1 In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful Understand Qur ’ an - Guidelines for Teachers Dr. Abdulazeez Abdulraheem

2 Outline Teaching what and whom? Can I? Why should you teach? Preparation A typical Class Do’s and Don’ts

3 Teaching What? Whom? Can I? Let’s be absolutely clear.

4 Teaching what? To help you understand what you recite everyday. To help you start understanding Qur’an

5 Teaching what? To take simple basic lessons (for which Qur’an is easy). That too, we will not go for more than 2, 3 minutes per ayah in a class… using a simple Tafseer. Example: Qul huwallau ahad: Say He is Allah, the one and only. NO FIQHI OR TAFSEERI DISCUSSIONS (Unless you are a scholar and that too in another class)

6 Teach whom? Group learning. Nobody is a teacher (unless you are a scholar) Among your friends Between breaks in the office In your neighborhoods Parallel for gents / ladies Parallel for children

7 Can I teach? Have you studied upto 5 th Class? Can you read Arabic and English / Urdu?

8 Why should you teach?

9 Real Business with Allah! A Muslim is a businessman His business is with Allah Look for activities that will pay you most!

The continuing reward The continuing reward (after your death) – Among the 3 things –Pious children –Sadaqah jaariyah Knowledge – And what knowledge? The best one AN EXCELLENT CHANCE TO MULTIPLY LIVES (AND MORE GUARANTEED INSHA- ALLAH THAN OTHERS)

Prophetic work! 4 tasks of the Prophet (pbuh) TILAWAT Tazkiah (purification) TEACHING THE BOOK Teaching the Wisdom

Following the Advice! Remember the advice / order of the Prophet pbuh: بَلِّغُوا عَنِّي وَلَوا آيَة Convey from me even if it is one verse!

Among the best! Uthman ibn ‘Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “The best among you are those who have learnt the Qur’an and TEACH IT (to others)” [Bukhari].

Be the starter and get the blessings! On the authority of Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “… No people gather together in one of the houses of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah and studying it among themselves, without tranquility descending upon them, Mercy (of Allah) enveloping them, the angels surrounding them, and Allah making mention of them amongst those who are with Him” [Muslim].

To learn (for yourself)!!! The best way to learn is to teach it! Some people say: I am still learning… I say: IF YOU REALLY WANT TO LEARN, THEN TEACH IT!!! If you don’t teach (while you can), you are not really interested to learn (fast enough)!!!

16 Do’s and Don’ts

17 To start with… Intention – for the sake of Allah alone Many people may praise, thanks, but always remember the intention and correct it. Ask Allah to help you! (After prayers and …). Is it not one of the best job?

18 You are a da’ee (not a teacher!) A da’ee goes to people, whereas students come to the teacher Those people are your investment. If some people are ready to come to you, treat it as an excellent opportunity / reward-earning gift from Allah.

19 You are a da’ee (not a teacher!) Treat them preciously. –Never criticize –Always encourage –Evaluate your performance FIRST and always before you do theirs Pray for them regularly Ask them to pray for you Ask them to pray for each other (8 th HW?) Try your best to get those 7 HWs enacted! Why? Next…

20 Learning Efficiently requires… Multi-track approach –Class –Cassettes –Posters –Stickers –Book –Index cards –Pocket book

21 Learning Efficiently requires… Multi-event approach –Salah –With friends –While doing tilawat –Starting your job

22 Rules of Memory Systematic repetition Next hour Next day Next week Next month Next semester

23 Clarify Objectives FIRST thing you do is… clarify objectives To help you understand what you recite everyday. To help you start understanding Qur’an Politely and humbly explain the objectives and Dos and Don’ts

24 In the class, 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.

25 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.

26 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

27 In this class, please do not ask… 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..

28 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 3 rd 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. Ex: You don’t ask how a TV works in your 3 rd 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.

29 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 a Science class; even though science is explained using English language.

30 Excuses for not coming forward to teach

Don’t know enough knowledge… You don’t have to know enough. Just being knowledgeable about the lessons is enough We are KG teachers of Qur’an. (Ex: If you want your child to be an engineer, you don’t look for a KG teacher with an engineering degree!).

Can’t answer Tafseer questions… You don’t have to know it all!You don’t have to know it all! Teaching basics of Qur’an does not mean that you have to know enoughTeaching basics of Qur’an does not mean that you have to know enough Example: A physics teacher (electricity, magnetism, wave motion?...) can not repair an electronic watch.Example: A physics teacher (electricity, magnetism, wave motion?...) can not repair an electronic watch. Example: A Biology teacher does not have to give medicine to a sick studentExample: A Biology teacher does not have to give medicine to a sick student Will you blame those teachers? So, why blame yourselves?Will you blame those teachers? So, why blame yourselves?

Can’t answer Fiqh questions… You don’t have to know them!You don’t have to know them! Even a simple graduate from an Islamic school may not be able to answer themEven a simple graduate from an Islamic school may not be able to answer them They should be referred to a fiqh scholarThey should be referred to a fiqh scholar So, don’t feel embarrassed for not being able to answer his question? It is not your area. Ask him politely to ask these questions to a scholar

Will not be 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.

Handling Adv. grammar questions Appreciate his/her interest and knowledge (Masha-Allah you have …) Don’t answer advanced grammar questions it even if you know! It will scare others. It will distract them too! Ask them to avoid … If you don’t know, then politely ask them to avoid advanced issues in this class. Example: Will you allow someone to discuss “Differential equations” in a simple math class? Just tell them that the time will come soon inshaAllah (or after the class).

Handling relevant questions Note down the question (in your mind / paper) Don’t discuss it right then Tell them: All questions will be answered after the class; in the next class; or when time permits Ask the students to focus on the current lesson

Don’t know Tajweed If someone reads nice, encourage him … MashaAllah Your reading is vey good. Try to learn / practice it as much as possible. Excellent chance / push for you to learn Practice the relevant part (from the lesson)

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

I don’t have perfect character Nobody has it (except the Prophet pbuh)! We all try to improve. Tell students frankly that we are also trying to be good Muslims

I don’t have perfect character 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.

41 Guidelines for Every Class

42 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. PLEEEEEEEASE 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. O Allah! You guided me without asking, so please give me …

43 When you enter the class! 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 fadha’il will be there. In the sight of Allah, they will be best…

44 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 Play the cassette in your car / home

45 Remind Parents Let them start every day’s homework with JUST 5 or 3 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.

46 Monthly Workshop To review the problems Tajweed – 15 minutes in every Workshop Points & notes

47 Some Suggestions

48 Tajweed Challenge Look for a teacher Listen to that Shaikh-kid cassette Memorize the rules Practice as often as possible

49 Learn Arabic Try to do a little more (are you not motivated with this lucrative business with Allah?) Use Multi-track approach; multi-event approach

50 Jazakumullahu Khairan Whatever was right, is from Allah! Whatever is wrong, it is from me and I ask Allah’s forgiveness for that. والحمد لله رب العالمين