Using Questions in Education
the teacher needs to use many methods to attract the attention of his students. he has to seek different styles so that his students do not get used to one method, then by time it would not have the same influence because of boredom or familiarity.
asking questions in the middle of the lecture or conversation is one of these attracting methods. it helps in enticing the student and encouraging him to sharpen his brain. this is reflected in the following agreed-upon hadith:
1- the prophet muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “shall i not tell you the three greatest sins?” (repeating the question three times) they said. “indeed o messenger of allah.” he said, “associating partners with allah (shirk) and ill-treatment of parents.” he was leaning [when he mentioned that], and then sat up straight (as if he was alarmed) and said, “and bearing false witness.” [the narrator] said, “he continued to repeat this until we said [to ourselves], “if only he would stop.” [sahih al-bukhari, hadith no. 2511 & muslim, hadith no. 87] in the hadith, using shall i not as a method to question the listeners is to attract their attention and direct them to listen to what will be said and comprehend it carefully for the importance of the matter.
2- narrated abu-bakra: the prophet muhammad (peace be upon him) stated: “time has rotated as same as the first day on which the lord created the heavens and the earth. a year contains twelve months, four of them are sanctified. three are successive; dhu’l-qada, dhu’l-hijja and muharram. and the fourth is rajab which falls between jumada and shaban. which month is this?” “god and his apostle are the most knowledgeable,” we answered. the prophet paused for a considerable while that we thought he would call another name to that month.” is it not dhu’l-hijja?” asked the prophet. “yes, it is,’ we replied. “which land is this?’ asked he. “god and his apostle are the most knowledgeable,” we answered. the prophet paused for a considerable while that we thought he would call another name to it. “is it not al-balda?” asked the prophet. “yes, it is,” we replied. “which day is today?” asked the prophet. “god and his apostle are the most knowledgeable,” we answered. the prophet kept peace for a considerable while that we thought he would call another name to it. “is it not the nahr day?” asked the prophet. “yes, it is,” we answered. the prophet spoke, “your souls and estate and your honors are sanctified among you as same as the sanctification of this day in this month on this land. you shall meet your lord, and he shall examine your deeds. after me, return not to deviation by beheading each other. the witness should inform the absent. it may happen that an indirect receiver is being more committed than the direct.” [sahih al-bukhari, 5/126]
al-qurtubi said: the prophet (pbuh) inquired three times, and he kept silent after each question for a certain purpose. it was to attract their attention, involve them in the matter and to feel the greatness and importance of what he was going to tell them. this is why he said afterwards: “your souls and estate and your honors…” to strengthen the greatness and sanctity of these things.
3- imam bukhari and imam muslim narrated on the authority of abu huraira that the people said, "o allah's apostle! shall we see our lord on the day of resurrection?" the prophet (peace be upon him) said, "do you have any difficulty in seeing the moon on a full moon night?" they said, "no, o allah's apostle". he said, "do you have any difficulty in seeing the sun when there are no clouds?" they said, "no, o allah's apostle". he said, "so you will see him, like that."
we notice through the previous examples that the prophet muhammad (peace be upon him) did not call a certain person among listeners to give the answer, his questions were addressed to them all. this brings us to understand that the teacher should ask all students first, so that all of them are involved in finding the correct answer. also, the teacher should dedicate some time before he listens to answers, because the student’s mental abilities are different and irregular. some of them are quick-witted and some are a lot less mentally alert. this shows the error of some teachers who ask their children according to a list of names, or according to their seats in the classroom. some of them do not bother looking for an answer, because their teacher picks particular students to answer his questions. yet, it may happen that the teacher asks a certain student to awaken him, or to attract his attention, but this is another case.
it was narrated and authenticated that the prophet muhammad (peace be upon him) asked some of his companions about certain matters. it usually happened when the companion was along with the prophet (pbuh) as it was proved in mu’dh ibn-jabal hadith:
4- anas said, "the prophet, peace be upon him, was riding with mu'adh behind him. he said, 'mu'adh!' he replied, 'at your service, messenger of allah.' he said, 'mu'adh!' he replied, 'at your service, messenger of allah' (three times). then the prophet said, 'there is no one who testifies that there is no god but allah and that muhammad is the messenger of allah, sincerely from his heart, without allah making it unlawful for the fire to touch him.' mu'adh said, 'messenger of allah, shall i tell the people that so that they can rejoice?' he said, 'then they will rely on it.' mu'adh related it when he was dying, fearing to commit a wrong action [by concealing the knowledge]." [agreed upon]
summary:
1- inquiring and asking questions is an effective method in attracting the attention, sharpening the mind and preparing listeners to the next information.
2- inquiring might be at the beginning of the hadith or in the middle, according to the situation or subject discussed.
