Teaching your Muslim child about rain might seem like a very basic exercise. After all, they know that falls from the sky with Allah’s permission. However many kids learn from early childhood a famous nursery rhyme that includes the phrase ‘rain rain go away.’ Rain unintentionally seems like a hindrance. It is the reason they can’t go out to play, why they get soaking wet when on a walk or suggested as the reason they might ‘catch a cold.’
In reality, rain is a great blessing and sign from Allah. We need to educate our kids to view it in that light and also the sunnan associated with it. Read on for 5 different points to teach your Muslim child about rain.
It is a sign from Allah
Rain is described as a sign from Allah in numerous places in the Qur’an.
And among His Signs is that He shows you the lightning, by way of fear and hope, and He sends down water (rain) from the sky, and therewith revives the earth after its death. Verily, in that are indeed signs for a people who understand. [Surah Ar-Rum. Verse 24]
The great scholar Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy upon him said about reflecting on the signs of Allah and what Allah has invited us to reflect on in the Qur’an.
“If you consider what Allaah has invited His servants to reflect on in His Book, it will impart you with knowledge of Allaah, of his oneness, His attributes of perfection and qualities of magnificence such as the extensiveness of His capability and knowledge and the perfection of His wisdom, mercy, benevolence, kindness, compassion, justice, pleasure, anger, reward and punishment. Thus, with this (all), He introduced Himself to His servants and encouraged them to reflect on His signs.” [Miftaah Daar as-Sa’aadah of Ibn al-Qayyim, page 204]
So encouraging our children to reflect on rain as a sign of Allah is an act of ibaadah for them and for us.
Allah controls the rain
“He sends down the rain” [Luqmaan 31:34]
The vast majority of science books or resources for kids mention rain without any reference to Allah. They suggest that rain is created as part of the water cycle and this happens independently of our Creator. This is very serious as it contradicts Muslim’s belief in tawheed, that Allah is the creator and sustainer of all things and that He is therefore the only one worthy of worship.
Imaam As-Sadi [may Allaah have mercy upon him] stated: “The greatest evils of knowledge and inconsistencies occur as a result of acquainting oneself with the creation without its Creator, acquaintance with effects without the One who created those effects, acquaintance with causes without the one who created those causes and acquaintance with the paths without its sound goals.’ [Ref 2: An Excerpt from Ad-Dalaa’il Al-Qur’aaniyyah Fee Annal Uloom Wal-A’maal An-Naafi’ah Al-Asriyyah Daakhilatun Fid Deen Al-Islaamiy. pages 37-40]. A longer quote and beneficial explanation of the importance of teaching Muslim children about Allah’s role in the world around them can be found here.
“See you not that Allah drives the clouds gently, then joins them together, then makes them into a heap of layers, and you see the rain comes forth from between them. And He sends down from the sky hail (like) mountains, (or there are in the heaven mountains of hail from where He sends down hail), and strike therewith whom He will, and averts it from whom He wills”
[an-Noor 24:43].
It’s vitally important when we teach a Muslim child about rain that we highlight the role of Allah.
The rain quantity is the same every year
I learnt this recently from this wonderful article which also formed the basis of the free sunnan of rain information pack.
From Ibn Abbas -RadhiAllaahu anhumma- who said:
‘There is no year which has more rain than another year, however, Allaah distributes it between His creation where ever He wills,’ then he recited:
《And indeed We have distributed it (rain or water) amongst them in order that they may remember the Grace of Allaah》[Furqan:50]
Shaykh Albaani collected this hadeeth and said:
Collected by Ibn Jareer in his ‘Tafseer’ and al-Hakim from Ibn Abbas and he said: ‘This hadeeth is authentic upon the conditions of Bukhari and Muslim.’
Allah has punished people with heavy rain
“(So it was) till then there came Our Command and the oven gushed forth (water like fountains from the earth). We said: ‘Embark therein, of each kind two (male and female), and your family, except him against whom the Word has already gone forth, and those who believe. And none believed with him, except a few.’”
[Hood 11:40].
The story of the Messenger Nuh (alayhi salaam) is easy for children to understand from a young age. The stories of the Prophets in general are so beneficial for kids as they contain so many different lessons. These worksheets are especially designed for young kids and highlight the consistent message of tawheed that all prophets came with,
The sunnan of rain
Finally, the sunnan of rain are vitally important to teach our children (and learn ourselves!) These include making dua when it rains, the supplication the Prophet (may Allah raise his rank and grant him peace) made when it rained and letting the rain touch your skin among others.
You can download a completely free resource pack for kids here. Please share it with friends, family and in groups.
It includes
⭐Information sheets
⭐2 worksheets
⭐Answer key
Free resources to help you teach kids about Islam
I hope you have found these tips about teaching your child about rain and Islam useful. If you would like to get a FREE resource to help connect Muslim kids to the Qur’an then join the mailing list here to download a fun activity pack about one of the Animals in the Qur’an, the ant, and gain access to the free resource library.
Here are some other blog posts you may be interested in:
Why You Should Teach About the Prophets of Islam
Why you should carefully select non-fiction texts for Muslim kids
