Jannah

Tears streamed down my little ones eyes as they said goodbye to their grandparents yet another time. I gave them a hug and whispered reassuringly, “There are no goodbyes in Jannah.”

Jannah. Heaven. Paradise. My absolute favorite discussion topic with young children. When a child is able to understand the concept of Jannah they have reached a very important milestone. They know the end game. Their life has direction. They begin to understand that serving Allah SWT is an essential component that will inshaAllah lead them towards Jannah’s path.

To see their eyes light up when they realize that they will be greeted by Allah SWT with endless joy. They dream of candies that don’t cause cavities, no bed times, gardens and toys galore, loved ones all together, rivers flowing, houses of pearl, silk gowns, golden gemed bracelets and the most comfy chairs in the whole wide universe. I tell them I wish to see the Light of Allah SWT and the blessed face of our Beloved Rasool.

We share these tender moments with our children every now and then, especially when life seems a little harder that day. When the right choices seems so difficult in the face of peer pressure, failure, separation or sadness. We say it with such conviction and their little eyes look up at us with hope and confusion. Sometimes they ask,” Is it really true? I can’t see Jannah.”

I smile and tell them, “You cannot see Jannah my dear ones, but you can see the Mercy of Allah around you. Look at His creations like the rainbows, tall mountains, tiny new babies, soft little kittens, your hands that draw and legs that run. If Allah can give us this, surely he can give us Jannah. “

As encouragement and gentle reminders, some days I ask the children,” What’s the first thing you want to eat in Jannah? Which garden will you visit first? From which fountain will you drink? In which river will you swim? And the list goes on. It’s nice to build these kinds of hopes and dreams in our children. We pray that keeping them connected to Jannah will help them stay connected to Allah SWT.

O soul at peace; the secure believing one.

Return to your Lord, well pleased and pleasing [to Him],

And enter among My [righteous] servants and enter my Jannah.

The Quran 89:30

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.