Birth Anniversary of Imam al-Mahdi (AJ)-Level 2-1st Year

Topic Overview: Examining the Period Before and After the Reappearance & Its Features- The Relief the Imam of Our Time Provides for His Shi’as

  • Objective(s):

    1.Since the kids arrive at different times it is suggested that before the start of the official program, any sort of craft that is related to the occasion is planned for those who came earlier.

    2. The topic of this craft is the reappearance of a Holy man who will come and save this world from evilness. This topic is easily understood by children; hence it is recommended to talk briefly about the topics being represented in this craft.

    Procedures-Supplies Needed:

    1.This craft is in a form of a pop-up in which the outside of the card shows the era prior the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (AJ), while the inside shows the era after the reappearance of the Imam. Holistically the colors that should be used for the era prior to the reappearance should be dark and cold colors. However, bold and bright colors should be used for the era after the reappearance of the Imam. The sun should be hidden behind clouds for the era prior to the reappearance of the Imam. However, for era after the reappearance, the sky should not be cloudy, and the sun should shine brightly and be placed in the middle of the sky.

    2.Blue, white or green cardboard

    3.White, and colored construction papers such as (different shades of green, brown, yellow, red, black and gray and if needed blue)

    4.Flower Stickers

    5.Glue stick, and Gold glitter glue

    6.Ruler and scissors

    Duration:

    25-30 Minutes

    Instructions-Craft

    Materials needed:

    1. Blue construction paper
    2. White and colored construction paper and/or cardboards (different shades of green, brown, yellow, orange, black and grey) Flower stickers
    3. Glue stick and yellow glitter glue
    4. Ruler and scissors

    Cut a rectangle 22.5*30 cm using the blue construction paper. Fold it in half. Cover half of it with the green construction paper.

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    Print the picture of the tree on the brown paper or draw the tree yourself. Cut the image out and glue it according to the given image.

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    Make a rectangle with green paper with 11*2.5 cm size, then snip the edge of one side of the paper to make grass. With light and dark green paper, prepare the two shapes of the hills shown in the given image.

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    Glue them in their appropriate place as shown in the image.

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    Print the picture of the sun on a yellow paper and stick it at its place. Decorate the tree with flowers and blossoms. Use the flower stickers or make them with the colored papers.

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    To show the sun shining, use glitter glue (yellow). Draw rays of sun. Print a picture of birds and glue them at their places.

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    Draw flowers and grass on green paper and cut them, stick them at their place (if you don’t have time you can skip this level and the birds).

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    Write “After His Return” on the card.

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    Fold the cardboard in half. Draw 2 parallel lines with 3cm from the edge of the paper in a way that the lines have 2cm space. 8cm forward draw two more lines with 2cm space between them. Now you have 4 parallel lines with 4cm length.

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    Cut the drawn lines and fold the cut parts toward inside of the card.

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    Print pictures of tiger and goat on . Cut them and glue them according to the image provided.

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    For outer side of the card, cut a cardboard with 23*30.5 cm as size. Fold it on half. Cover most of the card with grey paper

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    On brown and black paper, draw hills. Cut and glue them.

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    Print the picture of the tree, tiger and goat on white paper, cut and glue them according to the image provided.

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    Write “Before His Return” on the picture.

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    Print the sun on yellow paper and print clouds on white paper, cut and glue them. Cover the sun with the clouds.

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    Glue the two cards made together, the one before his return facing outside and the one after his return facing inside.

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    Apple Tree Template.dgn

    Apple Tree Template.dgn

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  • Objective(s):

    1.Seeking means to the Holy Qur’an to illuminate our hearts that is means to salvation.

    2.Becoming familiar with the Heavenly Book of Quran.

    3.Becoming familiar ayah 55 of Surah al-Noor and its meaning: Righteous humans and benefactors will eventually become God’s representatives on earth

    Procedures-Supplies Needed:

    1.The mentor needs to show excitement and enthusiasm.

    2.Displaying the mentioned verses and even playing the recitation of the verses.

