Sr Alif blogs

Each Friday as I would lead my third graders back to class after attending Jumma Prayer, I would make them unwind from their tiring week by sitting down with the latest weekly subscription of Weekly Reader, a children’s educational magazine that covered the latest news and stories on character,  school life and the world around them. And each week as we would lap these readers up, I so wished that I had more time to head such an Islamic Magazine or book series for Muslim kids to replace the ones we were reading to help build their Muslim identity side by side to gaining knowledge while giving them a quality product that inspires them just like these readers have.

When browsing Facebook recently, I was pleasantly surprised by what I discovered. I chanced upon a project just like the one I had imagined all these years! I got a chance to interview the minds behind the project and am really so excited to share this with all of you. InshAllah we will soon see them working on magazines for older children too (pretty please?) My only request to my lovely readers is to support projects like these so we can have quality resources for our young inquiring Muslim minds.

To find out more about Noor Kids, I asked Amin Aaser…

Noor Kids is an activity book series made specifically for 3-8 year old Muslim children in North America. Through our four characters – Amin, Shireen, Asad, and Amira – our goal is to engage little Muslims with Islamic education, Muslim culture, and American integration while instilling confidence in our children’s religious identity!  Our 28 page activity books are published four times a year.

 Who are the people who work behind Noor Kids?

We are a team of two brothers (Amin Aaser, 22 and Mohammed Aaser, 25) who aspire to help Muslim-American Children build confidence in their faith. The two of us grew up in Minneapolis, MN and understand the challenges we face in practicing our faith. Over the last three years, Mohammed and I have both played an active role in our local maddressa, teaching high school students on navigating the Western world.

Mohammed came up with the initial idea for Noor Kids and is currently managing much of the marketing and technology associated with the initiative. He recently graduated with Honors and Distinction from the Harvard Business School with a Master’s in Business Administration. Prior to graduate school, he worked as a Management Consultant with McKinsey and Company. He completed his undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, majoring in Marketing, Supply-Chain Management, and Management Information Systems.

I (Amin) am the author for Noor Kids. In addition to creating the activity books, I play an active role in the marketing and strategy alongside Mohammed. I also completed my undergraduate studies with High Honors and Distinction from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, majoring in Finance, Marketing, and Supply-Chain Management. I currently work at General Mills as a Financial Analyst.

How did you come up with this idea?

The idea came up while Mohammed (my brother) and I were reflecting on the challenges we’ve faced growing up as a Muslim in the U.S. If you recall, headlines last December were overflowing with negative messages towards Muslims due to plans to build a mosque in New York City. During the discussion, our older sister, Shireen, proudly announced that insha’Allah we would soon become uncles as she would be delivering a child!

In the excitement, we had concluded that while our experience as Muslims growing up in the U.S was challenging, it would certainly be more difficult for Muslim children to grow up in the current environment. At that point, we decided that it was our responsibility, as capable and motivated Muslim-Americans, to play a role in brightening the picture of little Muslims in North America!

Alhumdulillah, six months later, we are excited to share the first issue of Noor Kids! Insha’Allah, we are optimistic that Noor Kids will make a positive contribution to little Muslims all around North America!

What are some of your themes you would like to cover in Noor Kids?

We had a chance to talk with 60 moms and dads all around North America. We found that parents are specifically concerned around (1) how their Muslim child is going to fit in, and (2) how their child will maintain confidence in their religious identity.

The themes reflected in Noor Kids seek to solve these problems. Specifically, our stories relate to Islamic education, Muslim culture, and American integration:

(a) Islamic education - given that our publication is an Islamic book, one of our primary goals is to provide foundational religious values to our children. Things that are included are manners/ values, the 99 names, stories of the prophets, Arabic, and a host of others.

(b) Muslim culture - the Muslim-American community is not homogeneous by any means. We are not Indian, African-American, Asian, Caucasian, etc – we are all of the above. It’s important for us to share bits about each of these cultures such that children get exposure to the breadth of diversity that exists within Islam.

(c) American integration - while providing Islamic education and Muslim culture, we also want to help kids ‘fit’ in by making religion ‘normal’ and integrating it into everyday society.

What do you see yourselves achieving with this project?

