18 minute read
Teaching the Islamic Perspective of Health to Muslim Youth
will keep your students engaged. Teach them how to determine what makes a book good literature. It’s not enough for students to just like reading; they should be taught how to critically analyze what they read.
Did the book win any awards? This is another way to ensure that you’re providing your students with quality books. There are many such awards for YA fiction novels, among them the William C. Morris Award, Pura Belpre Award, Coretta Scott King Award, Alex Awards, Odyssey Award, Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature and the Carnegie Medal. For example, S.K. Ali’s “Saints and Misfits” won a Morris Award, the APALA Honor Award and the Middle East Book Honor Award.
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Furthermore, broaden your students’ horizons by stocking your classroom library with a variety of books. Get your students reading YA fiction involved by asking them to suggest books that should be acquired. Assign students on a rotating basis to be the classroom librarian. Make them part of the process of deciding which books should be added or discarded. Perhaps the discarded book could be given to a student, after receiving his/her parents’ consent, or donated to a local library.
A classroom library is essential to a student’s success in mastering the English language. Label the books alphabetically, have a suggestion box so students can request specific books and allow them (at the teacher’s discretion) to snack while reading. Letting students read outside of class helps them develop a love for reading and use their imagination. With the right guidance from a teacher, students can also learn how to analyze literature and write a report based on what they have read.
Students who read are more likely to be able to focus longer than those who don’t read. They also have stronger memory skills, can remember what occurred in the book and can often better understand the world around them. Reading exposes students to other writing styles and voices, allows them to empathize with others and can lower their blood pressure and heart rate. Reading has other benefits as well, among them relieving their depression, helping them become better writers and increasing their knowledge.
Following these five rules ensures that students will become wellrounded individuals. If they read diverse material and authors, it would be impossible for them not to become better people. ih
Amani Salahudeen, who is pursuing a Master’s in secondary English education, has a B.A. in journalism and professional writing from The College of New Jersey.
Sources: Gregory, M. (2008). “Planning and Organizing,” from Creating a Classroom Library. Retrieved December 1, 2008, from http:// www.mandygregory.com/classroom_library1.htm. National Council of Teachers of English. (2006). Resolution on preparing and certifying teachers with knowledge of children’s and adolescent literature. Urbana, IL: NCTE.
Secular and Islamic approaches to health issues don’t always provide the same answers
BY AMBER KHAN
Learning about health is especially important for youth. Therefore, most public schools require such a class in order to address common youthbased topics like puberty, bullying, relationships, suicide, intoxicants, sexuality, body image, hygiene and fitness.
Islamic institutions offer minimal aspects of health education, especially when it comes to sexual health. A survey, conducted in 2014 by Sobia AliFaisal, Ph.D., cofounder, MAC Research: Excavating Truth to Create Cultural Change, University of Windsor, revealed that 4.2% of Muslim youth reported receiving sex education from their mosque, compared to 72.6% in school. Moreover, they reported that their greatest source was the media and their parents were the least likely source of such information. Most Muslim youth living in the West acquire this type of knowledge from secular resources.
Meriem Benlamri’s infographic, based on Sobia Faisal-Ali’s research (Chelby Daigle, The Muslim Link)
THE DRAWBACKS OF SECULAR HEALTH EDUCATION I taught a health class at an Islamic school for several years using a medically accurate, ageappropriate and comprehensive publicschool health textbook. However, I found two major drawbacks to using only secular health resources.
Muslim Youth Need Islamic Health Teachings. According to Muslims, religion and science are not mutually exclusive because Islam is congruent with all forms of knowledge, especially health. For example, reproductive and sexual health (e.g., menstruation, puberty, hygiene, nocturnal emissions, intimacy, family planning and consent) is one of the two most heavily discussed topics in Islamic jurisprudence. No other religion even comes close in this regard.
Islamic health education encourages sexual responsibility by: ➤ Explaining intergender relations, instilling inner and outer modesty, avoiding sexually explicit content, lowering one’s gaze and learning the physical, social, mental and spiritual risks of indulging in casual sex. ➤ Emphasizing that personal autonomy is based on our bodies being an amana (trust from God), unlike secular health, which often prioritizes personal autonomy based on selfinterest, and addresses cultural stigmas and discrimination (e.g., talking to a mental health professional) and social health issues (e.g., racism and mistreating women). ➤ Using tazkiya (spiritual purification) to endure personal struggles such as coping with grief, divorce, abuse, body image and personality struggles (e.g., gossiping, anger or envy). ➤ Addressing Muslim youths’ unique health issues.
A 2016 research study by the Institute of Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), called “Meeting the Needs of
Muslim Youth: Preventing and Treating Drug Use,” reports that all youth deal with the same challenges (e.g., sexual desire and substance use). However, Muslim youth have uniqueissues, among them antiIslamic sentiment that leads to bullying, discrimination and racial profiling, as well as struggling to understand drug legalization, transgender and other contemporary issues).