Splitting Subjects into Points
teachers rarely rely on this method of education. a few educators use this educational technique in lecturing their students or explaining subjects. the teacher should study the subject that he will discuss with students, then he should divide the content into stages, paragraphs or points. finally, he should teach these points to students. such method is very useful to students, because it enables them to gather all elements of the subject, memorize them and comprehend them quickly. for example, if the student forgets a piece of information, then in his mind he reviews the points and their number, this would help him recall the missing information. if we look through islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) books, we will find many kinds of divisions and subtitles such as duties, prohibitions and commands, etc. these divisions and splits were not reported from the prophet muhammad (peace be upon him), they were set by scholars and scientists to help students attain knowledge, understand it and memorize all points. the prophet (peace be upon him) used to do the same with his companions when he (pbuh) taught them a new thing.
1- narated by abu huraira: the prophet said, "seven (people) will be shaded by allah’s shade on the day of resurrection when there will be no shade except his shade. (they will be), a just ruler, a young man who has been brought up in the worship of allah, a man who remembers allah in seclusion and his eyes are then flooded with tears, a man whose heart is attached to mosques (offers his compulsory congregational prayers in the mosque), two men who love each other for allah's sake, a man who is called by a charming lady of noble birth to commit illegal sexual intercourse with her, and he says, 'i am afraid of allah,' and (finally), a man who gives in charity so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given."
2- narrated 'abdullah bin 'amr: the prophet said, "whoever has the following four (characteristics) will be a pure hypocrite and whoever has one of the following four characteristics will have one characteristic of hypocrisy unless and until he gives it up. whenever he is entrusted, he betrays. whenever he speaks, he tells a lie. whenever he makes a covenant, he proves treacherous. whenever he quarrels, he behaves in a very imprudent, evil and insulting manner." [volume 1, book 2, number 34]
the sirah (prophetic teachings) has many examples of this educational method. if we pursue more examples in the sirah (prophetic teachings), it might take a very long time. what we have mentioned above is enough and detailed. looking through the hadiths by the prophet muhammad (peace be upon him), this will show how the prophet mentioned the whole number then he divides it into splits, or he mentions the main point then he divides it into subdivisions. no doubt, this method is more appealing and organized. teachers should adopt this method if they want to make knowledge easier for their students.
summary:
1) splitting information into points helps students memorize information and keep them in mind.
2) this method requires accuracy and talent in delivering information.
3) when teachers adopt this method, it is preferred to follow summation then elaboration.
Repetition in Education
using repetition in education has many great values such as: confirming an important subject or an important ruling. it also helps awaken the drowsy and make students memorize faster. repetition should be thrice, it is something obvious in the hadiths (sayings) of the prophet muhammad (peace be upon him). ibn al-teen said: “repetition for three times clarifies the meaning the best way.” if we look through his statement, we will find that it is true. repetition might be needed more than three times, as it will be seen later in a saying by the prophet muhammad (pbuh). the words, sentences or names might be repeated by the prophet (pbuh), it might be other parts of speech. it depends on the important part that needs to be ascertained.
first: repetition of words:
1- anas ibn malik (may allah be pleased with him) said: “whenever the prophet spoke a sentence (said a thing), he used to repeat it thrice so that the people could understand it properly from him and whenever he asked permission to enter, (he knocked the door) thrice with greeting.” anas ibn malik also narrated: “allah’s apostle (peace be upon him) used to repeat the word thrice to be understood properly from him.”
safi ar-rahman al-mubarakfuri said: it means that the prophet (peace be upon him) repeated words thrice if needed because of the difficulty or oddity of the meaning, or because of the many number of listeners present. repeating the words without an aim does not reflect eloquence. al-bijoury said in al-shamel al-mohamadia: ibn malik’s saying “to be understood properly from him” is stated in the passive voice. it means to be comprehended by his listeners.
2- narrated abdur-rahman ibn abi-bakr from his father that the prophet (peace be upon him) said: “shall i not tell you the three greatest sins?” (repeating the question three times) they said. “indeed o messenger of allah.” he said, “associating partners with allah (shirk) and ill-treatment of parents.” he was leaning [when he mentioned that], and then sat up straight (as if he was alarmed) and said, “and bearing false witness.” [the narrator] said, “he continued to repeat this until we said [to ourselves], “if only he would stop.” [sahih al-bukhari, hadith no. 2511 & muslim, hadith no. 87] al-hafiz said: he repeated it thrice to attract the attention of listeners to understand the important of what he was going to say. as for the part about bearing false witness, it may be repeated more than three for the greatness of punishment involved in committing such a sin.
