1. Tell stories. Everybody loves stories, and the Quran is full of them. Allah says: “We relate to you the best of stories” (12:3).Tell the story of Yusuf with his siblings (Surrah 12), Ibrahim with his father (19:41-50) and Luqman with his son (31:13-19).Children also love animal stories and the Quran has some of those as well.Tell about the initiative of the ant (27:18), the courage of the hoopoe (27:20) and the good company of the dog (18:18).
2. A Quranic manner a week.Select one manner in which the family will practice for a week. During this week, read about it in the Quran and Seerah.If it was kindness, read on kindness to parents (17-23). If about patience read about the patience of Ayyub (Job) (21: 83-84).
3. Encourage your child to read the Quran and reward the action.Kiss and hug when they read or memorize verses.
4. Engage with competitions and quizzes. Children will love it.Ask questions like:Q: how many parts (or juz’) are there in the Quran?Q: Name three Prophets (or countries, animals, plants etc.) mentioned in the Quran?Quiz while dropping to school, in a trip or when having iftar.
5. Connect to certain Surahs.Use facts like certain Surhas have a specific value or importance to encourage the child to read or memorize.Al-Ikhlas (Sura 112), for example, is equal to a third of the Quran and al-Mulk (Sura 67) guards and protects.
6. Heals and cures.When my daughter is ill, I put my hand on her head and read Al Ikhlas, Al Falaq, and Al Nas.I then pray in a voice she could also hear:“O Allah! Remove the pain and cure her. You are the Great Curer. There is no cure but through You, which leaves behind no disease.”A child must appreciates that Allah is the one who heals, and that the healing happens also through the words of the Quran.
7. #Dua: there are many Quranic prayers and remembrance (#dhikr) that if the child learns will connect to the Quran.When in the car to school, for example, the child says: “Glory to Him Who has subjected this [the vehicle] to us, and we could have never had it. And verily to Our Lord we indeed are to return” (43:13-14).May Allah bless our children and open up their hearts to love the Quran. Ameen
