Opening the ayah…
فَلَوْلَآ إِذَا بَلَغَتِ ٱلْحُلْقُومَ
Falaw'lā 'idhā balaghati l-ḥul'qūma
Then why do ye not (intervene) when (the soul of the dying man) reaches the throat,-
Translation: Abdullah Yusuf Ali
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Opening the guide…
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4-I guide
Why not act, then, when the soul of a dying person comes up to the throat?
Start with bismillah.
Ask: "What happens inside your body every time you breathe?"
Watch the TED-Ed video How do lungs work?
Now listen to the ayah together in the app, with the translation. Ask: "Which moment does this ayah describe?"
Each child keeps one wonder question, for example: "Who decides how many breaths I will take?" Younger children can draw theirs.
Find it in the mushaf: Surah Al-Waqi'ah is surah 56. Find ayah 83. The key word al-hulqum means the throat. This ayah describes, very gently, the last moment of a person's life. Every breath we take is a gift from Allah, and only He knows how many breaths each of us will have.
Fact: About how many breaths does a person take in a day?
Ages 5–8: Calm breathing. Breathe in for four counts and out for four counts, five times. Say alhamdulillah.
Ages 9–12: Breath count. Count your breaths for one minute at rest and after jumping. What changes?
Finish with: "I found that people breathe about ___ times a day."
Talk together:
Make a small plan: "This week, I will take a calm breath and say alhamdulillah when I wake up."
Action: Take a calm breath and say alhamdulillah when you wake up.
