As parents, we have a great responsibility on our shoulders. What is this responsibility you may ask? It's the responsibility of teaching our children the importance of 'azā', how to perform 'azā', and upholding the majālis of Imam al-Husayn ('a). No doubt, Imam al-Hujjah, Sayyidah Fātimah, and Umm al Banīn help us with this tarbiyah, but we still have to do our part.
We have put together a manageable list of things you can do with your children to make Muharram meaningful for them.
What are some ways you make Muharram meaningful for your children? Share them with us below, let's learn from each other and encourage one another in the 'Azā' of Imam al-Husayn!
يا حسين!!!
1. Make the atmosphere at home sombre
Instead of turning on TV, consider playing ma'tam, noha, majālis to keep yourselves and your children in a sombre state.
Refrain from playing with water, doing any new activities, or anything they would consider to be fun to highlight to them the greatness of the tragedy we mourn in these months of 'azā, but more specifically in these 10 days.
2. Decorate the house with your children
Set up an 'alam in a corner of your house, and/or put up banners related to Imām al-Husayn (a) around your home to serve as a visual reminder. Don't have anything handy? Create mini 'alams with your children, or print out images of banners that you can frame or place around the house.
3. Discuss the event of Karbala with your children
Don't let the majālis at the husayniyyāt be the only place your children learn about Imam al-Husayn ('a), and how to cry over him.Recite a mini majlis with them at home, where you narrate to them one of the events, then let them recite a majlis or a matam of their own. Moreover, attend as many majālis as you can to teach them the importance of majālis and crying over Imam Husayn ('a).
4. Wear black throughout the day
Create a constant visual reminder for yourselves and your children by wearing black throughout the day, not just at night when you go to a program. By wearing black, you are keeping yourself in a state of jaza' (restlessness), and showing muwāsāt with Imam al-Hujjah ('aj) as he mourns the martyrdom of his grandfather Imam al-Husayn ('a).
5. Prepare tabarruk with your children
Prepare tabarruk for majālis with your children. Any small item that is served at a majlis of Imām al-Husayn is considered tabarruk. The majlis can include 1 person, or 100 people - Sayyidah Fatimah (a) is at every one of them where there is musībah of her son being recited.
Ps. You can serve the tabbaruk at the daily 'majlis' you have with your children in your home
Most importantly...
6. Explain to them why we mourn the tragedy of Imam al-Husayn, and why we cry.
From Imām Sādiq (a) - "There are no eyes and tears loved more by Allah than the eyes of those who cry and shed tears over Imam Husayn (a). And there is none who cries upon Him, but that He has connected with Fātimah (a) and he supported Her upon it, and has connected with the Prophet of Allah (s) and has fulfilled our rights."[Source: Kamil al-Ziyarat, pg. 168]
From Imām Sādiq (a) said:"And whoever when Imam Husain (a) is mentioned in his presence and tears come out of his eyes of the size of a fly's wing, his reward will be upon Allah (azj) and Allah will not be pleased with any reward for him other than paradise."[Source: Kamil al-Ziyarat, chapter. 32, hadith. 3]
Through our crying, we show muwāsāt with Prophet Muhammad (s) and Sayyidah Fātimah (a), and we cry alongside them! What more could we want than this great honour and reward!
