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islam today issue 64 December 2018

Lady Mary and baby Jesus by Ghazaleh Kamrani

Lady Mary and baby Jesus by Ghazaleh Kamrani

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issue 64 vol. 7 December 2018

A COMMUNITY IN THE SPIRIT OF THE HOLY QUR’AN

CONNECT YOURSELF TO A COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS

DO MUSLIM CHILDREN NEED ‘ISLAMIC’ SEX EDUCATION?

Muhammad (s)

Prophet of Mercy and Light

On the auspicious occasion of the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (s) , Hujjatul Islam Dr Muhammad Shomali addressed a congregation of Muslims both Shi’a and Sunni, at the Islamic Unity Conference last November. This was held at the Al-Asr Education Centre, Woking. The following is a summary of his address.

Dr Shomali began his talk by congratulating

the participants for having chosen such an auspicious occasion to show their commitment between Muslims. He reminded the audience of the words mentioned in one of the supplication recited by Muslim in which we say: “Oh God, I ask you to send your salutations upon Prophet Muhammad (s) , who is Your Prophet of mercy and the word of Your light”. Dr Shomali explained that it would be incorrect to understand the mission of prophet Muhammad (s) as anything but a mission of divine mercy. He stressed that the core value of his mission was to bring mercy to humanity and not war, division, separation, hatred or curses.

In order to present the achievements of the Prophet during his mission, Dr Shomali delved into the life of the Arabs in pre-Islamic time to evaluate what were the immediate changes that the Prophet brought. Dr Shomali described the pre-Islamic Arab society as one that had no interest in educating or emancipating its members. He further added that the Prophet Muhammad (s) was certainly not a product of his society but rather stood against its negative values specially in relation to education. Dr Shomali explained how the revelation that the Prophet brought to society had a strong emphasis on education, citing many verses from the Holy Qur’an that refer to such principle.

A society, such the one of the Arabs before Islam, had only few moral values often conditioned by expediency and selfinterest added Dr Shomali. He cited the famous alliance of Hilf al-Fudul in which Muhammad as a young man participated with some members of other clans to redress certain injustice taking place in society. He also referred to the culture of looting and raiding among tribes prevalent at that time and the pride the Arabs showed in this activity. Dr Shomali explained that: “The Prophet of God [Muhammad (s) ] shifted the existing paradigm to a paradigm based on education. He brought a new dimension through his message, the focus on morals. This emphasis was to such an extent that he said: “God has sent me only to accomplish ‘noble traits of character’”. Dr Shomali further clarified what it is meant by ‘noble traits of character’, quoting verses from the Qur’an. “Is the requital of goodness anything but goodness (55:60)?” When someone does good to you, you reciprocate by doing good to him or her. However, this is still at a lower level as the Prophet Muhammad (S) came to teach us to do good to people who have wronged us too, added Dr Shomali.

According to Dr Shomali: “Two of the greatest qualities that the Prophet demonstrated in his life and teachings, were honesty and trustworthiness. For forty years before Islam, he had the top record of honesty and trustworthiness. Not

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only did people not know of any case in which he disregarded and compromised honesty and trustworthiness, indeed everyone was aware of his full commitment to trustworthiness and honesty. Therefore, it was not his father, grandfather or mother, but all the people of Makkah who recognised him as the truthful, the trusted. Can you imagine it? What adds to its significance is that even thirteen years after Islam, when those people had turned to few believers and many enemies, they did not for a moment doubt his honesty and trustworthiness”.

Dr Shomali then turned to the Prophet’s character. In the following passage, Dr Shomali gave a picture of such character: “In a society in which kindness was considered as a weakness for men, the prophet was extremely kind. The mentality was that men should not show kindness. Even years after Islam, a Muslim, who still suffered from that mentality, was surprised when he saw the prophet kissing his grandchild. “How can the prophet kiss his grandchild in public?” A man should be strong and being strong means not having affection and compassion. Prophet Muhammad (s) said: “If you do not show mercy, you will not be shown mercy by Allah.” If a child is not shown kindness, do not expect that you will receive kindness. However, the prophet was not just kind with his grandchildren, but with all children and with all people, Muslim and non-Muslim.

