Bismillahirrahmanirrahim...
Assalammualaikum Warahmatullah
In the name of Allah, the MOST GRACIOUS and LOVING
“Assalammualaikum teacher...”
“Teacher..teacher...”
The sound of those timid, innocent greetings early in the morning really made my day...
There is nothing that can replace the joy of being called ‘teacher’ by ‘your’ own students. Fortunately, I got to experience all that when I was doing my School Based Experience (SBE). I chose my primary school to do my SBE and it was the best experience I had so far. I spent 5 days in the school as a trainee teacher, observing, went to classes and participating in the events held. Those experiences really mean the world for me.
Stepping my foot there after 8 years as a trainee teacher, not as a student really make a big difference. When I walked in and met my former teacher for the first time in 8 years,they hugged me and said how they were very proud of me and that made me felt delighted and content inside.
I feel very thankful to Allah S.W.T for giving me the chance to be what I am today. I am what I am now because of Allah, my prophet Muhammad, my parents and my teachers.
However, there are some things that I started to notice while doing my SBE. It happened when I was observing the classes. When it was time for English lesson, the teacher who practices Islam excluded Islam in their lesson. There are lots of practices and activities carried out in the subject (influenced by the Western culture) do not synchronize with Islamic practices...
Why is this so?
Nowadays, there are lots of people sees English as one form of entertainment. When they heard the word ‘English’, the dancing, singing, and seeking pleasure are the pictures they had in mind. Totally contradict with Islam. People often misunderstood that the English or any other subjects/knowledge they learn in their lives is not linked with Islam. They exclude Islam when learning other subjects except for Islamic Education whereas in reality, every subject/ knowledge is actually related to Islam.
Islam is not only focused on Islamic Education. People have to know and understand that one of the elements in Islam is ‘syumuliah’ – (total, covering the whole aspect). Whether it is Science, Mathematics, or even Arts, the concept of learning those subjects remain the same, grounded on Islam.
For example, if one learns science ( according to the text books)- reproduction, one would know the process of man’s creation in a scientific way. Whereas, in Al- Quran, Allah has stated the creation of man, far before the human discover about it.
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِن كُنتُمْ فِي رَيْبٍ مِّنَ الْبَعْثِ فَإِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ ثُمَّ مِنْ عَلَقَةٍ ثُمَّ مِن مُّضْغَةٍ مُّخَلَّقَةٍ وَغَيْرِ مُخَلَّقَةٍ لِّنُبَيِّنَ لَكُمْ وَنُقِرُّ فِي الْأَرْحَامِ مَا نَشَاء إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى) ( الح 5
“O mankind! If ye have a doubt about the Recreation (consider) that We created you out of dust, then out of sperm, then out of a leech-like clot, then out of a chewed-like lump of flesh, formed and unformed, in order that We may manifest (Our power) to you; and We cause whom We will to rest in the wombs for an appointed term.” (22: 5)
Allah knows best! One could not break up Islam from any other aspects. Therefore, learning English (although it came from Western) or any other subjects (seeking knowledge) is not wrong as long as it grounded on Islam.
However, I felt some kind of disappointment when I saw the lessons-the way it was conducted. I remembered back when I was in form 4 and form 5, my English teacher did not separate Islam’s elements in her teaching. The way that she dressed herself, covered her ‘aurat’ completely, and the way she conducted her class, following the principles of Islam really captivated me. She always preserved the interactions in class, the relationship/ the contact between boys and girls. In fact, she was one of the reasons, I became attracted to the language.
She made me believe that ‘ it does not matter the language or the subject you learn, it is the way you learned the subject (inserting Islamic principles)and practiced it that counts’.
