26. Illuminated Quran: The Poets

There are two stories from this surah that are interesting to review with children.  The first is the story of Musa (a)  and his staff.  In part of his story the staff turns into a serpent when his power is demonstrated to the Pharaoh and the magicians.

Discussion question:  why did the staff of Musa (a) turn into a serpent?

In the next part of the story the same staff is used to part the Red Sea when the believers escape from Egypt.

Discussion question: why is the staff of Musa (a) invested with these powers?  Where did the staff of Musa (a) come from?

If you would like to read the story of Musa (a) to your children there is a chapter concerning him in: My Little Lore of Light.

The second story mentioned in this surah is the story of Salih (a) who brought the miracle of the she camel who came out the boulder.

The people of Salih (a) in this surah are referred to as the people who carve houses out of mountains which possibly refers to the Nabateans of Petra. In this context the story is part of a series where many civilizations rejected the message of various prophets.

Discussion question:  what can we learn about history by reading the Quran?  What can we learn about history from looking at ruins and archaeological evidence?

I am planning to play a short video about the Nabateans at Petra.

If you would like to read the story of Salih (a) to your children there is a chapter concerning him in: My Little Lore of Light.

Image:  for this surah I chose to do a sketch of an artifact of a staff with serpents on its head as an illustration of the staff of Musa (a) that turned into a serpent.  This staff is in no way intended to be an accurate representation – only an artistic interpretation.

Please share your ideas for teaching children about the Tafseer of Quran.