THE CHILDREN’S QUESTIONS ABOUT FAITH
90
Mistakes Committed
While Answering
Children’s Questions
Some of the most serious mistakes that are committed when answering
our children include:
Not taking into consideration the different behavioral aspects.
91
Practical
Examples
on How to Answer
Children’s
Faith-Based
Questions
THE CHILDREN’S QUESTIONS ABOUT FAITH
92
The The following answers are primarily
directed to parents - as well as teachers,
mentors and others - who are requested
to provide answers fit to their
child’s age level and cognitive ability.
There is no answer that fits all age
levels and cognitive abilities. Therefore,
what concerns us is the content
and practicality of the answer
rather than the exact words used to
deliver it.
93
Faith-Based
Questions on Allah
Faith-Based Questions on Allah
The most frequent questions children wonder about at a young age revolve
around Allah. Here are some of the children’s most asked questions:
Who Is Allah?
First, we should not wait until the child asks about Allah; we should rather
initiate discussion about Allah whenever possible. The correct answer to
children’s question about Allah and His Traits establish Monotheism in
children’s minds and hearts early. The best way to teach children about Allah
is to direct their minds from thinking about the nature of Allah to thinking
about His signs and wonders of creation that illustrate His greatness
(e.g. the sky, the clouds, the stars, the sun, the moon, the sea, the trees,
etc.). Therefore, when a child asks:
“who’s Allah?!”, we should simply
respond that and provide examples
for this. Children will then know Allah
through evidence. In order to
draw children’s attention to the sky
and the vast land with mysterious
and intricate system, we should ask
them: “You see this system? The
creator and organizer of its laws is
Allah the Almighty.” Teaching children
the short chapters at the end
of the Quran is useful because they
contain the best information about
Allah’s and His Traits. He is Allah
who “Neither begets nor is born,
nor is there to Him any equivalent“.
THE CHILDREN’S QUESTIONS ABOUT FAITH
94
Answer (to children 4-10)
Allah is our Creator and Sustainer. He is the One who created everything
and everyone around us. He created us including our organs (e.g. eyes,
ears, mouth, tongue, hands, feet, and our whole body). He created the
sky, land and all the trees. Allah is the One who created everything, and
nothing is like Him. He is the Most Merciful, the Sustainer, and the Generous.
He has Names and Traits that are all beautiful. That is why He - Alone
- without any companions - deserves devotion. He commands adults to
take care of children, help them and provide for them and for everyone.
He notices, rewards, and punishes us for good and bad deeds, respectively.
He is the One who rewards the generous for their generosity and
punishes the offenders for their offence. As a result, we thank Allah for His
blessing by worshipping Him and doing good things. He created the trees,
the rivers, the seas, and everything in this life; He is the source of power.
Whenever He wants something, He just says “be” and it becomes.
Possible conversation model:
” -Who bought you those beautiful clothes“?
” -Dad“
” -Who takes you to school“?
” -Dad“
” -When you get sick, who takes you to the doctor“?
” -Dad“
” -Who takes you out for a picnic“?
” -Dad“
” -So, your father takes care of all your stuff“?
” -Yes“
95
”Likewise, Allah bestows mercy upon us; He is the One who takes care
of all of us. Allah is the Creator of everything. Everything you see is Allah’s
creation: the sun, the moon, the clouds, the seas, the mountains, humans,
animals, birds, angels, and jinn. Allah is the Creator of the whole universe;
He is Generous and Merciful. He takes care of us and always provides us
with abundance
How does Allah look like? How Come Nothing is Like
Him?
In order to answer this question, we must draw the child’s attention to our
limited abilities to conceptualize things and fully understand everything.
The rationale here is that we cannot conceptualize all of Allah’s creation. If
we cannot conceptualize all of Allah’s creation, then ultimately we cannot
conceptualize Him. This answer might disappoint the child. However, we
can ensure him or her that we will eventually see Allah when we meet Him
in the Hereafter. Furthermore, we should explain to the child that Allah did
say something about Himself in the Quran. Therefore, we do know a little
bit about Him but we should not Fantasize about His appearance. Only
religion and the Quran can tell us about Allah. The Quran says: “There is
nothing like Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.” Accordingly, Allah is
not like us or anything else. This indicates the greatness of Allah who we
should love, hope for, and fear. We know that Allah is great through his
creation (e.g. Heaven) and we will see him in Heaven.
