Opening the ayah…
لَا ٱلشَّمْسُ يَنۢبَغِى لَهَآ أَن تُدْرِكَ ٱلْقَمَرَ وَلَا ٱلَّيْلُ سَابِقُ ٱلنَّهَارِ ۚ وَكُلٌّۭ فِى فَلَكٍۢ يَسْبَحُونَ
Lā shsham'su yan[m]baghī lahā 'an tud'rika l-qamara walā -llay'lu sābiqu nnahāri . wakullun fī falakin yas'baḥūna
It is not permitted to the Sun to catch up the Moon, nor can the Night outstrip the Day: Each (just) swims along in (its own) orbit (according to Law).
Translation: Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Looking for reflections…
Shared reflections are reviewed before they appear. We feature ones that follow the spirit of the 4-I journey and suit families of all backgrounds.
Guided by the 4-I journey: Inspire, Investigate, Integrate, Impart. Use it as a starting point and make it your own.
Opening the guide…
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4-I guide
The sun never catches the moon and night never overtakes day, as each floats along in its own orbit.
Start with bismillah.
Ask: "What would happen if cars on a racetrack had no lanes?"
Watch the Smile and Learn video The Sun, Earth and Moon.
Now listen to the ayah together in the app, with the translation. Ask: "What does each one do?"
Each child keeps one wonder question, for example: "Why don't the planets crash?" Younger children can draw theirs.
Find it in the mushaf: Surah Ya-Sin is surah 36. Find ayah 40. The key word yasbahun means they swim or float. Each body in the sky glides in its own path, called a falak. The sun, the moon and the Earth move in balance, held by laws Allah set. Day and night follow each other in order, never colliding.
Fact: About how many days does the moon take to go once around the Earth?
Ages 5–8: Orbit dance. Three people walk in circles as sun, Earth and moon without bumping.
Ages 9–12: Orbit drawing. Draw the sun, Earth and moon with their paths, labelled with how long each orbit takes.
Finish with: "I found that one orbit of the moon takes about ___ days."
Talk together:
Make a small plan: "This week, I will keep my own day in order, with set times for prayer, play and rest."
Action: Keep your day in order.