3- osama ibn-zayd ibn-haritha killed an idolater in battle after the latter had said: "there is no god but allah" (la ilaha illallah)." when news of this reached allah's apostle (peace be upon him) he condemned osama in the strongest terms and he said to him: "how can you kill him after he said la ilaha illallah?" he replied: "but he said it with the sword hanging over his head" the prophet (peace be upon him) said again: "how can you kill him after he said la ilaha illallah?" he replied: "o messenger of allah, he said it in dissimulation (taqiyyatan)." the prophet (pbuh) said: "did you split his heart open (to see)?" and he did not cease to reprove him until osama wished that he had not entered islam until after he had killed that man so that he might have been forgiven all his past sins through belief. [sahih al-bukhari and muslim] al-qurtubi said: repetition and refusal of accepting the excuse shows condemnation and inhibition of doing such an act.
first: repetition of names:
1 - anas said, "the prophet, peace be upon him, was riding with mu'adh behind him. he said, 'mu'adh!' he replied, 'at your service, messenger of allah.' he said, 'mu'adh!' he replied, 'at your service, messenger of allah' (three times). then the prophet said, 'there is no one who testifies that there is no god but allah and that muhammad is the messenger of allah, sincerely from his heart, without allah making it unlawful for the fire to touch him.' mu'adh said, 'messenger of allah, shall i tell the people that so that they can rejoice?' he said, 'then they will rely on it.' mu'adh related it when he was dying, fearing to commit a wrong action [by concealing the knowledge]." [agreed upon] in the hadith, the prophet (peace be upon him) called mu'adh ibn-jabal three times. the reason for this is to prepare ibn-jabal for the great news that he will hear from the prophet (peace be upon him). the importance of this statement is reflected in mu'adh’s questions, 'messenger of allah, shall i tell the people that so that they can rejoice?' this shows the importance of this matter and the criticalness of such news because they carry great tidings and rejoice to muslims. we can infer from the hadith that if the teacher wants to deliver some great news to one of his students, he should call him by the name thrice. then, he should deliver the news to him. the same applies to a group of students or people, the teacher can call their shared name such as saying “o students” three times, then to tell them the news.
summary
1) repetition for three times achieves the aim of attracting the attention of listeners. it may increase more than three times if needed.
2) repetition is a successful method of memorizing information and stressing important points.
3) repetition of the listener’s name helps him prepare for receiving the news.
Letting Students Infer the Answers
when the teacher lets his students infer answers on their own, this way he encourages them to think through and use their minds. this helps them adopt logical reasoning to deduce results. the greatest value of this thinking method is sharpening the mind and senses by employing them to find answers. this is a great achievement for students that will help them, not only in studying but also in their professional lives. when the teacher suggests a certain subject, he explains to them then he lets them decide or give the final conclusion. this subject may need an answer from students, and it may not yet it makes students use their brains positively. these are some example from the sunnah (prophetic teachings):
narrated abu dharr (may allah be pleased with him) that the prophet muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "every day the sun rises charity (sadaqah) is due on every joint of a person. to greet his brother is sadaqah, to promote for good is a sadaqah, to forbid vice is a sadaqah, to remove harm from the road is sadaqah, and in man's sexual intercourse (with his wife) there is a sadaqah. performing two rakas of dhoa prayer equalizes all these deeds.'' they (the companions) said: "o messenger of allah, is there reward for him who satisfies his sexual need among us?'' he said, "you see, if he were to satisfy it with something forbidden, would it not be a sin on his part?" [muslim, hadith no. 720]
the prophet’s question in the hadith, "you see, if he were to satisfy it with something forbidden, would it not be a sin on his part?" even though the answer is not given, yet listeners can conclude that satisfying desire in a permissible way in the frame of marriage is a sadaqah. is not that promoting and engaging the mind into thinking and analyzing?
in the two sahihs it is recorded from abu huraira that a man came to the prophet (peace be upon him) and said, "o messenger of allah! my wife has given birth to a black boy.'' the prophet said, do you have any camels? the man said, "yes.'' the prophet then asked, what color are they? the man said, "red.'' the prophet said, do any of them have patches of gray? the man said, "yes.'' the prophet asked him, how did this happen to them? the man replied, "it is probably an inherited genetical strain.'' the prophet then said, likewise, this (with your son) is probably an inherited genetical strain. [muslim, hadith no. 1500]
if we contemplate over the hadith, we can see how the prophet (pbuh) talked it over with him and approximated the matter till he answered him at the end, "likewise, this (with your son) is probably an inherited genetical strain." no doubt this dialogue method requires a talent from the teacher and good choice of topics and words. he should simplify and display the matter in details to students to visualize it by mentioning presumptions and conditions, etc.
summary:
1) the student should infer the answer on his own, which is a great method to sharpen and stimulate the mind.
2) the topic might require an answer from the student, and it might not.
3) this method requires talent from the teacher and good choice of topics.
4) the easier the topic suggested by the teacher, the more it fulfills the aim, namely reviving and activating the students’ minds. on the other hand, requiring an answer from students about a difficult and vague issue or question might cause an opposite result.
larifying Important Matters through Justification
some matters are difficult to understand or confusing to students, sometimes they cannot understand the reasons for it. at this point, the teacher needs to clarify to the student the difficult points by using justification or explanation. justification means to cite the reasons for a certain matter or ruling. it unfolds obscurities and confusion and this is why it gives relief and a sense of understanding. the difficult ruling that you know the reason for, can be absorbed and accepted more than the ruling that you are not aware of its reasons. this can be clarified in the following hadiths (prophetic sayings):
1- narrated abu huraira that the prophet (peace be upon him) said "if a house fly falls in the drink of anyone of you, he should dip it (in the drink), for one of its wings has a disease and the other has the cure for the disease." (sahih al-bukhari, volume 4, book 54, number 537) the prophet mentioned in the hadith the wisdom behind dipping the fly in the drink or vessel, he (pbuh) explained that one of its wings has the disease and the other has the cure. if the hadith did not mention the reason or explanation, it would have been a puzzle to listeners, but thankfully the prophet (peace be upon him) explained the reason for dipping the fly.