Insha’allah, one day Mohammed and I will both be blessed with little ones of our own. We would love for them to have a resource, like Noor Kids, that would enable them to maintain confidence in their identity and help them fit in. We would love for our children to build a relationship with Amin, Asad, Shireen & Amira as they would Mickey Mouse or Dora the Explorer. In doing so, insha’Allah we will be able to brighten the picture for little Muslims all around North America. At the same time, we hope that others, who are not Muslim, are able to pick up a copy and realize that Muslims aren’t so different – that we share fundamental beliefs and are more similar than many might believe.

How did you come up with the characters for the book series?

Mohammed and I have been blessed with incredible parents! Our Mom is a child caretaker, and because of that, we’ve witnessed over a dozen children raised under our roof. Over the years a couple of children, with exceptional personalities, made a mark on my life. Each of our characters, Amira, Shireen, Asad, and Amin, are created based off of these children and their unique personalities!

Asad – The Scientist! Curious, smart, and kind, Asad breaks things apart just to learn how to put them back together! He loves to play with new gadgets, tell riddles, and solve puzzles!

Amira – The Artist! Creative, bubbly, and caring, Amira loves making works of art. She likes to pick flowers, play dress-up, write poems, and giggle with friends!

Amin –  The Sports Star! Athletic, witty, and playful, Amin loves being around his friends. He loves to learn new yo-yo tricks, telling funny jokes, and practicing soccer!

Shireen – The Explorer! Brave, adventurous, and excited, Shireen’s love for animals and nature takes her to interesting places. She enjoys taking pictures, chasing butterflies, and getting her hands dirty!

Noor Kids, what is the story behind the name choice?

In developing a book series for children, one of the first and most important decisions was around the name. In college, I was introduced to Surah Al-Noor and there are a couple of verses that really made a substantial impact on the person I am today. In Surah Al-Noor (24), verses 34 to 40 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1A0LQs2Vog), Allah proclaims that he is the Light of the heavens and the earth. He says that he guides who he pleases into the light and that the light exists in houses that have made God a part of their life. Allah says that he gives blessings, withholding nothing, to those who he wills!  However, those who are in disbelief do not get the opportunity to see Allah’s light and are in a perpetual state of darkness.

Just like a sailor who is steering his ship under the dark blanket of night seeks out the shine of a lighthouse to find the security of land,  I seek out Allah’s light to provide my personal sense of security. Given the context of the challenging environment which exists in North America for Muslims, finding the light for direction is all the more important, else one might find themselves perpetually lost at sea. We hope that our activity book can serve as a beacon of light for little Muslims; this is why we named the book series ‘Noor Kids’ and why we say that it will insha’Allah ‘brighten the picture’ and be ‘a light’ for little Muslims.

Where can I find Noor Kids, how do I order, and what can I expect from a subscription?

Our activity books series are 28 pages and will be published four times during our first year. Insha’allah, as we receive support and positive feedback from parents, we will increase the number of books that we publish per year. Noor Kids is available for order online at http://www.NoorKids.com. We have a sample on our site as well, and would love for you to take a look for yourself.

What hurdles did you experience while making this magazine?

In developing Noor Kids, Mohammed and I have faced a couple of substantial hurdles, namely (a) making a book that is perfect for 3 to 8 year old children, and (b) spreading the word around the Muslim community in North America.

A critical success factor for making a children’s book is ensuring that the content and design are made perfectly for the aptitude of a child. As the author, this meant that I needed to deep dive into the mind of a child and really understand what makes a 6 year old get excited! I started going to the library 2-3 times per week, spending hours upon hours reading children’s books. Instead of spending my free time watching my watching the nightly news, I started to watch Arthur, Spongebob, Recess, Dora the Explorer and a host of other great children’s TV shows. At my local Islamic School, I leveraged my students to observe their little brother’s and sister’s to understand what was ‘cool’ and what wasn’t so that we could ensure Noor Kids is relevant.

After building the initial concept for Noor Kids, we created an online community of 60 moms and dads around North America to provide feedback on our content and design. This group was invaluable to our development as it really helped us understand a parent’s point of view on what they are looking for in an Islamic publication as well. In doing so, we were able to create a product that was ‘Kid tested, Mother approved!’

The other challenge that we’ve experienced, and are still experiencing, is getting the word out about Noor Kids. We have received incredible positive feedback from those that have had a chance to see the sample of Noor Kids; however, we still have a very long way to go. Mohammed and I have invested our heart and soul into this project and we’re insha’Allah hopeful that others in the community will help get the word out and support Noor Kids as they become aware of the project. We believe that Muslims in North America will appreciate the contribution that Noor Kids is positioned to make for little Muslims in North America.

