Teaching is the art of empowering students to learn. Every student and every classroom is different there is no one way to teach, but the more options we have in our skill set, the more possibilities we can implement for greater success. A teacher is a student of education and never feels complacent that they have learned enough. As Muslim teachers we strive for Ihsan, teaching the deen of Allah is if we see Allah, knowing that Allah sees us, we are first accountable to Him before administration and parents.
Teaching is a demanding dynamic career, you have been chosen by Allah to fulfill, leading our future generations is a great honor and a responsibility. Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to those who follow him, without detracting from their rewards at all. Whoever calls to misguidance will have sin upon him similar to those who follow him, without detracting from their sins at all. Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim
Teaching is a noble
career with great responsibility. In order to be successful in the classroom we
need to focus on the Hereafter, continually renewing our intention to please
Allah. It is only with the help of Allah we can be successful. As Prophet Shuaib
told his people:…I only intend reform to the best of my ability. My success comes only
through Allah. In Him I trust and to Him I turn. Surah Hud 11:88Renewing our
intention to seek Allah’s pleasure and not seek praise or favoritism
from creation, quietens all those voices making demands on us. We need to remind
ourselves and those around us to seek Allah’s pleasure because we are rewarded
according to our intention and application. Our prophet salla allahu alayhi
wa sallam said:"Actions are according to intentions, and everyone will get what
was intended…” Bukhari & Muslim
Once we renew our intention to please Allah, we must complete actions of our heart, tongue, and limbs that please Allah. It was narrated that the Prophet salla allahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Whoever does any action that is not in accordance with this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), will have it rejected.” Muslim This includes our words and behavior in the class room.
Allah is our first teacher, His speech the Quran is a guide to teach us how to live a clean, purposeful life in His obedience. Our deen is a complete way of life. If we look to our Creator first and then His Prophet salla allahu alayhi wa salla, we have beautiful examples of how to teach, what to teach and even the priority.
Our focus starts with tawheed, knowing Allah. Without knowledge of Allah and our dependency on Him we cannot worship Him sincerely. Lacking this knowledge leads to empty rituals, which become meaningless and sometimes dropped. All the Messengers began their call with tawhid, which they were commanded by Allah to convey: "We have not sent before you from the Messengers, except We inspired to him that He is the only One worthy of worship, so worship Him." Al-Qur'an 21:25
All lessons have to be related back to Allah, how it benefits our
students now in their present life, and in their ultimate quest of success in
the Hereafter. We are living in a time of secular consumerism. Religion is
considered backward and ignorant. We must ensure students feel connected,
respected and empowered to practice Islam in the secular society in which they
live. The Messenger of Allah, salla allahu alayhi wa sallam, said, “A time of
patience will come to people in which adhering to one’s religion is like
grasping a hot coal.” Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2260 Sahih (authentic) according
to Al-Albani
