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Journalism of Courage
Saniyasnain Khans board games are aimed at getting children to learn about Islam
How near is Allah to us? The right answer takes you a step ahead on the Quran Challenge game. With pawns arranged on the start box marked by a camel,the board game based on the Holy Quran ends at a box that reads,Well done,faithful servant of Allah. This bright finish is at the end of a longwinding set of coloured squares,each of which marks a category that highlights the question cards. The categories are: Quranic knowledge,Prophets in the Quran,People of the Quran,Places of the Quran,Message of the Quran,and the 99 Names of Allah. This is just one of the six games Saniyasnain Khan has invented. Khan,who has written more than 100 books in the past decade,says games are the best way to get children interested in learning about Islam. There was a need for a game like this. When my own children were growing up,I saw they wouldnt accept anything unless they found it interesting. Today curiosity levels are high,and if you want to make religious stories attractive,you have to be at par. The games have been successful, he says.
The first Quran Challenge game made by Khans publishing company,Goodword,was out in 2005 and every year over 5,000 copies of the board game are shipped across the world from their office in Nizamuddin West. They have been translated into Arabic,Malay and Danish. Most of the games are distributed abroad. In India,the demand is high in the south–Bangalore,Hyderabad,Mumbai and Chennai, says the 50-year-old,who studied Arabic at Delhi University.
While the Quran Challenge,Junior Quran Challenge,Hadith Challenge,the Hajj Fun game,the Madinah Salat game and the Great Mosque game are popular among parents,the games hit a stumbling block when they were first launched. We did think of using dice in the games. But I knew it would cause problems. In the first few games people objected to the dice,saying it was like gambling. The lack of dice has made the game very slow, says Khan.
The next hurdle was the word challenge. People said,why did you name it Quran Challenge? Why are you challenging the Quran! They totally misunderstood the name. Instead they suggested calling it Quran Knowledge. But we stuck to Quran Challenge. Some also objected to the fact that it is called a game. But then,there is no other way to attract children, says Khan.
Khan has been promoting the games via international book fairs. There are similar games in the US,but they are very expensive. Then there are other products like Barbie dolls wearing traditional Islamic dress that you find abroad,but what we offer are educational board games which are in demand, says Khan.
With copies of the Bhagavad Gita,the Bible and the Quran lined up behind his desk along with hundreds of childrens books,Khan believes these board games have a huge market and getting the games online is the next step.
The answer to the question card How near is Allah to us? is: Nearer than our neck vein (Surah Qaf 50:16). If you got it right,move a step ahead.
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