FAQs

Extra Mural Activities – A pandemic for the Maktab

Question: Respected Moulana. I am teaching now in a maktab for a few decades. Over the years, things have changed drastically in our entire maktab system. I need some advice on one issue in particular.

I have many pupils in my class participating in extra-mural activities at school. They play sports like cricket, hockey and rugby and are late or absent from class at least twice a week. This has retarded their progress tremendously. I have spoken to them on several occasions and even threatened to expel them from Madrasah if they do not come, but nothing seems to affect them in any way.

I am in a catch-22 situation. If I allow them to participate, the standard of ta’leem in my class will definitely drop and if I am too hard on them, they will leave Madrasah and their parents are not really concerned whether they come to Madrasah or not. Their main focus is their school education. I’m very Confused. Please advise.

Answer:

The times we are living in is indeed very challenging. People are not concerned much about their Deen. Their main focus is dunya. Our beloved Rasul sallallahu alayhi wasllam has said; “Love for this dunya is the root to all evil.”

Hadhrat Moulana Muhammad Ilyaas Saahib (RA) used to say: “The jihaad of this time is to create a thirst (for Deen) in those who have no yearning for Deen.”

Don’t chase away any child. If we are going to chase these children away, they may never learn anything at all. Nowadays we need to keep the following principle before us. “For a child to be in the environment of the maktab is far better than being out of the maktab. Just being in the environment of the Madrasah will definitely have its effect on him.”

Keep the following guidelines in mind;

1. Try and speak to the parents of the children and explain to them the importance of coming to Madrasah daily. In one maktab, the Apa called the parents for a meeting and explained to them the importance of madrasah education. 80% of the parents accepted and cancelled the extra-curricular activities for their children. It is very important to make up the minds of the parents in this regard.
2. Try to visit the houses of the pupils and explain to them the importance of maktab ta’leem. 9 out of 10 times the parents will accept and make a commitment to send the pupils to Madrasah.
3. Where the parents still insist that pupils must take part in sports, then we should do the following:

• Inform the parents to take the responsibility to cover up the work that is missed out in Madrasah.
• Try to call the boys at Fajar time and do the sabak of that day with them at this time.
• Try to introduce maktab classes on Saturdays once or twice a month. You will notice that the amount of work you can do on a Saturday you is far more than that which you will be able to do on a week day.
• Focus more on teaching the more important aspects of Deen like wudhu, salaah, the last 10 surahs, the important salaah duas and the correct Aqaaid (beliefs). In this way at least he/she has learnt the more important aspects of Islam.
• Make special dua for the children in your class by taking their names.

Amidst all the chaos, we should remember that there is great rewards in teaching Deen to the children of the Ummah.

May Allah Ta’ala ease the way for the Ummah and grant us all the correct understanding. Aameen.

Was Salaam

Ta’limi Board (KZN)

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Requirements of being a Maktab Teacher

Question: What does a maktab Apa need to know in order for her to qualify to teach children in a maktab?

Answer: A maktab Apa does not need to be a qualified Aalimah. However, she will require to at least have the basic Deeni knowledge which is as follows:

1. How to recite the Qur-aan Shareef fluently with Tajweed.
2. Hifz of all the Surahs from Surah Duha to Surah Naas as well as Surah Yaaseen and Surah Mulk.
3. Memorise the dua kitaab
4. Have good knowledge of Fiqh, Aqaaid and History
5. She must know how to make wudhu, ghusal and Salaah correctly
6. Basically she must know the entire maktab syllabus

Together with the above she must also have knowledge of the following;

1. How to teach Qur-aan, Surahs and duas
2. How to teach Practical wudhu and Salaah
3. How to teach Fiqh, Aqaaid and History
4. How to manage a classroom
5. How to manage little children
6. How to manage admin records like a register, planner, etc.

