I want my children to feel like to be a pilgrim? How can I express this feeling to them
Answer
Assalam 'Alykum sister,
First of all I want to congratulate all our visitors for the Feast ( `Eid al Adhah) occassion and wish all those who were successful to go to the pilgramiage journey that Allah grants them with His Mercy and Forgiveness.
It is not easy to explain our beloved children , how it feels to be a Hajj and how it feels when being on Hajj, as it is a very unique experience and there is no other similar or equivalent event or activity that can be used as an anology during your explaination.
It is very important however to stress on certain values, concepts and issues when trying to explain such a holy experience:
Sincerity With it I mean what is in Arabic called Ikhlas. A hajj should go to his voyage with complete,real and whole-hearted sincerity , having no other intention in mind than to please Allah, if he really seeks His Mercy and Forgiveness. This is something our children have to get to know from a very young age. Allah's reward is always related to one's real intention and sincerity.
SubmissionNot all actions and activities a hajj is asked to do during his hajj can be explained in a logical mean and manner and still Muslims are asked to do them , here comes the value of being completely submissive to Allah. Maybe one day the hajj will find the wisdom behind this or that action but maybe not.
Unity We may tell our children on this occassion , that look at the amount of Muslims going to Hajj , look at the quantity of Muslims who representr the whole Ummah and on the other hand look how disunited Muslims are these days. Hajj teaches us that we must stay united and to unite the Ummah , even if it is not an easy duty , it is a prerequisite of Attaining Allah's Please and Mercy.
Name
Sofeya
-
Profession
Question
The Hajj is full of rituals and history and I tried the last days to explain this to my son. But he gets board easily and refuse to listen to me. He is 13 and this means that he can understand all the Hajj aspects but he prefer to play computer game than talking with me.
Answer
Assalam alaikum,
Yes , most parents , use the wrong tools to explain such a magnificant and marvellous event to their kids: words,words , words. Boredom is then the inevitable result of your talk.
Why not making a simulation even at home, why not making some activities that are related to hajj , why not asking him to search and get out the needed information about hajj.
If we really want them to learn something and not to get bored we must use interactive , creative and inspiring tools.
Use video tapes , pictures , the internet , ...etc. On the internet you may find good activities and good -even stories - about hajj.
Assalamu'alaikum,
How do we educate our children the importance of Hajj?
Answer
Assalam alaikum brother Zakaria,
First of all children must feel the importance before they understand it. And feelings are easily transferred from parents to their kids, if children really feel how the event is part of their parents talk , enthusiasm , and excitment , they will feel the same and will surely get the feeling of importance and that it is something really unique and so precious.
Second, how to explain the importance of Hajj will of course vary according to the child's age. However, generally speaking the analogy of a house construction. Any house needs a strong foundation and base to stay stable and fixed to the earth. These foundations are always what the architect begins with when building the house and without is there will be no house. The five pillars of Islam are the foundation the base of one's Religion.
Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam and it is therefore it is a basic and crucial ritual Muslims have to abide to.
Name
M.
- United States
Profession
Question
I'm an American muslim teacher working in a public school. I'm the only muslim at the school and I can't talk about Islam at all even declaration or allusion . But I really want to do some thing to my non muslim students but I feel as if I'm captive….
Answer
Assalam alaikym,
It must be a difficult situation that you are finding yourself in. I know exactly how does it feel, wanting to talk about Islam and not knowing how and where to begin.
The best thing to do is to let the information you want to tell them come out of them. Ok , here it is how this is done.
Ask for instance your students to make a research about the national and big cross-cultural events that are going to take place during the month of January, all over the world.
Inshallah one of them is going to come up with HAJJ. If not you may then ask them if anyone came across the event called : HAJJ. Ask a group ( not all of them) to make a research about it. Read it , and discuss it with the group , adding in a very indirect way necessary information to the event. Let them present Hajj to all the other students , here comes then your role. Ask students to think about the importance of it for Muslims, the value of it for Muslims....etc.
This should be done in terms of representing Islam as one of the internationally wide spread religions which deserves respect and to be understood like other religions.
Ask them to think about the improtance to respect all religions and cults and to give each one sufficient time to read about it and to think about it.
One last very last advice , non- Muslims in general need to be approached in an objective and logic way. The logic the wisdom of rituals and the value of each one for the benefit of each individual and for society at large must be always your focus point.