    Duration:

    10 Minutes

    Salaam my dears!!! How are you? How’s everything? Eid Mubarak! We are very happy to see you all here today. Together we want to make this gathering, the best gathering and the most remarkable gathering of our lives. So, who can help us to be successful in everything we do? That’s right, GOD!! This is the reason why we start everything we do in His name and remembrance and try to read a few ayah’s of our heavenly book the Holy Quran, to brighten our hearts with its light. I thought that today we can start our celebration with a verse of Quran. Verse 55 of Surah An-Noor.

    بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم

    وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَ عَمِلُوا الصَّالِحاتِ لَیَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِی الْأَرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِینَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَیُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِینَهُمُ الَّذِی ارْتَضى‏ لَهُمْ وَ لَیُبَدِّلَنَّهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْناً یَعْبُدُونَنِی لا یُشْرِكُونَ بِی شَیْئاً  وَ مَنْكَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذلِكَ فَأُولئِكَ هُمُ الْفاسِقُون‏.

    God has promised those among you who believe and do good deeds, that He will certainly give them the Caliphate on the earth the way He gave to those before them; and that He will certainly establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them, and will turn their prior fear into peace; they must worship Me and not ascribe anything as a partner to Me; and whoever is ungrateful after this – it is they who are the disobedient.

    [Note: The translation above is written only for the mentor’s use]

    There are lots of ayah’s like the one we just read throughout the Holy Quran, which shows the importance of this topic. In these ayah’s, the Dear God emphasizes the promise that He has made to humans, so they could be confident in this matter, and it would be easier for them to tolerate the difficulties and hardships they face in this world. One of the most important promises of God is that: if you believe in God, do good things and not do any haram or things that are forbidden, and even if they are harassed by others but they should be confident that finally one day, the land of God will ultimately be given to them, and there will be a day when everyone will believe in their religion, and polytheists and their enemies will be destroyed. That day is the day that our beloved Imam of Our Time -Imam Mahdi will reappear. And today we are celebrating the birthday of our dear Imam, and we will try to know him better, love him more, and try our best to pave the way for his return.

    Now, to get your brains ready for the next segment of this program I have a question for you all:

    Who knows what we can do to quicken the return of the Imam of Our Time?

    Yes, we should pray for his reappearance and we should do things that makes us closer to God and our Imam, so we can be his good follower and make him happy.

    Now we will listen to a beautiful story, learn new things. I would like you all to listen carefully to everything you hear today. Remember it and but also use it in your life. Tell what you’ve learned to all your friends who aren’t here with us today, so they too can learn new information.

  • Objective(s):

    1.Introducing Imam Mahdi as the kindest and most compassionate person, who can help us in difficult situations and as someone who cares about us.

    Duration:

    5-10 Minutes

    Story: A Sweet Experience

    I want to tell you a story which began in my childhood:

    When I was a kid my toys were my friends. I used to talk with them and tell them my secrets, believing that they could really hear me. When I was upset, and crying I used to grab and hold them tight so that I might forget all my sorrow.

    But when I got a little older, I realized that they were not hearing me! I mean they were not able to hear me. In the depth of their eyes, there was no emotion. I had lost my close friends.

    When I started school, I was so happy that among all those kids I was able to find someone to play and talk with easily, becoming his best friend, and he was my best friend. I thought there was no one in the world better than him. I had found whom I wanted.

    But when we fought over childish matters and stopped talking to each other then I realized, no! He was not whom I had been looking for either.

    … Later when I started middle school, I found a new best friend. But when he thought a group of guys -whom he thought that they were very cool- might let him in their circle, he left me … It was from then, that I felt a very lonely emptiness in my soul.

    Then I started high school. From the very early months someone caught my attention. Considering his behavior and studies, he was a good guy. We became friends and we still are.

    Although I like him a lot, but I have realized that I cannot really rely on him as a refuge. Many times, even though he may have wanted, but he hasn’t had the time to be there for me or to just listen to me, sometimes he doesn’t even have the time to answer my text messages!

    Later in college I was still searching for that special friend but didn’t find whom I was looking for. There, everyone made friends either to have a good time, or to achieve personal benefits, or to secure their financial future, or …. In a word, most of that period’s friendships were quite superficial and nothing more.

