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Everyone likes to feel like they belong to something special. I noticed the children at Sunday school responded positively to our new pilot project \u201cSalah Club.\u201d Like many schools, we have a hard time settling the younger ones down for Zhur salah. One day I said, \u201cAll those in Salah Club, come join the line.\u201d They proudly marched to their spots and stood attentively. I paused and thought to myself, \u201cWow. I think we\u2019re on to something worth sharing.\u201d<\/p>\n
For six weeks we piloted a 30-minute session called Salah Club. It entailed:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Marching to the secret destination<\/li>\n
- Five minutes of poster board learning<\/li>\n
- Field Work: A Learn and Share experiment<\/li>\n
- \u201cZoom Time\u201d A game or song to reinforce the concepts<\/li>\n
- The Salah Cheer and final march back to class<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Initially, the principal of the school approached with coloring books, websites and reading materials. We smiled and politely said, \u201cThe kids will not be working at a desk for salah club. We will try active learning with field experiments and activity balls.\u201d He gave us a nervous smile.<\/p>\n
The March<\/span><\/p>\n
The children are organized in a straight line with a selected student leader and caboose. They are asked to maintain a straight line as they march to our \u201csecret\u201d destination for the week. Sometimes, we go out to the backfield, maybe under a tree, or on the staircase, or the front balcony or on the floor nestled in a remote hallway. During our march we recite\/chant the Arabic and English meaning for different parts of salah. It is so beautiful to see 5 to 7 year old children marching in a line, softly whispering Subhana\u00a0 Rabi al Ala,\u00a0 Glory be to Allah the Most High, Subhana Rabi Al Atheem, Glory be to the Almighty. It brought tears to our school principle.<\/p>\n
Poster Board<\/span><\/p>\n
No more than\u00a0 a 5 min circle session. We post colorful short, catchy phrases: Salah is a special conversation with Allah. Wudu makes your body glow (on youmul qiyama). Wudu\u00a0 washes away sins. A good salah makes sins fall\u00a0 like dry\u00a0 leaves from a tree.<\/p>\n
In later weeks, we add more content to the poster boards. i.e.) the benefits of salah, what breaks wudu\/salah, special dua, 7 points of prostration etc.<\/p>\n
Field Work<\/span><\/p>\n
We like to call it the \u201clearn and share time.\u201d The children are divided into small groups and given a task. For example: Find 3 Muslim individuals here at Sunday school (likely a parent, older youth or teacher in the halls) and ask them \u201cWhat is salah?\u201d Listen to their answer and share what you learned today.<\/p>\n
Other types of fieldwork included:<\/p>\n
The Flashlight<\/span><\/p>\n
Ask the child to look inside their shirt. How does it look? \u201cDark.\u201d Now, turn a flash light on and place the light up their shirt. Ask them to look again. \u201c Hey it glows.\u201d Now ask, Do you want your body to glow with light on Youmul Qiyama? Do want to return to Allah SWT with beautiful Noor?\u00a0 If so, then lets learn how to make wudu properly. Because those with good wudu will inshaAllah return to Allah glowing. The kids were permitted to do this experiment on a few teachers and adults in the hallway. They were so happy to share their new learning.<\/p>\n
Tree Branches<\/span><\/p>\n
We held another experiment\u00a0 in the grass field. We asked\u00a0 children to find a tree branch with dry leaves. The children were instructed to shake the branch and watch how the dry leaves fall. We ask them,\u201d Do you want your sins to fall away? Surely when a believer offers his salah to please Allah, his sins fall from him just as these leaves have fallen from the tree.<\/p>\n
Zoom Time<\/span><\/p>\n
Let\u2019s\u00a0 re-emphasize the learning in a fun game\/song. We play bounce ball standing in a circle. If the ball lands in your hands, you answer the question. Or pass the ball over and under to a chant. Or sing the wudu song with actions. The kids especially like when we say a phrase from Salah and they have to assume that position.<\/p>\n
Final March and Cheer<\/span><\/p>\n
We end by marching in a straight line back to Arabic class. The children softly chant a Quranic surah. Occupying the kids during travel time helped keep them from wandering off. Just outside of class, the kids huddle and softly cheer \u201cPray. Pray. Pray. Pray your Very Best. Allahu Akbar.\u201d I know, the cheer could use some work. Any suggestions?<\/p>\n
The children are very excited to attend Salah Club and have begun to identify themselves as a member. What touches me the most, is the children\u2019s pride for their club. Mid way through the pilot study,\u00a0 I called to the young ones, \u201c Who wants to hold up the Salah Club posters before Salatul Zuhur?\u201d Many children ran to me. They stood tall, along the wall of the Musalah\u00a0 holding Salah club poster boards with valuable lifetime information. The older youth and adults read the information. They\u00a0 smiled or gave a \u201cthat\u2019s kinda cool nod.\u201d I think, their appreciation meant a lot to the children.<\/p>\n
InshaAllah, this is a start to a good program. If you choose to try something like Salah Club in your community, please share with us.<\/p>\n
\u00a0Sharda Mohammed<\/p>\n
Sharda Mohammed is a Canadian born mother of two young children. She has a keen interest in learnig to \u00a0foster leadership, self esteem and empathy in young children. She works part time as a Physical Therapist..<\/span><\/p>\n
Editor\u2019s note: Originally published Dec. 4, 2010.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Everyone likes to feel like they belong to something special. I noticed the children at Sunday school responded positively to our new pilot project \u201cSalah Club.\u201d Like many schools, we have a hard time settling the younger ones down for Zhur salah. One day I said, \u201cAll those in Salah Club, come join the line.\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1613,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[62,228,666,713,979,1105,1175,1238,1418,1423],"class_list":["post-1172","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-spirituality","tag-allah","tag-club","tag-kids","tag-light","tag-project","tag-salah","tag-sins","tag-sunday-school","tag-wudu","tag-yawm-al-qiyama"],"yoast_head":"\n
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