Salaah Positions!

As part of this week’s topic on “Remembering Allaah through our Day”, Maimoonah learnt the positions of salaah.

We did this activity from The Muslim Child is Born.

Also I had these pictures of illustration based on Shaikh Naasiruddeen Al Albaani’s (rahimahullaah) book “Sifatus Salaatun nabi”. We printed and pasted on a board.

We spoke about salaah in general, the times of salaah and the names for each of them. Then I explained that salaah is a great way to remember Allaah and it should be done calmly and with full concentration.

We went through each position from standing to tasleem. Then I placed the prayer rug behind the sutra. Explained to her about the sutra and it's importance.

She unrolled the prayer mat..

Then looking at the board where we pasted each position, I demonstrated to her each one and asked her to name the position and show me “The way our Messenger of Allaah prayed”. Masha Allaah it was indeed a delight to watch her trying to perfect each position and how much calm and quiet she was through out this activity, subhanallaah.

So here are the different positions….

Takbir..

Rukoo

Sajda

Sitting in between

Tashahhud

Tasleem

Finally rolling prayer mat..

She really enjoyed this activity and next day was Jummah. Abi was well pleased with her when he saw the photographs and wanted to take her for Jummaah. She was absolutely thrilled. And masha Allaah she listened to the Khutbah and prayed with me exactly the way I taught her the each position masha Allaah. And she was also happy that the Imaam recited the soorahs she knows now masha Allaah.

We are almost done with this week’s curriculum. Will post the summary soon Insha Allaah.

Out and about!

Most of the pics were taken at the Barzan Olympic Park at Umm Salaal Ali in Qatar. Its a nice family park Maashaa Allaah. You get a separate prayer area, clean toilets, toddlers play area, kids play area, a fountain, and lovely green park as well as some rides for the kids and family. Nice place to have a picnic and have some family time.

Mathematics so far!

We are using the Nelson International Mathematics Books and MEP Year 1 for this year. So far within this 3 weeks we have covered a lot Alhamdulillaah without any stress.

Maimoonah loves the Nelson Maths books and finished Book 1A just in one week and Book 1B is almost done. Of Course the activities are pretty easy for her so far. She likes the illustrations and methods on this book, very very child friendly and she finishes them fast. she has got used to using her timer where she sets the time for 5 or 10 minutes and tries to finish the activities before the timer makes a noise. She really enjoys this and finishes maths pretty fast. 

I thought she would feel bored to do MEP after getting used to the Nelson, but Alhamdulillaah now she is doing the MEP all by herself too and she uses the timer for that as well. So everyday we do from both the books.

Now she is able to understand many of the concepts on MEP that she could not fathom last year. I guess age plays a big role in every stage of the development. 

So far some new things we have covered are summarised below.

Numbers Ascending and Descending Order

Tens and Units

Pour and Measure
This was a big hit. We used different containers to measure water and recorded. She learnt about ml and litres.  

 

Shaykh Al Albaani Raheemahullaah on Orbiting of the Earth!

When we did study about the day and night and the movement of the sun and the moon I did not know that Shaykh Albaani raheemahullaah held a different view and that this matter had ikhtilaaf amongst the Major Scholars. Hence I read only the view of the Scholars who said that the Earth does not revolve around the sun and took that viewpoint to be the correct one.

But Alhamdulillaah a sister commented and gave me the links of Shaykh Albaani's view and I would like to share it here so that I present to you both the views Inshaa Allaah.

Question #10: “What do you say about the orbiting of the earth?”

Shaykh al-Albaani (rahimahullaah) answers:

“We in fact don’t doubt that the matter of the orbiting of the earth is an indisputable scientific fact. At the same time, we believe that it is not the purpose of the Islamic legislation in general and the Qur’aan specifically to talk about astronomy and its details. Rather, this is included in the generality of (the Prophet’s) saying (‘alayhi ssalaat wa ssalaam) which Muslim brought out in his Saheeh from the narration of Anas bin Maalik (radi Allaahu ‘anhu) about the story of pollinating the date palm trees,[1] when he [sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam] said to them: ‘It was only an opinion of mine, so if I order you to do something concerning your religious affair, then do it as much as you are able, and whatever I order you to do concerning your worldly affairs, then you are more knowledgeable about them.’[2]

