Opening the ayah…
وَمَا تَشَآءُونَ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ
Wa mā tashā'ūna 'illā 'an yashā'a -llahu rabbu l-ʻālamīna
But ye shall not will except as Allah wills,- the Cherisher of the Worlds.
Translation: Abdullah Yusuf Ali
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Opening the guide…
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4-I guide
But you cannot will anything unless Allah, Lord of all the worlds, wills it.
Start with bismillah.
Plant a seed. Ask: "Can the seed make the rain fall or the sun shine for itself?"
Watch the SciShow Kids video "How Does A Seed Become A Plant?".
Now listen to the ayah together in the app, with the translation. Ask: "What do we need for anything to happen?"
Each child keeps one wonder question, for example: "If Allah wills everything, do my choices matter?" Younger children can draw theirs.
Find it in the mushaf: Surah At-Takwir is surah 81. Find ayah 29, the last one. The key words illa an yasha' Allah mean "except that Allah wills". We truly make choices, and we are responsible for them, but nothing happens unless Allah allows it.
Fact: What three things does a seed need to start growing?
Ages 5–8: Seed test. Put one bean on wet paper and one on dry paper. Which grows? What did each need?
Ages 9–12: My part, Allah's part. Make two lists: what you do to grow a plant, and what only Allah provides.
Finish with: "I found that a seed needs ___ to grow."
Talk together:
Make a small plan: "This week, I will try my best and say 'in sha Allah' about every plan."
Action: Try your best and say 'in sha Allah' about every plan.
