creative activities for prophets adam, idris, nuh, hud and salih (as)
Our series #ProphetswithAllamah, inshaAllah, aims to create a memorable learning experience for your children as they learn about the greatest men who walked this earth, the Prophets of Allah. The stories of these Prophets in the Qur'an are wondrous and filled with invaluable lessons for us all.
Our unit study, The Prophets of Allah: Instillers of Tawheed provides information and activities on all 25 Prophets mentioned in the Qur'an. The activities below are designed to add depth, understanding, and fun to further these lessons, inshaAllah.
prophet adam
The first man fashioned with Allah’s very hands, and the first Prophet. When Allah created Adam AS, He gathered different soils from all over the world.
To couple our lesson on Prophet Adam, we used our free resource Colours of the World: An Islamic View on Diversity. This resource takes a look at the creation of Adam (AS) and the blessings of diversity within our communities. It’s a great way to broach the topic of racism and diversity as well as what criteria makes us better in the eyes of the One whom we will all return to.
“Verily, Allah Almighty created Adam from a handful which He took from the earth, so the children of Adam come in accordance with the earth. Some come with red skin, white skin, or black skin, and whatever is in between: thin, thick, dirty, and clean.” [At-Tirmidhi]
prophet idris
Allah tells us that Prophet Idris was a man of truth. He was taken up to the heavens by Allah, we know this because Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, met him on his miraculous Night Journey.
Ibn Kathir states that Prophet Idris was the first man to write with a pen according to the hadith:
“O Messenger of Allah, among us are men who write script.” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “There was a Prophet among the prophets who wrote script. Whoever writes according to his way is right.” [Sahih Muslim, 537]
To complement this, we tried our hand at hand lettering. Hand lettering is a fantastic way to spark creativity. Grab your markers, highlighters, pens, pencils, crayons—any writing materials you have—and let your imagination run wild. You can find numerous videos online to inspire you and provide ideas.
prophet nuh
People had been on tawheed worshipping Allah alone until the time of the people of Prophet Nuh. Prophet Nuh was sent as a mercy and Messenger to his people, calling them back to the worship of Allah alone. Prophet Nuh preached his message tirelessly for 950 years! Despite his efforts, his people continued with their disobedience.
Their punishment came in the form of a great flood. Water began to spring forth from the earth while the clouds brought the rain. Ibn Kathir states that the whole earth was covered with water, even beyond the greatest peaks.
And it was said, “O earth! Swallow up your water. And O sky! Withhold ˹your rain˺.” The floodwater receded and the decree was carried out. The Ark rested on Mount Judi, and it was said, “Away with the wrongdoing people!” [Surah Hud 11:44]
We employed various needlework techniques to create elements of this story. The clouds were crafted using punch needling, the rain was represented by sewn-on beads, and the sun, which dries up all the water, was embroidered. These simple techniques help engage your children with the stories while developing their skills.
Prophet Hud
Prophet Hud was sent to the People of ‘Ad in present-day Yemen. After the Great Flood, it was the people of ‘Ad who first began to worship idols. They had been suffering through a drought for some time. Calling upon their idols for rain, they were delighted when they could see rain clouds forming, thinking that their idols had answered their prayers.
It was not a cloud of rain heading towards them, rather, it was a severe wind. The wind blew for seven consecutive nights and days whilst Prophet Hud and the believers took shelter from it.
Then when they saw the torment as a dense cloud approaching their valleys, they said happily, “This is a cloud bringing us rain.” But Hud replied, “No, it is what you sought to hasten: a fierce wind carrying a painful punishment!” [Surah Al-Ahqaf 46:24]
In our craft activity for this, we made a tornado of wind with a twist! We used needle and yarn to thread trees, people and houses through, showing the upheaval of the fierce wind and punishment from Allah. You can download and print your own tornado template here.
Prophet Salih
Prophet Salih was sent to the People of Thamud who inhabited an area called Al-Hijr in present-day Saudi Arabia. These people lived in prosperity having exceptional building skills and fertile lands. Like the People of ‘Ad, despite their blessings, they strayed from tawheed.
Prophet Salih called his people to the worship of Allah alone. They were headstrong and arrogant and asked Prophet Salih to show them a number of miracles, which he did, that included a she-camel. They did not heed the warning of Prophet Salih and continued in their disbelief. Despite seeing all these miraculous signs, they now taunted and urged Prophet Salih, to bring on the punishment he had warned of!
“And to the people of Thamud We sent their brother Salih. He said, “O my people! Worship Allah—you have no other god except Him. A clear proof has come to you from your Lord: this is Allah’s she-camel as a sign to you. So leave her to graze ˹freely˺ on Allah’s land and do not harm her, or else you will be overcome by a painful punishment.” [Surah Al-A'raf 7:73]
In our craft project, we used collage techniques to represent the miraculous she-camel. Gather any leftover bits and pieces of coloured paper, string, cellophane, newspaper, and magazine clippings to create your own camel collage. You can download a copy of the camel template here.
You can also add our free resource Animals in the Quran: Camel to your Prophet Salih study.
InshaAllah i hope you have been inspired by these activities to add an extra creative element to your studies of the Prophets.