    When I married, I thought I found my other half. Although I love her a lot, but after a while I realized that no, she wasn’t that super special someone either! She too, just like me, felt that something was missing.

    In this complicated life, sometimes you feel that you don’t even want to be around those closest to you; you feel that they just don’t always really understand and have the answers. You know, we all need someone to talk to, someone we can trust to pour our hearts out to, someone who understands all corners of our mind, someone who has a big heart yet is very intelligent, someone sincere and benevolent who only wants the best for us, and not only that, but someone who knows what’s best for us better than ourselves, someone who doesn’t misunderstand or misjudge, as they say, a real good friend, a super listener, someone who’s there all the time …; someone whom I hadn’t yet found.

    For pouring your heart out, you can’t set a time; you just want to talk to someone any time you feel heavy in your heart, you want to empty your aching heart. Then if there is no one there, you feel that you want to scream!

    Same thing happened to me … I wanted to scream: O my God! Is there anyone who can help me?

    I mean, can I find someone who will always be my faithful friend?

    I mean, is there someone listening to me whenever I want?

    I was dying for such a real friend, but everyone was telling me: “we’ve searched, there wasn’t any, do not search, there’s none.”

    In the middle of all these confusions, I was invited to a party by someone I knew. Even though I wasn’t in the mood to go but because of his persistence, I went.

    There, I realized, there was someone who was with me all my life, but I just didn’t know! Someone who had never left me from the beginning, but I hadn’t paid any attention to him. Someone whose name I had heard before and it was posted on the walls, printed in the books & … it was everywhere in that party I had gone, but I guess I hadn’t been really looking deeply.

    Now I have found this most beautiful reality that he is the best of all friends who is with me all the time, he is always concerned about me, he has the two most beautiful and heavenly kind eyes that always watch me. When I am sad, he becomes sad too, when I’m happy, he is too …

    It doesn’t matter whether its morning or night, midday or midnight, he doesn’t care, always and always he is there! You can talk to him whenever and wherever you want! He appreciates your kindness, and he is super kind to you whether you appreciate it or not!

    He sees us and prays for us all the time, he is after our true happiness, our salvation, guidance and blissfulness. He is loving and kind even if we aren’t!

    If you feel gloomy, you can talk to him easily. He doesn’t care who you are, black or white, man or woman, young or old, rich or poor, pretty or not… and of course he never ever says: “I don’t have time!” A friend who is really a friend! He is whom God has made to be His people’s refuge, in whom they can find true peace of mind, and God Himself wants us to ask for his help.

    He is so great that if God Wishes, he can solve any problem, because he is the sinless Imam and God’s representative on His earth. Our Imam is not out of reach. He doesn’t have a receptionist or a doorman; whenever you decide, whenever you run short of hope from everywhere and everyone. Whenever you want, without any previous appointment or a mediator, you can talk to him.

    Try opening your heart and tasting his sweet friendship, he is wonderful, it’s never too late, talk to him any way you wish, in any language you converse!

  • Objective(s):

    1.Becoming with the concept of resorting to our Imam in times of need.

    Procedures-Supplies Needed:

    1.Projetor, speaker.

    2.An appropriate place to play the clip

    3.Internet connection.

    Duration:

    3 Minutes

    Clip: Call Imam Mahdi (AJ)

    https://youtube/ZQ2dUXfaoMw

  • Objective(s):

    1.Create an admirable atmosphere among kids and the Imam of Our Time (AJ).

    2.Familiarize children with the relief the Imam provides for his Shia’s.

    3.Make children sense this help they receive from their Imam.

    Procedures-Supplies Needed:

    1.Telephone.

    2.Dish Gloves.

    3.To be able to create a house like atmosphere & scene.

    Duration:

    15 Minutes

    Play: The Help of the Imam of Our Time (AJ) towards his Shia’s & Devotees

    Narrator: For a long time, Reza wanted to own and buy this watch. However, Reza’s dad thought that the watch is too expensive, therefore he hadn’t bought it all this long. His dad would say that it’s not necessary for him to buy such an expensive watch, especially since many people cannot even afford their basic needs. But Reza finally convinced his dad that the watch is worth buying. They both agree that Reza pays for half of it and helps the poor and the rest is paid by his dad. Finally, last week Reza’s dad bought the watch for him, and Reza was very excited and wore it all the time everywhere.

