Continuing our theme of kindness this week… Today we will be discussing the KINDNESS of Imam Hassan (AS).

[Story from here]

In the story, we learn that Imam Hassan (AS) fed the dog that was looking at him hungrily, even though the other companions thought that they should shoo him away. Imam Hassan (AS) taught us that all creatures that we see are creatures of Allah (SWT), and we should take care of them, not hurt them.

Activity:

*Of course, safety is VERY important. If you think it is not safe to approach a certain stray animal, then DON’T! Use your best judgment.

1. Have the children brainstorm animals that you might encounter in your daily lives. For example, birds or bugs. If they visit a pond or lake, they would encounter fish, turtles, ducks, etc.
2. Think of how they can help all of these creatures of Allah. For example, they could put out seeds for birds to eat, or water for them to drink. They could throw bread into the lake for the fish/ducks. If you think it is safe, you could leave out something to eat or drink for any stray animals that you have in your area. If you have a bug in your home – catch it, don’t kill it! Take it outside into its natural environment. If you can’t catch it, shoo it out the window or door.
3. Go help an animal! Be KIND to an animal!

When I was little, feeding the ducks was one of my favorite things to do when I was little. We would often buy bread specifically to feed them, and they would crowd around us as we threw slices for them to eat. As I grew up, we would visit the lake to feed any bread-like leftovers to the fish and turtles. They were happy to eat this food, and we weren’t wasting the food that we couldn’t eat. Win-win. For many years, we also had a bird feeder in our backyard, and we loved hearing the birds chirp as they filled their bellies while we ate our breakfast every morning.

Being KIND to animals will benefit the animals, of course, but it will also create fond memories for you and your kids!