Product Review | Ali and Sumaya: Let’s Pray

Ali and Sumaya: Let’s Read is produced by Imanination Studios. They have created an exciting range of DVDs and apps that use the latest technology to produce INCREDIBLE quality animation. I mean …it’s AMAZING! There is nothing like it in the market today.

These days, Muslim children’s TV has to compete with the likes of Shrek and Frozen in order to meet our children’s expectations and keep them engaged. Ali and Sumaya are trying to meet this goal and honestly… the graphics are awesome!

This is the trailer for their DVD:

The whole feel of this DVD is really modern, cool, colourful and fun. It teaches the subject of prayer in a very gentle and loving way…which I think is best way!

In addition to the prayer, they also teach all the steps and duaas for wudu, the athaan, duaa Qunoot, other Prophetic duaas and seven surahs. There is also a quiz and a ridiculously catchy nasheed!!!

There is NO MUSIC in the DVD and the producers have gone to great lengths to ensure that all material presented in the DVD is based on the Quran and authentic Hadith. Allah knows best. I approached the company for more information on this and they kindly replied:

We have sought guidance from various Scholars and People of knowledge in Alexandria, Egypt and also The Islamic Shariah Council, UK.”

The characters themselves, Ali and Sumaya, are so sweet and their recitation of the Quran is so beautiful and clear. I just had to stop what I was doing and listen….so beautiful mashAllah!

Although there are a lot of details on ‘HOW’ to pray, the producers have also tried to put across the pleasure and joy one gets from the Salaah. I loved how they started the DVD with an explanation on ‘WHY’ we pray and why it’s important. The DVD begins with the story of the ‘Night of Ascension’ and my kids were riveted (you know…where their mouths drop open!!!)

Learning how to make Wudu!

Don’t forget the ears!!!

Each step for Salaah is very clear and easy to understand. They’ve added a fun element by having little icons pop up (like in a video game) that remind you when to recite aloud or tell you how many rakaats left. It’s just very cool without being gimmicky. It is entertaining and fun but still preserves the sanctity of the prayer.

Throughout the DVD, all Quran and duaas are written very clearly at the bottom of the screen, in Arabic with translation and transliteration.
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My only concern with this DVD is, as we all know, the prayer varies between Muslims depending on which path of Islam you follow. However, fundamentally we all pray the same, it’s just in ‘the finer details’ that we differ (I think…although I’m no expert!!!).

My two boys are only three and five, but I felt they benefited from watching it. After only watching it once, my five year-old was telling me how many rakaats are in each prayer, and when you need to pray that prayer!!! MashAllah…it worked!

For young children, do not try to make them watch the whole thing through, but rather take it in chapters. I plan to teach one aspect of the prayer (wudu, athaan, prayer times etc.) and then use this DVD to reiterate what we have been discussing.

I think children over the age of seven would benefit the most from this DVD because some important points are written on the screen and not narrated by the characters. So if your child does not read well they may miss out on these parts.

If you’re interested in purchasing this DVD, you can buy it on their website Ali and Sumaya.
At this time of writing this, it costs £14.99, or you can rent it from Vimeo for one year for $7.50. All details are on their website.

There is also a FREE app that goes along with the DVD, that features lots of interactive animations and games, to help teach the prayer and reinforce what they have seen in the DVD.

Here is the trailer for the app:

The company also makes these fabulous posters to go along with the DVD. They are big (A2), nice quality and very cleverly designed. They images are faceless if you wanted to hang them up. There is one for boys and one for girls. They are quite complicated, so I would not recommend them for children under 5.

We plan to look the relevant part of the poster after watching that part of the DVD. This is yet another teaching tool to visually prompt and reinforce learning. They are available to purchase on their website.

Overall I feel that Ali and Sumaya: Let’s Pray has filled a void in the market; a void that English-speaking Muslim children desperately needed filling!

Disclaimer: This review was NOT sponsored. Although Imanination Studio sent me a complimentary copy of this DVD and the posters, all opinions expressed are genuine!




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