Answer
We do not know. There is nothing like Allah. He is the One who created
me, you, and everyone. Allah is different from man. Man cannot create
man, while Allah can; He can do anything He wants. And since nobody
can see Allah in this life, then nobody can describe how he looks like.
We cannot see Him in His full beauty and grace because our abilities are
limited. No matter how far our minds grow and understand, they are still
limited to know only what Allah allows them to know and nothing else. It
THE CHILDREN’S QUESTIONS ABOUT FAITH
96
is impossible to know everything because we are humans. If Allah was a
human like us, He would get sick like us, eat and drink like us, and die like
us. However, Allah does not get sick, he does not eat, drink, or die. He
always exists. He is the Creator of the skies
Our hearing is limited; we can only hear from a certain distance. If we
hear everything, we would become exhausted. Our vision is limited, too.
We can only see to a certain distance. We cannot see what is behind a
wall, for example. Our mind is limited just like our hearing and sight; it
cannot conceive everything. The human mind is limited and cannot understand
everything. From the day Allah created humanity until now, what we
do not know is more than what we know. The human soul - for example
- is so close to us, yet we cannot conceive it. If we cannot conceive what
is inside us, how can we know what is outside us? Accordingly, if our mind
is limited, it cannot understand Allah’s form.
Possible Model Conversation (age 8-10):
We can (theoretically) ask a child to stare at the sun without blinking and
ask: “Can you keep staring at the sun“?
” -No“
” -Same thing for Allah, We cannot stand the light that radiates from Allah’s
veil. But when we go to heaven, we will see Him - may Allah permit
Who Created Allah?
Here we should note the prophetic advice: Seeking refuge in Allah and
subtly directing the child’s thoughts towards another issue so the he or
she does not carry on with these questions is the key here. We redirect
the child’s thought away not because we lack an answer. We rather do it
to eliminate suspicion.
Answer:
97
No one. Allah is the creator of everything. That is why we worship Him
alone. We do not worship anything that is created. Allah is not created; the
process of creation applies only for the creature. No one can ever bring
Allah from nonexistence. Otherwise, He would be a creature, too. Allah
has neither a beginning nor an end. If we assumed that there is a creator
of Allah the Almighty, the same question remains unanswered: “Who
created the creator of the creator?” Then, “Who created the creator of the
creator of the creator?” and so on. Abu Huraira narrates that the prophet
(may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Satan comes to one
of you and says, ‘Who created so-and-so?’ ‘till he says, ‘Who has created
your Lord?’ So, when he inspires such a question, one should seek refuge
with Allah and give up such thoughts“.
Possible scenario (for 10 years old)
If someone asked you about the length of the fourth side of a triangle…
you will not have an answer because the triangle only has three sides.
Another scenario:
Let us take the ‘soldier and bullet’ example. A soldier wants to fire a gun,
THE CHILDREN’S QUESTIONS ABOUT FAITH
98
but in order to do so, he must take permission from the soldier behind him.
That soldier - in order to give permission - must take permission from the
soldier behind him… and like that to a no-end. The question is: “Will the
first soldier ever fire the gun.“?
”No, because no one can reach the soldier who can give the order to
fire.
Exactly ! The soldier can only fire the gun if there is a last soldier who
can give orders without consulting with the one behind. Without that
soldier, no matter how many soldiers there are, the gun will never fire.
All other soldiers are like zeros; they are beside each other but no
matter how many they are - even if they are infinite - they will always
be nothing except if we put before them a number: 1 or more.
Where Did Allah Come From? How Old Is He? Who was there
before Allah?
The answer to these types of questions requires explaining the idea that
time and space are creations of Allah. Allah created everything and by
everything we mean everything, whether physical, mental, or conceptual.
If we get children to understand that, then answering these questions can
become easy. Here we should note the prophetic advice: Seeking refuge
in Allah and subtly directing the child‘s thoughts towards another issue
so the he or she does not carry on with these questions is the key here.
