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 16: The Celebration of Being Muslim
(Reviewing Usool ad-Deen)
Written by: Zahra Moradi
Translated by: Shamsi Nasiri
Edited by: Marzie Salehi and Ali Mansouri
Note to Instructor: During this lesson we will review the importance of the belief in the Principles of the Religion.
Content:
{If possible, allocate more time to this lesson and prepare a cake with a relevant topping such as "The Celebration of Being Muslim". Otherwise, prepare chocolates or cookies and distribute them among the students for completing this course and becoming familiar with the Principles of Religion.}
Today we will have a celebration! A celebration for knowing the principles of our beautiful religion! Do you remember when we said Islam is like a tree? And that just like a tree relies on its roots, our religion is completely relies on its roots, which are the Principles of Islam (Usool ad-Deen). Do you remember what the roots of the tree of Islam are?
Great! They are: Tawhid, Adalah, Nubuwwah, Imamah and Qiyamah.
A person can be considered to be a true Muslim after deeply believing in these five principles (Usool ad-Deen). Today, we are holding this celebration because we know these five principles!
Let’s review what we’ve learned in the past sessions:
What is the first root (principle) of Islam?
It is Tawhid. Excellent my dear children!
Tawhid means that our Creator, the Creator of all creatures, is One. He has no partners. Nothing is similar to Him in any way. He is One and He is Completely Unique.
God has many different names that describe His attributes. The most important of His names are called "Asma ul-Husna". These include one hundred different names. In the past few sessions, we have learned some of the Asma ul-Husna.
Does anyone remember any of these names? One of the names we have learned about is "Rabb". Rabb means the One who is our Guardian. It describes the One who nurtures and sustains us by giving us all types of favours.
Another name is "Samad". Samad means the One who is free from any imperfections, such as deficiency, disability, weakness, illness, fatigue, and death.
"Qadeer" is another name from Asma ul-Husna. Qadeer means the One who is Most Able and Infinitely Powerful. All power comes from Him. Nothing in the world can stand against what He wills.
Finally, another name that we learned was "Baseer". The name means the One who is aware of all things, even the thoughts in our head.
Let’s review the rest of the Principles of Islam. Can anyone tell me what the second root (principle) is?
Excellent my dear students! The second root (principle) of Islam is “Adalah”.
We learned that Allah is Just and does not oppress anyone.
What is the third root (principle)?
Well done children! That is “Nubuwwah”.
God, the Most Kind, has sent His best, the most kind-hearted, wisest, and most loving servants as prophets to guide and bring happiness to the people. They showed us the right path to live as God intended us to. The very last prophet was our dear Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), who brought us Islam.
Now, who knows what the fourth root (principle) is?
Excellent my dear children! The fourth root of Islam is “Imamah”.
God designated twelve kind Imams for us. The Imams were appointed one after another to guide and help the people stay on the right path after our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The Imam of our era, Imam Mahdi (may Allah hasten his appearance), is the final Imam and currently in a state of Ghaybat. This means that he lives among us, but we cannot recognize him. Even if we saw him, we would not know who he is. We can shorten this period of Ghaybat by doing good deeds and praying from the bottom of our hearts that he returns.
Finally, who knows what the fifth root (principle) is?
That was correct my dear students! The fifth, and final, principle of Islam is “Qiyamah”.
This principle says that there will be another world after death, where we will be judged for our deeds and how we lived. The people that follow the way of the prophets and Imams, listen to their Aql, and perform good deeds will be rewarded for their goodness with Heaven. In contrast, those who did evil deeds will punished for their actions.
Put together, these principles are considered the roots of our religion (Usool ad-Deen). If a person does not believe in them, the branches and fruits of their religion will gradually fade away.
On the other hand, if we take care of the roots of our religion properly, the tree of our Islam will produce beautiful fruits. Who remembers what the fruits of the tree of Islam are?
Exactly! They are good morals.
Who can give me some examples of good morals?
Well done! Things like honesty, kindness, trustworthiness, keeping the promises that we make, respecting our parents, and not taking others' belongings without their permission.
Why does the tree of Islam only give good fruits if its roots are sound and healthy?
These five principles tell us that God is always, aware of our deeds and manners. He is the Most Kind. He created us and has not left us unguided in this life. He has introduced His religion, a complete instruction manual for how to live the best possible life, to us through the prophets and Imams.
In the next world, anyone who obeys God, the prophets and Imams will be rewarded. In contrast, those who obey Satan and do evil deeds will be punished. Believing in these five principles teaches us to be mindful of our behavior and focus on doing good deeds.
If someone does not believe in Qiyamah, many situations may come up that lead them to avoid choosing the right thing to do. For example, when they are under pressure, they may think to themselves, why should I put myself in trouble to keep my promises, tell the truth, or return what I have borrowed? If life ends in this world, then why should we not take advantage of it as much as possible, and maximize our enjoyment and fun, even if it means ignoring other’s rights.
Here is another example from Asma ul-Husna. Remember, one of the names of God is Baseer. Some people may commit crimes when there is no person or security system around to stop them. But even if no one ever sees them, even if they do not get caught, God, the Baseer, will see them and know everything. This belief that God is Baseer prevents us from doing evil things, like stealing or wasting food, even if no one else knows.
On the other hand, even if no one sees our good deeds, even if no one ever knows about them, God, who is Baseer, will know and reward us.
As you can see, knowing the principles of religion and believing in them will result in us having excellent behavior. These principles will help us avoid telling lies, never bully others, respect our parents, give charity, and be kind to all people. By learning about and following the lifestyle of the Prophet and Imams, we can also live like them by being kind, honest and doing good deeds.
Today is our last session of this class about the principles of religion. Let us rejoice and have the celebration of being Muslim. Also, today we are going to make a beautiful craft so we can always remember what we learned in this class.
{The craft for this session can include making a tree with 5 roots. The craft making should be kept simple for kids and can be adjusted based on age group, abilities, and interests of the students. A template has been provided below which is aimed towards an eight-year-old child. Older students may enjoy more complex designs. For example, children can stick a tree on the classroom door and write down “Islam” on its trunk and list the principles on its roots. You can tag the fruits by some behavioral characteristics such as honesty, kindness, trust, thankfulness, and respect.}
