This was an escape room / house-wide challenge created for teenagers. A simple walk-through is given below, but for more details and printouts to recreate it, pls see this doc: Imam Mahdi Challenge – teens
The girls received a text as follows:
After a few attempts, I asked them to use their senses. They heard Salam Ya Mahdi playing in the background, and realised that was the password, and so were allowed to enter the room!
They saw pieces of paper with names around the room and began collecting them. There were a couple of clues up for other challenges, and books etc on Imam Mahdi around which led them on a false trail, before they were reguided to a clue on the board:
They then realised they had to find the 4 representatives from among the names and order them in order to get the code for a padlocked bag in the room.
Once opened, they found a smaller bag with a lock, and a map.
Eventually they realised that the map was a map of the house, and that they needed an invisible ink pen for more instructions, which was in a pot of pens in the room.
The map showed them the route they would need to take, so off they went!
The first room had some maths puzzles on the floor when they entered, with some pencils and paper and so they set to work.
Once they solved it, they checked the map to find the next room. As they left this room, they received a heart bauble with little pieces of paper, each saying KNOWLEDGE (one for each of them).
2) The next room had a book in it – Miracles of the Imam of the Time. They used the answer to the last challenge to find the right page, where they found an instruction to read the marked story and make their own dua to the Imam. As they left this room, they received a bauble saying FAITH.
3) The next room had a puzzle. They completed the puzzle (Masjid e Jamkaran and turned it over to read the message behind. The message conveyed that while they had been praying at Jamkaran, they were taken captive by the enemies of the Imam. I then took them down and split them into two rooms nearby each other, where they could hear each other but not see each other. This bauble was for ZIYARAT.
4) In one of the rooms, there was a box with a code on it. Both the rooms had something up for them to decipher the code by communicating, at which point they were able to open the box and rejoin each other.
Inside the box was a puzzle they had to complete, on the Duas for the Imam, which led them to a message. They had to figure out what they message meant (Quran). As they left to the next room, they recieved a bauble which said DUAS.
5) In this room, they saw a Quran, which had some pages marked. On the marked pages, was a word that was circled. They had to find all the words and rearrange them to make: Indeed the Imam will come. As they left, they received a bauble with QURAN.
6) The next room on the map guided them to a matching game, with pics to be matched to battles Imam Ali (as) had fought with Zulfiqar, which the Imam would also be using. Once they had matched them all, they received a bauble saying INNER STRUGGLE.
Once they had done this, they received a bauble with PREPARE and they got the following slip:
They looked for the hanging dua which was a canvas with Dua Hujjat on it. They looked behind and found the key to the small bag with the lock.
When they opened it, they saw the following!
Lastly, I switch on the first two minutes of the following:
Alhamd, lots of fun and hopefully learning was had and done! Each girl took home a bauble with all the little chits of the different aspects of what we need to do to be the soldiers of the Awaited inshallah. They could decorate it as well if they wanted!
If you do use this, send me a message – would love to hear how it went 🙂
One mum created this awesome escape room for ages 6-9 years! Check out the overview below – links to the resources have been given throughout to help you recreate it in your own homes, Inshallah!:
“They all received this special invite:
In the beginning the kids were sent a very exciting text from our ‘mystery’ person telling them they were specially chosen for this quest and that they have been left clues around the room for them to solve. A knock came to the door and a letter was slipped under. Once they were able to solve this (by spraying it with water! https://youtu.be/DzcUhOjnRBo) they read: “I’m waiting for my 313 – please get ready for me.” They realized the note mentioned the 313.
This code helped unlock a bag with coins which they kids realized needed to go in the sadaqa box.
The Sadaqa box had a quote on it from the Quran, chapter 57:10 (And why do you not spend in the cause of Allah while to Allah belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth?). The kids then realized these numbers unlock another bag. In that, they found a blank sheet of paper which when coupled with a special flashlight they found in the room revealed a message written in invisible ink: ‘Getting close to the Imam Mahdi (aj) is not without obstacles. Go next door to complete the obstacle challenge’. The message led them to an obstacle course where they had to go through hurdles to complete good deeds, whilst ‘shaitan’ (an adult with the stick below!) was attempting to knock them off their course. They were reminded to keep saying Audhubillahi minashaitaanir Rajeem!
After completing that, they noticed a bag of chocolates left in the original room. The message told them to give of what they love (3:92) and share these chocolates with the adults (Giving these away was by far their hardest challenge for them😂). The adults in return gave them an encrypted code with they had to break using the decryption wheels they found in the room. One clue said ‘to get close to the Imam get close to the Quran.’ Another clue said ‘Baqarah sixty.’
