“Bringing up our Young as

Muslims in the present age”

– its challenges and our
responsibilities”

Brief presentation by:

Ustaz Zhulkeflee Hj Ismail
Iftar Talk at Malabar Mosque Singapore
8 Oct 2005 / 5 Ramadan 1426

©ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005
 ‫‪REFLECTION‬‬

‫قات ِ ِهۦ وَلَ‬ ‫َ‬ ‫َ‬ ‫َ‬

‫َ‬
‫حق ّ ت ُ َ‬ ‫ه َ‬‫َ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫لل‬ ‫ٱ‬ ‫ْ‬ ‫قوا‬
‫ُ‬ ‫َ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ٱ‬ ‫ْ‬ ‫وا‬ ‫من‬
‫َ ُ‬ ‫َا‬
‫ء‬ ‫ن‬
‫َ‬ ‫ي‬‫ِ‬ ‫ذ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ل‬‫ٱ‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ہ‬
‫َ‬ ‫ي‬ ‫ي َ ٰ ٓأ ُّ‬
‫َ‬ ‫َ َّ‬
‫ن‬
‫مو َ‬‫مسۡل ِ ُ‬ ‫ُ‬ ‫ن إ ِل وَأنتُم ّ‬ ‫موت ُ ّ‬‫تَ ُ‬
‫)‪(Qur’an: Surah Aali Imran: 3: 102‬‬

‫‪2‬‬

‫‪©ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005‬‬
 REFLECTION

“O you who have attained to faith!

Be conscious of God with all the
consciousness that is due to Him, and
do not allow death to overtake you ere
you have surrendered yourselves unto
Him (Muslimun).”
(Qur’an: Surah Aali Imran: 3: 102)

©ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005
 ‫‪REFLECTION‬‬

‫َ‬ ‫َ‬ ‫َّ‬ ‫َ‬

‫سكمۡ وَأهۡلِيكمۡ نَا ً ۬را‬
‫ُ‬ ‫ُ‬ ‫ف َ‬ ‫ْ‬
‫منُوا قوٓا أن ُ‬‫ُ‬ ‫ْ‬ ‫ن ءَا َ‬ ‫َ‬ ‫ي‬‫ِ‬ ‫ذ‬ ‫ل‬‫ٱ‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ہ‬
‫َ‬ ‫ي‬ ‫ُ‬ ‫ي َ ٰ ٓأ ّ‬
‫مل َ ٰٓٮ ِٕك َ ٌ‬
‫ة‬ ‫جاَرة ُ عَلَيۡہَا َ‬ ‫ح َ‬ ‫س َوٱل ۡ ِ‬ ‫ُ‬ ‫وَقُودُهَا ٱ لنَّا‬
‫َ‬ ‫َّ‬ ‫َّ‬
‫مَرهُ ۡ‬
‫م‬ ‫ما أ َ‬‫ٓ‬ ‫ه َ‬ ‫ن ٱلل َ‬ ‫صو َ‬ ‫ُ‬ ‫ۡ‬
‫ع‬ ‫َ‬ ‫ي‬ ‫ل‬ ‫اد‬
‫ٌ‬ ‫۬‬ ‫َ‬ ‫د‬ ‫ش‬
‫ِ‬ ‫۬‬
‫ظ‬ ‫ٌ‬ ‫َ‬
‫ل‬ ‫ِغ‬
‫ن‬
‫مُرو َ‬ ‫ما يُؤۡ َ‬ ‫ن َ‬ ‫وَيَفۡعَلُو َ‬
‫)‪(Qur’an: Surah at-Tahrim: 66: 6‬‬

‫‪4‬‬

‫‪©ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005‬‬
 REFLECTION
“O you who have attained to faith!
Ward off from yourselves and those who are
close to you that fire (of the Hereafter) whose
fuel is human beings and stones, [lording]
over it are angelic powers awesome [and]
severe, who do not disobey Allah in whatever
He has commanded them, but [always] do
what they are bidden to do.”
(Qur’an: Surah at-Tahrim: 66: 6)

©ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005
 ‫‪REFLECTION‬‬

‫َّ‬
‫ماتِى لِلهِ‬‫م َُ‬‫محيَاىَ وَ َ‬ ‫سكِى وَ َ ۡ‬ ‫صَلتِى وَن ُ ُ‬ ‫ن َ‬ ‫قُلۡ إ ِ َّ‬
‫مرۡ ُ‬
‫ت‬ ‫كأ ِ‬ ‫ه‪ ‬ۥ‌ۖ وَب ِ َذٲل ِ َ‬‫ك لَ ُ‬‫شرِي َ‬ ‫ن َل َ‬
‫َ‬ ‫َ‬ ‫َ‬ ‫ب ٱلۡعَ ٰل َ ِ‬
‫مي‬ ‫َر ِّ‬
‫ن‬
‫مي َ‬‫مسۡل ِ ِ‬ ‫ل ٱلۡ ُ‬‫وَأنَا۟ أوّ ُ‬
‫َ‬
‫)‪(Qur’an: Surah al-An’am:6:162‬‬

‫‪6‬‬

‫‪©ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005‬‬
 REFLECTION
Say: ”Behold, my prayer, and [all] my
acts of worship, my living and my
dying are for God [alone], the Sustainer
of all the worlds, in whose divinity none
has a share: for thus have I been
bidden – and I shall [always] be
foremost among those who surrender
themselves to Him (Muslimeen).”
(Qur’an: Surah al-An’am:6:162)
7

©ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005
 ‫‪REFLECTION‬‬

‫و‬‫ُ‬
‫َ َ‬‫ه‬ ‫و‬ ‫ه‬
‫ُ‬ ‫ۡ‬ ‫من‬
‫ِ‬ ‫َ‬
‫ل‬ ‫َ‬ ‫ۡ‬
‫قب‬ ‫ُ‬ ‫ي‬ ‫ن‬ ‫َ‬ ‫ل‬‫َ‬ ‫ف‬ ‫ين‬
‫ا‬ ‫۬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫د‬ ‫سل ِ‬
‫م‬ ‫ٰ‬ ‫َ‬ ‫من ي َ ۡبتَِغ غَيَۡر ٱ ۡلإ ِ ۡ‬
‫وَ َ‬
‫َ‬
‫ن‬
‫سرِي َ‬ ‫خٰ ِ‬ ‫ن ٱلۡ َ‬ ‫م َ‬
‫خَرةِ ِ‬ ‫فِى ٱ ۡلأ ِ‬
‫)‪(Qur’an: Surah Aali Imran: 3: 85‬‬

‫‪8‬‬

‫‪©ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005‬‬
 REFLECTION

“For, if any one goes in search of a

religion other than al-Islam (self-
surrender and submission to Allah), it
will never be accepted from him, and in
the life to come he shall be among the
lost.”
(Qur’an: Surah Aali Imran: 3: 85)

©ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005
 REFLECTION

“Every child is born in a state of

Fitrah (pure innocence);
it is the parent that will make him
to be a Jew, or a Christian,
or a pagan (Majusi).”

(Hadith of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.)

10

©ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005
 STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT

 INFANT  Parents may already

 PRE-SCHOOL provide nurturing in
accordance with Islamic
traditions. Yet although
much time spent confined
at home, we must also
become aware of strong
influences through
exposures of the mass
media and our family
lifestyle and parental
behavior.
11

©ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005
 STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT
 Although some basic
knowledge of Islam may
 SCHOOLING PERIOD have been provided, yet
 EXPOSURE TO when they sent the
children to formal school,
TODAY’S “TEENS SUB- stress towards “academic
CULTURE” excellence” only and tend
to neglect the “Aqidah-
mic” element in their
education which must
continuously be
complimented in tandem
with their development
while in and throughout
their schooling age.
12

©ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005
 STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT
 With lesser contact-time
 EXPOSURE TO at home, and inadequate
TODAY’S “TEENS SUB- mentoring & monitoring
CULTURE” Islamically by parents,
their education becomes
“secularized”; children
may be left to peers and
media influences. Islamic
values may began to be
subsumed by negative
trends and sub-cultures
opposed to Islam. Some
may begin to have doubts
about Islam or even loose
their Muslim identity.
13

©ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005
 STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT
 At this level, our young
 COLLEGE & VARSITY – may become more
 NATIONAL SERVICE / independent (less attached
TASTE OF WORKING to family influence); their
LIFE idealism may lead them to
‘try out’, to adapt and
adopt values alien to Islam
itself.
 Serious crisis of identity
usually occur at this stage
– usually when they
become ‘worldly-wise’ but
unfortunately their
knowledge of Islam
stagnates at “kindergarten
or primary” level. 14

©ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005
 Is part-time Islamic classes
adequate?
 No, if approach to  No, if parents merely
learning Islam merely delegate tasks to
as subjects to be learnt teachers without they
rather than a lifestyle themselves
and character building. participating in child’s
 No, when learning holistic development,
does not conform to its and providing good role
systematic ways models.
according to tradition –  No, when their identity
fardh ‘ayn before as Muslims allowed to
kifaayah; and began be eroded by other
with eclectic before values and “idols” as
specialization. role models.”
15

©ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005
 Is Islamic education achieved by
integrating knowledge?
 Mere integration (formal school with Islamic
class) does not make it an Islamic education.
 It is only when the dominant worldview,
approach and philosophy is that of Islam; and
the conscious objective is of molding a
Islamic identity becomes the primary
concern.
 That it must proactively equip them to
discern between ‘haqq’ and ‘baatil’ when
learning from other systems.
 That the three primary ‘Tawhidic’
development of iiman, ‘amal and ihsan
continues to be nurtured.

