Opening the ayah…
فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْمَشَٰرِقِ وَٱلْمَغَٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَٰدِرُونَ
Falā 'uq'simu birabbi l-mashāriqi wal-maghāribi 'innā laqādirūna
Now I do call to witness the Lord of all points in the East and the West that We can certainly-
Translation: Abdullah Yusuf Ali
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Opening the guide…
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4-I guide
Allah swears by the Lord of all the points of sunrise and sunset that He is able.
Start with bismillah.
Ask: "Does the Sun rise from exactly the same spot every day?"
Watch the video A Year of Sunrises.
Now listen to the ayah together in the app, with the translation. Ask: "Why does the ayah say 'easts' and 'wests'?"
Each child keeps one wonder question, for example: "How many sunrise points are there?" Younger children can draw theirs.
Find it in the mushaf: Surah Al-Ma'arij is surah 70. Find ayah 40. The key words rabbil-mashariqi wal-magharib mean Lord of the easts and the wests: plural! The Sun rises at a slightly different spot every day of the year, so there are many easts and many wests.
Fact: Where does the Sun rise on the longest and shortest days of the year?
Ages 5–8: Sunrise marker. Mark where the Sun rises from your window. Check again in a month.
Ages 9–12: Sunrise chart. Track sunrise times and directions for two weeks.
Finish with: "I found that the Sun rises further ___ in summer."
Talk together:
Make a small plan: "This week, I will watch a sunrise or sunset and say subhanAllah."
Action: Watch a sunrise or sunset and say subhanAllah.
