"And that is the question every parent (myself included) must ask themselves: “Can my child see the beauty of Islam in me?” Too often, children are left to think, “What do I need Islam for? It hasn’t done much for daddy.” Because they see how mean he is. They see how he treats mommy. They see how he lies, and they see all of that before the prayer and recitation, before the dhikr beads and beards. There is no amount of Muslim pomp and circumstance that can cover a closed heart. Goodness isn’t the only thing that shines. In its own way, darkness shines too, and it casts shadows on things that should be clear."
A short but very powerful reminder for us as parents.
Maybe we can memorize this one before the nuniyah :) mashallah is so beautiful. Yusuf heard it playing right now and he was confused, he asked me if it was Quran. He was unsure. I think it is so amazing how the Quran has such a unique sound and feeling. You can use the same style of language and try to make a poem and even try to recite it but it will not give the same feeling as Quran will. MashaAllah hadith is beautiful as well but still doesn't come close to Quran.
Check out the recitation of the hadith of Umer RA here.
Yusuf has been showing a lot of interest in different countries and people from different countries. I got a few books from the library and we've been looking at maps. Back in Ramadan our family sponsored five orphans and alhamdulillah we received some onfo about them in thr mail recently. Yusuf is really interested about them, where they live and how we can help them.
Today we spoke about the ayah in surah hujarat and about how Allah made different people and countries so that we can learn about each other and how no one is better than someone else just because of what country they are from.
One of the many things that I love about homeschooling is that we are able to go for Jummuah (Friday Prayers) just about every single week together as a family alhamdulillah. I find it to be a really nice family bonding time and also a good opportunity for learning. I find my kids have easily learned the etiquettes of Jummuah through repetition and routine.
Our routine usually includes:
-listening to surah kahf
-showers
-nice clothes
-atr
-trying to arrive early, and a reminder of the hadith that the angels stand at the mesjid doors writing the names of the attendees
-dua for entering / leaving mesjid
-reminder to be quiet during khutbah (and now as yusuf gets older listening to more of the khutbah)
-meeting friends
-greeting elders by going up to them and shaking their hands
-giving charity
-and most of the time we go out as a family for lunch afterwards
Last Jummuah, mashaAllah I noticed Yusuf really sat nicely and quietly to listen to the khutbah. The khateeb spoke about the tongue / speaking good etc. I realized that mashaAllah Yusuf is old enough to learn or retain at least one thing from the khutbah and I thought of the idea of having a 'Jummuah Journal.' Since writing is not one of Yusuf's strengths, I thought that he could get the needed practice by writing out what he learns in a journal every week. So the next day, we spoke about the khutbah and he told me what he remembered. I then wrote down a sentence to summarize it and then he copied it in his journal.
I hope inshaallah we can continue to do this on a weekly basis.
Last year when there was a major drought in East Africa, Yusuf picked up on it. He heard people talking about it at gatherings and saw fundraising flyers being handed out at the mesjid. I could tell it really affected him as he constantly wanted to talk about it and also asked me what he could do. I told him that we should first make dua for them, and also told him about the extra special times to make dua, and also told him that sending money would help. Since there was a lot of awareness about the drought during Ramadan, and since we were going to the mesjid every single day, Id give him some change to donate each time. If I ever forgot, he'd be sure to remind me.
Recently with the Arab Uprise, the adults in our family have been keeping up with the news. My husband and I usually read things online, however my father in law (whom we live with) always watches the 6:00 news. Many days we are on the main floor around that time and Yusuf would get a glimpse of the news. When the Egyptian Revolution was taking place, Id try to prevent him from seeing anything on TV, as I was unsure how Id ever explain it to him. Then Libya happened. Then Syria... it was starting to get difficult to constantly shelter him. So eventually he did see and hear some of the news regarding Syria. And then he heard people in the mesjid talking about it and/or other people collecting money.... then the questions began. At first I was very brief with him. I simply told him that bad things were happening there, but this wasn't good enough and it was obvious that he was concerned and not satisfied with my explanations. It came to a point where my husband and I actually sat down with him and told him what was happening. We tried to simplify it by telling him that right now Syria has a government that is not good. And that the person in charge of the government is like Firawn (Yusuf is familiar with the story of Musa AS) and he wants people to worship him and kills innocent people. Obviously he was concerned and did not understand why such things happen. We told him that in this dunya there will always be bad people and bad things will happen and its only in Jannah where everyone will be happy all the time. We also told him that we have to make lots of dua for our brothers and sisters all over the world and especially in Syria because Islamically speaking, the land of Syria is a blessed land. We told him how Eesa AS will descend into Damascus close to the end of time and by then there will be a good army and bad army and Eesa AS will lead the good army to victory.
