‘No, it’s not safe,’ my mother used to tell me when I asked to join her as she taught the Holy Qur’an to small children in remote areas of Rabwah, Pakistan. I wondered what exactly was not safe. Innocently, I believed it was just an excuse so she would not have to take me with her. One particular evening I begged my mother to take me with her, and she finally submitted to my request. I recall sitting in a …
