Sep 64 min read

How I Teach Muslim Children the Five Pillars of Islam

Updated: Oct 19

I recently started teaching a new class of children aged 7+ (with a few little ones who managed to sneak in, lol), and I was really struggling to decide what to teach them. We had already covered my Tawheed and worship resources, so I wondered, "What can we do next?" Then I had a lightbulb moment—it was time for them to learn the Five Pillars of Islam!

Deciding Between the Pillars of Iman and the Pillars of Islam

At first, I wasn’t sure whether to start with the Pillars of Iman or the Pillars of Islam, but I settled on the Pillars of Islam, Alhamdulillah. To be honest, I sometimes search for resources from others, but I’m often left questioning their authenticity. Who made them? What are their beliefs? Who are their teachers? These questions are really important to me when it comes to teaching my children and students. After searching online, I kept facing the same issue—not knowing if the resources were created by someone upon the truth. I would love to use others' resources sometimes to make my life easier, but I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s safer to create my own, Alhamdulillah.

My Journey to Creating the Five Pillars of Islam Resource

That’s how my journey to creating this Five Pillars of Islam resource began. I did extensive research using authentic books and resources. You might think, "It’s only the Five Pillars, and you’ve been Muslim for a long time," but does that mean I know everything? Definitely not! Yes, I’m very familiar with the Five Pillars and have been teaching them for years, but I wanted to revisit them to ensure I had all the information ready to teach my students. It was a beautiful experience revisiting everything, Alhamdulillah—praise and thanks be to Allah for granting us this knowledge from our respected sheikhs and teachers.

The Effort Behind Creating Authentic Islamic Resources

Although it’s hard work and takes time to gather everything, it’s absolutely worth it. Even if just one person benefits from what I’ve created, I’ll be happy and grateful to Allah for that. I’ll be linking all the lectures and books I used to compile this resource.

After gathering all the information, I put it together in a journal-style format to help me remember it. Here’s a little snippet—don’t judge my handwriting, lol.

Then it was time to turn it all into a resource that would benefit the children and help them memorize and act upon the pillars, Insha’Allah. I started making all the worksheets, and I’m not going to lie—it was stressful because I wanted everything to be perfect. There was a lot of tweaking, erasing, and starting over, finding ways to make it easier for the children to understand. Since I’m the one teaching them, I can cater to their needs, as each child has a unique learning style. Some love to write, others prefer drawing, some remember information through creative activities, and others learn best through games.

A Creative Learning Resource For All Types Of Children

So, what did I do? I created a resource that includes all of these approaches because I know it will benefit the entire class, Insha’Allah. I’m confident that my 7+ students, and even the little ones who’ve squeezed in, will be able to memorize and hopefully act upon all this information at home, Insha’Allah.

The Success of Teaching the Five Pillars Through Creative Lessons

I would have loved to learn the Five Pillars in the way I’ve created this resource. I did one lesson with the children, and it was the best class ever! After the lesson, I gave them homework to remember the pillars, and they came back having memorized them—all from just one creative lesson! In that lesson, we colored a tree and stuck on the Five Pillars of Islam. I told the children at the start of the lesson that we were going to learn about the most important pillars every Muslim must follow, and if we don’t do them, Allah will not be pleased with us. This caught their attention. I told them we were about to embark on a new journey, learning all about these pillars, and my excitement encouraged them to be excited too.

I told them if we act upon what we learn from these pillars, Allah will be pleased with us, and we will be performing acts of worship for His sake. All these pillars are acts of worship, and the most important is the Shahadah. I left the children excited to return to class, Alhamdulillah—all praise and thanks be to Allah!

Join Us in Teaching the Five Pillars of Islam

If you want to join this journey and teach your children the Five Pillars of Islam using authentic resources based on the works of trusted scholars and teachers, come join us! Delve into this brand-new resource, Insha’Allah.

Do You Need All the Books and Evidence I Used?

Now, you might ask, "Do I need all the books and evidence you used to teach this resource?" No, definitely not. I’ve done all the hard work for you, Alhamdulillah. I’m only sharing my sources so your heart can be reassured that you’ve come to the right place for authentic resources. I won’t hide the sources I use, Insha’Allah, because I know how comforting it is for parents or teachers to know who the creator of a resource follows and where their information comes from. That’s why I’ve included everything in this blog, Alhamdulillah. Rest assured, the information in this resource is based on the words of scholars and teachers, not my own.