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Introducing "Amazing Stories with Zaki the Hoopoe!" 🎉
Get ready for a storytelling adventure that’s not just for kids, but for the whole family—including parents! Zaki, the lively and clever hoopoe bird, invites everyone to explore the wonders of ancient tales, where prophets, brave animals, and magical moments come to life. 🌟 Tailored for kids aged 5-8, but with plenty of fun, humor, and fascinating lessons to keep parents entertained, too!
Zaki's adventures take you to deserts, seas, and enchanted forests, where you’ll meet the brave ant that stood up to Prophet Sulaiman 🐜, Prophet Ibrahim standing up against the evil King Nimrod, Prophet Nuh and his legendary Ark, and many more legendary Prophets. With a sprinkle of jokes, interactive questions, and exciting sound effects, each episode is an engaging experience for all ages!
Parents, you’ll love the way Zaki weaves timeless lessons with humor and charm, making this the perfect family bonding time. Whether in the car, during bedtime, or just for fun, Amazing Stories with Zaki is your go-to source for entertaining, educational stories that spark curiosity and values in kids—and even surprise grown-ups!
So, gather around, sit back, and let Zaki take you on a magical journey that everyone will enjoy. Ready? Let’s fly into adventure! ✨
Ow. Who's launching missiles at my tail feathers? Show yourself, coward.
Noora:It's me, uncle Zucky. Look. I made a slingshot. Pebble power.
Zaki:A slingshot? No. No. No. Drop it, Nunu.
Zaki:That's a weapon of tiny destruction.
Captain Suhail:A fine invention, lass. I aim for the eye and the enemy will never see it coming. That's how ye survive on the seven seas.
Zaki:The eye? Captain, she's eight years old. You can't give her pirate battle tips.
Noora:But Captain Sohail, what if bad people really attack? Shouldn't I know how to defend myself?
Captain Suhail:Aye, little feather. Defense is noble, but offense is glorious.
Zaki:No. Absolutely not. By the blessed branches of Beit Ulmuqaddis. No offense, no eye shots, no pirate training.
Noora:I just wanted to know. Because when people throw things at you, it must hurt a lot. Right?
Zaki:Yes, Nunu. It hurts the wings, but it hurts the heart even more.
Captain Suhail:Spoken like a bird who's never had barnacles chucked at his beak. But I he's right, lass. No launching stones at Captain Longbeaks here.
Noora:Hey.
Zaki:Meraj Digital presents The Amazing Stories with Zaki the Hoopoe. Season two, episode 21, The Day of Stones.
Zaki:Salaam, my amazing friends. It's me, Zaki the Hoopoe, your favorite feathered storyteller, And you've landed right in the middle of amazing stories with Zucky, where history flaps its wings and every tale has a lesson for our hearts.
Captain Suhail:And where seagulls like myself get no respect.
Zaki:Respect is earned, captain. Not demanded with a squawk. Anyway, today's story's a big one. A story about what happens when people are very unkind. Not just someone took your toy unkind.
Zaki:Not just someone called you silly unkind, but throwing stones, shouting mean words and turning their backs on you. Now, my little listeners, have you ever had someone say, I don't want to play with you, Or laugh when you made a mistake? It hurts, doesn't it? Your heart feels heavy, like it's carrying a bag of rocks.
Noora:Yes, it feels so yucky, like you want to hide under a leaf and never come out.
Zaki:Exactly, Nunu. But here's the amazing part. Our prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, went through something like that. He went to a place called Tayif to invite people to Islam, to share kindness and truth. But instead of welcoming him, they were so mean, they threw stones at him.
Zaki:But you know what? He didn't give up. He didn't throw stones back. He showed patience. That means staying calm, trusting Allah, and being brave even when your heart hurts.
Captain Suhail:Saber, hey. Easier said than done. When folk pelt me with fish guts at the docks, I don't just smile and flap away. I squawk so loud their ears ring for a fortnight.