We redirect the child’s thought away not because we lack an answer. We
rather do it to eliminate suspicion. Furthermore, like the question about
creation, we should note the prophetic advice: Seeking refuge in Allah
and subtly directing the child‘s thoughts towards another issue so the he
or she does not carry on with these questions is the key here. We redirect
the child’s thought away not because we lack an answer. We rather do it
to eliminate suspicion.
Answer:
Since Allah was not created and that He neither begets nor was born,
then He has no beginning or an end. He does not have an age like hu-
99
mans, because He is the Creator. Allah Almighty is the First ever. Nothing
is before him and He is the Last. Nothing is after Him. He said: “He is the
First and the Last, the Ascendant and the Intimate, and He is, of all things,
Knowing.” Time is like space; it does not limit Allah. Time is one of Allah’s
creations; creatures cannot limit or contain their creator. Allah owns all the
traits of perfection and beauty.”
Is Allah Male or Female?
Similar to the question about how Allah looks like, we should briefly answer
this question and shift the child’s thoughts away from thinking too
much about Allah’s appearance. Here, we better clarify to the child that
gender is a necessity to differentiate between types of creatures and that
Allah has actually the creator of creatures.
Answer:
Allah is not male or female. He is the creator of these two concepts. He
said: “And that He created the two mates - the male and female.” Allah
the Almighty is above classification. In fact, there are other creatures that
are not under such classification (e.g. the angels). Even the sky, clouds,
air, and water are not male or female. Therefore, if some creatures do not
fall within gender classification, then Allah primarily does not, too: “There
is nothing like Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.”
How do we know that Allah Exists?
Belief in Allah is an undeniable human instinct and evidence of Allah’s
existence is plenty. Every day, people in every field discover evidence
of Allah’s existence. The nature in human soul proves Allah’s existence;
Allah says: “The innate nature (fitrah) of Allah upon which He has created
all people” - (Quran 30:30). Every single one of us has an inner voice that
tells him about Allah’s greatness, power, and care. Key to the answer to
this question is to illustrate the complexity of this world and its system.
THE CHILDREN’S QUESTIONS ABOUT FAITH
100
Answer
There are two types of evidence that proof Allah’s existence: Logical and
tangible. As we can see. This world is very intricate. Either it happened by
chance, created itself, or it is created by a Creator. The first two options
are impossible; therefore, only the third one possible and the Creator is
Allah. In the Quran, Allah says: “Were they created by nothing, or were
they the creators [of themselves]? Or did they create the heavens and the
earth? Rather, they are not certain”. He has control over the sky and Earth;
Allah says: “Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the
alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding.”
In addition, Allah perfected human creation; He says: “And in yourselves.
Don’t you see?” He also created the stars, mountains, animals, etc. All
these point to the Creator’s mastery. Signs of Allah’s existence are spread
across the World. Moreover, Creatures have a purpose: they all worship
Allah who has no associate, whatsoever.
Possible Scenario for a logical evidence (age 9-12)
Abu Haneefa was once asked to prove Allah’s existence.
- He replied: “First, tell me about a ship from Degla that sails - to carry
food and goods - by itself, returns by itself, docks by itself, empties itself
by itself, and does the same thing all over again by itself.”
- “That is impossible!”, people said.
- Abu Haneefa replied, “If it is impossible for a ship to do this, then how
can the world function on its own?!”
It is impossible that a perfect world happens without an All-Capable,
All-Knowing Creator.
Another Scenario for tangible evidence (age 9-12)
A parent can also ask the child: when you get hungry, you automatically
look for food to satisfy your hunger. When you get thirsty, you look for
something to quench your thirst; when you smell something beautiful, you
101
feel happy and the opposite happens when you smell something foul.
When you look at the flowers, the roses, the sky, and the nature around
us you feel ecstatic. Similarly, we feel the need for Allah for refuge to feel
safe and calm. When we feel sad and depressed, we return immediately
to Allah and call Him and when we feel happy, we praise Him
and thank Him.
Does Allah Hear, See, and Talk Like Us?
The answer to this question provides an opportunity
to teach children self-control: “If Allah is All-Hearing and
All-Seeing, is it appropriate that He hears or sees us doing
something unacceptable to Him?”
