Opening the ayah…
تَعْرُجُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِى يَوْمٍۢ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُۥ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍۢ
Taʻ'ruju l-malā'ikatu wa rrūḥu 'ilay'hi fī yaw'min kāna miq'dāruhu kham'sīna 'al'fa sanatin
The angels and the spirit ascend unto him in a Day the measure whereof is (as) fifty thousand years:
Translation: Abdullah Yusuf Ali
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Opening the guide…
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4-I guide
The angels and the Spirit rise up to Him in a Day as long as fifty thousand years.
Start with bismillah.
Ask: "How long do you think starlight takes to reach us?"
Watch the Tender Intellects video What is a Light-Year?
Now listen to the ayah together in the app, with the translation. Ask: "How long is the Day described?"
Each child keeps one wonder question, for example: "How big are Allah's measures of time?" Younger children can draw theirs.
Find it in the mushaf: Surah Al-Ma'arij is surah 70. Find ayah 4. The key words ta'rujul-mala'ikatu war-ruh mean the angels and the Spirit ascend. Many scholars say the Spirit is Jibril. The Day is fifty thousand years long. Light from some stars takes thousands of years to reach us; Allah's measures are greater still.
Fact: How many kilometres is one light-year?
Ages 5–8: Big numbers. Count to 50 with beans. Imagine 1,000 piles of 50!
Ages 9–12: Time scale. Make a timeline. How many of your lifetimes fit into 50,000 years?
Finish with: "I found that one light-year is about ___ kilometres."
Talk together:
Make a small plan: "This week, I will use one free hour to do something good."
Action: Use one free hour to do something good.
