"Creativity is intelligence having fun."
– Albert Einstein, World-renowned mathematician and physicist
Creativity is a vital tool for learning and growth and is a fun part of a child’s life. Kids are masters of producing a range of ideas and should be encouraged to unleash their creative identity in order to reach their full potential.
As the freest form of self-expression, creativity can reflect and nurture a child’s mental and emotional health from the following:
- Creativity helps them think outside the box. Creativity allows children to look at problems and challenges from different angles and to provide solutions that may not be simple. It’s useful in today’s fast-paced world.
- Creativity helps them communicate better. Creativity is about the ability to communicate their ideas in a clear and captivating way.
- Creativity helps them learn and grow. Creativity can help children develop new skills and expand their knowledge, as it requires them to explore new ideas, help them find new and different ways to overcome obstacles, and achieve their goals.
Self-expression is the most important aspect of any creative act.1 Here are some ways to utilize Islamic resources to expand your child’s creative expression.
1. Use of Islamic Art
Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
"Indeed, Allah is beautiful and loves beauty."
(Sahih Muslim)
Calligraphy and the decoration of Quranic verses present the beauty of Allah's words in an artistic form. Islamic calligraphy is the artistic tradition of beautiful writing and includes poetic, religious, and philosophical texts.2 Moreover, Islamic calligraphy is an important way to engage children in creative expression while gaining more understanding of Islamic values and teachings.
Younger children can learn calligraphy by providing worksheets with Arabic letters and simple Islamic terminology such as Allah, Islam, or Bismillah. Parents or teachers can provide bold and dotted outlines to make tracing simple and fun and encourage children to color calligraphy outlines with vibrant and bright colours. Moreover, younger children can include decorative elements like stars, crescents, or floral patterns around the words.
Older children can learn calligraphy styles in various basic Islamic calligraphy scripts like Naskh or Diwani. Naskh has a smaller script and letter shapes are more fluid.3 Diwani refers to “highly decorative style of Arabic calligraphy developed during the Ottoman Empire.”4 Older children can use online tutorials to practice writing duas or verses from the Quran.
Parents or teachers can also encourage children to write Islamic quotes or hadiths in Arabic and design the background with patterns or colours. Moreover, they can encourage older children to design their own calligraphy art by combining words, decorative geometric patterns, and use of various pens, markers, or paints for more detailed artwork.
2. Use of Storytelling
Islamic history and guidance are full of intriguing stories. Encourage young children to transport back to the time of the Prophets, peace be upon them, and give observations about the events taking place. This helps improve their understanding and verbal skills. Parents can ask them, “What did they see?” “What was the scenery like?”
For older children, parents can ask them more reflective questions, like “How do you think the Prophet or his family members were feeling?”
The story of Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him, observing the stars, moon, and sun is an example of a beautiful Islamic story. It highlights the use of reasoning and observation in dawah (calling others to the worship of Allah). It’s a lesson in guiding people from polytheism to monotheism.
Allah provides a number of details in the Quran:
"And his people argued with him. He responded, “Are you arguing with me about Allah, while He has guided me? I am not afraid of whatever ˹idols˺ you associate with Him—˹none can harm me,˺ unless my Lord so wills. My Lord encompasses everything in ˹His˺ knowledge. Will you not be mindful?
And how should I fear your associate-gods, while you have no fear in associating ˹others˺ with Allah—a practice He has never authorized? Which side has more right to security? ˹Tell me˺ if you really know!
It is ˹only˺ those who are faithful and do not tarnish their faith with falsehood who are guaranteed security and are ˹rightly˺ guided. This was the argument We gave Abraham against his people. We elevate in rank whoever We please. Surely your Lord is All-Wise, All-Knowing.”
(Surah An’am, 6:80-83)
This story is a brilliant example of how storytelling can be applied in dawah (inviting others to Islam) to teach Muslims to use patience, wisdom, and clear arguments when inviting others to Islam.
3. Use of Islamic Poetry and Spoken Word
Spoken word and poetry are wonderful means of expression that share purposeful messages and inspiration. Poems help children understand who they are and what they value by tapping into their imaginations and emotions. They can also align with Islamic principles, foster gratitude, and be reflective.
For younger children, help them create short rhymes or haikus. A haiku is a three-line poem having 17 syllables organized as a five-syllable line, after a seven-syllable line, and finishing with another five-syllable line. Haiku’s are language-dependent as the number of syllables in each line can change when translated.5 Parents or teachers can encourage them to write about simple things they enjoy, like their favorite season, a pet, or a recent trip and provide a list of fun and simple words for them to use in their poems.
