Tafakur and Nature Study

There’s been a lot of talk about how children do not get enough outdoor time and how they are ‘nature starved.’ And it’s true, if we look at how much time kids spend in front of TVs, Ipads, computers and smart phones, it’s no doubt kids are not finding time to go outdoors. Yet we have been called upon in the Quran to contemplate and ponder over the natural world, the earth and the heavens, the sun and the moon. The Quran tells us to look at how the camels were created, how the mountains were formed, and the passage of the day and night. The Quran talks about bees, ants and other creatures.  The lesson here is that we can only truly know Allah and appreciate His greatness through exploring nature.

And this is why I have decided to start a weekly Tafakur Trip! In essence it’s an outdoor nature discovery and exploration trip.  I came across a great practical guide to exploring nature that’s full of tips and ideas.  So we’ll be packing that with us in our Tafakur Trips.
(http://www.amazon.com/The-Nature-Connection-Workbook-Classrooms/dp/1603425314 )

 

So here’s what we’ll be taking along:

• Nature bag (this pink girly one was a great hit from accessorize)

• Pencil case and pencils, rubber etc
• water colours
• magnifying glass
• binoculars
• plain paper notebooks
• scissors

InshAllah as we go along I’ll post some of our nature pictures and notebook pages. Our niyyahs as we take these trips are:
1. To do Tafakur as Allah has ordered us in the Quran
2. To know Allah more and learn about His greatness
3. To spend our time as did our Prophet Mohamad SAWS did when he was a child
4. To learn to appreciate Allah’s creations
5. To develop a depth of character that will comes from contemplation and reflection