Zaki:That's not quite the lesson, captain, but we'll work on you. So, my fine feathered friends, are you ready? Today we're flying back in time to the streets of Taif, where the Prophet faced stones, sadness, and a test of patience, and where someone very brave, Ali, stood by his side. The journey of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was filled with trials. From the very first days, the Quraysh in Makkah tried to crush his message.
Zaki:They tortured his followers. Bilal, the noble servant, was dragged on burning sand with a heavy stone on his chest, gasping but still saying, Allah is one. Amr watched with his own eyes as his mother and father were beaten and killed, only for believing. Many Muslims fled across the Red Sea to Abyssinia, where a just king gave them safety. But not everyone could leave.
Zaki:Then came the cruel boycott of Bani Hashem. For three long years, the Prophet and his family were cut off. No food, no water, no trade. Children's stomachs ached with hunger, leaves and dry roots became their meals. And yet they endured.
Zaki:But soon after, the Prophet's heart was struck by an even deeper sorrow. His wife, Khadija, his partner, his supporter, his source of comfort, returned to Allah, and then his beloved uncle Abu Talib, who had protected him from the Quraysh, also passed away.
Noora:Uncle Saqi, he lost so many people. It's like being left all alone.
Zaki:Yes, Nunu. That year became known as the year of sorrow. Imagine carrying a message for the whole world, but the people around you only laugh, insult, and hurt you. And the two people who always stood by you are gone.
Captain Suhail:Aye, a captain without a crew, a ship without anchor, that'll break even the toughest sailor.
Zaki:Yet the prophet did not stop. His heart was still full of trust in Allah, and so he decided to try something new. About 70 miles from Makkah lay a city called Taif. It was cooler with gardens and orchards. The people of Taif were leaders too, strong, wealthy, and respected.
Zaki:The prophet thought, if they accept Islam, maybe others will follow. Maybe my message will find a home here. So he set out, weary from sorrow, but carrying the light of faith. And by his side walked a young Ali, his cousin, brave, loyal, and ready to protect him no matter what storm lay ahead. But the welcome they found in Taif was not the welcome they hoped for.
Zaki:Instead, the Prophet would face one of the most painful days of his life. The Prophet came to Taif with hope. Hope that these people might welcome the truth, that they might open their hearts to Allah's mercy. But instead, instead of kindness, they answered with cruelty. Small stones first, stinging, biting, then larger ones, sharp and heavy, hurled with anger.
Zaki:They struck his blessed feet, his back, his shoulders, his sandals filled with blood as he stumbled forward.
Noora:Why? Why would they hurt him like that?
Zaki:Because the truth can frighten hard hearts, Nunu, and when people fear, they lash out. But he was not alone. With him was Ali, young, fierce, and loyal. He ran to the Prophet's side raising his arms to shield him. Stones meant for the Prophet struck Ali's arms instead.
Zaki:He spread his body wide, blocking, taking the blows. When the mob rushed close, Ali pushed them back with his strength, his shoulders, his fists, his legs driving them away. Every step the Prophet took, Ali moved with him, a shield, a wall, refusing to fall. The more they pressed, the harder he fought until even the cruelest grew afraid of his courage. And through it all, the prophet did not strike back.
Zaki:He did not curse them. He prayed. Even as blood ran down his feet, he lifted his heart to Allah, asking for mercy upon the very people who hurt him.
Noora:He prayed for them? For the ones who threw stones?
Zaki:Yes, little one. That is patience. That is courage greater than any army.
Captain Suhail:By the crashing waves, I've weathered storms, but none so fierce as this. To stand bleeding, unbowed, and still pray, that's a captain's heart if ever there was one.
Zaki:At last, the prophet and Ali made it beyond the city walls. Behind them, Tayeth rang with the echo of cruelty. Before them stretched the lonely Road. Their clothes were torn, their feet were bleeding, but their hearts still turned toward Allah. Then, as if Allah himself guided their steps, they came upon an orchard.
Zaki:Green vines climbed over walls and shade stretched wide under the trees. For the first time since the stones began to fall, there was peace. There the prophet sat in the cool shade. His body ached. His sandals were heavy with blood, but his tongue moved only in prayer.
