Opening the ayah…
لَّا يَسْـَٔمُ ٱلْإِنسَٰنُ مِن دُعَآءِ ٱلْخَيْرِ وَإِن مَّسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ فَيَـُٔوسٌۭ قَنُوطٌۭ
Llā yas''amu l-'insānu min duʻā'i l-khay'ri wa'in mmassahu shsharru faya'ūssun qanūṭun
Man does not weary of asking for good (things), but if ill touches him, he gives up all hope (and) is lost in despair.
Translation: Abdullah Yusuf Ali
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Opening the guide…
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4-I guide
People never get tired of praying for good things, but when trouble touches them they lose hope and despair.
Start with bismillah.
Ask: "What do you do when things go wrong?"
Watch the Tiny Hearts Islamic Stories video Allah Had a Better Plan.
Now listen to the ayah together in the app, with the translation. Ask: "How do people feel when trouble comes?"
Each child keeps one wonder question, for example: "How can I keep hope when things are hard?" Younger children can draw theirs.
Find it in the mushaf: Surah Fussilat is surah 41. Find ayah 49. The key words ya'usun qanut mean hopeless and despairing. People love asking for good things and never tire of it. But when something bad happens, many give up hope quickly. Believers keep hoping in Allah, because hard times pass and Allah's mercy is near.
Fact: Which prophet called on Allah from inside a whale?
Ages 5–8: Hope balloon. Write a hope on a balloon and keep it up in the air together.
Ages 9–12: Hard to hopeful. Write about a hard time that turned out better than you expected.
Finish with: "I found that the prophet was ___."
Talk together:
Make a small plan: "This week, I will make du'a with hope whenever something goes wrong."
Action: Make du'a with hope whenever something goes wrong.
