Al hamdu lillaah wa salaatu wa salaamu ‘ala Rasoolullaah.

As you may or may not have heard, the Darul Arqam has relocated to serve a larger community with much greater needs- Dar Naem.  Many have asked about our decision to relocate and we hope to answer your questions below, insha’Allah.

Why has the Darul Arqam moved to Dar Naem?

We know Dar Naem and have been acquainted with the community and its people for many years.  While those may seem like good reasons to plant a school here, we were sincerely concerned about our ability to meet the ever-growing needs of the community with our very limited staff and resources.  In Dar Naem, you might meet a boy like eight-year-old Salah, who despite his mother’s best attempts to teach him Qur’an at home, is still unable to read basic Arabic.  Even worse, you might meet a girl like 12-year-old Mina, who was kicked out of the public school system after repeating the fourth grade because she’s illiterate.

The children we’ve met in Dar Naem are the exact community that motivated us to establish the Darul Arqam- these are the children we seek to serve.  The families care deeply about their children’s religious education but have not found viable options in both the academic and traditional school systems.

Where is Dar Naem?

It’s still here in the capital (Nouakchott), approximately 8 kilometers (5 miles) away from Buhdeedah, our previous location. We explored the option of commuting students from Dar Naem to our old location daily but we couldn’t afford to maintain it.

What are your plans for the area?

Our goals are the same- to provide quality Islaamic education to our youth; however, the population here is much poorer, so we’d like to engage in more community service through the school. We have plans of distributing food and clothing to our residents.  It’s important for Mauritanians to see aid coming from their community of brothers and sisters, as opposed to looking for foreign aid.

What are the challenges of teaching in Dar Naem?

Many traditional schools have started and failed here because of the families’ inability to maintain a modest salary for their teachers. The private academic schools are overcrowded, in an attempt to generate an adequate salary for their teachers. Unfortunately, this greatly hinders the substandard quality of education they already offer.  As a result, many children are idle in the streets but we believe that they have as much a right to quality education as anyone else and we want to unlock their limitless potential.

What will make the Darul Arqam different from the currently available schools?

Most importantly, the Darul Arqam is not a for-profit, business venture.  We’re not trying to “flip a couple of ouguiyas (local currency)”.  We involve our families and work second jobs to keep the school afloat.  Our priority is the children and we’ll serve as many students as we possibly can, while maintaining high-quality instruction and providing a competitive education, insha Allaah ta’ala. Success is with Allaah. Our responsibility is to purify our intentions and strive to do the best with what we have available. If you help Allaah’s religion, Allah will help you.

What kind of community do you want to create for the students of Dar Naem?

In the past, we’ve had families who stopped sending their children to us because of their inability to pay.  This is not what we want!  We are looking for family support and commitment, so a child who is prepared for learning by being tidy, on time, and well-mannered is always welcomed.  This is the environment we want to create, insha’Allah- an environment that is clean, orderly, and inviting for our young seekers of knowledge.

How can we assist the Darul Arqam?

Because we serve many desperate families in a very impoverished neighborhood, the demands here are much greater.  We are looking for donors who are willing and able to sponsor full or partial salaries for our teachers. This support will enable us to accept a greater number of students.

Up to now we’ve been working with both volunteer and near-volunteer teachers, who we are not able to compensate adequately.  As a result, some of our teachers could not afford to commit to consistent instruction because of the financial limitations.  We’ve expended our dependable teachers to the fullest and as the children’s levels vary, meeting their needs is nearly impossible without additional support.

Currently, we’re in need of two teachers for teaching Qur’aan and Arabic.  We’re also requesting learning resources- developmental props, learning materials, supplies, etc.  Lastly, we are in need of righteous supplications for sincerity and the improvement of our ummah.

As many of you are fully aware of, we’re moving lessons to a new area. We’ve rented a house with large yard space and now we’re trying to fill it. As you can see, from the slideshow above, we’ve almost completed this tent. It still requires flooring, a fence, a door, possibly windows, and of course, when we’re all done, a paint job. On the other end of the yard we’d like to construct a small playground, slide and swings. Al hamdu lillaah, we already have a trampoline.

