Sacrifice

Learning Objective:

- Understand the meaning of sacrifice

- Understand that sacrifice in Islam is always to gain the pleasure of Allah

- Understand the reward of sacrificing for Allah is always better than what you gave up

Qur'an Verse: 

Lillah, For Allah

Surely my prayer, my sacrifice and my life and my death are for Allah, the Lord of the worlds. 6:162

Wa ma 'indallahi khairun, What is with Allah is better 3:198

Sacrifice is giving up something you love for something you love even more. It can be giving up something valuable to you like your time to help someone in need, sharing your favourite things with others or even giving up having sweets you love because you know they're not good for you.

Allah teaches us in the Qur'an that everything we do, every sacrifice we make, must be for the one we love most of all, Allah. It can be difficult sometimes to make sacrifices and give up certain things, but we must remind ourselves that doing what makes Allah happy is always more important. Allah is our Rabb. He knows what is good for us and His rules are to help keep our body and soul clean. When we make sacrifices to gain Allah's pleasure, we know that wa ma 'indallahi khairun, that what is with Allah is better! He will always reward us with better.

Activity: Give it Up

Collect several pictures of different occupations, athletes, doctors, teachers, astronaut. Let each child pick a picture and discuss what he thinks the person had to sacrifice and give up to get their success.

Athlete - junk food, free time to exercise regularly

Doctor - time, years of their life studying, cost

Each of these people in their own ways, have achieved great things.  But they all needed to give up something, in some cases a lot of things to achieve greatness. This is called sacrifice. Our Holy Prophet (S) and his family made so many sacrifices in their lives so that they could teach and bring us the message of Islam in the best way. 

Discuss what sacrifices the children feel they make in their day. What do they give up for the pleasure of Allah?

Activity: The Reward of Sacrifice

Hand out some mini chocolates to a group of children leaving one child out. Watch if anyone willingly offers up theirs to the child without a bar. As soon as the child offers up his own, pull out a giant sized chocolate bar and reward it to the child who sacrificed their mini bar. Explain how when we give up something for the pleasure of Allah, He always rewards us with better. Activity: Poem by ASR 313

Allah has given us so much, it is too good to be true

for us to thank Him a little, there’s a few things we can do.

Sacrifice some resources, sacrifice some treats

sacrifice some time for those who are in need.

Allah doesn’t need us, the sacrifice that you do

in the end will actually benefit you.