For this she should attend a teacher training program or spend at least two-three months in the classroom with a qualified experienced Apa. She should also have the qualities of taqwa, ikhlaas and honesty. Her piety and righteousness is what will rub off on the children and make them practice Deen Insha Allah. And Allah knows best

Ta’limi Board (KZN)

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Eating Duas

Q:  In the Ta’limi Board (KZN) dua kitaab, it is written that the dua before eating is

بِسۡمِ اللّٰهِ وَعَلٰي بَرَكَةِ اللّٰهِ

And after eating is

اَلۡحَمۡدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِيۡ اَطۡعَمَنَا وَسَقَانَا وَجَعَلَنَا مِنَ الۡمُسۡلِمِيۡنَ

 i.e. with the “a’la” and the “min” as highlighted above. We have been told by some Ulama that this dua is incorrect and the dua is supposed to be read as

بِسۡمِ اللّٰهِ وَ بَرَكَةِ اللّٰهِ

And after eating is

اَلۡحَمۡدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِيۡ اَطۡعَمَنَا وَسَقَانَا وَجَعَلَنَا مُسۡلِمِيۡنَ

i.e. without the “a’la” and the “min”. For a number years, we have been reading these duas in this particular manner. Recently it has been brought to our attention that this dua is incorrect. Please explain, May Allah reward you.

A: We have been inundated with this question in the past and have given it much thought. Recently, when Shaikh Awwaamah (daamat barakaatuhu) visited our shores, we asked one of his students to pose the following question to him and advise us in this regard.

Question posed to Shaikh Awwamah (db): More than a century ago, Muslims from India migrated to South Africa. There were not much Ulama present at that time and people had come over with whatever books they learnt from their elders and Mashaaikh. Books like Behishti Zewar (page 589) and Munaajat-e-Maqbool (page 67,68) of Hadhrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (rahmatullahi alayh) and Ta’leemul Islam of Hadhrat Mufti Kifaayatullah Saahib (rahmatullahi alayh) (page 251, 252) were in vogue at that time and people learnt the basic tenets of Islam from the books of these great luminaries. These books contained the necessary masnoon duas which we all read upto this day. (reference can be made to the original books). Reference for these duas were made to Al-Hisnul Haseen of Allamah Muhammad Jazari (rahmatullahi alayh) (Page 310, 312). Hence Ulama as well as Non Ulama would recite all these duas in this particular manner.  Now that there are many Ulama studying the Sihaah Sittah etc. they have come across the narration in Nasai Shareef that the dua is read without the “ala” and the “min”. This has since become an issue as to which is the correct way of reciting the dua. Please advise us as to which method is correct.

Answer of Shaikh Muhammad Awwamah (db):

1. It will be correct to read the dua in both the manners mentioned above.
2. If someone reads it with the “ala” or without the “ala” both ways will be correct.
3. Since the reference is given to Allamah Jazari (RA) who is a great and renowned Muhaddith, it is sufficient to attribute the narration to him.
4. Furthermore reading the dua with the “ala” or “minal” does not change the meaning in any way neither does it affect our aqeedah and belief in any way.
5. Shaikh further mentioned that in Al-Hisnul Haseen the reference that is given is Nasai Shareef whereas if you open Nasai Shareef you will not find the dua mentioned there like it is in Hisne-e-Haseen. Shaikh says that there are 8 editions of Nasai Shareef. Here in South Africa we have seen only one edition. He says that he has seen three editions. It is possible that in one of the other editions this dua is mentioned in this manner which is where Allamah Jazari (RA) may have taken it from.

It must not be because of an academic discussion, people lose their confidence in our elders and feel that our elders have taught us the dua incorrectly.

This may also cause much confusion amongst Ulama, Non-Ulama, parents, children, etc. whereas this is not something that is against the Shariat that needs to be urgently corrected and changed.

In essence it is correct to read this dua in both the manners. And Allah Ta’ala knows best.

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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:

1. Take out time every day and make special dua for him by taking his name.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Try to allocate some special time out of maktab time to give him special attention.
5. Show him lots of love and attention from your heart. This will help to make him to open up to you.
6. After giving him his sabak in class, pair him up with a bright pupil who may help him learn his sabak.
7. 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.