Another awesome benefit of good deeds is that they take away the bad ones, as Allah says in the Quran:
“Surely good deeds take away evil deeds” (Hud: 114)
I tend to use this ayah when one of the siblings has done something to the other – to make it ‘better’ i ask him/her to do something good for other – preferably something the other wants/likes (i.e. not just a hug and a sorry each time).
- To make this concept visual for the kids, why not take an eraser and make it into a Good Deed Eraser. Write down in pencil what the mistake/bad thing was, and when they have done something good, rub it away with the eraser!
This may also be a good way to show the children how MERCIFUL Allah is, as the 6th Imam has said that somebody who does something wrong has some time to repent. The angel who records good deeds asks the angel who records evil deeds to wait in case the person does a good deed which wipes out the bad one!
- This next idea from Towards Jannah is great to visually show good deeds pushing away bad ones:
Add oil-based food coloring into small containers containing oil which are labeled with some bad deeds and then pour them all into a bigger container. Then list good deeds (water) and pour into the same bigger container. Eventually, the good deeds make the oil rise to the top and you need to have another container underneath to catch the spill and you keep pouring water until all the bad deeds are washed away.