Yusuf Islam's Arabic alphabet

Another book for children but just as great for adults, like Fatimah's Kampung. This book, A for Allah, is written by Yusuf Islam, who many of us know as Cat Stevens. Another labour of love, it took 20 years to produce and was first published in 1999. It began as a song of the same name to "teach my daughter (his first child born in 1980) that - above all else - 'Alif' (of the Arabic alphabet) is for Allah, and that everything else that we love and appreciate in this earthly life originates from His Divine Will and grace."

The song grew into a book, the design of which, writes Yusuf in his introduction, "has its own interesting tale. Just after I embraced Islam, I bumped into a fellow musician who had also become Muslim a year or so before me, Ian Whiteman... (who) was working as a designer at that time... (and) could also write Arabic calligraphy and displayed a distinctive flair with the pen... Much of the beauty in the design is due to his masterful style and talent." The book's striking cover is an early indication of this.

The book introduces the reader to the Arabic alphabet, choosing Islamic concepts to convey the various letters. Each page (and there are a total of 64 pages) is richly illustrated with meaningful images and exquisite calligraphy. You need to just look at the following pages to appreciate this.

I bought my copy at Kinokuniya in 2005 for RM50.85. If it's out of stock there, you can buy it online from Mountain of Light, the book's publisher, or through Amazon.