|  | |  | Helping Your Muslim Child Understand Christmas By Uthman Guadalupe We are currently in that time of year when the holidays are on people’s minds. Christmas lights brighten the neighborhood at night, holiday specials are plentiful on TV, and even advertisements adopt Christmas themes. Though we as Muslims do not celebrate this holiday, our children may feel amidst the hype as if they are being left out of a great time. As a parent, it is crucial to help your child understand the what’s and why’s about this holiday, and ensure that they do not feel upset that they cannot partake in it. |
| | | Parenting Tip As schools are winding down for winter breaks, Muslim families brace themselves for a barrage of holiday festivities. It is an important time for parents to help their children understand what the fuss is all about, how to be sensitive to non-Muslims around us, and also ensure they are not feeling upset about opting out of the celebrations. |
| |  | Public School and the Holidays: Dilemmas and Solutions By Wendy Díaz Around this time of the year, lots of parents start asking questions related to how we can navigate the holidays without being offensive to our Christian and Jewish friends. Things like “Can I participate in my company’s holiday party?” or “Should I contribute to my community’s Secret Santa gift exchange?” or “How can I respond when a neighbor drops off Christmas cookies?” Answers to these questions can be complicated for Muslim adults in the West. Here are several common dilemmas that parents and children in public schools face this time of year and how to meet them with Islamic guidance. |
| | | Inspiration “Although the history of relations between Muslims and Christians has not always been good, it is important to remember that Muslims always stood for a society where the rights of all individuals are not only tolerated, but respected and protected.” Abdul Malik Mujahid, founding president of Sound Vision |
| |  | Call a Family Meeting about Christmas By Samana Siddiqui Helping our children meet the annual barrage of the holiday season should be high on every parents priority list, particularly for those families whose children attend public or Christian private schools. Even if they know what it's about, they may feel left out, pressured, or even confused about it and where they stand as Muslims. Here are some ways to bring it up with them. While you can talk about the issue individually, the benefit of getting everyone together is that they can find out how different age groups are handling it. Consider calling a family meeting. |
| |
|
| | Quranic Guidance “For you is your religion, and for me is my religion.” (Surah Al-Kafirun, 109:6) |
| |  | How to Enhance Family Time during the Holidays By Amanda Hasan The holiday break is a splendid time to rest from the workplace, school, and other commitments. Usually, it is a special time when extended families get together and create enjoyable and memorable activities. Writer Amanda Hasan shares six tips from her own childhood experiences to enhance family time during the holidays. By focusing on quality time with family members, parents can create stronger bonds, strengthening their connection to one another and to Allah. |
| | | The True Spirit of Giving As Muslim parents and caretakers, we must cultivate the true spirit of giving within our families. Here are a few lessons that deserve your attention: - Focus attention on Allah’s names that deal with His generosity, blessings, and gifts to us.
- Read the many stories in the Seerah of how the early Muslims dealt with gifting.
- Model the act of gifting all through the year, not just during a “holiday.”
- Remember that gifts do not have to be purchased from a store or even be a tangible object.
- And teach children to show gratitude and humility toward gifts, no matter how small or disliked.
For more inspiration, read The Islamic Lessons and Mindset of Gifting. |
| |  | Converts Coping with Christmas By Laura El Alam Christmastime can be a challenge for Muslims in the West who feel disconnected from most of the festivities and traditions that surround them. Many feel like outsiders in their own land during the holidays and, for Muslims who grew up celebrating Christmas but now practice Islam, the holiday season can generate especially conflicted feelings and difficult decisions. How do converts cope with the Christmas season? What strategies do they use to deal with nostalgia, family traditions, non-Muslim loved ones, and difficult decisions? |
| | | | |  | Adam's World Videos: Cottage Life Adam and his family head to the cottage for a vacation. They get a chance to enjoy some natural beauty but there are challenges, too. The Arabic letter “Dahl” for Deen and English letter “R” for Religion are featured. A nice nasheed by Dawud Wharnsby called Simple Life complements the lesson. (9:58) |
| |
|
| | Winter 2025 online classes are scheduled. Check out the details and make plans to join us! |
| | | |  | The Sound Vision Foundation has been a trusted source of Islamic knowledge for more than 35 years. Our work with the world-renowned puppets Adam and Aneesah pioneered creative programming for Muslim children, encouraging them to learn about and love their religion. We continue to bring sound content and engaging programs that stimulate minds, touch hearts, and strive to fulfill our mission of raising better Muslims, better neighbors, and better citizens. This latest effort is designed to support and empower Muslim parents to do the same. |
| | | |
|
| |
|
|
