99 Names of Allah - 19 - Al-Fattaah - The Opener

[18] اَلْفَتَّاحُ (Al-Fattaah): The Opener

[Download resources here]

Sing 99 Names (5min)

Play Google Slides Presentation of the first 33 names, 2-3 times. Sing together and do the actions so far plus:

Action for Al-Fattaah: Hold hands in front of face to block your view, then open them apart so you can see again (like sliding doors).

Today’s focus is on the name Al-Fattaah which means The Opener.

Story relating to today's name (8min)

Read the part of the story of Prophet Musa (AS) where Firawn's army is chasing the believers but Allah helps them escape by parting the sea.

Read from a book such as My First Quran Storybook.

Discuss meaning, apply to children's lives (10min)

Al-Fattaah means The Opener.

This can mean several different things, but we're going to focus on the meaning that Allah opens the way for us when we're stuck. 

Which part of the story we read showed Allah as Al-Fattaah? Where the believers were stuck with Firawn's army behind them and the sea in front of them - they had nowhere safe to go! How did Allah open the way for them? He opened the way itself by parting the sea and making a path for them; he opened the way by showing them the answer to their problem. So this name doesn't just mean physically opening a way, it also means giving you the answer to a problem when you're stuck.

Show children the maze in the resources file. Ask them to help the children find the way to the park. Watch them try independently until they tell you it's impossible! All the paths to the park are blocked! But what does Al-Fattaah mean? Allah can open the way for you when you're stuck. Cut out the picture of the door at the bottom of the page and tell the children to put it where they need it in the maze. Talk about how Allah can do anything, even if it seems impossible to us. Al-Fattaah can open things for us and show us the answer to our problems.

In this example, we put one door to get to the exit. But do you think, if He wanted, Allah could just get rid of the maze altogether? If we ask Him to, Allah can make things which we thought were complicated really easy! Use a thick felt tip and draw a straight line from the children through to the park, going through all the walls as if they weren't there. Allah can open the way to what we want - all we have to do is ask Him.  Like Allah opened the way in this maze to the park, He can open the way for us to the best place we can imagine. Jannah!

Did you notice what Musa (AS) had to do before Allah parted the water? Allah told him to strike his staff on the ground. Why do you think that was? Did Allah need Musa (AS) to hit the floor to be able to part the seas? Of course not! Allah could do it without Musa (AS) doing anything! So what does this teach us? Musa (AS) had to do something and then Allah did something for them. Do you remember when we learnt about Ar-Razzaaq? Allah will always provide for us, but this doesn't mean we can just sit around doing nothing. We always have to do our part too, even though Allah doesn't need us to. Allah likes us to put effort in.

Craft activity (20min)

Complete the page for the book.

Use the templates to design your own doors. Cut out and stick onto the page using the tabs so the doors can be opened like a flap. Remember that Allah is Al-Fattaah and opens the way for us when we get stuck.

If they wish, the children can draw a positive image behind the door, e.g. a happy person.

When to use this name (12min)

Tell the children you're going to give them something (e.g. a Smartie, a jellybean, a chocolate coin, etc.). All they have to do is touch their forehead against you while they hold their hands together behind their back! Stand in the middle of the room and let them touch you one at a time, then give them their reward.

Say you're going to do it again, but this time stand on the other side of a door and close it. Tell them they can only try one at a time, just like before. Have them try to get to you for half a minute or so - give them encouraging words, make a point of them being so close they can hear you and you can hear them. Ask them why they can't do it this time? Because the door's in the way and they can't open it with their hands behind their back!

Open the door and tell them sometimes even when we know what we need to do to solve our problem, we find we need help to be able to do it. Al-Fattaah can help us in these situations too by opening the way and making things easier for us! For example, maybe we need to catch the bus but we're running late - we know we need to run and try our best to go faster - Al-Fattaah could make the bus late too so we don't miss it! Or for example, I want to be a teacher so I need to pass a maths exam - I study my hardest but I'm still not confident - Al-Fattaah could help me remember the things I've learnt while I'm doing the test so I pass and can become a teacher.

So Al-Fattaah opens the way for us when we're stuck or have a problem. Can you think of any other times you might want to make duaa to Al-Fattaah? And, of course, we should always remember Al-Fattaah as the one who opens the way to Jannah for us, too!

On the back of their page, help the children write a few thoughts about the name Al-Fattaah and their feelings.

Sticker chart (5min)

Ask individually: Which of Allah’s names did we learn today? What does it mean? Give children a sticker each for their chart.