It was about a month ago that we first had this discussion with Yusuf and still to this day he asks me why is the government being bad? Mashallah his innocence shines through and he cannot digest the fact that such horrible people exist (by the way, he is not aware of any of the brutality such as torture or rape, he simply knows people are being hurt/killed). In all honesty, as a mother I wanted to shelter him from knowing about such things for as long as I possibly could. But life had it that this information was coming to him and we had to step up as a parents and simplify and filter it to the best of our abilities. At times I wish he didn't know that people are suffering .... at times I wish that I didn't know people are suffering the way they are! But the reality of this life is that bad things happen. And it is only out of Allah's infinite wisdom that innocent people will suffer. And it is these people who suffer, and help those who are suffering who will inshaAllah taste the sweetness of Jannah! Without suffering or hardships, there would be no purpose in Jannah. At the end of the day, as muslims we know that the Ultimate Judgement and Recompense will come from Allah. And every soul will get exactly what it deserves.
No doubt the people suffering in Syria, and all throughout the world, are being tested tremendously! But as we sit here in the comfort of our homes, we are also being tested! Will we step up and try to make a change? Will the news disturb us to the point where we MUST stand up for justice or will we just be too sickened that we turn the other way because we don't want to think about it? I strongly believe that, with Yusuf learning about the realities of life at the tender age of 5, it will inshaAllah plant a seed in his heart to want to make a difference in our world. No its not easy for him, it bothers him, but it has also sparked a strong determination to do something and I pray this only increases as he grows, Ameen.
Last weekend we were cleaning out closets and I came across some change that we had collected. I told Yusuf he could have it. I also gave him a jar to keep it in. He went to his desk and got a marker and asked me how to spell zakat? I told him, and he wrote it on his jar and told me that he will save this money for the people in Syria. Needless to say my husband and I were proud of him and started looking around the house for more change to add to his collection. He then told us he'd ask more people. He insisted on taking his jar for show and tell at our weekly playgroup and had many of the moms donate. Everywhere we've gone over the week, hes insisted he take his jar along with.
Today was Jummuah, and he told me he wanted to take his jar to collect at the mesjid. I told him we should make a sign so people know why he is collecting money. So we made the sign and got to the mesjid a half hour early so he could stand at the door to collect as people walked in. At first he was nervous and asked me to be with him. Part of me wanted to hold his hand but I told him Id stand near to him (about 20 feet away) and that he could do it. It was intimidating at first... my heart sunk when people ignored him. I tried to give him tips, for example, told him to say salam to people to get their attention. Mashallah he is tall for his age but among all the adults that were pouring into the mesjid, he looked so small. Eventually people started to notice him more and his confidence was increasing. He started saying "Please help Syria!" every time someone walked past and then I reminded him to say Jazakallah if someone did donate. I felt as if he felt he was being rejected every time someone walked past without donating but I reminded him that Allah will still reward him for his efforts. Because he looked so sad at times, I explained that maybe some people want to give money but just didn't have money with them at the time.
By the time we left, mashaAllah he raised $300. I pray that Allah is pleased with him and that he is protected and continues to increase in his generosity and determination to help others. I have had people make negative remarks to me regarding the fact that at such a young age I've actually told him about current events. But I pray that him knowing about these things at this age develops a stronger passion in him to help others!