So these issues were not obligatory for the Messenger (of Allaah) (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) to talk about, and if he did talk (about them) in his hadeeth or if our Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, did so in His Book, then it is only for (showing) a sign or miracle or the like. Thus, we can say that there isn’t anything in the Book nor in the Sunnahthat would contradict this scientific fact that is well-known today, which states that the earth is round and that it runs in an orbit by the Power of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, in this vast space. Rather, it is possible for the Muslim to find that which suggests, if not clearly states, that the earth is like the sun and the moon because they are all in this space, as He, the Mighty and Majestic, says: {they all float, each in an orbit}; and (this is so) especially if we remember that before this divine statement with the word ‘all,’ (this word) means the three celestial bodies due to the fact that He began with the earth. So He said: {And a sign for them is the dead earth. We give it life, and We bring forth from it grains, so that they eat thereof},[3] then He said: {And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term (appointed). That is the Decree of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing / And the moon, We have measured for it mansions (to traverse) till it returns like the old dried curved date stalk / It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor does the night outstrip the day. They all float, each in an orbit}.[4] The word ‘all’ includes the first aayah: the earth, then the sun, then the moon. Then He, the Most High, says: {They all float, each in an orbit}.

This is what is apparent from the context of these aayaat, which are no doubt amazingaayaat about the dominion of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic. All of this is while knowing that the scholars of tafseer[5] attributed the term ‘all’ to the closest thing mentioned, which is the sun and the moon. However, there isn’t anything that would ever prevent us from extending the meaning of ‘all’ to include the earth which was mentioned before the sun and the moon.”

 [1] Saheeh Muslim #2363; the Prophet (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) saw people pollinating date palm trees and expressed that it may be good if they did not do so, but after they left doing it, there was a negative impact on date production

[2] the Shaykh also mentioned some extra wordings; refer to Saheeh Muslim #2361, #2362 and Saheeh ibn Maajah #2
[3] Surah Yaa Seen, 36:33
[4] Surah Yaa Seen, 36:38-40
[5] explanation of the Qur’aan

http://alalbaany.com/2011/02/09/the-orbiting-of-the-earth/

English Lessons so far!

We are using the Nelson Developing Fiction Skills, Developing Non Fiction Skills and the Student's Work Book for English Language and Grammar.

Within the last two weeks we have completed 1 chapter each from all three books. I do Fiction skills one week and non fiction skills the other week so that I am able to finish one chapter each week. And on Thursdays I make her do the Student's work book.

The books have been good Alhamdulillaah but they do contain some pages with unislamic contents. I have explained to her that we would only do what is necessary from this book and omit things that are not proper. So far we had no major problems. But as we go on I will be not doing some activities like its says to think and write about a fairy tale and do a play script and the works. I have thought of asking her to do the same but with a different story Inshaa Allaah.

This is from the Non Fiction Book

Non Fiction

This week we had a page with Hansel and Gretel, and Alhamdulillaah it had only the first part so there were no kufr involved. But this was also a good opportunity to explain to her that this is how people who have to trust in Allaah would react. If they have no food they must rely on Allaah as He is Ar Razzaak, and not leave the kids in the forest. She realized that it was foolishness to do such an act and again explained to her that this is fiction and did not happen and not true.

Both books do not cover the same topics and the standard of the books are good. Maimoonah is able to comprehend and answer the questions and you also get a little bit of high vocabulary but that is good as she looks up the dictionary and learns new words.

And the good thing about these books is that one chapter covers, comprehension, Vocabulary, Grammar, Punctuation and Writing, therefore it does not make it boring for the students. There are activities that she has to copy on the book and write the answers for which I am helping her initially. I do the copy work and she writes the answers.

Apart from this we do this spelling book just for the sake of doing as it also has some Grammar and comprehension. But she learns a lot of spelling by reading and doing the Nelson Books everyday.

Every other day she reads a book to me and I read a book to her. She is a fast reader when she reads to herself but when she reads aloud she adds her own description as well (words that are not on the books are added). This is a habit that some children develop over the years as I have seen this with adults as well, this is one reason that I am making her read a book to me aloud to rectify this matter Inshaa Allaah. And she still enjoys me reading aloud too.

Our Study on Usoolth Thalaathah

As you all know I have incorporated the study of this important book to this year's schedule and Alhamdulillaah it is going well.

