Muawiyah finds a friend at the Masjid

 

Muawiyah finds a friend at the Masjid 

Masha Allah, so nice to see Muawiyah making new friends; completely beyond our expectations of this otherwise very introverted and shy little man.

Since he was an infant (~20 months old), we decided to bring Muawiyah to the masjid every day. Of course, at this age, he doesn't actually pray, so initially, the intent was to get him used to listening to Qur'an, to get accustomed to the mosque environment so that it would be easier to transition starting prayer, to build a habit of spending quality time with Abah. And as an added bonus: to allow some "me-time" for ibu to spend at home as I take him. 

Over the years, now that he is 4, I started observing a greater benefit, of bringing him to the masjid: associating positive childhood emotions with religion. With Islam. 

To craft a childhood experience that allows him to grow up learning that prayers aren't a chore, or a burden. Instead, the masjid is an awesome place to go, and that prayers can be a pleasant, even fun daily actiivity.

Trips to the masjid becomes an exciting opportunity to play with Abah: to piggy ride, chase each other and play hide and seek. To play with some random cats. To freely run around without being scolded (Alhamdulillah for such tolerant jemaah here in Miri). And now, make friends with other bois!

These small experiences might not seem very significant in the moment. But day by day, these positive experience pile up for the child, and it is with these, they eventually create childhood memories of a place he will remember being fond of. It's kind of like that "1% better" philosophy of consistency, with childhood emotions.

These days, every time I go, I give him a choice: "Muawiyah, do you want to follow Abah to the masjid?"

95% of the time, he says yes. In fact, it's such an emphatic, strong and decisive "yes", that we can use that as an excuse to get him to take a bath or brush his teeth, as a condition to follow Abah. Masha Allah, what a blessing, Allahumma barik. 

الحمد لله الذي بنعمته تتم الصالحات 

Here is looking forward and hoping more fathers bring their little ones more frequently the houses of Allah.

May Allah make our children the coolness of our eyes, and to love Allah and His Masajid