In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
USOOL AD-DEEN
(ROOTS OF RELIGION)
FOR CHILDREN
The "Usool ad-Deen" course has been put together by volunteer experts and teachers in the Mohammad (PBUH) Scientific and Cultural Foundation Center for Kids and Teens (Khaane Koodak va Nojavan in Farsi). This course is appropriate for children between the ages of 8 to 12. It aims to make students familiar with the basics of Shia Islam, including beliefs and doctrine...
Lesson 5: Baseer Means All Seeing and All Perceiving
(Tawhid – Part 4)
Written by: Zahra Moradi
Translated by: Shamsi Nasiri, Fatemeh Ramezani, Mobina Reza Soltani and Mahla Rezaee
Edited by: Marzie Salehi and Ali Mansouri
Note to Instructor: Always be aware that Allah observes everything that we are doing, whether they are actions or even thoughts. Thus, we need to stay away from anything which is not harmony with Allah’s Will.
Content:
Today we are going to learn another one of the Asma ul-Husna: Baseer.
{The teacher will write the word "Baseer" on the board}
The holy name “Baseer” means the One who sees everything and everyone, while nothing is hidden from Him. This does not mean that Allah has literal eyes and sees the same way we do.
We humans need tools like our eyes, ears, nose, hands, and feet to perceive the world. However, Allah is completely different from us. He is not dependent on any tools or organs to perceive the world with. When we say Allah is Baseer, we mean that God is completely aware of everything. It is impossible for anything or anyone to do the smallest action without Him knowing. He is aware of everything that we do.
This reminds me an old story!
Once upon a time, a long time ago, there was a teacher who taught several students. Although all of the students were good children, there was one particular student named Ibrahim that the teacher would pay more attention to than the others.
The other students became jealous of the teacher’s special attention for Ibrahim.
One day, they decided to talk to their teacher and directly ask him why he liked Ibrahim more than the others.
The students asked, “Why do you pay more attention to Ibrahim than us? What is wrong with us?”
While looking at the students, he responded, "My dearest students! I love all of you. However, Ibrahim has a special something that makes me have a particular respect for him."
The students were surprised. "What is this thing?" they asked, with great curiosity.
The teacher smiled, and just promised them that they would understand what he meant soon. The next day the teacher came to the classroom with a bag full of oranges. He gave each student an orange. The teacher ordered the students,
"Go and find a place where no one can see you and peel your orange there. Then bring the peeled orange back to school tomorrow. Don’t forget! No one can see you while you are peeling the orange. Be very careful of where you choose to do so".
The students enthusiastically took the oranges home. Each student tried to find a secret place to peel the orange, where no one would see them.
On the next day, every student brought back a peeled orange, except Ibrahim! Ibrahim had his head down and returned his orange unpeeled, just as it was on the day before. The other students began to chatter. The teacher looked at Ibrahim and asked, "Why didn't you peel the orange?”
"Because I could not find a place where no one can see me." he replied.
The other students laughed.
"And why couldn’t you find a place where no one can see you?"
"I tried very hard to find a place where no one would see me. But, wherever I went, I was sure that God sees me." Ibrahim said through tears.
The teacher smiled kindly. He explained to the children that this is why he pays special attention to Ibrahim. "I pay particular respect to him because he always remembers that God is everywhere."
My dear children! There is no place where Allah will not see us. Allah is everywhere and always observes us. He knows anything we do, and even everything that we think of. This is why He is called Baseer: He sees everything we do and even notices our thoughts. In short, Allah is aware of anything and everything we do or think.
Let’s be like Ibrahim. Let’s always remember that Allah can see us, perceive us, and is aware of us. There will be some times in our lives that no other person will be with us, not even our father, mother, or friend. In such circumstances, Satan will try to deceive us. He will try to motivate us to do bad things, telling us that there is no one there to interfere with or notice what we are doing. But Satan is lying! Remember that Allah exists and looks at us even if no person, such as our father or mother, is nearby. Normally, the presence of our parents prevents us from doing bad things. But should we not be ashamed of doing bad things while we are being watched by the God, the Most Kind, Who has created us and blessed us with endless gifts and opportunities? Of course, we should be ashamed.
My dear students! Imagine that you are in a room that is being filmed by a surveillance camera. Even if no one else is in the room, you will usually try to be on your best behavior.
How would you act if your parents, teachers, and friends were watching a live stream of your life, and you knew it?
{At this point, the students will give comments and discuss different situations in this scenario. Then, teacher will ask:}
Since we know that Allah is Baseer, is it acceptable for us to do something that goes against His Will?
Of course, not! So, let's be more careful and avoid doing bad things in front of Allah.