I was not too sure how Maimoonah would manage this book but she is able to study just like any other subject.

This is one of the first books recommended by scholars to  study for a student of knowledge and indeed it is such a wonderful book to inculcate the basics of Aqeedah and Manhaj in the little minds before anything else.

 My goals on this study Inshaa Allaah are

• Memorize the Arabic Text of Usooluth Thalaathah
• Memorize the Meaning of the text in English
• Understand the basic explanation of the Text
• Answer Questions on the Text and Explanation
• Act upon the Knowledge of the Text

What do we use for this (for the links for the resources please check this post)

• The Text 
• Sharh of Usooluth Thalaathah
• What is Towheed Work Book
• Sharh Usooluth Thalaathah Audio by brother Aboo Sufyaan Uthmaan Beecher
• Salafyink Worksheet

So how do we get about this?

We start off everyday with Usooluth Thalaathah.

• First we listen to the Matn in Arabic. Not the whole of it. If you see the Matn document I use then, we did the first part of it that is the first page and the second page for two weeks. 

• Then I read the selected Matn in Arabic three times
• I do not ask her to repeat anything until she is ready to do it by herself. After few days she opts to say the Arabic for me.
• Read the English Translation of Meaning of that particular part of the Matn
• Then we listen to the audio of the explanation
• Then I explain to her again the meaning of it.
• After few days, when she is ready to answer the questions related to what we have been reading and memorising I give her the work book. 

Alhamdulillaah the work book is a huge resource and very child friendly. May Allaah reward sis Umm Saffiyah and all those who helped her with it for a wonderful work done.

 

I do not get into all details of Sharh Usooluth Thalaathah but try to give some basic explanation for the Matn. But l let her listen to the audio with the detail explanation.

So is this bearing fruits? Yes by the permission of Allaah it is. It is indeed a great opportunity for me first to study along with her and learn this wonderful dheen of Allaah. Sometimes children this age will get bored learning this kind of serious things, but I do not make it a very long session. And most of the time I talk and try and bring in many examples (from the explanation of Usooluth Thalaathah of the scholars and the students of ilm)  as possible to make her understand the matters mentioned. And I talk a lot about the lives of the Scholars and when she learnt the biography of Shaykh Imaam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhaab and Shaykh Saalih Al Uthaymeen, she knew they use to learn like this when they were her age and that itself was a motivation for her. 

So its all up to us, how we present things and the attitude we have towards learning will reflect upon our kids bi idhnillaah. And I ask Allaah to bless us and guide us to continue this noble study and enable us to act upon what we study. Aameen.

Writing!

Maimoonah loves to write little notes, stories, letters and so on. And she writes everything and anything. I have never discouraged her or made any corrections on her writings but always appreciated them even though it was going a little too much about her bunny and cat and all kind of stories.

Now we started using the Write Source book where it teaches a child the writing process step by step. And this has helped me to teach her the actual writing process without making her feel that her writings need correction.

First together with Maimoonah I made this Writing Portfolio.

I printed out some writing pages from here and along with it kept a writing pad inside the file folder.

 

This portfolio would be used for all writing lessons. And all the writings will be filed here for this year.

The first chapter explains the writing process and takes you along with one writer's process.

So along with the book I asked her to follow the writer. First asked her to think about what she would want to write about as expected she chose to write about a cat.

Then asked her to draw a picture about what she has in mind. She drew something like a cat and she eating some food. Then I asked her to write and describe the picture. And this is what she wrote. This was her pre writing.

Then I read and explained to her where she has gone wrong sighting the example on the book. I explained to her while what she has written is very cute and nice but what is expected to write is something meaningful that everyone would enjoy to read. And the writing must describe the picture. So I asked her to edit her writing. She wanted me to do that. I told her to dictate and I wrote. Now she really understood the point. Subhanallaah! And now she always wants to write things better.

We also wrote a title to her story and she copied it neatly on another paper. This was her published story.

The Hungry Cat
One day I saw a cat. I was eating a bun. The little cat said "meow, meow'. It was hungry. I gave the cat some food. The cat ate the food and said "meow, meow". May be she said "Thank You", to me!

The next chapters in the book teaches guidelines and many different forms of writings. I feel this would help her to make her writings better Inshaa Allaah. As we go on we will share this writing journey Inshaa Allaah!