16

©ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005
 Dilemma of the Present-day
Muslim…….
“…One can find in the Islamic world today a full
spectrum of people ranging from purely
traditional elements, through those who are
caught between traditional values and
modernism, to the blatant modernists who
nevertheless still move within the Islamic
orbit, and finally to the few who no longer
consider themselves to belong to the Islamic
universe at all.”

(Prof. Seyyed Hossein Nasr in book “Islam and the

Plight of Modern Man” published by Longman)
* I have underlined passage to highlight four types or categories of Muslims he has identified

17

©ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005
 WHAT IS THE ULTIMATE AIM & OBJECTIVE
OF A MUSLIM’S EDUCATION THAT WE
HOPE FOR OUR YOUNG?
WHAT KIND OF CURRICULUM AND
PROGRAM CAN WE INSTILL TO
COMPLEMENT THE CURRENT SYSTEM
WHICH WE NOW HAVE TO FACE
AND ADAPT – AND YET TO
REMAIN TRULY MUSLIM?

18

©ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005
 PERHAPS WE AS MUSLIM PARENTS
AND EDUCATORS SHOULD SERIOUSLY
UNDERTAKE A RE-APPRAISAL OR EVEN
RE-LEARNING OURSELVES ON WHAT
ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE ON
EDUCATION SHOULD BE.

19

©ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005
 We need to re-orientate our understanding on
Education
(seeking the Islamic perspective)….
 Knowing the problem.
 “Acknowledging the problem is half the
solution!” We have lamented how Muslims
today are backward in many areas and that
only through education we can hope to
extricate ourselves from this predicament.
Many suggestions are offered, but unless
we can identify correctly the problem,
whatever solutions offered may be
misplaced, irrelevant and sometimes may
even add to further confusion.
20

©ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005
 We need to re-orientate our understanding on
Education
(seeking the Islamic perspective)….
 Understanding terms commonly used
in Muslims Education.
 There are already many terms in Islamic
perspective (mostly Arabic) which Muslims
are familiar with, yet what it really means is
not adequately understood. We should
revisit and perhaps begin to learn the
profoundness of our Islamic heritage in the
learning culture. And from these we could
perhaps discern the inadequacy of what our
children currently are being exposed to and
begin to do something about it.
21

©ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005
 We need to re-orientate our understanding on
Education
(seeking the Islamic perspective)….
 Philosophy of Education.
 “Knowledge (and education) is never
neutral” It always has an underlying basis or
a philosophy stemming from a certain
worldview. Is our understanding of it
relevant to Islam? Thus as Muslims, we
need to check our understanding of this
from our own perspective as Muslims.
 Are we familiar with the Islamic terms
“tarbiyyah, ta’lim, ta’dib, irshad, tadris” ?

22

©ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005
 We need to re-orientate our understanding on
Education
(seeking the Islamic perspective)….
 Secularism and Islamization - What is
it all about?
 “Secularism” and “Islamization” have been
mentioned by many people. Yet what do
they actually mean? What is their
significance for Muslim in this contemporary
age where some people regard as the
imminently coming close to a “clash of
civilizations”? Yet, Muslims have
encountered other civilizations successfully
in the past. What principles did our
forebears apply so successfully?
23

©ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005
 We need to re-orientated our understanding on
Education
(seeking the Islamic perspective)….

 Adab (etiquette) in Education.

