In recent years, Islamic publishers across the globe have developed various versions of the Qur’an for children, with the primary goal of instilling love and understanding of the holy book from an early age. Several earlier posts in the ‘Qur’an Translation of the Week’ blog have showcased intriguing variations of such editions, each influenced by cultural, linguistic, and educational strategies specific to a particular publisher.
Children’s Qur’an translations from different countries demonstrate unique characteristics, though many share certain similarities. See, for example, My First Al-Qur’an (MYFA), published by the Syaamil Group in Indonesia https://gloqur.de/quran-translation-of-the-week-167-my-first-al-quran-myfa-and-syaamil-groups-production-of-qurans/. Another example from Indonesia is Al-Qur’an Adventure, published by AlQosbah, which integrates digital technology such as the use of QR codes to allow the reader to access animated videos of Qur’anic stories. While the content adheres to official Indonesian translation standards, additional visual features such as illustrations and videos make the Qur’an more accessible to children https://gloqur.de/quran-translation-of-the-week-208-al-quran-adventure-a-one-stop-quran-for-all-from-alqosbah-publishers/. Versions published in other languages are equally fascinating. Published in the UK, My First Quran with Pictures by Shereen Sharief offers a simple narrative approach supported by bright, appealing visuals https://gloqur.de/quran-translation-of-the-week-181-my-first-quran-with-pictures-juz-amma-part-1-by-shereen-sharief/. In French, Le Coran expliqué aux enfants from Éditions Tawhid adapts the Malaysian book Al-Qur’an Kitabku: Ensiklopedia Juz Amma, and stands out for its comprehensive pedagogical strategy https://gloqur.de/quran-translation-of-the-week-57-the-quran-explained-to-french-children-recitation-and-meaning/. Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, Abdul Wahid van Bommel has created a children’s Qur’an series that explains verses through thematically contextualized discussions. His interpretation links verses to contemporary issues like climate change, making them relevant to Dutch children of today https://gloqur.de/quran-translation-of-the-week-190-de-koran-uitleg-voor-kinderen-3-one-of-the-first-quran-for-kids-in-dutch/. All five products share a common approach of introducing the Qur’an to children through engaging, visual, and educational methods.
This blog post will look at another children’s Qur’an product from Indonesia: I Lovë My al-Qur’an (ILMA), published by Pelangi Mizan, one of Indonesia’s leading Islamic publishers, and the first edition has been endorsed by several notable Indonesian figures from different biggest Islamic organisations (including M. Quraish Shihab, KH. Hasyim Muzadi and KH. A. Mustofa Bisri from Nahdatul Ulama, Prof. Din Syamsuddin and Prof. Dr. Syafii Ma’arif from the Muhammadiyah, KH. Siddiq Amin from Persis, KH. Didin Hafiduddin from PKS, KH. Miftah Farid from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), and Habib Rizieq Shihab from FPI (Islamic Defenders Front)). Like the other two Indonesians translations that have previously been discussed in this blog series, ILMA uses an English title although its content is in Indonesian. ILMA was first released in 2007, and a second edition came out in 2008, following which it had several reprints. In 2015, Pelangi Mizan repackaged and updated ILMA, improving its educational games, adding a tajwīd bookmark guide, and integrating it with audio products compatible with a smart pen, allowing children to listen to Qur’an recitations using an electronic pen. (In recent years, QR codes have become a more practical and economical alternative to the smart pen.) Images and colours are crucial components of the ILMA series: as they are universal languages that appeal to children, ILMA features friendly and attractive visuals. Each ILMA package consists of the Qur’anic muṣḥaf in fifteen volumes, each of 44 pages, along with fifteen volumes of simplified interpretation and translation accompanied by explanatory material, a dictionary of Qur’anic words, an audio CD with Islamic children songs. The additional features included ‘for Parent (Untuk Ayah-Ibu)’, ‘See Also (Lihat Juga) and ‘You Need To Know’ (Kamu Perlu Tahu)’ feature readers connect the verses to other sources, stimulating children’s intellectual development. Like most Qur’an translations produced in Indonesia, ILMA uses the authorised Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) translation’.