Our nervous little children put on an entertaining performance for their parents last week. They’ve completed our preschool program and are now heading towards their first years in primary school education. Subhan Allaah, it seems like it was only yesterday, they were running outside during their breakfast break to kill ants. Now when they run outside they watch their steps and avoid stepping on them, mentioning that they, the insects, are the creation of our Lord ( هذا خلق مولانا ).

I’m grateful to Allaah for giving us the oppurtunity to educate these young children. And to their parents for permitting me, a young black man from across the Atlantic Ocean, to be a part of their precious youngsters’ lives. At first many of our neighbours were quite sceptical, wondering what’s this guy going to teach our children, didn’t he come here for us to teach him, now he’s teaching us? Al hamdu lillaah, we’ve earned their trust and respect. This video is clips of them demonstrating some of what they’ve learned this past year.

As parents, we all want the best for our children. We have aspirations higher than mountains for them and often project onto them all of the goals we have not been able to attain for ourselves. This lofty intention is wonderful- it is praiseworthy to want our children to be better than ourselves; but how do we give the young seeker what they need to excel? Insha’Allah, these few tips will give us food for thought as to how we can help our little ones blossom into their fullest potential!

1. CONTEMPLATE

What exactly do we want for our child(ren)? What kind of person do we want them to become? These questions are an essential starting point for us to consider. Let us really and truly think about what our objective is and how we can holistically aid the development of those entrusted to our care. I vividly remember one of my neighbors who migrated for the sake of Allah and sent her children to an Islamic school. Alhamdulillah, they spent their days reciting and memorizing large portions of the Qur’an but when they would return from school, they would not even return the salaam! They would drop their backpacks in the middle of the living room and plant themselves in front of the television or play violent games with their toys. Is this the etiquette of a haafidh? Let us strive to inculcate a love, awe, adherence, and respect for the Qur’an, alongside the virtue of its memorization.

2. SUPPLICATE

There’s no good to be realized without the permission of Allah, so let us pray sincerely for what we desire for our families and seek the guidance of Allah in what’s best for us. There are many stories of parents who, themselves, were not righteous or learned but they were sincere in their supplication and Allah honored their sincerity, making their children more righteous or learned than themselves. Let us not forget this essential tool of the believer! As my dad always says, if a farmer wants tomatoes, he plants tomato seeds. Let us sow the spiritual seeds of success by turning our hearts to our Creator.

3. CULTIVATE

It is said that young children absorb their environment starting from their first home- the womb. The fetal development of a mother who is happy, healthy, and loved is unlike that of the mother who is miserable, malnourished, and stressed. Once our little seeker emerges into the world, they are eager to explore the faces of the familiar voices they heard while in the womb and the environment in which they are situated. Let us fill our homes with a sense of security and serenity so that our young children can explore their environment with confidence and trust. Let us also not fill our homes with chaos, clutter, and constant chatter. Early skills of concentration and focus need quietude and a simple, yet beautiful home to discover.

4. LIBERATE

Once our little seeker knows that their family unit and nesting place is safe, they are ready to emerge- to squirm, crawl, walk, and explore. Many parents dread this newly found mobility but, for the child, it is an essential component of their self-formation. If we can make our homes child-proof, our youth will be free to explore their abilities, knowing that they are confident and capable.

For busy parents, it is very tempting to give our children lots of entertaining toys or prop them in front of various forms of media. Even educational television programs cannot compare to the real-life interactions with others around them. Let’s seek to engage, not encage our children. Yes, some toys and DVDs will hold our children captive but will they be captivated? Simple wooden blocks or puzzles, playing in sand or water, or creating games with peers free our young seeker’s mind to think and problem-solve.

5. REGULATE

After absorbing the environment, a child begins to imitate the actions of the adults in their environment- not only what they do, but how they do it. What activities are we giving our children to imitate? Are they praiseworthy or blameworthy? How do we go about the activities of our daily lives- with the remembrance of Allah and complete attention or in a harried, hurried manner? Parents in the home set the early template for what their children become.

