Bringing Up Our Young as Muslims(2008)

8/14/2019 Bringing Up Our Young as Muslims(2008)

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Bringing up our Young asBringing up our Young asMuslims in the present ageMuslims in the present age its challenges and our its challenges and our

responsibilitiesresponsibilitiesBrief presentation by:

Ustaz Zhulkeflee Hj IsmailIftar Talk at Malabar Mosque Singapore

8 Oct 2005 / 5 Ramadan 1426

ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005


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REFLECTIONREFLECTION

((Quran: Surah Aali Imran: 3: 102Quran: Surah Aali Imran: 3: 102

))



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O you who have attained to faith!O you who have attained to faith!

Be conscious of God with all theBe conscious of God with all the

consciousness that is due to Him, andconsciousness that is due to Him, anddo not allow death to overtake you eredo not allow death to overtake you ere

you have surrendered yourselves untoyou have surrendered yourselves unto

Him (Muslimun).Him (Muslimun).

((Quran: Surah Aali Imran: 3: 102Quran: Surah Aali Imran: 3: 102

))



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((Quran: Surah at-Tahrim: 66: 6Quran: Surah at-Tahrim: 66: 6

))



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O you who have attained to faith!O you who have attained to faith!

Ward off from yourselves and those who areWard off from yourselves and those who are

close to you that fire (of the Hereafter) whoseclose to you that fire (of the Hereafter) whose

fuel is human beings and stones, [lording]fuel is human beings and stones, [lording]over it are angelic powers awesome [and]over it are angelic powers awesome [and]

severe, who do not disobey Allah in whateversevere, who do not disobey Allah in whatever

He has commanded them, but [always] doHe has commanded them, but [always] do

what they are bidden to do.what they are bidden to do.

((Quran: Surah at-Tahrim: 66: 6Quran: Surah at-Tahrim: 66: 6

))



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((Quran: Surah al-Anam:6:162Quran: Surah al-Anam:6:162

))



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Say: Behold, my prayer, and [all] mySay: Behold, my prayer, and [all] myacts of worship, my living and myacts of worship, my living and my

dying are for God [alone], the Sustainerdying are for God [alone], the Sustainer

of all the worlds, in whose divinity noneof all the worlds, in whose divinity nonehas a share: for thus have I beenhas a share: for thus have I beenbidden and I shall [always] bebidden and I shall [always] be

foremost among those who surrenderforemost among those who surrender

themselves to Him (Muslimeen).themselves to Him (Muslimeen).

((Quran: Surah al-Anam:6:162Quran: Surah al-Anam:6:162))



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((Quran: Surah Aali Imran: 3: 85Quran: Surah Aali Imran: 3: 85))



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For, if any one goes in search of aFor, if any one goes in search of a

religion other than al-Islam (self-religion other than al-Islam (self-

surrender and submission to Allah), itsurrender and submission to Allah), it

will never be accepted from him, and inwill never be accepted from him, and in

the life to come he shall be among thethe life to come he shall be among the

lost.lost.

((Quran: Surah Aali Imran: 3: 85Quran: Surah Aali Imran: 3: 85))



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Every child is born in a state of

Fitrah (pure innocence);

it is the parent that will make himto be a Jew, or a Christian,

or a pagan (Majusi).

(Hadith of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.)




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STAGES OF DEVELOPMENTSTAGES OF DEVELOPMENT

INFANT

PRE-SCHOOL

Parents may alreadyprovide nurturing inaccordance with Islamic

traditions. Yet althoughmuch time spent confinedat home, we must alsobecome aware of stronginfluences through

exposures of the massmedia and our familylifestyle and parentalbehavior.



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SCHOOLING PERIOD

EXPOSURE TO

TODAYS TEENS SUB-CULTURE

Although some basicknowledge of Islam mayhave been provided, yetwhen they sent thechildren to formal school,

stress towards academicexcellence only and tendto neglect the Aqidah-mic element in theireducation which must

continuously becomplimented in tandemwith their developmentwhile in and throughouttheir schooling age.



