Ink, Paper and My First Reading Experience

The closest vivid memory I have from my childhood is listening to my father narrate bedtime stories. That included him reading out Islamic stories, moral stories, stories of animals in the jungle and many more, while I was lying down, all ready to sleep. Little did I know that they were not just stories but my gateway to the world of imagination. To be lost in another world through the power of words is a unique trait that humans alone possess.

Reading is an interesting hobby that I grew up watching my parents and sister do. They could be found with a book at any time, giving no place for boredom. That inspired me to read books even before bed, and to keep a book always handy, within my reach.Growing up, my visits to Jarir Bookstore in Saudi, Higginbothams and annual book fairs in Chennai form a core memory. We even bought racks like those in libraries to stock our purchases.

I remember the first PowerPoint presentation I made with my childhood friend was on ‘Reading’. This habit made our friendship closer, as we exchanged books we issued in the library, shared our latest reads and kept ourselves connected through books. The fact that the first command revealed in the Qur’an by Allah to our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) who didn't know to read or write is ‘Iqra’ (Read)’ shows the importance of reading. It is not just a hobby, but an emphasis on gaining knowledge.

To read is to be aware of our surroundings. To be aware is to be in control of our thoughts, attitude and actions. But are we really practicing that at present? Do we see the habit of reading in our youngsters today? Let alone the youngsters, how many adults do we see reading books or newspapers instead of doomscrolling or following the mainstream visual media?

Without any doubt, children imitate what they see. If all they see is adults glued to their phone screens, watching a dozen different videos under ten minutes, how is it fair to expect them to cultivate the reading habit.

So put your phone out, take out that book which has been sitting on your shelf for months, and give it a read. Who knows, you might be creating a core memory for the youngsters near you, just like how I have mine from bedtime stories.

Author: Naseema Banu Ansari, Naseema Banu Ansari, Villivakkam Unit, GIO Chennai.

Date: 1 May 2026.

#IQRA