In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
“Then the great fish swallowed him while he was blameworthy.”
Surah As-Saffat – 142
Educational Objectives
1. Divine Creativity in Creation (The Power of Allah)
- Helping the child discover the magnificence of the whale’s creation: the largest living creature on earth, with a heart the size of a car and a voice that can travel dozens of kilometers underwater.
- Observing how Allah created this huge creature to live peacefully and harmoniously in its marine environment despite its massive size.
- Understanding that Allah can make a creature as large as a “city” follow the laws of nature without harming the tiny creatures that share the sea with it.
- Reinforcing the idea that every creature has a role in environmental balance, and nothing is created without purpose.
- Helping the child understand that Allah can suspend or change the laws of nature whenever He wills: the whale has a powerful stomach capable of digesting almost anything…
but before Allah’s command, the laws of digestion stopped, and the laws of mercy began.
2. Divine Mercy (With the Whale, with Prophet Yunus, and with the Human Being)
- Understanding how Allah’s mercy embraced Prophet Yunus (Jonah) when He made the whale a means of rescue and not destruction.
- Realizing that the whale’s belly, in this story, became a place of protection and not a place of death — a divine miracle showing how hardship can turn into mercy.
- Understanding that Allah directs even the largest creatures, like whales, with wisdom unknown to humans.
- Learning that Allah’s mercy reaches the oceans, their creatures, and the human being.
- Discovering that whales themselves live in “merciful systems”: they care for their young, cooperate, and communicate with gentle sounds despite their enormous size.
- Learning that the story of Yunus teaches us that obeying Allah transforms what seems dangerous into a path of salvation.
3. Gratitude and Awareness of Blessings
- Fostering gratitude for the oceans Allah created, filled with fascinating creatures that clean the seas and produce oxygen through the life cycle.
- Reinforcing gratitude for protection: despite their size, Allah made whales gentle and harmless to humans — this in itself is a blessing.
- Encouraging the child to thank Allah for the opportunity to reflect, learn from the stories of the prophets, and discover the wonders of the ocean.
- Recognizing the blessing of Qur’anic stories that remind us Allah saves, guides, and teaches us patience.
Pedagogical Link: From the Whale’s Belly to Human Struggles
When the Qur’an says that the whale “swallowed” Yunus, it describes one of the hardest moments a human could ever face: total darkness, the deep sea, no sound, no exit, and no visible hope.
And yet…
the whale did not digest him, the water did not drown him, and the darkness did not destroy him.
Because Allah’s mercy was quietly at work in a place where survival seemed impossible.
Here is the lesson for the human being today:
???? Just as Allah saved Yunus from the belly of the whale, Allah saves people from their deepest struggles — even when no glimmer of hope can be seen.
- Sometimes life’s problems feel like “the belly of the whale”:
narrow, dark, frightening, with no clear way out. - A person may feel trapped in a situation that will not change — an illness, family conflict, financial stress, loneliness, or deep sadness.
- But the story of Yunus teaches us that Allah directs things from the inside, in ways we cannot see, just as He commanded the whale to swallow the prophet without harming him.
✨ Lesson for Children and Adults
- If Allah made the belly of a massive whale a place of safety,
He can turn our most difficult moments into doors of mercy. - If He suspended the laws of nature to save one person,
He can change the entire course of events for us.
Divine Creativity
Allah turned something frightening (the whale) into a means of rescue — a reminder that the unexpected can become the path to relief.
Divine Mercy
If Allah’s mercy reaches the deepest part of the ocean,
it surely reaches the heart of every hurting person.
Gratitude
When the child (and the adult) understands that Allah never abandons His servants — even in their darkest moments —
they learn to thank Allah for the invisible care that protects them without them noticing.
Group Activity: “The Whale’s Voice”
A sound–imagination activity illustrating that Allah hears the human being even from the depths of the ocean.
⭐ Educational Purpose
- Understanding that whale sounds, though produced deep in the ocean, can travel vast distances…
and if the whale’s voice can be heard, then surely Allah hears our prayers. - Strengthening trust in Allah during difficult times.
- Developing listening skills, imagination, and emotional awareness.
⭐ Required Materials
- Speaker (optional)
- Real whale vocalization audio
- Quiet room
- Small papers
- Pens
⭐ Step 1: Imaginary Introduction
Tell the children:
“Whales make extremely powerful sounds… sometimes audible for dozens of kilometers underwater!
Imagine how strong that sound is — yet how gentle and calming.”
⭐ Step 2: Listening to the Whale
Play whale sounds for 20–30 seconds.
Ask the children to close their eyes:
“Imagine you are deep under the ocean…
Every sound you hear is a whale glorifying Allah…
Every wave is a reminder of Allah…”
Then ask:
- How did you feel?
- Was the sound scary or peaceful?
- Did you feel strength… or calm?
⭐ Step 3: Sound Imitation (Group Game)
Have the children stand in a circle.
“Each one of you will imitate a whale sound… in your own way!
Make your sound long – deep – slow.”
Let them try one by one.
(Lots of laughter — it’s the fun part!)
Then say:
“You see?
Every one of your sounds was heard by everyone else.
So how could your prayer not be heard by Allah?”
⭐ Step 4: Deep Spiritual Message
“Imagine Prophet Yunus (Jonah) in a place even deeper…
yet Allah heard him.
If Allah hears the whale’s voice thousands of meters below the sea…
He surely hears your voice — even if you whisper.”
⭐ Step 5: “My Prayer Will Be Heard” Card
Give each child a small paper to write a short dua they want Allah to hear:
- “O Allah, help me be brave.”
- “O Allah, help me in school.”
- “O Allah, protect my family.”
- “O Allah, calm my heart.”
Place all papers in a box labeled:
“Voices That Rise to the Sky”
⭐ Contemplative Closing
Turn off the sound and say:
“If the voice of a whale can travel through the ocean…
your prayer reaches the sky even faster.
There is no place where Allah does not hear your voice…
even when you feel alone.”
Reference List:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AWFTeAosc47NETj5rxXu_vWQ-NaV8ZyvSI29iuJH64w/edit?usp=sharing