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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! ✨
By the barnacles of Bahrain, gather round ye feathery lot. It's time we make the great captain's pledge.
Zaki:The what now?
Noora:Oh, a pledge. Like a super important promise? Like when I promised not to eat the whole tray of dates, but then I ate the whole tray of dates?
Captain Suhail:Not quite, Nunu. Hear ye, rule number one of the pledge. All leftover fish stew belongs to the captain.
Zaki:What? That's not loyalty, that's larceny.
Noora:What's larceny? Is it like a fancy fish?
Zaki:No. No. It means stealing.
Captain Suhail:Rule number two, when captain Sohail tells a tale, all crew members must clap dramatically at the end, no matter how long it takes.
Noora:Clap, clap, clap. Yay.
Zaki:You can't force applause with a pledge, Sohail. That's not how it works.
Captain Suhail:Aye. But a pledge is a pledge, and once signed, ye can ne'er escape.
Zaki:Oh, really? And who exactly has signed this ridiculous pledge?
Noora:Me. I drew a little heart next to my name.
Zaki:There you have it, the first loyal crew member. The pledge lives. Oh, dear. Oh, dear. This is not what pledges are meant for.
Zaki:A pledge is supposed to be serious, life changing, not not about stew.
Captain Suhail:Aye, but stew can be life changing if you eat it the wrong way.
Zaki:Meraj Digital presents The Amazing Stories with Zaki the Hoopoe. Season two, episode 24, The Pledge of Aqaba.
Zaki:Salaam, my amazing friends. It's me, Zucky, your favorite Hoopoe storyteller. Now you just heard captain Sohail's idea of a pledge, which was mostly about stew.
Captain Suhail:Leftover stew is the bedrock of civilization, lad.
Zaki:But today's story isn't about stew or silly rules. It's about a real pledge, one made under the stars of Makkah that would change the course of history forever.
Noora:Wait. What's a pledge again? Is it like a pinky promise?
Zaki:Good question, Nunu. A pledge is more than a pinky promise. It's when people give their word from the heart, even if it means sacrifice. It's saying, we will stand by you no matter what happens. Even if it's scary?
Zaki:Especially when it's scary.
Captain Suhail:Aye, a pledge is like when ye swear on the high seas never to abandon your crew, even when the storm be taller than a mountain.
Zaki:Well, yes, ohail. That's not a terrible way to put it.
Noora:So who made this big pledge? And what did it have to do with the prophet?
Zaki:That's our story today. The night of the pledge of Aqaba. When people from far away promise to protect the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, with their very lives. Ready, my fine feathered friends, let's travel back to that secret night when whispers under the stars changed everything. It was the kind of night where the world holds its breath.
Zaki:The stars glittered like a thousand watchful eyes and the desert air was cool and still. In a quiet valley called Aqaba, a group of men from Yathrib, the city we now know as Medina.
Noora:They were sneaking around? Why?
Zaki:Because this was dangerous, Nunu. The Quraysh in didn't want anyone supporting the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. If they found out, there would be punishment, maybe worse. So these travelers walked carefully, whispering, their hearts beating fast. They were called the Ansar, the helpers, and they had come to meet the prophet in secret.
Zaki:They had already accepted Islam, but tonight was something greater. Tonight, they would pledge to protect him.
Noora:Protect him? From what? From who?
Zaki:From Quraysh. From those who wanted to hurt him, to silence him, to stop his message. Now, a pledge is not just words. It's not like promising to share your last date or not to peek at presents. A pledge means giving your whole self, your time, your strength, even your life for what you believe is right.
Noora:So, like the biggest promise ever?
Zaki:Yes, the biggest promise ever. And these men were about to make it. One of the Ansar said, We pledge to hear and obey in ease and in hardship. Another Ansar said, we pledge to protect you as we protect our wives and children.
Noora:They promised to protect him like family?
Zaki:Exactly, Nunu. They weren't just followers anymore. They became protectors. They knew Quresh would be furious. They knew this could bring danger to their own homes.
Zaki:But still, under those stars, they said, we accept. The prophet reminded them of what this meant, that it was not a path of comfort, but of courage. That they might face battles, loss, and hardship. And still every one of them stood tall, not one turned away.
Captain Suhail:By the roaring tides, that's braver than sailing blind into a storm.
Zaki:And so in that hushed valley, the pledge of Aqaba was sealed, a promise of loyalty that would echo through time. True allies had risen, not for gold, not for land, but for truth. While the Ansar whispered their pledge in the dark, across the city, another meeting was taking place in the great hall of Dar Al Nadwa. It was the council house of Quraish, built of stone where the chiefs of every tribe gathered.
Noora:Like, like a giant classroom?
Zaki:Yes, But instead of lessons on spelling or sums, this was where decisions about war and peace, trade and power were made. Think of it as their parliament, their government hall.
Captain Suhail:I, every great people needs a captain's cabin, a place to chart their course. Though if you ask me, too many captains in one cabin only sinks the ship.
Zaki:For once, Sohail, you're not wrong. The Quraysh were furious. The prophet's message had already shaken Makkah. And now people in Yathrib, soon to be Medina, were embracing Islam too. Quraysh saw their power slipping like sand through their fingers.
Noora:But why were they so afraid? Believing in Allah is a good thing.
Zaki:Because they weren't thinking about truth, Nunu. They were thinking about money and pride. Every year, pilgrims came to Makkah to bow to their idols. That brought Quraish wealth and fame. But Islam said no idols, only Allah.
Zaki:That meant Quraish would lose their business, their importance, and they didn't want that.
Noora:So they cared more about money than about being fair.
Zaki:Yes, greed and pride blinded them. One of the Quraysh leaders growled, If Mohammed leaves for Yathrib, he will return with an army. He must be stopped before it is too late. They weren't just talking about arguments anymore, they were talking about assassination.
