Sr Alif blogs

Sometimes we get so caught up in the consumer world that we forget the simplest things in life can make children love learning. As educators, we are bombarded by different educational companies to buy ready made games and puzzles for our classroom learning centers. I sometimes wish that the walls of the classroom could come off, and the children are able to play  in the natural world of Allah’ Creation. The teachable moments are priceless yet the cost is FREE.

One beautiful, sunny morning, I decided to take my daughter to the park. We packed our basket with little goodies to snack on (and for the birds too), and we walked to the park. As we strolled down the park, we stopped and collected leaves and flowers, and put them in a plastic bag. We fed the geese, and sat down for a rest in front of a tree that almost looked as if it was prostrating. we watched and marveled how Allah(SWT) created all this living things so perfectly. We collected pebbles and threw them in the pond, and to my child’s delight, it would make rings in the water. Our next stop was my girl’s favorite place- Play ground with sand. She played with the sand with her bucket and shovel, as well as used her sifter to find any pebble treasures. She flew on the swing like an airplane, and slid on the slide like she was in an amusement park. Finally, we spread the maidah on the grass, washed our hands, and feasted on our peanut butter and jelly sandwich and some juicy grapes.

What did this child learn from her day at the park? Built new vocabulary, made AB patterns with pebbles, and wrote her name on the sand.

Allah’s Learning Center: sand, pebbles, plants, and birds are the important tools of learning just as much as classroom centers filled with blocks and puzzles.

Share with us what you do with your child outside the traditional classroom!

Sr Alif blogs

I took this time to help my five year old reflect upon the many wonders of Allah’s creation. We discussed the changes taking place around us. We examined the leaves in particular….how each leaf had a unique shape (and color) in spite of it coming from the same tree. We compared these leaves to leaves  from other trees. We noticed how each type of tree had its own unique shape. We tied this in with Allah’s 99 names and how each quality of Allah’s is reflected in each one of His names. We focused on the name Al Mussawir or the Bestower of forms /Shape Maker (in kid language). Even if you live in a country that does not experience the wonders of fall, you can still discuss leaf shapes and other shapes around you that Allah has created- shapes of trees, or shapes of fruit and vegetables, etc. We came home and made a book about what we learned.  I have included the template so you can do this with your child, InshAllah.

Allah is Al Mussawir Booklet Download Here.  Remember to print it back to back before you hand it to your child to color.

We placed different textures under each page to get a different look. We placed actual leaves under each leaf shape to get a leaf imprint. We placed the vegetables and fruit on natural surfaces to see what texture we could get. Do you notice the leaf imprints in these pictures?

My child left this activity knowing and understanding one of Allah’s glorious names. Alhumdulillah, mission accomplished!

Sr Alif blogs

Let’s admit it,  the candies, costumes, parties, all equate to fun in the minds of our innocent kids. Even the best behaved children can be tempted by the lure of piles of candies all in one night.  Older kids delight in nothing more than fake hands, and  bloody eyeballs,  scary tales of mummies, monsters and ghosts.  It’s a sinister recipe of Satan’s  to lead our children away from our deen and  it isn’t easy to compete for their attention. How do sunnah savvy mothers combat this tricky holiday situation looming over us?  Here are some Halal ways to enjoy the autmn activities without joining the “Trick Or Treat” bandwagon.  Share the activities  as a family, school, or masjid…. your imagination is the limit!

• Fall Carnival or Festival – Organize Fall Fun Fair or Fall Fun Party where you can have carnival like atmosphere with fall themes (gourd tossing, hay rides, animal petting, pumpkin painting, candy apple making)
• Pumpkin or Apple Picking – Go for a fall field trip and explore Allah’s natural phenomoms
• Pumpkin Fundraiser- Have children grow a pumpkin patch or other fall vegetables and muslim youth can sell the fall vegetables and the profit can go to charity organization of their choice. It’s a lot better than wasting your pumpkin on a Jack-O-Lantern.
• Have an Apple or Pumpkin Bake off Contest with the older girls.
• Leaf Hunting and Collage Art – Have children reflect on Allah’s infinite beauty by collecting different leaves and making collage.
• Write a book report on the origin of Halloween-Older Students will be surprised with some of the information!
• Islamic History Plays- Have kids dress up and act out scenes from Islamic History. It could be another Fundraiser as well, as they can sell tickets too!

We’d love to hear what your creative ideas are for this time of the year!   Let us know your favorite activities this season!

Sister Reminder blogs

“Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat!” It’s that time of year again when many parents are deciding whether or not to have some “harmless” fun with their child by celebrating Halloween. Before we jump on the bandwagon, a quick history lesson is in order to rethink our actions.

Halloween is celebrated each year on October 31, and it originates from the Celtic Festival of honoring Samhain, the so called “lord of death”.  The ancient Celts believed that the border allowed spirits to pass into our world on this night. Ancestors were welcomed, whilst harmful spirits were warded off. It is believed that the need to ward off ghouls led them to wear costumes and masks. Their purpose was to disguise oneself as one of them and thus avoid harm. On All Hallows’ eve, the ancient Celts would place a skeleton on their window sill to represent the departed.