2- thabit ibn al-dahhaak (ra)1 said: “at the time of the messenger of allah (peace be upon him), a man vowed to sacrifice some camels in bawanah. he came to the messenger of allah (pbuh) and said, ‘i have vowed to sacrifice some camels in bawanah.’ the prophet muhammad (pbuh) said, ‘were there any idols there that were worshipped during the jahiliyah2?’ he said, ‘no.’ the prophet (pbuh) said ‘did they hold any of their holidays there?’ he said, ‘no.’ the messenger of allah (pbuh) said: ‘then fulfill your vow, for there is no fulfillment of any vow which involves disobeying allah (swt)3, or with regard to something that the son of adam does not own.’”· this clearly shows the prohibition of conducting ceremonies or islamic gatherings in areas where the disbelievers have used and were known by them to be used for worship and holidays. [narrated by abu dawoud in al-aymaan wal-nudhoor]
in the hadith, the man asked the prophet muhammad (peace be upon him) about his vow to sacrifice some camels in a place called bawanah. when the man mentioned this certain place, the prophet (pbuh) wondered about the reason for this place in particular. he asked the man whether it had any idols that polytheists used to worship in such place or whether any jahiliyah holidays were witnessed in this land. when both questions were answered with denial, it became evident to the prophet (peace be upon him) that there is no reason for the man not to fulfill his vow, as long as it conforms to the islamic belief. the prophet muhammad (pbuh) permitted the man to fulfill his vow then he explained it saying ‘no fulfillment of any vow which involves disobeying allah ’. this means that if a vow involved disobeying allah or doing something atheistic that polytheists used to do in jahiliyah times. dear brothers and sisters, you can see how the explanation of the prophet (pbuh) came after he asked the man the two above mentioned questions. if he (pbuh) did not explain the reasons why he asked the questions, any person might have asked about the wisdom behind the prophet’s questions concerning the place. so, the prophet’s explanation at the end clarified the reasons for questions about this place.
summary:
1) justification and explanation clarify any difficulties or obscurities facing students.
2) justification and explanation reassures and gives relief as it approximates the meaning to the mind and unfolds any mysteries. it puts the mind at ease. so, explanation help ascertain information in the minds of students.
Using Drawings for Clarification and Illustration
teachers need supporting methods to help them convey information in a better and easier way to students. blackboard, chalkboard or any kind of board is one of these methods; the teacher is able to support his elucidation with writing on drawing on boards. to understand it more, you may compare a teacher who writes, explains and draws on the board and a teacher who only delivers information orally. the first kind of teacher can express and convey the meaning better and easier than the second. this is something that does not need any evidence. the first teacher of humanity, the prophet muhammad (peace be upon him), preceded the modern education with 14 centuries. he supported his teachings and sayings with drawings that approximated meanings to the minds of his listeners. it also helped them memorize his hadiths (prophetic sayings) such as:
1- narrated abdullah ibn mas'oud: the prophet (peace be upon him) drew a square and then drew a line in the middle of it and let it extend outside the square and then drew several small lines attached to that central line, and said, "this is the human being, and this, (the square) in his lease of life, encircles him from all sides (or has encircled him), and this (line), which is outside (the square), is his hope, and these small lines are the calamities and troubles (which may befall him), and if one misses him, another will snap (i.e. overtake) him, and if the other misses him, a third will snap (i.e. overtake) him." [al-bukhari]
2- narrated abdullah ibn mas'oud: allah’s apostle (peace be upon him) drew a line for them one day and then said “this is allah’s path”, then he drew several lines (branching off) to the right and to the left and said, “these are the paths (of misguidance) on each of which is a devil inviting people to follow it.” and then he recited (the verse) “verily this is my path, leading straight, so follow it. and do not follow the (other) paths for they will scatter you about from (allah’s) path.” [al-'an'aam: 153] [authenticated by ahmad shaakir in al-musnad vol.6 no. 4142]
we may add a few other points such as:
1) the teacher should pay attention to the clarity of the written or drawn content on the board.
2) he should be sure that all students can see the written or drawn content and remove any obstacles on the way.
3) the teacher should use different colors to attract the student’s attention.
summary:
1) supporting illustration with drawings and writings intensify the meaning greatly and approximate it to minds.
2) using drawings and writings on boards along with explanation all help in delivering the information quickly and concisely.
3) drawings and writings should be clear and obvious to all students, by removing any obstacles or barriers that might hinder the vision.
