RELIGION
KINZA ACADEMY ISLAMIC STUDIES PROGRAM
Raising children in the West, we lack an Islamic environment where children learn about their religion naturally, and many families are relying upon the Islamic schools or mosques to fill this gap. At Kinza Academy, we believe relegating the teaching of religion to young children as part of a school curriculum may consequently lead the children to view Islam as a “school subject” and possibly even a boring subject, rather than as a natural “way of life.” To raise our children successfully in this culture, we must find a balance between “living” and “teaching” Islam. Children must be taught to love their God and love their Prophet, peace be upon him, as part of their upbringing. We must set a living example of Islam in the home for the child to really experience the pulse of Islam; this is something that cannot be found in a book. We have designed the curriculum to teach Islam as a "way of life" during the elementary years and to inculcate a love of God and His Prophet, peace be upon him in the hearts of Muslim children.
When the children are young it is important to read and tell them stories of the Prophets, stories from the Quran (not all Quran stories are appropriate for young children) and introduce different duas and hadiths to them that relate to their daily life. At the Academy, we offer books on Islam for each grade that can be read in the home and can be used to fill the children’s minds with wonderful stories from the Quran, and Seerah, as well as of Prophets, Sahaba, and other historical figures in Islamic history. With stories such as these, children are introduced to a world of men and women known for their honor, courage, knowledge, patience, diligence, humility, and kindness. They will learn to be proud of their Islamic heritage and also to strive towards modeling our Prophets, the men and women of the Quran, and the great men and women found in the history of Islam.
According to our Muslim scholars, traditionally the only subjects taught to young children were Quran and Arabic. It was not until they approached the age where prayer became obligatory that any formal study of the Islamic sciences was introduced.
We also provide Arabic language books, and the last two juz of the Quran for home study. Our recommendation of criteria for a Quran teacher should include not only knowledge of correct recitation (tajweed) but also one who loves children, knows how to treat them well, and is able to instill in them a love for the Quran. This love cannot be transmitted through multi-media study and multi-media learning may also be harmful to the developing minds of young children (for more on this subject, please read: Failure to Connect by Jane M. Healy). Parents who do not have a teacher available are encouraged to wait until a teacher can be found. It is more important to instill a love of the Quran in children during their early years than to focus on memorizing the Quran using a method that might prevent the child from learning to love the Quran.
It is also important to employ an Arabic teacher whose native tongue is Arabic, or someone who has mastered the correct pronunciation of the Arabic language. It is recommended to introduce your children to the Arabic language, either through the Quran or a language program before the age of ten so they will be able to develop the necessary muscles needed in speech to prevent a foreign accent from developing.
Beginning with second grade our program introduces a copybook, which contains 65 hadith on good vs. bad character. The emphasis is not on teaching the subject of hadith, but on teaching your children the knowledge to differentiate good character from bad character and to instill in them a love for the Prophet by exposing children to his wise teachings. These hadith are to be memorized over several years. In addition, children have the opportunity to improve their penmanship skills through our unique italics program, which also employ the hadith. Furthermore, we provide books on Islamic history, which correlates with the period of history being studied.
Every adult of sound mind must acquire basic knowledge of the Islamic sciences necessary for one to practice Islam correctly. As children approach adulthood, which is the age when prayer becomes obligatory (the age of puberty), the emphasis of teaching Islam as a “way of life,” should shift and begin to include the formal study of the Islamic sciences. This formal study should include learning what is obligatory for outward and inward worship. One of our long-term goals at Kinza Academy is to provide our parents with the material necessary to give their children a traditional understanding of the obligatory Islamic sciences at home. We are presently working on revising some of the adult texts to make them more accessible to young adult minds.
Raising children in the West, we lack an Islamic environment where children learn about their religion naturally, and many families are relying upon the Islamic schools or mosques to fill this gap. At Kinza Academy, we believe relegating the teaching of religion to young children as part of a school curriculum may consequently lead the children to view Islam as a “school subject” and possibly even a boring subject, rather than as a natural “way of life.” To raise our children successfully in this culture, we must find a balance between “living” and “teaching” Islam. Children must be taught to love their God and love their Prophet, peace be upon him, as part of their upbringing. We must set a living example of Islam in the home for the child to really experience the pulse of Islam; this is something that cannot be found in a book. We have designed the curriculum to teach Islam as a "way of life" during the elementary years and to inculcate a love of God and His Prophet, peace be upon him in the hearts of Muslim children.
When the children are young it is important to read and tell them stories of the Prophets, stories from the Quran (not all Quran stories are appropriate for young children) and introduce different duas and hadiths to them that relate to their daily life. At the Academy, we offer books on Islam for each grade that can be read in the home and can be used to fill the children’s minds with wonderful stories from the Quran, and Seerah, as well as of Prophets, Sahaba, and other historical figures in Islamic history. With stories such as these, children are introduced to a world of men and women known for their honor, courage, knowledge, patience, diligence, humility, and kindness. They will learn to be proud of their Islamic heritage and also to strive towards modeling our Prophets, the men and women of the Quran, and the great men and women found in the history of Islam.
According to our Muslim scholars, traditionally the only subjects taught to young children were Quran and Arabic. It was not until they approached the age where prayer became obligatory that any formal study of the Islamic sciences was introduced.
We also provide Arabic language books, and the last two juz of the Quran for home study. Our recommendation of criteria for a Quran teacher should include not only knowledge of correct recitation (tajweed) but also one who loves children, knows how to treat them well, and is able to instill in them a love for the Quran. This love cannot be transmitted through multi-media study and multi-media learning may also be harmful to the developing minds of young children (for more on this subject, please read: Failure to Connect by Jane M. Healy). Parents who do not have a teacher available are encouraged to wait until a teacher can be found. It is more important to instill a love of the Quran in children during their early years than to focus on memorizing the Quran using a method that might prevent the child from learning to love the Quran.
It is also important to employ an Arabic teacher whose native tongue is Arabic, or someone who has mastered the correct pronunciation of the Arabic language. It is recommended to introduce your children to the Arabic language, either through the Quran or a language program before the age of ten so they will be able to develop the necessary muscles needed in speech to prevent a foreign accent from developing.
Beginning with second grade our program introduces a copybook, which contains 65 hadith on good vs. bad character. The emphasis is not on teaching the subject of hadith, but on teaching your children the knowledge to differentiate good character from bad character and to instill in them a love for the Prophet by exposing children to his wise teachings. These hadith are to be memorized over several years. In addition, children have the opportunity to improve their penmanship skills through our unique italics program, which also employ the hadith. Furthermore, we provide books on Islamic history, which correlates with the period of history being studied.
Every adult of sound mind must acquire basic knowledge of the Islamic sciences necessary for one to practice Islam correctly. As children approach adulthood, which is the age when prayer becomes obligatory (the age of puberty), the emphasis of teaching Islam as a “way of life,” should shift and begin to include the formal study of the Islamic sciences. This formal study should include learning what is obligatory for outward and inward worship. One of our long-term goals at Kinza Academy is to provide our parents with the material necessary to give their children a traditional understanding of the obligatory Islamic sciences at home. We are presently working on revising some of the adult texts to make them more accessible to young adult minds.
