How to Answer, ‘Why Did Allah Make Us Move?’ 

Parenting Perspective 

Honour the Loss She Feels 

Begin by honouring the loss she feels. You might say, ‘You miss your friends. That makes sense. I feel sad too.’ Naming the feeling first tells her that sadness is allowed and safe. Then add a short, steady reason for the move that a child can carry: ‘We moved because it helps our family with work and school, and we will look after your heart while we settle.’ 

Keep Explanations Simple and Offer Anchors 

Keep explanations simple and repeatable. Children ask ‘why’ to find security, not to win a debate. Offer two anchors: what is changing and what is staying the same. ‘Your school and streets are new. What stays the same is our family, our prayers, our story times, and that we will keep loving your old friends.’ 

Create Bridges Between Old and New 

Create small bridges between old and new. Set a predictable day for video calls with her friends. Make a memory box with photos or notes. Plan a ‘hello ritual’ in the new place, such as a weekly hot chocolate after Jumuah or a park walk every Sunday. These gentle rituals teach that hearts can carry both roots and wings. 

Give Her a Role to Foster Agency 

Give her a role so she feels agency. Invite her to choose a spot in the home to display friend photos, to pick a club to try, or to help plan a visit. Close with reassurance that is true but not absolute: ‘I cannot promise everything will feel easy quickly, but I can promise we will face this together and keep checking how your heart is doing.’ 

Spiritual Insight 

Guide Sadness Toward Hope and Meaning 

Your daughter’s question holds love for her friends and trust in Allah together. Islamically, we do not rush a child past sadness; we guide that sadness toward hope and meaning. 

Allah Does Not Burden a Soul Beyond Its Capacity 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Baqarah (2), Verse 286: 

‘Allah (Almighty) does not place any burden on any human being except that which is within his capacity...’  

This affirms that what reaches us is within our God-given strength. Explain gently: ‘Allah knows this move is hard, and He also knows you have the strength and support to get through it. He gives help along the way.’ 

The Affair of the Believer Is Always Good 

It is recorded in Riyad as-Salihin, Hadith 27, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘How wonderful is the affair of the believer, for there is good for him in every matter; if he is granted ease, he is grateful and that is good for him, and if he faces hardship, he is patient and that is good for him.’  

Apply this by teaching that her sadness can sit beside small acts of gratitude and patience: keeping contact with friends, making dua for them, and trying one new thing each week. 

By validating her feelings, offering real bridges, and framing the move within trust in Allah, you help her see that faith does not erase sadness; it steadies it and opens the door to new mercy.