Habit 1: Be Proactive

Quranic Ayah

Surat Ra’ad (13:11)

“Surely Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change their own condition.”

Imam Husayn (a) is proactive in his mission. I am too. He took initiative. I take initiative. He didn’t blame others. I don’t blame others. Those who into the army of Imam Husayn (a) were proactive.

STREAM – Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Art, Maths

Science

Activity: Balloon string blowing

Talk about how we are created and need to be proactive in our lives to make the most of our time. We can take the initiative to live Hussayn, fill ourselves with the thaqalayn and travel on the siraat. Through the balloon activity realise how we can fill ourselves up with a little or a lot.

Technology

Watch the youtube video on the Robin Hood army:

Reading

2-5 year olds- Write the key words from the ayah using wiki sticks

5+ years old- Build the ayah and key words using Jenga blocks and pom poms

Engineering

2-5 year olds- Engineer the story using circles popsicle sticks

5+ year olds- Using pipe cleaners and newspaper build a shelter that will provide protection  from the rain.

Art

The art of cleaning! soaping up dishes, pegging clothes, sweeping, shining windows, swiping counters!

Materials for art of cleaning station:

• Spray bottles filled with water
• Jay cloths
• Brooms
• Litter (cut up pieces of newspaper)
• Pegs
• Clothes
• Drying rack
• Flour
• Photos of scholars

Cleanliness is next to Godliness. The Holy Prophet (s) has said, “Who loves to be clean? “

Meeee!!!! Give children spray bottles and ask them to clean the windows.  Ask them make the windows sparkle just like they would like their hearts to sparkle.

If we see a mess we should stop to clean it up. This is part of being proactive. Throw some littler on the floor and ask the children what we should do if we see litter on the floor? Inform them that Imam Ali (a) used to help Sayyeda Fatema Zahra (a) tidy up the house. Ask them who will help mummy, daddy and their siblings tidy up everyday?

Put some flour on your face and ask yourself what shall i do? Ask them to spray your face with water. As you dry your face with a towel, talk about how every morning after we wake up we wash our faces, brush our teeth and get ready to go to school, where we learn and help others. All of this is being a proactive solider of Mawla…

Ask the children to look around at all the lovely clean clothes they are wearing. Reflect- if we want clean clothes we need to wash and dry our clothes. Using the pegs, play hang up some washing.

Pass around the photos of the ulema (scholars). Talk about how the ulema are proactive learned individuals. The ulema have spent lots and lots of time reading the Quran and trying to understand it. They followed the teachings of the Ahlulbayt (a) and then came up with proactive rules for us to be able to follow Islam easily. Remember how Imam Husayn (a) refused to give bayaah to Yazid to save the true essence of Islam.

Say together: “I am proactive like Imam Husayn (a).”

Maths

Using marbles emphasise the difference between more and less. Being active is to do more. Being proactive is to act by taking the initiative, this means to take action of a situation rather than just responding to it after it has happened.

Materials:

– Paint

– Box (preferably big) 

– Marbles

– Paper big enough as the box

– Tape to stick the paper to the box

Objective: To create a beautiful abstract piece of art use the box and marbles to help understand the concept of MORE.

Show them one marble a bottle of paint and the box with the paper already glued in and explain how that you want to make this amazing art work and say that you want to do this but don’t actually do anything. 

Then one of the kids will question (hopefully) why you are not doing anything. You can then elaborate on how one must be proactive while doing the following: Put in one marble and one colour of paint and attempt to create this pattern where the marble rolls around so that the colour spreads.

Talk about the ayah here!

Then ask them how we can make this image better…

 They might then say that the use of MORE colours or marbles and then add MORE of both and explain how all the colours are spreading with the use of many marbles. 

Because they are older consider asking them if seems appropriate what the marbles symbolise and the colours…

This is pretty much open to interpretation however below is an example:

Colors symbolise all the good we can do in the world and the marbles symbolise the people and how all the people spread good then you can go on to ask them what good things they can do… They may say such things as sharing, not being a bully, helping, etc. 

You can add here a small question to the group asking them how they will be proactive this week…

Let them be free to answer 

Examples: 

– Going to school: Learning so we have knowledge so we can help Mawla in his army 

– Sports: Being healthy so we can assist our Mawla in any way

Explain how moving the box is a way of being proactive and we are physically moving to get the outcome in mind. Being Proactive!

I want to be proactive so i can be efficient and execute all the orders my Mawla may give me when i am in his army. Also if we be proactive by listening to our mummy and daddy we are being proactive and we are preparing for the coming of our Mawla. 

You can then add in relation to the connection to the Mawla of our time how we can adopt the colours of Allah (sibgatullah) and how with that we can then spread goodness into this world so the Mawla of our time can come soon. 

In relation to connecting to the sacrifice of Imam Husayn (as) you can consider how he gave the horses water from the enemies side and how him being humanitarian he was being proactive. 

End with a dua from our hearts one line each explaining how we thank Allah for giving us one thing so we can be proactive.

Play Text

Imran was bored! Bored! Bored!

IMRAN: “Mom”, he said “I’m bored. There’s nothing to do! “

MUM: “How about making something from your art and craft draw for Imam Husayn(a)?”            “You love to cut and paste, stick and glitter!”

