Book review: A-Z Islamic Signs in BSL

Written by Aminul Hoque and Habiba Khanam and illustrated by Rahima Begum
Amin & Yasmin Ltd (2017)
Available from Amazon, Shopify and Waterstones
Ages: 5–14

Reviewed by Altaf, dad to Adam (12) who is profoundly deaf and wears cochlear implants.

Adam

"A–Z Islamic Signs in BSL is published by Amin & Yasmin Ltd, who have put together a ‘unique journey’ showcasing an A–Z of Islamic signs in a fun and engaging manner.

Both my son, Adam, and I thought the book was an extremely helpful resource for Muslim families with deaf members who want to introduce their children to British Sign Language (BSL) by using the example of everyday Muslim words and phrases. We thought that the vocabulary used in the book was extremely relevant, both in everyday use and during religious ceremonies and occasions.

The sign vocabulary was well illustrated through the culturally diverse pictures of different Muslim children, as well as being well accompanied by the instructions and Arabic translation. I would definitely recommend this book to any Muslim families with deaf children who are starting to teach their children BSL. It would also be helpful in religious schools to help teach hearing pupils how to interact with their deaf Muslim counterparts in BSL."