Opening the ayah…
وَتَفَقَّدَ ٱلطَّيْرَ فَقَالَ مَا لِىَ لَآ أَرَى ٱلْهُدْهُدَ أَمْ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْغَآئِبِينَ
Wa tafaqqada ṭṭay'ra faqāla mā liya lā 'arāl-hud'huda 'am' kāna mina l-ghā'ibīna
And he took a muster of the Birds; and he said: "Why is it I see not the Hoopoe? Or is he among the absentees?
Translation: Abdullah Yusuf Ali
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Opening the guide…
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4-I guide
Sulayman checked the birds and asked why the hoopoe was not there, or whether it was absent.
Start with bismillah.
Ask: "Why does a good leader notice who is missing?"
Animal Fact Files shares fun facts about hoopoe birds.
Now listen to the ayah together in the app, with the translation. Ask: "Which bird was missing?"
Each child keeps one wonder question, for example: "Why did one small bird matter to Sulayman?" Younger children can draw theirs.
Find it in the mushaf: Surah An-Naml is surah 27. Find ayah 20. The key word tafaqqada means he checked carefully. Sulayman had huge armies, yet he noticed one bird missing. Good leaders care about every single member. The hoopoe is a bird with a striking crest and striped wings.
Fact: What does a hoopoe use its long curved beak for?
Ages 5–8: Who is missing? Hide one toy from a group and find out which is gone.
Ages 9–12: Caring leader. Write how a teacher or parent notices when someone is missing.
Finish with: "I found that hoopoes use their beaks to ___."
Talk together:
Make a small plan: "This week, I will check on a friend who has been quiet or absent."
Action: Check on a friend who has been quiet or absent.
