http://www.musalla.org/Musalla_kidz_5.html
musalla kids newsletter
is a bit of islamic studies, values and social studies all mixed together.
it uses stories, word searches and games to help discuss 46 topics
from sharing to not observing certain holidays like valentine’s day.
it also has poems, stories from the seerah, the basics of islam and more.
Archive for islam
musalla kids newsletter
eid al-adha activities
the hajj, or pilgrimage to makkah / mecca, is one of the five pillars of islam.
muslims of all races and tongues come together
for three days (minimum) in the month of dhul-hijjah
to worship and glorify Allah
in one of life’s most moving spiritual experiences.
listed below are many ways to celebrate hajj
and its culminating celebration, eid al-adha or the festival of the sacrifice.
eid al-adha is expected to be on or around november 27, 2009 this year.
if you appreciate this
gathering of information,
make dua’ for my family and i
on the day of arafah
that Allah gives us the good in this world,
the good in the hereafter,
and saves us from the hellfire, inshaAllah!
- make a kaba pop-up card
we followed the directions for this simple pop up.
however we used black construction paper
backed with construction paper of a contrasting color,
turned it on its side,
and added a strip of gold-glitter glue. - read tell me about hajj book
by saniyasnain khan
- read/recite surah hajj, chapter 22 of the qur’an
- watch PBS’s muhammad, legacy of a prophet
there’s a chapter in the DVD that discusses the hajj, as well as a virtual hajj online. - make a hajj map
- take part in a local sacrifice or zabihah
- read or listen to hajj stories
some communities have an event that allows people who have made the hajj to share their hajj-stories. if not, ask someone that you know to tell you their hajj story with you. you could even interview them and publish their story in your local muslim newspaper. - discuss the virtues of the first 10 days of dhul-hijjah,
the 12th and last month of the islamic hijri calendar in which hajj takes place. - discuss the pillars of hajj:
- wearing ihram,
- making tawaaf (circumambulate) around the kaba,
- going back and forth sa’i between safaa and marwaa, and
- staying on arafah.
- read stories about the history of hajj including
- the story of sa’i when hajar and baby ismail (as) are left in the desert and discover the well of zamzam
- the story of the sacrifice when Allah tells the prophet ibrahim (abraham) (as) to sacrifice his son ismail (as), including the stoning of shaytan
- the story of the building of the kabah
- the story of prophet muhammad’s (saws) hajj
all of these stories can be found in these books by saniyasnain khan:
my first quran story book
and
goodnight stories from the life of the prophet muhammad - learn and recite the talbiyah
- take 3D virtual tour of the inside, outside kaba and masjid alHaram in mecca
- watch journey to mecca
- participate in a mock-hajj
many schools set up a model kaba and allow the children to dress in ihram and “make” hajj. ask your local muslim school if you can participate. - play this “i’m learning about hajj” memory-style game
- go on hajj!
arabic:
transliteration:
Labbaika Allahomma Labbaik.
Labbaik La Shareeka Laka Labbaik.
Innal-Hamdah, Wan-Nematah, Laka wal Mulk,
La Shareeka Laka
translation:
Here I am at Thy service O Lord, here I am.
Here I am at Thy service and Thou hast no partners.
Thine alone is All Praise and All Bounty, and Thine alone is The Sovereignty.
Thou hast no partners.
ramadan 2009
ramadan 2009 found us in atlanta.
we did several activities from my own post in 2008.
we did a ramadan dawa project:
we baked crescent cookies for our neighbors
to tell them about ramadan.
i somehow forgot to get a picture of the final products.
we outlined the sugar cookies in white icing,
and ate just one a piece after packing a couple in each plastic baggie
to hand out to the neighbors
along with a little note about ramadan.
we made kaba pop-up cards
and beaded crescents for friends and family.
first we bent jewelry wire in a crescent shape
leaving enough to finish with a twist
and make a loop.
then we threaded clear beads.
it took lots of concentration for the 2 year old,
but then she wanted to make another and then another and then another…
after the beading was complete
and we’d twisted the top into a loop,
we added pretty, silver-lined, white ribbon so the crescent could hang
and glitter in the light.
they were very satisfied with the finished product
and couldn’t wait to give them as gifts.
we made a good deed trees to keep track of the girls’ good deeds.
first we talked about what good deeds were
and how during ramadan
Allah multiplies His reward for good deeds.
alHamdulillah the girls were SO excited to do good deeds
that i soon knew that we’d run out of good deed leaves
so i modified the rules for getting good deed leaves:
they would start out with 5 leaves each day
and a leaf would be taken away if they did a bad deed.
ever the artists, they added tree houses and other flourishes to their good deed trees.
where is Allah?
it’s questions like these that children come up with.
it’s also a good time to reconnect with the basics of islam.
when one of my girls asked me this question
i answered “everywhere.”
then i rediscovered
alAqida alTahawiyya
or “Tahawi’s Statement of Islamic Doctrine”.
