0 Teaching Salah

And they who carefully maintain their prayers [23:9]

 عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏  مُرُوا أَوْلاَدَكُمْ بِالصَّلاَةِ وَهُمْ أَبْنَاءُ سَبْعِ سِنِينَ وَاضْرِبُوهُمْ عَلَيْهَا وَهُمْ أَبْنَاءُ عَشْرِ سِنِينَ وَفَرِّقُوا بَيْنَهُ

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As رضي الله عنه: The Messenger of Allah said صلى الله عليه وسلم Command your children to pray when they become seven years old, and beat them for it (prayer) when they become ten years old; and arrange their beds (to sleep) separately. [Sunan Abi Dawud]

[Note: beating should not cause bodily harm and not on the face]

Little Princess will be 7 in few days Insha Allah. It is time for me as a Muslim mother to teach her the second most important and compulsory act of worship which is said to be the key of Jannah.  Subhanallah, the one who was sent as a mercy to the universe صلى الله عليه وسلم said: my coolness of eyes lies in Salah. Indeed, the real sweetness of a Mumin’s life lies in remembering Him.

She was so curious and was eager to begin her salah. Her fiqh lessons were going along with the subject. We did some activities to make her interested and familiar. I wanted to make a lapbook for Wudu and Salah and then thought the practical lessons work out more than lapbooks. So we ended up with some simple activities.

This cute book was from dear sister Umm Abdul Basir’s to make the kids understand about Qibla in simple way.

She wrote down some virtues of Salah in this beautiful mini key book.

A mini book to know the times and names of Salah

And for the postures I made it interested for her by making her and Big Sister to show the postures while I was naming them, and then to name the postures while I was doing it. By the time guiding them how the parts of body should be. She colored and made the cards.

Finally, I would like to share this wonderful article about Salah which really makes a change in our heart. I was so amazed when I read this. [Link]

My Lord, make me an establisher of prayer, and [many] from my descendants. Our Lord, and accept my supplication. [14:40]

0 Prophet Adam عليه السلام

[We sent] messengers as bringers of good tidings and warners so that mankind will have no argument against Allah after the messengers. And ever is Allah Exalted in Might and Wise. [4:165]

Subhanallah, No word is greater than the wise words of Allah. He who has revealed to us the best of stories, in order to ponder upon them in our day to day life.

This is a project which was done by little princes last year in her Thareekh lessons. I pulled it out when I was cleaning up the cupboard.

It is so interesting to discuss and make them retell the story so that we can know how far the child has understood the point and in which perspective.

I usually make them do the activities in their exercise books so the books are not spoilt when the younger ones come to use them.

Indeed, the example of Jesus to Allah is like that of Adam. He created Him from dust; then He said to him, "Be," and he was. [3:59]

And [mention] when We said to the angels, "Prostrate before Adam"; so they prostrated, except for Iblees. He refused and was arrogant and became of the disbelievers. [2:34]

And We said, "O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise and eat therefrom in [ease and] abundance from wherever you will. But do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers." [2:35]

But Satan whispered to them to make apparent to them that which was concealed from them of their private parts. He said, "Your Lord did not forbid you this tree except that you become angels or become of the immortal." [7:20]

They said, "Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers." [7:23]

But Satan caused them to slip out of it and removed them from that [condition] in which they had been. And We said, "Go down, [all of you], as enemies to one another, and you will have upon the earth a place of settlement and provision for a time." [2:36]

0 Solar System (Astronomy Project)

We organized and planned a timetable this year, as I have to pay attention to each with different age, grade, and mood etc… LOL.

Alhamdulillah it is working out well so far, so we scheduled Sundays for activities and projects. No strict rules, we do it when kids are in a good mood.

This is a project that Big Sister started 3 weeks ago. A project really help kids to remember and become familiar with the subject they are involved in. It really makes us wonder about the wonderful creation of Allah. How perfect He is!

Big Sister was amazed when we were discussing about the huge sizes of the planets compared to earth. I explained to her that all of these marvelous creations are orbiting under the command of Almighty to serve the human and we have been created for the worship of one Allah.

