As we are now in the final days of sawm in Ramadhaan (may Allaah accept it from us and you) many families have begun the process of brainstorming and planning ways to celebrate the big day while in lockdown. We’ve come up with a few things which you can do with your children at home to make ‘Eid just as festive as we typically do! Why Make ‘Eid Big? Eid Al-Fitr and ‘Eid Al-Adha are our days of celebration legislated by Allaah, ‘Azza wa Jal. They are for us to glorify Him and engage in permissible festivities. It is only befitting that we make them as special and fun as we can, especially for o ..read more

Being a parent of a teenager isn’t an easy task. It often comes with a lot of challenges. Dealing with hormones, attitudes, and their fight for autonomy is a common experience across many households. Allaah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful says, “Do people think that they will be left alone because they say, ‘we believe,’ and will not be tested?” (29: 2) This ayah reminds us as parents why it is imperative to ask Allaah (azza wa jal) to protect our children from harm, kufr, and an inclination towards jahil actions. We must also keep in mind that the behaviors we see from our children is ..read more

By now, we are aware that this month appears like it may be different from the typical ways that we are used to executing our ibaadah and celebrating the completion of our fasts this Ramadhaan. Simultaneously, many youth and children have questions or concerns about how Ramadhaan can be observed. In homes around the world many of the same questions are being asked. How will we make Tawareeah prayer? Will we be able to have iftar like we are used to doing with family and friends? Does the masjid plan to open during Ramadhaan? Will there be an Eid celebration? And if not, what will we do to cele ..read more

In my last post for Everyday Ibaadah, I mentioned that listening is the first step in building a fluent Arabic home. Reading comes much later. Listening to Arabic books is a great way to combine these two skills. It can help you get used to the forms and sounds of Arabic and lay a strong foundation for your reading. At Fusha House, we have started weekly read alouds to help families get in more practice with listening and connecting listening to reading. We will be holding these read aloud sessions for as long as the world is stuck at home, insha Allaah. While videos are a nice way to practic ..read more

The latest discussion in many homes around the world with our children is how will we spend our Ramadan? Will the stay at home orders lift, and our daily affairs return to normal, or will we be subjected to enjoin the usual practices of this special month at home. For some of us, we can find the beauty that this opportunity presents. We may have been wanting to spend more quality time together as a family—but because of work, school, and other outside obligations have been unable to do so in the way that we have been wanting too. We realize that this may be a major shift in the way that some o ..read more

Homeschooling can sometimes feel extremely lonely. Between finding a program that works best for your family, selecting curriculum that is easy to use, and creating a schedule which helps you meet the needs of each child. Building a network amongst friends and community members who homeschool same-age children can help to make the process so much easier. Enlisting help from other mothers going through similar experiences can provide you with a built in system of support. This can be a way to network and collaborate with others. In doing so, you can provide children with a richer homeschooling ..read more

Many parents are looking for creative things for their children to do because of the global lockdowns. Oftentimes, there are loads of crafts which can be found online, however, they may be crafts that incorporate images with faces, and do not take into consideration elements of the Quran an Sunnah based upon the first three generations. Or, entirely contradict fundamental principles of tawheed we cherish so much! They may be crafts, which, in our quest to find something halal for our children to do--may seem harmless at first, but then end up being something we have to adapt, modify, or re-thi ..read more

As Muslims we are encouraged to take the middle ground. Having a balance is essential to our mental well-being, as well as helps to facilitate us with a space where we can be consistent in our daily acts of Ibaadah, healthy eating routines, exercise, and the amount of quality time we spend with our families. Last week, the World Health Organization classified the corona virus as being a global epidemic. As a result, schools, corporations, masajid and small businesses have had to shift in the way they think in order to still operate. Being flexible has been at the helm of everyone’s approach in ..read more

I consider myself to be a lifelong learner of Arabic. Some would think because I have translated rulings from the shayuk that I would consider myself proficient in the language. I don’t claim to be proficient in Arabic because language is something throughout a person’s lifetime that is developed, whether it be their home-language or a second language that they are trying to learn. A person cultivates language by consistently adding new words to their vocabularies, perfecting grammar, and active use of communication skills on a daily basis. Tip #1: Identify a Goal My journey with Arabic began ..read more

So, you have one child that is a strong reader, another who struggles with understanding what they read, and a third who keeps themselves distracted throughout the entire lesson with miscellaneous things—like always needing to sharpen a pencil or ask questions not related to what you’re working on. When you’re working with different aged children in a home-schooling environment at different levels of learning, or you are teaching 25 students in a classroom—differentiated instruction helps you to tackle a lesson in multiple ways in order to meet the needs of your diverse students. Carol Ann Tom ..read more