On the second week of May we have decided to have a book club session, reading moral stories and discussing on the given topics.
This was followed by an origami activity and islamic colouring activity.
Here is the selection of stories that we've read and the related questions and morals, hadeeth or Qur'anic quotes.
1.Thanking Allah
In the morning the teacher asked the children always to start everything with the name of Allah and after it was over to thank Allah. After the class some students started discussing it.
"Why should I thank Allah for everything, even for a simple thing like food?" asked Zahir. He went on, "We buy it from the grocery store and my father spends money for it. He works hard to earn that money." Farhan agreed and said, "Before we can buy food, it is the farmers who have to work hard to grow crops, vegetables and fruits.
Zahir then said, "In the end it is mother who makes it for us, so why should we thank Allah at all?"
A Little Talk About Being Thankful
- What would you say to Zahir And Farhan?
- Do you thank all the people who help you?
- Why should you thank Allah for your food?
Manaal, who had been quiet all this time, now asked them to name a food item that Allah did not cause to grow. He said, "Every kind of fruit and vegetable needs Allah's warm sunshine, air and rain to grow. Every kind of animal needs green grass and food to eat. The green grass, plants and trees which they eat need Allah's sunshine, air and rain. You will not find one food that does not need Allah's help to grow. Aren't these reasons enough to thank Allah for food?"
Zahir and Farhan felt very bad and said sorry to Allah. Manaal said, "The prophet Muhammad SAW once said,"Allah is pleased when a man eats or drinks something and then praises him for it."
A Little Talk About Allah And You
- Did you find any food that does not need Allah's help to grow? Can you find anything which does not need Allah to be able to live?
- Why did Zahir and Farhan feel bad and say sorry to Allah?
- Have you thanked Allah today for your food and all the other blessings?
Quran Reading: "We established you in the land and provided you with a means of livelihood there: yet you are seldom thankful." (7:10)
"It is Allah who sends forth the winds as harbingers of His mercy , and when they have gathered up the heavy clouds, We drive them on to a dead land where We cause rain to fall, bringing out all kinds of fruit, just as We will raise the dead to life. Perhaps you will take heed. Vegetation comes out of good land in abundance by the will of its Lord, but out of bad land only scantily. Thus We explain Our signs in various ways for those who give thanks." (7:57,58)
"Whoever gives thanks does so for the good of his own soul. But if anyone is ungrateful then surely Allah is self-sufficient and praiseworthy." (31:12)
"Believers! Eat of the good things which We have provided for you, and give thanks to Allah" (2:172)
"But most men do not give thanks" (12:38)
Hadith Truth: Abu Hurayrah narrated that the prophet said: "Whoever fails to thank the people (for their favours) fails to thank Allah."
Abu Saeed al-Khudri reported: Whenever the Prophet finished his meal, he would say, "All praise is for Allah who fed us, gave us drink and made us believers."
2.Eating Together
Manaal and Rehan studied in the same class. One day Rehan forgot his lunch so he had nothing to eat. So during the lunch hour, he stayed back in the classroom to do his homework. He was feeling very hungry but he did not know what to do. He did not want to ask anyone for food.
When Manaal came to get his oranges which he had forgotten in his bag, he was surprised to see Rehan studying instead of eating his lunch. Manaal found out that his friend had forgotten his lunch. Manaal immediately went out.
A Little Talk About Giving And Sharing
- Why did Rehan stay back during the lunch hour in the classroom?
- Why was Manaal surprised? Why did he go out?
- If you were Manaal, what would you do about Rehan, who had no lunch? Have you ever given your food or your toys and books to your friends?
Manaal went to the lunch room to bring back his lunch. He had decided to share his lunch with Rehan.
He gave Rehan a sandwich, a muffin and an orange. Manaal was very fond of muffins but he was quite happy to give one to his friend. Both of them really enjoyed eating together. But Manaal enjoyed it more because the pleasure of giving is more than of taking. The Prophet Muhmmad SAW said, "Eat together and not alone, for blessings come with company."
Rehan was very thankful to Manaal. But Manaal asked him not to thank him, because he was only doing what Allah wanted him to do. It is the duty of every Muslim to help other in need and share Allah's bounties with everyone.
A Little Talk About Allah And You
- Why do you think Manaal was happy?
- Can you share your food and also give your favourite food item to your friend?
- Do you think Allah will be happy with Manaal?
Quran Reading: "Allah commands justice and kindness and giving to kinsfolk." (16:90)
" Be good to your parents, and relatives' and to orphans and the needy, and speak kindly to people. (2:83)
Hadith Truth: Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet said: "A generous person is close to Allah, close to Paradise, close to people and far away from Hell. A miser is far from Allah, far from Paradise, far from people and close to Hell. An ordinary, generous person is dearer to Allah than a religious miser.
3.Dear Parents
Manaal once asked his grandmother how Allah wanted us to behave toward our parents. She said, "After Allah, it is our parents we have to obey, respect and love. It is they who so lovingly bring us up and are always there to help and guide us." Manaal said that he really loved his parents and tried always to obey them and not make them unhappy. Grandmother told him he was a good boy and said, "You always have to be very loving and kind to them especially when they are old. When they are old they might do things which you might not like, but still you have not to be angry with them."
A Little Talk About Parents
- What did Manaal ask his grandmother?
- What did she say?
- Why do you think we should obey, respect and love our parents?
Grandmother then told Manaal that once a person asked our Prophet who most deserved our kindness and respect, to which his answer was, "Parents, the mother more than the father." She also told him, "Once the Prophet said that Allah, the Almighty, may forgive any sin He pleases but not disobedience to parents. Allah hastens the punishment of those who are not kind to their parents." Manaal said, "Thank you, grandmother, for telling me all this. InshaAllah, I will always behave towards my parents as Allah and our beloved Prophet asked us to."
A Little Talk About Allah And You
- What did grandmother tell Manaal about the Prophet's sayings?
- What did Manaal say?
- How do you behave toward your parents?
Quran Reading: "We have commanded man to be good to his parents, for his mother bears him in hardship upon hardship and his weaning takes two years, "Give thanks to Me and to your parents; all will return to Me." (31:14)
"We have enjoined man to show kindness to his parents." (29:8)
Hadith Truth: Anas bin Malik reported: Once the Prophet was asked about major sins, and he said, "They are associating something with Allah, disobeying one's parents and causing them pain or injury, killing someone unlawfully and giving false evidence."
4.The Carpenter
A highly skilled carpenter who had grown old was ready to retire.He told his employer of his plan to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his family.He would miss the paycheck but he needed to retire.
The employer was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favour.The carpenter agreed to this proposal but made sure it will be his last project.Being in a mood to retire, the carpenter was not paying much attention to building this house.His heart was not in his work.He resorted to poor workmanship and used inferior materials.It was an unfortunate way to end his career.
When the job was done, the carpenter called his employer and showed him the house.The employer handed over some papers and the front door key to the carpenter and said:"This is your house, my gift to you."
The carpenter was in shock!What a shame!If he had only known that he was building his own house, he would have made it better than any other house that he ever built.
Moral:Our situation can be compared to this arpenter. Allah ta'ala has sent us to this world to build our homes in paradise by obeying His commands.Now, we have to decide how well we wish to build the homes where we will live FOREVER.
