I am a strong advocate for celebrating religious milestones! Just like with our dunya, (worldly) milestones and achievements, such as graduations, work-related recognition, baby showers, birthdays and so on, our deen (religion) is an integral part of our life as Muslims and should be celebrated. Performing Hajj, wearing the hijab, memorizing Quran, and starting to pray are all Islamic milestones that are worth celebrating.
(Planning a celebration of any sort can be overwhelming. To help you with the basics, read my post on planning the perfect party or event before getting started.)
We all know the famous hadith narrated by the Prophet Muhammad (saw) on ordering our children to practice praying at seven years old. While this hadith is hasan sahih, meaning that the chain of narrators is not as well established as sahih, it is still credible to use as supporting evidence. Turning seven is a big step, and by this age many Muslim children have begun their Quran reading or memorizing journey and may even have started to fast some hours of the day in Ramadan.
I think it is a great age to introduce the concept of salah as well. It’s important to note that every child is at a different stage in their upbringing and willingness to learn and practice. The Prophet Muhamad (saw) is known to have been kind, gentle and practical, especially when it comes to implementing fundamental aspects of our deen.
Not only is salah part of our everyday life as Muslims, it is one of the five pillars of Islam, which makes highlighting this milestone all the more important and necessary. It’s hard to believe my own daughter embarked on her seventh year of life last October. Her father and I talked about planning a salah party as she begins to practice praying and making wudu. I’m excited to do this!
While the main purpose is to get our little Muslims excited about salah, we can always incorporate their favorite characters, colors and activities to make a customized theme that is unique to your child. I love this Tea Party Salah-bration and all the little details.
Centering your party around a specific theme will help you better plan the type of food, dessert and activities you want to prepare. With Ramadan closely approaching, it would be a great idea to incorporate a Pre-Ramadan celebration with salah for the ultimate spiritual boosting party as we prepare ourselves for the month of worship and prayer.
Since this is a salah party after all, take the time to think about what type of lessons you want your child and their friends to take away from this celebration. The goal is to introduce the concept of salah and to hopefully instill a love for this obligation that they will carry with them as they grow and mature.
Here’s some ways to build upon the salah theme, starting with this great post with bite sized information on salah, its importance and reward, that you can incorporate into your party.
1. Party games: When thinking of party games, be sure to keep in mind the age group you are hosting. Islamic Jeopardy is always a fun and easy game to customize to your age group. For young children around 5-7 years old, some categories you can include are Salah, Prophets, Islam, Quran and Miscellaneous. Check out this video for some examples of simple questions for each.