87:16Al-A'la
Juz 30 · Page 592بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا
How to read it
Bal' tu''thirūna l-ḥayāta ddun'yā
Day (behold), ye prefer the life of this world;
Translation: Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Opening the ayah…
Opening the ayah…
بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا
Bal' tu''thirūna l-ḥayāta ddun'yā
Day (behold), ye prefer the life of this world;
Translation: Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Looking for reflections…
Shared reflections are reviewed before they appear. We feature ones that follow the spirit of the 4-I journey and suit families of all backgrounds.
Guided by the 4-I journey: Inspire, Investigate, Integrate, Impart. Use it as a starting point and make it your own.
Opening the guide…
No reflections for this ayah yet. Be the first, by reflecting with the 4-I journey below!
4-I guide
This ayah says that people often prefer the life of this world.
Start with bismillah.
Offer one sweet now, or two sweets tomorrow. Ask: "Which did you choose? Why?"
Watch the Bug of the Week video of harvester ants gathering seeds.
Now listen to the ayah together in the app, with the translation. Ask: "What do people often prefer?"
Each child keeps one wonder question, for example: "Why is 'now' so tempting?" Younger children can draw theirs.
Find it in the mushaf: Surah Al-A'la is surah 87. Find ayah 16. The key words tu'thiruna al-hayat ad-dunya mean you prefer the life of this world. It's easy to want things now and forget what comes later.
Fact: Why do harvester ants store seeds instead of eating them all at once?
Ages 5–8: Save jar. Choose one treat to save for the weekend instead of eating now. Put it in a jar. How does it feel to wait?
Ages 9–12: Ant stores. Find out how harvester ants store seeds and keep them from sprouting. Draw an ant nest with its seed rooms.
Finish with: "I found that harvester ants store seeds because ___."
Talk together:
Make a small plan: "This week, I will save one thing for later and do one deed for the Hereafter."
Action: Save one thing for later and do one deed for the Hereafter.