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Other activities:

- If children are familiar with Molly and Mack (CBeebies channel), link to the part in the episode where one of the characters has a problem they don't know how to solve. Sing the song together then talk about how Al-Fattaah can help in these kinds of situations.

- This name is also to do with victory/winning against someone or something. Think about surah An-Nasr. What is the last word in the first ayah? Do you know the story behind this surah? Look it up together and discuss (e.g. My First Quran with Pictures)

- How do you say "key" in Arabic? "Miftaahun". It has the same root letters: faa, taa, haa. Another meaning for this name is that Allah is Al-Fattaah in that He holds all the keys for both this world and the next, for the things we can see and for the ghayb (the unseen). Allah is in charge of them all and can open and close the doors as He wishes. You could do a craft e.g. make a set of keys on a keyring out of tinfoil/card etc. as a reminder of this discussion. 

- Talk about how Allah can open doors to anything as He wishes. Some people will have the door to lots of wealth open, some will have their door to lots of children open, some will have their door to bring able to learn a lot open, some might have all the of those doors open, etc. But just because a door is open to us, it doesn't always mean it's a good thing. It might be a test. If the door to lots of money is opened to us, we should remember to stay humble and not arrogant, to pay our zakat and to give charity. If we don't, it might have been better if that door was closed to us! Remember the story of Salaba and how having too much wealth ended up with him not praying anymore. So when a door is opened to us, we should always remember Allah, thank Him and make duaa that He keeps guiding us to be good Muslims. You could create a poster with many different sized doors on it as flaps and underneath each one write something Allah could bless us with as Al-Fattaah.

Please leave a comment if you know any other related activities for this name!

99 Names of Allah - 18 - Ar-Razzaaq - The Provider, The Sustainer

[18] اَلرَّزَّاقُ (Ar-Razzaaq): The Provider, The Sustainer

[Download resources here]

Sing 99 Names (5min)

Play Google Slides Presentation of the first 33 names, 2-3 times. Sing together and do the actions so far plus:

Action for Ar-Razzaaq: Use one hand to mime a plant growing upwards.

Today’s focus is on the name Ar-Razzaaq which means The Provider and The Sustainer.

Story relating to today's name (10min)

Read examples from the seerah of Allah providing people with unexpected food/wealth, e.g. when Halima took Muhammad (SAW) to the desert and the effect on their livestock, milk, etc.; the story of Abu Hurayrah sharing a small saucer of milk between multiple people while with the Prophet (SAW); the story during the Battle of the Trench where the whole army ate from a small portion of bread and meat.

These can all be found in the book 365 Days with the Prophet Muhammad on p.14, p.212 and p.338 respectively. 

Discuss meaning, apply to children's lives (10min)

Ar-Razzaaq means The Provider. 

The word "provide" means to give someone or something what they need.

Ar-Razzaaq also means The Sustainer. 

One meaning for "sustain" is to keep something going, like to keep something alive (we need food to sustain us - another word for "food" is "sustenance").

So what do you think this name means, if Allah is the provider and the sustainer? Allah gives us everything we need to live. What kind of things do you think these are? Food, water, money, a place to live... Similar to the things we talked about for Al-Wahhaab? The things Allah provides us with to survive are also gifts from Him!

Think about the stories we just read again. In the stories, Allah provided the people with what they needed - and more! What were the people in the stories doing? Were they just sitting around waiting, or did they do something and as a result they were given something? Let's look at them in turn...

1) What did Halima and her husband do for Allah to increase her milk and give them healthier livestock? They took in baby Muhammad (SAW) with the good intention of looking after him when no-one else would.

2) Why was Abu Hurayrah so hungry? What had he done with his food? He used to share it with the cats, even if he was hungry himself.

3) What intention did Jabir have when he invited the Prophet (SAW) to eat? He knew he had a little bit of food so wanted to do what he could to help. He originally thought only of the Prophet (SAW), but he didn't say no when the Prophet (SAW) said to invite the other people too!

So yes, Allah is Ar-Razzaaq The Provider, but does this mean we can just sit back and do nothing because Allah will provide us with everything we need? No! We still need to put some effort in. We need to work and get a job or help others with a good intention... We need to do something! But in the end we need to remember and trust that Allah will always provide for us. 

Craft activity (20min)

Complete the page for the book.

Draw a picture of a plant in some soil. Draw a sun in the sky and rain falling down. Colour in (with felt-tips etc. or as a collage etc.).

