Al-Ahdaf Academy offers weekly Quran recitation and Arabic language course for kids

Source: Al-Ahdaf Academy Facebook page. Poster for the Q&A Course.

Al-Ahdaf Academy in Singapore has a Quran & Arabic (Q&A) Course that equips children with the knowledge and skills necessary for Quran recitation and the Arabic language, estimating that a child will be able to read the Quran within six months. Arabic language and conversation will be taught once students are able to read simple Arabic sentences.

Interested?

The course is for children aged five to 12 years old, with classes grouping children of similar age together. Sessions* are held weekly:

Every Saturday,  9.30am to 11.30am
S$80/month

(During Ramadhan 2017)
Every Monday and Wednesday, 9.30am to 11.30am or 11.30am to 1.30pm
S$140/month

(After Ramadhan)
Every Tuesday and Thursday or Monday and Wednesday, 4pm to 6pm
S$140/month

Email alahdaf.arabiyyah at gmail.com with enquiries

*A one-time registration fee of S$20 will be charged. S$20 discount will be given for siblings who register together.

Alizz Islamic Bank adds more winners for Hasalti scheme over Ramadhan

Source: Alizz Islamic Bank. Graphic for the Ramadhan Hasalti campaign.

As part of Alizz Islamic Bank's ongoing Sharing the Blessings of Ramadan campaign, the bank has increased the number of monthly winners in the Hasalti Children's Savings Account.

There are typically five cash prize draws a month; for Ramadhan, there will be 25 winners instead. The cash prizes are hiba (هيبة, gifts) from the shareholders' funds.

The Hasalti Children's Savings Account is based on the shari'ah principle of mudarabah, and the bank aims to educate children about the value of saving and planning ahead for the future in ways that are shari'ah-compliant. Accordingly, Alizz Islamic Bank invests the funds deposited in the Hasalti Children's Savings Account in shari'ah-compliant investment activities to create the best possible returns.

The minimum Hasalti deposit is OMR50 per month to make the account eligible for various benefits. The Hasalti Children's Savings Account is opened in the name of the child along with his/her guardian's name until the child reaches puberty, 18 years of age or 21 years of age for a child who has a legal guardian. Hasalti Children's Savings Account customers are eligible for a preferential rate on education financing when the account holder turns 18.

By maintaining a monthly balance of OMR50, all Hasalti Children's account holders are eligible to enter monthly draws, and get a chance to win cash prizes of OMR100 every month. The account holder receives a free Hasalti membership card when opening the account. The card provides access to special offers and discounts across Oman.

The principal account holder (guardian) receives free life takaful equal to twice the monthly balance available in the account, up to a maximum of OMR20,000.

Kids eat free during Ramadhan at Dubai Festival City

Source: Al-Futtaim Group. Lady watching a fountain during a meal.

Dubai Festival City mall is offering a variety of family Ramadhan promotions and dining experiences in which kids eat free. Limited time promotions are on at Barilla, Serendipity 3, London Fish & Chips, TGIF, Fratelli La Bufala, as well as Al Fanar.

Dubai Festival City restaurants participating in the Kids Eat Free Ramadhan promotion include:

Al Fanar

Enjoy the iftar buffet and get free kids' meals.

Baraburger

Buy one main course and get four free kids’ meals.

Barilla

Buy one main course and get one kid’s meal.

CPK

Buy one main course and get one kid’s meal.

Fratelli

Enjoy an iftar buffet and get free kids’ meals.

Galitos

Buy an iftar platter and get two kids' meals.

London Fish & Chips

Buy a value meal and get a free kids' meal.

Nandos

Buy one main course and get one kid’s meal.

Peppermill

Select the iftar set menu and get two free kids' meals.

Sugar Factory

Purchase a minimum of AED150 to enjoy a free kid's meal on weekdays.

Serendipity 3

Buy one main course and get one kid’s meal.

Tawasy

Enjoy the iftar buffet and get two free kids' meals.

TGIF

Buy one main course during iftar and get a free kid’s meal.

Turkish Village

Enjoy the iftar buffet and get free kids' meals.

Terms and conditions apply.

Tap Genius makes Islamic learning more experiential

The scanner tool can read the letters. 

Suhaim Enterprise is offering the Tap Genius system, which makes compatible books, posters and flashcards come to life with a scanner tool that reads content on the page aloud. The tool can also initiate games to make learning more enjoyable.

Focused specially on Islamic-themed content for children, Tap Genius' latest books are a set of six covering topics such as prayer and Islamic history.

There are over 200 Tap Genius-compatible works available.

Interested?

Watch the video introducing Tap Genius

posted from Bloggeroid

Registration open for Katara Quran Memorization sessions

Source: Katara Twitter account. Poster for the Katara Quran Memorization sessions.

Stemming from its keenness to raise the young generation and enforce their bond with their Islamic identity and principles of their religion, the Cultural Village Foundation-Katara is organising its 6th consecutive edition of the Quran Memorization Sessions, during Ramadhan.​

The event is open to children born between 2003 and 2010​.

