November 2023: Week 3

Atfal Class Agenda

 

A reminder to please remember the following objectives before going into today’s lesson plan: 

 

Recitation of the Holy Qur’an and the Memorization of Salat.     

  • Regarding the Recitation of the Holy Qur’an, please encourage the Atfal to recite daily.

  • Regarding the Memorization of Salat, please ensure that each Tifl has a personalized weekly goal for how much to memorize. 

  • It is important to help keep each Tifl on track to reach the goal of memorizing the full salat. 

    • For Atfal younger than 10 years old the emphasis should be on memorizing salat fully in Arabic. 

    • For Atfal older than 10 years, emphasis should be put on memorizing the full salat in Arabic with the English translation. Please ensure that each tifl is keeping up with their goals in this area. 

    • Those Atfal who have already memorized salat along with the translation should set goals to memorize some portions of the Holy Qur’an along with the translation.

 

Please use the beginning of the class to check in on the Atfal and how their progress towards their goals is going.

 

After checking on the progress of Atfal towards their goals, please divide the class into Mayar e Saghir and Mayar e Kabir.

 

Mayar-e-Saghir

Please have the Atfal listen to this pledge to start off classes with the new theme ‘Fulfilling Our Pledges’:’

https://youtu.be/5kaRx00eCE8?si=yHZS3ZyNBgXk2Am8

Introduction to Majlis Atfalul Ahmadiyya

  • Atfal is an Arabic word meaning young children

  • Majlis Atfalul Ahmadiyya is an auxiliary organization for young boys aged between 7-15. 

    • It is run under the care of Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya.

  • Majlis Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya was established in 1938 by Hadhrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih II (ra).

  • The purpose of MAA, according to Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra), was to

    • inculcate the virtues of regularity in daily prayers, hard work, and truthfulness in the youth of Ahmadiyyat. 

      • These traits should be part of every Tifl as he matures into a Khadim.

    • In addition, this department also helps to keep children informed and aware of religious and social aspects and to organize sports and games for the development of body and mind.

  • Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra) states:

 ‘Then develop the habit of working hard. This is because when you grow up the entire responsibility of the Jam’at will fall upon you. This is why you should work hard both for your worldly education and for your religious education. 

Work hard and learn. When you develop the habit of working hard then you will also gain knowledge because of it. Then in the future when you are older you will be able to serve the Jam’at in an effective manner.’       (Mashal e Rah volume 4 part 2 pg 165)

  • Huzoor (ra) also stated:

‘The Atfal of our Jama’at have to grow up, spread our message and be responsible for the training of nations. This is why it is important that you learn about your religion at this age. Create the love of God and his Holy Prophet (saw) in your hearts. To fulfill this wish of yours the Atfal ul Ahmadiyya organization had been founded. I hope that you will continue to take part in its programs with eagerness. May Allah give you the strength to do this. Ameen.’       (Mashal e Rah volume 2 pg 1)

***Nazim Atfal can summarize the above passages into simpler words to make the Atfal understand***

QUESTIONS TO ASK: 

Who established Majlis Atfalul Ahmadiyya? 

What are the purposes of Atfal?

What are other ways we can be the best Atfal?

















Mayar-e-Kabir

 

Please have the Atfal listen to this pledge to start off classes with the new theme ‘Fulfilling Our Pledges’:’

https://youtu.be/5kaRx00eCE8?si=yHZS3ZyNBgXk2Am8

The following book will be used for this year’s theme, “Conditions of Bait and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi”. Please discuss some points with the Atfal from these key highlights from the book.

 

What is Ba’it?

[What is Bait? What does it mean to you? – ASK THESE GENERAL QUESTIONS TO ENGAGE THE ATFAL INITIALLY]

  • The Promised Messiah (as) states: Bai‘at means to sell oneself; its blessings and impact are based on that condition… Similarly, the person taking bai‘at has to first adopt humility and has to distance himself from his ego and selfishness. Then that person becomes fit for growth. But he who continues to hold on to his ego, along with taking bai‘at, will never receive any grace. (Malfuzat, vol. 6, p. 173)

  • To take bai‘at means handing over your life to Almighty Allah. It means, ‘Today we have sold our life to Almighty Allah.’ It is wrong to say that by treading in the path of Allah anybody would suffer a loss. The truthful can never be in a state of loss.

  • If each one of us recognizes that, ‘My person does not now belong to me; I now have to abide by all commands of Almighty Allah under all circumstances and have to follow them faithfully and make all acts of mine subservient (submissive) to the pleasure of Allah,’

  • Hadrat ‘Ubadah Bin As-Samitra narrates that:

‘We pledged at the hand of the Holy Prophet (saw) on the condition that we will listen and obey during the times of comfort and also during the times of hardship, during periods of joy and also during periods of pain, and that we will not argue with those in authority, and wherever we might be, we will hold fast to truth and will not be afraid of the objections of any critics.’ 

(Sunan Al-Nasa’i, Kitab-ul-Bai‘ati)

QUESTIONS TO ASK: 

What does it mean to do Ba’it?

Has anyone participated / seen (in) a Ba’it ceremony?

How do you feel during the Ba’it ceremony?