Using Gestures of the Hands and Head in Education
the teacher uses gestures of the head and hands a lot while he is lecturing his students. it is natural to do so for any speaker, no matter what the subject is. is there a way to employ such gestures in favor of education? the answer is yes. if you ask how, then please read the following lines:
the student’s eyes follow the movement and stillness of the teacher. this is why he gets effected by the emotions the teacher shows. he is influenced by the movement of the hands and head. the teacher can make use of these movements and gestures in a number of things such as:
first: clarifying and confirming the speech. this can be seen in the hadith narrated by jabir (ra)1 about hajjatul-wida (the farewell pilgrimage) of the prophet muhammad (peace be upon him):
jabir (ra) said: "we did not have any other intention but that of hajj only, being unaware of the 'umrah, but when we came with him to the house (of allah), he touched the black stone (hajar al aswad) and made seven circuits, running three of them and walking four. then going to the station of ibrahim, he recited: "and adopt the station of ibrahim as a place of prayer.'' (al baqarah: 125) he stood at a place where the station (of ibrahim) was between him and the house. there he prayed two rak'ahs reciting surah al-lkhlas, and surah al-kafirun. he then returned to the black stone (hajar al aslwad) and kissed it. then he went out of the gate to safa, and as he approached it he recited: "al-safa and al-marwah are among the signs appointed by allah." (al baqarah: 15) he added: i begin with what allah began. he first mounted safa until he saw the house, and facing qiblah he declared the oneness of allah (swt)2 and glorified him and said: la ilaha illa allah wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul mulk wa lahul hamd, wa huwa 'ala kulli sha'in qadeer, la ilaha illallahu wahdahu sadaqa wa'dahu, wa nasara 'abdahu, wa hazamal ahzaba wahdah (there is no god but allah, one, he has no partner. his is the sovereignty, to him praise is due, and he is powerful over everything. there is no god but allah alone, who fulfilled his promise, helped his servant and routed the confederates alone").
he said these words three times making supplications in between. he then descended and walked towards marwah, and when his feet touched the bottom of the valley, he ran; and when he began to ascend, he walked till he reached marwah. there he did as he had done at safa.
"when it was his last round of marwah he said: 'if i had known beforehand what i have come to know afterwards, i would not have brought sacrificial animals and would have offered it as an 'umrah. so, he among you who has not the sacrificial animals with him should put off ihram and treat it as an 'umrah. suraqa ibn malik ibn ju'tham got up and said, 'messenger of allah, does it apply to the present year, or does it apply forever? thereupon the messenger of allah (peace be upon him) intertwined the fingers (of one hand) into another and said twice: 'the 'umrah has become incorporated in the hajj,' (adding): 'no, but forever and ever.' [sahih muslim]
now back to our point, which is using gestures to ascertain the teacher’s point. reading through the hadith, when suraqa ibn malik ibn ju'tham asked the prophet (pbuh), he intertwined the fingers of one hand into another and then he replied to confirm that this ruling is forever. using this gesture also shows the correlation between hajj and 'umrah.
2- narrated abu hurairah (ra): allah’s apostle (peace be upon him) talked about friday and said: 'there is an hour on friday and if a muslim gets it while offering salat (prayer) and asks something from allah (swt), then allah (swt) will definitely meet his demand.' and he, the prophet peace be upon him, pointed out the shortness of that particular time with his hands. [sahih al-bukhari and muslim] reading the haidth, it is clear that his hand gesture added a new meaning which the shortness of this hour compared to the great reward. this is a blessing and bounty from almighty allah. al-zain ibn al-munir said: “the shortness gesture is to encourage muslims to witness this hour, for its shortness and abundance of its reward.”
second: attracting the attention and ascertaining the meanings in the mind.
1- in the previous hadith narrated by jabir ibn abdullah (ra), the prophet (peace be upon him) addressed the people in namirah in the day of arfah. he told them great and important teachings and issues in his sermon during the farewell pilgrimage. when he finished, he said to them: ‘and you would be asked by allah about me so what would you say?’ the companions replied, with one voice, ‘we testify that you have conveyed the message and fulfilled your mission.’ the prophet (peace be upon him) then raised his forefinger towards the sky and said thrice, ‘o allah, be witness.’ [sahih muslim] the prophet (pbuh) raised his finger to the sky, then he pointed at them, this is to attract the attention of muslims to a great matter. it is to teach them the seriousness and immense value of testimony.
