Tag: Lesson 6

STRIVING DAILY G2 L6

RUHI BOOK 3

LESSON 6 :STRIVING DAILY

This is the last lesson to memorize the prayer below

O my God! O my God! Unite the hearts of Thy servants, and reveal to them Thy great purpose. May they follow Thy commandments and abide in Thy law. Help them, O God, in their endeavor, and grant them strength to serve Thee. O God! Leave them not to themselves, but guide their steps by the light of Thy knowledge, and cheer their hearts by Thy love. Verily, Thou art their Helper and their Lord.
Bahá’u’lláh

You may put the following explanation into your own words to present the quotation for this lesson:

By following God’s commandments, we show our faithfulness to Him, that we desire only that which He desires for us. In our daily lives and through our interactions with others, we strive our utmost to put into action His teachings. To pray daily is one of the commandments of God, and we observe it under all conditions, even, for example, if we are tired. We are told that we should not speak ill of others, that backbiting is not acceptable. So if people around us are gossiping, we do not take part in such conversations. To treat animals with kindness, to be courteous and hospitable at all times, and to engage in a worthy profession or trade are also commandments of God. We are exhorted to think each day about what we have done and consider what more we can do so that our actions increasingly come to reflect the teachings of God. There are, of course, many other commandments that have to do with the material and spiritual life of the individual, as well as those pertaining to the life of the community, for example, marriage, education, and burial of the dead. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá dedicated His life to serving the Cause of God and to carrying out His commands. Patiently, He showed us the way. When asked by one of the friends how to
put into practice the teachings of God and acquire spiritual qualities, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá lovingly replied, “kam kam, ruz beh ruz”, which means “little by little, day by day”. He told us not to look at our weaknesses and shortcomings but encouraged us instead to turn towards God and rely on His mercy and assistance. To help us remember to make every effort to adhere to God’s teachings every day, let us memorize the following words of Bahá’u’lláh:

O Son of Man! Neglect not My commandments if thou lovest My beauty, and forget not My counsels if thou wouldst attain My good pleasure
Bahá’u’lláh

MEANING OF WORDS

Neglect

Krista has a beautiful plant, which she looks after. If she does not water it and put it in the sun, it will not grow anymore. Krista knows that is she neglects the plant, it will die.

Ho crossed the street without looking to see whether any cars were coming and almost got hit. Ho neglected to look before crossing the street.

MEMORIZATION AID FOR QUOTE

PICTURES TO REMEMBER THE QUOTE HERE

A Story of Haji Muhammad

You will remember the story of Haji Muhammad from our last lesson, how obedient he was to Baha’u’llah and what strength he drew from trust in God. But Haji Muhammad was not always so quick to obey. Perhaps you know that he was an excellent marksman. His bullets never missed their targets. He could even hit a small bird in full flight while galloping on horseback. One day, with his rifle on his shoulder, he came upon a group of Baha’is who were on an outing with Baha’u’llah and decided to join them.

When Baha’u’llah saw that Haji Muhammad was going to use his rifle, He told him not to kill innocent birds. Haji Muhammad did not pay any attention to what Baha’ullah said because his mind was on shooting, which he loved very much. So, he continued shooting at every bird he saw. But he was quite surprised to find that none of his bullets hit. He shot once, he shot twice, he shot many times – but did not bring down even one bird. He shot at big birds and at little birds, without any success.

The group was returning from the outing when a large, beautiful, white bird caught Haji Muhammad’s eye. It was so big that it could not fly quickly, and Haji Muhammad thought that surely it would be easy to hit this one. His first shot missed. Then he fired four more times, but he missed every time. In a panic the frightened bird flew near them. Haji Muhammad thought that now he could not possibly miss. He fired two more shots, but the bird escaped.

Haji Muhammad was astonished, and he began to think about the whole incident. All of sudden, he understood something very important. He realized that Baha’u’llah had given him a clear command, but in his preoccupation with his own wishes and desires, he had ignored Baha’u’llah. That day Haji Muhammad made a firm decision to obey the commandments of God at all times.