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EXPOSURE TOTODAYS TEENS SUB-CULTURE

With lesser contact-timeat home, and inadequatementoring & monitoringIslamically by parents,their education becomes

secularized; childrenmay be left to peers andmedia influences. Islamicvalues may began to besubsumed by negative

trends and sub-culturesopposed to Islam. Somemay begin to have doubtsabout Islam or even loosetheir Muslim identity.



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COLLEGE & VARSITY NATIONAL SERVICE /

TASTE OF WORKINGLIFE

At this level, our youngmay become moreindependent (less attachedto family influence); theiridealism may lead them to

try out, to adapt andadopt values alien to Islamitself.

Serious crisis of identityusually occur at this stage

usually when theybecome worldly-wise butunfortunately theirknowledge of Islamstagnates at kindergartenor primary level.



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Is part-time Islamic classesIs part-time Islamic classes

adequate?adequate?

No, if approach tolearning Islam merelyas subjects to be learntrather than a lifestyle

and character building.No, when learning

does not conform to itssystematic waysaccording to tradition

fardh ayn beforekifaayah; and beganwith eclectic beforespecialization.

No, if parents merelydelegate tasks toteachers without theythemselves

participating in childsholistic development,and providing good rolemodels.

No, when their identityas Muslims allowed tobe eroded by othervalues and idols asrole models.



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Is Islamic education achieved byIs Islamic education achieved by

integrating knowledge?integrating knowledge?

Mere integration (formal school with Islamicclass) does not make it an Islamic education. It is only when the dominant worldview,

approach and philosophy is that of Islam; andthe conscious objective is of molding a

Islamic identity becomes the primaryconcern.That it must proactively equip them to

discern between haqq and baatil whenlearning from other systems.

That the three primary Tawhidicdevelopment of iiman, amal and ihsancontinues to be nurtured.



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Dilemma of the Present-dayDilemma of the Present-day

Muslim.Muslim.

One can find in the Islamic world today a fullOne can find in the Islamic world today a fullspectrum of people ranging fromspectrum of people ranging frompurelypurelytraditional elementstraditional elements, through, throughthose who arethose who arecaught between traditional values andcaught between traditional values and

modernismmodernism, to the, to theblatant modernists whoblatant modernists whonevertheless still move within the Islamicnevertheless still move within the Islamicorbitorbit, and finally to the few, and finally to the fewwho no longerwho no longerconsider themselves to belong to the Islamicconsider themselves to belong to the Islamicuniverseuniverseat all.at all.

(Prof. Seyyed Hossein Nasr in book Islam and thePlight of Modern Man published by Longman)

* I have underlined passage to highlight four types or categories of Muslims he has identified



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WHAT IS THE ULTIMATE AIM & OBJECTIVEWHAT IS THE ULTIMATE AIM & OBJECTIVEOF A MUSLIMS EDUCATION THAT WEOF A MUSLIMS EDUCATION THAT WE

HOPE FOR OUR YOUNG?HOPE FOR OUR YOUNG?

WHAT KIND OF CURRICULUM ANDWHAT KIND OF CURRICULUM ANDPROGRAM CAN WE INSTILL TOPROGRAM CAN WE INSTILL TOCOMPLEMENT THE CURRENT SYSTEMCOMPLEMENT THE CURRENT SYSTEM

WHICH WE NOW HAVE TO FACEWHICH WE NOW HAVE TO FACEAND ADAPT AND YET TOAND ADAPT AND YET TOREMAIN TRULY MUSLIM?REMAIN TRULY MUSLIM?



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PERHAPS WE AS MUSLIM PARENTSPERHAPS WE AS MUSLIM PARENTSAND EDUCATORS SHOULD SERIOUSLYAND EDUCATORS SHOULD SERIOUSLY

UNDERTAKE A RE-APPRAISAL OR EVENUNDERTAKE A RE-APPRAISAL OR EVENRE-LEARNING OURSELVES ON WHATRE-LEARNING OURSELVES ON WHAT

ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE ONISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE ONEDUCATION SHOULD BE.EDUCATION SHOULD BE.



