Vacation is finally here ! And after a busy year, we can only rejoice! But this is no reason to relax on the religious side, quite the contrary! Summer is the ideal time to slow down, get together with family, enjoy each other and... learn Islam while having (really) fun!
Introduction
The motivation is there, the desire to strengthen one’s faith too… But how to do it? Where to start with your children? How do you organize yourself to keep all these little people busy for 2 months?
Here are some tips and ideas for establishing a family religious schedule (and sticking to it!) without stress or yelling!
A word of advice: Don’t set the bar too high
The religious program that we are going to offer you here can obviously be adapted to your pace of life and your needs. There’s no point in setting the bar too high and absolutely wanting to achieve all of the day’s learning goals if you’re tired, a child is sick, you have guests, etc.
The objective, do not forget, is to journey towards Allah, to learn more and more about religion, even if this must be done at a slow pace.
So let's start with the morning program
In order to start the day on a good basis, the religious program will begin with the Koran. Depending on the days and the age of the child, it is possible to work on memorizing a new surah, or revising an old one.
If the child is very young (less than 3 years old), he can simply listen to his brothers and sisters or parents read or recite the Quran. This moment of reading the Koran can last 15 minutes, 30 minutes... it will essentially depend on the age of the child.
You can also complete this time dedicated to learning the book of Allah with the study of Tafsîr of the Juzz Amma surahs that your children are currently memorizing, or have already memorized. This will allow them to put even more meaning and heart into this learning!
Tip: Establish a routine
Concerning the morning time devoted to the Quran, it can be done just after breakfast. It is possible that in the first few days, the child will have difficulty sticking to this new routine and may sometimes forget it.
But with a little insistence on your part, your child will adapt to this new rhythm inshaAllah and include it in his morning routine: breakfast, washing his teeth and face then reading the Koran! Once this routine is well established, it can continue even at the start of the school year in September inshaAllah!
Another tip: Don’t forget that children also learn by examples
If you ask your child to go and review a surah, learn a new one or listen to an audio lesson, while you are lying on the sofa in front of your Smartphone, it is very possible that the child denied ! Let us not forget that our children learn a lot by example.
In his book “The education of children and the bases of their training”, Cheikh Ferkous explains on this subject:
Ex : 3 ANECDOTES OF COMPANIONS OF THE PROPHET MOHAMMED TO TELL TO CHILDREN
“Among the duties towards the child and the methods to be applied to form his personality, there is the fact of setting a good example to follow, according to which he can guide himself during his first period of intellectual, psychological growth and morality. […] Parents are the two exemplary elements for him.
Indeed, parents have a great influence on their child in terms of faith and religion to the point of even being able to deviate him from the healthy nature on which Allah created him and from what he must know about Islam and his love for Him. »
So keep in mind that your children are your reflection, and take advantage of the holidays to get closer to Allah together!
The program for the beginning or end of the afternoon
During the quiet time in the middle of the day, when the youngest is taking a nap for example, or at the end of the afternoon after an outing with family or friends, it is also possible to continue your religious program for the day , with fun and enriching activities.
During this time, for example, you can do manual activities around Islam together, use a vacation notebook, take quizzes or online Islamic games, play companion card games or vocabulary games, or listen to fables in Arabic like the fables of Chawqi.
A piece of advice: Develop your child’s autonomy
The end of the day is a time when the parent is not always available for the child. It is then entirely possible to offer him activities that he can do alone, in complete autonomy.
Those we mentioned previously are all accessible on the Muslim Blocks platform. No need to search everywhere on the Internet for suitable content, you can leave them with peace of mind on the platform while you go about your business!
The evening program
In the evening, at bedtime, this is a new opportunity to talk about Islam, its values and its foundations. Before going to sleep, explain to them in simple and appropriate words what their Lord expects of them, the noble behaviors and good manners that Muslims must have, such as patience or generosity.
To discuss these subjects, you can, for example, alternate evenings of reading Islamic books for children, with evenings dedicated to listening to audio books such as those taken from the book “The Children's Path”.
Advice: Give your child a taste for reading
To do this, it is important to offer your child books of different sizes, covering various themes and always adapted to their age. Sit down with him in his bed, or in a cozy and comfortable place and make this reading moment a moment of pleasure shared by everyone.
In addition to this morning, afternoon and evening program, it is entirely possible, throughout outings and outdoor activities, to integrate religious reminders and moments of learning.
During walks in contact with nature
Are you planning a family outing to get in touch with nature? In a forest for example? Take the opportunity to tell your children about the greatness of Allah, His power and the beauty of His creation. Observe a tree, contemplate an animal, breathe the scents of nature and explain to your children that all this was created by Allah, Lord of the universe.
What about the days when you can't necessarily go out?
You can take some quiet time with your family to watch documentaries or short videos on the creation of Allah.
A word of advice: Occupy the child’s free time
It is important to regularly offer your child activities of all kinds. By spending his time in good, he will not spend it in evil.
In her book “I educate my child”, Umm ‘Abd Ar-Rahman Al-Athariya explains:
“Islam attaches particular importance to the occupation of the free time of human beings from morning to evening so as not to suffer from the idleness of which they complain and which they attempt to fill in a manner which makes it deviate from its original nature. […] Furthermore, if the human soul is not occupied with obedience to Allah, it will be occupied with His disobedience, may Allah protect us! »
When traveling
It is well known that the journey from one destination to another is not always pleasant and can quickly become exhausting. But it is entirely possible to take advantage of this opportunity to spend a pleasant time, in the remembrance of Allah, in search of His blessings.
First of all, traveling is a good way to learn with your child the invocation of travel but also the one that you say when entering a new city.
On this subject, do not hesitate to consult our article on the 5 invocations to teach your child this summer!
During the long hours of travel, by train, by car or even by plane, it is possible to have your child listen to audios telling, for example, the life of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ or the history of his companions or his wives.
The day of Friday
During the school year, it is not always possible to take your child to the mosque on Friday to attend the sermon and group prayer. But during the holidays, it’s possible! So plan to take your child there and explain ablutions and the importance of prayer.
And this doesn’t only apply to Friday! You can go to the mosque regularly to perform other prayers, or perform them together as a family at home.
The author ‘Abd As-Salam Ibn ‘Abd Allah As-Soulayman explains in his book “The education of children in the light of the Quran and the Sunnah”:
“If the child grows up in the love of prayer and if he is aware that Allah observes him, he will have a healthy and virtuous education by the Will of Allah. Salat protects against depravity and perversity. »
