Opening the ayah…
وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِۦ وَنَهَى ٱلنَّفْسَ عَنِ ٱلْهَوَىٰ
Wa 'ammā man' khāfa maqāma rabbihī wanahā nnaf'sa ʻani l-hawā
And for such as had entertained the fear of standing before their Lord's (tribunal) and had restrained (their) soul from lower desires,
Translation: Abdullah Yusuf Ali
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4-I guide
But the one who was in awe of standing before their Lord and held back the self from bad desires…
Start with bismillah.
Put a treat on the table and wait five minutes before eating it. Ask: "Was it hard to wait?"
Watch the Smile and Learn video "The Brain as a House" about self-control.
Now listen to the ayah together in the app, with the translation. Ask: "What two things did this person do?"
Each child keeps one wonder question, for example: "How can I control myself when I really want something?" Younger children can draw theirs.
Find it in the mushaf: Surah An-Nazi'at is surah 79. Find ayah 40. The key words wa naha an-nafsa 'an al-hawa mean and held the self back from its desires. Remembering we'll stand before Allah helps us say no to wrong things.
Fact: Which part of the brain helps us control what we do?
Ages 5–8: Wait game. See how long you can wait before eating a snack while doing something else. Practise each day.
Ages 9–12: Brain brakes. Find out what the prefrontal cortex does and how it grows stronger.
Finish with: "I found that the part of the brain that helps self-control is ___."
Talk together:
Make a small plan: "This week, I will say no to one thing I want but shouldn't have."
Action: Say no to one thing you want but shouldn't have.