A Request from Noor Kids…

What we ask from you!

If Noor Kids resonates with you, you can help by doing three things:

(a) Subscribe: Through your support, insha’Allah, we can create Noor Kids viably for the long term and ensure that we provide a necessary resource for little Muslims!

(b) Stay Connected: Search ‘Noor Kids’ on Facebook and Twitter and stay connected to get the lastest updates on the initiative!

(c) Tell Friends: Mention Noor Kids to your friends at your mosque or in passing!

Together, insha’Allah, we’ll be able to bright the picture for little Muslims all around North America!

Jazak’Allah Khair,

Amin

Sr Alif blogs

Around this time, Islamic school teachers are searching for songs and nasheed to sing and practice for graduation. Some are oldie but goodie. I’m about to get my little kids prepared…maybe we’ll be singing “Children of the World” and dress up in the colorful costumes from around the world…or we’ll sing the Arabic alphabet song and hold Arabic Letters.  Hmmm….have you got any ideas for me?

Here are a list of  websites that have free downloads for Islamic songs and nasheed.

http://www.guidedways.com/nasheeds.php

http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/index.php?page=islamicsongs

http://www.a2youth.com/audio/arabic_nasheeds/

http://www.muslimkidsville.com/

Sr Alif  blogs

Here is a great way to have students do a Bake Sale or a Jumma Lunch Sale to raise charity money for the Japanese earthquake victims and learn about Japanese culture too…

Some of the ideas were originally done by Sister Bushra Zaman and Sister Jameelah at Hamza Academy, NY

1. Make cupcakes and top them off with some cute origami decorations. Read the instructions from this amazing blog.

2. Make obento boxes in aluminum lunch containers with clear tops. Make little Anime rice balls and hot dog octopuses! Read more about it here!

3. Make vegetable sushi rolls. Easy to do and a fun cultural recipe to learn. Learn how here.

4. Make cherry blossom cake or cup cakes.  Don’t have time? Why not purchase these sugar cherry blossoms and decorate your cupcakes with one stem and a flower? Here and here.

5. Serve green tea -hot or cold! Recipe here.

6. It’s a hot day? Why not get some students to make Green Tea Ice cream? Recipe here.

7. Make these popular Japanese snacks that my daughter just adores…Pocky Sticks! Recipe here.

8. Stir up some hot Miso Soup to hit the right spot! Recipe here

9. Buy small Japanese inspired items at bulk price from discount stores. Sell them for a dollar or two along with your eating goodies. Ideas here.

Sr Alif blogs

For Poetry Month, I had made Haiku poems with my 3rd Grade students during my Writer’s Workshop Program in Brooklyn. The challenge of teaching Haiku to  students rarely exposed to poetry, and to throw this complex form of cultural idea seemed a bit too ambitious. However, the outcome was very fruitful, and not only did they count in syllables and  be more descriptive with their words, but they wrote some beautiful, rich, cultural  ‘thoughts’ that I never expected from these hip-hop Arab/Indo-Pak Brooklynites.

First, I had given them some simple information about Haiku Poetry. It’s interesting to note that this type of poetry is actually quite “Islamic” because it reflects on the natural world around us. I took them to the park a couple of blocks away, and they were so excited that they could learn outside the classroom! At the park I had them sit and observe their surroundings. They sat enjoying the cool breeze of spring, and the laughter of young toddlers, and the sound of icecream trucks. Then I asked them to think of three sentences that describe the scene of the park. What was happening, When it was happening,  Where it was happening.  For the first time, they seemed to see things they never observed before, even though they saw it everyday. They began to write furiously although in class they would whine and cry that they didn’t know what to write. It was easy to do because they only had to write three “phrases”, and then they were free to jump on the monkey bars.

In my next class, I made them review their poem, and see if it made sense. Then we talked about ‘tired words’ like nice and pretty, words that are over used. We changed these words by replacing them with more descriptive words (which came from a list I printed, or you could get them to refer to a children’s thesaurus).