ISPU researcher Zeba Iqbal writes “If parents and community leaders wish to help young Muslims make sense of these issues in light of normative Islamic teachings, they must address these topics head on. Muslim educators are valuable in starting these conversations.” (“Meeting the Needs of Muslim Youth: Preventing and Treating Drug Use,” January 13, 2016).
Health Concepts Don’t Always Align with Islamic Principles. In secular health classes and publications, health topics are often presented as American cultural issues, whereas Islam defines them as moral issues. This includes dating and premarital sex; the right to consume alcohol, tobacco, or other substances after a certain age; viewing pornography and “adult material” as an acceptable form of exploration and enjoyment; and putting selfdesire and individualism above God.
Additionally, some health topics are presented as social justice issues, such as samesex attraction and gender dysphoria. Secular health resources promote these discussions as “identities” and as the only acceptable view. Islam has its own understanding, and Islamic health can provide that discussion. Subjectknowledge experts Mobeen Vaid and Waheed Jensen write, “Robust curricula must be developed for the teaching of an Islamic sexual and gender ethic, one that authentically draws on the Islamic legal, ethical, theological, and spiritual traditions … Much of this work has not even started and in other cases remains severely underdeveloped” (“And the Male Is Not like the Female: Sunni Islam and Gender Nonconformity,” Dec. 30, 2020).
The Family and Youth Institute’s infographic
HEALTH CHALLENGES The way health issues are taught to Muslim youth may lead to negative influences and confusion. A 2001 research study by Dr. Sameera Ahmed (executive director, The Family & Youth Institute), found that 54% of Muslim American college students have engaged in premarital sex. A 2014 survey by Dr. Sobia AliFaisal reported that 67% of North American Muslims aged 1735 have done so as well. Of the remaining, 50% had considered it.
Ahmed also found that Muslim American college students have consumed alcohol (46.2%), used illicit drugs (24.6%), smoked tobacco products (37.3%) and gambled (30.4%). Similarly, ISPU’s 2020 American Muslim Poll found that 37% of Muslim Americans know a fellow Muslim who is currently or has struggled with alcohol or other drug addictions.
Muslim youth may not only feel enticed to engage in such practices, but some are indoctrinated into thinking that Islam is in the wrong or needs to be updated when its principles clash with common secular practices. Some of them even begin to doubt Islam’s truths to the extent that they leave it. A 2015 Pew Research study found that approximately 20% of those raised as Muslim do not identify as Muslim in adulthood.
Just being Muslim or attending an Islamic school isn’t enough. Muslim youth deserve evidencebased answers when asking about the underlying wisdom behind Islamic rulings. To date, no Islamic institutions teach a comprehensive health program with Islamic values. As parents, educators and community members, we must become proactive and encourage Islamic institutions to offer such programs.
TEACHING HEALTH WITH ISLAM The Prophet’s (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) Companions dealt with the same health issues as do today’s Muslim youth, and he offered them real answers and solutions.
For instance, Zahir bin Haram struggled with his body image. The Prophet built up his confidence by telling him God valued him. He defended AlNuayman ibn Amr, whohad an alcohol problem, by telling those who cursed him to hate the sin, not the sinner. Even the Prophet struggled during his yearlong sadness, occasioned by the deaths of Khadija and Abu Talib, by relying on God and the community for emotional support.
In addition, he taught the young Fadl ibn Al‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd alMuttalib to take personal responsibility for controlling his sexual urges by lowering his gaze, and encouraged Madinan women to have no qualms about their strong personalities and inquisitive minds.
Health education that centers the Muslim narrative is the basis of my book series, “Islamic Health,” the first of its kind to address our youth’s most common health questions. Written as a preventive intervention — putting the Islamic way of life at the forefront of its answers — it teaches our youth to prioritize their overall wellbeing, for doing may make them more likely to practice Islam with confidence and thus less likely to engage in risky behavior.
The series’ first book, “Islamic Health Book I: Ages 9 and Up,”deals with community engagement and rights, puberty, menstruation, hygiene, selfesteem, diet, fitness,
bullying, racism, online safety, gaming and other topics. It has been endorsed by The Family & Youth Institute (FYI), the Islamic Schools League of America (ISLA), the Council of Islamic Schools in North America (CISNA) and the Muslim American Society Youth Ministry (MASYM).
Endorsements with Testimonials Photo
The series’ second book, “Islamic Health Book II: Ages 14 and Up,” covers common reproductive illnesses, controlling sexual desire, intoxicants, mental illness, sexual violence, women’s rights, the marital process, genderism, samesex attraction, controlling one nafs (desires) and more.