This is the model she did

Finally we ended up with a lovely layer book containing a brief note about each of the planets.

And these back pages are so useful for writing information. We used it to write down some notes about Superior planets and Inferior planets, the Milky Way galaxy, Small bodies, satellites, the moon etc… finally I made her understand that all of these wonders are mentioned in Holy Quran 1400 years ago and this is the miracle of the brilliant book of Allah.

0 The Whole-Brain Child (Book Review)

I thank the Rabb of the universe for guiding me. This is a wonderful book that is very useful and amazing.

Each and every parents are often experts about their children’s bodies. They know that a temperature above 98.6 degrees is a fever. They know to clean out a cut so it doesn’t get infected. They know which foods are most likely to leave their child wired before bedtime.

 
But even the most caring best educated parents often lack basic information about their child’s brain. Isn’t this surprising?

Hope this book will be a very effective tool for every parents as it did for me to understand what a child goes through in each stage of his life. There are numerous marvelous points which opened up my eyes Subhanallah!  I will try to share just a few points to show that how much it is important to raise a whole brain child.

By raising a whole-brain child we are actually offering our future grandchildren an important gift. Let us close our eyes for a moment and imagine our child holding his child and realize the power of what we are passing on. And it won’t stop there, our grandchildren can take what they learnt from their parents and pass it future along as a continuing legacy of joy and happiness Insha Allah. This is how we integrate our lives across the generation.

The great news the whole-brain child offers is that even the hard times we go through with our kids, even the mistakes we make as parent, are opportunities to help our children grow, learn, and develop into people who are happy, healthy and fully themselves Insha Allah.

Rather than ignoring their big emotions or distracting them from their struggles, we can nurture their whole brain, walking with them through their challenges.

It is nothing to put too much pressure on ourselves. The important point is taking advantage of the moment we have with our kids and remain aware of the daily opportunities to nurture our kids’ development. But that doesn’t mean we have to constantly be talking about the brain. It is important to relax and have fun together. And yes, sometimes it is even okay to leave a teachable moment pass by.

This is what the beloved Prophet of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم did with the young Sahabas رضى لله عنهم, fianally who were able to carry the Deen of Allah across the globe fully prepared to face the challenges. 

I hope that what I have shared will inspire the readers to go through the book to get an amazing idea of the whole-brain process Insha Allah.

0 Quiet Book For Little Sister!

Subhanallah! As parents we knew that nothing is more pleasing and cheerful than admiring the stages of growth of our precious ones.

Birth to six years of a child’s life are precious fertile years which should not be wasted. It is a period that they absorb mountains of information and they are curious that they constantly handle and touch everything in sight. They must not be allowed to spend the most formative years of their life sitting like a nonentity in his sandbox. They love to work with their hands which is an important activity in their development.

It is so amazing that the days are passing so swiftly that I still have the sweet memories and feelings of the day I gave birth to my little girl who is turning two next month Insha Allah. There is a tug of war to face, you might wonder what it is….

Yes, weaning the little girl. Alhamdulillah, I thank Allah for granting me the ability to fulfill this particular right of a child as well as the command of my Rabb which can be done only within two years of period. A mother who knows the numerous and wonderful benefits of it will never neglect her child from this valuable gift for minor reasons. May Allah accept us!

Ok, now I’ll dive into the subject which I wanted to post. This is a quiet or busy book which keeps the child busy while he or she is quiet. It has a fine and rich look when done with felt material, but I used the left over materials which was available at home to complete this tedious job. Any way the purpose is served and I am so glad that she loves it so much and my 4 year old also spends time with it.

Teaches self-control and coordination of movements.

Learning to dress. (Self-reliance)

How to use buckles

Peekaboo, they named the little boy Yusuf. Also learning to use hook buttons.

Lacing a shoe (develops hand- eye coordination)

 Zipping (she keeps the shapes inside this pouch)

  Match the shapes via Velcro tape.

Mystery bags (I filled it with bangles, buttons and beads etc…) which develops tactile sense and tying a bow develops muscle control and learning how to complete a cycle.