    Scene: House

    Reza is distressed and is looking all over the house.

    Reza: Mom, Mom it’s not there now what should I do?

    Mom: Well try to look our room maybe you left it there!

    Reza: Ok (Reza leaves his parents room while being distressed and you could only hear a sound of knock and Reza returns to the room while being mad and again calls his mom!

    Reza: Moooooom it wasn’t there either! What should I do? What if dad finds out? O’ God what should I do? (Tears up, and covers up his face with his hands)

    His mom enters the room with her dish gloves on and says at the same time: O well, what were you thinking of? Well you know what, calm down for a minute and look at me. My dear Reza look at me, Rezaaa.

    Reza looks up and he is teared up!

    Mom: Well close your eyes for a minute and then think to yourself where you might have worn it and then where you didn’t see it any longer.; so, we can go there and look for your watch.

    Reza closes his eyes and goes into a deep thought. Then looks up and says with a sullen tone: aughh Mom, I don’t remember. I remember that last time I wore it was yesterday at Amir’s house. And then I don’t remember where I put it afterwards, I don’t even know what happened to it!

    Reza starts crying and goes to another room. His mom is sad and goes to the kitchen.

    Narrator: Alright my dears! Reza was right to be sad! Because he went through a lot of trouble to be able to buy that expensive watch. Reza went to his room, and started crying, when all the sudden he glanced at the narcissus flower that he made last week at a celebration for the birth of Imam Mahdi, which made him for a second to think of the Imam of Our Time (AJ). Then while crying, in his heart he said: O’ the Imam of Our Time you are the only one that can help me. You know what has happened, and why I am sad! I am really in need of your help and then he starts speaking his heart out to the Imam of Our Time, telling him how he bought the watch, helped the people in need and now he has lost his watch and needs help.

    He said that during the ceremony he was told that the Imam of Our Time always has his followers in mind, and if they are in need he always helps them out and does not like to see them sad.

    Now Reza wanted help from him to find his watch. He also promised that if he finds his watch, he will truly understand that his Imam has helped in finding that watch and this will make him very happy. Anyways he just continues crying and speaking his heart out.

    The sound of a ringing phone comes!

    Mom answers the phone.

    Mom: Salaam, awhh Salaam my dear Amir! How are you? How is your mom doing? Give my Salaam to her!  Do you want to talk to Reza? Well to be honest I don’t think he can talk to you right now. He is very sad, because he has lost his watch that he bought recently. Really? Are you being serious? Reza will be super happy! Hold on let me give the phone to him, so you can tell him yourself!

    Mom enters Reza’s room and you can hear their voice (it depends on the scene of the play) My dear Reza, Amir wants to talk to you!

    Narrator: Reza, who didn’t even hear the telephone ring and was busy speaking his heart out with his best friend meaning his Imam of the Time. and so, he says: Mom can you please tell him, that I will call him later? I really can’t talk to him right at this moment.

    Mom: No, my dear, it seems that it’s very important, here, talk!

    Reza: Salaam Amir, how are you? What has happened? Whattttt? Seriously??? In between the flower pedals in your garden? (very surprised) Why there? I can’t even believe it! (You can hear happiness from Reza’s voice) O Thank God, Thank you Amir. I will come and get it now. Goodbye!

    Reza is beyond ecstatic and happy, he jumps up and down, and hugs his mom.

    Mom smiles and says: Thank God, you found your watch. I am very happy!

    While Reza puts on his coat, fully satisfied and happy says to his mom: Mom! Do you know who found my watch?

    Mom (surprised and smile): Well yeah! Amir found it! He just called! Are you joking with me?

    Reza: Nooo, it might be that Amir has found it, but in reality, it was the Imam of Our Time who helped Amir to find the watch in between the flower pedals.

    Amir is not even a fan of flowers and plants. His mom is a fan of gardening, not him! You know what mom, when I came to my room suddenly I thought of Imam of Our Time and the fact that he always helps his follower.

    I was asking for his help, which all the sudden you opened my door and said that Amir has called. Wow, what a kind and loving Imam we have, that we don’t even know of and appreciate!