Along with imitation comes the desire for routine, rhythm, and order. Many parents and teachers can affirm that a child’s behavior is much more reasonable when there’s a general routine to be followed. Significant and constant changes in a child’s rhythm often create anxiety, frustration, and stress. Children also feel more secure when they know what role they play. Assigning tasks and responsibilities, even if it takes time to teach them properly, helps a child to know that they have a function in the family, which is a precursor to having a function in the community. A child’s participation in family life helps them to feel purposeful and responsible. This is an important aspect of maturation and community building. I’ve seen mischievous children “straighten up” when kindly asked to do a chore before dinner or help an adult do something useful. Many young children want to contribute but do we give them adequate opportunities to do so? This self-affirmation and understanding of purpose helps a young seeker to do all their tasks, including study, with determination and confidence in their abilities.

Another very sensitive matter for young children is their diets. It’s very hard for young children to focus when refined sugars and processed foods have their blood sugar rising and falling all day. Children need foods that will nourish their bodies, feed their brains, and give them energy. The preferred foods for children include fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats (like nuts, avocados, olive oil, seeds, etc.). Paired with lots of water and limited processed foods and sweeteners, we give our children a dietary model for success. Please note that children do not need lavish meals or to eat excessively; however, whole, simple meals, made with love and the remembrance of Allah, and healthy snacks throughout the day with abundant access to water will help them to physically rise to the challenge of learning.

6. MOTIVATE

Encouragement and a parent’s satisfaction are huge motivators for little ones. A warm smile and sincere embrace affirm for a child that they are doing something right by you. It takes time for children to understand morals, rights and wrongs, for themselves; they are mostly looking to your response as an indicator. The lack of encouragement and attention when a child is doing well may cause a child to “act out” to get the attention they are seeking. This is one of many reasons to pause before disciplining a child. If discipline originates from the word “disciple”, then we should aim to reform and rectify our children’s behavior by giving them a beautiful, prophetic code of conduct to emulate and imitate, a warm smile, and sincere words of admonition. Over-praising your child is not encouraged because they may become praise-seekers or have a false sense of their place in the larger world. The world does not and will not revolve around them, no matter how glorious, brilliant, and wonderful they are believed to be. However, we should not hesitate to celebrate praiseworthy accomplishments. Celebrations highlight significant events in our lives and our little ones can be encouraged by such occasions. A celebration doesn’t need to be a huge party with lots of fanfare- a family outing, a dinner with friends, or a special dessert are adequate when shared with loved ones. I know of families who have celebrations for each juz their child memorizes and even younger children will aspire to accomplish similar feats.

7. PARTICIPATE

Not every person of knowledge is a teacher, so when we seek out educational institutions for our children we need to examine the environment, objectives, and style of those we entrust our children to. After entrusting your child, the work is not over! Teaching is hard work and teachers need the support of parents and communities to help serve your children! If everything taught in school by day is contradicted and contravened at home by night, how can the seeker thrive? If the teachers don’t have the resources needed, how can they teach? Even if our financial support is limited, we can offer our time, our participation, and our concern by collaborating with one another. We need to examine our skills and tools to see how they can be used to enhance quality education for our youth. Helping to organize fundraisers, donating learning materials, and starting an after-school sports club or craft class are just a few ideas of how parents can become partners and allies to their children’s educators. Our interest in learning will also show our youth that education is a lifelong process, so hopefully these tips will help us instill a love for learning in our children from an early age. And, success is with Allah!

 by: Abu Umar Abdul ‘Aziz

Al-Hamdu lillaah, we praise Allah and seek His aid and forgiveness. May the Salah and the Salam be upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and companions and all who follow his path with goodness until the Day of Judgment.

To proceed:

 Once, the great scholar and grammarian, Shaykh Muhammad Salim al-’Udud ash-Shinqiti of Mauritania was attending a meeting for the international jurisprudence council in Cairo Egypt. After the meeting, the Shaykh went out with an Egyptian scholar to have dinner and converse with him. During the course of the modest dinner, lively discussion took place about the differences between Mauritania, a large, extremely poor country situated in the Saharan desert, and the fairly developed and modern Egypt. The two scholars discussed the methods of Islamic study in both countries and this led the Egyptian scholar to jokingly ask him, “Which scholars are more knowledgeable, the scholars of Egypt or the scholars of Mauritania?”