Draw any part of the story

as a comic

How do you feel?

DRAMA / GAMES

The following activities with strengthening the children’s skills and abilities in drama:

As always, start by having the children stand in their imaginary squares and do the stretching exercise.
Now explain to your students that, for the next activity, they are going to communicate using only the movement of their bodies. To begin, ask them to say:
- “stop!” with their hands
- “Yes” using their head
- “I don’t understand” using their eyes
- “I hear something” using their ears
- “I’m surprised” using their jaw
- “I smell fresh bread” using their nose
- “come here!” using their finger
- “I’m running” using arms,
- “I bump into a wall” using the shoulder
- “I’m slipping” using their legs
- “I’m tired” using their whole body,
- “I’m waiting” using whole body and
- “I’m looking for someone” using whole body

Divide the students into groups of five or six. Have the children in each group stand in a row, front to back, with their hands on the shoulders of the child in front of them. All the children should close their eyes except the child at the very end of each row. This child is the “driver” and the others are the “bus”. When you say “Go!” all the “buses” should start moving forward. The “driver” steers the “bus” to the right or to the left by gently pushing the corresponding shoulder of the child in front of him or her, who does the same to the next child, and so on. To stop the “bus”, the “driver” gently pulls on both shoulders.
The above exercise will have contributed to the ability of the youngsters to coordinate their movements and cooperate with one another. Now in preparation for the next exercise, explain to the children that there is a difference between doing something with diligence and doing something without proper care and effort. Tell them that they will do an improvisation today in pairs to illustrate this point. Divide the children into pairs and ask them to sit and listen quietly while you describe the scene they will act out.

Tell the children to imagine that they are living in the mountains, in a small place that is far from the local market. One day, their mother asks them to do to the market to buy some vegetables and return home straight away. Soon after setting out, they encounter a herd of sheep blocking the road. Rather than waiting for the sheep to move, they gently steer their way through the herd. Next, they come to a river, where they must get into a boat and row their way across. If they stop rowing even for a moment, they will start to go downstream. Finally, they make it to the other side of the river and continue their journey. As they are walking, they meet some friends who ask them to join in a game of football. At first, they think about stopping to play but then they remember their promise to their mother to buy the vegetables and come home without delay. On their return from the market, they think about taking a different path, one that is more beautiful, with flowers to pick along the way. The other path is much shorter, but not as pretty. They decide to take the shorter path, and soon reach home with the vegetables requested by their mother.

Simple Lapbook

For Burlington, we are using a simple lapbook one lapbook for each set. So from lessons 4 to 6, we had the following elements

Castle- Lesson 4 Stronghold theme. It was glued to the large middle section
Boat– This was the story in Lesson 5 we added a turkish map fold and printed the story
Bird– this was the story of obedience and striving daily to do the right thing. we added a turkish map fold and printed the Prayer for this set

To make the bird that flys (flaps its wings): you will need the template, string, and 2 brads, optional popicle stick

Print template from here
Cut out images
Attach wings to the body of the duck using the smaller holes
attach wings together using the string. tie in a loose knot
and attach it to the popsicle stick.

When the string is pulled, the wing with flap up and down.

This craft was modeled after the following owl craft they used string insteed of brads and the bird craft above can also use string to hold the wings in place.

Prayer insert: “Unite the hearts of thy servants.”

Print the prayer for the right flap. Add the interactive components of uniting the heart. example video below. My template here can be modified for this. This site also has a simple slider card that can be used.

SUN IDEA:

How to put into practice the teachings of God and acquire spiritual qualities,

Cut out a large sun shape (to represent day by day) and glue the words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha “kam kam, ruz beh ruz”, which means “little by little, day by day. You can also do a folded card with a sun on the front and a moon on the inside and split the words on the two pages.