“everywhere” is an incorrect answer
because Allah cannot be bound by time or space.
He is unlike anything we can imagine.
alAqida alTahawiyya is a concise statement
of the creed of islam.
just re-reading the first 28 points
every once and awhile
can readjust our islamic perspective on Allah.
i plan to share them with my girls
during our studies of quran and islam
and just in daily life
when questions like
“where is Allah?” come up.
just to get us started
here are the first 28 points:
We say about Allah’s unity, believing by Allah’s help that:
1. Allah is One, without any partners.
2. There is nothing like Him.
3. There is nothing that can overwhelm Him.
4. There is no god other than Him.
5. He is the Eternal without a beginning and enduring without end.
6. He will never perish or come to an end.
7. Nothing happens except what He wills.
8. No imagination can conceive of Him and no understanding can comprehend Him.
9. He is different from any created being.
10. He is living and never dies and is eternally active and never sleeps.
11. He creates without His being in need to do so and provides for His creation without any effort.
12. He causes death with no fear and restores to life without difficulty.
13. He has always existed together with His attributes since before creation. Bringing creation into existence did not add anything to His attributes that was not already there. As He was, together with His attributes, in pre-eternity, so He will remain throughout endless time.
14. It was not only after the act of creation that He could be described as “the Creator” nor was it only by the act of origination that He could he described as “the Originator.”
15. He was always the Lord even when there was nothing to be Lord of, and always the Creator even when there was no creation.
16. In the same way that He is the “Bringer to life of the dead,” after He has brought them to life a first time, and deserves this name before bringing them to life, so too He deserves the name of “Creator” before He has created them.
17. This is because He has the power to do everything, everything is dependent on Him, everything is easy for Him, and He does not need anything. “There is nothing like Him and He is the Hearer, the Seer.” (al-Shura 42:11)
18. He created creation with His knowledge.
19. He appointed destinies for those He created.
20. He allotted to them fixed life spans.
21. Nothing about them was hidden from Him before He created them, and He knew everything that they would do before He created them.
22. He ordered them to obey Him and forbade them to disobey Him.
23. Everything happens according to His degree and will, and His will is accomplished. The only will that people have is what He wills for them. What He wills for them occurs and what He does not will, does not occur.
24. He gives guidance to whomever He wills, and protects them, and keeps them safe from harm, out of His generosity; and He leads astray whomever He wills, and abases them, and afflicts them, out of His justice.
25. All of them are subject to His will either through His generosity or His justice.
26. He is Exalted beyond having opposites or equals.
27. No one can ward off His decree or delay His command or overpower His affairs.
28. We believe in all of this and are certain that everything comes from Him.
read the rest here: http://www.sunnah.org/aqida/aqida10.htm
mawlid an-nabi
the prophet muhammad
(sallallahou alayhi wasallam / may Allah bless him and give him peace)
was born monday, 12 rabi al-awwal
(according to the islamic calendar)
in makkah.
muslims around the world
celebrate the anniversary of the birth
of the prophet muhammad (saws)
by gathering people together to
recite parts of the quran,
telling stories about the prophet’s (saws) birth,
reading poetry that praises and sends blessings on the prophet (saws),
and, of course, eating delicious food.
our favorite mawlid song is
muhammad nabeena
(muhammad our prophet).
on youtube in arabic with arabic subtitles
or in arabic with english translation.
download stories of the prophet muhammad (saws) for children
by abdel-hameed buda as-sahaar
here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/11429061/the-story-of-the-prophet-muhammad-pbuh-for-children
or check out these books from, our favorite, goodword books:
goodnight stories from the life of the prophet muhammad (saws),
or for older children,
tell me about the prophet muhammad
both by saniyasnain khan
values: courage
during the month of february
we talked about courage.
we’re still working with “teaching your children values”
by linda and richard eyre.
i also used “what is courage in islam“
from educatingthemuslimchild.wordpress.com.
here’s a summary of our discussions during the month:
we defined courage as
doing the right thing even when it is hard.
we use courage when:
- we try new things that feel a little scary, like learning how to ride a bike, or saying hello to someone we don’t know
- we do what we believe is right, even when no one else does
- we admit we are wrong
- we do our work before playing
discuss:
- things that frighten or challenge us and then think of ways of using courage to cope with them
- times when we saw others show courage in real life or in a story
- if, when and why adults get afraid and how they show courage
- remind ourselves that nothing can harm us unless Allah wills it, and nothing can benefit us unless Allah wills it.
