help me teach my 5yo about Islam

[kangamitroo]

I know I need to educate myself further, and should read the Qur'an in entirety. for now, can you help me teach my 5yo about Islam? of course, like with other religions, there are many many interpretations. here is the admittedly slanted view I would want offer dd: what did the Prophet teach about peacemaking and equality?

since she is young, I need to offer her only a few key points. I am afraid that trying to patch something together (from sources like Muslim Peace Fellowship) I will not do the tradition justice.

I can find children's books about holidays, praying 5 times, etc, but not just basic beliefs.

thank you so much.

[umsami]

My eldest is 5 and goes to an Islamic Sunday school. Honestly, there's not a lot out there for this age group other than story books. They use coloring/sticker books in his class... if you want, I can send you the names/links. They're all available on Noor Art.

I really really loved Rukhsana's Khan "Muslim Child" book. It does a good job explaining the various beliefs... and then follows with stories and even recipes.

You could also see if your library has the "Adam's World" DVDs. They were done in the 90s and basically feature a puppet Canadian-Muslim boy named Adam, his Sister Aneesah, and their adventures in learning about Islam. I used to have many of the VHS tapes, but I gave them away. Sorry.

[kangamitroo]

thank you, Umsami. i will look for "Muslim Child."

may i ask, how do you describe your faith to your 5yo? how do you describe the most essential teachings, as you view them? that is, if there is an easy way to answer!

[umsami]

Originally Posted by kangamitroo

thank you, Umsami. i will look for "Muslim Child."

may i ask, how do you describe your faith to your 5yo? how do you describe the most essential teachings, as you view them? that is, if there is an easy way to answer!

Honestly, at this age it's more of a lead by example. We talk a lot about how God/Allah (I use both words) loves him. We talk about how we're supposed to be kind to each other, etc. We teach them Muslim adab(behavior)... so like we say "Bismillah ar Rahman ar Rahim" before we eat. We say that we're reminding ourselves that it's because of God's kindness that we have this food...and we need to remember that not everybody does. When we're done eating, we say, "Allhamdullilah"...which is basically saying thank you to God. He sees us pray, and the kids just sort of follow along... but there's not a big focus on teaching them how to pray until they're 7 or so.

I'll try and think about it more...and see what else comes up. But it's pretty informal right now. You could also try posting on the Muslim Mamas thread in Spirituality. Nobody would be upset if you posted or anything...and there are a lot of more knowledgeable Mamas than I on the list.

[kangamitroo]

the teaching by example makes sense. i find myself mindful of how much my dd watches and absorbs, and it helps me strive to be my best for her.

my question was prompted by dd's recent interest in great teachers. i have taught her a tiny bit about Buddha as a teacher, and she recently learned that Martin Luther King Jr. was inspired by his understanding of Jesus's teachings on love. i also want to be able to say, "the Prophet Muhammad was a great teacher, here's what he showed people."

i have requested Rukhsana Khan's book from my library. from the description it looks fabulous. as i educate myself, i will be able to share more with dd as questions arise. and maybe i'll peep in on the Muslim mamas thread...

(and OT: thank you for the link to ANERA in your signature)

[Liquesce]

Originally Posted by kangamitroo

here is the admittedly slanted view I would want offer dd: what did the Prophet teach about peacemaking and equality?

Given the above, I just wanted to quickly suggest two books -- one for your child directly and one for you:

For her, Muhammad by Demi, which though technically intended foe slightly older children isn't so deep as to be utterly over the heads of younger, and for you, The Wisdom of the Prophet, prophetic quotes as selected and translated by Thomas Cleary, which gathers together many of the recorded sayings of Muhammad which are, for lack of a better term, unchallenging ... those which reflect on the easily positive and pretty universally positive aspects of Islam, and which don't demand any particular knowledge of the time and place in which they were spoken.

[kangamitroo]

Liquesce, thank you for the recommendations. i have seen some of Demi's other biographies, and i think dd would have the attention span.

[Turkish Kate]

Here's a great 8:32 video that sums it all up very well.

Sayings of Prophet Muhammed

[um_hanna]

A is for Allah is a great book easy for kids and adults too: