Bismillah Soup is Ruqaya's Bookshelf's bestseller Islamic story for kids!
A spinoff of the classic “Stone Soup” folktale, Bismillah Soup is a delightful story about Hasan, a young Somali boy who ventures out to gather his community together for a great feast at the local Mosque and overcome adversity !
His journey is full of unexpected twists and turns that lead him down a path of discovering what community, generosity and reliance on Allah truly mean.
Hasan, a young Somali boy, knows his mom has a lot of problems. His dad is away for work, and they are down to the last few grains of rice in the bag. An electricity outage means a lot of their food has spoiled. Hasan, eager to help his mom, promises they will have a huge feast that night. She is perplexed, but Hasan runs off with his optimism in tow. He goes to the masjid and explains his problem to Shaykh Omar, who offers a pot and a bag of rice, and assures him, “Say Bismillah, and I’m sure you’ll think of something.”
With vivid, bright, and imaginative illustrations, this story will keep your child engaged during many, many storytimes!
At the end of the book, there is a relevant Hadith about Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhe Wassalam) explaining reliance on Allah.
Recommended For Ages 4 +
Written by Asmaa Hussein
Book Review by MuslimReads.com
"'Bismillah Soup is one of my favorite picture books about a Muslim child.....
There is so much I love about this story. Hasan starts making Bismillah Soup because of his mom, and I love that he remembers her throughout, chuckling about how surprised she will be as he gathers ingredients. I love the positive imam figure, who believes in Hasan (“You’ll figure it out”) and helps him execute his creative plan. The narrative arc works because there is tension in the story (when the Imam invites the whole congregation to the feast), which is resolved through the blessings that come from sharing. Hasan is such a bright and loveable character; you can’t help but smile when he finally calls his mom to the feast.
Bismillah Soup is about scarcity as opportunity, community coming together, and saying Bismillah and getting on with it. I highly recommend this for everyone who enjoys picture books."
Book Review by Samina Farooq
"It’s a little embarrassing to admit that I was tearing up, reading a children’s book. What a beautiful way of defining Tawakkal Allah and how giving (even when you have nothing) brings so much barakah. I loved the fact that the imam was cooking with a boy (both male) – something that people neither expect from an imam nor a little boy. And the representation of an imam having a great relationship with youth. So much so that the boy isn’t only going to him for ideas but also preparing a large feast – having fun with him."
Book Review by Janet Kozak
"Bismillah Soup by Asmaa Hussain is a tale of youthful enthusiasm and trust in God. It’s the story of a community pulled together to fulfill one boy’s promise to his mother. This story will leave you ruminating on the struggles of many families and is a great lead in to discussions about the reality of food insecurity and other daily challenges in many countries. I’m not ashamed to admit I struggled to read the final pages through my tears. This story has just enough repetition to keep the flow and engage small readers, without getting monotonous for the adults. The stunning illustrations by Amina Khan using large smiles and exaggerated body language perfectly capture young Hasan’s youthful exuberance. I highly recommend this book!"
Book Review by Anum
"This is a lovely story about a young enthusiastic boy who loves his mother and family. With trust in Allah, help with Shaykh Omar and hard work he is able to host a great feast for not just his family but an entire community.
Trust in Allah might be a difficult concept for children to grasp but this book makes it easier to talk about what trusting in Allah means....
Trust, love, family, sense of community and sharing are the themes interwoven in this short story. Plus the illustrations are colorful and engaging. I appreciate the fact that different ethnicities and races are depicted. This time it’s about a Somalian boy and his family. "
Book Review by Maryam Shameem
"We made soup today and read loud the BISMILLAH SOUP BOOK. My children say they learnt a lesson that Allah's name should always be recited to get barakah in life and they also learned share food with others.
This book is amazing with beautiful illustrations. The book is simple yet interesting , exciting to read a loud. It really gives a moral that it's Allah is who provides us even on the day we think we do not have anything today.
bismillah soup dinner at our home.. after we have got this book my children only want bismillah soup....."
Book Review by Husna
"My 3-year-old loves this book about a young boy who hosts a feast for his community, relying only on trust in Allah and then the generosity of his village. A wonderful story about beginning with bismillah, and the barakah that brings. A kid favorite!"
Book Review by Zahra Ali
"Let me start off by saying we are Somalians. So reading this book by my children brought soo much appreciation and happiness. I could sense the excitement. Thank you soo much for creating this amazing book!!! you have no idea, how you made my kids feel. We can forget what people said but we can NEVER forget how someone made us feel even years later"
Book Review by Hibz
"We read this book a few nights before Ramadan last year and my children insisted we must make Bismillah soup for the blessed month! They loved the warmth it brings of responsibility sharing and ofcourse, Trust in Allah. One of their favorites!"
Book Review by Alina Hasan
"This book is robust and beautiful and makes you want to eat a hearty bowl of soup! This spin on the classic tale of stone soup is absolutely beautiful. Asmaa Hussein truly has a way of tugging at heart strings!! ."
Book Review by Zahra
"All three of my children absolutely love this warming story about having a little faith.
They love ‘making’ Bismillah soup after reading it, as a fun craft to reinforce the main lesson they’ve learned.I love that, with Ruqaya’s Bookshelf, they learn Islamic values, morals and concepts through engaging stories that are modern and relatable!"
Book Review by Rosa Aparicio
"I was really excited about this book. Being a new Muslim, looking for good Islamic stories for my son is top priority. The story was very sweet. Very nice lesson in faith, prayer and sharing as a community , as well as love for your parents. My 6yr. old son has me reading this every few days, he never tires. It’s nice to be able to relate to “going to the mosque” and confiding in the Imam. I can see this becoming a classic. Great job Asmaa Hussein, it was an honor. May Allah bless you for the wonderful story helping my little one become aware of the teachings of the Quran."
Details
Title: Bismillah Soup
Author: Asmaa Hussein
Illustrator: Amina Khan
Publisher: Ruqaya's Bookshelf - Canada
Pages: 40
Volumes: 1
Size: 21.6 cm x 27.9 cm
Recommended Age Group: 4 years and above
Binding: Paperback
Edition Number: 1st
Year Of Publication: 2015
Weight: 0.22 kg
Author Profile
Asmaa Hussein is the founder of this small but wholesome publishing company Ruqaya's Bookshelf based in Canada. Since 2015, her mission has been to publish bright, fun, and engaging Islamic children’s books to add to your home and school libraries.
All books by Ruqaya's Bookshelf feature Muslim characters and protagonists, because we believe representation matters! Diversity in children’s literature contributes to a solid character education – and seeing someone who looks like you in a storybook is exciting!
After servitude to Allah, her daughter is her greatest motivation. As a widowed mother to a rambunctious and beautiful girl, she strives to show her an example of dedication, determination, and excellence.
She has named this publishing company after her – Ruqaya's Bookshelf – because she loves books more than anything.
So pull up a chair, enjoy their books and join their fun-filled adventure!
