Masjids & Mermaids

Fact: All living things can worship Allah SWT.

Does that mean Dora, Diego, Ariel and Curious George worship Allah? Well, why not? In our children’s minds, all these characters are living friends, comforting adventure companions. While many  make efforts to keep certain “influences” out of our homes and hearts, the reality is that even “non-tv watching”, masjid-going, homeschooled children are still infiltrated by the lure of Disney, Noggin and Sprout adventures.

The timeless debate lingers….should we let our children play with these princesses, octopuses and glitter ponies? Should they have charcterized  toothbrushes, stuffed toys and bed sheets?  I don’t know the magical answer to this question. What I do know is that all living things can worship Allah SWT.

Little ones don’t seem to understand theological arguments about good and bad role models. However, I think they are influenced when Dora gets ready for salah time or when  Curious George makes dua before eating his banana. The other day, Tinkerbell and my  3.5 year old made dua while combing their hair in the mirror.  Since we cannot have our children live in a bubble, I think it’s important to cautiously embrace the poor role modeling with creative ways of reinforcing good behaviors. 

The other day, my little ones built a masjid  with wooden blocks. This masjid was special  because it was made for creatures under the sea. Then we cut out Ariel Mermaid from our Disney coloring book ( gifts from the neighbors) and she visited the masjid with all her mermaid friends. They all made athan, prayed, swam and played. I hope five years from now, they remember we built masjids and worshipped Allah..

I don’t know what I’ll do when they hit the Hanna Montana craze…

Sharda Mohammed

Sharda Mohammed is a Canadian born mother of two young children. She has a keen interest in learning to foster leadership, self esteem and empathy in young children. She works part-time as a physical therapist.