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We need to re-orientate our understanding onEducation

(seeking the Islamic perspective).

Knowing the problem.Knowing the problem. Acknowledging the problem is half the

solution! We have lamented how Muslims

today are backward in many areas and thatonly through education we can hope to

extricate ourselves from this predicament.

Many suggestions are offered, but unless

we can identify correctly the problem,

whatever solutions offered may be

misplaced, irrelevant and sometimes may

even add to further confusion.



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Understanding terms commonly usedUnderstanding terms commonly usedin Muslims Education.in Muslims Education.

There are already many terms in Islamic

perspective (mostly Arabic) which Muslimsare familiar with, yet what it really means isnot adequately understood. We shouldrevisit and perhaps begin to learn theprofoundness of our Islamic heritage in the

learning culture. And from these we couldperhaps discern the inadequacy of what ourchildren currently are being exposed to andbegin to do something about it.





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Philosophy of Education.Philosophy of Education. Knowledge (and education) is never

neutral It always has an underlying basis or

a philosophy stemming from a certainworldview. Is our understanding of it

relevant to Islam? Thus as Muslims, we

need to check our understanding of this

from our own perspective as Muslims.

Are we familiar with the Islamic terms

tarbiyyah, talim, tadib, irshad, tadris ?



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(seeking the Islamic perspective). Secularism and Islamization - What isSecularism and Islamization - What is

it all about?it all about? Secularism and Islamization have been

mentioned by many people. Yet what dothey actually mean? What is theirsignificance for Muslim in this contemporaryage where some people regard as theimminently coming close to a clash of

civilizations? Yet, Muslims haveencountered other civilizations successfullyin the past. What principles did ourforebears apply so successfully?



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We need to re-orientated our understanding onEducation


AdabAdab (etiquette) in Education.(etiquette) in Education. In Islam, Adab is synonymous to the

concept of justice and has become thebasis for a Muslims development and

education. Yet today, Muslims may have

lost sight of this important element when

approaching education. What is Adab? And

why is it so important? And what is theAdab for Muslims as students and as

educators?



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REMEMBER ALWAYSREMEMBER ALWAYS

(Quran: aali Imran: 3 : 19Quran: aali Imran: 3 : 19)



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REMEMBER ALWAYSREMEMBER ALWAYS

The religion (the way of lifeThe religion (the way of life

acceptable) in the sight of Allah isacceptable) in the sight of Allah is

only al-Islamonly al-Islam

(Quran: aali Imran: 3 : 19Quran: aali Imran: 3 : 19)



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Our doaOur doa

(Q ur an : al- Furqan: 25: 74 )



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Our doaOur doa

O ur Lor d ! G rant that ourspouses and our of fspri ng bea joy to our eyes, and causeus to be foremost amongstthose who ar e consci ous ofThee! ( as mut- taqqi n) .

(Q ur an : al- Furqan: 25: 74 )ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005


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Our doaOur doa

(Qu r a n : a l -B a q a ra h : 2 8 6 )



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Our doaOur doaOu r L ord ! Co nde m n u s not if we

fo rget o r fa ll i n to e r ro r; Ou r Lord !L a y n o t o n u s a b u r d e n li k e t h a twh ic h Y o u d id l a y o n th o s e b e fo r eu s : Ou r L o rd ! L a y n o t o n u s abu rd en g rea te r than w e hav es t re ng th to bea r . B lo t o u t ou rs in s , A nd g ran t u s fo rg iv enes s,Ha v e M e rc y o n u s . Y o u a r e o u rp ro tecto r : He lp us a ga in s t theunbe l ievers .

(Qu ra n : a l -B aqarah : 286 )ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005


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WaAllaahu alamWaAllaahu alam

Was-salaa-muWas-salaa-mu

alaykumalaykumwaraHmatullaahwaraHmatullaah

Documents

Bringing Up Our Young as Muslims(2008)