Zaki:O Allah, to you alone I complain of my weakness, my lack of strength, and the way people treat me. If you are not angry with me, then I do not mind, for your mercy is greater than all things.
Noora:Uncle Zucky, after all that, he still prayed for mercy, not revenge?
Zaki:Yes, little one. That is what makes his heart so extraordinary. He prayed not for the stones to stop, but for the people who threw them to one day find guidance. Imagine it, my friends. When people hurt us, we want to shout, to fight back, to hide.
Zaki:But the prophet showed us something greater. Patience. Not just waiting quietly, but standing firm, trusting Allah, even when the world feels cruel.
Captain Suhail:By the rolling tides, I've shouted at seagulls for stealing me lunch. I've cursed storms for drenching me feathers. But this man, bloodied, broken, and still he shines like a lighthouse in the dark. Aye, that's real courage.
Zaki:You know my fine feathered friends? I panic at the smallest things. A pebble flies near my tail and I'm ready to squawk and flap for dear life. But when I tell this story, I see how much I still have to learn. If our beloved prophet could face stones with patience, maybe I can face my worries with a little more trust in Allah.
Zaki:And maybe you can too. So remember this, no matter how heavy the hurt or how lonely the road, Allah's mercy is always greater, always.
Noora:Uncle Zucky, I think I understand a little, but is patience just sitting there doing nothing?
Zaki:Oh, good question, Nunu. Patience, Saber isn't about giving up or staying silent while bad things happen. It's about staying strong, holding on to what's right, and trusting Allah even when it's really, really hard.
Noora:So when people laughed at the Prophet and threw stones, his patience was not throwing them back?
Zaki:Exactly. His strength was not in his hands, but in his heart.
Noora:And Ellie's patience was protecting the prophet, even when it hurt.
Zaki:Yes, little one. Courage and loyalty, that was his patience.
Captain Suhail:And my patience is waiting three whole minutes for a fish to flop into me beak. By the barnacles, it's the hardest trial a gull can face.
Zaki:Captain, that's not quite the same.
Noora:Yeah, Captain Sohail. Patience isn't about waiting for fishnack.
Captain Suhail:Oh, then I've been practicing the wrong sabre all these years. No wonder the sardines never respected me.
Zaki:My amazing friends, patience isn't easy. It means being strong even when your heart feels heavy. It means trusting Allah even when others hurt you. And it means remembering that mercy is greater than anger.
Noora:So if the prophet could face stones with patience, maybe I can face mean words at school with patience too.
Zaki:That's exactly it, Nunu. You found the lesson.
Captain Suhail:Aye, stones, storms, or sardines, none of it lasts forever, but patience that will carry ye through every tide. What
Zaki:a journey today has been. We walked the painful road of Taif. We felt the sting of stones. And we saw the prophet's courage shine through patience.
Noora:And we learned that means being strong in our hearts, even when it hurts on the outside.
Zaki:And remember, little ones, every time you face unkindness, whether it's mean words, being left out or feeling alone, you can choose patience, just like the prophet did. Now, where will we fly next? Oh, it's a big one. Next time, we'll hear about a night unlike any other. A journey through the heavens themselves.
Zaki:A journey where the prophet traveled farther than any bird, even farther than any star.
Noora:The night journey? Can I make sound effects for flying through space? Whoosh. Boom. Zap.
Zaki:If you don't make them, Nunu, I'm sure the captain will.
Captain Suhail:I, by the splashing squid of hurrah, I'll be the finest space navigator you've ever heard. Stars, moons, meteors, I'll steer them all.
Zaki:Captain, you cannot steer stars.
Captain Suhail:Can't I? Then why do they twinkle when I wink at them, This
Zaki:story was produced by Meraj Digital. Voices provided by Wayne Holland as Zaki and Curtis Fletcher as Captain Sohail. Episode written, directed, and edited by Syed Kashef and Atef Hussein. For more content by Meraj Digital, please visit our site at www.meraj.digital.
Copyright:Content copyright and production copyright 2025 by Meraj Digital.