In our third session, I encouraged them to write a new Haiku poem drawing from their own experiences.  This became the most interesting part because they wrote from their own cultural backgrounds, and celebrated it in the form of Haiku. The last session, the boys wrote on a scroll, and  girls wrote their poems on Uchiwa fans. The lesson can be found here. They dressed in Kimono, and recited their Haikus as ‘Ladies in the  Japanese Imperial Court’. Afterward, they hung their master poetry fans on their class bulletin board.

Here are some of the poems by the boys. The girls took the fans home before I could document them :

Bosnia by Sulejman

Minty grass moving

Pigeons moving left and right

The masjids growing

Mountains of Yemen by Idrees

Men collecting stones

Earthy rocks on the mountains

People are hiking

Saudia Arabia by Abdel

The Arabs are nice

The Prophets used to live there

And have lots of snakes

I also did workshops with teachers on writing and publishing Haiku Poems. They learned to write Haikus and publish them on a handmade scroll. Here is one example. They were very creative as well. Kudos to all of you!

Sr Alif blogs

Let’s take you on a journey to Masjid Al Nabawi.  Although this was done during the Hajj simulation season, it is a great project idea to get done in the month of Rabbi ul Awwal as we remember the life and teachings of Muhammad (SAW) in the Islamic classroom. Sr Zahra Biler (4th Grade teacher at Hamza Academy, NY) tells me about her class’ wonderful presentation on Prophet Muhammad (SAW) Mosque. Students were excited to exhibit their first presentation of Masjid Al Nabawi.

This masjid was built originally by Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in Madinah, and was his final resting place. Students were very careful to get the details as accurate as possible. The best feature of the simulated mosque was the “door” (which is one of the many doors) was actually covered with gold paper to mimic the solid gold doors that stand there today. The kids also meticulously included details on the door like the Prophet’s (SWS) name which in real life adorns the handles of these 2.5 ton doors. The inside of the masjid was decorated with Islamic Art and Arabic calligraphy and paintings of Allah’s names and His Beloved Messenger RasoolAllah (SWS). The children also decorated the floors lining up the entire basement with colorful prayer rugs.

The main idea was to allow the children to experience what it might feel like to visit this grand place.  Out of respect, we understand their simulation was nothing compared to the original.
At the beginning of the program, the children’s faces lit up in amazement as they opened those magnificent doors for the first time. The doors were purposely designed to be large in size to give a similar effect.  Inside the students were welcomed with dates and sweets well known to the Muslim world-Ashoora.
Each 4th grade student presented different architectural pieces of the mosque and it’s historical significance. Such as the green dome that signifies where the Prophet Muhammad (sws) is buried, and the striking Khutba podium which was actually donated by the Sultan during the Turkish Ottoman Empire. The  students made note that most of the mosque’s architectural design and additions were donated by wealthy countries that sent them as a gifts to honor their great Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
In the end the excited kids were able to pick dates from the ‘date palm tree’ cleverly made by the  students using a large Crayola money bank. It was wrapped with brown tape, topped with green paper leaves, and wire hung dates.

Parents and friends enjoyed the program, and they all made dua together. Most probably walked away hoping that they will be the next guests to the real Prophet’s Mosque.

Sr Alif blogs

It’s such an honor to have 1001 Inventions come to New York City! I had the blessing of attending this wonderful showcase of Muslim Science exhibition. (Also read Globe Girl’s Post on her trip to the 1001 Inventions here.)

To really take advantage of the exhibition and this wonderful information, these are a few suggestions to make the trip extend into your classroom or to your homeschooling group. Even if you did not have the chance to go, some of their resources are very interesting and can be explained without the Museum trip. Here are some suggestions on how it can be applied in your very own learning environment.

For Ages 8 to 14

1. Assign one week  or one month (depending on your Science and Social Studies Curriculum) to the theme: “Dark Ages or the Golden Ages?”-Brain storm information using a KWL chart on the Dark Ages.

2. Watch the video Secrets of the Library and then go back to the KWL chart to add more information.

3. Break into groups according to the different zones of the Museum, and have them read as much about the zones  and the Scientists that contributed to each zone. Use the link here to download topics explaining some Muslim inventions and how they have helped form many of the products we use today like cameras, clocks, cars etc. Have them share their findings on poster board.

4. If you have a chance to go to the Museum and experience the different zones, download these wonderful worksheets, as they can be used for students to find information on their own at the Museum. If you cannot go, you can easily have them do the search online. Use the Muslim Heritage website (http://1001inventions.com/), as they have all the information the student will need to answer these questions.

