Amal Al-Sibai
Saudi Gazette
Ask a random middle school or high school student what their favorite subject is, and you are most likely to hear a wide range of responses: math, English, science, or history. Rarely do we find a student so passionate and excited about Islamic studies class.
Although it should be the most important class, many students do not find this class interesting and engaging.
Educators, parents, and school administrators need to work extra hard to revive the spirit of Islam and the love of Islam in the youth.
The best motivation for teachers and students alike to remain keen on learning and spreading knowledge is that the first word of Revelation, the first verse ever revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) of the Holy Qur’an was, “Read.”
When it comes to the reasons for the lack of motivation of students in class, many factors are at play.
Waseem Peracha, who has been teaching Islamic studies and Qur’an for over 12 years and is a youth program coordinator at mosques throughout the US, has insight into why this apathy has developed and how it can be addressed.
One major factor is the overexposure to media. Controls should be set in place by parents on the amount of screen time they allow their kids at home.
Lack of sleep sharply reduces the students’ motivation to learn, not only in Islamic studies class but in all classes. Going to bed early must be encouraged in our culture.
The curriculum in some schools is what may repel students from wanting to learn more about Islam. For example, you may find some schools that teach ninth and tenth graders jurisprudence or fiqh of inheritance laws or business transactions or divorce laws. The students are going to feel bored and they will lose interest in this class, because it is not relevant to their present lives.
Peracha suggests that the curriculum for Islamic studies should begin with the basics, and gradually advance. The top priority for Islamic studies should be to instill in children the love of Islam, the love of Allah and of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and pride in their Muslim identity. The Islamic studies class should teach manners and character building, because Islam should be evident in the students’ conduct and behavior.
Another example is the seerah class. It should not be a chronological compilation of the battles that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) fought and a bunch of dates to remember; it should be about his character, his life, how he was as a kind father, friend, father-in-law, husband, and leader. Everyone loves a good story; the story of the Prophet (peace be upon him) should be the most enjoyable and beloved story. There are plenty of puzzles, activities, and games the children can play as they learn about the seerah in class.
The method of learning also affects how involved the students are. Students should be encouraged to understand, discuss, and participate, rather than silently listen to the lecture and then memorize all the facts.
Teachers should be attuned to the level of concentration of their students. If a teacher realizes that a student is bored, she can pause to tell a joke. That will catch the students’ attention and lift their mood. There are phone applications that have over 500 jokes. Or a teacher can ask the sleepy student to do 5 push-ups!
Teachers these days have to think outside the box and be creative.
Start class by setting a positive mood; show students a short video clip. Some short inspirational videos are a creative way of delivering Islamic teachings, such as: The Daily Reminder, Fattabiouni, or clips from the poetry of Kamal Saleh.
Make a power point presentation that goes with the lesson, but the presentation should have lots of pictures to engage the students, and not a lot of text. If you give a dry lecture and expect students to sit and listen for 45 minutes of you talking, then they are going to be uninterested.
Give the students options. At the end of the semester of the seerah class for example, rather than demanding the students to write a 1,000 word essay on the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him), allow them to choose from a number of acceptable options. The students can write the essay or prepare a power point presentation, or draw a work of art with the timeline of the important events from the life of the Prophet (peace be upon), or they can prepare questions and the correct answers from the lesson. These are all ways that the students are actually learning, but also enjoying themselves.
Kids of all ages love to play games and compete. At the completion of a certain chapter or topic, teachers can hold a jeopardy game, with questions from the lessons learned. Bring a buzzer and prizes for the winners!
Other classroom activities include asking them to write a poem or a song about a certain topic. The class can also hold a debate.
Teachers need to be role models for the kids and embody the Islamic character that they are trying to teach: patience, kindness, and mercy, prioritizing prayer, and using kind words.
If possible, try to organize field trips related to the curriculum; one field trip per semester. For example, after high school students learned about the funeral in Islam, one school organized a field trip to a graveyard. Students realized the reality of death, and many of them started practicing the religion better and they gave up bad habits.
Students can visit a masjid when learning about the importance of praying in congregation and the manners to follow in a masjid.
After the lesson on zakat or charity, take the students to a homeless shelter or have them organize a toy drive for an orphanage or a food drive for poverty stricken neighborhoods. Show them the positive influence that Islam should have in the lives of people.
Conduct an anonymous survey at the end of each semester. Ask questions that help you assess whether the student grew in faith and spirituality. Did you start praying more often? How many prayers do you miss on a weekly basis? For girls, did you start wearing the hijab? Did you do an act of kindness this week?
Older students can organize a dawah activity, inviting others to learn about Islam. Students can set up an information booth at a busy corner in the city and pass out a rose with a saying of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) attached to it, or they can wrap candy and chocolates with a paper with a short message about Islam written on it. Some students once made beautiful origami shapes and distributed them to passers-by outside a store, and the paper had a message on it.
The goal of Islamic studies class is to help the youth love Islam and love to be a good Muslim; not to memorize an enormous amount of information to ace the final exam. Once the love of Islam is in the hearts of these students, learning will come, and it will reflect in their character.