    Reza’s mom, looks at Reza happily, nods her head in shame and says: You are right my dear! We are not good friends with our Imam, however our Imam is a true friend that one cannot find anywhere else, and always looks after all of us. Aughhh what a shame, that we never think of him and forget about him! (sighs)

    How lucky you are that you had your Imam in your thoughts, and he helped you. Now if you tell your dad the story of your watch getting lost, I think he will in fact become very happy; right??? (Both Laugh together)

  • Objective(s):

    1.Resting and getting ready for the next segment.

    2.A time for kids to get to know each other.

    3.Refreshments and increasing their physical vitality.

    4. Creating a sense of involvement in the services of this ceremony.

    Procedures-Supplies Needed:

    1. It is better not to have expensive refreshments. Observing this idea will encourage others to conduct more ceremonies like this.

    2.It would be good to do something creative and different for refreshments.

    3.Getting help from the children.

    Duration:

    10 Minutes

    Refreshments:

    Ask children to grab a snack for their friend and then divide it among themselves, and like usual children won’t grab a snack for themselves. This gives them a sense of sharing and pleasure.

  • Objective(s):

    1.Becoming familiar with the concept of meeting with the Imam of Our Time [Peace be Upon Him].

    2.Paying attention to this fact that although the Imam of Our Time is in occultation, however in many instances he helps and assists his Shi’as.

    3.One must bear in mind that any meeting that is described is not correct, and one should be very careful about this.

    Procedures-Supplies Needed:

    1.Projector, microphone, and a suitable place to present the Prezi.

    Duration:

    15-20 Minutes

    Part 1: Meeting of Allameh Hilli with Imam Mahdi (PBUH)

     Slide 1 & 2:

    During the time of Allameh Hilli, who was one of the great Shia scholars, there was a Sunni scholar who was against the Shia’s. This Sunni scholar had written a book against the Shia faith. And sometimes in his speeches he used this book and spread the word that Shia’s have the wrong beliefs, and the fact that they believe the successor of Prophet Muhammad [PBUH & HP] is Imam Ali and the rest of the Imams; these beliefs are wrong and so forth.

    He did not give his book to anyone, fearing that it might fall into the hands of Shia scholars who would write the answer to the book’s problems. It’s interesting that this scholar was Allama Hilli’s teacher and taught him a lesson.

    Slide 3:

    Allama Hilli, who was a great Shia and loved to help the Imams, was worried that the Shi’as would be influenced by his speeches and follow the wrong path, so he participated in all his lectures to listen to the words of this scholar and write down all the wrong things he was sayings, however he couldn’t write down all the Sunni scholar’s words. For this reason, he decided to lay his hand on that book in any way possible, and answer the problems written in that book.

    One day, he told his teacher, who was this Sunni scholar: “May I please borrow your book and read it?

    Since Allameh Hilli was his student, he accepted to lend his book. But he said I have sworn to not lend my book more than one night.

    Slide 4 & 5:

    Allameh Hilli considered it an opportunity better than nothing, he took the book home, so he could copy from the book as much as he could (You know at that time there weren’t any copy machines so if someone wanted to have a copy of a book, they either had to hand write from that book, or ask someone else to do it for them.)

    So, Allameh Hilli started writing as fast as he could till the midnight (In those times there was no electricity to turn on any lights, you could only use the light from a candle). Unfortunately, at midnight he fell asleep and couldn’t write anymore (uh-oh… now what should we do!?)

    In the morning, when Allameh Hilli woke up for his morning prayers, he saw something amazing. YES, he saw that the whole book has been copied. There was a sentence written at the end of the book: “This copy is written by Al-Hujjat ibn al-Hassan al-Askari Sahib al-Zaman- (the Proof of God, the Son of al-Hassan al-Askari the Patron of the Age [Peace be Upon Him])”

    Yes, that meant that Imam Mahdi came during the midnight and helped Allameh Hilli. Why!? Because Allameh Hilli was a great person and wanted to defend the Imam of the Time-Imam Mahdi.

    Alright, this was the first story.