5. Enrich your teaching skills and Science curriculum by downloading the Teacher Pack here.  It contains well organized lesson plans on how to teach these topics at an elementary and junior level. Although tailored to a junior or middle school audience, the lessons can easily be tailored down to a younger age group.

6. Finally, each group can do a presentation on different Muslim scientists and their discovery and invention from the different zones. It would also be wonderful if they dressed up in a costume of these Muslim Scientists as well and even create a play!

This is a great way to combine Multi-cultural perspective of Muslim civilization and their contribution to the science world. It’s well worth the trip, and if not it can easily be incorporated into your science curriculum using 1001 Inventions teachers resource kits.

For more information on the 1001 exhibition,you can go to http://www.1001inventions.com.

For the museum trip and fees you can go to  http://www.nysci.org/visit/events/1001

Sr Alif blogs

Sr Sarah’s  6th and 7th Grade class was smelling very sweet during their “Around-the-World Masjid Project’.  Students were asked to choose a masjid that was well known historically, and do research on it’s historical significance as well as its architecture.

After the students had about a week to complete their report on the masjid, they had exactly one hour in the afternoon to create their masjid completely out of sweets. They were told that they could not share their ingredients so they better come prepared!

This one hour turned into quite a productive assembly line of students frantically smearing frosting on their graham crackers, and trying to keep the walls from falling. The biggest challenge was to make the dome. Some used bread buns cut in half while one opted to use a giant Hershey kiss covered with yellow frosting. He was making “The Dome of the Rock”, so he wanted to make sure it looked grand. He even had a chocolate covered Marshmallow cookie to use as the ‘rock’.  Another student used gummy bears as little Muslim worshipers.

In the end, the students some how proved to be talented confection architect artists as they created very similar replicas of the famous masajid.

Sr Alif blogs

A conversation with Sr Maryam Khaliqi ( a Kindergarten teacher) and the PreK teachers jump started an idea to do something memorable at school for our Hijri Calendar. Her thoughts were that people go all out and celebrate New Years and it’s just sad that we don’t emphasize our own calendar dates for our kids to remember, experience and enjoy. Often kids won’t even be aware of when the start of the new Islamic month is. So it was the perfect solution to create some buzz and excitement in the corridors of the PreK classroom. We were going to have a fun Hijri party and get those little kids learning the Islamic calendar faster than you can say “1432 A.H.!”

We were off to a great start, in the morning the kids colored their 1432 AH Party hats in English and Arabic numbers (Download template below). The teacher took the children out for outdoor activities while her assistant set up the tables and decorated it with table cloth and decorations. When the kids returned, they got to wear their 1432 paper hats and sat down around Sr Zahra Biler’s homemade cake with delicious whipped cream and blueberries. The children decorated it with green M&M’s carefully making the numbers 1432 (Great for eye-hand coordination). Then they sang “It’s an Islamic New Year, It’s an Islamic New Year! !1432….After Hijra!!” This was a song they sang to the tune of Happy Birthday!

Finally, they all returned home happily with party blowers in their mouths and goody bags in their hands. The bags were decorated with 1432 A.H. tags. You can download party hats and gift tag templates that can be used for class or just a fun kids get together.

Download 1432 Party Hat Template here: Islamic New Year 1432 Templates

Sr Alif blogs

During their theme on Outer Space, one Pre-K student was asked “What do you see in the sky after it gets dark?” The girl quickly responded with, “You see a sled with reindeer flying way up high”, “Yes, you go to sleep and someone brings you a surprise gift!” another chirped in.  Now all the Muslim children excitedly started calling out, “Santa! Christmas!” Well, it was interesting to know what was on the children’s mind when they were learning about the solar system.  The lesson began with the sun and ended up with Santa from outer space! As the teacher diplomatically changed the topic, you know her mind was racing with ideas, “OK, I need a quick lesson about the Islamic view on Christmas…”

But how do you teach that to a very young child bombarded with exposure to media (PBS, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network…..and the list goes on) with holidays that are not part of their religious tradition? You certainly don’t want the children to offend their Christian neighborhood friends by dropping the ultimate myth blower. I heard one Muslim girl tell a horrified Christmas loving friend on the school bus, “Don’t you know that there is no such thing as Santa!? Go to the North Pole and see for yourself!”

