Opening the ayah…
هَلْ أَتَىٰ عَلَى ٱلْإِنسَٰنِ حِينٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلدَّهْرِ لَمْ يَكُن شَيْـًۭٔا مَّذْكُورًا
hal' 'atā ʻalāl-'insāni ḥīnun mmina ddah'ri lam' yakun shay''an mmadh'kūran
Has there not been over Man a long period of Time, when he was nothing - (not even) mentioned?
Translation: Abdullah Yusuf Ali
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4-I guide
There was a long stretch of time when people were not yet anything worth mentioning.
Start with bismillah.
Ask: "What was the world like before you were born? Before anyone was born?"
Watch the Kidsview video about the history of planet Earth.
Now listen to the ayah together in the app, with the translation. Ask: "What was true of people for a long time?"
Each child keeps one wonder question, for example: "What was here before people?" Younger children can draw theirs.
Find it in the mushaf: Surah Al-Insan is surah 76, and it has thirty-one ayat. It is also called Ad-Dahr, which means a long stretch of time. Find ayah 1. The surah is named after the key word al-insan: the human being. The key words lam yakun shay'an madhkura mean people were not yet a thing that was mentioned.
Fact: What are stromatolites, and how old are they?
Ages 5–8: Time rope. Lay a long rope on the floor for Earth's whole history. With an adult, put a small sticker at the very end for when people arrived.
Ages 9–12: Earth calendar. If Earth's history were one year, on which day would people appear?
Finish with: "I found that people arrived on Earth ___."
Talk together:
Make a small plan: "This week, I will thank Allah for one thing He prepared before I was born."
Action: Thank Allah for one thing He prepared before you was born.