Name
Irrena
- Australia
Profession
Question
Why I should introduce this event to my small kids?!! What is the benefit and how can they understand the Hajj??
Answer
Assalam alaikum,
Good question:"Why"?
Why introducing Hajj to our kids.There are two answers , each related to a different situation:
Muslim Kids For Muslim kids it is crucial to explain the event to them , as they are asked one day , when they are adult , able to do it , to undergo this experience. And introducing hajj , does not necessarily mean to explain all the details and the associated rituals to the small kids, but to explain , the importance , maybe the historical aspect of it and the wisdom and the values and concepts that are associated with Hajj.
The Unity of the Muslim Ummah, the eternal aspiration to attain Allah's Mercy and Forgiveness, Allah's Mercy to provide us with such an opportunity that may result in total Forgiveness , the concept that each one of us must take the first step towards Allah to gain his Please and Mercy....are all lessons, parents are asked to teach their children and Hajj is a golden opportunity for that.
for them the issue of hajj may be also a golden opportunity to know better about Islam and that it is a great religion the fastest in growth these days. They may be also taught to respect Islam, and Muslims as they have their believes and their own rituals , traditions and culture. Being different does not mean to underestimate or under- grade the other , but it just means that the other deserves respect and understanding. Hajj is just a good occasion to instill these values.
Name
Father
-
Profession
Question
I don't think that telling my daughter about hajj has any advantages in encouraging, and maintaining an Islamic way of life. In my opinion I should removing her to an Islamic environment first so she could feel the advantages to be a muslim
Answer
Assalam alaikum Father,
Yes and No. Yes you are very much right introducing your daughters into an islamic way of life and providing here with the needed environment is very crucial and important and it A PRIORITY when thinking about raising Muslim children.
However introducing Hajj may also - when done in a very creative and positive way - lead to her feeling that it is an advantage to be a MUslim.
I do not prefer "telling " our children about Hajj , but introducing them to the event in a creative interactive way, so that they understand the values and concepts behind it. Details of rituals are not the issue but the lessons behind it and its importance are just crucial for the spiritual development of their personality.
It is not right to ignore an event of such an importance ,our kids are really entitled to know what it is and why it is done , when seeing the pictures of Hajj on TV. Staying totally ignorant about the event will lead them to maybe situations of embarrassment when being asked about it and not knowing what to say. We sometimes underestimate the ability of our little children to do " Da'wa" amongst Non-Muslim class-mates.
Provide your kids with confidence and pride to be Muslims. Provide them with the feeling of LOVE towards their religion and its rituals , this is what is needed ( amongst other things ) to raise Muslim Kids.
Name
SAM
-
Profession
Question
SALAM: I AM A MUSLIM MAN IN THE WEST. DOES A MUSLIM HAVE TO TELL EVERY NON-MUSLIM HE MEETS ABOUT ISLAM, BECAUSE THERE ARE INSTANCES WHEN CONVERSATION DOESNT ALLOW.
JAZAKUM ALLAH KHAIRAN
Answer
assalam aalaikum,
no brother, you don't have to tell each and every one you meet about Islam , but there is another very effective way to do Da'wah and that is by being a good MODEL AND EXAMPLE. They then will think why is this guy doing things in such a perfect and sincere manner, what inspires him and motivates him. Couldn't it be because he is a Muslim?
And if every one of us is doing the same the question after some time will be :" WHy else should he be so kind , polite and sincere, other than the fact that he is a Muslim".
Again I wish all our audience , a Happy and fruitful Eid full of Forgiveness and Allah's Blessings.
Name
Hanema
-
Profession
Question
I took my son to hajj and he suffered their a lot and now he blame me to took hem and hate even to hear the word of hajj
Answer
Assalam alaikum,
Now let's talk about how to try to remedy the consequences of the situation, which may have been due to the fact that he was not introduced well enough to what he is going to go through when accompaning you to Mecca.
One thing that is essential is to tell him that all his sufferings are inshall'Allah well-rewarded and that no one on earth is rewarded while sitting idle. Paradise is Allah's reward for peoples submission and good deeds on this world, and the harder a deed is the better the reward. He should not look to the suffering more than looking to its possitive ( inahsa 'allah ) consequece of it.
Speak proudly about the journey and with special stress on the reward inshallah any and every one will get, if his sincerity and honesty has been preserved during the journey.
Show him how much people aspire and dream of going there, and that just having been there is a Blessing in itself, even if the journey was full of sufferings.