Discuss how the plant grows into food for us to eat or food for animals which we can then eat - the children may want to draw some fruit on their plant and a cow/sheep behind it.

Allah provides the plant with everything it needs to grow: nutrients in the soil, water, sunlight and air. Allah provides us with what we need to survive, too.

When to use this name (10min)

Read the story of Salaba e.g. p.278 from the book 365 Days with the Prophet Muhammad.

Talk about what it teaches us. Is it OK to make duaa to Allah as Ar-Razzaaq asking Him to provide us with things we want or need in this life? Of course! If there is something we want Allah to provide us with then we should make duaa using the name Ar-Razzaaq! Allah will answer our duaas either with what we want or with something which is better for us.

So what is the lesson from this story? That the things in this life can be a test. Everything is from Allah and the test is how we use them - will we use the things we're given selfishly? Or will we use them for the sake of Allah and to help us become closer to Him and better Muslims?

If the thing we want takes us away from Islam then it would be better if we didn't have it! And if we're provided with lots of things - money or food or a big family, etc. - then we should always remember where it all came from. Ar-Razzaaq is the one who provides us with everything. 

On the back of their page, help the children write a few thoughts about the name Ar-Razzaaq and their feelings.

Sticker chart (5min)

Ask individually: Which of Allah’s names did we learn today? What does it mean? Give children a sticker each for their chart.

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Other activities:

- Grow your own fruit/vegetables from seeds! Talk about how our food is all provided by Allah.

- Look at some simple food chains or food webs. See how they all start with a plant which needs the sun to grow. Who made the sun? Allah! Even if we raise our own animals or grow our own plants for food, we still need Allah's provision for them to actually grow. Think about the name Al-Khaaliq and how Allah made everything.

- Talk about how Ar-Razzaaq provides for us not only in a physical sense (with food, money, etc.) but also in a spiritual way too. He provides us with Islam so we know what things we can do to make our book of good deeds bigger and what things to avoid to keep our book of bad deeds as small as possible. Use this to recap some things liked/disliked in Islam.

- Look at the concept of rizq in Islam. This may be more appropriate for older children. Research hadith and discuss how certain actions can increase our rizq. Talk about how rizq is predestined and nothing you do can decrease what was meant for you. (A nice analogy of rizq being predestined but able to be increased is that of a plate of food - if you don't make the effort to pick up the food, you won't get to eat it; it was provided for you on the plate but you still need to make the effort to eat it - this could be turned into a simple craft activity as a reminder). Look at the word root and how "rizq" is similar to "Razzaaq".

Please leave a comment if you know any other related activities for this name!

99 Names of Allah - 17 - Al-Wahhaab - The Bestower

[17] اَلْوَهَّابُ (Al-Wahhaab): The Bestower

[Download resources here]

Sing 99 Names (3min)

Play PowerPoint of the first 33 names, 2-3 times. Sing together and do the actions so far plus:

Action for Al-Wahhaab: Mime opening a present.

Today’s focus is on the name Al-Wahhaab which means The Bestower. 

Story relating to today's name (10min)

Watch the episode of Bing titled "Giving" (Amazon Prime: Season 3, Episode 6 / BBC iPlayer: Series 1, Episode 27) or watch/read a similar story where the main character has trouble giving a present to someone.

Talk about the episode: Why did Bing want to give a present to Sula? (Do we celebrate birthdays?/What do we celebrate?) Why did he change his mind? Because he wanted to keep it for himself? When he gave it to Sula in the end, how did he feel? Was he happy he gave it to her? Why? How did Sula react?

Discuss meaning, apply to children's lives (15min)

Al-Wahhaab means The Bestower. 

What does "bestow" mean? Can you find it in the dictionary? It means to give something as a gift. (It also has the meaning to give someone something as an honour, so like a reward or as a way of showing how special that person is. People are sometimes bestowed knighthoods by the Queen as a way of showing how amazing they are, for doing something which was good for the country...)

This name reminds us of how Allah has gifted us with so many things.

Together, make an A3 poster of things Allah has blessed us with. Write "Al-Wahhaab" in the centre and create a spider diagram of gifts from Allah around it. Draw pictures and colour them, too. Include e.g. material things, their favourite things, favourite places, things to do with our health, family, friends, the blessing of being a Muslim, free time, etc.