IMRAN: “But I don’t feel like it today.” whined Imran. “Maybe Iman can think up a fun thing for me to do!”

Imran knocked on Iman’s door. “Knock Knock Knock!” he said politely. There was no answer.

MUM: “Iman’s gone to the mosque for a lecture on ImamHusayn(a)’s sacrifice. She’s gone to help serve the sherbet at the end for all the people too. “

IMRAN: “At least she’s not bored!”

MUM: “Well you don’t have to be bored either!” “Why don’t you see what Ahmed is doing?”

So off Imran went to Ahmed’s house.

Ahmed was busy making Ya Husayn flags for the Husseiniya.

IMRAN: “Salaam Alaykum Ahmed! What are you doing?”

AHMED: “I’m making Ya Husayn flags for the Husseiniya.”

IMRAN: “I’m bored!” “Can you think of something fun for me to do?”

AHMED: “Sure!” “Why don’t you help me paint some flags?”

IMRAN: “No.” “That doesn’t sound like much fun to me right now.”

AHMED: “I don’t think so.“But if you do, why don’t you see what Fizza is doing?”

So off Imran went to Fizza’s house.

Fizza had her magnifying glass and was looking at something in the grass.

IMRAN: “Salaam Alaykum Fizza! Whatcha doin?”

FIZZA: “Ants!” “I’m looking at ants.”

Fizza pulled Imran down next to her. She shoved the magnifying glass into his hand. “Look! You’ll see hundreds of them. They teach us about unity and strength, Husayni lessons!”

Imran looked through the glass.

IMRAN: “Yikes!” “I don’t want to look at ants. They’re creepy. Can’t you think of something else that’s fun to do?”

FIZZA: “Can’t.” “I’m into ants right now. Why don’t you see what Jumper is up to??

So off Imran went to Jumper’s house.

Jumper was bike riding on a straight path outside his house.

JUMPER: “Want to join me for a bike ride, Imran? Riding on this pavement reminds me a lot about always going on the Siratal Mustakeem.

IMRAN: “No.” “I don’t feel like bike riding. Can’t you think of something fun for me to do?” “Watch this!” said Jumper as she rode her bike on one wheel.

Imran sighed.

IMRAN: Nobody seems to have any fun ideas! Maybe he could go play with Asiya! So off he went to her house.

Asiya’s granny was painting the front porch.

IMRAN: “Salaam Alaykum Granny.” “Where’s Asiya?”

GRANNY: “She’s in bed with a sore throat.”

IMRAN: “Oh no! Ya Kafi Ya Shafi!. Wa izza maridhtu fahuwa yashfin.

IMRAN: “I’m bored. Do you want to play?”

Asiya’s granny laughed.

GRANNY: “I can’t play Imran, I’m busy!”

IMRAN: “No one will help me have fun!” “I’m so so bored!”

GRANNY: “Well… isn’t that your fault?” “You’re in charge of having fun, not somebody else!”

IMRAN: “What do you mean?”

GRANNY: “I mean that you can make your own fun! You don’t need others to make fun happen. Just look around and think about it. You’ll find something fun to do!”

Imran looked around. He saw clouds. He saw trees. He saw a garbage can by Asiya’s house. On top of one of the bins was a broken iPad.

Suddenly, Imran had an idea.

IMRAN: “Do you want that old iPad anymore?”

GRANNY: “No.” she said. It’s broken! That’s why I threw it away.”

IMRAN: Can I have it?”

GRANNY: Why sure!”

Imran picked up the iPad, carried it home and set it down on the floor of his room. Then he got started. It took him a few hours to get the iPad to work again, but my lunchtime it was fixed. He tied a big ribbon around it and pasted hearts all over the back. Then he carried the iPad back to Asiya’s house.

GRANNY: “Well! What do we have here?”

IMRAN: “A get well present for Asiya!” “I fixed it so she could listen to the lectures, majlis and do matam for Imam Husayn while her sore throat is getting better! I’m not bored anymore! I finally figured out how to make my own fun!”

GRANNY: “Great” “Let’s go inside and show Asiya!”

When Asiya saw the iPad, she broke into a smile.

ASIYA: I wuv da wibbons!” she said, giggling happily.

Lets ponder and Discuss:

*Why was Imran bored?

* Whose fauly was it that Imran was bored?

* What did Asiya’s granny teach Imran about having fun?

* Do you ever feel bored? If so, what can you do about it?

* Who is in charge of the choices you make? You or someone else

Action plan

*The next time you feel bored, do something nice for someone like

Imran did for Asiya.

*Try doing something today for Mawla Mahdi AF. Be Proactive!

*If you do something wrong, say you are sorry before someone asks

you to apologize. Be Proactive!

*Stand in front of the mirror everyday and tell yourself,

“I AM PROACTIVE! I CHOOSE! I LIVE HUSAYN!

Rocket Activity 

 

Rhyme – I Am Proactive

 

Reinforcement 1

Husayni Habit 1 – Be Proactive

Listen to the rhyme (I am proactive like Husayn (a) on the way to school.