Prophet Muhammad Youth

My Prophet (Calligraphic Collage)

By Lubna Shaikh, Revival Arts

It’s important that we seek creative ways of imparting the knowledge of our deen.  We must help our children by keeping things relevant and relatable.  Here’s a simple project idea that we can use to cultivate and deepen our connection and love for the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him).  Let’s help our kids build a personal connection to their Prophet ﷺ by creating their own artwork about him.  This project is especially useful in this month of Rabi’ al-Awwal, as people remember and revere the birth and life of our beloved Prophet ﷺ in many different ways.

Below you will find the basic steps to creating this calligraphic collage.  Please do not feel limited by the instructions provided.  Use your creativity to adapt the project to different age groups, and to extend the project beyond what’s listed below.

Materials:

  • glue (glue stick is best, but liquid glue works too)
  • paper
  • scissors
  • magazines and/or newspapers
  • cardboard or poster paper (optional)
  • paint (optional)

Before you start:

Before starting this project it’s important to let the kids tell you about their Prophet ﷺ.  Ask them open ended questions, let them tell you what they know, and share their love for him.  It’s great to see how excited the kids get when they get to talk about the Prophet ﷺ. You can share some stories, poetry, or description of him with them as well.

  1. Print out a image of the Prophet’s ﷺ name in calligraphy.  You can do a google search or use this example: http://www.clker.com/cliparts/3/a/5/a/1248399275887515453muhammed-pbuh.svg.med.png
  2. Enlarge the print out and use it as your collage base, or use the print out as a guide for your child to practice their own calligraphy.  You can choose to do your own calligraphy on poster paper or cardboard.  Once you have the calligraphic image printed or drawn to the exact size that you want the collage, you’re ready to start!
  3. Cut out the calligraphy with scissors (cut around the outline of the calligraphy so the background is no longer there).  Fold the head of the meem (the first letter of the Prophet’s name ﷺ) and make a small cut in the center so you can open it up and cut out the rest of the inside circle.  (You can choose not to cut out the image, and just work within the lines of calligraphy on the solid sheet)
  4. If your calligraphy cutout is on cardboard or poster board, you may choose to paint a colored background.  Although it’s not necessary, especially if you plan to cover the entire base with words.
  5. Go through magazines or newspapers and find any words that you feel tell you about the Prophet ﷺ.  Start cutting!  Clip out words, or even images of any size and collect them.
  6. If you have enough words, start gluing some onto the calligraphy cut out.  You may want to glue larger words first, but it will work either way.  Don’t worry if the word goes off the edge of the cutout, just have fun gluing!
  7. Keep cutting and pasting until you feel you’ve completed the collage.  The last step is to turn it over and cut off the excess magazine clippings that you see cross the edge of the base.
  8. Turn it around and look at the wonderful piece you’ve created.  You can mount the calligraphy on a board, hang it on the wall, or even place it in a glass clip frame!  A beautiful work of art, and a timeless reminder of our beloved Prophet ﷺ.

Things to keep in mind:

With proper modifications, this project can be done with almost all age groups.  Some children may need help cutting, and pasting.  If you have children that cannot read, they can help clip out images, or glue the words.

For older children, you may have them discuss the different names of the Prophet ﷺ.  And maybe instead of doing a calligraphy with the name Muhammad ﷺ, they will feel they relate more to the name ‘Al ameen’ (or another of his names).  Make sure to leave it open ended so the children can use their creativity and imagination and really OWN the piece.

Be patient, and understand that art is about the process.  You may find your child choose a word that you don’t think is befitting.  DON’T immediately disregard it.  Find out what thought process lead your child to choose the word they did, and discuss it with them.   It’s a great learning experience, and most of all, your patience and care with them will show them that you are trying to emulate the Prophet ﷺ.

Take every moment as an opportunity for learning.  The end result of your work is a tangible piece, but the memories and experiences built are part of the process – not the product.  Use this project as a way to build connections, not only with our Prophet ﷺ but also with each other.

