamlessly includes Swahili words and references to cultural food (mofas) alongside beautiful illustrations.
The story made me reflect on a verse from the Quran that says, ‘You may dislike something although it is good for you, or like something although it is bad for you: God knows and you do not’ (2:216).
And touchingly, at the end, Mwana understands the value of gratitude to Allah, and thanks God for the blessing of her grandma.
What is the Islamic moral lesson for kids to learn from ‘Bibi’s Blessing’?
We must remember to thank God for everything – good or bad – because there may be a blessing in it.
Where to find ‘Bibi’s Blessing’:
‘Bibi’s Blessing’ is available to purchase on Amazon and The Book Mart.
‘Circle of Sandcastles‘ by Mariam Al-Kalby
‘Circle of Sandcastles‘ is a lovely Islamic picture book for Muslim children to learn about justice. It’s suitable for ages 4+.
The story is about a young deaf boy who is bullied in the local playground. A young girl watches and struggles to figure out what to do because she knows what’s happening is wrong.
She eventually gains the courage to stand up to the bullies on behalf of the young deaf boy, rather than be a bystander.
What I loved about the book:
This story is written undeniably well with a strong moral lesson for Muslim children.
I especially loved being let into the young girl’s mind and hearing her internal voice really struggling. She goes through something lots of little kids might struggle with in life: how to speak up when scared.
The illustrations are beautiful and it was a very emotive, enjoyable read.
What is the Islamic moral lesson for kids to learn from ‘Circle of Sandcastles’?
This story teaches children to stand up and take action in the face of injustice.
‘Circle of Sandcastles’ is inspired by the well-known hadith of the Prophet. It says, ‘Whoever amongst you sees an evil, they must change it with their hand; if they are not able to do so, then with their tongue; and if they are not able to do so, then with their heart, and that is the weakest form of faith.’
Where to find ‘Circle of Sandcastles’:
‘Circle of Sandcastles’ is available to purchase on Amazon or can be read through paid subscription to the app, Miraj Stories, as a picture book or audiobook.
‘Let it Go‘ by Mufti Menk and Na’ima B. Robert
‘Let it Go‘ is a sweet story of a young Muslim girl who experiences difficult emotions and struggles to let those feelings go.
But eventually, the girl learns to accept mistakes and understands the power of forgiveness.
Suitable for toddlers and young children aged 3+.
What I loved about the book:
The story recognises and celebrates the range of emotions children and all humans have which are given to us by Allah. And it recognises that we can all make mistakes.
The book uses simple real-life scenarios, such as siblings bickering, to make the story relatable for young Muslim kids.
It also features rhyme and repetition for an enjoyable rhythmic flow, perfect for little Muslim children.
The beautifully illustrated images include a diverse representation of children with different ethnicities, ages and physical abilities. (One page features a child in a wheelchair.)
‘Let it Go’ also introduces Islamic vocabulary for young children to learn and use. These include the words ‘astagfirullah’ (Allah forgive me) and ‘alhamdulillah’ (Praise be to Allah).
After the story ends, there is a final page offering two verses about Allah’s mercy from the Quran and a hadith on forgiveness. This means parents can continue to have conversations on the topic with their child.
What is the Islamic moral lesson for kids to learn from ‘Let it Go’?
The Islamic moral for kids in this book is that it takes a strong person to forgive instead of hold onto sadness, anger and bitterness. And the person who has such steadfastness is better in the eyes of Allah.
Where to find ‘Let it Go’:
Let it Go is available to purchase on Amazon.
‘Who Will Help Me Make Iftar?‘ by Asma Hussein
‘Who Will Help Me Make Iftar?‘ is a wonderful story about Ramadan based in Turkey. It is suitable for children aged 4+.
It has unexpected protagonists for a children’s book! An old Muslim man named Mustafa and his wife, Ayse.
In the story, Mustafa is keen to continue their tradition of cooking a full iftar meal during Ramadan for their loved ones, even though Ayse is sick and unable to help him.
Ayse is concerned Mustafa won’t manage alone, but Mustafa is determined and sure that people will help him.
However, as he asks around, he finds no one willing to help, so he has to make all the food by himself.
Despite everyone’s lack of support, Mustafa continues to host his iftar feast. Mustafa chooses to be generous, kind and open rather than spiteful.
He knows that our actions reflect our values, so this is what he embodies. The people around him eventually notice this, realise their wrongs and start to make amends by helping others and feeding the needy.
What I loved about the book:
There is so much to love about this book! It is one of my favourite Ramadan stories.
‘Who Will Help Me Make Iftar?’ has colourful, modern, full-page illustrations with intricate details. For example, the shop names and characters’ names are written in Turkish (e.g., ‘Ayse’ is the Turkish spelling for ‘Aisha’).
There are lovely, authentic Islamic details too, such as the adhan playing from the mosque at maghrib time.
The close, loving relationship between the old husband and wife is also a real highlight! It’s a great way to discuss what love and respect in Islam looks like with children while reading.
What is the Islamic moral lesson for kids to learn from ‘Who Will Help Me Make Iftar?’?
The moral lesson is that Allah loves people who show generosity and kindness to others, without expecting it back in return. The story highlights the importance of doing things for the love of Allah.
Where to find ‘Who Will Help Me Make Iftar?’:
Who Will Help Me Make Iftar? is available to purchase at Ruqaya’s Bookshelf.
‘Migo and Ali: Love for the Prophets’ by Zanib Mian
‘Migo and Ali: Love for the Prophets‘ is a sturdy hardback chapter book which retells the stories of 15 prophets named in the Quran. It is suitable for children aged 5+.
The Quran reveals the prophets’ stories for the many moral lessons they can teach us.
What I loved about the book:
Each chapter is devoted to a specific Prophet’s story and is told in a simple and engaging way.
It is written chronologically so is best read from start to finish, though you can also read chapters independently from the others too.
Each chapter ends with a question and answer session between Migo and Ali (a little Muslim boy and his bear friend) who both discuss the main lessons of each Prophet’s story together.
What are the Islamic moral lessons for kids to learn from ‘Migo and Ali: Love for the Prophets’?
Each prophet’s story includes many morals for all of us to learn from! This includes lessons from our prophets about being patient, standing up to bullies, trusting in Allah’s plan, and more!
Where to find ‘Migo and Ali: Love for the Prophets’:
‘Migo and Ali: Love for the Prophets’ is available to purchase on Amazon.