In response to the question, Shaykh Muhammad Salim said: ” Your scholars are more knowledgeable in the day time, and our scholars are more knowledgeable in the night.” 

 Due to the extremely harsh existence in the deserts of the Sahara and the near impossibility of preserving large amounts of written works from the fierce and constant sand storms, the scholars of Mauritania have relied upon a tradition of rote memorization of everything that is studied. Upon visiting the small villages that are devoted to study [Mahdharah], you will not see large libraries wherein a person may research and benefit. For this reason, you will find many books in Arabic written about the methods and manners of studying mentioning that they divide the study styles in the Islamic world into two:

1. The style of Tanqih and Mutala’ah- the method of perusing large amounts of written works after mastering the fundamental sciences at the hands of the scholars. This is the most well known method in the Muslim world. In places such as Egypt, Sham [Levantine], Hijaz, and even as far as India and Indonesia, the students of knowledge employ this method.

2. The style of Hifdh and Itqan- the method of intense memorization and mastery. This less popular method is commonly employed in places such as Mauritania, Senegal, Mali and most of North Africa.

Pros and Cons

Both methods of learning have their positives and negatives from them:

Tanqih and Mutala’ah method

Pros:

• It provides the detailed knowledge of issues due to the heavy reliance upon the written works of the scholars.

• It enables the student and scholar to research the difficult issues and see the evidences and opinions of past scholars.

• It links the person with the scholars of the past.

Cons:

• Without proper training, a person cannot properly learn from the books.

• Often times, people pick up books and, without any principles and background learning, they fall into error.

• Due to the presence of books, many a time a person will have a false sense of security-even though he/she has not learned the basics that will enable them to put what they read into proper perspective.

• The presence of books weakens one’s desire to memorize what is learned. Thus, the scholar who is most knowledgeable in the day is the one who can refer to his books and without which, say in the darkness of night, they would not be able to go into the degree of detail that he would normally do after his research.

• The limited amount of memorization that is performed through this method means that whatever a student memorizes; be it the Qur’an, Hadith, or any other text, he will spend lots and lots of time reviewing and revising because the material was not vigorously memorized.

Method of Hifdh and Itqan

Pros:

• It enables the student to focus on the fundamental issues that are presented in the small texts as opposed to drowning in piles of books.

• It gives the student the ability to teach others and educate in any situation because it is a part of his long-term memory and experience.

• It grants time for the student to concentrate and focus on his subject of study and to master it.

• It saves lots of time in revision because everything that is memorized is ingrained in the long-term memory.

Cons:

• It is often very time consuming and tedious.

• It is not uncommon for a person to rely on this method without going back to written works for more detail, thus much knowledge passes him by.

• Most people are too weak to continue with this method for very long. Ideally, the student of knowledge should combine the two methods to assure maximum benefit.

How to memorize?

In brief, we wish to outline the Mauritanian method of memorization so that we can all take advantage of its strong points.

The method of memorization in Mauritania is divided into three categories:

1. Memorization of the Qur’an

2. Memorization of texts

3. Group review as an aid to memorization

Because the Mauritanian method of memorization of the Qur’an and texts are largely the same, we will mention them both in one category.

Getting started:

Getting started, here are a few points:

• Memorization is usually easy. The real challenge is the repetition and review.

• The goal that we have is to place all memorized texts, be they from the Book of Allah or other texts, into our long-term memory. Basically, that means that we are attempting to memorize everything and recall it just as we recall Surah al-Fatihah.

• In Mauritania, and North Africa in general, they memorize from a small wooden tablet called a lawhah. This lawhah is both held like a book and viewed, or it is propped up against something-standing upright. Allah knows why, but if you try memorizing in a similar manner, it will become easier for you. Perhaps it is the tan-brown color of the board that is relaxing to the eyes as opposed to the sharp color of white paper. Allah knows best.

• Try getting some brown/tan colored drawing paper and writing whatever you are to memorize. Prop this up or tape to the wall where it is level with your head- for some reason, writing it with your hand helps in memorizing it.