Answer:
Yes. Allah talks, hears, and sees. He says: “Certainly Allah has
heard the speech of the one who argues with you, [O Muhammad],
concerning her husband”, “[Allah] said, “Do not be scared. Indeed, I
am with you both; I hear and see”, and “Indeed, He is aware of what
you do.” However, He does not do it like us. Allah is different from
His creation. He hears sounds no matter how low they are; He sees
things no matter how far they are. He hears and sees everything; yet,
His hearing and vision do not resemble those of the deficient and weak
creatures. Allah is unmatched. He says: “There is nothing like Him, and
He is the Hearing, the Seeing.”
Does Allah Get Hungry and Thirsty Like Us?
Note to Parent:
Key to answering this question is the explanation that hunger and thirst
are aspects of weakness and Allah Almighty is perfect and flawless.
Answer:
No, Allah does not get hungry or thirsty. He does not need food or drink
THE CHILDREN’S QUESTIONS ABOUT FAITH
102
103
because He is the Creator of everything and does not need anything. If He
ever needs anything, He would not be Allah. Creatures are the ones that
need food and drink and Allah provides it for them. There is no comparison
between the creature and the Creator. Not everything we make needs
what we need. The same thing goes with Allah.
Possible Scenario (age 10-12)
- “Let me ask you a question… Who made the bike?”.
- “The bike manufacturer.”
- “Let us imagine that the bike talks and asks its maker: ‘What do you
eat? What do you drink?’ How will you respond?”
- “I will say: “It is none of your business. What will you gain from knowing
such a thing; your main purpose is to travel fast without any defects?”
- “Excellent. Same thing when it comes to Allah. Allah created us to worship
Him: “And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship
Me.” These questions are not going to benefit or help us achieve this task.
On the contrary, it will distract us from completing our tasks. When can
bikes ask questions? When they are broken; they go to their manufacturer
to get fixed. That is why we seek refuge in Allah through prayers and
supplications when we find ourselves weak in worshipping Him or when
something bad happens to us”.
How Powerful Is Allah?
Key to answering this question is that if we were talking about limited
power or ability, then we are talking about a trait of weakness; the end of
power means the beginning of weakness, and weakness is not a trait of
Allah the Almighty. This question is also beneficial to explaining the importance
of worshipping Allah alone. He is the only one capable of providing
our needs and sustenance.
Answer:
THE CHILDREN’S QUESTIONS ABOUT FAITH
104
Allah’s power is infinite. Nothing stands in His way; He said: “Allah is
competent over all things.” Whenever He wants something, He says: “be”,
and it becomes. Allah is capable of everything because He is the Creator
of everything. Nothing in land or sky defeats Him. Only creatures have
limited powers because they are created with limited abilities. The Creator’s
ability, however, has no boundary or weaknesses. He is the One who
crushes the mountains, moves the oceans, orders the water to sink into
earth. Nothing in the universe occurs without His order and will. The Creator
does not need any creature. The sky is one of His creations, and His
existence is not dependent upon any creature. He does not need them;
He does not need anything.
Where Is Allah? How Big Is He?
Once children understand that Allah is the One who created us and
blessed us, we then explain that Allah is in heaven. He said: “Do you feel
secure that He [who holds authority] who’s in the heaven…”. It is false
to say that Allah is everywhere, though, because this means that He is
present inside everything, which is not true. We are committed to what is
mentioned in the Sunnah. The prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings
be upon him) asked a maid servant: “Where is Allah?”, she said: “He is
in the heaven”. He said: “who am I?” She said: “You are the messenger
of Allah”. He said: “Grant her freedom; she is a believing woman”.
Even though Allah is in the heaven, He can see and hear us everywhere.
Constantly stressing that Allah sees and hears us increases the child’s
self-control. Allah the Almighty is in heaven, but His knowledge encompasses
everything; He said: “He is with you wherever you are.”
Answer:
Allah Almighty is in Heaven. He is not compared to anyone of His creatures.
He is greater than everything; Allah is bigger than all of His creatures.
If His creatures are great, their Creator is greater.
How Come Allah Sees Us but We Do Not See Him?
