Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Teaching Children to Pray


We’ve been working on integrating Salah gradually in our daily routine. As A is almost 6, it is very important for me to ensure that she is not only familiar with the athkar and actions of the prayers but also that she is trained to consistently do her prayers.

I found this method for training her to become regular in her prayers from the book The Child in Islam by Norma Tarazi, to be extremely useful. I have quoted the passage here:

 A simple workable method for initiating salat with a young child is the following. On his fifth birthday, ask him to begin regular prayer with the family once a day. This should be treated as a special event, a significant landmark on his road to growing up. The most suitable prayer to begin with is generally maghrib, when the whole family is at home and can pray together. Then, when the child reaches five and a half, initiate the second salah, any one out of the five you choose. On the sixth birthday, the third salah is added; at six and a half, the fourth; and by the seventh birthday, he has all five prayers regularized.

 As suggested, we have started doing Maghrib prayer together. However, please note that with any child who has not reached the age of seven, it must be entirely the child's choice. Some sheikhs have even suggested that if the child is ordered to pray before seven the may be entirely put off. Therefore if the child is eager and willing and wants to pray, encourage them, otherwise its best to leave it till they are seven.

I have started our formal prayer studies. Here is the list of the resources that I will be using InshAllah.

 Resources:

1.       Talibdeen Jr, step by stepSalah instruction
http://tjislamicstudies.blogspot.com/2010/10/step-by-step-salah-instruction.html

2.       Islaam for kids, Prayer
http://islaam4kids.wordpress.com/category/very-small-kids/

3.       Resource book, Why do we Pray
http://www.box.com/s/cd0eacc93eef9a33b393

Here are the prayer topics that I want to focus on initially:

What is prayer?
Why do we Pray
The Story of the Israa and Miraj
The Qiblah: Facing the Kaaba
Wudoo
Knows that wudhu is necessary before one can pray
Knows the steps of wudhu and can perform them
Knows what breaks ones wudhu
Knows that excessive water should not be used to make wudhu
Knows the duaa to say after wudhu is made
The Sutrah
Things that Break the Prayer
Takbeer
Opening Duaa
Rukoo  
Sujood
Between the Sajdahs
Straightening from Rukoo
The Tashahhud
Salaat Upon the Prophet(salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam
 Seeking Refuge from 4 Things
Supplication before Tasleem
Tasleem
After Prayer Thikr
What is a Rakaah?
Positions of the Salaat
The Five Prayers
Salatul Fajr
Salatul Dhuhr
Salatul Asr
Salatul Maghrib
Salatul Ishaa



1 comment:

  1. Assalaamu Alaikum wa Ramatullahi wa Barakatuh sister :)

    InshaAllah this finds you and your family in the best of health and iman. Jazaki Allahu khairun for sharing this publicly! InshaAllah it will benefit my youngest daughter as I teach her to pray. I'm enjoying reading your blog. Do you still post?

    ReplyDelete