As an encouragement I gave him a big hug and told him I was really proud of him. I told him that only Allah can give the best rewards and I pray that Allah rewards him, but I also said that I wanted to give him a small reward as well. I told him that he could choose... I gave him the option of going out for icecream or buying a treat from the grocery store. He thought about it for a while, considered getting a pack of gum (which hes never had before!) but came to the conclusion that you cant keep icrecream or gum so he asked me if we could go to the dollar store instead! I agreed and our way to the dollar store we passed Toys R Us so he asked me if we could go there instead. I said it was fine but he had a $5 limit. I actually debated whether or not I should reward him with something physical. I want him to have the self motivation to help others just because its the right thing to do. But after watching my baby boy try so hard to do something good and seeming lost in the crowd at times yet persevering, my heart was too soft and I had to give in! When I told my husband that he went to Toys R Us but had a $5 limit, he accused me of being cheap and said Yusuf deserved more than that! :) And ya, part of me wants to go all out and get him something really big and special. But mashallah Yusuf was more than happy with the $3 toy car he chose, and I feel its important as his passion develops to try to keep it pure and for the intentions of pleasing Allah, and not to do it for the materialistic reward. Its tricky, but I pray Allah helps us balance it and do the right thing to nurture him, Ameen.
I pray Allah swt accepts it from him, and from us, and that our children continue to be passionate about helping others. May our children be examples for us, and leaders of the Ummah, Ameen. <3
Alhamdulillah last weekend we enjoyed our family road trip to Ottawa for the AlKauthar conference. Mashallah we had a lot of fun and Im really glad we went.
What I packed in their backpacks. CD books, books, stickers, paper, a ziploc bag with goodies from the dollar store, mini flash lights, silly putty, stamps and cars. Yusuf and Ibby each had their own backpack, plus we had a snack bag.
I made dup-tangs for them with a map of our journey, car bingo, tic tac toe sheets and some blank papers
Yusuf giving out flyers at the conference
We saw two ducks
Brothers at the conference. It can be kind of tiring taking small kids to such conferences but I really think they benefit, and no doubt they have a lot of fun alhamdulillah!
The day after the conference we cross into Quebec and went to the Museum. It was amazing! The kids area was great! The had so many activities for the kids and gave passports to get stamped at every station. Mashallah the kids had a blast! Check it out here. (The pictures do not do the place justice.)
Yusuf at the restaurant
The boys on a riskshaw
Yusuf maneuvering a parcel from the deck to the ship
Ibby stamping his passport
Making handkercheifs
Finished products drying
After the museum we stopped by at our friends house for a few hours. We actually met this couple in hajj and mashallah it was great seeing them! They have two older girls and a 7 yr old boy, and a bird :) Needless to say, the boys had a great time here as well alhamdulillah
Sunset on our way home after a great weekend
Yusuf wearing the eye mask I recieved as a gift for filling out some survey at the conference
The boys fast asleep for the 5 hr drive home alhamdulillah <3
Alhamdulilah I was blessed with the opportunity to attend an amazing seminar this weekend called Chronicles of the Shariah [and double blessed to have an awesome Mom who babysat the boys for the most part of the weekend! = )]. To be honest with you, when I first heard of it I was not interested since the whole topic of madhabs/different schools of thought confuses me and is something which I have never gotten into. But alhamdulilah Allah swt guided me and I eventually decided I would take the class. Mashallah it was not as difficult as I expected and my eyes were opened to alot of issue I had initially avoided. However, I must be honest here again, I am still slightly confused [especially since I missed the last chunk of the class which got into some important topics]. Overall I have walked away from the course not with a deep understanding of the different madhabs, but with a new found love and respect for the ulama [scholars] of our Ummah [nation of Islam]!
As a homeschooling mother, and as time goes by and my kids are starting to get older, whenever I take a course or learn something new I try to think of how I can use this knowledge and benefit my family. No, I cant exactly sit down with Yusuf tomorrow and share my notes with him about how fiqh has evolved, but I can teach him the names and stories of some of these ulama. And even then, he may not fully understand or respect this knowledge as much as I can as an adult but at least I can plant the seed.
Not only did I walk away from this class with a new found love and respect for the Ulama, but I also walked away with so much motivation and encouragement to continue homeschooling! Im not saying I will force my children to become scholars of Islam if they do not want to. But as their mother I know I want to instill the love for the deen and the ilm in them from a young age. And quite frankly, I dont think this can be done to its full potential in the modern school system [and Im talking about Islamic schools, I wont even bring up the option of Public Schools!].
I feel that by being homeschooled a child is able to reach such a higher potential, not just academically but also in terms of akhlaaq and maturity. By having my kids at home, I have the freedom to take them to lectures and events whenever I want [if they were in school, I dont think Id keep them at an AlKauthar class till 9pm on a school night].
Take Jummuah for example. I am amazed at how much Yusuf has learned at the age of four, simply by attending regular Jummah Khutbahs for the most part of his short life. He has almost completely memorized the opening of a khutbah (which I cant even say). If he was in school, he'd only be attending Jummah on long weekends and summer holidays. MashaAllah just from sitting in the mesjid close to the Imam, observing his tones and gestures, Yusuf has developed a love for doing his own khutbahs at home. He will get up on our sofa and start of with the ayaat and hadith which the imaam usually says and then goes into his own khutbah. Okay, maybe he wont make complete sense in what hes saying but Im amazed to watch the passion that comes out of him... and I know the way hes speaking, his hand gestures and tone, is not from me, rather from the imams which he has observed.
Today at the AlKauthar class, the instructor, Sh Musleh Khan began to do an imitation Sheikh Mukhtar AsShinqiti and I told Yusuf that the sheikh was imitating another sheikh just like he does at home. His eyes just lit up and he was completely mesmerized.
Mashallah we are blessed in our family that my husband works with an Islamic organization and often gets to interact with influential people. And we have taken advantage of this opportunity to allow Yusuf to interact with such people (and inshaAllah as Ibraheem gets older, him as well). One time, Sheikh Bilal Ismaeel was visiting from South Africa and my husband had to pick him up from the airport, take him to the hotel etc and alhamdulilah he took Yusuf along with him. For months after Yusuf would speak so highly of Sh Bilaal and remember little things about him. The main thing he loved and learned from him was the saying "HayakAllah." To this day ( over two years later!) Yusuf still remembers Sheikh Bilaal, and that phrase.
These are opportunities which I believe, and ask Allah to help shape a child and instill the love of deen. Yes of course the success of scholars of the past was from Allah swt, but their environment had a huge influence on who they turned out to be. And if I had Yusuf in school, ya maybe hed have lots of fun playing spiderman and batman with other four year olds, but he would rarely (if ever) have the opportunity to have these experiences that I have mentioned. [Yes, I still believe kids should be kids and have the chance to play... you can refer back to my previous post and what I said re: socialization inshaAllah.]
This also brings me to the topic of hijrah. I never used to understand why people were so big on moving to an 'Islamic country.' But as I think more about my children's future, the more I understand why people think this way. I wont even get into the 'evil' that is in the West because thats not my main reason. I once told a friend of mine who is very passionate hijrah that I didnt get why she was so big on it. I told her that you cant find a perfect Muslim country, or even one close to it... that there's so much corruption there as well, so whats the point?! And she said something that has stuck in my head! She said that though corruption may be widespread there, and you will even find horrible people there... but that is where you also find the best of the best of this Ummah. Subhanallah after taking this course this weekend I understand this even more. Even those figures we look up to here in North America that live amoung us today, they were not all born here, and if they were they went overseas to gain their knowledge. And though the knowledge could technically be made available here through books and computers... its the akhlaaq that students must learn first. I believe its only when you are sitting in the presence of a great scholar and have this exposure that you can fully develop true love and respect of the deen and ilm. And we dont have that here.
No, this doesn't mean Im ready to pack my bags and move to a muslim country tomorrow, or even within a few years. But I now believe that a muslim cannot reach their full potential as a student of knowledge by remaining permanently in these lands. At the least I think it is essential to travel (even if temporarily) to gain true ilm... and I pray that Allah swt grants us the means to do this.
May Allah SWT help us to do not only what is right for our children, but that which is best for them! May He give us the strength and patience and wisdom that we need to raise leaders of our Ummah. May He help us to have and achieve high goals in life and to accomplish that which will please Him and also increase our sources of sadaatul jaariyah, Ameen.
Id like to share this video which I feel is a perfect ending to my weekend of being encouraged and motivated... please watch.