0 New Grade - Muharram 1436

[And he said], "My Lord, grant me authority and join me with the righteous.[26:83]

Alhamdulillah, Nearly a decade of parenting and homeschooling too! In the true sense homeschooling is what the child learn right after birth even before birth in his or her mother’s womb. Homeschooling is a way of life, Academics, lessons, activity and sports are integral part of homeschooling.

Muharram being the first month of Hijri calendar, brings a great joy to our kids as they usually move into new grades. Big sister is moving into grade 5, little princess to grade 2, little soldier to kindergarten and our sweet little sister in the middle of every one.

Ah, ha! Different ages and stages to handle. But it depends on how we determine it and what is our goal through this journey. I take it as an act of worship and a means of gaining nearness to Allah. So, if our intention is pure in this worship it will be accepted, purified, and blessed. And if we intend with it other than the pleasure of Allah it will be nullified, wasted and will be losing its value. Which can be summarized from the Hadeeth of Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم :

عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، قَالَ تَفَرَّقَ النَّاسُ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، فَقَالَ لَهُ نَاتِلُ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ أَيُّهَا الشَّيْخُ حَدِّثْنَا حَدِيثًا سَمِعْتَهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ نَعَمْ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏ "‏ إِنَّ أَوَّلَ النَّاسِ يُقْضَى يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عَلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ اسْتُشْهِدَ فَأُتِيَ بِهِ فَعَرَّفَهُ نِعَمَهُ فَعَرَفَهَا قَالَ فَمَا عَمِلْتَ فِيهَا قَالَ قَاتَلْتُ فِيكَ حَتَّى اسْتُشْهِدْتُ ‏.‏ قَالَ كَذَبْتَ وَلَكِنَّكَ قَاتَلْتَ لأَنْ يُقَالَ جَرِيءٌ ‏.‏ فَقَدْ قِيلَ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ أُمِرَ بِهِ فَسُحِبَ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ حَتَّى أُلْقِيَ فِي النَّارِ وَرَجُلٌ تَعَلَّمَ الْعِلْمَ وَعَلَّمَهُ وَقَرَأَ الْقُرْآنَ فَأُتِيَ بِهِ فَعَرَّفَهُ نِعَمَهُ فَعَرَفَهَا قَالَ فَمَا عَمِلْتَ فِيهَا قَالَ تَعَلَّمْتُ الْعِلْمَ وَعَلَّمْتُهُ وَقَرَأْتُ فِيكَ الْقُرْآنَ ‏.‏ قَالَ كَذَبْتَ وَلَكِنَّكَ تَعَلَّمْتَ الْعِلْمَ لِيُقَالَ عَالِمٌ ‏.‏ وَقَرَأْتَ الْقُرْآنَ لِيُقَالَ هُوَ قَارِئٌ ‏.‏ فَقَدْ قِيلَ ثُمَّ أُمِرَ بِهِ فَسُحِبَ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ حَتَّى أُلْقِيَ فِي النَّارِ ‏.‏ وَرَجُلٌ وَسَّعَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَعْطَاهُ مِنْ أَصْنَافِ الْمَالِ كُلِّهِ فَأُتِيَ بِهِ فَعَرَّفَهُ نِعَمَهُ فَعَرَفَهَا قَالَ فَمَا عَمِلْتَ فِيهَا قَالَ مَا تَرَكْتُ مِنْ سَبِيلٍ تُحِبُّ أَنْ يُنْفَقَ فِيهَا إِلاَّ أَنْفَقْتُ فِيهَا لَكَ قَالَ كَذَبْتَ وَلَكِنَّكَ فَعَلْتَ لِيُقَالَ هُوَ جَوَادٌ ‏.‏ فَقَدْ قِيلَ ثُمَّ أُمِرَ بِهِ فَسُحِبَ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ ثُمَّ أُلْقِيَ فِي النَّارِ ‏"

It has been narrated on the authority of Sulaiman b. Yasar who said: People dispersed from around Abu Huraira رضى لله عنه, and Natil, who was from the Syrians. said to him: O Shaikh, relate (to us) a tradition you have heard from the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم. 

