Connecting with Allah:

The 99 Names Through Writing & Art

Girls and boys, ages 7-10 | 12-week fall semester

Connecting with Allah is a semester-long course that pairs reflective writing instruction with watercolor art, built entirely around the Names of Allah. Most children encounter the 99 Names as a list to memorize. This class treats them as something to sit with, ask real questions about, and respond to on the page through words and art, until each student has built a book of their own thinking.

Each week centers on a single Name, occasionally two when they belong together. Students move through the same arc every session: a personal question, the language and meaning of the Name, its appearance in the Quran, a class discussion, a letter to Allah, and an art project. That repetition is intentional. By the fourth or fifth week students know the rhythm, and the work gets deeper because the structure has stopped being unfamiliar.

Enrollment:

  • Open to students ages 7-10

  • Space is limited to keep discussion and individual feedback meaningful

  • No prior art experience required; students should be comfortable reading and writing independently

Register Your Student

Schedule & Tuition

  • Dates: September 7 – November 30 (12 weeks)

  • Meets once weekly for 1.5 hours

  • $250 for the full semester paid upfront

  • Location: TBD

  • Materials: sketchbook and watercolor supplies (included in tuition)

Inside Each Class

Journal Prompt

A question that pulls the Name into the student's own experience. Students write before they've been told anything about the Name, so the reflection is genuinely theirs.

The Name Itself

Meaning, root letters, and what the Arabic root reveals, including the other words that share it.

Quran Study

The ayaat where the Name appears, read closely, with discussion of what the surrounding context adds to our understanding of it.

Class Discussion

Open discussion where students exchange ideas and build upon each others’ reflections.

Letter to Allah

Personal writing with that attribute of His in mind. Never read aloud unless the student chooses to.

Art Project

A watercolor piece responding to the same Name, using the technique introduced that week.

The Sketchbook

Every student keeps one book for the full twelve weeks:

  • Left page: the journal question and the letter to Allah

  • Right page: that week's artwork

  • Final result: a complete, personal record of a semester spent thinking carefully about who Allah is, in the student's own handwriting and their own hand

The sketchbook is the reason this class isn't a craft class. Students can turn back to week three and see what they thought about Al-Wadud before they knew anything about Al-Wadud, and notice how far they've come.

Skills Students Develop

Writing & Language Arts

  • Reflective writing

  • Creative writing

  • Vocabulary and Arabic word roots

  • Reading comprehension and close reading

  • Giving and receiving feedback

Islamic Learning

  • Meanings of the Names of Allah

  • Quranic context and tafsir-style discussion

  • Connecting divine attributes to lived experience

  • Personal du'a and turning to Allah in one's own words

Art Skills

  • Foundational watercolor techniques, introduced progressively

  • Observation and patience

  • Visual interpretation: making artistic choices that carry meaning

  • Portfolio-building through a sustained body of work

What Makes This Course Different

Rather than memorizing a list, students examine how each Name shapes how they understand Allah and their own lives. A child who has written honestly about a time she wanted something and didn't get it and then read what Allah says about Himself as Al-Qaabidh holds that Name differently than a child who has only recited it. Every session is designed so that language, Iman, and art reinforce the same idea from three directions.

Meet the Instructor

I hold a degree in Teaching and Learning from the University of Houston and have been teaching the Qur'an for over 10 years, alongside tutoring students of all ages in a variety of subjects.

I believe every student has a unique path and potential, and I love walking alongside them as a mentor and teacher. With a calm, easygoing approach, I strive to meet each student where they are and to cultivate a space where they can grow with confidence.

Passionate about writing, photography, art, and reflection, I believe that contemplation is at the heart of growth, connection, and tazkiyah. In a fast-paced world, I hope to help students slow down, think deeply, and strengthen both their character and their relationship with Allah through learning.

Sumaiyah Khan

  • Bachelors of Science in Education, Teaching and Learning

  • Qalam Classical Arabic and Essential Islamic Knowledge Program Graduate (and continuing student)

  • ⁠⁠10+ years tutoring and Quran teaching experience

  • 10+ years of writing and editing experience

Ready to Get Started?

Register your student today! Limited spots available. Fill out the form below and then Zelle the full tuition amount of $250 to Sumaiyah Khan at (301)605-3253.