In the name of Allah, Most Beneficent, Most Merciful

Islamic Education for Children -

Importance, Challenges & Solutions
Program Outline
 Importance of Islamic Studies
 Introduction to the course
 A Typical Class
Kids after 20 years – the
grown-ups
 How would you like to see our kids after 20
years?
– Morally upright, confident in their Deen,
having Self-esteem and self-worth,
without any identity-crisis.
– They don’t have a sense of guilt that they
are Muslims
At Our Deathbed!
– Among the moments we will treasure are
those we spent in this class.
– We will have some sense of satisfaction
that this was one of the best things we
did
3 Options for educating
children (about Islam)
 Send them to a Full time Islamic School.
 Send the children to a weekend Islamic
school – OR YOUR PERIOD OF ISLAMIC
STUDIES
 Educate them at home.
Four Topics
 Status of our kids
 Our Environment
 The solution: Qurán & Hadith
 Your role as a TEACHER
Our Kids
 Don’t like our language – they want to
speak English
 Don’t like our dress – they want to dress
western style
 Don’t like our culture
 Don’t like our countries – of course because
of our backwardness but also because they
are so much impressed by the west
 Don’t like to mix with elders - lack of
communication as well as lack of respect for
elders of the community
Our Kids
 Have lack of confidence (because they don’t
have enough information) in their own Deen
– Al-Islam.
 Live physically here but mentally in the west
 Do not see any future role in their own
community
 Would love to disappear in some western
city, if given a chance
 Most probably the vision they have is: Get
money and enjoy life when they grow up.
When they grow up,
they!!!
 DON’T KNOW THE QURÁN (PERHAPS NOT
EVEN 2% OF IT).
 Have almost no exposure to Hadith
 Consequently, have no self-esteem as a
Muslim.
Environment – 1. At
Schools
 Under peer pressure, they may do wrong
things
 Smoking; CDs; ..
Environment – 2. At
Home
 Over-exposure to harmful TV watching,
Computer games, and now the internet
 Standard Complaint: They are bored
 Their topics of conversation – Latest
Electronic games
 They don’t like school homework,
 They don’t like to help parents in household
chores
 Looking always for an easy wayout
Environment – 2. At
Home
 We had some connection with Deen at our
home, however faint. But now the situation
is reverse. Grandmother vs. grand-daughter
Media
 Very hostile towards Islam and Muslims
 Challenges are going to perhaps worsen
 Well-trained experts / orientalists etc. are
systematically bombarding the Muslim
society.
 They are MIS-QUOTING Quranic verses and
ahadeeth left and right
 Unless our children is equipped with Qurán
and Hadith, it is impossible for them to walk
with dignity.
Environment – In general
 Highly corrupting
A typical Muslim
Youngster
MEDIA
TV,
Newspapers,
Magazines

Political
PEER
Atmosphere
PRESSURE
(Country & world)
Our
Student

Lack of
Lack of
parental
guidance Masjid’s Role
Qurán
 A book of Guidance – And that is the status
we have not given to it
 Human Being – surrounded by enemies and
self-weaknesses
 Daily Exposure – Thru Recitation in Salahs /
and in homes
 How – Always reminds him as to who he is,
where he is, what is his role, his destination
– Thru Promises, Threats, Examples,
Stories, …
 ‫هللا‬
World.. Parents

Non-
Relative
Muslims
s
… ABDULLA
H

Orphans
Natives..
, ..

colleagu neighbor
es s
By Teaching Qurán
 You will open up this gate of daily tarbiyah
 You will establish connection between the
student and Allah directly and for the rest of
his life. This Book will not change. A
Permanent Solution.
 Yes, not all Arabs are good… But the
guidance depends on Inabah, in addition to
the knowledge. InshaAllah, many will
benefit from it.
Qurán
 Solutions to all problems is in Qurán and
Sunnah
 Just establish direct connection between
them and Allah thru Allah’s book and they
can walk with dignity
 But the most critical challenge is – they
don’t know Qurán
 Give them the master key and they will
open all the doors
Why don't the Students
understand the Qur'an
 (In general) they learn Arabic to pass exams
(my case of Telugu)
 Not motivated to go beyond … because they
do not realize the value and importance of
understanding Qur'an. In fact, they DO
NOT know what Qurán is!
 Most importantly: Nobody told them that
understanding Quran could be so simple.
Your Role as a Teacher of
Qurán and Hadith
 To show them the path to Paradise.
 To show the way to success not only in this
world but for the ever-lasting life of the
hereafter
 the representative of Prophetic guidance and
knowledge.
 The Prophet (pbuh): I am sent as a teacher.
Your Role as a Teacher of
Qurán and Hadith
 How close you fit to this definition. How lucky
you are!!! What a unique opportunity has
Allah placed at your disposal.
 Excellent choice at your disposal - shape the
generation
 We know that you have been doing hardwork.
But let us take the MOST important jump here
and that is: To get the students connected with
Qurán directly.
Opportunities
 Students will always remember you
 Among the best category of people on earth
in the sight of Allah, “The best among you
are those who learns Qurán and teaches it.”
 Parents will be very grateful to you
Opportunities
 In this time of information explosion, what a
disaster it will be, if we, the inheritors of this
Book, miss this excellent opportunity to pass
on the real book of Information, the book of
guidance, not only for this World but for
hereafter.
 There are "misinformation storms" running
around this world; strong winds of opposition
to our faith, our culture, and our existence as
true Muslims.
Opportunities
 Let us make struggle with this Book. Here
is the real weapon, the weapon of the
ultimate knowledge.
 And if we don’t do that!!!! May be we may
be severely questioned by Allah for
neglecting this EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
DUTY.
 They will know everything except the Book
which changed the course of humanity and
the history of the world.
A Historical Opportunity
 A source of thawab-e-jariyah – where the
light may spread to hundreds perhaps
thousands
 Almost equally important role or perhaps
more than a Masjid’s Imam or an Islamic
Scholar – because you will teach them the
Book of Allah.
 A model for other schools to follow
Opportunities
 Once truly attached with the Book, they will
graduate with a strong trust in Allah, with
self-esteem, with dignity, and with a
commitment to change not only themselves
but their society.
 Yes, there may be some weak students; but
even if we succeed 60%, it is still first class!
Or even if they learn 60% of the Book, it is
still "First class".
 If we plan for 100%, then we will reach at
least 60%.
Difficult to understand?
Confusing?
 Do not underestimate their intellect. They
are very sharp and pure.
 When you teach them the pure book of true
nature (fitrah), their intellect will surely
grow extensively.
What Course are we
talking about!
 Just to help them understand the basic
message of Qur'an
 Not for making experts or scholars of
Qur'an.
An Easy Starter Course
 Simplified grammar
 Using Daily and Frequent Recitations
 Will cover 70% vocabulary of Qur'an !!!
 Almost 1000 words of Qurán per day!
Last Word
 All that I have presented is based on my
humble experience
 We are all going thru a learning curve
 We will learn from each other.