Crafts are an amazing way to get hands-on learning underway… Here are some examples:
- Birth of Imam Mahdi (as) Collage:
“We started with a big piece of cardboard (roughly A2 size) that we had lying around from a recent delivery. The piece had protruding bits at the top and bottom that added to the 3D effect of the final finished collage. To create the background for our collage, we painted the cardboard using a mixture of metallic gold poster paint mixed with a roughly equal amount of pva glue. We then sprinkled colourful sequins and glitter all over the paint while still wet and then left it all to dry and set.
For the cutout of Imam Hassan Askari (as) and Bibi Nargis Khatoon (as) holding the newly born Imam Mahdi (as), we used a part of the image linked to below:http://amira8.deviantart.com/art/Birth-of-Imam-Reza-188217408
We printed out the image on card stock, which FZ then painted using her watercolour paints and glitter. For the cutout of angel Jibreel, we used a part of the image linked to below:http://ourpreciouslambs.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/annunciation.jpg
We printed out the image on card stock, which FZ then painted using her watercolour paints and glitter. We stuck pieces of thermocol to the backs of the cutouts (creating a pop out effect) before gluing them into place against the gold backdrop using pva glue.
I had explained to FZ at length the analogy of Imame Zamana being like the sun behind the clouds. The sun, when hidden behind clouds, still gives us warmth, light, causes the plants and us to grow and flourish, and without which there would be no life! In the same way, our Imam, though hidden, still watches over us, sees our actions and loves and cares for us. He comes to our aid when we need him (told her the story of Syed Amili being lost in the desert and how Imam comes to his rescue…). We represented this analogy at the top of the collage, using cut out card shapes to create the sun and clouds. We used gold, silver, red and green glittery strips for the sun’s rays and to show the noor emanating from the blessed trio below.
FZ imagined that when our Imam was born, flowers began springing up everywhere (so we put in some felt flowers), all of Allah’s creatures rejoiced (so we added felt butterflies, caterpillars, sparkly animal and fish stickers to the bottom of the collage, although they may be hard to see! Lots and lots of yummy treats were given out (so we used sparkly stickers of cupcakes, ice lollies etc. at the top around the sun and clouds).
We also affixed tinsel decorations at the top and bottom of the collage using drawing pins. FZ practiced her handwriting skills by doing a small write up on our Imam on coloured card that we then cut out and stuck into place.”
2. I also loved this idea from Islam From The Start (www.islamfromthestart.com):
“We made a chart, painting some clouds and a sun. We plan to use it to both visually reinforce the hadith and record our remembrance of Imam every morning. With 40 dots around the sun, everyday after completing the list, the little one will draw a line from the sun to a dot making a ray. Inshallah by Eid we can celebrate a new habit with the remembrance of Imam shining a little bit brighter in our hearts!” Link with details here.
3. Fireworks and T-Shirts:
“We had been discussing the lives and some of the inspiring lessons learnt from our beloved Imam Husayn, Hazrat Abbas, Imam Zainul Abedin and Imame Zamana, and celebrated their wiladats with a couple of fun activities, alhamdulillah.
Using the analogy of beautiful, colourful, pure hearts filled with the love of Allah swt, His Guidance, goodness and light as opposed to ones blackened with sins, we discussed how these 4 awesome personalities, and our Prophets and Imams in general, personified all that is good and were like bursts of colour, spreading out over and lighting up our world with their teachings and their true followers (us!) and how, when Imam e Zamana returns, the entire world will be a haven of beauty and peace.
To visualise this concept, we had fun doing a ‘fireworks in a jar’ experiment! http://www.icanteachmychild.com/2012/05/fireworks-in-a-jar/
Next, FZ designed a t-shirt! She used different coloured sharpies to draw designs on a white t-shirt, using a variety of closed and open ended shapes. We then sprayed surgical spirit (available at pharmacies) using spray bottles, evenly all over her design, and then sprayed some more in the middle of each closed shape. We stood back and watched the magical effect of the colours spreading and blending into one another, beautifully transforming the initial designs into a lovely colourful background.
We talked about how Allah swt says, of our beloved Prophet saw and his household, in Hadith al Kisa: ‘By My Honor and Glory, O My angels! O Residents of My Heavens, verily, I have not created the erected sky, the stretched earth, the illuminated moon, the bright sun, the rotating planets, the flowing seas and the sailing ships, but for your sake and love’ Using fabric glitter pens and markers, FZ added to the t-shirt design by drawing our family, with herself at the centre, holding hands, surrounded by the colourful Love and Guidance of Allah swt through His Chosen Ones, as well as the sky, stars, Earth, sun, moon, planets and seas.
The end result was colourful, wearable art to remind us of these beautiful personages of the family of our beloved Prophet saw, their status as Allah’s Chosen Ones, and how we must strive hard to model our lives upon their example, Insha Allah. (Placing pieces of cardboard inside the t-shirts during the spraying of surgical spirit helps stop the colours seeping through to the back of the t-shirts).
For Shab e Baraat, I also introduced FZ to the idea of defining and being accountable for her personal goals for the coming year, to be revisited next year, Insha Allah.”
4. This visual reminder of how to prepare for the Imam:
