PREVIOUS: List of 99 Names of Allah with references and explanation
Allah is the One and only true God who created this whole world and whatever is in it (including us). The presence of the creation means that there is a Creator. We can’t see Allah, but what we see in nature; including animals, plants and flowers – are all signs of Allah’s power. There has to be SOMEONE in the start who started making everything and everyone. So that is Allah. He sees, hears and knows everything. Allah has control over everything. He never sleeps, eats or gets tired because He is All-Powerful and Self-Sufficient. Allah is not like any of His creation. He has no children, spouse or parents.
There are 3 divisions of Tawheed (Oneness of Allah):
1) Tawheed Ar-Ruboobiyyah – To single out Allah in His actions; creating, governing, providing, and organizing.
2) Tawheed Al-Uloohiyyah – To single out Allah in every act of worship (every act of worship is done for the sake of Allah alone).
3) Tawheed Al-Asmaa-was-Sifaat – To affirm for Allah what He has affirmed for Himself or His Prophet ﷺ has affirmed for Him from His Names and His Attributes (descriptions) without comparing Him to any of His creation.
First two points are easy to point out to children through the power of role-modeling and reflection (by asking questions that help kids ponder). Hence in this blogpost, we will focus on how to help kids learn Names and Attributes of Allah so they can fall in love with Him the more they get to know Him.
Teaching Allah’s Attributes through Interactive Crafts
Khadijah from @lunar_learners says: “As a parent, I am on a constant journey of trying to raise my children to be good human beings, founded in solid Islamic values inshAllah. What I have come to realize is that the first step in this journey is to instill a deep love and connection to Allah. It is for this reason that I chose to try and teach my children the 99 names of Allah. As we started this adventure as a family, it quickly became evident that delving deeper into the 99 names of Allah would not only help in deepening a connection with Allah, but would also help in forming that solid Islamic foundation I am seeking. Each attribute of Allah is in fact a guiding principle and teaches us qualities that we can all aspire to.
Of course with young children (4 and 2), it was very important to use a medium with which they could connect and for us that was crafts. For each name of Allah we completed different crafts of a various nature (examples pictured). Some were as simple as sticking and coloring with different materials and for others I tried to incorporate more creative elements like moving parts, which always seemed to add a greater level of excitement. Despite the craft chosen it was important that I kept things simple and fun. What I loved about using crafts as a means to teach was that it provided many different levels of benefit.
- It was a fun activity which kept my children engaged.
- During the craft, we had many opportunities to repeat the name of Allah we were working on.
- We had riveting conversations about the names of Allah which often took several interesting turns.
Before, during and after each craft we would discuss each name of Allah and I followed their lead during discussions. Having a concrete final product for them to look back at, be proud of and often show and explain to grandparents was perhaps one of the greatest benefits as it once again gave them an opportunity to reflect on each name of Allah. I realized that I did not expect my children to learn, or even remember, these 99 names through this project, but rather it is a way for us, as a family, to consciously spend time in our day reflecting on and remembering Allah and His many blessings. Through reflection of the qualities of Allah, inshAllah we can embody His essence and the principles He has imparted. It has been incredible to share these wonderful names of Allah with my children and both myself and my children learned so much through this process. To view images of all the crafts we completed please visit our website www.lunarlearners.com“
Free Resources to Help Kids Learn Allah’s Names
Kids love coloring, videos and crafts and what they enjoy doing, they enjoy learning too. So I hope that the following free resources help in shaa Allah:
Videos/Audios:
- Learn the 99 Names of ALLAH with Zaky (1 to 33) – please note that some of the names of Allah (like Ar-Raafi’) is disputed among the scholars so it’s best to stay on the safe side. The video overall is useful alhamdulillah.
- Learn the 99 Names of ALLAH with Zaky (34 to 66) – You can find the list of 99 Names of Allah with references from the Quran and Sunnah HERE (based on Sheikh Uthaymeen’s list).
- Check @saalim.alazhari Youtube Channel where he’ll be hosting mini tafsir videos on Names of Allah with his children – Real life examples of what kind of questions kids ask and how to answer them! (They are all organized HERE on the website).
This nasheed is on the famous rhythm of 99 Names of Allah, but the disputed Names have been replaced with the ones mentioned in Sh.Uthaymeen list (referenced HERE).
Free Printable coloring sheets, workbooks and flashcards:
- Names of Allah workbook (130 pages) by The Azharis (the workbook is also available in print)
- Color-in flashcards by Emaan Boost
- Free printable flashcards by Allamah Education
- Free workbook by Salam Homeschooling
- Free worksheets by Rahmah Muslim Homeschool
Quiz & Games
- Amazing quiz suitable for kids by Creative Motivations
- You can also make your own game at Kahoot
Sometimes learning is best supplemented by teaching others what we know. So you can encourage your children to teach what they have learnt to their younger siblings, cousins, or friends. You can also help them make a small video about what they have learnt and send it out to their grandparents, aunts, and uncles etc. We pray that this exercise will not only secure what you have taught them, but they will get to love Allah more the more they talk about Him. Tell them this Hadith Qudsi so that they can get excited about this activity in shaa Allah:
Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Allah says: ‘I am just as My slave thinks I am, (i.e. I am able to do for him what he thinks I can do for him) and I am with him if He remembers Me. If he remembers Me in himself, I too, remember him in Myself; and if he remembers Me in a group of people, I remember him in a group that is better than they; and if he comes one span nearer to Me, I go one cubit nearer to him; and if he comes one cubit nearer to Me, I go a distance of two outstretched arms nearer to him; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.’ ” [Hadith; Sahih al-Bukhari 7405]
READ: How to Help Kids Love Allah & Islam (without forcing it on them)