 In Islam, “Adab” is synonymous to the
concept of justice and has become the
basis for a Muslim’s development and
education. Yet today, Muslims may have
lost sight of this important element when
approaching education. What is Adab? And
why is it so important? And what is the
Adab for Muslims as students and as
educators?
24

©ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005
 REMEMBER ALWAYS

َّ
ۗ‌‫م‬
ُ ٰ َ ‫سل‬
ۡ ِ ‫ٱ ۡلإ‬ ِ‫عند َ ٱلله‬ َ ‫ٱلدِّي‬
ِ ‫ن‬ َّ ِ ‫إ‬
‫ن‬

(Qur’an: aali ‘Imran: 3 : 19)

19

25

©ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005
 REMEMBER ALWAYS

“The religion (the way of life

acceptable) in the sight of Allah is
only al-Islam”

(Qur’an: aali ‘Imran: 3 : 19)

19

26

©ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005
 ‫‪Our do’a‬‬

‫ن۬‬ ‫ۡ‬
‫عي‬ ‫من أَزۡ وٲ جنا وذ ُري َ ٰتِنا قَُرة َ أ َ‬ ‫ۡ‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ن‬‫َ‬ ‫َربَّنَا هَبۡ ل‬
‫ٍ‬ ‫ُ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫َ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫َ ِّ‬ ‫َ‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫َ‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫َ‬
‫ما‬
‫ما ً‬ ‫ن إِ َ‬
‫قي َ‬ ‫َوٱج ۡعَلۡنَا لِلۡ ُ‬
‫مت َّ ِ‬

‫) ‪(Qur ’an : al- Furqan: 25: 74‬‬

‫‪27‬‬

‫‪©ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005‬‬
 Our do’a

“Our Lor d ! Grant that our

spouses and our of fspri ng be
a joy to our eyes, and cause
us to be foremost amongst
those who ar e consci ous of
Thee! (as ‘ mut- taqqi n’) .”

(Qur ’an : al- Furqan: 25: 74 ) 28

©ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005
 ‫‪Our do’a‬‬

‫خط َ ۡأنَا‌ۚ َربَّنَا وََل‬ ‫سينَا ٓ أَوۡ أ َ ۡ‬ ‫خذۡنَا ٓ إِن ن َّ ِ‬ ‫َربَّنَا َل تُؤَا ِ‬
‫َّ‬
‫ن‬
‫َ‬ ‫ي‬‫ِ‬ ‫ذ‬ ‫ل‬‫ٱ‬ ‫ى‬‫َ‬ ‫ل‬ ‫َ‬ ‫ع‬ ‫ۥ‬ ‫ه‪ ‬‬
‫ُ‬ ‫َ‬ ‫ۡ‬
‫ملت‬ ‫َ‬ ‫ح‬
‫َ‬ ‫ما‬ ‫َ‬ ‫َ‬ ‫ك‬ ‫را‬ ‫۬‬ ‫ِ ً‬‫ۡ‬ ‫ص‬ ‫إ‬ ‫ٓ‬ ‫ا‬‫َ‬ ‫ن‬ ‫ۡ‬ ‫ي‬‫َ‬ ‫ملۡ عَل‬
‫تَحۡ ِ‬
‫ة لَنَا ب ِ ِهۦ‌ۖ‬ ‫ما َل طَاقَ َ‬ ‫ملۡ نَا َ‬ ‫ح ِّ‬ ‫من قَبۡلِنَا‌ۚ َربَّنَا وََل ت ُ َ‬ ‫ِ‬
‫مول َ ٰٮنَا‬‫ت َ ۡ‬ ‫ن‬ ‫فر لَنا وٱر ۡحمۡنا‌ ٓ‌ۚ أ َ‬ ‫ۡ‬ ‫ۡ‬ ‫غ‬‫ٱ‬‫و‬ ‫َ‬ ‫َوٱع ۡ ُ‬
‫َ‬ ‫َ َ‬ ‫َ‬ ‫َ‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫ف عَن ّ َ‬
‫ا‬
‫ن‬ ‫فرِي َ‬ ‫ۡڪ ٰ ِ‬ ‫قوم ِ ٱل َ‬ ‫صرۡنَا عَلَى ٱلۡ َ ۡ‬ ‫َٱفن ُ‬

‫)‪(Qu r’ an : a l-B aqara h : 2 86‬‬

‫‪29‬‬

‫‪©ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005‬‬
 Our do’a
“Ou r L ord ! Condemn u s not if we
fo rget o r fa ll i nto error; Our Lord !
Lay n ot on us a b urden li ke that
wh ich You d id l ay o n th ose befo re
us : Ou r L ord ! L ay n ot o n u s a
burd en greate r than we have
stre ngth to bear. B lot o ut our
sin s, A nd g rant us fo rgiveness,
Ha ve Merc y o n u s. You are o ur
protector : Help us a gain st the
unbeli evers.” 30

(Qu r’a n : a l-B aqarah : 286)

©ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005
 WaAllaahu a’lam

Was-salaa-mu
‘alaykum
waraHmatullaah
31

©ZhulkefleeHjIsmail2005