The Heroes of Karbala

A hands on way to learn the family tree of the heroes of Karbala.

Write each member on a mini post it note, colour coded by siblings. The children can sort the families and arrange accordingly onto an A3 sheet. The notes can be reused for practice and as a game to help recall by removing various names for the child to place correctly. A larger version can also be used as a whole class exercise or wall display by using regular post it notes. 

 

Do the family tree exercise together step by step.

1. Who brought us the message of Islam?
Let's put Prophet Muhammad at the top, in the middle of the page.

2. Did he have any children? Who?
Let's put Bibi Fatima underneath the Prophet.

3. Who did Bibi Fatima marry?
Let's put Imam Ali next to her.

4. Did they have any children together?
They had 2 boys and 2 girls

What was their first child called?
Let's make a new line underneath and put Imam Hasan at the beginning.

5. Who was born after Imam Hasan?
Let's put Imam Husayn next to him.

6. Who were Imam Husayn's sisters?
Let's put Bibi Zaynab and Umme Kulthum in the same line.

7. Now let's look at their children.
Imam Hassan had a boy called Qasim. You will hear about him in the story of Karbala.
Let's put him underneath Imam Hassan.

8. Do you know the names of Imam Husayn's children?
Let's put them all underneath 

9. Bibi zainab had two boys who were also in Karbala.
Let's put Aun and Muhammad under Bibi Zainab.

10. When Bibi Fatema died, Imam Ali married Ummul Banin.
Let's put her on the other side of Imam Ali

8. They had a son called Abbas.
Let's put him underneath the name of his mother Ummul Banin.
Abbas was Imam Husayn's little brother.

Use the family tree to question and check understanding of the relationships between each member.

Take off the labels and have the kids practice again, saying out loud the names on the cards to help them form the connections.
A black and white version can also be printed to check understanding without colour coding.

Review Questions:

Who was Imam Husayn’s mother and father?
Who was Ali Akbar’s father?
What are the names of Bibi Zainab’s sons?
Who were Imam Husayn’s sisters?
Who was Qasim?
Who was Hazrat Abbas’ mother?
Who was Imam Zainul Abideen’s father?
Who was Bibi Sakinah’s uncle in Karbala?
Who was Imam Husayn’s grandfather?
Who was Bibi Zainab’s mother and father?