Dr Shomali also made a comparison between Prophet Muhammad (s) and Prophet Musa (as) . He described how when God asks Prophet Musa (as) to go and speak to the Pharaoh he

instructed him to speak in a soft tone to positively influence him and not antagonize him. In this case God gives Musa (as) a very specific order not to use strong language and irritate the Pharaoh. This is a command and not a statement.

In contrast when God spoke to Muhammad (s) He tells him of his intrinsic good character: “It is by Allah’s mercy that you are gentle to them; had you been harsh and hardhearted, they would have surely scattered from around you (Qur’an 3:159).” In his closing remark Dr Shomali turned his attention towards

the importance of unity as a recommendation of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (s) . In this respect he mentioned the publication by the Islamic Centre of a new book containing messages of unity from thirty-three Shi’ah topmost scholars. Dr Shomali took the opportunity to read few lines from the book taken from the words of the late Imam Khomayni, Grand Ayatullah Khamanei and Grand Ayatullah Sistani. Dr Shomali concluded with a prayer and exhortation for us to offer unity to all people of the world: “I pray to God to enable us to refer back to the true legacy of Prophet Muhammad (s) and to charge ourselves with light, mercy, love, wisdom, and commitment to helping any person who is suffering” said Dr Shomali. •

(The full transcript of this speech is available on the online version at : www.islam-today.net)

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Opinion

Do Muslim Children Need ‘Islamic’

Sex Education?

As the Government pledged to make Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) compulsory in all of England’s primary schools by the end of 2018, Kate Godfrey-Faussett suggests a number of ways to counteract this policy

Due to sexual relations and sexual morality

comprising a significant aspect of human life, Islam has provided detailed guidance and laws to be followed in all sexual matters. As children reach the appropriate age in their development, it is essential that they are educated in these rulings and in the Islamic values pertaining to the importance of marriage, chastity and modesty and of course in the ongoing teachings of obedience to God. In Islam, educating children about sexual issues should be done within the larger context of Islamic values and principles; not separated from it, as is prevalent in western sex education initiatives. In non-Islamic schools, children are often ‘educated’ in skills such as applying contraceptive methods to avoid sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies or in learning how to give sexual consent or arrange an abortion. There is scarce mention regarding the sacredness of their own bodies or of the sexual act, nor of moral teachings such as the importance of chastity and waiting for marriage. In Islam, children should be educated about accountability and responsibility for themselves and their bodies and as they become sexually mature they are taught about the importance of self-control and the importance of marriage for satisfying the sexual urge. Sex education in Islam, therefore, forms an inherent part of a parent’s duty to educate their child in their Islamic duty and faith and should not be viewed separately. The global movement of introducing ‘sexuality education’ into all schools worldwide has somewhat altered how we may ideally educate our children in sexual matters as Muslims. If our children attend school we no longer have the luxury of deciding when our children are ready to be taught certain topics, as the school system has taken that right upon themselves.

Unfortunately, if our children are in school they will be receiving information regarding sex and related un-Islamic issues at a much younger age than we would like. As parents, we will have less control over how to teach our children about sexual matters and are less free to choose the age at which we decide to educate them. We thus need to rethink and prepare for how and when we teach our children about sex education. It is imperative that we address such topics with our children and start talking to them at a young age, in an age-appropriate way, otherwise, they will form distorted views and assume that un-Islamic practices are acceptable. If we do not educate our children then they will learn about sexual matters either from school or through other means (internet, media, social media, friends etc.). We need to address any counter-messages or un-Islamic sexual ideologies that they may be picking up from school or society and correct where necessary, what they are learning and provide for them an Islamic understanding and perspective.

Additionally, we need to be aware that western culture (which has spread throughout many countries worldwide) has become increasingly sexualised. Children are continuously bombarded with sexual images and messages from every angle of society. To address this, even if your child is not at school, it is essential that children are educated by their parents about sex education from an Islamic perspective, so that they can form a proper understanding, and practice their faith correctly in all aspects.

As parents, it is imperative that we engage with our children’s school and find out exactly what they are being taught in

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Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) and ask to see the resources that are being used. The ethos of individual schools will have an important impact on the way in which RSE is delivered. It is therefore essential to choose a school for your child who shares an ethos that is in line with your own values. Islamic schools, faith schools, single-sex schools should always be considered first and before secular schools. Alternatives to sending your child to school such as home education, for those families who are in a position to do so, can also be considered. However, in all cases, providing your child with Islamic sex education at the appropriate time is essential.

