Paradise Under Your Feet — Page 84
84 have recognized Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) as the Imam of the age. Parents can continue to encourage their preteens to keep up their correspondence with Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih (aba) and write for prayers. Make listening to the Friday Sermon an essential part of the family schedule so that children of this age listen to it regularly. If they do not understand Urdu, then listen to the English translation or encourage them to read the English summary. In addition, there are now very informative and interesting MTA programs in English, which cover a variety of topics, so parents could make it a point to watch these programs themselves and encourage their preteens to watch with them. Children in this age group are still members of Nasiratul-Ahmadiyya and Atfalul-Ahmadiyya. Regular attendance to meetings and classes is an important means to establish their Muslim identity and make connections with other Ahmadi Muslim children. Encourage them to participate in serving the Jama ’ at through Waqar-e-Amal, which is a service to the Jama ’ at almost always referring to honor in performing physical labor and cleaning. There is no better way to bring children closer to Allah than by keeping them connected to the Jama ’ at. Despite all challenges and hardship, if parents make it a habit to bring their children to the mosques on a regular basis, there is no doubt that this will help them greatly to stay on the right path. Modesty Modesty and Hayaa are traits which should be developed and nurtured in children from the toddler age, and mothers are the ones who have to set the limits and boundaries that are required by Islamic teaching. Mothers have to realize that if their daughters are allowed to wear shorts and sleeveless shirts after they are four or five years old, it will be more difficult to tell them to wear long-sleeved longer