Both volumes were content edited by Duaa Haggag (LPC and FYI community educator). Dr. Waheed Jensen, a subjectknowledge expert on samesex attraction and gender dysphoria, content edited those two chapters, andXhengis Aliu (creative director, The Islamic Medical Association of North America) created the graphics.
“Islamic Health” can be taught in Islamic schools, weekend schools, youth study circles as well as by parents to their child at home. Both books include a teacher walkthrough section with pacing guides and chapter planning guides, section activities to fuel thinking and character development, as well as supplemental resources that elaborate upon key concepts. The series will be available early 2022.
I hope this resource will open the door to having conversations with our youth that will not only put them in the driver’s seat, but will also provide them with evidencebased health answers that are appropriate to their continued development as both spiritual and moral beings. ih
Amber Khan, D.O., is a health educator for Muslim communities. For updates on “Islamic Health,” follow @islamichealthseries on Instagram or contact her at IslamicHealthEducation@gmail.com.
Can Education Solve All Our Problems?
Is the lack of reading culture in Muslim societies connected to the approaches to education?
BY SAULAT PERVEZ
People often say that there is no reading culture in Muslim countries. You also frequently hear that education is the solution to all our problems. Yet, we hardly ever probe these catchphrases to understand the obstacles hampering reading culture or what sort of education would resolve our dilemmas.
Having lived and worked in Karachi, Pakistan, for more than a decade, as a parent and a teacher, gave me insight into some of the underlying issues impacting the lack of reading culture in Muslim societies and how education may be connected to it.
BUMPS ON THE ROAD TO READING For me, reading has always been something very personal. My first experience of sharing my love for reading happened when I became a mother. There is immense satisfaction in enjoying a stack of books with your toddler and knowing that they care for neither toys nor cartoons in that given time! Or when you go upstairs after wrapping up housework and you find them quietly reading in bed before falling asleep!
In contrast, when I took up teaching, I was not able to similarly inspire my students despite my zeal for reading. In fact, I was not prepared for a lot of my eighth and ninth graders’ rather apathetic and blasé attitude toward reading. What surprised me even more was when my daughter — who attended the same school — began to lose interest in reading. Yet, every day I witnessed teachers like myself diligently working to stimulate student interest in reading and literature through classroom instruction, extracurricular activities and library blocks — you name it.
Many of my students fell behind on their reading and no amount of “extra help” enabled them to do well in class. Worse, they were unable to think critically and move beyond the shell of the written story. Those who excelled were the readers – they not only enjoyed the thinking exercises but also, at times, refined my understanding of the text. Clearly, these were my gifted and talented students. However, I became haunted by the ones for whom I couldn’t make a difference.
I started researching about developing thinking skills in students from an early age and began studying early childhood educational theories, only to realize the answers lay closer to home. When my daughter, a third grader, announced, “Mama, books are boring!” deep down I knew that if I didn’t help her now, she would go on to become just like one of my students who were disinterested in reading. I selected books that I wanted her to read and began reading them aloud to her and my son, who was only 15 months younger than her. Soon, bedtime became a breeze and eventually I saw that they would finish the book themselves. Gradually, my daughter got back on track with independent reading, and I did not have any trouble with my son’s reading trajectory.
This experience made me wonder: if it worked for my children, what about others? Digging into research, I was amazed to find the importance of reading aloud throughout the grades. Further, it wasn’t a coincidence that my daughter found reading difficult in third grade. Research shows that third grade is when schoolwork becomes taxing and if students are not able to keep up with it, it leads to the “fourthgrade slump,” a decrease in reading scores (https:// www.ccf.ny.gov/files/9013/8262/2751/ AECFReporReadingGrade3.pdf).
But here’s the thing: the fourthgrade slump mostly affects children of lower socioeconomic status. My daughter, like my students, hailed from the middleclass with plenty of privilege and access. After all, they attended private schools! What was going on here?
THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION In some parts of the Muslim world, they are called international schools. But in Pakistan, due to the rapid deterioration of public schools, a crop of (commerciallyrun) private schools began flourishing in the 1990s. Catering to a predominantly middleclass
clientele, these schools mainly adopted the British educational system and English as the medium of instruction. They worked diligently to provide the necessary elements for their students’ academic success, such as proper infrastructure, committed teachers, involved parents, school libraries and regular extracurricular activities.
This model was already functioning effectively in elite schools, where we can find a thriving literary culture. However, there is one glitch. Unlike their cosmopolitan elite counterparts, middleclass families do not largely speak in English at home. Indeed, middleclass students in Karachi attend Englishmedium private schools during the day and come home to an environment where they — like my daughter — predominantly speak in Urdu or their regional language. Without proper support, students fall through Reading for pleasure, unfortunately, falls by the wayside. The formation of creative and critical thinking skills also become stunted in this examcentric educational system.
