Opening the ayah…
لَوْ نَشَآءُ جَعَلْنَٰهُ أُجَاجًۭا فَلَوْلَا تَشْكُرُونَ
Law' nashā'u jaʻalnāhu 'ujājan falaw'lā tash'kurūna
Were it Our Will, We could make it salt (and unpalatable): then why do ye not give thanks?
Translation: Abdullah Yusuf Ali
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Opening the guide…
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4-I guide
Allah could have made our drinking water too salty to drink, so we should be thankful.
Start with bismillah.
Ask: "Why is the sea salty but rain is not?"
Watch the Colossal Cranium video Why Is The Ocean Salty?
Now listen to the ayah together in the app, with the translation. Ask: "What could Allah have made the rain like?"
Each child keeps one wonder question, for example: "Why is fresh water such a gift?" Younger children can draw theirs.
Find it in the mushaf: Surah Al-Waqi'ah is surah 56. Find ayah 70. The key word ujaj means very salty and bitter. Most of Earth's water is in the salty sea, which we cannot drink. When the sun warms the sea, fresh water rises and falls again as rain, leaving the salt behind. Allah made that happen, so we could drink.
Fact: How much of Earth's water is fresh water?
Ages 5–8: Taste test. With an adult, taste a tiny drop of salty water and then fresh water. Which would you want to drink?
Ages 9–12: Sun still. Make a simple solar still with a bowl, cling film and a cup to get fresh water from salty water.
Finish with: "I found that only about ___ of Earth's water is fresh."
Talk together:
Make a small plan: "This week, I will not leave the tap running."
Action: Not leave the tap running.