What, when & how do I teach my child about Islamic RSE?

There are two things to consider regarding educating your child in sex education and related topics: The first is your duty as a parent to educate your child in matters of religion, instilling in them the beliefs, principles and values of Islam. Education in Islamic matters of relevance to Islamic RSE such as cleanliness, awrah (protection of private parts); that God created male and female, marriage, and so on, can all start at a young age and will form the basis on which more detailed information relating to ‘sex education’ will later be built. It is essential that you start building these foundations early and before children go to school. The second factor you need to consider is what your child is going to be taught at school regarding RE/RSE, as well as what sexualised messages they are picking up from the wider society (e.g. from media, films, posters, clothing, celebrities, music etc. that it is impossible to completely protect children from). These issues will then need to be addressed as your

child is exposed to them and put into an Islamic context. This will be much easier if you have already begun teaching your child about Islamic values and practices as mentioned above.

When your child begins school, or if they are already at school, there are two main sources of knowledge you will need to acquire to educate your child in Islamic RSE and counteract any un-Islamic beliefs or practices they are being taught:

1) Knowledge from your child’s school regarding what they will be learning in RE/RSE and when and how they will be learning it. This is essential so that you know what to teach your child and put into context from an Islamic perspective.

2) Islamic knowledge so that you can firstly put what your child is learning into a proper Islamic context and secondly address anything they are taught that contradicts Islamic teachings and practice.

God Willing, further resources and help to support parents in this task will be produced.

In the meantime, please visit: www.stoprse.com for further information and to download a sample letter that parents can send to their school asking to be kept informed of what their child will be taught in Relationship & Sex Education. As a parent, you do have the right to influence how schools will teach RSE and it is important that you have your say.•

For further support or information please feel free to contact info@stoprse.com

Dr Kate Godfrey-Faussett is a Chartered Psychologist.

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Interfaith

Lady Mary in the Qur’an

In the following talk, Hujjat al-Islam Dr Mohammad Ali Shomali presents the Muslim’s understanding of Lady Mary in Islam, based on the verses of the Holy Qur’an

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

After listening to the previous

presentation we are truly spiritually prepared and attuned, albeit it is difficult to reach the same height. As you know, Lady Mary is greatly praised in the Qur’an and is the only woman mentioned in the Qur’an by name. Indeed, the Qur’an makes references to other women, like the wife of Pharaoh and the mother of Ishmael; however, no other woman is cited by name. Lady Mary has been mentioned thirty-four times in the Qur’an; sometimes alone and sometimes along with Jesus, “Isa Ibn-e-Maryam: Jesus the son of Mary.” Moreover, although her story is divided into many different chapters, a chapter in the Qur’an is called Mary, indicating her special position. Furthermore, the characteristics that we find for Lady Mary in the Qur’an are very special, to the extent that the Qur’an says that God chose her over all the women of the

world. Thus, at that age, she was the best woman. It may also be true regarding other ages, but certainly, in her age, she was chosen over all women. I would like to mention characteristics that we find for Lady Mary. The first characteristic is that her upbringing was very special. Lady Mary’s father, and perhaps her mother, had a dream that they would be given a special son, which was Jesus (a) . Since they thought it would be their immediate child and not grandchild, they were expecting a son. Thus, Lady Mary’s mother made a vow when she was pregnant to dedicate her child to God. She said, “‘My Lord, I dedicate to You in consecration what is in my belly (3:35).’”

“My Lord, I am making the vow to dedicate what is in my womb to you.” At that time it was a practice to dedicate your child to serve in the temple. However, when Lady Mary’s mother delivered the baby she was surprised to see that it was a girl. Nonetheless, she still wanted to keep the promise as it was uncommon to

dedicate girls to the temple. The temple was for men. One significant point that drew my attention about two or three months ago was that when the mother of Lady Mary dedicated her to God, the Qur’an says that God accepted her vow. “Thereupon her Lord accepted her with a gracious acceptance (3:37).”

Her Lord accepted in a good way, a good acceptance, wa anbataha, and made her grow up, wa kafalaha Zakariyyah. “And made her grow up in a worthy fashion, and He charged Zechariah with her care (3:37).”