Here is another activity we did from the ad-duha curriculum. We talked about and paraphrased surah Fatiha (the first chaper of the Quran) and drew hearts and decorated it with sparkles. Yusuf isnt very into art so this was simple but he really enjoyed putting the sparkles on. I have put this up on his bullatin board and inshaAllah will go over it a few more times with him inshaAllah.
As part of the ad-duha curicullum we have been studying the first chapter of the Quran, Surah Fatiha. Here is the translation:
In the name of Allah, The Beneficient, The Merciful Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds The Beneficent, The Merciful Owner of the Day of Judgment Only You do we worship And only You do we ask for help Guide us to the straight path The path of those whom you have favored Not the Path of those whom have earned your anger Nor the path of those whom have gone astray
So we discussed the meaning and importance of it. When we used to go to an Islamic class for kids one of the moms did this really good activity. To help the kids understand the meaning of 'the straight path' she made a line across the room. All the kids lined up on it. If she said a good deed, the kids got to take a step forward but if she said a bad deed they would fall off. And she told them to pretend the end of the line was Jannah. So we did this at home and Yusuf really enjoyed it... so did Ibby! Hes at an age where hes copying everything so its really cute mashaAllah. Baba also had a turn walking on the line while Yusuf said different deeds.
May Allah keep us, and our loved ones on the straight path which leads to Jannah, Ameen.
Today we did our first lesson from the book called "Muhammad and Maryam" which is part of the ad-duha curriculum set I recently purchased. Alhamdulillah so far were loving it. Today's lesson was an introduction to Muhammad and Maryam who are twins around the age of four. The entire book is based on their life and questions / experiences they go through. Today's topic was the Oneness of Allah. After the lesson there are some discussion questions. And in the teachers manual there was an art activity to make a diorama of Muhammad and Maryam's room. I thought it was a great idea because it will give us more of a connection to the characters in the book inshaAllah. Yusuf isn't a big fan of art activities but we really enjoyed doing this together. He gave me a lot of his own ideas and input. InshaAllah I will continue to update the blog about the progress we make with the ad-duha books!
Yusuf wanted there to be a mesjid outside the house and drew stairs
Maryam's side of the room
Muhammad's side of the room. Note the soccer balls, trophies on the shelf, and movable prayer mats on the ground.
The lid / roof for the room. Ibby decorated it with stickers. He loves stickers and had a blast putting them on.
Today Yusuf and I had a discussion about when we (my huband and I) will be older. Im not sure how it began but mashaallah it went well. Yusufs friend has a great grandfather who lives with him because he is pretty old. So we talked about him as an example. I explained to him how when people get old, they need more help and kids need to take care of their parents just like parents take care of kids when they're babies. We talked about different ways to take care of your parents when they get old, like: eating with them, checking on them, talking to them, driving them places, and buying things for them.
I would like to teach our kids to live a healthy balance between the eastern and western cultures. I find in Eastern cultures (ie. indo pak) that generally there is the extreme of parents ALWAYS being with their kids. Even if the parents are healthy and independant, its a huge deal to move out of your parents house. On the other hand, generally, in western cultures, people go to the other extent of rarely seeing their parents. 'Old Age Homes' is considered a norm here, where overseas it is a very foreign concept!
I find it incredibly heart breaking when families 'dump' their elder, sick parents in an old age home so others can take care of them. I understand it is not easy when a parent reaches the age where they need to be taken care of, fed, bathed, reminded to take their medicine, taken for walks, checked up on, and even diapers changed.... but was it easy for our parents when they were raising us? Did they not put their all into their careers to create a stable income to pay for your soccer leagues / summer camps / new clothes / food in your stomach? Did they not stay awake all night taking care of you when you were sick / teething/ having nightmares? Did they not put their all in raising you? Is it too much to ask to take care of them for a few years as their lives reach an end?
Yes, I understand that in some cases it is very difficult to take a parent into your home so they can be taken care of... and at times, it is more practical for everyone if that person goes into an old age home because of family situations / extreme sickness etc. But I think its just been made too easy and convenient that each city/town has multiple homes.
Jannah doesn't come easy. Taking care of elder parents is not easy. Its all about what youre wiling to sacrifice.