This dichotomy between home and school languages exists in the low fee private schools as well as the public school system. In fact, illiteracy in Pakistan is related to the core problem of medium of instruction too: when a child speaks one language at home and is taught in another at school, with hardly any support at home together with a lack of resources, research shows that the result is either inschool children with little to no learning or steep dropout rates.
Instruction in a multilingual context is a complicated issue. For many, English may be a third or fourth language; for instance, Urdu is not the first language for most Pakistanis. While educators prefer the stability of a tried
MIDDLE-TIER PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN KARACHI — AND OF COURSE, IN MANY POST-COLONIAL URBAN CENTERS ACROSS THE WORLD — HAVE TRIED AND FAILED FOR DECADES TO ACHIEVE SCHOOLWIDE READING CULTURE DESPITE ALL THE PERKS! ONE OF THE REASONS IS THAT DEVELOPING COUNTRIES HAVE BEEN TAKING RESEARCH FROM WESTERN, MONOLINGUAL COUNTRIES AND APPLYING IT WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THE BILINGUAL AND MULTILINGUAL CONTEXT.
the cracks because at one point achieving gradelevel bilingual literacy is not enough. Neither are committed teachers, engaged parents, quality infrastructure or access to books, apparently.
Middletier private schools in Karachi — and, of course, in many postcolonial urban centers across the world — have tried and failed for decades to achieve schoolwide reading culture despite all the perks! One of the reasons is that developing countries have been taking research from Western, monolingual countries and applying it without understanding the bilingual and multilingual context.
Although students in these middletier schools gain early bilingual literacy (English and Urdu), too many students eventually lose interest in reading in either language, except for a gifted minority. As the texts become more complicated, basic proficiency in the English language is no longer adequate and the constant translation in the head becomes quite a chore. Due to their privilege, middleclass students have access to private tutors and tuition centers whose assistance enables them to successfully enter higher education. andtested (colonial) educational system, parents also see English as a ticket for their child’s bright future. However, language is intimately connected with a nation’s reading, writing and thinking cultures. When we produce individuals who achieve only basic competency in English, Urdu/native language, etc., we are sacrificing deep learning, analytical skills and writing proficiency. These are the ingredients that bring progress, not just learning how to read and write.
And yet, for too long policymakers have been creating a perfect arc between literacy and development when the reality is that we need to focus on important mediators such as how to nurture societywide reading culture, idea generation and knowledge production for the country to advance. Examining the challenges encountered by the literacyrich and resourcerich middle class in the attainment of reading culture will give vital clues to fully understanding and resolving this conundrum. ih
Saulat Pervez, a writer, educator and researcher, delivered a shorter version of this article in a presentation at the 2019 World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) in Doha, Qatar. Email: spqalam@ymail.com
Funding Educational Endowments
Can zakat be used to support endowments for Islamic education?
BY JASSER AUDA
One commonly asked question is who is eligible to receive zakat? Among the many options available there are waqf (endowments), where the return on investment goes to an Islamic education program or college. In other words, can the zakat fund become a waqf fund?
Quran 9:60 (trans. Muhammad Asad) states: “The offerings given for the sake of God are [meant] only for the poor and the needy, and those who are in charge thereof, and those whose hearts are to be won over, and for the freeing of human beings from bondage, and [for] those who are over burdened with debts, and [for every struggle] in God’s cause, and [for] the wayfarer: [this is] an ordinance from God — and God is allknowing, wise.”
Thus, spending zakat funds on buildings, books, teachers, students, computers and related expenses also comes under the category of legitimate zakat receivers, specifically under the category of “in God’s cause.” There is no significant difference of opinion about this among contemporary scholars, even if the students receiving the scholarship or the books aren’t poor or if the teachers who receive compensation or computers aren’t needy. It is a condition, however, that the college receiving it be trustworthy and have a mission of advancing true Islamic education and knowledge.
On the other hand, setting up an endowment is a highly rewarded charitable act, and especially important when it comes to supporting Islamic education. Abu Hurayra narrated that the Prophet (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “When a man dies, his good deeds come to an end except three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, and righteous offspring who will pray for him” (“Muslim”).
Commenting on this hadith, Imam AnNawawi said, “The scholars said, the meaning of this hadith is that the deeds of the deceased come to an end as soon as he or she dies, and the renewal of reward ceases for him or her, except in these three cases because he or she is the cause of them: his or her offspring is counted among his or her earnings; the knowledge that he or she leaves behind through teaching or writing; ongoing charity, i.e., a waqf (Islamic endowment).”
In my view, establishing such endowments is required (wajib) because these are the only means we have to protect another
