Opening the ayah…
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ٱرْكَعُوا۟ لَا يَرْكَعُونَ
Wa 'idhā qīla lahumu (i)r'kaʻū lā yar'kaʻūna
And when it is said to them, "Prostrate yourselves!" they do not so.
Translation: Abdullah Yusuf Ali
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Opening the guide…
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4-I guide
When the deniers are told to bow down to Allah, they refuse.
Start with bismillah.
Ask: "Did you know some plants fold their leaves down at night?"
Watch the That's Fascinating! video Do Plants Sleep?
Now listen to the ayah together in the app, with the translation. Ask: "What do they refuse to do?"
Each child keeps one wonder question, for example: "Why would anyone refuse to bow to Allah?" Younger children can draw theirs.
Find it in the mushaf: Surah Al-Mursalat is surah 77. Find ayah 48. The key word irka'u means bow down, as we do in ruku' in salah. Plants fold their leaves and the sun rises and sets, all following Allah's command. Only some people refuse.
Fact: Why do wood sorrel leaves fold down at night?
Ages 5–8: Leaf watch. Find a clover or wood sorrel plant. Look at it in the day and again in the evening.
Ages 9–12: Plant clocks. Find three plants that open or close at certain times of day.
Finish with: "I found that some leaves fold at night because ___."
Talk together:
Make a small plan: "This week, I will make my ruku' slow and calm in every salah."
Action: Make your ruku' slow and calm in every salah.