Katara is part of a vision to position Qatar as a cultural beacon in the Middle East through activities around theatre, literature, music, visual art, conventions and exhibitions.

Interested?

The sessions will run from May 28 to June 15, from 8.30pm to 9.30pm, at the Katara Masjid. Registration is open from May 14 to 18. Register

Check directions

Download the Katara mobile app

Hashtags: #Katara, #Quran

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center receives two batches of student cultural guides

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center in Abu Dhabi, UAE has hosted new batches of potential guides for the Ibn Elder and Junior Cultural Guide programmes, which were launched towards supporting and developing a qualified national workforce in the field of cultural guidance in the UAE.

The Ibn Elder programme provides the participants with an opportunity to work within its part-time scheme at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center upon passing a cultural guidance course. Participants carry out cultural tours in accordance with international cultural guidance quality standards that meet the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center's vision and objectives, and are trained by local national cultural guidance specialists affiliated to the Center. Training, over four weeks, covers conduct of cultural guides, information acquisition, discussions on frequently-asked questions and educational field trips to similar tourist and cultural destinations in the UAE.

The Junior Cultural Guide programme, held at the mosque's premises in Abu Dhabi will host 50 students between the ages of 11 and 15 till mid-August, over the summer break, in cooperation with both ADEC and Emirates Transport. It aims to highlight the profession of cultural guidance in the UAE, and the cultural and social role played by Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center.

A new theme to the Junior Cultural Guide programme this year is My lovely language, which coincides with the public reading initiative launched by HH Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. My lovely language will help the children to deliver the tours in precise Arabic. The children will be taught five new Arabic words a day and encourage to use them during their tours.

Another theme added to the programme is Community Service, and involves inviting guests with special needs to participate during the training sessions. This helps to highlight the importance of volunteering, introduces the services that are available at the mosque in this regard, and educates the children on the nuances of interacting with people with special needs.

Support the Muhammadiyah Welfare Home carnival

The annual MWH Family & Charity Carnival, one of the key fund raisers for the Muhammadiyah Welfare Home (MWH) in Singapore, will be held on 28 May 2016 from 9am to 9pm.

Activities include performances, a caricature artist and 15 food stalls serving goodies like ayam percik, satay, gelato, and bubur durian. There will be a movie screening in the evening, and free bike rides.

MWH is a children’s home that provides shelter and 24x7 residential care and protection for boys between the ages of 10 and 19 years. Appointed by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and gazetted under the Children and Young Persons Act Cap 38, the boys consist of those who are neglected, abused or homeless; are juvenile offenders and those beyond parental control. They are referred to the Home by MSF, the courts and other social workers.

Interested?

The Muhammadiyah Welfare Home is at 58 Bedok North Street 3. Get updates on the event through Facebook

Call +65 6345 6113 to get coupons at S$10. The home is also selling fridge magnets to raise funds

posted from Bloggeroid

AIA PUBLIC Takaful brings joy to Rumah Aman Sungai Buloh children

AIA PUBLIC Takaful has given underprivileged children at Rumah Aman Sungai Buloh in Selangor, Malaysia the opportunity to participate in holding an open house. The concept has become a cultural mainstay in Malaysia and very common in the month of Shawwal (شوّال), when many celebrate the end of the fasting month by opening up their homes to relatives, friends and neighbours.

Fifty children from the home had the opportunity to play host to over 400 guests comprising their families and friends, neighbours, staff of the home as well as AIA PUBLIC’s employees and AIA Life Planners on 1 August. Preparation for the big event had kicked off the day before when the kids were joined by 30 employees from AIA PUBLIC to prepare lemang and ketupat as well as to decorate the home.

Elmie Aman Najas, AIA PUBLIC’s Chief Executive Officer said, “This initiative was borne out of the desire to bring joy to the children from Rumah Aman and to create a meaningful Raya (Eid) celebration for them. Today’s open house in Rumah Aman is the culmination of a month-long initiative called #rezeki3saat which AIA PUBLIC launched during the month of Ramadhan to remind our fellow Malaysians to be thankful for the blessings (rezeki, رزق) they have received and to share them with others, especially those less fortunate.” 

The public was encouraged to submit videos of what they were grateful for (rezeki) via Instagram with the hashtag '#rezeki3saat’. For every video submitted, AIA PUBLIC pledged to donate RM10 to Rumah Aman, in addition to helping the children organise their very own Raya open house. A mobile Rezeki machine was placed at selected Ramadan bazaars in the Klang Valley so more people could record their blessings, using the machine.

Abdul Rehman Dakri, Founder and Director of Rumah Aman said, “We are grateful for this opportunity given to the children as they were able to experience firsthand what it means to prepare for such a big event and play host. This has taught them some valuable lessons in life. Equally priceless is that they had the chance to invite their families and friends to celebrate the festival with them in the place they now call home.”

To add to the celebration, AIA PUBLIC arranged to have the families of two of the children who hail from neighbouring state Perak to attend the event, as they had not had the chance to visit their children at the home for several years now due to financial constraints. 

AIA PUBLIC received 925 video submissions from the #rezeki3saat campaign and hence pledged RM10,000 to Rumah Aman to support the daily operation of the home.