Some of these things we take for granted - because we have them all the time so we don't think what it might be like if didn't have them - so we should make the effort to remember and be thankful for them. Which kind of things do we easily forget are a gift from Allah? Things like our 5 senses, good health, a safe home, time? How would we feel if we didn't have these things? Alhamdulillah for Allah's blessings.

Think about Sula again, when she received the present from Bing. What did she do? How did she feel? How do you feel when you receive a present? Do you feel loved? Allah has given us so many things and this shows that Allah loves us and cares about us.

Display the poster e.g. in their bedroom so they can look at it often as a reminder.

Craft activity (20min)

Complete the page for the book.

Cut out the net and glue the middle square to the page. Fold the flaps into the centre and colour using bright colours/gel pens, etc. These represent the wrapping paper. In the centre square, have the children draw something they think makes a good present. Fold the flaps so they overlap each other and cover up the centre, i.e. children can then lift the flaps as if unwrapping a present to see what's inside. Finally, glue a piece of ribbon on either side of the box and tie a bow across to hold the flaps down.

When to use this name (7min)

Everything we have is because of Allah. Allah didn't need to gift us with so many wonderful things (things we take for granted, such as our 5 senses, and things we want, such as a new toy, etc.) but He has and we should remember to be grateful.

We can make duaa to Allah as Al-Wahhaab, thanking Him for all He has given us.

We can also make duaa to Al-Wahhaab when we want something. We can ask for Him to give us the new toy we want, or a good memory so we can learn more - we can even ask Him for the ultimate gift of Jannah and make duaa to Al-Wahhaab to let us go there by helping us do lots of good deeds.

When we give someone a present, do we expect anything in return? Maybe we might think it's nice for them to give us a present at a different time because that's fair... Or maybe we at least want them to say thank you to us... But when Allah gives us things, He doesn't expect anything in return. He doesn't need anything from us; remember when we learnt about Al-Malik, Allah is the King of everything - we need Him but He doesn't need us at all. Allah's gifts to us have nothing selfish in them whatsoever. And He doesn't find it difficult to give us things, like in the Bing episode. Allah doesn't want to keep the things to Himself. He is generous and gives us things easily.

On the back of their page, help the children write a few thoughts about the name Al-Wahhaab and their feelings.

Sticker chart (5min)

Ask individually: Which of Allah’s names did we learn today? What does it mean? Give children a sticker each for their chart.

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Other activities:

- It's good to give gifts on occasions like Eid but sometimes it's nice to just give gifts for no reason as a surprise. How do you think someone might feel if they get a nice present when they're not expecting it? It's a way of showing someone you care about them and even counts as a good deed! Gifts don't have to be expensive - it could be something homemade or even a simple card or a letter. Think about someone you want to give a gift to and surprise them with it to make them smile.

- Research more about what knighthoods are. Look at famous examples. Watch a video of a recent knighting. Children could dress up as a monarch and roleplay knighting each other. Talk about how the knighthood is being bestowed, i.e. given to the person by the king/queen as a gift and a way of showing how special they are. Allah's gifts to us are a way of showing how much He loves us.

- Start a habit of looking at the poster on a certain night of the week/month and making duaa together to Al-Wahhaab to thank Him for something He has bestowed us with. Or use the poster as a calming down tool, for when the children are overwhelmed or angry, etc. Have them stand in front of the poster and read it as their safe space for helping them calm down.

Please leave a comment if you know any other related activities for this name!

99 Names of Allah - 16 - Al-Qahhaar - The Subduer

[15] اَلْقَهَّارُ (Al-Qahhaar): The Subduer

[Download resources here]

Sing 99 Names (5min)

Play PowerPoint of the first 33 names, 2-3 times. Sing together and do the actions so far plus:

Action for Al-Qahhaar: Clench hand into a fist and, using your elbow as a pivot, spin your fist in a fast circle like a hurricane.

Today’s focus is on the name Al-Qahhaar which means The Subduer. 

Story relating to today's name (7min)

Read the stories of 'Ad and Thamud to the children e.g. from My First Quran Storybook or Migo & Ali, etc. (Prophets Hud (AS) and Salih (AS)). 

Discuss meaning, apply to children's lives (15min)

Al-Qahhaar means The Subduer. 

What does "subdue" mean? Can you find it in the dictionary? It means to overcome or quieten or bring under control.

This name reminds us of Allah's power and how He is able to control everything at His will.

Think about the people in the stories we just read. Did they believe in Allah? Were they arrogant? They thought they didn't need Allah? But Allah is Al-Qahhaar and He subdued them and their cities. He made them all quiet so they were at a complete loss against Him. What did He do? He sent great winds and earthquakes.

