Paradise Under Your Feet — Page 64
64 first reading but to continue reading every day, and then to read it with translation. This is sometimes very difficult if children feel that they have ‘ done their job ’ by completing the Qur ’ an and they do n o t need to continue reading for the rest of their lives. Parents have the task of instilling love for the Holy Qur ’ an in children and explaining to them the rewards they will receive from Allah Almighty. This may be difficult for a young child to understand but an analogy can be given to them by comparing this with receiving certificates of achievement from their schoo ls. A parent can also give tangible incentives to children such as a special treat or gift. Parents can keep children ’ s interest in the Holy Qur ’ an by explaining how Allah Almighty talks to them through the Holy Qur ’ an, telling them the stories of the prophets and teaching the prayers of the Holy Qur ’ an. Encourage them to continue reading every day. Once children become fluent in recitation, they should be able to read on their own without supervision. However, a parent should check on the child ’ s reading periodically so that any mistakes made can be caught early. At this stage, many children will be able to understand the translation of the Holy Qur ’ an, so parents should read the translation with them and explain the meanings. Ramadan Children of elementary age are not permitted to fast; however, most children of these ages enjoy the practices of Ramadan such as getting up at Sehri (pre-dawn hours, prior to beginning of fast) and joining the grown-ups for a meal before offering Fajr Salat. Older children can keep ‘ mini-fasts ’ for a couple of hours at weekends. Mothers can also encourage increased recitation of the Holy Qur ’ an and memorization of prayers. Fun activities, such as keeping a Ramadan calendar for learning short Ahadith and prayers, can be