Hashtag: #rezeki3saat

Babyshop introduces Ramadan Collection 2015

Source: Babyshop eDM.

Babyshop's Ramadan Collection 2015 is now in the stores, with the theme of 'warm colours'. The store, which offers clothing toys and furniture for children from newborns to teens of 16, also caters to mothers and moms-to-be. Babyshop carries brands like Disney, Ferrari and Fisher Price, and also has two in-house brands, Juniors and Giggles.

Interested? Babyshop stores can be found in the UAE, Oman, Qatar, KSA, Kuwait, Jordan, Pakistan, Lebanon and Yemen among other countries.

Explore the collection

McDonald's Arabia focuses on family-related activities and children's books this Ramadhan

McDonald's Arabia is running different campaigns in different countries to celebrate Ramadhan.

McDonald's Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman have lantern-related activities. Visitors to the website can share a Ramadhan greeting on Facebook or learn how to make lanterns.

Source: McDonald's KSA website.

McDonald's in KSA, Qatar and UAE will offer daily Ramadhan inspirations.

McDonald's Kuwait is running reading campaigns for children on Tuesdays and Fridays at its branches, while McDonald's colouring books are being sold for Ramadhan under the tagline "happiness is a colour some kids don't often see" in some locations.

The Ramadhan charity of choice in KSA is the Kafel Charity Society for Orphans. All proceeds from the children's colouring books in the western region of KSA (Jeddah, Makkah etc) will be donated to the The Kafel Foundation assists orphans as well as widows and their children with social welfare, education, healthcare, training, and work qualifications.

For the Kingdom of Bahrain all proceeds from the colouring books will be donated to the ‘Smile’ initiative for the support of children with cancer and their parents. The ‘Smile’ Initiative is part of the Future Society for Youth that has a mission to support children and families, and to create awareness about childhood Cancer through entertainment, social and educational activities in the Pediatric Cancer Ward’ in Salmaniya Medical Complex.

Free Ramadhan charts for kids

ALIVE Singapore is offering free Ramadhan charts for children. A button badge is included and peel-off stickers allow children to count off the days of the month. 

Source: ALIVE's Facebook page (link as above).

Kids aLIVE and Tweens aLIVE 1 and 2 students will receive free copies from the mosque. Orders can be made as above.

Rahmatan Lil 'Alamin Foundation spearheads charity drive for Syrian refugee children

Source: MUIS.

The Rahmatan Lil 'Alamin Foundation (RLAF), in collaboration with mosques in Singapore, has kicked off a fund-raiser in aid of Syrian refugee children.

Part of an initial fund-raising effort in April this year, which netted S$240,000, was used to send relief in the form of food packages, hot food, medicines, clean water, school packages, and household items. 

S$150,000 has been set aside for the establishment of a school for children of Syrian refugees in the border town of Kilis in Southeastern Turkey. "This school will help to restore some semblance of normality, sanity and confidence in the hearts and minds of the young children," the charity said in a statement. "To make this school project possible, we will need to raise at least S$350,000 for the building, facilities and equipment needed for the school."

Donation boxes marked Singapore Muslim Community’s Special Collection for School Project for Children of Syrian Refugees have been placed at all 68 mosques till 11 December 2014. Those who are not able to make their contribution at the mosque can also offer their donation in cash or by cheque. The cheque should be made payable to “RLAF” with the words Special Collection In Aid of Syrian Refugees written on its back. The cash and cheques can be delivered to the MUIS building at the Singapore Islamic Hub, No. 273, Braddell Road Singapore 579702. In addition, members of the community can also make their contributions online via www.muis.gov.sg/epayment/Donations.aspx.

The RLAF is working with Kimse Yok Mu, a Turkish humanitarian agency, and Aid to Syrian Refugees in Turkey (ASRIT) for the project. Kimse Yok Mu will provide the teaching staff, remuneration and all the utilities needed for the school. Registration of students has already begun.

Al Hilal Bank hands out Eidiya pre-Eid to young Seghaar account holders

Al Hilal Bank, an Islamic bank in the UAE, has given out Eidiya, an Eid gift of money, to young Seghaar account holders. Families were invited to stop at Al Hilal Bank during banking hours on October 1 and 2 so that children could receive Eidiya.

Al Hilal Bank’s initiative is in the Eid Al Adha spirit of faith, happiness and tenderness for the community, the bank said, and is also part of the bank’s year-long promotions and incentives for Seghaar customers. 

“Al Hilal Bank is committed to rewarding the loyalty of its young clients through unique programmes that we try to tie up with local celebrations whenever we can. This way, we ingrain in them an appreciation for both money and culture – two key elements top their future success. We hope the little ones will have great fun with their Eidiya as they mark this year’s Eid Al Adha with their families,” said Mohamed Jamil Berro, Group CEO, Al Hilal Bank.

Al Hilal Bank is fully-owned by the Abu Dhabi Investment Council, the investment arm of the Government of Abu Dhabi. It manages 22 local branches and 120 ATMs across the UAE as well as three overseas branches in Kazakhstan.