TURNING PAPER PLATES

Another way to show Day By Day concept

DRAW SCENES FROM THE STORY

comic book template

Brilliant Star Magazine

PETS ON PARADE

LEVELS TO CONQUER

PUTTING OUT THE GOSSIP FIRE

Review the quotation from today’s lesson, and then remind the children of the qualities of trustworthiness and radiance and the quotations they memorized in Grade 1:

Supremely lofty will be thy station, if thou remainest steadfast in the Cause of thy Lord
Baha’u’llah

Happy is the faithful one who is attired with the vesture of high endeavor and hath arisen to serve this Cause
Baha’u’llah

ACCESS RESOURCE HERE

ACCESS POWERPOINT AND IMAGES FOR QUOTES HERE

Tags Baha'i, Baha'i children class material, children class, G2 L6, GRADE 2, Lesson 6, ruhi, Ruhi bk 3 children's class, Ruhi book 3, Ruhi Children Class, STRIVING DAILY, STRIVING DAILY G2 L6

Baha'i Children class Free journal Kids Can Do Ruhi Book 3

WE MUST WORK TO SPREAD BAHÁ’U’LLÁH’S TEACHINGS IN ORDER FOR JUSTICE TO BE ESTABLISHED ON EARTH RUHI BOOK 3 GRADE 4 LESSON 6 SET 2

Introducing the principal theme

Welcome to Lesson 6 Grade 4

This lesson seeks to help the children understand that Bahá’u’lláh has come to educate souls and bring new life to humanity.

In the quotation you memorized in the last lesson,(Lesson 5. ) Bahá’u’lláh makes clear that as His hardships and tribulations grew, so did His love for God, and that nothing could stop Him from carrying out the Mission with which God had entrusted Him. He bore all the sufferings heaped upon Him with radiance and forbearance. For four months He was imprisoned in the most terrible conditions in the Síyáh-Chál.

Do you remember what happened to Bahá’u’lláh and His family after He was released from His imprisonment?
What did the government and religious leaders hope would happen by exiling Bahá’u’lláh from His native Persia?

We know they feared that, if He remained in Persia, the teachings of the Báb would continue to spread and they would lose their power and control over people. And so they forced Bahá’u’lláh to leave His homeland, thinking that His influence would fade away and His light would be extinguished. Of course, they could never succeed.

You remember that, when Bahá’u’lláh first arrived in Baghdád after He left Persia, He was so saddened by the disunity among the followers of the Báb that He went to the remote mountainous region near the town of Sulaymáníyyih. In this lesson you are going to learn what happened when Bahá’u’lláh finally returned to Baghdád. After two years, He found the Bábí community in a terrible state. But quickly everything changed as Bahá’u’lláh began to educate the believers. Soon the people of Baghdád found in their midst a community that was distinguished by the love of God and by its noble character.

The quotation you will start to memorize today speaks of the quickening power of Bahá’u’lláh’s words and the joy experienced by all those who had the bounty of attaining His presence and listening to His utterances.

Prayer 1 Set 2

Prayer 2 Set 2

Prayer 3 Set 2

O God, my God! Aid Thou Thy trusted servants

All joy to such as have attained His presence, gazed upon His beauty, hearkened unto His melodies, and been quickened by the Word that hath been issued forth from His sacred and exalted, His glorious and resplendent lips!

Bahá’u’lláh

Meaning of Words

If there are any words you do not know or are unsure of, record them in this document!

Send A Postcard

Why not share the quote from today’s class as a postcard with a friend?

A Noble Way

GIVE ME THY GRACE

Ystävällinen Kieli

The purpose of God

CREATE

Historical Episodes

The episode in this lesson centers on Bahá’u’lláh’s stay in Baghdád following His return from Sulaymáníyyih. The story of His Declaration in the Garden of Riḍván, just prior to His departure for Constantinople, will be reserved for the next lesson.