God made prophet Zakariyyah (a) (Zechariah), to be in charge of her upbringing. The point that came to my mind a few months ago, which I am still trying to digest, is that as a father or mother we always want our child, for example, to be very good, pious, spiritual, and dedicated to God. However, we are only part of this. The main thing is the relation between the child and God. I

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cannot decide how my child is going to be. Although I can pray, I cannot decide. Nevertheless, because the mother of Lady Mary offered her when she was unborn or was just born but did not yet have free will and was a little child, God accepted her at that time and undertook her upbringing. Consequently, I think this somehow solves the problem in the sense that if you can manage to make this deal with God when your child is still unborn or it is very early and God accepts to become the guardian of your child, I think then it is guaranteed.

Making God accept is a matter of your full trust and dedication to God. God says that Lady Mary’s mother said, “Please accept her,” and God says taqabbalaha, “God accepted her and made her grow up and made Zechariah (a) look after her.” It is impossible for someone to be accepted by God and becomegrown by God and then become an evil person. Hence, in my view this point provides a very good kind of hope for parents. When their child is not yet born, or when it is born but still very little, they can make this deal with God.

If they ask Him to take care of their child and He accepts, then it is guaranteed. Thus, from the time Lady Mary was in the womb of her mother and then afterwards, she was always under special divine care. Another important point is that God made one of His prophets look after her. In fact, this is also the gratitude of God. Since Lady Mary’s mother offered her as a servant to the temple, God makes His prophet her servant; he has to look after her. How grateful is God? Hence, Lady Mary grew up in a very special way and with full dedication to God under the protection and guidance of someone like Zechariah (a) . Indeed, she grew up so well that even Zechariah (a) , who was in charge of her upbringing, was surprised. Zechariah (a)

was just an instrument of God, but the growth of Mary was not decided by Zechariah (a) . Therefore, the Qur’an says that whenever Zechariah (a) used to visit Mary in her place of worship he found there is food, “Whenever Zechariah visited her in the sanctuary, he would find provisions with her (3:37).”

It must be noted that this did not happen just once or twice, but kullama; every time Zechariah (a) visited Lady Mary there was some food. Perhaps the first few times he did not ask questions and maybe thought someone had brought them, but then finally he asked:

‘‘God says that

Lady Mary’s mother said, “Please accept her,”… “God accepted her and made her grow up and made Zechariah (a) look after her.” It is impossible for someone to be accepted by God and become grown by God and then become an evil person.’’

“He said, ‘O Mary, from where does this come for you (3:37)?’”

How does this come to you; where does this come from? Lady Mary replied that this comes from God. So, this shows that if God works through a means it does not imply that the work will be limited by that person. Although Zechariah (a) was responsible, the growth of Mary was more than what Zechariah (a) could see happening. Therefore, she grew up and

God especially asked her to be obedient, to prostrate, and to worship with the worshipers. A stage then came when God gave her the good news,“When the angels said, ‘O Mary, God gives you the good news of a Word from Him whose name is Messiah, Jesus son of Mary (3:45).”

This verse reveals that angels spoke to Lady Mary and she was in communication with them. As far as I know, no scholar would dispute the fact that she was muhaddath, a person who was spoken to. The angels said to her, “O Mary, truly God gives you the good news, the basharah, of a Word from Him, kalimatin minh, a word from Him.

God could have said He is going to give a son or child; however, He says, “a Word from Him,” which is not a very common expression to use for human beings. Of course, we know that every creationof God is a word because the Qur’an often mentions words of God for creation. “Say, ‘If the sea were ink for the words of my Lord (18:109).’”

Although we know that every creation of God is a word of God, it is not very common to use the term for people. Nevertheless, God states here that Jesus is a Word from Him and his name is Messiah, ‘Isabni Maryam, Jesus the son of Mary, “Distinguished in the world and the Hereafter (3:45).”

He would be a person who has a high position in this world and the Hereafter, “And one of those brought near [to God] (3:45).” And he would be one of the people who are very near to God. Hence, this verse was a kind of preparation so Lady Mary was aware it was going to happen.

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She knew she was going to have this child, but it happened in a very miraculous way that perhaps never happened in history. As far as we know, only Adam had no father and mother. His example might be easier to understand because it is a complete intervention of God to create someone, whereas having just a mother and no father might be more difficult for people to digest. How can there be a divine act which also uses a human being to give creation? In a sense, this example is more difficult to comprehend. Consequently, as far as we know, this is the only time this has happened; the case of Adam has some similarities and some differences.