- remind ourselves that Allah will help us in doing what is good
courage in the quran
- habil and qabil
habil stood up for what was right: not fighting another believer - prophet ibrahim (a.s.) destroys the idols
Allah protected him from the fire because Allah helps those who do good - Allah tells prophet ibrahim (a.s.) to sacrifice his son, ismael
ismael was ready to obey Allah’s command which tested the courage of both prophet ibrahim (a.s.) and ismael. Allah rewarded them for remaining faithful to Him. - the sleepers in the cave
the sleepers were brave to hold fast to what they believed in. they asked Allah for help. having courage also means asking Allah for help and putting our trust in Him. - prophet yunus
the prophet yunus initially left the work Allah called Him to because the people would not listen. after being in the big fish realized that he should have persevered in doing Allah’s work. with Allah’s help we can finish every piece of work.
all of these stories are in “my first quran storybook“
by saniyasnain khan from goodword books.
activities
- read stories in which a character(s) demonstrates courage
- in our daily life we praised each other when we showed courage or pointed it out when we saw others show courage
- watch adam’s world “finding courage”
preparing for hajj
hajj this year begins on the 6th of december, 2008
with eid-ul-adha on the 8th.
here’s a virtual hajj with an excellent, clear and concise overview of the entire process:
http://www.channel4.com/culture/microsites/H/hajj/index.html
it also includes live shots of hajj, videos, maps, prayers and more.
some activities for hajj
can be adapted from many ramadhan activities
but can also include:
- making hajj map
- making a replica of the kaba
- discussing the virtues of first 10 days of dhul hijjah
- reviewing history of hajj (try “my first quran storybook” by goodword books)
- viewing hajj videos
- making a simple hajj book on the rituals of hajj
- reciting / memorizing suratul-hajj (chapter 22)
more crafty ideas include:
- handmade eid cards
- kaba money box from an empty box of tissue
- quilled sheep
30 children’s activities for ramadan
listed here are 30 ramadhan activities
from all over the web
in one place.
if you appreciate this
gathering of information,
make dua’ for my family and i
that our sins are forgiven this ramadhan, inshaAllah!
-
sight the moon
try to sight the moon from a elevated location in your neighborhood.
e.g. if you’re in atlanta, go to the top of stone mountain
with a pair of binoculars. -
pillars of islam
recycle paper towel or toilet paper rolls to create the five pillars of islam.
http://www.crayola.com/lesson-plans/detail/pillars-of-islam-lesson-plan/
-
good deeds calendar
make a calendar of good deeds that children can do everyday.
they can be as simple as hugging a sibling or eating everything on their plate at dinner.
http://www.crayola.com/lesson-plans/detail/good-deeds-calendar-lesson-plan/
-
star and crescent cookies
bake star and crescent sugar cookies for your neighbors and attach a little note about ramadhan.
http://ramadanjoy.com/peace-cookies/
-
sadaqah jar
make and decorate a sadaqah jar from, for example, an empty pasta sauce jar.
collect coins from around the house, in the neighborhood, or allowances.
give it to a needy person at eid. -
fasting chain
use construction paper to cut strips and make a fasting chain for the family or each person fasting.
you can make 29/30 strips to countdown or add on a strip a day. -
prepare to break the fast
let the child fill a small dish with dates each evening and be responsible for distributing dates to each fasting member of the household at iftar.
-
pillowcase prayer rugs
decorate a pillow case with fabric paint.
-
make your own dhikr beads
use string and plastic beads to make dhikr beads.
try to remember as many names of Allah as you can. -
ka’ba pop-up cards
make ka’ba pop-up cards for ramadhan or eid to give to friends and family
-
tin can luminary
make your own tin can luminary using a can opener, hammer and screwdriver to make the holes.
light the luminary during the night of lailat alQadr and last 10 nights of ramadan. -
moon phase calendar
there are several variations of varying complexity.
some even include sewing.
the most simple one is make a calendar
from dark-colored paper or poster board
and cut out the shape of the moon every day. -
read books about ramadhan and eid
check out library books about ramadhan and eid
or buy them for your own library. -
good deeds list
make a list of good things that each child wants to do during ramadhan
then try to do at least one of them each day;
or help your child keep a list of their own good deeds during ramadhan. -
ramadhan drum
recycle an oatmeal container or coffee can to make a drum to use for ramadhan songs and eid celebrations.
-
light up the house
string up lights inside or outside the house and turn them on every night at maghrib.
-
eid costume party
-
kid’s iftar / sahoor
let the children plan, shop for, and then prepare suhoor and / or iftar.