InshaAllah when my kids get married and have their own families, I want them to be happy and chose where they would like to live (Id actually prefer they not live with us when they first get married, unless there is a need on their part). However, if it happens that my husband or I pass away leaving the other one alone, or if one or both of us are sick, I expect my children to be the ones taking care of me, just like were taking care of them now!
For me, this is a huge thing. Not only is it an Islamic concept, but out of basic human compassion, it only makes sense you take care of your parents as they once took care of you when you were helpless and fully dependent on them.
I know Yusuf is only four, and to some its too early to talk about this, but for me, its very important... so Im laying the foundation now.
May Allah swt help us to take care of our parents.. for taking care of them is a means of Jannah for us. And may He put compassion and mercy in our children's hearts for us when we become old... just as we have so much mercy and compassion towards them now. Ameen.
Alhamdulillah I have begun working for this awesome Muslim kids magazine which comes from UK! I am the Canadian distributor therefore people in Canada can get a subscription directly from me for a cheaper cost than getting it from the website.... = )
Send an email to littleexplorerscanada@gmail.com to subscribe for only $40 a year... this includes six issues, which will be mailed right to your door!
In the email, include your full name, address, phone number, email and let me know how you would like to pay [paypal or cheque].
Write 'blog subscription' in the subject for a chance to win 50% off the subscription cost!
Yusuf is loving it so far, and I'm sure your kids would too! Its fun, colorful, full of interesting facts and activities and best of all beneficial for their deen inshaAllah.
May Allah help us to raise our children into pious Muslims who He will be pleased with. May He make our children a coolness to our eyes and a means of Jannah for us, Ameen.
Send your emails soon to make sure you're entered in the draw to win the 50% discount!
*remember: for those in Canada, do not subscribe on the website or you'll end up paying more*
I am excited to be starting a new Islamic Studies Curriculum with Yusuf inshaAllah. Ive heard a few people talk about but hesitated because of the price.... but after researching it, asking around, and borrowing it from a friend who has purchased a set to look through it, I have decided to get it.
Check it out here - www.ad-duha.org
Here are the things I love about it:
[note: my opinion is based on looking through it not actually implementing it with Yusuf yet]
*lessons are planned out! (whoohoo, yeah for saving time)
*Arabic language is covered
*different activities which are related to the lesson are given (ie. art projects, reflections etc)
*evaluation included
*support available (email address, and fax number provided)
*covers many fields in Islamic studies (oneness of Allah, Quranic studies, biography of the Prophets)
*includes a story book about Maryam and Muhammad who are brother and sister who go through typical muslim issues (ie. their uncle is going for Hajj so they learn about Hajj)
Im not fond of dishing out a lot of money for a kindergarten curriculum for reading / math because there is so much available on the net / in dollar stores etc. But for Islamic studies the resources are a little more limited and because one of our main reasons to homeschool is to be able to give our kids enriched islamic studies, I really dont mind making the investment!
I was really excited to try this project that a friend of mine showed me. I took two file folders and stapled them together, then make a bunch of small booklets and glued them on. Every day were gonna do a couple of new letters of the Arabic alphabet (but not in order) and then learn a couple new islamic terms inshaAllah. If Yusuf sees the arabic alphabet (in proper order) he knows all the letters but he has a hard time recognizing them on their own. I love having homeschooling friends to get great ideas from alhamdulillah! =)
Its Jummuah today [Friday]! And alhamdulilah after a few weeks of not feeling well and our schedules being upside down because of Baba's travels, we are back to normal. InshaAllah today we will be going to the mosque. I found this great link @ Talibudeeen Jr to teach kids a bit about Jummuah. Click here = )
Yusuf is working on his Quran memorization. Juz Amma is the last 30th of the Quran which consists of many small chapters. So far he knows six and inshaAllah we will continue to work on this. I got this awesome chart from www.muslimstickers.com = )
We have joined a class where kids between the ages of 3 - 6 yrs learn about Islam. The moms rotate taking turns teaching topics of seerah and tafseer. Yesterday we learned about the second ayah of surah fatiha, the two names of Allah meaning the Most Merciful the Most Compassionate. So today on our whiteboard (at home) we wrote the names of Allah in the middle and drew pictures of things which Allah has given us and which we are thankful for.