The kids quickly found the Quran in the room and found the versewhich talked about taking care of the environment.
In the meantime the adults, after the eating their chocolates, threw the wrappers on the floor. The kids realized they were to throw the wrappers in the bin where they found a little key that opened the suitcase.
Once the suitcase was unlocked, they found an iPad with a paper taped to it (Wordle clue printed with Red-Squiggles printed on top of it). They had to use special magnifying glasses (made out of red cellophane) to read a clue asking them to solve the wordle on the IPad (https://mywordle.strivemath.com/?word=boidu) and do what it says under the white bedsheet they found in the suitcase.
After a few attempts the kids realized the word was Faraj. They got under the sheet using a flashlight like ‘the sun behind the clouds’ and began to recite Dua Faraj.
When they came out they noticed a final message had slipped through the door again! This message was solved by using a magic pen to color in the cloud (Magic Decoder Set – available online). It said: ‘You have called me and I am here always guiding you like the sun behind the clouds.’
It showed the kids that while they were busy trying to find clues to figure out how they could bring the Imam back, they were actually doing exactly what it takes to bring him back! Charity, going through hurdles and obstacles everyday to fight off Shaytaan while doing good deeds, giving from what you love/being kind to parents, getting close to the Quran, taking care of the earth/recycling etc, using your intellect, reciting Dua Faraj, working together and helping each other. Through these actions they are getting prepared for the Imam so they can be like his 313 and speed up his arrival.
They did so so well mashAllah! I stood back and let them solve the clues themselves, only nudging them in the right direction once. We finished off with a story of Iman Mahdi and some Fatiha.”
One community had a social media campaign in the lead up to 15th Shabaan. They would also send it to their Madressa students as a countdown from 5 days before his birthday.
Day 1:
5 days to go! A special birthday of a special person! 🎉💐Exciting isn’t it? ☺️
Wouldn’t it be awesome if we could send him a gift 🎁 each day counting down from today till the 15th of Sha’baan 1443?
Let Us actively close the distances by ‘LINKING TO OUR HEARTBEAT!’ ❣️
🌟 We shall be posting short videos as a countdown to the 15th. Do view them as a family and make it even more meaningful by adding your own special whisper and dua before you dedicate your actions to the Imam (atfs)! 🤲🏼
اللهم عجل لوليك الفرج
Day 2:
4 days to go!
Day 3:
3 days to go!
Day 4:
Tonight and tomorrow will be wonderful!
Day 5:
Tonight and tomorrow will be wonderful!
2 weeks later:
It has been 2 Weeks since we celebrated His (atfs) Birthday
I ask myself: – how much have I remembered him to date? – have I included him in every prayer ? or am I guilty of forgetting him? 😔
Stations were set up around the hall – these are the details:
1. Remembering the Imam: out of my mystery box I will pull out around items on imam mahdi and stick onto my felt board explaining each one (M/meem for Mohamed Mahdi, compass for ‘the guide, sun behind the cloud, last prophet (I did a picture of people in line with arrow on last one), the number 12, Money (to show he will have all the wealth and distribute it equally), a cave with three books (I ask children what books they think came out —Quran, Bible, Torah because he will guide each religion through their own books), a peace on earth felt, a united group of people for bringing unity etc. ( I will send a picture). Then I will turn over my board and sing a funny song about ‘something happening to my board’ song while removing all items and tell children they must or tell me what things were on the board for me to bring it out and if they get all they get a prize. Kids who guess all the items correct have one more mission to recite Dua Faraj (I had a copy ready one child to read and lead the group) and they all got to pick one small lollipop before moving to next station)
2. Pledging to the Imam: Using magnet sheet squares kids write or have written their ‘pledge to the imam’ on the middle and then paint/decorate around it. Eg: I pledge to help everyday with my chores.
3.Celebrating the Imam: We purchased plain cupcakes and bought frosting and sprinkles, mini mnms etc to decorate cupcakes. Each kid will get a candle and they will end station by singing happy birthday to the imam
4. Eagerly awaiting the imam: This document covers what happened in this fun obstacle course. We made a large sun behind the cloud on a wall and after each accomplished task, kids would have to ‘touch’ it and shout “Ya Mahdi”
5. Preparing for the Imam: a worksheet with a suitcase called “preparing for imam” and kids would get another worksheet with images of good and bad actions to prepare like giving Sadaqa, kicking etc. kids will cut out the good actions. This was adjusted for older kids by having them write down what they can do to prepare for imam inside suitcase instead of cutting and gluing out images
The event ended with cake of course! Everyone cried out ‘Ya Mahdi!’ as they wished the Imam a very happy birthday. A fun day full of learning for all 🙂
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