Opening the ayah…
وَقَالُوا۟ لَوْ شَآءَ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنُ مَا عَبَدْنَٰهُم ۗ مَّا لَهُم بِذَٰلِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ ۖ إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَخْرُصُونَ
Wa qālū law' shā'a rraḥ'mānu mā ʻabad'nāhum . mmā lahum bidhālika min' ʻil'min . 'in' hum' 'illā yakh'ruṣūna
("Ah!") they say, "If it had been the will of (Allah) Most Gracious, we should not have worshipped such (deities)!" Of that they have no knowledge! they do nothing but lie!
Translation: Abdullah Yusuf Ali
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Opening the guide…
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4-I guide
They claim the Most Merciful would have stopped them from worshipping idols if He had wished, but they are only guessing without knowledge.
Start with bismillah.
Ask: "What excuses do people make when they do something wrong?"
Watch the Give Us A Story video Excuses, Excuses.
Now listen to the ayah together in the app, with the translation. Ask: "What excuse did the idol-worshippers use?"
Each child keeps one wonder question, for example: "Why is blaming Allah for our choices wrong?" Younger children can draw theirs.
Find it in the mushaf: Surah Az-Zukhruf is surah 43. Find ayah 20. The key word yakhrusun means they are only guessing. These people said, "If Allah didn't want us to worship idols, He would have stopped us." That is an excuse. Allah gave us minds, messengers and the freedom to choose, so we are responsible for our choices.
Fact: What does the word responsibility mean?
Ages 5–8: Own it. Practise saying "That was my mistake, I'll fix it" instead of making an excuse.
Ages 9–12: Excuse buster. List three common excuses and what to say instead.
Finish with: "I found that responsibility means ___."
Talk together:
Make a small plan: "This week, I will own up to one mistake without making an excuse."
Action: Own up to one mistake without making an excuse.