Watch a video of a tornado (such as this one). Talk about how it's a great wind spinning round very fast. Talk about the destruction left behind (e.g. watching a video such as this).

Ask the children if they think natural disasters like these nowadays are punishments just like they were for the people of 'Ad and Thamud? Does Allah only make bad things happen to people He dislikes? What about the prophets - did they have easy or hard lives? Did Allah love them or not? We don't always know why Allah makes certain things happen, so we should always have faith in Him that it's happening for a reason. Sometimes it's a test for those He loves, sometimes it's a punishment for those who don't believe in Him. Only Allah knows.

Craft activity (20min)

Complete the page for the book.

Print the spiral template onto grey card for the children to cut out. Use felt-tips to follow the spiral and add some colour. Cut out. Stick the centre of the spiral to the page. Use string to decorate, following the spiral with a piece of string and gluing down. Leave a short length of string overhanging to act as a handle - so the spiral can be lifted off the page to represent a hurricane.

When to use this name (8min)

When we see or hear about natural disasters happening around the world, we should be reminded of Allah as Al-Qahhaar. He has the power to subdue - to destroy and bring things under control - and has destroyed many groups of people in the past. Can you think of any examples? 'Ad, Thamud, the people of Nuh (AS), Firawn and his followers, etc. We should remember their examples and give thanks to Allah for guiding us to the correct path. We are blessed to be able to worship Him as Muslims and to have the opportunity to make our book of good deeds as large as possible! 

On the back of their page, help the children write a few thoughts about the name Al-Qahhaar and their feelings.

Sticker chart (5min)

Ask individually: Which of Allah’s names did we learn today? What does it mean? Give children a sticker each for their chart.

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Other activities:

- Read and watch videos about natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, etc. Talk about how strong they are and how they help to remind us of Allah's power as Al-Qahhaar.


Please leave a comment if you know any other related activities for this name!

99 Names of Allah - 15 - Al-Ghaffaar - The Forgiving

[15] اَلْغَفَّارُ (Al-Ghaffaar): The Forgiving

[Download resources here]

Sing 99 Names (5min)

Play PowerPoint of the first 33 names, 2-3 times. Sing together and do the actions so far plus:

Action for Al-Ghaffaar: Hold one palm face up and use the other palm to rub circular motions onto it.

Today’s focus is on the name Al-Ghaffaar which means The Forgiving. 

Story relating to today's name (7min)

Read the story of Prophet Yunus (AS) to the children, e.g. from the Safar series or Migo & Ali.

Talk about the mistake Yunus (AS) made and what he did when he felt sorry. Did Allah forgive him?

Discuss meaning, apply to children's lives (15min)

Al-Ghaffaar means The Forgiving.

This means that Allah has the power to forgive our sins - He can rub them out from the book the angels write our deeds in and make it seem as if it never happened. Why do we want our book of bad deeds to be as small as possible? So when our books are weighed on the Day of Judgement, our good deeds will be heavier and we will be able to go to jannah, InshaAllah!

So if Allah is forgiving when we say sorry to Him for doing something He doesn't like, how do you think we should behave if someone does something we don't like? Should we forgive them or not?

Forgiving someone doesn't mean you don't mind what they did. It means you aren't going to let it affect you anymore. You need to be a strong person to forgive when you've been wronged.

Think of something which someone may have done which upset you... Maybe someone pushing you or saying something mean... Don't tell everyone else what it is, just think about it. How does it make you feel? Bad? Angry? Upset? Give children a piece of paper for them to write down what it is. When they're done, tell them forgiving someone helps you throw away that bad feeling - just like they're going to throw away this piece of paper! Have them rip it up and scrunch into a ball, then play a game trying to throw it into the bin from a small distance away. How do they feel now? Better?

When someone does something bad to you, instead of holding a grudge and keeping that bad feeling to yourself, tell them what they did that upset you. Tell them you didn't like it and you don't want them to do it again. Then tell them you forgive them because that's what a good Muslim does.

It doesn't mean you're a doormat and you don't care how people treat you! It means that you're stronger than they are and you won't let it affect you. Stand up for yourself then make dua for them so Allah can guide them better not to hurt others again. Forgive them just as you would want others to forgive you and how you want Allah to forgive your mistakes too.

Craft activity (20min)

Complete the page for the book.

