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Maktab Classes for High School Pupils

Re: Maktab Classes for High School Pupils

Question:

Respected Moulana, Assalaamu alaykum warahamtaullahi wabarakaatuhu.

I would please like Moulana’s advice on the following:

It is becoming extremely concerning that our children are not carrying on with Madrasah or any Deeni activity after completing Grade Seven maktab. The conditions at schools are very worrying which warrant our children being in the environment of Deen, especially when they are now older and more understanding.

There aren’t many maktab institutes that accommodate our high school learners that I know off.
I would like to start encouraging our children to attend Madrasah even when they are attending high school.

We don’t have the facilities, or a Moulana or an Apa or even funding for this but I feel that if we do not take the initiative to start it, we are going to lose our children.

What does Moulana feel? Should we start with the classes, even if it be for 1 child for now or should we rather concentrate on maktab and not take on so much?

It is our sincere dua that all maktabs carry on till grade 12.

Please advise
Concerned Teacher
Baitul Ilm, PM Burg

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Answer:

Muhtaram

May Allah Ta’ala reward you for your concern. Indeed, this is a great need right now in the Ummah. Every maktab should endeavour to continue with classes after grade 7. This must be included into our maktab structures.

Hadhrat Moulana Saeed Khan Saahib (RA) used to emphasise on this fact that we are teaching little children who are not mukallaf (the laws of Shariat do not apply to them). What about those who are mukallaf? What have we done for them?
For a start we should try and start off a class for boys and girls even if it is only twice a week. There are always complaints from parents that children have too much of work and cannot manage to come to Madrasah. Hence twice a week from 3:30 to 5:00 maybe easily possible for many pupils.

The focus must be more on tarbiyat and advice. Try to befriend them. Don’t shout them and don’t treat them like little children. Remember that they are doing us a favour by coming to Madrasah. Many students have questions and doubts in their minds that need to be answered. This is an excellent forum for them to ask whatever is in their minds.

Furthermore, it’s a good chance for them to recite some Qur-aan Shareef for the week. Many children don’t read any Qur-aan at all during the week.

Make a poster in the beginning of the year and send it out to the community. Put one copy on the Masjid board as well.
The program or timetable should be as follows;

Qur-aan recitation with emphasis on fluency and tajweed
Revision of Surahs and Duas – Additional Surahs and duas could also be taught
History — Seeratul Mujtaba (The life of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam)
Fiqh — Ta’leemul Haq
Practical wudhu and Salaah
General discussions and Q & A
End of with some Ta’leem of Fazaail-e-Aamaal/Sadaqaat and zikr

On a Saturday, once a month or once in six weeks, the girls could be called in to do some home economics like baking, sewing, etc. The boys can be taken in Jamaat or other youth activities.

General Advice when Teaching High School Pupils
Keep the following points in mind:

High School pupils cannot be treated like maktab children. We should feel like they are doing us a favour by coming to Madrasah. If we are a little harsh or hard with them, they will leave Madrasah and we will end up being the losers.
Show lots of love and Ikraam to these pupils. Hadhrat Moulana Ilyaas Saahib (rahmatullahi alayh) used to say that we have no right to tell a student anything until such a time that he respects our shoes like how he respects bread.
To plant a seed, one has to first prepare the soil. This takes lots of time. If you plant seeds directly in the beach sand, nothing will grow. But if you prepare the soil and then plant the seeds, you will harvest a beautiful crop. This preparing of the soil is called zehn saazi (making the mind of the person) and this takes lots of time. Once the zehn is made, they will listen to anything you say.
Assign them to the care of Allah Ta’ala and make lots of dua for them. Daily the Ustaaz must take out time and make dua for them. Remember that Hadhrat Umar (radiyallahu anhu) was the outcome of the dua of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam).
Speak to them one on one. i.e. call them separately and speak to them alone. Hadhrat Mufti Ebrahim Salejee Saahib (DB) says, “Over the years I have found this to be the most effective way of making students understand.”

Remember that your work will not go to waste. Whatever effort you made on these students must show its colours one day.

May Allah accept our broken efforts and crown them with success. Aameen.

Was Salaam,
Ta’limi Board (KZN)

How to Work with Weak Learners

Q: Assalamu alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakaatuh. In the grade O class there is a student that finds recognising zabr, zer and pesh very difficult. Can Moulana please advise what should be done with him? In the grade 2 class there is a student that cannot learn anything at all. It takes him very very long to learn and he keeps on forgetting whatever he learns. Can Moulana also advise what should be done with him? Jazakallah khair ahsanal jazaa

A: Muhtaram. Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuhu. I make dua that you be well.

Many a times in a maktab you have students of this nature who cannot learn and comprehend for some reason. We should try our best to still teach them even though they may be extremely weak. Their presence in the madrasah is better than being out in some other evil environment.

These weak children in our makaatib are actually a source of great blessing for us. The Hadith of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) says, “Innama tunsaruna wa turzaquna bidufaaikum” Allah Ta’ala’s help and sustenance descends on account of these weak children. Many a times, it is these weak children who later on in life become such stars of Islam that they will make our names shine in this world and the next.

The following are some ways we can adopt that may be beneficial for us to reach the child:

Take out time every day and make special dua for him by taking his name.
Visit his home and request his parents to assist in teaching him at home. If his parents are not in a position to teach him then asks some neighbour or anyone else in the community to help him.
Give out some sadaqah every now and again, even if its a small amount, on his behalf requesting Allah Ta’ala to remove any blockages that may be hindering his progress.
Try to allocate some special time out of maktab time to give him special attention.
Show him lots of love and attention from your heart. This will help to make him to open up to you.
After giving him his sabak in class, pair him up with a bright pupil who may help him learn his sabak.
Always use encouraging words to lift his self-esteem. Never ever discourage him.

It is mentioned that Hadhrat Imaam Shafiee (RA) once sat with a student and explained one masalah to him 78 times until eventually he understood it. In this day and age, this is our challenge, to be able to work with such children.

May Allah Ta’ala make your task easy for you and crown your efforts with success. Aameen.