A Year with the Prophet
By Melissa Barreto
New Jersey
When I first learned about the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, I wasn’t Muslim but, it was through the stories of his life that I learned to love him, believe in him, and eventually believe in Islam.
To this day, stories from the Seerah, Life of the Prophet, are among my favorites to listen to and share with my children.
For many years, I simply retold stories that I remembered from lectures or books of seerah at bedtime. As they got a little older, their interest leaned more towards watching short videos on YouTube or the Muhammad cartoon movie. As they learned to enjoy reading on their own, I invested in children’s versions of seerah for our home library like Migo and Ali Love for the Prophets and The Story of the Holy Prophet Muhammad: 30 Stories for 30 Nights.
Our latest seerah find, and the most FUN according to my kids, has been A Year with the Prophet audio series by Quantum Chronicles.
A Year with The Prophet helps bring Prophet Muhammad’s story to life. There are 52 episodes spread out over five seasons. No longer just an old, far away tale, but a full-bodied listening experience where in every episode, you and your children get to “relive” the sights, sounds and conversations from some of the biggest moments in the seerah and take away meaningful lessons for today.
A journey through time
Imagine for a moment that you are a Muslim youth, given a once in a lifetime opportunity to test out one of the most amazing inventions ever - a time machine! It can go anywhere you want, to any time that you want, all at the push of a few simple buttons.
This is exactly what happens to Zeyd Binyemeen, the main character of Quantum Chronicles.
Over the course of five seasons, Zeyd goes on an amazing journey back in time to witness the life of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. While traveling, Zeyd faces many challenges of his own that cause him to problem solve and reflect on lessons from the seerah.
My children and I love this series. It is so well done that at the end of listening to each episode my children beg for more! Not only are the stories and events told, all based on classical narrations and collections of seerah, but they are brought to life in a fun and compelling way through the story of Zeyd and his travels. (Spoiler alert: there are often cliffhangers and you will be left aching to hear more!)
But why audio?
Different from the relative work of reading a physical book or the enormous ease of passively watching a show on TV, audio series have a beautiful way of striking a balance between entertainment and actively engaging the brain. And that is fun for the whole family.
For children who struggle with reading or who may struggle to be engaged by a longer, drier text (like classical seerah books can be), the benefits of learning from audio series can include:
- increased comprehension,
- introduction to new vocabulary,
- engagement of their imagination, and
- greater emotional connection to the material.
One of the things I personally love most about audio series is that we can take our learning with us wherever we go. The app that Quantum Chronicles uses to host their series makes it a breeze to listen to the life of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, at home and on the road. Here is a short sample called “The First Revelation.”
“Experiencing” the Prophet’s life
We know the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was one of the most influential men who ever lived. His character was impeccable and his global impact unforgettable. His story forms the foundation of our faith and practice.
Yet, it can still be difficult to feel connected to a man we’ve never met or to find the practical value in a story over 1,400 years old. It can be even harder for our children. By weaving the events from the Prophet’s life with the current happenings in Zeyd’s life, children and adults alike, are able to draw parallels in which lessons from the seerah can be used to address and help navigate our modern experiences today. This helps keep the seerah rooted in our family’s hearts not just as a beloved bedtime story, but as a powerful tool and resource to live by.
(Melissa Barreto is a homeschooling mother of five children and the Co-Founder of Wildflower Homeschool Collective, a homeschooling organization based in Northern New Jersey.)
https://www.soundvision.com/article/a-year-with-the-prophet?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=691a5873-66d2-4112-981f-e5a48d1dee19