    Part 2: The Meeting between old locksmith & Imam Mahdi [PBUH]

    Slide 6 & 7:

    A man from the scholars longed and wished to visit Imam Mahdi [Peace Be Upon Him] and he was saddened by the fact that he was unable to the Imam of the Time. He tried for a long time, prayed and requested God to see the Imam, but nothing happened. He lived in Najaf (Who knows where Najaf is? Excellent, this city is in Iraq, where Imam Ali is buried, and we go there to visit his shrine.)

    In Najaf, among the people and religious school students, it is believed that whoever goes to the Sahla Mosque- which is in the city of Kufa and is close the city of Najaf for forty Wednesday nights and do his Maghrib and Isha prayers there, will finally see Imam Mahdi after the 40th time.

    This scholar decided to this, so he can achieve his valuable goal. He did his best, but at the end he didn’t achieve his goal. Till one day, because of all the prayers he had done, he had a dream. In his dream he was told: “If you want to see the Imam of the Time-Imam Mahdi, you must to go to this city.”

    Slide 8:

    Although the trip to the city was long and hard, but with the joy of seeing his beloved and heavenly Imam, he went to the city. He arrived there after few days of journey. He stayed in that city for a while and prayed the whole time. Till after 37 days, they told him in his dream: “Now Imam Mahdi (May God Quicken his return) is in the blacksmith market, sitting in the old man’s locksmith shop. Get up quickly and go there so that you can visit him.”

    He got up and went to the blacksmith market immediately. When he arrived at the shop he saw that the Imam of the Time-Imam Mahdi was sitting there and talking with the old man. Now let’s hear the rest of the story from the scholar himself:

    “I said my Salaams to the Imam of the Time-Imam Mahdi and he responded. He pointed to me to be quiet now and watch!

    Slide 9 & 10:

    At that moment, I saw a weak old lady, with a curved back walking with the help of a cane, who entered the store. She showed a lock to the old man and said: “Sir! Would you please, to make God happy, buy this lock from me for 3 dollars? I am weak, I need 3 dollars.”

    The old locksmith looked at the lock, he saw that the there was no problem with the lock, so he turned to the old lady and said: “Ma’am! Why should I buy something from a Muslim this cheap and waste her money!? Your lock is worth 8 dollars. If I want to buy this from you and sell it to someone else and make a profit, I must buy this lock from you for 7 dollars. Because it’s not fair to get 1 dollars profit on this lock. (Who knows the meaning of being fair? That’s right, being be happy of the rights you have as well respecting and giving other people their rights.)

    The locksmith said again: if you want to sell this lock, I’ll buy it for 7 dollars, but I must say again that your lock is worth 8 dollars. Since I am seller, and I must make a profit on what I sell, and I will buy it 1 dollars less from you.

    The old lady couldn’t believe that the locksmith was being serious, she was saddened. She wanted was telling the man she wanted 3 dollars, and none of the shopkeepers in this market accepted to buy this lock for 3 dollars, and then he was telling her that he will buy this lock for 7 dollars?!

    At the end, the old man gave her 7 dollars and bought the lock.

    Slide 11:

    When the old lady left, Imam Mahdi turned to me and said: “Did you look closely? Be like this and behave like this so that we can come to you. You do not need to go through lots of trouble, do a lot of worship, and go on long journeys, do good deeds, and be a true Muslim so I can help you.

    From all these cities, I have chosen this old man, because he has a religion and believes in God. This was an example of his behavior, that you saw. From the beginning of this market, the old lady asked all the shopkeepers, but when they saw that she needed money, everyone wanted to buy the lock cheaper from her, and not one person bought the lock for even 3 dollars. While this old man bought it for 7 dollars. Not a week passes without me visiting him and greeting him.”

    The Imam of the Time-Imam Mahdi [Peace Be Upon Him] said this and I no longer saw him.

    So, my dears, Imam Mahdi expects us to be good people and do good things so as Muslims we can be a good example, so we can let everyone know that being a real Muslims means being a good person.

  • Objective(s):

    1.Learning the ways to please the heart of the Imam of Our Time [PBUH].

    Procedures-Supplies Needed:

    1.Proejector, and speakers.

