My conversation with son regarding Iman.

Today my 8-year-old son asked me a question which I simply could not ignore. I'm sharing it here with everyone in the hope that it may benefit any moms and dads out there facing similar challenging questions and maybe to get ideas from others on how I may improve my explanations to my children. Also, if others may share their experiences of questions from their little lovely ones. Children are amazing MashaAllah!

Son: Mommy! can I ask you something about Iman?

Mommy: Sure, what about it?

Son: What is Iman? like...how do you get Iman?

Mommy: Well...Iman is not something you can hold or touch. It is not like your green toy that you can play with (he has his favourite green toy). It is about believing that God exists.

Son: (looking slightly confused)

Mommy: It is like this, do you believe in Allah?

Son: yeah...

Mommy: Well, you either believe that there is God or you don't. You cannot think God created the world today but He doesn't tomorrow. It is like, do you believe you are a human being?

Son: of course! (laughing)

Mommy: Okay, do you believe I'm your mommy?

Son: yeah...(DUH!!!)

Mommy: Well then you believe I'm your mom today and tomorrow and everyday so is the same with believing that God exist. When you believe that there is something that created the world and He is God then you always believe that. So that is Iman. Iman is to believe in Allah. He is the Creator.

Son: oh okay...

Mommy: Do you believe that the Qur'an is from Allah like it is Allah's words?

Son: err... (not sure)

Mommy: Well, every book has an author right? Who wrote Harry Potter?

Son: err...Harry Potter

Daughter: HAHAHA...you think that Harry Potter wrote Harry Potter?!!! haha...

Mommy: No...does Harry Potter even exists in real life to write Harry Potter?

Son: (smiled) no...

Mommy: and no! Daniel Radcliffe the actor did not write Harry Potter but it is JK Rowling. So every book has an author, a person who wrote the book.

Mommy: So, who wrote the Qur'an?

Son: Allah

Mommy: Well, okay...Allah did not write the Qur'an as such. People write down the words of the Qur'an but if I ask you to copy down Harry Potter's book, will it be your words or JK Rowling.

Son: JK Rowling.

Mommy: Yup...so, the words of the Qur'an is from Allah. Allah passed the words to Angel Jibrail and Jibrail passed it on to Prophet Muhammad (saw)

(thought I'd talk about the miracle of the Qur'an later...when he's a bit older)

Mommy: So, you believe that Allah exist, Allah is the Creator and that the Qur'an is His words. Do you believe in the day of judgment?

Son: Yes.

Mommy: Well, how do you know that there is day of Judgment?

Son: because Allah says so in the Qur'an

Mommy: That's right so, whatever Allah says in the Qur'an, the things that we see and the things that we can't see but we believe in them because God tells us about it. So, the six Rukun Iman that you learn at school, about belief in Allah, the angels, the prophets, the books, the hereafter and Qada' wal Qadr...when you believe in these things that means you have Iman. Anyone who believes in this has Iman. A Muslim has Iman, that is what makes him/her a believer.

Son: but sometimes Iman can be big or small right?

Mommy: Well, a person who believes in the six things have Iman regardless of whether they believe it themselves or through taqlid meaning just blind following...but Iman can be more or less. Sometimes like when we read Qur'an and remember Allah then, our Iman is stronger but sometimes when we're playing or doing other things and we forget about Allah then our Iman maybe weaker but we still have Iman. It doesn't mean that when we forget to think about Allah that we no longer believe He is the Creator. If one doesn't have Iman then they are not Muslim.

Mommy: Sometimes we remember Allah more and sometimes we don't remember so much. Sometimes we do bad things and make mistakes but whatever it is, if we believe in Allah that He is our Creator then we have Iman. We just need to work harder to make our Iman stronger, to be a better Muslim.

Mommy: It is like the story of Ibrahim in the Qur'an when he asked Allah to show him how Allah brought life to the dead and Allah asked if Ibrahim did not believe? but of course he believed but he said he wanted to be stronger in faith. It is like the other day snowy the cat caught a mouse and ate it. If I say to you, "I saw snowy the cat ate a mouse" would you believe me?

Son: yes...

Mommy: you believe but you might want to see it for yourself. You might be curious to see how snowy the cat catch a mouse. So, Ibrahim wanted to see it for himself to increase his faith and Allah SWT asked him to catch birds, to slaughter them and scatter them in four different places and then Allah SWT easily brought them back to life.

Son: and Ibrahim saw this?

Mommy: Yes... it is easy for Allah. He only needs to say 'be' and it happens.

إِنَّمَآ أَمۡرُهُ ۥۤ إِذَآ أَرَادَ شَيۡـًٔا أَن يَقُولَ لَهُ ۥ كُن فَيَكُونُ
His practice, when He intends to do something, is no more than He says, “Be”, and it comes to be.  (Surah Yasin:82)

Son: Mom, what is Qada' wal Qadr?

Mommy: Qada' wal Qadr means that everything that happens in this universe has been written by Allah.

Son: Oh! how is that then?

Mommy: But it is not an excuse for us to do bad things then say it is all written by Allah. We do not know what Allah has written so, whenever we do something, it is our responsibility to do it the right or wrong way. We cannot blame anyone if we choose to do bad things.

Son: Okay...okay... I get it!

Mommy: Is that okay?

Son: yeah...

May Allah help us in explaining things to our kids. Amin