Making the Most of This Time

As Muslims we are encouraged to take the middle ground. Having a balance is essential to our mental well-being, as well as helps to facilitate us with a space where we can be consistent in our daily acts of Ibaadah, healthy eating routines, exercise, and the amount of quality time we spend with our families.

Last week, the World Health Organization classified the corona virus as being a global epidemic. As a result, schools, corporations, masajid and small businesses have had to shift in the way they think in order to still operate. Being flexible has been at the helm of everyone’s approach in how children can continue to be schooled from home, goods can continue to be delivered to customers, and services can be provided to meet the needs of everyday people. All of a sudden we have become fixers in a world placed on pause because of safety concerns.

However, the flip side of this is that we are being forced to slow down in our daily lives. For some of us, this is a great feat, which was needed in order to help us evaluate the things we place value on. Home is now where our families spend every waking hour. There is a lot of benefit we can find from this, and as a family we can strive to make the most out of the time we are being given.

Praying as a Family

Utilizing this time with our families to increase in prayer together, remembrance of Allah, and finding opportunities to read the Quran is one way we can bond with our families. We’ve heard the saying that the family that prays together, stays together. A man came to Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said, “Direct me to a deed which will admit me to Jannah and take me away from the Fire” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Worship Allah and associate no partner with Him, perform the Salāh, pay Zakāh, and maintain the ties of kinship (1).” You can also use this time to read the Quran with your family 20 minutes a day. The prophet Muhammad said (ﷺ) said, “The best among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Qur’ān and teach it (2).”

Islamic Activities for Kids

There are a lot of creative things we can do to help our kids connect to their understanding of the Deen in a creative and meaningful way. Mama Teaches Me at https://www.mamateachesme.com is a homeschooling Blog that provides a lot of resources for families. What we like about them is that they help parents learn on how to make teaching Islam fun, and relevant! They have a list of how-to-activities with examples and pictures. In addition, Ayeina Official at https://www.ayeinaofficial.com is another resourceful website. Every year they have a blog focusing on 30 craft activities for kids. You can even look at the blog from previous years to get additional ideas, and see the craft activity featuring our book, My First 100 Sight Words, as well.

Learning at the tip of Your Hands

There are so many educational websites and companies offering free materials, classes, and resources. What’s great is that everyone is responding in a collaborative way to help students stay engaged and continue learning from home. There are so many interactive lessons, virtual field trips, live classes, videos, free downloadable books and more. We have actually compiled some list to help you see what’s being offered for learners around the world. Visit our Instagram page to access the list.

Need More Ideas?

Check back next week for our blog which will focus on 5 easy craft activities you can do at home with demonstration for your little ones.

(1) Al-Bukhari & Muslim, on the authority of Abu Ayyub Khalid bin Zaid Al-Ansari

(2) Musnad Ahmad, narrated by Jabir Ibn ‘Abdullah