    Duration:

    2 Minutes

    Animation: Daily connection with Imam al Mahdi (PBUH)

    https://youtube/7kNuccDQum0

  • Objective(s):

    1.Becoming familiar with the celebration of the 15th of Sha’baan, and the reappearance of the Imam of Our Time (AJ).

    2.Accustom the kids with the culture of poetry and reciting religious poems.

    3. Clapping and showing excitement while the poems are being recited will make the atmosphere more jubilant for the participants.

    Procedures-Supplies Needed:

    1.Before the start of the program, the mentor should practice reciting the poems eloquently and possibly even memorize some parts of the poem.

    2. Ask the kids to recite along with you the parts of the poem that seems easier.

    Duration:

    5-10 Minutes

     Poem:

    My mother says

    There is a person coming

    I hear his footsteps

    When he comes

     Dandelions will laugh

    Sadness will fade away

    The clouds will rain

    The fountains spring

    The trees will blossom

    My mothers says

    His face is beautiful

    Even though He’s far

    He’s always with us

    Call Imam Mahdi

    Always remember Imam Mahdi is the Imam of Our Time he is alive, he is present, and he is here for us and he is just a call away

    Call Imam Mahdi (4)

    When things go as they sometimes will

    Call Imam Mahdi

    He will change that sign into a smile

    Call Imam Mahdi (3)

    He is your savior, your caretaker

    You will not be left alone never

    When you’re ever hurt and your need support

    Call Imam Mahdi

    He will change that sign into a smile

    Call Imam Mahdi (3)

    He is always watching over you

    If you are confused on what to do

    When you’re feeling low and you just don’t know

    Call Imam Mahdi

    He will sign into a smile

    Call Imam Mahdi

    When things go as they sometimes will

    Call Imam Mahdi

    He will change that sign into a smile

    Call Imam Mahdi (3)

    Say the truth and be kind to other

    Listen and respect your elder

    He will be so proud, if together out loud we

    Call Imam Mahdi

    He will change that sign into a smile

    Call Imam Mahdi (3)

  • Objective(s):

    1.Establishing that sense of connection with the world after the reappearance and the merits of the Imam of Our Time [AJ].

    2.Increasing children’s concentration level.

    Procedures-Supplies Needed:

    1.Cardboard or poster board.

    2. Colored pencils and or markers or any other craft materials.

    Duration:

    20 Minutes

    Group Activity: Depicting the World After the Reappearance

    According to the number of participants prepare a few large card boards and ask children to sit around it, close their eyes, take a deep breath, and sit around it.

    Now my dears, I want all of you to think about the world we’re living today, and think about the sad things such as poverty, hunger, war, fighting, sickness, lying, and cruelty. Well, thinking about these things makes us very sad, so we want to quickly change subjects. Again, take a deep breath, relax your body, your feet, hands, back and if you have your hand in a fist, open your fist, completely relax, take a deep breath, and fell light like a dandelion seed blowing in the wind.

    Now the breeze has started to blow, and you are flying up in the sky and looking down at the earth. The breeze is supposed to carry us to a very nice, beautiful and clam place, a place that only happiness exists and there is no trace of sadness. Now the breeze has calmed down, and we are slowly, and slowly settling on the earth.

    We’ve never seen such a beautiful and good place before. In this beautiful place you may do whatever you wish: you can run, spin, jump or do whatever you want to do freely, anything that makes you and others happy. You can think of anything that makes you happy, fully enjoy your moment. That’s where all those you love, like your mom, dad, can also be with you and you’re happy being surrounded with all your loved ones.

    The birds are also chirping and singing, and all animals are friends. Wow, listen you can also hear the sound of rushing water. How lovely is this place! I wish we could stay here forever and enjoy it! The breeze has started to blow again, and we are carried to the sky and we bid our farewell to that beautiful place, and we are carried to the sky, and we take a deep breath. Now slowly move your fingers, hands, and feet and open your eyes.

    Alright, did you all have fun? Did you enjoy your journey? Now I want from all of you to choose a corner of this poster-board and draw the beautiful scenery you saw or the things that you did on this journey, so I how the world you will create looks like and how that beautiful place looked like?

    My dears, our beloved Imam of Our Time-Imam Mahdi, may God quicken his return, with his reappearance and with his boundless kindness, and goodness will fill our world full of goodness, beauty, and kindness.

