The Hujjat ‘Special Educational Needs and Disabilities’ Team is pleased to share with you a social story to help your children prepare for the upcoming month of Muharram.

A social story is a description, often with visual aids like symbols or photographs, to teach children about a specific event or situation and help them prepare for what to expect. By providing a description of what to expect, it can add structure and predictability which can in turn reduce some of the anxieties they may feel. A social story can help children understand that their feelings in an overwhelming situation are okay, and gives them options for that situation.

You can present it to your child when you are both calm and relaxed and introduce it, something like this… “I have a story for you, it is about Muharram. Let me read it for you”. You can then read through the words and look at the symbols together. If your child asks questions, you can always add more details. You can decide if you want to read it in the morning, or evening. We would recommend reading it for a few days before Muharram starts, as light preparation. You can then read it again just before your first visit for a Muharram event, or even in the car on the way to mosque – “remember the story about Muharram? I am going to read it again. We are going to mosque today for Muharram” and proceed to read the social story to your child.

Please email send@hujjat.org if you would like an e-copy or printed copy of the Social Story and in the meantime, check out the read-aloud version below!

We hope you find this resource useful in preparing your children for the month of Muharram.

If you have any feedback, or would like support to create a different social story, please contact send@hujjat.org