• I know this may be controversial to some, but in order to memorize in this method, you will need to have with you a Misbah’ [Dhikr beads] in order to count your repetitions. Most of the scholars hold the opinion that the Misbah is not an innovation in the religion and is allowed to use-even though using the hand is preferred for Dhikr. In this memorization, you are using the Misbah as a tool to count and nothing more. So, if you hold the opinion that the Misbah is not good, in sha Allah there is no harm because it is nothing more than beads used to count. If you are afraid of being attacked by people for carrying Dhikr beads around, then why not just go out and purchase a mechanical counter [like the ones that bean counters use]?

After getting your supplies [wooden board or tan paper, ink pen, and Dhikr beads (or bean counter)] you are ready.

 How to do it?

1. Write the page [or two or three or four-if it is Qur'an] on the board or tan paper in legible writing. If you are memorizing a text such as Imam Nawawi’s Forty Hadith collection, or a small text on Fiqh or grammar, you should only memorize one Hadith at a time or-as with texts that are often in poetry form-only write four lines per day. [Note: For memorizing Qur'an in this method, you must read what is written to one who knows the Qur'an. It is not uncommon to mistakenly write something and start off reading it incorrectly]

2. Proceed to read the text out loud while looking at the board or paper just as you would with a book. Read and read until you can read it without looking at all.

3. After memorizing the text, proceed to repeat what you memorized 300 times-using the Misbah to count with. If you are memorizing the Qur’an, repeat it 500 times. As you are reading this, I can imagine that you are probably shaking your head thinking that maybe what I wrote was a typo. It is not a typo- in Mauritania they repeat each page of Qur’an 500 (five-hundred) times in their memorization. With the Qur’an, it is possible to lower that to 150. However, as was mentioned before, this will mean that you will have to review more to ensure that you don’t lose what you memorized. With other texts, 300 times is the maximum number of repetitions. I remember once memorizing Lamiyatul Af’al in the science of Sarf [morphology] and I thought that I was supposed to repeat each line of that poem 500 times! After spending days and days with that misunderstanding, I could hear myself reading the lines in my dreams, not to mention having that strange feeling you get when you say one word hundreds of times without stopping!

4. Occasionally, read the text while looking at the board or paper to insure that you have not left off anything.

5. Go easy on yourself. You don’t have to read the text 300 times in one sitting! Take it easy and break the task into manageable parts. Try repeating it with the Misbah 100 times and then take a break. Continue like this until you complete 300 repetitions. Based on my own experience, I would say that it will take you about an accumulated 3 hours to repeat on part of a text 300 times and a total accumulated time of 4 ½ hours to read one page of Qur’an 500 times [with the average quick reading time of one minute for one page of Qur'an].

6. After completing 300 repetitions [or whatever high number you choose] take a break. You are done…at least for today.

7. Now on day two you will memorize new material and that means 300 more repetitions. With that however, you still have not finished from yesterday. After memorizing and repeating the new material, proceed to repeat yesterday’s material 150 times from memory.

8. On day three, you will memorize new material and that means 300 more repetitions. Don’t forget though, you still have to repeat yesterdays [day 2] text 150 times and the day before that [day 1] text 50-75 times.

9. On day four, you will memorize new material and that means 300 more repetitions. Don’t forget though, you still have to repeat yesterday’s [day 3] material 150 times and the material from the day before [day 2] 50-75 times and the material from day one 10 times.

Sounds like a lot? Of course it is! That is all the fun!

With this program, you will need less time to review what you have memorized because it will have entered into your long-term memory. Even though you know it well, it is advisable to read everything that you have memorized [from texts] 5-10 times from beginning to end just to make sure that you can connect ever part together as one unit.

The same is said with regard to memorization of the Qur’an. You should always review from front to back on a consistent basis.

 What’s next?

Traditionally, a student would either memorize and repeat his lesson for that day and then proceed to sit with the Shaykh who would then go on to explain the lines that he memorized. The student would only learn the meaning of those 4 or 5 lines and depart once more to memorize. Memorize what you ask? He would then go out, write the brief explanation of the lines he memorized on the other side of the lawhah [or in our case, on another sheet of tan paper] and memorize that as well.

How?