-
visit your local planetarium
-
memorize ayat 2:183
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint
-
memorize the dua’ for breaking the fast
اللَّهُمَّ اِنِّى لَكَ صُمْتُ وَبِكَ امنْتُ [وَعَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْتُ] وَعَلَى رِزْقِكَ اَفْطَرْتُ
O Allah! I fasted for You and I believe in You [and I put my trust in You] and I break my fast with Your sustenanceor
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسأَلُكَ بِرَحْمَتِكَ الَّتِي وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ أَنْ تَغْفِرَ لِي
O Allah, I ask You by Your mercy which envelopes all things, that You forgive me. -
ramadhan words
define and use these words on a daily basis: sawm, suhoor, iftar, hilal, ramadhan, hijri calendar, eid ulFitr, zakah / zakat ulFitr, salatul taraweeh, ihtikaf
-
learn about the phases of the moon
the moon seems to change by dr. franklyn m. branley
-
read from quran why we fast ramadhan
AlBaqarah 2:183-5
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَاتٍ فَمَن كَانَ مِنكُم مَّرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ يُطِيقُونَهُ فِدْيَةٌ طَعَامُ مِسْكِينٍ فَمَن تَطَوَّعَ خَيْرًا فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّهُ وَأَن تَصُومُواْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِيَ أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِّنَ الْهُدَى وَالْفُرْقَانِ فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ وَمَن كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ يُرِيدُ اللّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلاَ يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ وَلِتُكْمِلُواْ الْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُواْ اللّهَ عَلَى مَا هَدَاكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint,
(Fasting) for a fixed number of days; but if any of you is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed number (Should be made up) from days later. For those who can do it (With hardship), is a ransom, the feeding of one that is indigent. But he that will give more, of his own free will,- it is better for him. And it is better for you that ye fast, if ye only knew.
Ramadhan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur’an, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (Between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting, but if any one is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period (Should be made up) by days later. Allah intends every facility for you; He does not want to put to difficulties. (He wants you) to complete the prescribed period, and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance ye shall be grateful.
-
moon and crescent beads
using craft wire, shape the wire into moon and crescent shapes. add colorful beads. use ribbon to hang from the ceiling.
from ramadan crafts for kids by dana jadallah and dana amer
-
ramadhan / eid around the world
learn about ramadhan / eid around the world.
celebrate ramadan and eid al-fitr with praying, fasting, and charity
by deborah heiligman and neguin Yavari
-
ramadhan mosaic suncatcher
http://www.highlightskids.com/Express/Crafts/Decorations/C1103_ramadanMosaic.asp
-
make a fanoos
http://edwomencan.wordpress.com/2008/08/14/ramadan-fanoos-template/
-
henna hands
trace your child’s hands on paper. let them put henna on their hands with a red or brown marker.
http://www.crayola.com/lesson-plans/detail/celebrate-with-henna-hands-lesson-plan/
-
enjoy eid ulFitr!
source links:
http://ramadhanplanner.wordpress.com/children/
http://www.modernmuslima.com/ramadanfun.htm
http://ourseeds.tripod.com/activities.html
http://tj-ramadan.tripod.com/ramadan1.htm
http://tj-ramadan.tripod.com/ramadanlearning.htm
children’s tafsir of the quran
this is GREAT! subhanAllah!
ad-duha institute provides
a simplified tafsir (explanation) of the last 10 surahs of the Quran;
“Full color, illustrated, paperback” with “21-30 pages” in each book.
other surahs are available as well.
one set has all of juz Amma
(the last 30th of the Quran)
and al-Fatiha.
when my girls were in school in amman
they had a workbook like this
that went through each surah,
line by line,
putting a visual with each verse,
explaining its meaning.
i have only seen the samples that ad-duha has on its web site,
but this looks similar in intent.
take a look in their bookstore for other goodies, inshaAllah.
sanaa’s wudhu chart
sanaa is often eager to make wudhu
in order to read quran or make salat.
we decided to make her own wudhu chart
so she could do it independently and at her convenience.
i took a picture of sanaa
in every step of making wudhu (ablutions) for salat (prayer)
including the bismillah in the beginning
and the shahada at the end.
each step is represented as a row
in a three column table
that includes the step number,
name and, if necessary, number of times
the step is done,
and its corresponding picture.
i cut each row out in strips
and she glued them in order on a separate piece of poster board,
reviewing the steps as she went along.
she labeled her chart,
and then we put the chart in a place
where she could easily see it whenever she makes wudhu.
now if she forgets a step
she can just reference the chart.
her wudhu chart shows her
that SHE knows how to make wudhu,
personalizing, and inshaAllah internalizing, the ritual.