Noora:Assass what?
Zaki:Assassination means when people plan in secret to kill someone important, not in battle, not openly, but in cold blood.
Captain Suhail:By the salt of the seven seas, that's worse than sink in a ship at anchor with a crew still asleep in their hammocks.
Zaki:Yes, a coward's plan. But you see, the Quraysh were scared too. Another Quraysh leader declared, If only one of us kills him, his family will seek revenge. But if all tribes strike together, the blame is divided. His family cannot fight us all.
Zaki:Do you hear that, my friends? That's what we call a conspiracy. It means when people join together in secret to plan something evil. And Quresh conspired that night to send young men from every clan to attack the Prophet all at once.
Noora:Every tribe? Every sword?
Zaki:Yes. Imagine it. Dozens of sharp blades, all waiting outside one home in the middle of the night, all pointed at one man, the prophet Muhammad. Peace be upon him.
Captain Suhail:By the roaring waves that's darker than a mutiny at midnight, they plan to drown him in blades.
Zaki:And so Quraysh left their council with a plan as sharp as steel, a plot of fear and fury, a plot that could change everything. The Quraysh thought their plan was perfect. Swords chosen, tribes united, a night of shadows set. But what they did not see, could not see, is that Allah is always watching. Nothing escapes his sight, and he revealed their plot to his messenger.
Noora:So the prophet knew what they were going to do?
Zaki:Yes, Nunu. Imagine it. Knowing that outside your very door, men would soon gather to take your life. Knowing that every alley, every corner of your city might hold eyes waiting for you. That was the truth the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, faced.
Captain Suhail:By the swells of the stormy sea, that's like a captain learning the very waves themselves, plan to swallow his ship.
Zaki:Now think of what Makkah meant to him. It wasn't just a city. It was where he was born, where his mother cradled him, where his grandfather guided him, where Khadija comforted him. Every street, every stone held a memory. And at its heart stood the Kaaba, the house of Allah, the center of worship since Ibrahim's time.
Zaki:How could anyone imagine leaving it?
Noora:It's like like leaving your own nest. But even worse, because the Kaaba is there.
Zaki:Yes. To leave Makkah wasn't just leaving a home. It was leaving the holiest place on earth. It was a trial heavier than mountains. But sometimes, my fine feathered friends, to protect what you love most, you must step away.
Zaki:The prophet knew that staying meant capture. Staying meant blood and Islam could not be crushed before it could grow roots. So he made a choice that only the bravest hearts can make, to leave what is beloved, to save what is greater. But didn't that hurt?
Noora:To walk away?
Zaki:Oh, Nunu. Yes, it must have torn at his heart. Imagine saying goodbye to the only home you've ever known. The Kaaba where he prayed, the hills where he once played as a child, the house where Khadija's laughter once warmed the walls. He carried all of that in his chest.
Zaki:And yet he's still prepared
Captain Suhail:to go. By the quails of Qatar, that's like leaving a harbor you've built with your own claws, setting sail into waters you've never mapped.
Zaki:Yes, so Hail. Only this was no ordinary voyage. This was the Hijra, a migration, not of fear, but of faith. Hijra means to leave behind what crushes truth and move to a place where truth can live. Not running away but moving forward, like planting a seed in soil where it can finally grow tall and strong.
Noora:So leaving isn't always losing?
Zaki:Exactly. Sometimes leaving is how you protect the future. And so after years of patience, years of hardship, years of calling to truth while facing rejection and cruelty, the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, made his decision. He would leave Makkah, he would entrust it to Allah, and he would walk toward the new dawn waiting in Medina.
Captain Suhail:By the tides, that's no small farewell. That's the kind that splits a heart in two.
Noora:He must have been so, so strong.
Zaki:Strong in faith, Nunu. Strong in trust. And when faith is that strong, no plot, no sword, no shadow can win. That night, the prophet decided, Makkah behind him, Medinah ahead, and the world about to change forever. So my amazing friends, what do we learn from this night?
Zaki:That true allies protect and stand for truth. The Ansar didn't just say, We believe. They promised to protect the prophet as they would their own families. And the prophet himself, after all the pain and hardship, still trusted Allah enough to leave behind everything he loved so the truth could live.
Noora:Does that mean if someone's my friend, I should stand up for them Even if it's hard?
Zaki:Yes. Real friendship isn't only for the easy days. It's for the scary days too. When the playground feels unfriendly or when someone is left out, that's when a true friend steps forward and says, I'm with you.
Captain Suhail:Like a captain standing by his crew when the storm rips the sails clean off. That's loyalty.
Zaki:Exactly so, Hale. True allies are protectors. They put their hearts where their words are.
Noora:I wanna be like the unz are then. Brave, loyal, and ready to help.
Zaki:And you can, Littlefeather. All of us can. Every time we choose truth, every time we stand by someone who needs us, we're walking in the footsteps of the brave.
Captain Suhail:I will. As long as nobody makes me pledge away, me sardines, I'm all in. And
Zaki:so ends our story tonight, my fine feathered friends. The pledge was made, the plot was set, and the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, made the hardest choice of all to leave his beloved Makkah behind. But how could he escape when Quraysh surrounded his very house with swords? That, my friends, is the story of the night of Hijra, a night of courage, trust and miracles. But that tale waits for our next flight together.
Noora:Aw, you always stop right when it's getting good.
Zaki:Patience, little feather. Every great journey must unfold step by step.
Captain Suhail:Aye. And when the tale continues, you'll both be glad ye signed the captain's pledge. Rule number four, stand by your captain even when he runs out a stew.
Zaki:This 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 Kashif and Atif 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.