Teaching Kids That Smiling Is Sunnah: A 7-Day Lesson

The short answer: smiling is one of the easiest Sunnahs to teach a child, because they already know how to do it. What they don’t know is that it counts. One hadith tells them a smile is charity, one story shows a smile starting a friendship, and a week of small smiling habits turns it into something they do on purpose.

This is Lesson 10 of our My Akhlaq Journey curriculum and the first lesson of Unit 4, “Everyday Sunnah Manners”.

The hadith: your smile is charity

تَبَسُّمُكَ فِي وَجْهِ أَخِيكَ لَكَ صَدَقَةٌ

“Your smile in the face of your brother is charity.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi)

Children often think charity means money, which they don’t have. This hadith gives them a sadaqah they can give twenty times a day. That idea alone makes kids light up.

You can add what one of the companions, Abdullah ibn al-Harith, said: he had never seen anyone smile more than the Messenger of Allah ﷺ (Sunan al-Tirmidhi). The best person who ever lived smiled a lot.

Five smiling habits

• Smile when I say salam.
• Smile at my parents and teachers.
• Smile at a sad friend.
• Smile while helping others.
• Remember that smiling is Sunnah.

Step 1: Warm-up questions

1. How do you feel when someone smiles at you?
2. Why is smiling a good Sunnah?
3. How can your smile help someone who feels sad?

Step 2: Read the story of Musa and the new boy

On the first day of school, Musa sees a new boy sitting alone. The boy looks shy and quiet. Musa walks over with a warm smile and says, “Assalamu alaikum!” The new boy smiles back and feels happy. Soon they’re playing and learning together. A small smile helped a new friendship begin.

This story is a quiet way to talk about loneliness. Ask: “Is there someone in your class who sits alone?” A child who learns to notice that is learning far more than manners.

Step 3: Find the smiling actions

Your child looks at four scenes, circles the ones where someone is smiling kindly, and draws one time they made someone happy with a smile.

Step 4: The 7-day smiling challenge (free printable)

Five habits, a box for each day, and a “Smiling Star” at the end of the week.

A few gentle notes

Never force a smile. A child who is sad or upset doesn’t owe anyone a smile. This lesson is about offering smiles to others, not hiding real feelings.

Smile first. Kids notice whether the first face they see in the morning is smiling. That’s a Sunnah for parents too.

Count the sadaqah. At dinner, ask “how many smile-sadaqahs did you give today?” It becomes a fun family game.

If you want more small deeds with big reward, our articles on the best deeds in Islam and top good deeds are a good next read.

Learn the whole series with a teacher

Smiling Is Sunnah is one of eleven lessons in My Akhlaq Journey, Level 1. Our teachers go through the story and hadith with your child one on one over Zoom and follow up on the weekly challenge.

More from the series: speaking kindly, sharing with friends, keeping promises and kindness to siblings.

Looking for an online Islamic school for kids? Our one-on-one Zoom classes teach akhlaq alongside the Quran, with online Quran classes for kids led by Al-Azhar trained teachers.

Frequently asked questions

Is smiling a Sunnah in Islam?

Yes. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Your smile in the face of your brother is charity” (Tirmidhi), and his companions described him as someone who smiled often.

How do I teach my shy child to smile at others?

Start with family, then people they know well, before strangers. Practise a smile with salam at home, and never force it when they feel uncomfortable.

Is the checklist free to print?

Yes. Open it above at full size and print it.