Increasing awareness on Eid-ul-Adha - presentations at school for Key Stage 1
Things for display:
- Ehram
- Kaaba
- Safa/Marwa mountains
- Sheep
- Zam Zam water
- Well
- Musalla/Namaz chaadar
- Book on Umrah/Hajj
- Kaaba puzzle
- Eid balloons/banner
- Clothes (e.g. shalwar kameez)
* Dress up for the talk! In shalwar kameez/chaadar/etc. *
Salaam Alaikum - Peace be on you – explain the concept of wishing them happiness, ask them to repeat the words after you. How to reply – Alaikum Salaam, May Peace be on you too - again ask them to repeat.
1. What is Hajj? (5 mins) – (ask them if they know) A 'special' journey Muslims take.
- Go to the city of Mecca (globe – show them where we are and where Saudi Arabica is) where the Kaaba is - special 'house of God', built a very long time ago by Prophet Abraham with his son, Ishmael. (Can elaborate and tell them the story of how Prophet Adam first built it, then it was ruined by the floods during time of Prophet Noah, and then Prophet Abraham rebuilt it).
- Every time you see the Kaaba, your first 3 wishes are accepted if they are good for you (Ask them, what would your wishes be?)
- Every Muslim has to go once in their lifetime if they can afford it – people used to go by boat etc and it would take 6 months or maybe more! Now it takes about 3 weeks to go and come back.
- (Ask them, what's a big number?) 2 million people go just for Hajj, and a lot more go during the year as well.
2. Steps of Hajj: (5 mins) – after discussing each one a few children can act it out with the props.
- Putting on Ehram – not allowed to be mean, hurt anybody, even animals – everyone's equal (rich or poor, white or black) – show them pic – ask them, can you tell who's a doc? Who's got a big house? A big car?
- Kaaba –Go around 7 times – Hajar al Aswad, a special stone that everyone tries to touch, come down from heaven.
- Maqame Ibrahim – 2 rakats – Footprints of P. Abraham in stone, pray behind it.
- Safa / Marwa – two mountains – story of Bibi Hajra – zam zam water and its benefits
- Arafah – go to this place and think about how to be a better person – examples from them.
- Sacrifice – feeding the poor, people who don't have as much as we do (food, ice-cream, nice clothes)
Hajj teaches us many things: how to be a better person, how to work together, how to have patience, and we also make lots of friends from all over the world!
3. Eid: (5 mins) Now that we've decided to become a better person, and realised we're all equal, shared and given things. (Ask them, does a new born baby say wrong things, be mean?) We are like a new born baby – celebration – this is EID-UL-ADHA! (like Christmas, Diwali, etc)
- Decorate house
- Eid prayers
- Visiting family – eat together
- Exchange gifts
- Think of those who have passed away
- Put on mehndi
- Give eid cards (your child can give a card to the teacher and class at this point, with a message from then inside)
- Eid functions, e.g. Eid-o-rama (Eid & fundraising event for children)!
4. Activity – Make Eid Cards: (20 mins)
Will need:
- Coloured card
- Glitter glue
- Picture to colour in of the Kaaba
- Markers to write a message
- Glue
(Have worksheets handy for those who finish – taken from Hajj workbook by Tayyiba Publishers)
5. WELL – QUIZ! (5 mins)
Write and cut out questions, put it in the well and then they can come and pick and answer.
Questions:
- In which country is the Kaaba?
- Approx. how many people go to Hajj every year?
- What shape is the Kaaba?
- How many times do you walk around the Kaaba?
- How many times do you go between Safa and Marwa, the mountains?
- What are you meant to think about while in the desert?
- What other special festivals is Eid like?
- What do Muslims do on the day of Eid (if they haven't gone on this special journey?)
6. Read a Book! (10 mins) – Recommended read: 'The Best Eid Ever', by Asma Mobin-Uddin
7. Eid Presents: Have your child give out Eid presents – we made cupcakes with a rice paper photo of the Kaaba on top! (See pictures)