At this point, the student understands the lines that he memorized, be it in Fiqh or grammar. Now, he will read the explanation and put it into his own words,explaining the meanings of what he memorized and what it entails of finer points. On day two, the student will repeat those first lines from day one 150 times. After each tenth reading, this student would then read, in his own words, the meaning of the lines he read-as if he was teaching some one else. This will continue every day for all material, be it from day one, two, three, or four and beyond.

After one engages in this time consuming program for more than two weeks or so, he will have the following:

Day 1: 300 reps

Day 2: 300+150+explanation 15 times

Day 3: 300+150+75+explanations for material of day one and two- totaling 23 times

Day 4: 300+150+75+10+explanations for material of day one, two, and three- totaling 33 times.

Day 5: Continues as day four along with reading everything at once a few times to ensure proper connection etc.

With this method, you will memorize with strength in sha Allah. One thing to keep in mind also is that you are not bound to the numbers mentioned above. If you don’t have the time to sit for hours upon hours, at least repeat your material 50 times on day one and then 25 on day two and 10 on day three and so on and so fourth. A little is better than reading it a few times thinking that you memorized it, only to stumble the next day as if you did nothing at all.

Group review as an aid to memorization 

Last but not least, I would like to mention a bit about the group reviews in Mauritania and how we can implement that in our communities.

The group reviews are nothing more than a memorization mini study group. In Mauritania, a student will link up with a handful of other students that are studying the same book and all will do their part in the group study. The way this is done is by starting with one person [perhaps the most senior]. He will read four to ten lines that everyone has already memorized and studied. After reading them from memory, he will then start from the first line, read it and explain it’s meaning in his own words. He will read each line in this manner, reading and explaining until he reaches the end of the selected amount. After he is finished, the student next to him will read and explain in the exact same manner. This will continue until everyone in the circle has read and explained to the others. From the technique, there are numerous benefits.

From them:

• It is like hearing the lesson 5, 6, or 7 times, or as many students are there. This helps the meaning of the lesson stick.

• One gets to hear it explained by others who might express a concept better and thus the student benefits more and more.

• One might have a faulty way of explaining a concept; in that case, the senior student or anyone else in the circle will correct him as soon as he says it.

• One reads this in a group setting and thus works at getting over the nervousness of public speaking [to a smaller extent].

These gatherings can take place every day, or every few days according to the need. One thing to keep in mind with this method is that you are not giving a full fledged, 45-minute or one-hour lesson when you read and explain. The most it would take is 15 minutes per-person according to the subject matter.

One way this program can be implemented in our communities is by us gathering a group of serious dedicated individuals who want to learn. All of them agree to memorize in this method [even if adapted somewhat] and either learn the meanings of what is memorized through a Shaykh or teacher, or through the cassette tapes of scholars who have explained that book. If everyone goes at the same pace and all are either attending the classes of the Shaykh or teacher or are listening to the tapes, they may then gather together and hold small study sessions.

This is an attempt to learn the basics with strength and mastery. The goal behind this should not be out quoting another person and bombarding them with opinions in the subject that is being learned about. The focus as we mentioned should be on the main meaning of the text that is being read and repetition repetition repetition.

This is the method of memorization that I was blessed to learn. I am sure that there are variations of this technique in Mauritania that differ slightly. And Allah knows best.

 I hope and pray to Allah the Most High that this was of benefit to you and that you read it, implement it even if in a small way, and that you make Dua’ for me.

Wa Sallallahu ala Nabiyyina Muhammad wa ala aalihi was Ashabihi Ajma’in

blogged from http://altaysir.wordpress.com/2010/04/23/pkik9-4o/

Are we there yet?

Al hamdu lillaah, today a young brother  from Brooklyn and I headed out to the countryside (baadiya). It was his first time going out there since he’s been in Mauritania. We both had the day off, me from work and him from studies, so we decided to visit the village Ummul-Qura, where the late scholar Sheikh Muhammad Saalem Ould Adood, may Allaah’s mercy be upon him, school’s situated.

