Start with bismillah.

Ask: "Do some excuses sound real but aren't?"

Omar Hisham Al-Arabi recites At-Tawbah on Listen Quran With Me. A few minutes is plenty.

Now listen to the ayah together in the app, with the translation. Ask: "Who came with excuses?"

Each child keeps one wonder question, for example: "How can we tell a real reason from a false excuse?" Younger children can draw theirs.

Find it in the mushaf: Surah At-Tawbah is surah 9. Find ayah 90. Some had real reasons, and some just made excuses. Allah knows the difference. The warning comes in one line; the lesson is to be truthful about our reasons.

Fact: Who the Bedouins, or desert Arabs, were and how they lived.

Ages 5–8: Real reasons. Practise saying a real reason honestly.

Ages 9–12: Honest reasons. Write the difference between a real reason and a made-up excuse.

Finish with: "Bedouins lived in the ___."

Talk together:

• Who made excuses?
• Which name of Allah does this remind you of?
• How does Allah know?
• How can you be honest about reasons?

Make a small plan: "This week, I will give honest reasons, not excuses."

• Be truthful.
• Give real reasons.
• Allah knows.
• Next time: the next ayah (9:91) says there is no blame on the weak and sick. Explore it together!

Action: Give honest reasons, not excuses.