He said: Yes. I heard the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم say: The first of men (whose case) will be decided on the Day of Judgment will be a man who died as a martyr. He shall be brought (before the Judgment Seat). Allah will make him recount His blessings (i. e. the blessings which He had bestowed upon him) and he will recount them (and admit having enjoyed them in his life). (Then) will Allah say: What did you do (to requite these blessings)? He will say: I fought for Thee until I died as a martyr. Allah will say: You have told a lie. You fought that you might be called a" brave warrior". And you were called so. (Then) orders will be passed against him and he will be dragged with his face downward and cast into Hell. 

Then will be brought forward a man who acquired knowledge and imparted it (to others) and recited the Qur'an. He will be brought And Allah will make him recount His blessings and he will recount them (and admit having enjoyed them in his lifetime). Then will Allah ask: What did you do (to requite these blessings)? He will say: I acquired knowledge and disseminated it and recited the Qur'an seeking Thy pleasure. Allah will say: You have told a lie. You acquired knowledge so that you might be called" a scholar," and you recited the Qur'an so that it might be said:" He is a Qari" and such has been said. Then orders will be passed against him and he shall be dragged with his face downward and cast into the Fire. 

Then will be brought a man whom Allah had made abundantly rich and had granted every kind of wealth. He will be brought and Allah will make him recount His blessings and he will recount them and (admit having enjoyed them in his lifetime). Allah will (then) ask: What have you done (to requite these blessings)? He will say: I spent money in every cause in which Thou wished that it should be spent. Allah will say: You are lying. You did (so) that it might be said about (You):" He is a generous fellow" and so it was said. Then will Allah pass orders and he will be dragged with his face downward and thrown into Hell. [Muslim]

May Allah save us!

Here is our journal with a lovely cover designed by Abi. Jazakallah for all his super contribution to our school.

This is a cute card prepared by kids for Abi 

I didn’t do any updates in our curriculum section as we change it depending on each child’s need, the ones which I have posted until grade 2 is what we did for big sister and then I thought of posting some of the books which we choose for each year differently according to their need. So, it might be helpful for other homeschoolers. For language studies we chose even-moor books, it is very interesting for kids

Finally I end up with the picture of a tedious job. It is a gift to my little girl who is turning two next month Insha allah. Will be posting the inner pages soon Insha Allah.

We pray that each and every day of us be filled with blessings and may our deeds be accepted by Allah!

1 Zul Hijjah 1435 Activities

Alhamdulillah, It is great bounty of Allah that he grants us opportunities to reform ourselves and renew our Iman by granting us some special occasions and months as he is The Most Generous. I thank Allah for granting us the chance of reaching the month of Zulhijjah this year too, whereas most of our sisters are not among us this year.

Allah mentions the virtue of these 10 nights in the beginning of Sura fajr and Numerous Ahaadeeth mentioning its virtues Subhanallah!  These days reminds us the sacrifices of the friend of Allah Ibraheem عليه السلام. It is a great pleasure to discuss the stories of Ambiyas with kids and to make them understand that success of both world lies in total obedience to the commands of Allah.

Masha Allah my kids have grown and each one needs the story in different angle according to their ages. Yes, it is exciting and interesting to watch them how they understand and grab it. There is nothing more valuable than nurturing their hearts with Imani stories which is going to provide them support throughout their lives Insha Allah. 

The elder girls worked with this bulletin board which mentions the virtues of the first 10 days of Zulhijjah, Thakbeer-e- Thashreek, The qurbani meat, Sunnahs of Eid and Hajj day by day rituals by our dear sister Umm-an-Numan.

And the bulletin board in the first of the post is our little soldier’s, all the subject in pictures as the little boy has not yet started reading.

Then comes the “I am learning about hajj” a wonderful game for little ones. This is for our little sister who is quite advanced and in the middle of all our activities, repeating words and imitating her siblings.

Finally I made the girls to write an essay on what they learned. This is what they wrote.

It is what we have done so far. The time passes so swiftly and I have so much in my head to do… May Allah grant us the ability to practice whatever we learned and accept the good deeds we do!