Opening the ayah…
أَفَمَن يَمْشِى مُكِبًّا عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهِۦٓ أَهْدَىٰٓ أَمَّن يَمْشِى سَوِيًّا عَلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍۢ مُّسْتَقِيمٍۢ
'Afaman yam'shī mukibban ʻalā waj'hihī 'ah'dā 'amman yam'shī sawiyyan ʻalā ṣirāṭin mmus'taqīmin
Is then one who walks headlong, with his face grovelling, better guided,- or one who walks evenly on a Straight Way?
Translation: Abdullah Yusuf Ali
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Opening the guide…
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4-I guide
Is someone stumbling along face down better guided, or someone walking upright on a straight path?
Start with bismillah.
Stand on one foot with eyes closed. Ask: "Why is it so hard to balance?"
Watch the Visible Body video How Your Ears Help You Keep Your Balance.
Now listen to the ayah together in the app, with the translation. Ask: "What two kinds of walkers are compared?"
Each child keeps one wonder question, for example: "How do I stay on the straight path?" Younger children can draw theirs.
Find it in the mushaf: Surah Al-Mulk is surah 67. Find ayah 22. The key words sawiyyan 'ala siratin mustaqim mean upright on a straight path. Tiny fluid-filled tubes in our ears help us balance. The Quran is like a balance for our lives, keeping us upright and heading the right way.
Fact: What part of the ear helps us keep our balance?
Ages 5–8: Balance walk. Walk along a line of tape on the floor with a book on your head.
Ages 9–12: Dizzy test. Spin slowly a few times and notice how your balance changes. Find out why.
Finish with: "I found that our balance comes from ___."
Talk together:
Make a small plan: "This week, I will ask Allah in every salah to guide me to the straight path."
Action: Ask Allah in every salah to guide you to the straight path.
