Dedication

A craftsman of enlightened minds, the guiding light of Bangladesh’s reading movement, a universally respected teacher, one of the heroes of my lifelong inspiration to read, and whose personal companionship I was fortunate to have, the highly revered

Professor Abdullah Abu Saeed Sir

If anyone asks me in a single word what the first and foremost duty of a human being on this earth is, I would say: “Reading books.” Because upon that rests—how much of a human being I have become, how noble I have become, how much of the Ashraful Makhluqat (the best of creation) I have become.

Allah’s first command to humanity is Iqra—that is, “Read.” Notably, it was not initially said: “Recite the Shahadah,” or “Perform Salat, keep fasts, pay Zakat, or perform Hajj.” The question arises—what is the essence of this?
The answer is simple. When a person reads, they learn to discern right from wrong. Their conscience awakens. They understand the difference between truth and falsehood. Then, by their own instinct, they will move toward the path of righteousness. Knowledge shows the way.

March 5th, World Book Day, passed recently. Seeing students across Britain in colorful attire, it felt as if Eid had arrived. The heart felt light and joyful. My own journey of reading in public libraries began in Class Eight/Nine, at the next to the stadium in Sylhet city. That habit remains, whenever time and opportunity allow. Naturally, my private collection at home is no less than a small library. So, I do not always need to go out to the ‘Idea Store’ nowadays.

Even today, the most precious gift in my life is a “book.” When I first came to London, I was happiest to see Shahnoor Bhai’s bookshop ‘Sangita’ in Brick Lane. Years later, it was heartbreaking to see it close due to a lack of customers. Even now, whenever I go back to Bangladesh, my suitcase is filled with books, nothing else. Because everything else can be bought in London, but not Bengali books.

A curious incident: I had hoped that those who came to my wedding would at least gift me a book each. At that time, ‘Sangita’ was open. Alas, most brought envelopes of cash; I did not receive a single book. That regret will remain forever. Years later, this cannot be repeated!

‘World Book Day’ reminds us that books are not merely a source of entertainment; they are the greatest illuminators of human civilization. The history of every advanced nation reveals that at the root of their progress lay the pursuit of knowledge and a culture of reading. Even here in Britain, the foundation of their present advancement is knowledge gained through books. Muslims once ruled the world with knowledge derived from reading. Essentially, the world stands on the foundation of knowledge. And the best path to acquire knowledge is reading books, not scrolling Facebook. Facebook mostly consists of showing off and fake news.

Books do not merely provide information; books teach people to think. Books teach people to question. Books make people humble, generous, and humane. A good book can awaken the inner human being.

Today, we do not lack technology. Mobile phones, social media, and television are all at our fingertips. But the question is—do these enrich our thinking? Or do they fragment our attention?

When a reader reads a book, they do not just read a story; they experience another life. They encounter different cultures, times, and perspectives of other people. This experience enlarges and deepens the person.

The mental strength of a nation depends on its reading habits. In a society where books lose value, the depth of thought gradually withers. In a society where reading is respected, creativity and humanity flourish.

This is why every wise person in history made books their companion. Through books, they understood the world, understood themselves, and grasped the greater truths of humanity.

Today, what the world needs most is to cultivate moral, humane people. And the simplest and most effective way to cultivate such people is—friendship with good books.

Alexander the Great, Aristotle’s student, undoubtedly read books under his great teacher Aristotle. Adolf Hitler, and today’s Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu—surely also read some books in their educational years.

But I am not talking about conventional reading. I am talking about books that awaken the human heart, teach goodness, encourage morality, and give courage to stand against injustice.

One must read the works of the world’s greatest writers, the biographies of great people, and also the guidebooks of global humanity. That includes the Holy Quran—the illumination of various forms of knowledge. One should also read the biographies and masterpieces of the world’s greatest thinkers. Such books do not merely make a person knowledgeable; they make them humane.

To understand the ultimate purpose of life, what to do between life and death, how to be humane, how to control greed, how to relate to others, humanity, and the environment, how the universe works, how vast it is, its forces, the destiny of this small marble-like planet Earth, the fate of human civilization, what past civilizations did and their outcomes, what our current civilization is doing and its potential consequences, what one must do when in power, one’s duties toward others—one must read books. And on the Day of Judgment, every human will be questioned in light of the final scripture; previous civilizations will be questioned according to the scripture of their own times. No classroom book provides answers to such questions.

This is why we see countless people with the highest university degrees speaking ignorantly, committing corruption, and treating others poorly. Most pursue degrees hoping for a good job, without serious thought of acquiring true knowledge. In a future column, I intend to write about the intellect and thinking of these so-called degree-holders. Today’s column has grown long enough.

Humans are Ashraful Makhluqat, the best of creation. Other creatures cannot enrich themselves by reading; humans can. Life is singular. And in this one life, one must acquire such knowledge. In that sense, there is no alternative to reading books.

On ‘World Book Day’, the generous call to each of us is clear:
Read books, know yourself.
Because truly, only a good book can transform a person not just into a learned being but into an enlightened human.

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Author: Editor, Columnist, Analyst, and Former Professor

London, 7 March 2026