2- 'abu'l-'aliyat al-bara reported: ibn ziyad delayed the prayer. 'abdullah ibn samit came to me and i placed a chair for him and he sat on it and i made a mention of what ibn ziyad had done. he bit his lips (as a sign of extreme anger and annoyance) and struck at my thigh and said: i asked abu dharr as you have asked me, and he struck my thigh just as i have struck your thigh, and said: i asked the messenger of allah (peace be upon him) as you have asked me and he struck my thigh just as i have struck your thigh, and he (the prophet) said: ‘observe prayer at its prescribed time, and if you observe prayer along with them, do so, and do not say, i did pray and so i shall not pray.’ [muslim] in the explanation of sahih muslim, it is mentioned that saying “he struck my thigh” to raise the attention and provoke others to listen.
third: giving the meaning in short direct words. this can be seen in the hadith narrated by ibn abbas:
the prophet (peace be upon him) said, "i have been ordered to prostrate on seven bodily parts: the forehead and he pointed to his nose, the hands, the knees and the toes of both feet." [al-bukhari and muslim] can’t you see my dear brothers and sisters how he (pbuh) said “i have been ordered to prostrate on seven bodily parts” then he said the forehead and then he pointed to his nose, because it shows that the nose is attributed to the forehead. it is like they are both one part. it is also an excellent abbreviation, because the prophet (peace be upon him) pointed to the nose without mentioning it. if he didn’t point to the nose, he would have mentioned it in the hadith saying ‘the forehead and the nose’. but, when he pointed at it, he passed on mentioning them in words and allah knows best.
2- narrated abu huraira (ra) that the prophet (peace be upon him) said, "(religious) knowledge will be taken away, ignorance (in religion) and afflictions will appear; and “harj” will increase." it was asked, "what is “harj”, o allah's apostle?" he replied by beckoning with his hand indicating "killing." [sahih al-bukhari]
summary:
1) employing gestures of the hands and the head in education.
2) gestures help the teacher shorten and abbreviate the meaning, by making it concise and to the point. it also helps ascertain the speech and establish some important matters or attract the attention of listeners. it enables the teacher to express some meanings which are hard to explain in words.
3) there are gestures that give many meanings, we are familiar with them by habit like the sign of asking to stay silent, asking to come or leave and the sign of denial etc.
4) yet, we have to know that exaggeration in using the hands is annoying to students, and vice versa, if the teacher does not use his hands to explain his point, he might need additional methods to clarify some points. so, gestures should be used in a balanced way, without exaggeration or diminish.
Raising Curiosity and Excitement in Education
the method of raising curiosity, excitement and suspense is the first mean to catch the attention, sharpen the mind and awaken the soul. the human soul looks forward to knowing new things. when the teacher raises the curiosity of students, this makes them search and investigate with eagerness to know more enlightening information. this is reflected in the hadith (prophetic saying) which is narrated by abu said bin al-mu'alla (ra):
1- while i was praying in the mosque, allah's apostle called me but i did not respond to him. later i said, "o allah's apostle! i was praying." he said, "didn't allah say'--"give your response to allah (by obeying him) and to his apostle when he calls you." (8.24) he then said to me, "i will teach you a sura which is the greatest sura in the qur'an, before you leave the mosque." then he got hold of my hand, and when he intended to leave (the mosque), i said to him, "didn't you say to me, 'i will teach you a sura which is the greatest sura in the qur'an?' he said, "al-hamdu-lillah rabbi-l-alamin (i.e. praise be to allah, the lord of the worlds) which is al-sab'a al-mathani (i.e. seven repeatedly recited verses) and the grand qur'an which has been given to me." [sahih bukhari, volume 6, book 61, number 528]
in the hadith, it is obvious that abu said bin al-mu'alla was eager to know the greatest sura in the qur'an. he could not wait or give the prophet the chance to walk out of the mosque; instead he asked him quickly "didn't you say to me, 'i will teach you a sura which is the greatest sura in the qur'an?'"
2- narrated abu huraira that the prophet muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "gather because i will read one third of the qur'an to you." people gathered, and then the prophet (pbuh) came out and recited: "say, he is allah, the only one." (surat al-ikhlas). then the prophet (pbuh) stepped inside. so, muslims talked to each other saying that it must be a divine revelation from heaven that made him enter. then the prophet (pbuh) came out and said: "i told you i will read one third of the qur'an because al-ikhlas equals one third of the qur'an." (sahih muslim) so, what the prophet (pbuh) said to them had such a strong effect on them to raise their curiosity to listen to one third of the qur'an from the prophet (peace and blessings of allah be upon him). the method of telling them the merit of surat al-ikhlas made them listen carefully and anxiously for what was said. the whole story reflects the status of surat al-khlas and reading the qur'an. the companions’ eagerness to listen to one third of the qur'an from the prophet intensified their attention to the merit of surat al-ikhlas.
also, using the word "gather" by the prophet muhammad (peace be upon him) and then stepping inside and coming out again. this technique enhances the importance of what he was telling them and establishes the situation in the minds of the companions to absorb the meaning and lessons.
