|  | Nurturing the Next Generation
Sound Vision |
| |  | Teaching Kindness to Children by Example By Umm Ahmed There is no denying that we all intend to instill values such as compassion, love, empathy in our children from an early age but there are times when our words do not match our actions. To fulfill the challenges of teaching our children kindness and nurturing it in their characters, we need to look to the lessons from our beloved Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, who has been the greatest role model for humanity. Here are seven strategies based in the Sunnah that parents can adopt to foster the spirit of kindness within the family and community-at-large. |
| | | Parenting Tip There are activities that we can engage in that are simple yet have a big payoff, to ourselves and those we encounter. Spreading kindness of one of them. |
| |  | Creating a Culture of Kindness By Miriam Mohamed Kindness is a virtue that is a human being’s natural moral compass or fitrah. Kindness should be an essential part of our conduct in daily life as Muslims. Furthermore, as Muslim parents, we not only want to encourage children to be kind but foster this essential core value to be a part of our children’s character. Learn six tips to ensure that kindness begins at home for your family. |
| | | Inspiration “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” |
| |  | Volunteering: Benefits of Service for the Entire Family By Zahirah Lynn Eppard Service is an extension of kindness and we have many opportunities for service in front of us everyday. They are present in our dealings with family in our homes and with strangers outside of it. It is our duty to attend to them and to help our children of all ages embrace them as well. In addition to the rewards we are promised through adherence to our faith and Islamic guidance, there are well-researched benefits of community service, too, including: - Teaching new skills
- Increasing self-efficacy and self-esteem
- Expanding our ability to empathize and be grateful
- Strengthening connections to the larger community
- Improving overall health and happiness
Read more about the benefits of serving your family and community here. |
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| | Hadith Abu Dharr narrated that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Your smiling in the face of your brother is charity, commanding good and forbidding evil is charity, your giving directions to a man lost in the land is charity for you. Your seeing for a man with bad sight is a charity for you, your removal of a rock, a thorn or a bone from the road is charity for you. Your pouring what remains from your bucket into the bucket of your brother is charity for you." (Jami at-Tirmidhi) |
| |  | Dawah in our Daily Interactions Muslims have consistently been under a negative light in news and entertainment for the last 20 years. The onus has been put on ordinary Muslims to be ambassadors of Islam and it can be quite the heavy burden nowadays in North American society. There tends to be two prevailing sentiments: non-Muslims are either wary of or genuinely interested in our way of life. Nonetheless, we can give some dawah (invitation) with a few small actions every day as we go about our daily tasks at work, running errands, or visiting other public places. Read about this responsibility and how the entire family can get involved to make a difference. |
| | |  | Addressing Calamities with Patience and Kindness By Wendy Díaz No human being that reaches adulthood leads a carefree life. Our faith teaches us that we are here on this Earth to be tested. We will experience happiness, sadness, fear, grief, love, and hatred. It is our response to these tribulations that defines who we are and how firm our faith may be. But what role do we play when people close to us are experiencing the harsh realities of life? When we look at the Seerah, or the life story of our Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, we see that he recognized people’s feelings and empathized with them when they were going through hard times. He never trivialized a person’s worry or grief, no matter how small. Learn more about how we can use his example to model our own response and help address calamities with patience and kindness. |
| | | Interesting Facts 10 easy things you can do to save endangered species: - Learn about endangered species in your area.
- Visit a national wildlife refuge, park or other open space.
- Make your home wildlife friendly.
- Native plants provide food and shelter for native wildlife.
- Herbicides and pesticides may keep yards looking nice but they are hazardous pollutants that affect wildlife at many levels.
- Slow down when driving.
- Recycle and buy sustainable products.
- Never purchase products made from threatened or endangered species.
- Harassing wildlife is cruel and illegal.
- Protect wildlife habitat.
To read more about these and other ways to make a positive impact on wildlife, visit the Engandered Species Coaltion. |
| | Online Resources Simple Ways to Spread Kindness Game - This is a great reminder of simple acts of kindness that can be performed everyday and can also be utilized as a game for your children. Kindness Resources for Kids - This organization and website provide great resources to proactively integrate activities related to kindness into your home, school, community, and ultimately the world. Summer of Kindness Toolkit - This is a wonderful family activity that can help you and your children reflect on kindness in your own home and how you can also spread kindness in other areas. The Powerful Dua of a Parent - Here is a model of a comprehensive duaa of one mother for her child. |
| |  | Adam’s World Video: Adam Gets the Flu While trying to stay focused on a school project, Adam catches the flu. Through Aneesah’s efforts to make him feel better, he learns about the value of kindness and good deeds. The Arabic letter “laam” is highlighted for latif, the English letter “g” for gentle, and the beautiful name of Allah, Al-Latif, The Most Gentle. (7:57) |
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| | We Have Great Options for Summer Learning Fun! Sound Vision has crafted an awesome summer learning line up that can help you turn screen time into deen time! These are top-notch offerings by our amazing host teachers that enhance understanding and love of our deen with the maximum convenience of viewing the videos at a time that works best for your family. And the lessons are actually FUN! Check out these offerings & more at https://academy.adamsworld.org/. |
| | | |  | The Sound Vision Foundation has been a trusted source of Islamic knowledge for more than 30 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. |
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