For most people, religion is a set of rituals; for a few, it can be a set of social norms as well; for even fewer, It translates to a way of life. Islam should be all three. But how do we go about doing that, especially for young children? That’s where the Islam book we teach in the classroom comes into play. It can make Islam for children a living experience.
A Muslim has personal obligations towards Allah; the most important of them is Salat (Namaz). Then there are other ‘Pillars’ of Islam. They can be called the ‘rituals.’ Next is the social norms: helping others, being kind to everyone, etc. Finally, every Muslim has to reach the pinnacle of religious experience: To live every moment of life according to the tenants of Islam. Reaching the pinnacle is tough, but it becomes easier if we start early.
To do that, we must make Islam a living religion; here are some things we have to do to achieve that objective:
● Show that Islam is a way of life that is easy to follow,
● Make children realize that the Islamic way of life makes life easier,
● That it increases love, bonding, and cooperation.
● Adopting Islamic information on the way of life is good for our mental, emotional, and physical health.
To do that, we have to intertwine the two threads of Islam: the Quran and the life of the Hazrat Muhammad (Sallahu Elehe Wa Alehe Wasalam). To make it even more interesting, we should tell the biography of Hazrat Muhammad (SAWW) and show the challenges he had to face, how he handled those challenges pragmatically, and then bring in the ayah (verses) of the Quran as they were revealed. For example, Prophet (SAWW) was mocked at the start of his mission for having no male progeny (no son). Allah answered on his behalf by revealing Sura Kausar. Or when people tried to bribe him out of his mission and Allah revealed Sura Kafiron. We can also discuss some common human attributes such as greed, envy, empathy, and being steadfast as and when they happened during the life of the Prophet.
There are two key benefits of weaving Quran and Seerah (Life of the Prophet SAWW). It makes Quran easy to understand. It makes Islam practical. And what you understand and find practical is LIVING for you. This type of reading material can make Islam for children a living experience!
DIALOGUE OF ISLAM, the Class 3 Islam book by EAST, has the Quran, Islamic knowledge Learning, and life of Hazrat Muhammad (SAW) woven into Islamic stories for children. It is designed to make Islam a living religion for children. Download it for free in the books section.