Each page includes explanations of the verses, especially in the interpretation and translation volumes, which present simple commentary on the verses, accompanied by illustrations that avoid realistic depictions of living beings (denaturalization), do not depict prophets or abstract concepts, and steer clear of inappropriate content. The language used is very simple, with short sentences and a communicative storytelling style, and often begins with greetings like ‘Let’s start with Basmala!’ or spontaneous exclamations such as ‘Wow!’ or ‘Huh?’, making the learning process feel lively and engaging. The Mizan team have skilfully arranged the verse explanations on the page, divided into small chunks across the page to make different points, showing the connections between verses by using narratives, stories, and cross-sūra explanations. For instance, a Malay proverb or a rhetorical question are used to explain kandungan or the message/meaning of the Quran .
‘Bersatu kita Teguh, Bercerai Kita Runtuh – [United we stand, divided we fall]’ (Surah Āli ‘Imrān, 103)
‘Hold fast to the rope (religion) of Allah! Do not separate yourselves from each other!’ says Allah in verse 103. Let’s follow Allah’s guidance together! Don’t argue and become enemies because of different understandings of Allah’s guidance. Being brothers is more joyful, isn’t it? When we’re brothers, we can easily advise each other (verse 104).
Enemies? Ew, no thanks! ( Āli ‘Imrān, 105–108).
In the past, some of the People of the Book liked to argue. Allah says in Āli ‘Imrān: 105: Don’t split up and argue! People who argue and fight are not happy, but those who love brotherhood live a pleasant life (QS. Āli ‘Imrān 106–107).
The explanations in ILMA refer to major works such as those of Quraish Shihab, Abdullah Yusuf Ali, and Muhammad Asad, which are quoted throughout the books. The team who put ILMA together involved over twenty scholars from various backgrounds, and their input covered the use of images, types of illustrations, and studies on the history of visual innovations in Qur’anic manuscripts from the addition of vowel marks and decorative ornament illustration. Their perspectives are summarized in the first volume of the ILMA interpretation books.
Children are also introduced to Arabic, English, and Indonesian vocabulary and the basics of tajwīd. IMLA incorporates a multimodal learning approach: using visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning styles to engage a child’s senses fully to provide a comprehensive interactive learning experience. This excellent approach is largely due to the input of Irfan Amali (also known as Irfan Amalee), who acted as the main writer and concept designer, assisted by Anna P. Dewijana as language editor. Amali is a young Muhammadiyah figure who studied at the Darul Arqom Islamic Boarding School and Sunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University Bandung, majoring in tafsīr and ḥadīth. He began his career as a CEO of one of Mizan’s divisions (responsible for publications aimed at kids and teenagers) and is known for his bestselling children’s books, such as the Halo Balita series. His works are rooted in well-researched pedagogical approaches, including Montessori principles, which he applies to the children’s books and Qur’an products published by Pelangi Mizan. In addition to his publishing career, Amali is also a peace activist through Peace Generation Indonesia. His work has earned him the Kick Andy Heroes award in 2021 and theJabar Role Model in 2023, and he has published over fifty books and audio and video products, including peace education modules. He has also been recognized as one of the 500 most influential Muslims in the world by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre (RISSC) in Amman, Jordan. In 2019, his dedication to Islamic education led him to establish Peacesantren Welas Asih, an Islamic institution promoting peace and creativity, and his decision to serve as director of this institution marked the end of his career at Mizan. Soon after, ILMA also ceased production. Of course, every product has its life cycle, and such decisions relate to market dynamics and production priorities over time.
Every Qur’an translation designed for children is shaped by the background of its creators, local dynamics, market needs, and developments in contemporary Islamic pedagogy. This particular endeavour also reflected a broader shift in the global Muslim publishing world, in which approaches to the holy book are increasingly adapted to the needs of young Muslim generations across different regions. It is interesting to note that most of the innovative Indonesian children’s Qur’an products originated in Bandung, a city with a strong creative tradition that was designated a Creative City by UNESCO in 2015, and which continues to serve as a hub for progressive Islamic publishing in Indonesia.
Yulia Riswan