Parents or teachers can encourage older children to compose poems or spoken word pieces. “Spoken word poetry refers to any kind of poetry that is performed in some or another way.”6 They can write about dreams, friendship, nature, growth and share their work at family gatherings or community events, building both their confidence and connection to their faith. Some examples are open mic nights, non-profit organizations that encourage creative arts for the youth, and in religious and cultural gatherings.
Children should also learn about the importance of poetry in Islamic history. Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
"Indeed, some poetry contains wisdom."
(Sahih Bukhari)
Throughout Islamic history, poetry has praised Allah, expressed gratitude, and promoted good character, fostering creativity within Islamic principles and serving as a tool for dawah and reflection. Arabs at the time of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, used to have a great appreciation of poetry. Hassan ibn Thabit was a famous poet, best known for his poems in defense and in honour of the Prophet.7
Poetry is popular at present, too. Wali Shah is a poet and motivational speaker. He is an alumni of Royal Bank of Canada’s Top 25 Canadian Immigrants, was a speaker at TED talks, created poetic messages for corporate groups, narrated voiceovers for commercials, and was a frequent guest speaker at schools and colleges across North America. “Wali’s message of social change, and his work with inspiring a generation of youth, led him to presenting his hometown as Poet Laureate for the City of Mississauga.”8 You can check out one of Wali Shah’s poems Don’t Let Me Go.
Dawud Wharnsby is another internationally famous Canadian-born artisan, writer, and musician. He has worked with Sound Vision Foundation in several creative roles since 1996, participating in the production of Adam’s World videos and app, several video documentaries, RadioIslam programming, and the Muslimfest Arts Festival. “His famous recordings of English language anasheed (including A Whisper of Peace, Colours of Islam, Road To Madinah and many others) were among the first of their kind ever produced and distributed internationally.”9
“His famous recordings of the English language anasheed (including “A Whisper of Peace,” “Colours of Islam,” “Road To Madinah” and many others) were among the first of their kind ever produced and distributed internationally.”
Parents and teachers can encourage Muslim children of all ages to explore poetry by inspiring them to express their thoughts and values creatively. Wali Shah or Dawud Wharnsby are wonderful poets who can communicate important messages rooted in faith, gratitude, and social awareness. These examples motivate children to develop their skills while staying connected to Islamic principles.
4. Use of Role Playing
Role-playing enhances social skills by encouraging children to practice interacting with others, taking on different roles, and gaining an understanding of social dynamics. It can also help children develop empathy. When they are taking on the role of someone else they can start to imagine the emotions and viewpoints of that particular character.
Watching children role-play can be very enjoyable as they reenact the world around them. It’s an amazing way to see the world through their viewpoint and gain insight into their comprehension of their environment. Young children can be encouraged to portray characters they know in real life or fiction or even makeup characters of their own.10
Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, reported the following hadith about playing with dolls:
“I used to play with dolls in the house of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). I had friends who would play with me, but when the Prophet came in, they would hide themselves from him, but he would call them to play with me.”
(Sahih Bukhari)
Older children can role-play as a time machine, captain of the spaceship, or captain of a ship or create their own imaginary stories. Parents and teachers can assist with simple props and costumes to make the role-playing more memorable and captivating. Older children can make their own props or costumes for more autonomy. Furthermore, parents and teachers can connect to the children’s role-playing by discussing the improvisation and lessons learned or how the scenario felt to them and other classmates.
Creativity is an important aspect of a child’s life. Children have an innate ability to be creative. Parents shouldn’t feel hesitant about their children being creative, rather they should embrace their creative side. Parents should embrace their creative side, establish welcoming environments for expression and skill building, and ensure they are not creating barriers to creativity.
Albert Einstein can be credited with another famous quote that is fitting here. “Creativity is contagious. Pass it on.”
End Notes
1 Creativity In Kids: Why It’s Important & How To Foster It – The Brain Academia
2 Islamic Calligraphy Guide for Beautiful Art, History, and More - MECCA Institute
4 Diwani - Definition, Usage & Quiz | D | Dictionary | Ultimate Lexicon
5 What is a Haiku — Definition, Examples and Structure Explained
6 What Is Spoken Word Poetry? - Everything You Need to Know
7 Hasan Ibn Thabit | His Life And Poetic Career - Menonimus
9 Biography of Dawud Wharnsby, the pioneer Nasheed artist | SoundVision.com
10 Role-Playing with Children: How to Do It - You are Mom
Amanda Hasan is a graduate of the University of Toronto (Bachelor of Arts) and Humber College (Law Clerk). She is the author of Joyless, an Amazon novella that tells the story of a lonely teenage girl working at an amusement park. More recently, Amanda copyedited several children's stories for Compass Books. She also worked with Muslim Network TV writing scripts, securing guest speakers, and preparing for interviews. Amanda is currently residing in the Greater Toronto Area with her family.
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