Tip to parent:
105
We can utilize the answer to this question to explain to them that we cannot
see Him, yet we believe in Him. We believe that He is Merciful, that He
loves believers, that He is powerful, and that he is capable of everything
and knows everything. He knows we are talking about Him right now.
Answer:
Our vision is limited; we cannot see most things. That is why we use
microscopes and magnifying tools. If we cannot see created objects, then
- logically – we cannot see Allah the Almighty. Human’s capabilities in life
prevent them from seeing Allah. Allah is high above us; therefore, He sees
us all at the same time like someone who climbs a roof and sees those
walking in the street while they do not see him. Allah sees us while we do
not see Him. There are many things that exist that we cannot see.
Possible scenario (6-10)
We tell the child: “Our eyes cannot detect everything. We cannot see
voices, yet we hear them. We cannot see air, yet we feel it. Our eyes cannot
see Allah Almighty in this life; however - may Allah permit – we will be
given better eyes in the Hereafter that will allows us to see Allah. That is
why, “Vision doesn’t perceive Him, but He perceives [all] vision; and He is
the Subtle, the Acquainted.”
How Can Allah See too Many People?
This question is related to the previous question. The answer is similar
and it can also be used to raise the child’s ability to self-control .
Answer:
Because Allah Almighty is above us all. Allah is the Competent over
everything.
Possible Scenario (age 5-10):
To practically answer this question, we can take the child to the street
THE CHILDREN’S QUESTIONS ABOUT FAITH
106
and ask him or her to count the people he or she sees. Then, we go to a
second floor and count again. Then we go to the roof and ask the child to
count the people he or she sees for a third time. Then we give the child
a binocular and ask for a more accurate count. From this example, we
explain to the child that we should not measure things with our limited
human capabilities. Allah’s ability is greater than that of His creatures altogether.
And we must stress that: “Allah is competent over all things.”
Another possible scenario:
We can ask the child: “Do you think an ant can see us with full details, or
does it just see a ghost or a shadow?” The child will respond that the ant
can see only a very small part of the toe, and it might consider the toe a
huge mountain.
- “Alright. Do you think the ant can ask: “How do you see us all at the
same time?” Your answer will be: “It is natural”. It suits your abilities that
Allah gave you. The ant’s abilities are limited. While it is easy for you to
see many ant-shelters in the room all at the same time, an ant - with its
limited abilities – can only see one. Since we agree that nothing is like
Allah the Almighty, and that He is capable of everything, therefore, our limited
abilities cannot comprehend what is “natural” for Allah. Allah’s ability
is greater than the ability of all the creatures because “Allah is competent
over all things.”
Does Allah See People in the Dark? How Does Allah Sees Us
When at Home with the Doors and Windows Shut? How Does
Allah Know About All Our Actions? How Can He Watch All
People?
Key to answering these questions is that Children must learn that Allah
has all the traits of beauty and perfection. They must know that Allah’s
abilities are limitless; He is the Omnipotent and the Almighty. He says: “Allah
is competent over all things.” Because His ability is limitless, nothing
on earth or sky can defeat Him. We cannot compare Allah’s ability with
that of creatures, no matter how great the creatures are. Allah is greater.
Like previous answers, the answer to this question is suitable to link to the
107
importance of self-control and religious devotion.
Answer:
Yes, Allah can see All people in the Dark and behind doors and walls.
Possible Scenario
First, we should show the child a movie scene with military soldiers using
night-goggles, animals and birds that see in the dark, first-person video
games with tools players use, such as x-rays gadgets, to detect objects
behind walls or in the dark. After that, we ask: “If a weak human sees in
the dark, can’t Allah who created humans see in the dark, too? If Allah is
the One who gave us the ability to create gadgets, can’t He - the All-Capable
and Overseer - do that? Allah is greater and more capable, and His
ability has no boundary”.
Possible Scenario 2:
We should show the child a picture of a medical scan and tell him that a
technician - who is created by Allah - can see the bones inside us with an
X-ray. Allah who created people, sees us while at home with all the doors
shut. Nothing is like Allah; He is not like humans whose vision are blocked
by buildings. Allah is unlike any creature because He is capable of doing
anything
Scenario 3
The example of surveillance camera recording clarifies this. A camera
records and detects every minor and major detail in front of it. Allah’s
