READING is a delightful habit but has taken a back seat nowadays in society. Very few people are now found reading a fiction or a book of poetry at home or in a public library. But for those yarning for knowledge or pleasure, reading still remains as a rewarding habit. Reading is a wonderful habit to develop. It is a terrific boredom-buster, it can help sharpen your memory, and is a fun for the whole family. As Muslims, the importance of reading cannot be undermined, especially when the first word revealed to our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was "Read!" When we read I am transported to another world. Reading stimulates our mind and it is also relaxing as we forget our day-to-day problems for some time. I remember during my childhood days I had the habit of reading crime fictions like "Dosshu Bonhur" and "Kuasha" that stole my sleeps at night. I laughed and cried with the characters and at times ventured to behave like them.
It is just the reverse nowadays. Now we see children and teenagers and even adults remain so busy with their mobile phone, iPad, laptop etc. that they have no time to read a book. I know there are now many kinds of books available in the market like ebook, ikindle etc. and it may be that soon our good old paper books will disappear. To persuade children to take up the habit of reading, the parents should continue reading books themselves. If parents do so, children will be automatically encouraged to follow them. Reading is a habit which is surely worth cultivating and is one of the most pleasurable and educative activities.
Mohammad Sohel Hara
Bonosree, Dhaka
