Opening the ayah…
وَلَلْءَاخِرَةُ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكَ مِنَ ٱلْأُولَىٰ
Wa lal''ākhiratu khay'run llaka mina l-'ūlā
And verily the Hereafter will be better for thee than the present.
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 promises that what comes later will be better than what came first.
Start with bismillah.
Ask: "What's something that started small or hard but became wonderful later?"
Watch the RSPB video of an emperor dragonfly climbing out of its old skin.
Now listen to the ayah together in the app, with the translation. Ask: "What will be better than the first?"
Each child keeps one wonder question, for example: "What could be better than this life?" Younger children can draw theirs.
Find it in the mushaf: Surah Ad-Duha is surah 93. Find ayah 4. The key words al-akhirah (the Hereafter, the later) and al-ula (the first) appear here, just like in Surah Al-Layl, ayah 13.
Fact: How long does a dragonfly live under water as a nymph before it flies?
Ages 5–8: Before and after. Draw a dragonfly nymph in a pond and then the flying dragonfly. What can it do now that it couldn't before?
Ages 9–12: Life stages. Compare the life cycles of a dragonfly and a butterfly. What's the same? What's different?
Finish with: "I found that a dragonfly lives under water for ___."
Talk together:
Make a small plan: "This week, I will get a little better at ___ each day."
Action: Practise your "better each day" skill.
Look at ponds only with an adult, and don't take dragonfly nymphs out of the water.
