31. Muslim Mastermind

Islam is a religion that starts with the intellect, and one that prescribes that we constantly use and expand our intellect through seeking knowledge. In fact, according to many traditions, seeking knowledge is more favorable then worship. Allah (SWT) sent down messengers and prophets to instruct us in these teachings. Verse after verse to remind us to wonder, ponder, contemplate, and learn about the world around us through the sense in with which God has bestowed us (88:17-20;16:78).

Our first story, "That's Curious," emphasizes curiosity, as it is the first step associated with the learning process and essentially "primes" the brain for learning. Shireen shows Amira that curiosity leads to the discovery of new knowledge, which is often very rewarding.

Our second story, "Learning the Hard Way," teaches that knowledge and action must go hand-in-hand. If we know something but don't apply it, the knowledge is useless. Amin learns this lesson the hard way when he misunderstands Mr. Salmaan's written instructions because he doesn't realize that spelling matters, some words sound the same, but mean very different things!