Story 1

During the two years of Bahá’u’lláh’s absence from Baghdád, the fortunes of the Bábís had gone from bad to worse. Mírzá Yaḥyá had shown his total incompetence and had done nothing to stop this rapid decline. Bahá’u’lláh set out to educate the Bábís and to renew in them the spirit of faith they had once possessed. Over the years, through His love and wisdom, and the power of His words, He changed the behavior of the followers of the Báb. Under His guidance, the Bábís became, once again, righteous people who were the well-wishers of humankind. They put aside conflict and became promoters of unity and peace. Many Bábís from different parts of Persia began to make the long journey to Baghdád so that they could enter His presence. One of these was the young man we know today as Nabíl, the great historian of the Bahá’í Faith, whose book “The Dawn-breakers” you will someday read yourselves. He has left for us an account of what it was like for the believers to be close to Bahá’u’lláh in those special days.

We know that the house in which Bahá’u’lláh lived with His family became a place of much activity, and people came to see Him there in great numbers. One room of the house was set aside for the reception of guests and visitors. It was a simple room with a low roof, but, Nabíl tells us, it seemed to “reach to the stars”, so uplifted were the hearts of those who attained the presence of Bahá’u’lláh. For them, to be surrounded by His love and immersed in the sea of His words, was like being in paradise. All the Bábís took great care, Nabíl writes, to make sure that their conduct conformed to the high standard to which He was calling them. Each one entered into a pact with one of his fellow believers, so that, if necessary, they could remind one another of the lofty standard they had pledged to follow. Often they would gather late into the night, reciting prayers and poetry and singing songs in praise of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh. Many nights, ten or more of them would eat no more than a few dates. They all lived modestly but were content. “I, myself with two others,” Nabíl writes, “lived in a room which was devoid of furniture.” Yet they thought little of such things. No one knew to whom the shoes, the cloaks and the robes they wore belonged. Whoever went to the bazaar to buy a few things would put on what he found without noticing whether it was his own or not. So filled were their hearts with the love of God that they even forgot their own names. “O, for the joy of those days,” are Nabíl’s words, “and the gladness and wonder of those hours!”

Story 2

As the Bábí community was spiritually revived, love and admiration for Bahá’u’lláh also grew among the inhabitants of Baghdád, including some of its dignitaries and officials. Even the governor of Baghdád eventually came to visit Him as a sign of courtesy and respect. No one who entered His presence could fail to recognize His greatness and glory. Nabíl records a story of how one night about a hundred people surrounded Bahá’u’lláh’s house, at the instigation of His enemies, ready to stir up mischief. They had swords by their sides. But Bahá’u’lláh approached the situation with His usual calm and dignity. He invited them into the house and requested His attendants to open the door for them. “They are our guests”, He said. He had refreshments served to them and discussed with them profound spiritual matters. By the time they arose to leave, their hearts had been transformed by the majesty and the kindliness of Bahá’u’lláh.

How fortunate are human beings when they can immerse themselves in the ocean of God’s mercy and partake of the knowledge and wisdom of His Manifestation! Yet, although those close to Bahá’u’lláh enjoyed the bounties of His presence and the people of Baghdád were attracted to His nobility and wisdom, some of the leaders refused to acknowledge His greatness because of their own ambition and pride. They saw Bahá’u’lláh’s growing influence as a threat to their own power. And so it will not surprise you to learn that, during this time, opposition to the Cause also grew steadily.

In one instance, a group of religious leaders decided to send a learned man to Bahá’u’lláh and to submit to Him a number of questions in order to test Him. When Bahá’u’lláh replied to all the questions satisfactorily, the learned man accepted the vastness of His knowledge. Even so, he presented the group’s request that Bahá’u’lláh perform a miracle to convince them of His extraordinary powers.

“Although you have no right to ask this,” Bahá’u’lláh replied, “for God should test His creatures, and they should not test God, still I allow and accept this request.” He told the man that first the group should choose one miracle and in writing declare that, after it had been performed, they would no longer have any doubts about Him and would all recognize Him and accept the truth of the Cause. They should seal the document and bring it to Him. The man was profoundly struck by this clear and challenging reply. He instantly arose, kissed the knee of Bahá’u’lláh, and departed. He delivered Bahá’u’lláh’s message to the group. For a few days these power-hungry men discussed how they should respond, but they could not come to any decision. Finally they had no other choice but to drop the matter. So it was that, out of His infinite love for humanity, Bahá’u’lláh invited friend and foe alike to drink deep from the cup of His wisdom and guidance. Alas! Though in dire need of the truth, some refused to partake of the life-giving waters of His Message. Driven by ambition and fear, they turned away from the Source of all knowledge and lost their way. Yet, in the end, nothing they did could prevent a growing number of people from drawing close to Him and being revived by His teachings.

