Dear Guests,

Gulberenk Educational Children’s Program, prepared by the Gulberenk Values Education Association, this time took to the stage on April with the topic “Sweet Smile”. The program which was performed on two different stages in Istanbul, which was also an internship training program for educators attending from Zonguldak, had participants from Adana, Ankara, Zonguldak, Samsun, Bafra, Izmir, Kutahya and Nevsehir. Smiling is a soft gesture, and when we were mentioned about smiling we learned that our beloved prophet Muhammad Mustafa sallallahu aleyhi wa sallam once said, “Smiling to your Muslim sister/brother is a charity, an alm” (Tirmidhi, Birr 3). Furthermore, we learned that He also smiled a lot to everyone. When we realized that charity was something you give away voluntarily, we understood that smiling as an alm should be given away and taken without asking something back. Smiling has many benefits, it calms, soothes you down, gives peace, raises hope, strengthens love, leads to compassion, reminds of gratitude, teaches patience, makes us happy, and lets us make others happy and so pratice sunnah. We had better appreciate what Allah has given us (and even not given us) and smile at Him. We should smile to disasters and trouble. We should be smiling to all people, animals, plants, in short, everything created by the Creator. Not just merely laughing, one should also make others laugh. That is, one should soothe and make people smile who go through sorrow, trouble and have difficulty in feeling happiness. The one who never has tasted sorrow can never understand happines fully. Therefore, all troubles we go through are needed. The best way to feel happiness is to cause one’s happiness.
While watching one of our little ones who was the winner with her mosque model on our design competition, we all were happy and laughed, and so did the Gulberenk Lady Special Award Ceremony continued. Gulberenk children who were hardworking and productive, and dressed according to the commandments of Allah and the recommendations of the Prophet, left a peaceful smile on our faces and essence. While leaving behind the joy of our April program, we are getting ready for the preparations of the new program! So we left for our homes and were sure that we would meet again in upcoming good deeds!