YEAH BUT WHY
Teach like a toddler
Students get summer vacation, so we should too. Sunday Schooled will go quiet for a few weeks, while I prepare new kinds of content and work on the fall curriculum. It’s almost time to start! Fun fact, this fall, two of the kids from the middle school halaqa graduate to the high school halaqa. Fun fact, I got nothing to offer you for your graduation except one last slice of pizza.
The high school halaqa ended in early May, when Ohio schools close out, but the middle school halaqa winds down today. Or I should say winds up: We finish with a final exam, which caused far too much stress. Last week, they got the exam—as a review exercise. They sat for fifteen minutes, filled out what they could, and then we talked over each question.
Today, I’m giving their exam back to them, circling where they must tell me more or come up with better answers. Is that too easy? On the verge of Muslim adulthood, I expect them to work harder. Below, you’ll find the “exam”—followed by what kinds of comments I made on each individual exam, which explains the task I’ve set for them come the fall and their next year with me. Bismillah.
The Exam, Actually
Write down your name ___________
1. What are three qualities of a good Muslim man?
2. Name three good Muslim men we’ve talked about. What makes each of them a good Muslim? (Choose a different quality for each!)
3. What do we mean when we say Muslims should be modest?
4. Are there any times when we shouldn’t be modest?
5. Why do we start every halaqa with a du’a?
6. Who is a Muslim alive today who you admire–and what do you admire about them?
7. In English, futuwwa means __________________.
8. Muslim men have to attend __________ on Fridays unless they’re sick, traveling, or have a legitimate reason.
Extra points!
Hazrat ___________, may Allah be pleased with him, was the Prophet Muhammad S’s cousin and son-in-law and the fourth ___________. He was known for his incredible self-control, wisdom, bravery, and teaching.
Hazrat ___________, may Allah be pleased with him, was the Prophet Muhammad S’s father-in-law. He was the second ___________. He was fearless, known for confronting injustice and never being unjust.
Abu __________, may Allah be pleased with him, was one of the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad (SA). He liked cats and cats liked him. He served our ummah by sharing thousands of ____________ of the Prophet (SA).
Their There They’re
There’s no good writer who doesn’t know the language she writes in. No creative scientist who doesn’t know the dull foundations he works on. And no truly moral person who doesn’t know the fundamentals—in theory and practice. I’m all for Sunday schools that compassionately and intelligently transmit the basics, the building blocks. It’s not okay to think we can just “look it up on Google.”
The core principles, practices and rituals we need should be internalized, not just because memorization is good for you, but because knowing things for yourself builds confidence, means you yourself possess what you need to know (and can access it when it matters), and protects you from people trying to manipulate you. Not to mention, how can you be sure the information you find online is accurate?
But while you need to know grammar to communicate, it’s not enough just to know grammar, but know how to use grammar in different circumstances—to communicate not just in rote, repetitive ways, but in real, engaging, compelling ways. Religion isn’t exactly the same. But it’s not all that different, either. Or just put it this way: channel those toddlers who keep asking questions.
I’ll give you a simple example.
Where I asked the boys why we start every halaqa with a du’a (you see the question above), I got answers like, “to be a good Muslim,” or “because Allah tells us to,” which isn’t exactly wrong, but it’s also incomplete. I’d like them to begin to see how the different pieces of religion and ritual fit together to create a certain kind of person. Modesty is key to futuwwa, to Muslim masculinity and decency.
That includes what we wear, yes. That also includes how we move through the day.
Modesty means not flaunting what God gives us, not centering ourselves, not seeking validation from others before confirming we have approval from God—and in that sense, being thoughtful about what we wear, how we spend, and how we speak isn’t different from choosing to start every moment with a reference to God and His Prophet (S). Because God and His Prophet (S) always come first.
And that’s a lesson to sit with over the summer.
Are we teaching the foundations? Are these foundations strong enough to build on? And does the entire edifice fit together or fall apart? These are good questions to ask yourself in case you’re taking time this summer to think through what comes next. To assist in that endeavor, I share this latest piece by fellow Substacker Aaron Renn.
In recent weeks, Renn has been candid about the real shortcomings he perceives in the sometimes dated, sometimes entirely abstract conversations about masculinity happening in religious spaces, which neither address what’s actually possible or what people can live with. But what then is masculinity?
He offers us these ten principles—read them, reflect on them, and think through what these means to you.
Bye Salam For Now
I’m happy to report that interest in our November trip to Spain was higher than even I expected (alhamdulillah!)—which means we’ll have more exciting experiences to share for the year to come. In the meantime, you can soon expect interviews with great authors, thinkers, and leaders—many Muslims, but including plenty of other compelling voices from different backgrounds and traditions.
I’ll also soon begin to share my plans for next semester’s halaqas, as these come together. So subscribe if you haven’t: teaching Islam takes all of us.
We’re pieces of a bigger project.