Reflect

Now that we have read these 2 accounts, do you recognize that God’s promise to Bahá’u’lláh in the Síyáh-Chál—that He would be made victorious by His Person and by His Pen—was being fulfilled? Though outwardly an exile, with no earthly power or riches, He conquered hearts and became loved and respected by people of all backgrounds. Such is the influence exerted on souls by God’s Manifestation. What other spiritual truths do you glean from the events narrated today?

For any of the figures we heard about, use the biography page to write down the information you would like to remember. OR Download my story report HERE

Facts

Bahá’u’lláh returned to Baghdád from the region of Kurdistán in April 1856.
During the two years of Bahá’u’lláh’s absence from Baghdád, the fortunes of the Bábís had gone from bad to worse.
During Bahá’u’lláh’s stay in Baghdád, the Bábí community was revived through His love and wisdom and the power of His words

Download The Fact Cards Here

GAMES

Act Out The following:

You are new pilgrims who have come to see Bahá’u’lláh and you are entering the room for guests. Remember we do not portray Bahá’u’lláh.

We know the following from Nabíl:

The room “reach to the stars”,
It was like being in paradise.
All the Bábís took great care, to make sure that their conduct conformed to the high standard to which He (Baha’u’llah was calling them).
Each one entered into a pact with one of his fellow believers, so that, if necessary, they could remind one another of the lofty standard they had pledged to follow.
Often they would gather late into the night, reciting prayers and poetry and singing songs in praise of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh.
Many nights, ten or more of them would eat no more than a few dates.
They all lived modestly but were content. sometimes in a room that was devoid of furniture.
No one knew to whom the shoes, the cloaks and the robes they wore belonged.
Whoever went to the bazaar to buy a few things would put on what he found without noticing whether it was his own or not.
So filled were their hearts with the love of God that they even forgot their own names.

Another Scene to act out.

Act out the Scene where the clergy and holy men of the city had to come up with a miracle for Bahá’u’lláh to perform.

Activity Blind drawing

The two participants sit back to back. Only one person should have the drawing materials. The other is handed a picture (or draws a picture themselves) and must make sure that the other cannot see it. They describe the picture as carefully as possible while the other person attempts to draw it from the description.

CRAFTS

Shaker card

Here is a blog post with ideas. Used the sentence “Bahá’u’lláh invited friend and foe alike to drink deep from the cup of His wisdom and guidance” on the finished product.

Here is my free with the quote template!

Journal the “history” in your community one day at a time

Based on story 2: Nabil was a great historian and wrote what he observed and what he considered important. Can you be a historian and capture the important Baha’i events in your community? It can be in any form you like, a piece of writing, a drawing, a poem, a comic strip, a new article, or a journal entry.

Journal to record events like Nabil to use if needed can be downloaded here.

Some other templates:

comic book template

drawing template

storyboard

Diorama

Based on Story 1, construct a diorama using a box (a shoebox works well). Construct the room the pilgrims stayed in as you imagine it to be. Below is a video of just stars to get your imagination going.

Craft based on “uplifted hearts“

Create a paper circuit to light up and “uplift” the heart

Audio/ video Recording the group discussing the following

You live in the times of Bahá’u’lláh and you heard Bahá’u’lláh is leaving. Your family and friends have gathered to talk about this in your home and then will go to visit Bahá’u’lláh in the Ridvan Garden. Here are some ideas to discuss:

How did you hear about or meet Bahá’u’lláh?

Why is Bahá’u’lláh important to you?

What have you learned from Bahá’u’lláh?