Print out the whale template for children to colour in and cut out. Glue the lower half of the picture to the page. They can glue the upper half onto card to make it sturdier, if they wish, and cut out again. Use a split pin to attach the upper half through the marked circle - so the whale's mouth can rotate on the pin as if it's opening and closing. Finish by gluing on a googly eye!

Talk about the whale picture and how it should remind us of Yunus (AS) asking Allah for forgiveness.

When to use this name (8min)

Do you remember what "tawbah" is? How do you make tawbah? (We did this lesson previously)

1) Regret the sin - feel guilty about doing it
2) Stop doing the sin
3) Make the intention not to repeat the sin
4) Ask Allah's forgiveness
5) Follow a bad deed with a good deed

Even though one of the steps is to make the intention not to do it again, even if you somehow end up doing the same bad thing again, Allah is Al-Ghaffaar and can forgive you. Allah can forgive us again and again no matter how many times we make a mistake or make the same mistake - He won't ever get tired or fed up, like we might become if someone kept making the same mistake again and again!

This doesn't mean it's OK for us to not try and stop doing bad things, because we know Allah can forgive us. It means that even if we might end up making lots of mistakes, we should never give up hope. Always remember that Allah is Al-Ghaffaar and can forgive us. Don't make excuses for not turning back to Allah, it's never too late! 

On the back of their page, help the children write a few thoughts about the name Al-Ghaffaar and their feelings.

Sticker chart (5min)

Ask individually: Which of Allah’s names did we learn today? What does it mean? Give children a sticker each for their chart.

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Other activities:

- Play a simple game of catch with the children. Tell them we need to pass the ball to each other 10 times without dropping it and if they do they can have a prize (e.g. a sticker or a Smartie, etc.). Purposefully drop the ball when it's your turn or just before they reach the target, say sorry each time and ask if they forgive you! As they get more frustrated/bored, ask how they're feeling. Do they want to keep forgiving you every time you make the same mistake or is it getting a bit annoying? Remind them that Allah is Al-Ghaffaar and doesn't get annoyed when we ask Him for forgiveness - even if it's the same mistake again and again - and the things we need to ask Allah to forgive us for are not as small as just dropping a ball! Try again to complete the challenge and give the children their prize.

- Research other hadith on forgiveness and see how it's mentioned in the Quran. Discuss! (e.g. http://www.quranreading.com/blog/importance-and-benefits-of-forgiveness-in-islam-learn-from-quran-and-sunnah/)

- Find in Arabic and read Yunus (AS)'s dua where he asked for forgiveness.

- Read the story from the seerah of the Prophet (SAW) at Taif. Talk about how the people there treated him and how Muhammad (SAW) reacted. Did he forgive them? What did he do?

- This name links forgiving with the concealing of ugly things, i.e. sins by erasing them and our ugly thoughts/intentions by hiding them from others. We can reflect on this name by concealing other people's faults from others and looking instead for the good in things. Put a teaspoon of salt in a glass and say it represents a bad thing someone has done. Have a child pour some warm water into the glass, to represent covering up the person's sin and ignoring it - watch as it "disappears". Of course, the salt has just dissolved, it's still there. We can't see it so we can easily ignore it, but if we drank the water would we taste it? Yes! So only Allah can actually remove a person's sins, though that doesn't stop us from hiding other people's faults.

You could extend further by putting 2 or 3 identical glasses next to each other, with only 1 having salt water while the others have plain tap water. Can you see by looking which one is salty? No, we can't. We just see water. But, of course, Allah knows - and only He needs to know! It's none of our business what sins other people have done. Allah will be the one to judge them.


Please leave a comment if you know any other related activities for this name!

99 Names of Allah - 14 - Al-Musawwir - The Fashioner

[14] اَلْمُصَوِّرُ (Al-Musawwir): The Fashioner

[Download resources here]

Sing 99 Names (5min)

Play PowerPoint of the first 33 names, 2-3 times. Sing together and do the actions so far plus:

Action for Al-Musawwir: Hold both hands up, palms outwards, and wiggle downwards side to side.

Today’s focus is on the name Al-Musawwir which means The Fashioner. 

Story relating to today's name (7min)

Read pages from a book such as Hello World together.

Talk about the variety of languages and cultures, ways people dress, things they like and how they look, etc.

Discuss meaning, apply to children's lives (8min)

Al-Musawwir means The Fashioner.

Do you remember what Al-Khaaliq and Al-Baari' mean? Allah is the Creator and He makes things from nothing. He both invents and makes them.

