Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim. Ya Ali Madad

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2 Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim Ya Ali Madad Mubarak to you and your family on the upcoming visit of our beloved Mawlana Hazar Imam. The didar 1 of Mawlana Hazar Imam is a very special event for Shia Ismaili Muslims. This is a great occasion of happiness and a wonderful opportunity for you to reflect with your family about the meaningful experience of a didar in the life of a murid. The Jamat prepares for didar in many different ways. A series of booklets has been developed by the Shia Imami Ismaili Tariqah and Religious Education Board for the United Kingdom to create a journey to the didar. Each booklet has been designed for children of a specific age: Early Years (0-3½ years old), Nursery (3½-5 years old) and Primary & Secondary (6+ years old). The activities in this booklet have been created to explore our relationship with the Imam of the Time and with our brothers and sisters. We encourage you to do as many of the activities included in this booklet as possible, and it is our hope that you will continue to work through some of the activities beyond the intezar period so that they can become an important part of your and your child s daily routine. We suggest that you allocate time every day to engage with the activities and reflections in these booklets, and note down how these activities made you feel and helped you to prepare. Spending time together as a family during this joyous occasion is one way in which we can prepare ourselves for the visit of our beloved Mawlana Hazar Imam. The family environment can be a nurturing space in which children can develop a deep connection and commitment to their Imam, their faith and the Jamat. May this be a memorable time for you and your family! 1 Didar - physical and spiritual encounter between the Imam and his spiritual children.

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4 In the name of Allah, the Most Kind, the Most Merciful

5 In the name of Allah, we begin Talk to your child about the importance of saying Bismillah. Talk about how nice it is to begin everything we do in the name of Allah, such as starting a meal, taking a bath, getting dressed, leaving the house.

6 Ask your child to colour in the picture of the children saying Bismillah before they eat. Bismillah Bismillah

7 Allah s got the whole world in His hands Take a few moments to sing the song with your child. Move your child s arms and body to create some energy and a sense of fun. Allah s got the whole world in His hands He s got the whole world in His hands He s got the whole world in His hands He s got the whole world in His hands Allah s got the sun and the rain in His hands He s got the moon and the stars in His hands He s got the wind and the clouds in His hands He s got the whole world in His hands Allah s got the mountains and the rivers in His hands He s got the oceans and the sea in His hands He s got all the animals in His hands He s got the whole world in His hands To the tune of He s Got the Whole World in His Hands. Used under licence CC CambridgeBayWeather

8 Allah s got everybody here in His hands He s got everybody there in His hands He s got everybody everywhere in His hands He s got the whole world in His hands Allah s got the little baby in His hands He s got my sisters and brothers in His hands He s got mum and dad in His hands He s got the whole world in His hands Allah s got the whole world in His hands He s got the whole world in His hands He s got the whole world in His hands He s got the whole world in His hands

9 Mubarak to you and your family Ya Ali Madad Mubarak1 on the happy news of the upcoming visit of Mawlana Hazar Imam. Speak with your child about the happy news that the Jamat has received. Explain that the Jamat is happy that the Imam is coming to visit us, and ask your child what things make them happy. 1 Mubarak in Arabic is a prayer: May the baraka (blessing) of Allah be on you.

10 We celebrate special occasions with our families. Take a family photo or make a drawing of your family to help you to remember this moment.

11 Strengthening your relationship with your child Trying to take some time every day to spend as a family away from distractions helps you and your child develop a sense of appreciation for the things that you both love. It will also strengthen the bond between you. For example as you touch your child s feet say: I am now gently touching your right foot and then your left foot. Continue for as long as you are both happy, moving along different parts of the body. Try this activity to spend time with your child using the sense of touch. Sit comfortably with your child. Touch a part of your child s body and say out loud what part you are touching. If your child is able to recognise the different parts of their body, then you can ask them to copy your movements as you model touching the various parts of your own body.

12 When you finish this exercise, say a prayer with your child. This can be anything that makes you feel connected and happy, or you could use the one below: May Allah surround my baby with love and kindness. May I respond to my baby with kindness in good times and in challenging times. May Allah give my baby a healthy happy life. Ameen. You can teach your child to say this prayer after they finish: We thank Allah for creating us so unique, different and beautiful. Ameen.