    Those people who have kind and pure hearts, upon seeing the kindness and goodness of the Imam, they will fall in love with him and will quickly believe in him as a guide for people and will become Muslims. No trace of badness, and cruelty would remain and with the presence of the Imam of Our Time only goodness, happiness, kindness, and security will remain. Even animals will be kind to each other and will not bother each other. To please the heart of our dear Imam, even the earth will turn green, elegant and fresh and the sky will shower its bounties.

    Well, I must tell you all that the reappearance of the Imam of Our Time-Peace Be Upon Him is one of the greatest and best blessings that you can ever imagine, because when he reappears he will bring with himself all the beauties, such as good health, peace, happiness, and will bring an end to war, poverty and fighting.

    So how wonderful would it be for us to imagine that beautiful world in our mind, and to achieve that world, we should be good to others and we should love the Imam of Our Time, make our hearts closer to him, and pray for his reappearance, his return, and pray to see him as well as see that beautiful world.

    Lets all together sing this together:

    Finally, that day will come/the day of victory

    Our Imam, Mahdi will return/making the enemy go away

    The world will be filled with flowers/roses, jasmines and dandelions

    We Shia kids will/always pray

    We will say O dear God/Bring our dear Imam [*2]

  • Objective(s):

    1.Maximizing children’s ability in memorization and learning by doing related work at home.

    Procedures-Supplies Needed:

    1.Print the table given at the end of this file.

    Take-Home Activity: Building a Connection with the Imam of Our Time

     A table is provided at the end of this file, and a few squares has been specified according to their row and column number. Tell the kids that according to today’s program, we want to try to strengthen our connection with our Imam and be in touch with him.

    By speaking to him, thinking about him, missing him, praying for him and anything that will bring us closer to him, we want to reduce that feeling of being away from him by doing these things. Ask them to take this table home, and whenever they think about their kind Imam and speak to him like a very close friend, to color in one of the squares that has been given according to the number of its row and column.

    At the end they must see what the image they’ve colored represents. Tell them the after they complete the table to continue this work and be a good friend for their kind Imam.

  • Objective(s):

    1.Conclusion and reiterating the overall concepts such as the advent of the Imam of Our Time (PBUH), the world after his advent, and communicating with His eminence (AJ).

    2.Creating a heartfelt bond with the Imam of Our Time (PBUH) and praying for the hastening of his return.

    Procedures-Supplies Needed:

    1.Starting the dua, after conveying to the kids about the importance of praying for the return of the Imam of Our Time (AS).

    2.It is suggested that that while the dua is being recited, the Arabic version of the dua along with its translation in the local language to be projected simultaneously.

    3.Laptop and speakers

    Duration:

    5 Minutes

    End: Conclusion/Reciting Dua al-Faraj

     

    Alright my dears! I want to again congratulate all of you on this great Eid. I hope you enjoyed today’s celebrations. Whose love for the Imam of Our Time has increased today? Who here feels that more than before they like to the friend of the Imam of Our Time and feels closer to him? Who loves more than before for the Imam of Our Time to reappear and come to us, and make this world full of goodness and beauty?

    That is great, Thank God that today’s program was able to make our hearts closer to our beloved Imam and know better his kindness. Now more than before we know how the world will look like when our beloved Imam of the Time returns, and this will make us to pray for his return more than before and be proud of ourselves for having such a kind Imam, for believing in him, and for praying for him.

    This way we have a role in beautifying this world. Now, let us all stand up and raise our hands in prayers and ask God to quicken the return of our Imam and be our Imam on this earth for a long time, and for us to live besides our Imam and benefit from his blessings, goodness, kindness and knowledge.

    ************

    Translation of Dua al-Faraj

    In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

    O’ God, send your blessing upon Muhammad and the Household

    of Muhammad

    O’ God, at this moment and every moment

    Be a guardian, a protector, a leader, a helper

    a proof, and an eye for Your representative &; proof, Mahdi son of Al-

    Hassan,

    Your blessings be upon him and his ancestors

    guard him as long as he lives on this earth as a ruler

    benefit him and bless him with everything You and this earth has to Offer