3- anas ibn malik (ra) reported that he and other companions were sitting with the prophet (peace be upon him), who said: "a man from the people of paradise will enter now." and a man from al-ansar entered, with his beard dripping with water from wudhu (ablution), and holding his sandals in his left hand. the following day, the prophet (pbuh) said the same thing and the same man entered. on the third day, the prophet (pbuh) again repeated his statement and the same man entered with water dripping and holding his sandals. when the prophet (pbuh) left, abdullah ibn amr ibn al-as (ra) followed the man and said: 'i quarreled with my father and i swore i would not go to him for three days and nights. would you shelter me for these days?' the man replied: 'yes.' anas said: 'abdullah said that he stayed with this man for three nights and he did not see him praying at night, but every time he moved and changed position in bed he would remember allah saying, 'allahu akbar' until salat-ul-fajr." abdullah said: 'i didn't hear anything from him but good. when the three nights had passed i said: 'o slave of allah! i really didn't abandon my father nor was i angry with him. but, i heard the apostle of allah speaking of you on three separate occasions, the prophet had said that a man from the people of paradise would enter, and you were the one to enter on all the three times. so, i wanted to stay with you to see what you do so that i could follow you. but i have not seen you doing much. so what is that you do that makes allah's apostle (peace be upon him) say what he had said?' the man replied: 'it is nothing more than what you saw.' when it was time to leave, he called me back and said: 'yes, it is nothing more than what you saw, except that i have no place in myself for ill-intentions or hasad (envy) towards any muslim and what allah has given them.' abdullah said: 'this is what has made you deserving of the praise and this is what we cannot do." [musnad ahmad].
in the story, the motive of abdullah ibn amr ibn al-as (ra) to follow the man to know the reason for the prophet (pbuh) to say three times about this man: "a man from the people of paradise will enter now." the method of excitement and suspense is quite clear in the story.
summary:
1) using the excitement and suspense method is the strongest motive for education, research and investigation.
2) the teacher has to consider that the terms and words used in this method have to lead to an endearing and captive meaning to the soul.
such as what the prophet muhammad (peace be upon him) said in the three situations: "i will teach you a sura which is the greatest sura in the qur'an, before you leave the mosque," "gather because i will read one third of the qur'an to you.” and finally, "a man from the people of paradise will enter now" three times.
3) the more excitement used in the hadith, the stronger the motives of listeners to learn the lessons included.
Giving Examples in Education
the teacher needs a method through which he can clarify complicated subjects and topics to his students. he might face some difficulties in expressing information to the mind of the listener or delivering his message to him. this is why he needs another method to enable him to reach his educational goal and broaden the horizon of his students to learn difficult matters with ease and clarity. some of these methods are similitudes or giving examples. an example semantically means a form of speech that helps clarify and visualize the meaning. the example is an illustration through which meanings become clearer and effective. it is also a representative or description of the complex meaning. the noble qur’an is filled with examples and similes; they are mentioned for clarification such as: “have you not seen how allah has struck a similitude? a good word is as a good tree: its root is firm and its branch is in the heaven. it brings its crop every season (literally: every while) by the permission of its lord; and allah strikes similitudes to mankind that possibly they would remind themselves. and the similitude of a wicked word is as a wicked tree: uprooted from above the earth; in no way does it have any stability.” (ibrahim: 24-26) ibn abbas said: “the part of the verse ‘have you not seen how allah has struck a similitude? a good word is as a good tree’ exemplifies the believer as the good tree. the firm root in the earth and the branch in the sky illustrates the good deeds accomplished by the believer. his good deeds and utterances are done on earth but they rich the sky.” so his good work, the root, reaches the sky like a tree extended from the soil to the sky through the branches.
about the verse, “allah strikes similitudes to mankind that possibly they would remind themselves.” ash-shokani said: “striking similitudes or exemplifying to people increases remembering, realizing and illustrating meanings.” ibn as saadi said: “exemplifying approximates mental meanings to tangible examples. using them clarifies the meaning that almighty allah addresses to people. it becomes clear and apparent. this reflects the mercy of almighty allah and the perfection of his explanation. so, thanks to almighty allah for his mercy.” abu bakr aj-jaza'iri said: “part of the guidance of these verses is the approbation of using examples to approximate the meanings to minds.”
the teacher of humanity prophet muhammad (peace be upon him) mentioned examples and similitudes in his prophetic teachings and sayings because he knew the power of examples, similes and figures of speech in general in visualizing the meaning and clarifying the content such as the following:
1- narrated abu musa al-ash'ari: the prophet muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "the example of a believer who recites the qur'an, is that of a citron which smells good and tastes good; and the example of a believer who does not recite the qur'an, is that of a date which has no smell but tastes sweet; and the example of a hypocrite who recites the qur'an, is that of an aromatic plant which smells good but tastes bitter; and the example of a hypocrite who does not recite the qur'an, is that of a colocynth plant which has no smell and is bitter in taste." (al-bukhari and muslim) my dear brother, think over this great detailed exemplification. then, concentrate on the effect of exemplification in clarifying the truth of a believer and a hypocrite who read the qur’an in comparison to their counterparts who do not read the qur’an.
2- imam ahmad recorded in his musnad that an-nawwas bin sam'an said that the prophet (peace be upon him) said, “allah has set an example: a sirat (straight path) that is surrounded by two walls on both sides, with several open doors within the walls covered with curtains. there is a caller on the gate of the sirat who heralds, 'o people! stay on the path and do not deviate from it.' meanwhile, a caller from above the path is also warning any person who wants to open any of these doors, 'woe unto you! do not open it, for if you open it you will pass through.' the straight path is islam, the two walls are allah's set limits, while the doors resemble what allah has prohibited. the caller on the gate of the sirat is the book of allah, while the caller above the sirat is allah's admonishment in the heart of every muslim.”