Thus, when God decided to create Jesus (a) through Lady Mary, we all have this story of the angel coming to Lady Mary, as stated in a beautiful but deep verse in the Qur’an. For many years I have pondered upon this verse. Lady Mary had gone to a private place; some say she went for prayer, while others say she wanted to have private time, perhaps to bathe. An angel then appeared in the form of a complete human being, not a halfbody human being, “And he became incarnate for her as a well-proportioned human (19:17).”

Lady Mary clearly did not expect any human being, especially a man to be in her private place. As a woman who was very careful about her chastity, she was greatly worried. The Qur’an says that Lady Mary said to the angel,

“She said, ‘I seek the protection of the All-beneficent from you, should you be Godwary (19:18)!’”

“I seek refuge with God from you if you are a pious person.” She was asking God to give her refuge from him if he was a pious person.

What did she mean? It seems that, first of all, no idea of sinning came to her mind; she was not such a woman who would think that this is a time that she can have a relation. That thought definitely did not come to her mind. The only thing that came to her mind was how to maintain her chastity; she asked

God for help but perhaps saw in that person signs of piety, for I assume when an angel takes the form of a human being he looks like a pious person and not a mean person. So, that angel came in the form of a pious person and Lady Mary said, “I ask God to give me refuge,” and if you understand these things and are a pious person you should understand that

I am now under the protection of God.” Thus, Satan would not be able to come here. It is a very special verse which I am still trying to understand, because she should have said,

“I ask God for protection,” and that is it.

However, she said, “I ask God for protection if you are a pious person,” which means if you understand such things and are a person who has this logic or approach. Hence, her chastity is greatly emphasised in the Qur’an. “Guarded her chastity (21:91, 66:12).”

Also, her obedience to God is mentioned, “And she was one of the obedient (66:12).”

The Qur’an also states that angels spoke to her. It is also mentioned that Lady Mary received sustenance from God and from Heaven directly in chapter 3:37. Another aspect the Qur’an states about Lady Mary is that she was chosen, istafaki. Therefore, God chose her, “God has chosen you (3:42).”

Moreover, she was purified by God, which is another very important Qur’anic concept. For example, we Shi‘a Muslims consider a verse in the Qur’an extremely dear to us. The verse is about the Ahlul Bayt (a) (the family of Prophet

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Muhammad (s) ) and the holy Imams. In verse 33 of Chapter 33, God says to the Household of the Prophet, “Indeed God desires to repel all impurity from you, O People of the Household, and purify you with a thorough purification (33:33).”

God wants to remove all the impurities away from you and purify you a thorough purification. Thus, we believe that the Ahlul Bayt (a) are purified. God states the same thing about Lady Mary, “And purified you (3:42).”

God purified you. In my understanding, for everyone, spirituality is a matter of seeking purity. However, there is a limit to what you can achieve; so you seek purity and you become purer, purer, and purer. Yet, a time comes that you can no longer go further.

For example, you cannot avoid mistakes, forgetfulness, or thoughts which sometimes come to your mind. From that stage onwards it is only God who purifies. So, first we have seeking purity, tatahhur, then we have tathir purification. Lady Mary reached that level that she did her best and then God took over and from that stage it is only God. We still have to do lots of things, but a time comes when you are only in the hands of God. Hence, Lady Mary reached the level that she was only in the hands of God. What is more, she was also siddiq, as the Qur’an says, “And his mother was a truthful one (5:75).”

There are four foremost categories of people in the Qur’an: “The prophets and the truthful, the martyrs and the righteous (4:69).”

The four categories are to be righteous, salih, to be a witness, shahid, to be siddiq, truthful, and to be nabi, prophets and messengers. Lady Mary was siddiq, most truthful. Siddiq is very rarely used for people; I do not think it is used for any person who is not infallible

because to be siddiq is more than to be truthful in one’s words. Siddiq means that one is completely in harmony with the truth. Not only does a siddiq tell the truth, but he or she also thinks truthfully, plans truthfully, and acts truthfully. Everything is done according to the truth, and Lady Mary was in such a condition.

