Teaching belief of Allah with religious children's books: The case of Özkan Öze's Genç Adam ve Allah

Childhood is a crucial period in the formation of belief in God. During this time, children learn religious values through various means, enrich their spiritual worlds, and question and internalize matters related to faith. Religious books read during this period are among the key sources that help establish the foundation of belief in God in a child's mind. The religious books that children read about belief in God during this period contribute to the teaching of belief in God. The research was designed as a qualitative study. The study employed document review and interview methods from qualitative research design. In this context, the book Young Man and Allah was thoroughly analyzed using the document review technique in the first stage. It was observed that the book provides clear and understandable answers to questions about God, encourages children to ask questions, aligns the verses with the topic, and presents belief in God with an emphasis on the universe. Based on the questions about God found in the chapters of the book, interview questions were prepared. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with children, and by asking questions about the book Young Man and Allah, the place of the book in their world of meaning and its effect on the teaching of belief in God were analyzed. It was observed that religious books play a crucial role in religious education by keeping children's interest in religion alive and teaching belief in God in accordance with Qur'anic principles. The interviews revealed that children were hesitant to ask questions about God, but they found answers to their questions through the book they read, indicating that religious children's books can effectively address children's curiosity about God.