This week’s Kutuby Learning blog discusses 6 ways you can teach, show, and share the beauty of Allah’s existence and shed light on Allah’s attributes to kids.
When the night grew dark on him, he spotted a star and said, “This is my Lord!” But when it set upon him, he said,
“I do not love things that set.”
When he saw the moon rising, he said, “This is my Lord!” But when it set, he said, “If my Lord does not guide me, I will be one of the misguided ones.”
When he saw the sun shining, he
said, “This must be my God—it is the greatest!” But when it set, he declared,
“O my people! I wholly reject whatever you associate with Allah in worship˺. I have turned my face towards the One who has created the heavens and the earth—being upright—and I am not one of the polytheists.”
- Qur’an 6:76-79
The story of how Prophet Ibrahim A.S discovered Allah SWT signifies how every being in the universe strives to acknowledge their Creator. Children are no different. They are born with the inclination to look for and accept the truth.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Every child is born with a true faith of Islam, and his parents convert him to Judaism or Christianity or Magianism, just as an animal births a perfect baby animal. Do you find any part of it mutilated?” - [Sahih Bukhari 1385]
So, in essence, Allah sends us our babies with all the essential components they need to accept Allah to be the One and Only Lord. They already know Allah. So, half the job there is done.
Alhamdulilah.
Now, the remainder of the job for a Muslim child’s parents is to nurture this inclination to recognise and rely on Allah. We do this by nourishing them with love, showing them how to differentiate between right and wrong per the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him). After thorough research and consulting renowned experts on the topic, the Kutuby Learning team brings to you the following 6 ways to explain Allah’s attributes to kids.
In the same vein, our last week’s blog gives helpful pointers on how to raise children who love Islam.
1. Introducing Allah’s existence through His creations
Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is, over all things, Disposer of affairs. To Him belong the keys of the
heavens and the earth. And those who do not believe in the verses of Allah — it is they who are the losers.
- The Quran 39:62–63
How can we talk of Allah with no image of Him to show our children?
A beautiful way to do this is through His creations. One of Allah SWT’s ninety-nine names is Al-Khaliq, meaning “The Creator” or “The Planner”. Every observable object in this universe signifies His existence. Children have curious minds and are inclined to search for the core reason for everything they see. So use this as an opportunity to introduce Allah to kids as a Creator.
Nature is an incredibly effective and generous teacher, one which opens the doors of observation, reasoning, problem-solving, and gratitude.
Spend time in the abundant outdoors that Allah has fashioned for us, and allow your children’s minds to wander. Let them feel the earth under their feet, the rain on their face, and the wind through their hair. Ask them who they think created these. Does a car or a building have the same creator as a mountain or a plant? And so this way, exploring Allah’s creations can be the first answer to your children’s very question of “Who is Allah?”.
We at Kutuby Learning offer the answer to this and many other questions your curious little minds may have through our online Islamic education courses with animated lessons by master teachers. Click here to sign up for free today and discover the best Islamic courses for your kids.
2. Expanding their knowledge of Allah’s power through His names
The wisdom behind teaching your kids about Allah’s names and attributes is for them to recognise Allah’s powers and greatness further. It will naturally lead to them developing the mindset to trust and rely on Him in every situation. Exploring the names of Allah has three levels. These are:
- To know and memorise the names
- To understand their meanings and how we can apply them to our lives
- To call upon Allah using these names
With kids, there are some names that you can start off with, as they are simple to remember and frequently used. These are:
- Ar-Rahman- the Most Merciful
- Ar-Raheem- The Bestower of Mercy
- As-Sami- The All-Hearing
- Al Baseer- The All-Seeing
If you would like a complete list of Allah’s names, please click here for this free printable by Emaan Boost.
Reinforce your teaching by using arts, crafts, and games. Making badges, doing quizzes, and colouring pages related to Allah’s names are all excellent ways to familiarise children with this topic. Here is a fun activity downloadable booklet that your kids are sure to enjoy by My Little Alim.
This beautiful vocals-only Nasheed of Allah’s Asmaa Ul Husnaa can also be an effective auditory tool. At Kutuby Learning, we delve deeper into this topic, so go ahead and register your child. Registrations are free!
3. Practice and Teach Husn-Al-Dhan-Billah (Having a Good Opinion Of Allah)
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet (ﷺ)said, “Allah says: ‘I am just as My slave thinks I am. (Bukhari)
The tactic of scaring kids into obedience to Allah just has to go. Introducing the concept of sin and punishment when there is no sense of belonging and connection can do the complete opposite of what we are trying to achieve. It can create feelings of resentment and fear and retard the development of your little one’s connection to their Creator.
Allah, in fact, loves our children more than we ever can. They simply must be aware of this love. Husn-Al-dhan Billah is all about having a good opinion of Allah. Teach children to be certain of receiving only the best from Him, think positive thoughts about Him, and believe that He always looks out for us in the best ways.
4. Talk about Jannah
Whether it be children or grown adults, everyone loves rewards. The ultimate reward for performing good deeds in this world is the promise of Jannah. Discuss with your children the afterlife and the wonders of Jannah, where all your wishes come true. It is the place where we may actually be able to meet and greet Allah. Subhanallah! Our children’s excitement when we encourage talking about Jannah is like no other.
Let them draw out what their interpretation of Jannah is like. Discuss their point of view and tell them that Jannah has no limitations, so they can go crazy with marshmallow clouds and chocolate rivers! Read this fantastic article to get pointers on how to explore the concept of Jannah with your kids. Teaching them about the concept of Jannah also strengthens their Iman.
5. Expand kids Islamic understanding through Kutuby Learning
In today’s world, with the exponential growth of social media, providing a trusted Islamic teaching platform for your young ones has become very simple. Kutuby Learning is an online Islamic education platform that offers courses with animated lessons, quizzes, and so much more. Kutuby Learning is becoming one of the fastest expanding services where your child’s Islamic journey grows leaps and bounds in a very organic manner. Here, we teach children more than Islam. We teach them how to love and implement it.
Sign up to enroll on our free courses now.
6. Show kids the power of Du’a and Salah
Salah is our first and foremost duty to Allah SWT. We owe our lives to Him. Salah is a way of thanking Allah for all that He has blessed us with and a way to seek His help when we are lost.
You may use any or every one of these reasons to explain the importance of Salah to your kids. However, these reasons are insufficient if you don’t practice Salah yourselves.
Offering Salah as a family can encourage children to follow their elders and can develop a sense of responsibility and love within children. Du’a and Adhkar are compelling tools when it comes to teaching kids about Allah and His role in our daily life. The virtues of Dhikr are plenty, and we have described them here in this blog.
Allah SWT wants us to ask for what we need from Him directly. So encourage your children to ask Allah SWT frequently, even if it’s something as small as getting a specific toy or a race at school; talking to Allah through du’a is an incredible way to bring peace to those little hearts.
Make du’a as a family. Make du’a aloud and in secret for your children and your family. It helps strengthen the bonds between family members and develops a sense of trust in your child’s heart towards Allah SWT. https://www.kutuby.com/post/strengthen-islamic-values-in-your-family-with-6-simple-steps.
If you are looking to raise your child to love Islam, here are 7 Ways to Raise Children Who Love Islam.
These were Kutuby Learning’s top 6 ways you can implement to help your children understand who Allah SWT is.
Let us know if you have any more creative ideas.
