I thoroughly enjoyed discovering more about Ramadan and Eid through our upcoming original Islamic Guest Post series. The Islamic Instagram community was incredibly welcoming and kind to share their activities with both me and you! So, with Hajj and Eid al-Adha approaching, I thought it would be another fantastic chance to share some imaginative ideas for children! To begin, Nidatastic is joining us again with this Tawaff Activity.
What is Hajj?
Hajj is an annual practice during which the unity of the Muslim brotherhood is demonstrated, solidarity with fellow Muslims is expressed, and submission to God (Allah) is fulfilled. In essence, Hajj is a pilgrimage to Mecca—the holiest city for Muslims, situated in Saudi Arabia—which all Muslims must undertake once in their lifetime. source
The focal point of this pilgrimage is the Al-Masjid Al-Haram Mosque.
Encouraging children to create their own Al-Masjid Al-Haram Mosques is a wonderful way to help them become familiar with Hajj and the pilgrimage.
What is Tawaff?
As Nidatastic explains in her post, Tawaff is one of the significant stages of Hajj and Umrah—circumambulation, or walking around the Kaaba seven times in an anti-clockwise direction. Seven circuits must be completed, beginning at the Hajar al-Aswad.
For information about all the stages of Hajj, visit Nidastic’s Instagram Account, where she offers many wonderful resources to explore. This includes a fantastic Spin Wheel Hajj that highlights all the key steps and rituals that must be carried out.
Supplies needed for the Tawaff Art Project
- Sheet of paper
- Compass for creating circles
- Watercolours or finger paint
- Extra paper or card for constructing the mosque
- A small amount of glue
- Scissors
- EXTENSION: The charming “My First Book About Hajj”
Now let’s hand over to Nidastic and her project!
COLOURFUL FINGER PAINTING – TAWAAF ACTIVITY
We especially enjoy this activity when studying one of the important stages of Hajj and Umrah: Tawaaf (circumambulation—walking around the Kaaba seven times). We used finger painting to represent pilgrims performing tawaaf.
Using a white sheet of card, I drew seven circles beginning from one central point.
Along these circles, my children used different paint colours to make fingerprints representing pilgrims arriving from around the world to complete this remarkable pilgrimage.
After it had dried, I glued the Kaaba stencil onto the centre.
It is a simple and enjoyable activity to try at home with your little ones while learning about tawaaf!
Alongside this activity, we read the colourful book ‘My First Book About Hajj’ by@sarakhan_authorwhich, which explores Hajj (pilgrimage) and its rituals—something we Muslims dream of completing at least once in our lives.
The wording is straightforward and easy to follow, while the illustrations are incredibly beautiful and colourful. My little one loves viewing the pictures. We truly adore this book!
I hope this fantastic Hajj activity inspires you, whether for children of any age. Even very young kids can take part in it. We also hope you will join us for more upcoming Hajj activities!
Many thanks to Naditastic for this brilliant project and for sharing her resources with us! Explore the #CraftYourHajj Instagram hashtag to discover many more wonderful ideas.