This picture book for young readers about family, friendship, and faith is rich in the details of Middle Eastern village life. It tells the warm story of a bond between a father, a son, and the son’s favorite camel, as well as their devotion to the Muslim faith, and the power of prayer in their daily life.
Salah and his camel, Qadiim, are constant companions: They work together, eat together, and sleep together. Salah is distressed, however, because his camel always seems so sad and downcast, hanging his head low. But in the middle of one night, Salah remembers what his father has told him — that while mankind knows only ninety-nine names for Allah, there are actually one hundred names. What if Qadiim, the camel, could learn the hundredth name? Under the stars, Salah prays “to Allah with all his strength.” The next day– a seeming miracle! — the camel Qadiim carries his head high with a most-knowing look. Does Qadiim know the one-hundredth name?