13 Our bond with the Imam Love is what connects us to Allah, to Mawlana Hazar Imam and to one another. Through this activity we hope you will be able to talk to your child about the Imam s love and your love for your children. You can explain that with love we can flourish to become confident, strong and kind human beings. Show your child a picture of Mawlana Hazar Imam and ask them: Who is he? Then, explain to your child that sometimes we call Mawlana Hazar Imam our Mawla Bapa because he is our spiritual parent. As a parent, like you love your child, Mawla Bapa loves his murids. He takes care of us and teaches us how to live good lives. He prays for us and wants us to be happy.

14 Our bay ah to the Imam As a carer you have submitted a bay ah on behalf of your child. Bay ah means to be loyal to the Imam of the Time and to follow his farmans. What does this commitment mean to you? It could mean teaching your child their du a, tasbihs, and dhikr1 and reciting them with your child every day. Perhaps it also means teaching your child our values like kindness, generosity and sharing. Have a conversation with your child and agree what you will both do to fulfil your commitment of bay ah to the Imam of the Time. 1 Dhikr, also pronounced Zikr, is an Arabic word meaning remembrance of God.

15 Moments of happiness Our Imam reminds us to take moments in our day to remember our faith. The remembrance of Allah or our Imams can bring us inner strength, and moments of peace and happiness. The intezar period could be a starting point for you to foster the habit of reciting dhikr with your child. It is our hope that this daily routine will bring you moments of happiness. Find a tasbih with big beads. Sit down comfortably and rest your baby on your lap. You can both hold the tasbih and recite different dhikr tasbihs and salawat. For example, you could recite: Ya Allah, Ya Muhammad, Ya Ali Allhuma salli ala Muhammaddin wa ale Muhammad1 Shukran li-llah wa l hamdu li-llah2 After you finish reciting dhikr tasbihs, have a conversation with your child about what you could be thankful for. 1 O Allah, bestow peace and blessings upon Muhammad and upon his progeny 2 All thanks are due to Allah, and all praise is due to Allah

16 A simple song called Thank you Allah can help children remember Allah with gratitude. Thank you Allah for the world so sweet ank you Allah for the birds that sing ThThank you Allah for the food we eat Thank you Allah for everything To the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

17 The spirit of thankfulness Shukrana (thankfulness) can contribute to your child s well-being, happiness and future success. We hope that you can nurture the spirit of gratitude in your child and make it a part of your daily routine with them. For infants and babies Sit comfortably with your baby and teach them to recite: Shukran li-llah wa l hamdu li-llah1. Rock them and softly say how Mawlana Hazar Imam helps us to make our lives better and our faith stronger. Now place your baby on your lap facing you, look into their eyes and say Shukran li-llah wa l hamdu li-llah with a smile. You can repeat it as many times as you wish. 1 All thanks are due to Allah, and all praise is due to Allah

18 For toddlers Give your child a jar. Tell them that this will be your Gratitude Jar. Work together to decorate it and make it special to them. Every day, talk to your child about the things they feel thankful for. Children might say: I am thankful for the sun, my family and friends, having a meal, playing football and so on. For each thing they feel grateful for, ask them to put a coloured pom pom or paper inside the jar. After they finish, help them to recite Shukran li-llah wa l hamdu li-llah.

19 Additional activity You can teach your child words to express gratitude in different languages: Arabic: Shukran English: Thank you Farsi: Moteshakeram French: Merci German: Danke Gujarati: Abhaar Hindi: Dhanyavaad Portuguese: Obrigado Swahili: Asante Sana Swedish: Tack Urdu: Shukriya or any others that you know. Children can draw trees, flowers, mountains, people and buildings or anything they are thankful for.

20 Didar day Mubarak! You have been blessed with the didar of Mawlana Hazar Imam! On this occasion, please talk to your child about the happiness and blessings of receiving a didar and then ask them to draw or stick a picture from the day of the didar in the space below.

21 A letter to my child We have just been graced with the didar of Mawlana Hazar Imam. Take a moment to reflect on your experience. You can write a letter to your child telling them what happened that day. Add a picture of them with their family members from the day of the didar. In years to come, your child may be excited to read about what happened and to see a picture of themselves from the day of the Diamond Jubilee didar.

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23 Continuing to grow and learn As we continue on the journey of our lives, as a parent, remember that our Imam is always here to guide us. He is always in our hearts reminding us that our faith is one of happiness, peace, love and care. Explain to your child how the Imam has always been there, in all of the important moments in our lives, and that he will be with us, as we continue to grow.

24 Ref lections Use these thought clouds to tell us what your favourite activities were and why. We d love to see your reflections. You can take a photo of your thought clouds and the photo to us at bai@iiuk.org

25 MULAQAT MUBARAK

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