The village is approximately 58 kilometers (36 miles) outside of the capital, the first 50km is paved road and the remainder unpaved. We caught a taxi to the road of the village for about $2 each. We were hoping on getting a lift from the paved road into the village. However, in the morning most cars are exiting the villages heading towards the city carrying passengers and livestock, they later return to the villages in the evenings. Since we were heading in and not out and the cars were heading out and not in, we decided to walk.

Peaceful Scenery

I have to say it was a nice walk. I got some time to get to know the young brother on our 8km walk, exchanging stories and ideas. He reminds me a lot of his father, who was also studying here in 2003. Before reaching Ummul-Qura, we surprisingly came across another school on the road.

Mahdharah al-Muhsineen is only a little more than a kilometer before Ummul-Qura. Its teacher, Sheikh Jar, was one of the students of Sheikh Muhammad Saalem; he spent many years under his tutelage. His camp was located within the confines of the village the last time I was here. I was a little disturbed at finding his camp outside the borders of the village, but after speaking with Sheikh Jar he assured me that the change in location has allowed him to more properly establish his school and that the change worked in his benefit, al hamdu lillaah. He allowed us to enter and take some pictures of his camp.

If you look closely, you can see their wooden slates

 

Home Improvement 101

Researching an Issue

 

  

There aren't any doors on this home

Al hamdu lillaah, generally the weather is hot here. Therefore, with a well built tent you’ll be ok. However, during the cold and rainy seasons this home can be quite challenging to reside in. After living in a tent myself, by myself, the thing that I recollect the most was the fact that there aren’t any doors to close on this thing. During the days this cloth condo’s pretty cool. However, at night when you want to lock up, no matter how tight you tie down the fabric there was nothing between you and outside of your home but a thin piece of fabric. It wasn’t like having a real heavy wooden or metal door to close and alarm system to turn on. There wasn’t and isn’t anything protecting us other than Allaah’s mercy and gentleness upon us. When looking at the life of the prophet Muhammad, may Allaah’s peace and blessing be upon him, and the lives of his companions, may Allaah be pleased with them, you find them in situations where they only had Allaah to put their trust in; this was training. I’m sorry, I get a bit long-winded at times. Let’s enter the next tent.

As you can see we find books everywhere we go

During high winds, sand easily enters through the fabric around the tent. If you have a good multi-layered roof to keep out the sun’s rays, this can be the best place to sleep during mid-day heat. It was a nice stay, but now we’re ready to leave.

Lunchtime

Once the plates down you gotta stay. This is rice with some pieces of dried fish. The fish is dried and smoked to preservation; easy to store without refrigerators. During our last few months in Ummul-Qura our Spanish brother found a real nice smoked fish that reminded me a lot of a Jamaican dish. It was nice but its shelve life without refrigeration was much shorter, about 3-5 days. During our visit we noticed that no matter how modest the people were living, they would host us with honor and generosity.

Camp's Library

Sheikh Jar teaches the Quraan, Arabic, Grammar, and Fiqh. Some of his students also study the sciences of hadeeth and they all hear his lessons in Aqeedah given in his halaqah (circle of knowledge). He has a little over a hundred students staying here between the four wooden homes and the three tents. They’ve been trying to build better housing for the students. Especially before the rainy season starts in a couple of months.

These aren't bags of flour

I wasn’t sure if you’ve ever seen these before, so I took a picture of them. I asked my companion whether or not he knew what these bags were, he thought that they were flour. I told him that this is the reason I took a picture of them- these are bags of cement.

Slowly but Surely

These are two rooms that they have been working on for almost a year. They’re trying to put a roof on it before the rainy season starts. Al hamdu lillaah, we had lunch and we continued on our journey to Ummul-Qura.

The Compound from a distance

Al hamdu lillaah, the children really love this part of the week. Everyday the children receive a new letter to study until the they’ve acquired four to five letters. This group of letters is correctly pronounced, written (firstly using a book with dotted letters, secondly on small individual chalkboards), read and reinforced using several different games and activities associated with each letter.

Once we are sure that the class, as a whole, has firmly grasped it new letters we have a fun and exciting cut and paste exercise that the children just love so much. Thier  حروف الأسبوع (Letters of the Week) sheets are energetically taken home to display to their parents not only what they have made with the little hands but also what they’ve learned.