In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
Teaching Issues / Challenges
Clarify Objectives of the Class
To help you understand what you recite everyday.
To help you start understanding Qur’an
You can ask…
The words which are not clear to you.
The translation of the words which is not clear to you
The translation of the verse that is not clear to you
The grammar part that is covered in the class so far
Simple basic explanation only; not a tafseeri level of explanation.
In this class, please do not ask…
Any deeper interpretation of the verse
For this, you can ask any scholar near your house.
We would love to go deep but then one can talk about one verse for one hour and still it may not be enough.
This is not a tafseer class. This class is just for basic understanding. We want to work on basic meanings first.
In this class, please do not ask…
Any fiqh issues such as:
Is photography right or wrong?
Should we say Aameen loudly or not?
Where to put our hands in Salah?
These questions should be asked to scholars (just as you don’t ask a Biology teacher about your fever, headaches, …).
We don’t want to create any problems because different students may follow different schools of thought such as Hanafi, Shafa’ee, ahl-hadeeth etc..
In this class, please do not ask…
Any advance grammar questions
They will come at their own time.
Ex: You don’t ask how a TV works in your 3rd grade science book. Even if it is explained, you can not understand. Just be patient and inshaAllah you will understand when you enter advanced grades.
In this class, please do not ask…
Any Tajweed related questions
We would love to answer them but because of lack of time, it is advised that you ask any scholar or Qari near your house.
Ex: You don’t ask English grammar and pronunciation questions in Science class; even though science is explained using English language.
(Please try to work on your Tajweed. It is easy. Master that one page Tajweed rules sheet)
1. Backing off… Don’t know enough
You don’t have to know enough. Just being knowledgeable about the lessons is enough
We are KG teachers of Qur’an. If you want your son to be engineer, will you ask engineering questions to a KG teacher? And if KG teacher does not know, it is NOT AT ALL NEGATIVE. It is the questioner who is having some ‘mental’ problem.
1. Backing off… Don’t know enough
Suppose you are a physics teacher. Can I come to you and say: Teacher, our mobile was working fine but just yesterday it started giving some lines on the screen. Can you tell me how to repair it?
What will be your answer? “Go to the repair shop”. But aren’t you Physics teacher? Were you not lecturing us about electricity, magnetism, wave motion?...
1. Backing off… Don’t know enough
Suppose you are a Biology teacher. I come to you and say: Teacher I have headache and chestpain. I also have abnormal sweating and perspiration. Can you prescribe medicines for me?
What will be your answer? “Go to a Doctor”. “But aren’t you science teacher!!!?”
1. Backing off… Don’t know enough
Can your Headmistress fire you because you are not fit to be a teacher?
Do you feel embarrassed for not being able to answer his question?
Similarly, a Qur’an teacher does not have to know answers to Fiqh questions at all!
JUST ASK THE STUDENTS TO FOCUS ON THE BOOK AND THE RELATED ‘UNDERSTANDING’ ISSUES AND NOT ON FIQH ISSUES
2. Not able to Cover!
With experience, inshaAllah you will be able to do that.
Just compare it with your English or Hindi or Science subject and inshaAllah you will be confident that you can cover it.
3. Asking tough questions
Note down the question (in your mind)
Don’t discuss it right then (all questions will be answered in the next class or when time permits)
Ask the students to be limited to the lesson
If someone reads nice, encourage him that mashaAllah he reads nice.
4. Don’t know myself!
Just listen to the CDs and practice the sessions
Listen to MP3 / cassettes during household work and driving
Keep the vocab sheet and refer to it again and again at different times
4b. Best way to learn…Start Classes
Best way to learn is to teach.
IF YOU DON’T WANT TO TEACH (WHILE YOU CAN IF YOU ARE EDUCATED TILL 6TH GRADE), THEN ACTUALLY YOU DON’T WANT TO LEARN (FAST)!!!
Get more award by teaching (Ballghoo ‘anni walaw aayah).
DON’T YOU HAVE TO LEARN THE BOOK OF ALLAH? OF COURSE YOU WOULD LOVE TO.
Among your friends
Between breaks
In your neighborhoods
Parallel for gents
Parallel for children
5. Tajweed Challenge
Look for a teacher
Listen to that Shaikh-kid cassette
Memorize the rules
Practice as often as possible
6. We don’t have perfect character
Nobody has it! We all try to improve.
Tell students frankly that we are also trying to be good Muslims
What you are teaching are not your ideas but that of Allah (Qur’an and Sunnah). You are putting them directly in touch with Allah’s words. So, they should be told to look at the Messenger (pbuh) as an example.
If it were your ideas, they can say that why don’t you follow what you say. That is not the case here at all.
Guidelines for Every Class
When you enter the class!
For yourself:
Make Du’aa to Allah that he makes it easy for you; make it a means to forgive the sins, and to get his pleasure. (O Allah, I am doing it solely for Your pleasure. PLEEEEEEEEEEASE MAKE IT EASY FOR ME).
Ask it after EVERY PRAYER!!! WHY NOT? The more you ask, the better the chance is that you will be granted! Remember: astajib lakum.
You guided me without asking, so please give me …
When you enter the class!
For yourself:
Make Du’aa to Allah that he makes it easy for you; make it a means to forgive the sins, and to get his pleasure. (O Allah, I am doing it solely for Your pleasure. PLEEEEEEEEEEASE MAKE IT EASY FOR ME).
For Students
Remind students (once in every 3 or 4 classes) that this is the most rewarding class in the sight of Allah. That they will get the reward for every moment. The 4 FAZEELAT will be there. In the sight of Allah, they will be best…
Remind Students about HW
Tell them to start their HW (with just 5 min or at least 3 min.) with this subject
Tell them to practice understanding in their Salah
Tell them to discuss it with their parents, brothers, sisters, and friends and increase the reward for themselves
Tell them to carry that small Vocab sheet
Remind Parents
Let them start everyday’s homework with JUST FIVE minutes from this part. It will be inshaAllah a blessing for them
Let them also learn with the students
Let them have the Cassette or the CDs for their learning too.