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11 Comments

  • What can I say on your day
    When every day is your day ?
    O Muhammad ! O Taha ! O shafi’na on the Last Day !
    From the day you stood to say :
    O Man ! I’m but a man
    Sent to save you, sent to tell you
    The way that’ll lead you away
    From the one who led you astray
    To the One Who made you ’n the best way
    And gave you beauty and bounty in every way
    And will yet give you joy where you’ll stay
    For ever and ever, as you say !
    From that day,
    O Muhammad ! O Taha ! O shafi’na on the Last Day !
    Men came to you on foot and horseback ;
    They said as you said
    And prayed as you prayed
    And when attacked, they fought back.
    You lived in a shack
    While your beauty was brighter than the moon ;
    You ate with your hands
    While one with your beauty would use a gold spoon ;
    You sat on the sands
    While one with your glory
    Would build himself storey upon storey :
    And that’s why your story
    Has gone as far as Brunei and Zinjibar
    And London and New York
    Where people eat with a knife and fork,
    They too say as you said
    And pray as you prayed
    And when wrongly questioned, they answer back.
    O Muhammad ! O Taha ! O shafi’na on the Last Day !
    What can I say on your day
    When every day is your day ?
    From just a few those who came to you
    Filled every hill, swamped every dale,
    They made Time stand still till their tale
    Made the mightiest kingdoms frail
    And brought the Muslim flag as close as Prague !
    The Arabian Nights tells of made-up knights
    And of Harun al-Rasheed
    Whose life the Truth of your Message
    Made eed upon eed !
    And yet someone came to draw
    A pic of a man whose peer he never saw,
    And papers and commentators
    Seeking cheap money and fake glory
    Made every story
    Out of the Story of the man whose glory
    Defies all Posts and all Tribunes and all Times !
    O Muhammad ! O Taha ! O shafi’na on the Last Day !
    What can I say on your day
    When every day is your day ?
    When your name has brought fame
    To a Dane who became insane ?
    What can I say on your day
    When night and day
    Souls repeat your words
    As if they were songs of jungle birds !
    Peace be upon you and all those who followed your way !
    O Muhammad ! O Taha ! O shafi’na on the Last Day !

  • “Why would ANYONE torture themselves with this stuff?” 😉 Lubna, you’re awesome mashaAllah. jazaki Allahu khayran for teaching us how to maximize our effectiveness in creating love for Islam and our habib sal Allahu alayhi wa sallama

  • Assalaam alaykum warahmatuLlah

    We have a small kid’s club with some of the muhajirun in Tangiers.
    Our next theme was the life of our beloved prophet (salaLlahu alayhi wasallam) and this would be a beautiful craft to make.
    So I wondered if I could use the picture of your collage?
    DjazaakiLlah ghayren.

    Salaams from Morocco!

  • i am not able to write all the things about my Holy Prophet (PBUH). great in all the human being. his life is a role model for all the human beings .in the every part of he set examle of fair dealing and justice. he never made any difference in muslims or any human of different religion.no dobut he was a great Prophet and preacher. being a human He was a great man.

  • i am not able to write all the things about my Holy Prophet (PBUH). great in all the human being. his life is a role model for all the human beings .in the every part of he set example of fair dealing and justice. he never made any difference in Muslims or any human of different religion.no doubt he was a great Prophet and preacher. being a human He was a great man. Ramadan the best month in all the Islamic months. in this month the blessings of Allah becomes more than before. in this month the Muslims keeps fast and pray to God for their success . a Muslim can earn heaven with prayers. if a Muslim misses this opportunity then it is his on mistake. very good article written by the author i appreciate you. this article got a place in my heart and mind.

  • i am not able to write all the things about my Holy Prophet (PBUH). great in all the human being. his life is a role model for all the human beings .in the every part of he set example of fair dealing and justice. he never made any difference in Muslims or any human of different religion.no doubt he was a great Prophet and preacher. being a human He was a great man. Ramadan is the best month in all the Islamic months. in this month the blessings of Allah becomes more than before. in this month the Muslims keeps fast and pray to God for their success . a Muslim can earn heaven with prayers. if a Muslim misses this opportunity then it is his on mistake. very good article written by the author i appreciate you. this article got a place in my heart and mind.we should respect and support our parents specially in their old age because they have served us in our childhood so it is our duty to serve them in their old age.

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