‘‘What we read in the story of Lady Mary brings to the mind that she was not thinking of anything for herself. She was totally empty from personhood as such; she was fully possessed by God.’’

So, these are some of the characteristics of Lady Mary that make her very special. Yet, we need to ask how we can bring these aspects to our life because the Qur’an states that she was a role model.

A Qur’anic verse states that God gives two examples for believers: one is the wife of Pharaoh and one is Lady Mary. Therefore, Lady Mary is introduced as a role model for all believers, men and women. Perhaps we need to discuss more about how we can benefit from her life.

In addition to trying to move towards these virtues that we mentioned, I think one of the things that we find very special in the life of Lady Mary is that it seems she was, as her mother wanted, fully dedicated to God. You do not see any sense of ego, any sense of selfishness,

or any sense of having plans for yourself, even good plans. Sometimes we have bad plans for ourselves; for example, we just want to be successful or enjoy our life physically, but sometimes we have good plans for ourselves; for example, I want to be a great scholar, I want to teach many people, and I want to write many books. However, even this good plan can still be selfish.

What we read in the story of Lady Mary brings to the mind that she was not thinking of anything for herself. She was totally empty from personhood as such; she was fully possessed by God. It can thus be said that not only did her mother dedicate her body and physical presenceto the temple, but because her soul was accepted and was also dedicated to God, she became an instrument of God.

It is not by accident that God chose Mary for His Word, for if there was anything personal or selfish there she could not receive the Word of God. Indeed, God saw maximum capacity in Lady Mary because there was the least of personhood, impurity or selfish ego. In my view, this is a great lesson for us. Although we can never become like Mary, we can move to that direction and try to be just a container for the will of God and for the word of God.

We should be at the service of God and work for the plan of God, which in fact is the best plan for ourselves. If we dedicate ourselves to God and are an instrument for God, then that is the best thing. It is not that we are losing, but we are actually gaining more. Thank you for listening to these few points that I wanted to share. •

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Children's Corner

Organic Wastes

Dear Children, Assalam Alaikum

Imagine you have eaten your food; is

anything left in your dish? What do you intend to do with it?

You might think what a strange question, but you should not throw away the leftovers of your food. You can keep it, and turn it to fertile and rich compost which is one of the treasures of our earth and helping the growth of plants. This activity is called “compost making”. This is so simple that anyone can do it. You can make compost with garden dry leaves and cut grasses and leftover food. In fact, you can make compost with any organic waste, anything which is from the ground and has no chemical or manmade substances. When we say ‘organic waste’, it means something which grew from the ground and was once a live plant and no chemical have been added to it. For example leftover rice or vegetable peels...

But do we have enough organic waste to make compost?

Yes we do. In fact more than half of the food waste or garden rubbish we produce is organic. Believe it or not, every person throws away more than 550 kilos of organic waste each year. Some clever scientists say that if for example, your weight is 45 kilogram, the amount of organic waste that you throw away is almost 12 times of that. That is a lot of compost! If instead of throwing away this waste, we make compost with it, we would not have such a big problem with rubbish either.

What can we do?

We should do everything we can to reuse the organic waste we produce. There are easy ways to do this. For example: Help your parents in the garden and collect the leaves and cut grass, anything from the garden is good. Pile them up like a little hill in one corner of the garden. After a while this little pile becomes good and usable compost.

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You can also ask your parents to help you making boxes to make compost. Put all the organic waste you have collected from the garden or the leftover food in the box and every couple of days move them around. You will slowly see how the waste you collected is changing to compost, as the soil in your garden.

Feed the warms by adding any food waste to the box; anything except meat, bones or very fatty food. Wait and you will see how by eating the food waste, warms actually make compost. The compost made by the warms are in fact some of the best and richest composts ever made.

One of the most interesting ways of making compost is by the help of garden warms.

Feed the garden warms

Do you know which one of these foods warms do not eat? A) Meat B) Garden waste C) Vegetables You might not believe it but the greatest compost makers in nature are garden warms. With the help of your parents or classmates make a wooden box of 60x60x20cm. Then find some red garden warms and put them in the box.

We can do our best in keeping our earth healthy. It is true that human makes a lot of rubbish and wastes a lot of food, but at least by recycling them, we can make sure that we are doing our bits to help the nature.•

Illustrator Ghazaleh Kamrani

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