Look at pictures of different trees (see resources file) - are these all trees? How do you know? What do they have in common? What makes them different?

To fashion something means to give it a design, so in our tree example these pictures are all of trees but they've been fashioned differently.

Think about all the people in the world. How have we been fashioned differently by Allah? Out of all the people alive today, say 7 billion, Allah has fashioned every single one of us differently. Not even just the 7 billion people alive today, but all the people who were alive before us and already passed away and all the billions of people who may be born in the future too... Every single human is different! SubhanAllah. Do you think you could design billions and billions of different things and have every single one of them be different?! But Allah can and He does it easily!

Think about people in your family - siblings look very similar but everyone has differences. Even with twins, if you look carefully you can find differences in the way they've been fashioned too!

Use a mirror and compare similarities and differences between the children's faces and your own. You could even use old photos of yourself at the same age as the children are now so they can compare those, too. See how people change as they age? So you could say that each person has more than one design... Multiply that by the number of people ever created! How many billions and billions of different designs does that make? Just for humans! That's not even thinking about all the other designs Allah created for all the animals and plants in the world!

Craft activity (25min)

Complete the page for the book.

Fill the vase with different kinds of flowers - use different art techniques e.g. scrunched tissue paper, pompom centres, sequin petals, string, straws, felt tips, crayons, etc. Talk about how they're all flowers but have different designs.

Look at photographs of flowers for inspiration (see resources file). Ask children if they can name the different species! (from top left: orchid, tulip, daffodil, foxglove, rose, pansy, poppy, daisy, bluebell, sunflower)

When to use this name (10min)

We talked earlier about how we've all been fashioned in different ways. It's normal to like looking at beautiful things - Allah is the creator of that beauty. It's nice to make ourselves look presentable and beautiful too. But remembering Allah as Al-Musawwir, the one who fashioned us and made us look the way we do, should remind us that our looks and our beauty came from Allah. It's good to be grateful to Allah but not to be arrogant (or narcissistic!).

Equally, we shouldn't criticise or make fun of people for the way they look - maybe you've heard people insulting others for having a "big nose" or "small eyes". Does that make sense? Allah designed the way they look and He did so for a reason.

Some people, when they aren't happy with the way they look, get very upset about it and want to change themselves, or they might hide away and not let other people see them. Do you think that's a nice feeling to have? We shouldn't feel bad about the way we look; we should be grateful Allah designed us in this way. There's no need to feel jealous of how someone else might look because looks aren't important.

What's inside our hearts is what's important. A famous hadith says: "Allah does not look at your appearance or wealth, but rather he looks at your hearts and actions." [Sahih Muslim] Look at the hadith together (in the resources file) and (if children are able to!) read the Arabic together, too.

On the back of their page, help the children write a few thoughts about the name Al-Musawwir and their feelings.

Sticker chart (5min)

Ask individually: Which of Allah’s names did we learn today? What does it mean? Give children a sticker each for their chart.

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Other activities:

- Look at images of snowflakes under a microscope. Every snowflake is different! Can you imagine how many snowflakes it would take to fill up the palm of your hand? Maybe 50? 100? And all of them would be different?? How many snowflakes would it take to cover the garden? Many times more than in your hand! And all of those would be different? And how many snowflakes in every garden on our street? In our city? All around the world? And all of them are different??? SubhanAllah! It's hard to imagine!

Use folded pieces of white paper to cut out snowflake patterns as a reminder - you could turn these into a paper chain decoration and hang in their bedroom.

- Draw a self-portrait (using a mirror) and colour/paint. Discuss eye, hair and skin colour and how these can be different for different people but it doesn't make a difference - people are all still people no matter what they look like.

- Discuss the meaning of the word "racist" and why this is something disliked in Islam.

- Talk about how when we say "fashion" nowadays we're usually talking about clothing. Children could have a go at making their own piece of fashion, e.g. sewing a simple bag or tie-dying a t-shirt, etc. Talk about the effort it takes to design something and how for Allah it's no effort at all!

- Recap the three names of Al-Khaaliq, Al-Baari' and Al-Musawwir through an activity such as baking cupcakes: plan the flavours (Al-Khaaliq), bake the cakes (Al-Baari') then decorate (Al-Musawwir).

Please leave a comment if you know of any other related activities!

