Our storyFrom the archive
How IqraSaurus began, in Nurin’s words
When she was about nine, our daughter Nurin made a little book called "IQRAsaurus True Stories". Chapter 1 tells how we got our name, and a second notebook explains it again through a dinosaur called Sarus.
When she was about nine, our second child, Nurin, stapled some sheets of paper into a landscape booklet and wrote "IQRAsaurus true stories" on the cover. Nobody asked her to. Chapter 1 is called "How IQRASAURUS begun". Beside the title she wrote "Saurus = Lizard" and drew a small dinosaur in a cap.
Here is how she tells it, spelling and all:
"IQRAsaurus started after we became profesionalist. My ummi used to be a pre-school teacher. After that she suddenly had the love of Quran and taught people of the Quran. Afterwords people start attending our classes. Then we decided to open a company. The problem was, we didn't had a name and mascot. Scince I ♥ Dinosaurs I wanted the mascott to be a dinosaur. Then my father thaught about the first word in Quran 'IQRA'. So we got IQRAsaurus. But it was not long when we knew what saurus really meant!"
It is all true. Ummi was a pre-school teacher, Nurin chose the dinosaur, and Daddy chose Iqra, "read", the first word revealed in the Quran.
Meet the family, as Nurin saw it
After Chapter 1 come character cards, one for each of us, with a nickname, hobbies, a power and a job title. The card for IqraSaurus itself has its age left as a question mark. Nurin listed racing and writing as her hobbies and gave herself the job title "Family's protector Ninja, Journalist, Joker". Ummi Zie's power is to "sew & make delisios cooking". Abang Syauqi is the "Family Brain Box". Daddy Ikram's power, in big outlined letters, is to "KISS".
Chapter 2, "The Durian", is her story of how we found out a fourth sibling was on the way. The book ends with a flying dinosaur in a cape and the words "WELCOME to the land of SUPER POWERS".
IQRAsaurus True stories
Chapter I HOW IQRASAURUS BEGUN / Saurus² = Lizard / IQRAsaurus started after we became profesionalist. My ummi used to be a pre-school teacher. After that she suddenly had the love of Quran and taught people of the Quran. Afterwords people start attending our clases, Then we decided to open a company. The problem was, we didnt had a name and mascot. Scince i ♥ Dinosaurs I wanted the mascott to be a dinosaur, Then my father thaught about the first word in Quran 'IQRA'. SO we got IQRAsaurus. But it was not long when we knew what saurus really meant!
NAME: IQRASAURUS / AGE: ? / Power
Name: Nurin / Nickname: watermelon/ / Signature: [signature] / B'day: … / Hobbies: Racing, writting, / POWER TO: / Job Tittle: Family's protactor Ninja / Journalist / Joker
Name: Ummi Zie / Nickname: Pavalova / Signature: / B'day: … / Hobbies: / POWER TO: Sew & make delisios cooking / Job tittle: House wife
Name: Abang syauqi / Nickname: / Signature: / B'day: … / Hobbies: / Power To: / Job tittle: Family Brain Box
Name: Daddy Ikram / Nickname: wallnut / Signature: / B'day: … (same as Atok) / Hobbies: / power to: / KiSS / Job Title:
Chapter 2 'The Durian' / OUCH! / This was how we got my 4th sibling. One night ☾★★, my Atok bought my ummi durians. My Ummi ate so many durians The next day, my ummi's stomach looked much bigger than yesterday. At first I thought she ate too many durians But actually it was becouse...... My ummi had such a bad stomach ache that we went to the hospital and she was PREGNANT.
WELCOME to the land of SUPER POWERS
Sarus, the reading lizard
In another notebook, with yellow card covers, Nurin wrote from both ends. One end is called "SARUS", and Chapter 1 begins:
"Hello my name is Sarus. I'm a dinosaur. My whole family is call reading lizard."
Reading lizard is IqraSaurus, unpacked by a child: Iqra means read, and saurus is the lizard from her first book. Sarus wants a name of his own and goes looking for one with his mother, his father the doctor and a scientist. A later page invents a family whose names all start with T, with made-up dinosaur-language words for mother, father and grandparents.
Turn the notebook over and the other end holds a different story, "My mini friend", about a girl called Candy and her friends Mr. Brocoli and Mr. Toothpaste. It finishes with a family of stick figures labelled "Kissy Daddy", "missy Ummi", Candy, Muffins and Qoyis, and another family drawn inside a heart.
Tittle / SARUS / By: Nurin Najwaa
mum / Hicrus
capter I / Once upon a time in Dino land there was a dinosour "Hello" my name is Sarus. I'm a dinosour, My whole famaly is call reading lizerd. I love my mom she's so prety. I call her Stega Sarus my mom always protect me. one day I watch the Sarus vishon this show was call dragons riders of birk there was one man, he was osom his name was Hicup. I want a name like that! Said Sarus to Stapa Sarus. Stampa Sarus was sarus Dad he was a doctor. Yes you can but Hicup I know is a tipe of virus. Its ok Said Sarus. but there was one prolmem each time they call Hicup he when hu' Hu' Stampa Sarus Said I think this might be the Virus. then we went to Airy Sarus Ary Sarus was a Sinetist.. Ary Sarus and Stampa Sarus both tink I know if we call him hicup he will go hu if we call him Sarus he wont go hu' So what about hicrus, YAY but then he went hu cof thats onoter matter......
One bright and suny day the "T" family Taiki, Tiny, Timmy, Tata takashi (Tata = mother in dino language) and Takko, Takosyi (Takko = father in dino Lang) Takka Takkadiko (Takk = grandfather) and Takka diko (tatandiko = grand mother) when to a Jrrney to the world OF [?]...... and so on. When on the Tino car, Taiki Said I forgot to bring my food that way will never get there. when taiki come tatandiko on the Tino car and... takko said oops! I forgot to bring my glasses will never! got there after takko come we zoom off. as we reetch takko on the radi it say Hello evreyone 4 more day then it holiday everyone shout 4 more Days!!! means. takko went work tata when home tatandiko took his dinu texy and takka when off Taiki and tiny went to school The end
When I change my mothers name / One day I a
My mini friend / Done by: Nurin Najwaa
CONTENS / 1. My mini friend pg 2-5 / 2. prolbem in money pg 6-7 / 3. Happy times pg 10-12 / 4. A Happy day 7-9 / Cheractors / Candy / Mr. Tothpace / M. Brocoli / missy mother / kissy father / Donat the noisie / muffins the baker
Mr. Brocoli / Mr. TOO-TH PASE / My che-cky face
HAAAAAA
My mini friend / After that day on this night I woke up very early on that night. Mr.... Broco-co-li: M.-Mr- T-T-T-Too-Th-p-p-p-ase I-I-I c-c-c cant s-s-s-se-see you. AAHHHHH the lights open MR. BROCOLI TOOTH PASE ahhh I woke up it was just a dream all thanks to my friends.
Kissy Daddy / Candy / muffins / QAYIS / missy ummi
What the two books show us
We did not set Nurin any of this. On her own, she was working out what our family's work was, who did what in it and where she fitted. Some of it is very funny. Some of it shows a young girl already feeling the weight of da'wah and seeing a part for herself in it, as the family's journalist and protector.
We never taught her the 4-I as a lesson. It shows up quietly here: a child who watched what happened at home, thought about it and wrote it down in her own words.
Nurin is now studying Sharia at Al-Azhar University in Cairo.