A pagan festival of the dead huh…to ward off evil spirits? Sounds really harmless and fun. So we convince ourselves that it’s ok…the kids just dress up and ask for candy…it’s just risk-free enjoyment! As Muslims we need to think about what kind of mixed messages we are giving our kids. Sure, little kids dressed up in costumes are cute to look at, but Santa and his elves look cute too… it doesn’t mean that we’re going to start celebrating Christmas! Not to mention capitalism working at its best. According to data by the National Retail Federation, Americans spent $5.8 billion in 2008 on Halloween items! I’m sure we can think of better things to do with our halal money!

Many of us will be surprised to learn that these beliefs and practices still take place today, and it is an active night for modern day witches and devil worshippers to offer their sacrifices and invoke their deities. In fact Halloween night is regarded as the high “Sabbath” for practicing witches.

From Islam, we know that in matters of deen, intention and action always go hand in hand. Similarly, if you look at any of your endeavors in life, logic and experience tells us that the formula for success is always correct intention followed by correct action. By celebrating non-Islamic holidays, we reinforce quite the opposite message. We essentially say to our kids that it’s ok to do what is incorrect, or what is ‘borderline’ behavior, as long as our intentions are ok. Our children look to us for values, it’s not ok to dress up on Halloween unless you want to set an example that may lead your child out of the fold of Islam.

“Has not the time arrived for the believers that their hearts in all humility should engage in the remembrance of Allah and of the Truth which has been revealed to them? That they should not become like those to whom was given the Book aforetime, but long ages passed over them and their hearts grew hard? For many among them are rebellious transgressors.”  (Qur’an 57:16)

“When it is said unto them, ‘Come to what Allah has revealed, come to the Messenger,’ they say, ‘Enough for us are the ways we found our fathers following.’ What! Even though their fathers were void of knowledge and guidance?”  (Qur’an 5:104)

I think that as a Muslim mom living in the West, I’m always trying to give my kids balance. I love enjoying time with my kids and having fun, but I try to put it in a framework that is Islamically acceptable. It can still be exciting and fun…the question just becomes… am I willing to be a little creative in finding alternatives for my kids that can be just as wonderful and fun? And we should make a conscious effort to educate our children early on, as to why we choose not to observe these and other traditions which are not based in Islam. By explaining things to children and not brushing it under the rug, it helps quell many of their questions and gives them a sense of identity. And you may be surprised to find that your kids will agree with you and will want to follow the path of Allah all on their own! Last year my son was six years old and he said to me, “So and so person celebrates Halloween, and you know what mom, it’s because he doesn’t understand Islam. We don’t have Halloween in Islam.” And I was just floored! Masha’Allah, like I said, you may just be surprised! All it takes is a little creativity, and the willingness to go that extra mile for our kids. Besides, who wants to celebrate the festival of the dead anyway?

Umm Professional blogs

We may be a new breed of women altogether.  The first generation of women born into such comfort, and equipped to pour our talents and resources into society.  We have our touch phones, tele-conferencing, webinars and may practice marine biology or environmental law.  We have the choice to stay home and raise good strong stock for our ummah, and we have the support to work and in diverse fields as role models for our children.  It’s an intriguingly complicated process that every professional Muslim needs to balance in order to sustain optimum contentment.  As much as our niyaah is to juggle everything meticulously – there are days (many days) when the office will ask you to pitch in more, your husband will need you to do some of his chores, the kids will meet a child with a bad attitude at school but not be able to verbalize it.

Life is all about tackling the challenges, but they have a sneaky way of catching dedicated professionals off guard.  Below are a few strategies that helped me keep things working well:

1. A well planned routine makes children feel at ease.  They feel more comfortable when some things are predictable, dependable and easy to achieve.  Busy mothers can rely on a lot more cooperation from little helpers if the child is clued in as to what the mother needs. Our typical routine? School pick-up, snack break in the car, play at the park/library meeting with a friend, home.  Once home, downtime with a toy /book, sit down to complete homework and attend the online Quran class, a warm bubbly bath, dinner, a snuggly story time and finally time to drift off to a dreamy state of sleep.  There were  days, even though I felt the fatigue in my muscles, the thought of which story we would read that evening and what discussion, giggles, cuddles and cuteness would follow, would put the spring back in my step.  Office calls would have to wait post 9pm when my kid is fast asleep.
2. Mention obligations and duties that you have towards your home and family at the office from day one.  I’ve had a number of friends tell me how well that has worked for them.  The office is prepared by advance knowledge that you may need time off, they may keep in mind other people who can pick up your missed hours, and they know they can rely on you to be there for them when these obligations have been met.  Very often your boss or team leader will have similar responsibilities at home and be understanding as long as you are clear as to what it is.  An unwell mother, a child with short school hours, or a spouse who cannot pick up the child from school.  No one likes being caught at the tenth hour with a work load that you cannot complete.  Factor in all these points right at the beginning for harmony at the office place that spills into the home too.
3. Invest in great childcare.  This is one of those times when penny pinching can cause sores.  If you want to perform well at work, you need to know that a capable, responsible, creative and sincere person is taking care of the most precious people in your life.  Take your time to interview baby sitters, check out playgrounds, and suss out teachers.  There is nothing worse than having to coax your child to go to school every morning while you hurry to make it to work.  If you have grandparents who vibe well with your kids, you are blessed.  Remember to thank them often and not to overload them with more than car pooling, story telling and cuddles.  Keep in mind their age and stamina.

Have you found anything that helped you strike that critical balance of home and work? Share here with other dedicated mothers who read our blog and spread your balancing techniques.