So how do you explain this day and respect it as a Christian Holiday, but at the same time understand that we do not celebrate it? Often I find that parents shun their kids away with a hard-hitting phrase that slips out of their mouth very easily and mindlessly, not explaining much or anything at all, “No, we don’t do that, it’s HARAM!” Or it is the opposite in some houses, “I’ll let my child celebrate and let him decorate his own Christmas tree, it’s the intention that counts after all. He just wants to have some fun. I’ll explain things when he gets older and when he is able to understand better.” Teaching Muslim kids about religions or ideas that do not belong in the fold of Islam can be a tricky thing. Teaching religious tolerance and at the same time appreciating and believing in what our teachings hold is a very fine balance. It needs to be tackled with love, care, and understanding. But most importantly, parents need to give clear answers and logical reasoning to their children starting at a very young age. Always remember that our children are born with an inborn Islamic fitrah or an inborn natural predisposition towards Allah and His deen.  It is the influence of the environment and negative exposure that change the child’s fitrah. Help retain this fitrah by protecting the child’s understanding and giving explanations before the child’s mind is trained into thinking a certain way.

Here are simple steps to tackling this curiosity in the classroom Pre-K to 1st Grade. Teach a lesson on Christmas with the Islamic perspective. And if you have ideas, don’t forget to email them to jannahsteps@gmail.com. We would love to share them with the rest of the world so we all benefit. Inshallah.

Approach this at a “Circle Time”:

1. Discuss with the children what they have seen and heard these past few weeks on TV and around them. Of course, you will hear the jingles of “Christmas trees”, “reindeer”, “sleds” and “Santa”. Christmas Templates Download Here. Have these pictures available on these Christmas “characters” to help with the circle time discussion. Help them understand that these characters are not part of the original Christmas celebrations. They actually do not exist, characters much like Spiderman and Dora. However these fantasy creatures are used to tell a pretend story- one that includes Santa coming down a chimney and bearing gifts, encouraging you to be at your best behavior if you want to receive a special something! They frighten us with stories of Santa secretly watching over us to see if we are good or bad…help the kids understand that only Allah can know what we are up to and if we’ve been at our best behavior or not. You will be surprised at how much the kids comprehend this idea. They actually are more mature than we take them to be!

2. Tell them that in Islam we respect other people’s religion by not ever making fun of others beliefs, traditions or culture. But we do not participate in them either. For example: We do not get a Christmas tree and decorate our homes with lights during this time. We do not sit on Santa’s lap. We do not exchange presents. Remind them that we have our two Holidays: Eidul-Fitul and Eidul Adha. Have pictures of that as well such as Mosques, Iftar dinners, Eid Prayer. Ask them of their favorite Eid memory and include that in the discussion.

3. Introduce Prophet Isa (AS) or Jesus. Explain what Christians are celebrating on Christmas Day. Tell them about the one thing that we have in common with this Holiday – celebrating the great Prophet of God-Isa (AS). We believe that Jesus was a great prophet, but not the son of God. Help them understand this important difference. Islam teaches us that God does not give birth or have children. He is too special to have a life like us humans. He created us that way, but it does not mean that he shares the same lifestyle as us. Only Allah is to be given the right to be God as He is our Creator and also the Creator of Isa (AS).

3. You can also  listen to Surah Ikhlas on this CD: Quran for Little Muslims 2 (Noorart). Your kids will be delighted to listen to a captivating Christmas story with an Islamic perspective. Written and recited by Noor Sadeh, an American Muslimah revert from New York.

4. Finally, teach students the core belief of the existence of One God. First introduce the meaning of Surah Ikhlas. Download here: surah ikhlas template . Print this file and fold it from the top to the bottom and right to the left to make a book. Discuss each ayah and what it means in detail so the children comprehend each point clearly. Allow them to color the pictures and understand the concept in each ayah clearly. They can even create a cover for this book and write Surah Ikhlas in arabic and english.

5. Help them understand the importance of the words from Surah Ikhlas and why Allah would want to tell us this again in the Quran. Remember that they are young children, so you want to emphasize basic points. 1.Allah is one. 2. He lives forever.3.He does not have a family. 4.He is nothing like us.

6. Review Surah Ikhlas and its meaning before the break. Have them review the points from each ayah. If they memorize the surah and its meaning in English they get a “gift” after their winter break.