Studying the sunnah & some stuff we've been upto

As mentioned in the previous post, I've started to give the boys a page of ahaadeeth to copy each day (we used to do this before, using the Box of Manners from Learning Roots - I showed them a card and then gave them a narration relating to the picture, to read and then copy into their notebooks).
I wanted to post them here, together with the translation into English. But I've encountered some problems with this. When looking for narrations to print for the boys, I use the authentic collections (at the moment I'm only using Bukhari and Muslim) in Arabic, where every narration is numbered, of course. Finding the corresponding narrations translated into English is a headache! The numbers don't correlate, and many of the translations are inaccurate or mixed up!
Has anyone else encountered this?

I've found a great site, where you can download thousands of books for Arabic and Islamic studies, mashaa Allah (may Allah reward those behind the site immensely, ameen), there are books in English too, and a few other languages:
Maktabat Meshkat al-Islamiyah

DD age 23 months (born in Ramadan two years ago) peeling an onion for ummie, asking for a knife, because she "needs it" - !
Ramadan Is Special book and a leaf outline for a "Ramadan tree"

We've painted a tree, to stick leaves to, several sisters have done something similar, but when I did a search on the deed tree, I found it's a christian tradition, and I got quite put off... then I remembered the ayat:

[أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ ضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلاً كَلِمَةً طَيِّبَةً كَشَجَرةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ أَصْلُهَا ثَابِتٌ وَفَرْعُهَا فِى السَّمَآءِ - تُؤْتِى أُكُلَهَا كُلَّ حِينٍ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهَا وَيَضْرِبُ اللَّهُ الأَمْثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ - وَمَثلُ كَلِمَةٍ خَبِيثَةٍ كَشَجَرَةٍ خَبِيثَةٍ اجْتُثَّتْ مِن فَوْقِ الاٌّرْضِ مَا لَهَا مِن قَرَارٍ ]

(24. See you not how Allah sets forth a parable A goodly word as a goodly tree, whose root is firmly fixed, and its branches (reach) to the sky.) (25. Giving its fruit at all times, by the leave of its Lord, and Allah sets forth parables for mankind in order that they may remember.) (26. And the parable of an evil word is that of an evil tree uprooted from the surface of earth, having no stability.)

But according to tafsir, it's a palm tree, so our tree has been standing, without leaves for twenty days... alhamdu lillah... I think I'll cut those leaves out tonight, inshaa Allah, then we can write a good deed on each leaf. Inshaa Allah, I think I'll do it this way, instead of sticking leaves for actual deeds done, so we don't fall into showing off, etc.

This will have to do for now, I've got guests for iftar, and the boys are back to making trouble, ya Allah! give me patience and make us and our children amongst the muttaqun and saalihun, ameen.

Last two day's ahaadeeth

Al-Hassan ibn Sabbaah narrated to us from Muhammed ibn Saabiq, who narrated from Malik ibn Mighwal, who said, I heard al-Waleed ibn al-'Aizaar recall Abu 'Amr Ash-shaybaaniy, say: 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (rAa) said, I asked Allah's Messenger (sAas), "O Allah's Messenger! What is the best deed?" he replied, "To perform the Salaat (prayers) at the (beginning of their) stated fixed times." I asked, "What is next in goodness?" He replied, "To be good and dutiful to your parents." I further asked, "What is next in goodness?" He replied, "To participate in jihad in Allah's cause." I did not ask Allah's Messenger (sAas) anymore and I if had asked him more, He would have told me more (Sahih Bukhari 4/2782)

حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ صَبَّاحٍ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَابِقٍ حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكُ بْنُ مِغْوَلٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ الْوَلِيدَ بْنَ الْعَيْزَارِ ذَكَرَ عَنْ أَبِي عَمْرٍو الشَّيْبَانِيِّ قَالَ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَيُّ الْعَمَل أَفْضَلُ قَالَ الصَّلَاةُ عَلَى مِيقَاتِهَا قُلْتُ ثُمَّ أَيٌّ قَالَ ثُمَّ بِرُّ الْوَالِدَيْنِ قُلْتُ ثُمَّ أَيٌّ قَالَ الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَسَكَتُّ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَلَوْ اسْتَزَدْتُهُ لَزَادَنِي

----Narrated Abu Hurayrah (rAa): The Prophet (sAas) said, "Whoever does not give up lying speech - false statements (i.e. telling lies) and acting on those (lies) and evil actions, then Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink (i.e. Allah will not accept his fasting." (Sahih Bukhari 3/1903)

حَدَّثَنَا آدَمُ بْنُ أَبِي إِيَاسٍ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي ذِئْبٍ حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدٌ الْمَقْبُرِيُّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَنْ لَمْ يَدَعْ قَوْلَ الزُّورِ وَالْعَمَلَ بِهِ فَلَيْسَ لِلَّهِ حَاجَةٌ فِي أَنْ يَدَعَ طَعَامَهُ وَشَرَابَهُ

I just printed the hadith (in Arabic), and made a bunch of lines underneith, and the boys were put to copy it. Next I'll give them three short narrations from the Ramadan is Special book, inshaa Allah.

Why Ramadan Is Special

A sister has kindly shared a cute little Ramadan freebie on her blog, mashaa Allah:

a fan book about Why Ramadan Is Special

The quotes in Arabic:

شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَـتٍ مِّنَ الْهُدَى وَالْفُرْقَانِ فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ وَمَن كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلاَ يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ وَلِتُكْمِلُواْ الْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُواْ اللَّهَ عَلَى مَا هَدَاكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

قال صلى الله عليه وسلم (إذا جاء رمضان فتحت أبواب الجنة وغلقت أبواب النار وصفدت الشياطين ) متفق عليه.

عن واثلة بن الأسقع -رضي الله عنه- قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم:

" أنزلت صحف إبراهيم أول ليلة من رمضان وأنزلت التوراة لست مضين من رمضان وأنزل الإنجيل لثلاث عشرة ليلة خلت من رمضان وأنزل الزبور لثمان عشرة خلت من رمضان وأنزل القرآن لأربع وعشرين خلت من رمضان".

(حديث حسن أخرجه أحمد والطبراني انظر الصحيحة رقم 1575 ) .

إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَـهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ - وَمَآ أَدْرَاكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ - لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ - تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلَـئِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِم مِّن كُلِّ أَمْرٍ - سَلَـمٌ هِيَ حَتَّى مَطْلَعِ الْفَجْرِ

"صيام شهر رمضان بعشرة أشهر"

في الصحيحين من حديث أبي هريرة أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: من صام رمضان إيمانا واحتساباً غفر له ما تقدم من ذنبه.

عَنْ جَابِرٍ رضي الله عنه قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : ( إِنَّ لِلَّهِ عِنْدَ كُلِّ فِطْرٍ عُتَقَاءَ ، وَذَلِكَ فِي كُلِّ لَيْلَةٍ )
رواه أحمد (21698) وابن ماجه (1643

An article about thinking and/or GCSEs

The aim is to provide them with the tools – critical thinking, analysis, public speaking, reflection, leadership, independence, love of reading – that will encourage good learning habits and prepare them for a life enjoying learning.

Drop GCSEs. We should be teaching our children to think

Pondering...

I prefer not to spoon-feed children,
I rather let them grab their own spoons,
even if it does mean that food will be found scattered all over the floor for some years,
until they've mastered the skill,
but I do require them to at least try their vegetables etc

Something that just popped up in my mind, as I'm contemplating a new home ed schedule.