3- narrated abu huraira (ra) that the prophet muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “i and the prophets before me are like a man who built a home and made it wonderful and beautiful, except in a place of a one piece of adobe at its corner. people would go around it and get amazed of its beauty and say, “would not that adobe be put in its place?” i am this adobe; and i am the seal of prophets.” (al-bukhari, chapter of manaqeb, hadith 3535) ibn hajar said: “the prophet (pbuh) likened the prophets and the guidance they taught to people to a home founded and built. there is nothing left except for an adobe to be put in its place, and then the house will be perfect.” then he added: “in the hadith, examples and similes are used to convey the meaning to people’s minds. it also shows the status and bounty of the prophet muhammad (peace be upon him) in comparison to other prophets, for he is the seal of prophets and the message he spread to people, namely islam, is the final and completion of all previous monotheistic messages calling for tawhid, or the oneness of the creator.
summary:
1) striking similitudes and exemplifying is a good method of conveying meanings and ideas.
2) the teacher may use examples and comparisons when he is explaining a difficult subject, so he uses similes to simplify matters and make them easy to absorb.
the benefit of using similes and examples depends on the skill of the teacher in portraying the example in a way that conforms to the idea he wants to clarify.
Teaching by Narrating Stories
the story has an amazing ability to attract the attention and senses of listeners to the storyteller, because it is pleasant and likable to the human spirit. it tells listeners about the events, life stories and funny incidents of the past. also, the story stays in people’s minds for a long time; in fact humans hardly forget any stories they hear. this is why, almighty allah mentions stories and events in the qur’an because they inspire, empower and teach people by making them familiar with the incidents of the past, they also keep a record of history.
the noble qur’an does not relate these stories only for entertainment, contemplating over these stories leads to understanding a lot of monotheism rules and guidance to the oneness of allah. they also reveal allah’s decrees upon his servants. some of the verses that tell a story like surat yusuf establishes jurisdiction rulings such as the verse: “we are missing the king’s tumbler; and whoever comes up with it shall have a camel’s burden; and for that i am a (sure) guarantor.” (yusuf: 72) from the verse, we can conclude two jurisdiction rulings: jua’lah (a reward for the accomplishment of a specific task) from “whoever comes up with it shall have a camel’s burden” and kafala (sponsorship) from “and for that i am a (sure) guarantor”.
through this we learn that stories have an important role in teaching and educating people. the prophet muhammad (peace be upon him) used to tell stories to his companions (ra) and muslims in general to teach, educate and illuminate them. these are some examples of situations in which prophet muhammad (pbuh) used stories:
1- khabab ibn al art narrated: “we complained to allah’s apostle (peace be upon him) about our state when he was leaning against his sheet cloak in the shade of kaaba. we said, “will you ask allah to help us? will you invoke allah for us?” he said: “among those who were before you, a believer used to be seized and a pit used to be dug for him and then he used to be placed in it. then a saw used to be brought and put on his head, which would be cut into two. his flesh might be combed with iron combs and removed from his bones, yet all this did not cause him to revert from his religion. by allah this religion (islam) will be completed (and triumph) until a rider (traveler) goes from san’a (the capital of yemen) to hadramout fearing nobody except allah and the wolf which could trouble his sheep, but you are impatient.” (sahih bukhari, volume 9, book 85, number 76)
in the story that the prophet (peace be upon him) told, there are some teachings and moralities that can only be understood by thinkers and those who work their brains. we can learn that torturing believers at the beginning of any religion was the norm. it also teaches us that believers from old nations were firm and determined about their faith in the oneness of allah. nothing stopped them from hanging to their faith, even if it means torture and sacrificing their lives. the prophet’s story also teaches believers about the future, when the prophet (peace be upon him) told them about the spreading of islam and that muslims will be secure and safe. it also teaches us the advantage of patience and disadvantage of hastiness and impatience when he (pbuh) said: “but you are impatient”.
using stories in the sunnah (prophetic teachings) are many, we cannot mention them all to avoid prolongation but we will give some hints to the most famous of them. some of these stories are (the blind, the leper, and the bald), whom the king came to meet them, also the story of the three who entered a cave and a big rock blocked their way out, and the story of the prophet moses (peace be upon him) with al-khidr, in addition to many other narrations in the sunnah and the glorious qur’an.
the priority of the teacher is not to narrate the story; rather he should focus on the knowledge and moral lessons implied in the story. he also has to clarify the benefits of the story to the listeners and state the religious rulings included in case there are any etc.
summary:
1) human souls prefer to listen to stories because they have an exceptional effect in attracting listeners’ attention and this is why they can memorize the story quickly.
2) stories have a great effect on the behaviors of students, especially if they are real, relevant to our daily life and related to important issues.
3) stories are an important method of teaching. we should pay more attention to this method and incorporate it in our educational system.