99 Names of Allah - 13 - Al-Baari' - The Producer

[13] اَلْبَارِئُ (Al-Baari'): The Producer

[Download resources here]

Sing 99 Names (5min)

Play PowerPoint of the first 33 names, 2-3 times. Sing together and do the actions so far plus:

Action for Al-Baari': Touch the fingers and thumb of each hand together to make two circles, then twist the tips of your fingers on both hands together.

Today’s focus is on the name Al-Baari' which means The Producer. 

Story relating to today's name (7min)

Read a short story to the children relating to a plant or animal's life cycle, e.g. Christopher Nibble or Growing Frogs.

Talk about where the new seeds/babies came from at a level suitable for the children's age and understanding (i.e. mature organisms produce offspring which in turn grow and mature; no need to go into the details of reproduction requiring a male and female!).

Discuss meaning, apply to children's lives (15min)

Al-Baari' means The Producer.

Last time we learnt about Al-Khaaliq - what does that name mean? That Allah is The Creator, He can make something out of nothing. The closest we can get to being creators is when we think of a new idea, but remember even that is only because of Allah's permission.

Al-Baari' means The Producer. What does it mean to produce something? It means to make something... It's a bit similar to creating something.

Let's use building a house as an example, like we did with blocks last time. The first step is to have the idea to build the house - to have the idea and to imagine what it's going to look like. That first step is similar to Al-Khaaliq, creating something from nothing. That would be the job of the architect.

The next step is to actually build the house. This step is like Al-Baari', producing something which wasn't there before. For us, we need to use materials which already exist, like wood and cement and glass, to turn them into the new thing we want, like a house. That would be the job of the builder, not the architect. But for Allah, He can just produce things from nothing! He has both the names Al-Khaaliq and Al-Baari' to show that he does both the jobs of the architect and the builder (and the electrician and the plumber and everything else you can think of!) - He doesn't need any help in creating something.

So Al-Baari' is the actual making of something. Allah produces the plants and the animals. He created the first ones from nothing and now the ones we see nowadays are produced only by Allah's will. We know that Allah created everything, but we know that we can grow plants from seeds and animals have babies... Did Allah create those seeds and babies too? Yes! But not in the same way as He created the first of everything.

E.g. Where do chickens come from? Eggs. Where did that egg come from? A chicken. Where did that chicken come from? An egg... And so on and so on... Where did the first chicken come from then? Allah created it!

So Allah makes everything - either directly, like the Earth and the mountains etc., or indirectly, like the plants and animals we see today. Things are only made by Allah's permission.

Craft activity (20min)

Complete the page for the book. Talk about how this name means the actual making of something, like a builder builds a house.

Use craft materials and glue to make a collage of a house, e.g. strips of cardboard, newspaper cuttings, cellophane, etc.

When to use this name (8min)

Allah produces everything we see around us, even the man-made things such as a book - Allah didn't make it in the same way as he made the sun, but he made all the things the book is made out of... The paper came from trees, the ink came from oils and pigments (natural colours) etc. The idea came from a person's imagination and who made the person? So everything can be followed back like a chain to Allah making it.

If we want to make something - maybe we want to write our own book or design our own machine, a car, a toy, a computer or whatever it is - we can remember Allah as Al-Baari', the Producer, and make dua to Him to help us and to thank Him for giving us the idea. Anything we make is just changing something Allah has already made into something else.

On the back of their page, help the children write a few thoughts about the name Al-Baari' and their feelings.

Sticker chart (5min)

Ask individually: Which of Allah’s names did we learn today? What does it mean? Give children a sticker each for their chart.

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Other activities:

- Look at the life cycles of a plant, e.g. a sunflower and/or an animal e.g. a chicken (these are common organisms covered in the KS1 Science NC) in more detail. Have the different stages drawn/printed out and have the children arrange them into a loop.

- Help the children draw their family tree. Talk about how our ancestors go back all the way to the first man, Prophet Adam (AS), who Allah created Himself. (Ask the children if they can think of any other prophet who Allah made without (both) parents? i.e. Eesa (AS)!)

- Make a 3D model of a house using craft materials such as lolly sticks and glue. Talk about the effort it takes to build and how Allah can just make things from nothing with no difficulty at all!

- Read a book such as A Day with the Animal Builders, which shows the many different jobs required to build a house. Talk about how Allah does all those jobs Himself and how He just needs to say, "Be," to create something from nothing.

- Research how common items are produced in a factory (there are many videos on YouTube on this topic!). Talk about how each part of the production line is its own specific job, whereas for Allah He can do all of it all at once.


Please leave a comment if you know of any other activities related to this name!