The New Hijri Year in Madinah Al-Munawwarah
About the Writer
Juman Abdullah Jilani is a PhD researcher specializing in Tafsir (Qur’anic interpretation) and Quranic sciences.
About the Implementation Story
I have always loved instilling the story of the Prophet’s migration (hijrah) in the minds of children, as it helps instill faith, pride in Islam, and Islamic identity, especially during the Christmas and New Year celebrations when children are dazzled by what they see of decorations and colors and what they hear of stories and myths, which may negatively affect their faith. Hence, I decided to start with myself and use what I learned in FIRST’s learning journeys to facilitate my relatives’ learning. Consequently, I designed an Active Deep Learner eXperience targeting 10-13 male and female children from the family. I made my grandmother’s house in Madinah Al-Munawwarah the place for my learning journey and designed a learning session entitled “The New Hijri Year”, with a set of attitude, skills, and knowledge learning outcomes:
Main Learning Outcomes
Attitude Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the session, the learner will be able to:
- Feel the importance of adhering to Islamic faith
- Appreciate Islamic occasions and express joy
- Feel the sacrifice made by the Ansar
Skills Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the session, the learner will be able to:
- Differentiate between rituals associated with Muslim and non-Muslims holidays
- Read “Surat Quraish” correctly
Knowledge Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the session, the learner will be able to:
- List the events of the Hijrah (Prophet’s migration)
- Narrate what the Quraish infidels did to harm the Muslims
- Tell how the Ansar gave up their possessions
- List the holidays of Muslims and non-Muslims
Implementation Story
The Sequence of Activities
Inspired by what I eXperienced in FIRST’s learning journeys, I began my journey with a pre-opener aimed at breaking the ice and preparing the children for the activities that followed. I shared the Nasheed “TaLa’a Al-Badr ‘Alayna” (The moon has risen upon us) and repeated it with them until the children memorized the first two verses. Then, I invited the children to form a circle and sit on the ground, and we began a dialogue about the Hijrah (Prophet’s migration). The opener was a set of stimulating questions that called for reflective thinking and retrieval of prior knowledge about the Hijrah. The questions progressed as follows:
What is special about this month?
Why did the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) migrate from Mecca to Medina?
Why did the Quraish infidels harm the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the migrants?
Who will read Surat Quraish for us since we are talking about the Quraish tribe?
The First Learning Activity
After that, we eXperienced the first learning activity, which was titled “Hijri Year Occasions.” I prepared the children for the activity in the ” Readiness Increase” stage by asking them questions such as: “Is Arafat Day for Muslims?” “Is Eid al-Fitr for Muslims?” “Is Halloween for Muslims?” They would answer yes or no. I deliberately mixed questions about our Islamic holidays with holidays of other religions to make sure that the difference was clear in their minds and that they were able to distinguish between Muslim holidays and non-Muslim holidays.
In the “Activity Facilitation” stage, I began by narrating the story of the Muhajireen (migrants) and the Ansar (the Helpers) and how the Prophet established brotherhood between them after his migration. I would stop the narration from time to time to ask questions about the events to check their understanding and correct any misconceptions if necessary. In the “Reviewing Actively” stage, I drew out the sequence of events, lessons, and morals learned from them.
The Second Learning Activity: “Be an Ansari”
In addition to the “Hijri Year Occasions” activity, I also facilitated another learning activity titled “Be an Ansari.” The idea behind this activity was for the children to give up something they own completely, in imitation of the Ansar (the Helpers), may Allah be pleased with them, who “prefer others over themselves even though they are themselves in need.”
In the ” Readiness Increase” stage, I invited the children to give up something they love, in imitation of the Companions of the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with them. In the “Activity Facilitation” stage, I encouraged them to give up their belongings, and I collected several items from them in a box. In the ” Reviewing Actively” stage, I pulled their feelings and how difficult it was to give up what belonged to them, and how they were encouraged to see others give up what they owned. Of course, I returned the items to their owners, but only after I realized that the learning outcomes of the activity had been achieved and that they had experienced a situation similar to what the Ansar had experienced.
The Closure
As a closing activity, I distributed basil and palm branches to the children. We recited the song “TaLa’a Al-Badr ‘Alayna” (The moon has risen upon us) together in front of my beloved grandmother Houriya, and the girls began to beat the tambourine with the melody of the song.
Praise be to God, the best of praises. Despite the simplicity of the meeting, it was successful and impactful, as it took place in a warm family gathering.
Implementing the Domains of FIRST-ADLX
I took a series of steps to ensure that I was effectively applying the domains of the framework.
Domain 1: Focusing on the Learner
I made a conscious effort to address each child individually and maintain eye contact with them throughout the session. I also called them by their preferred names and made them feel valued and important for the success of the meeting.
Additionally, I reinforced the positive qualities that each child possesses, such as intelligence, creativity, and kindness. This helped to boost their confidence and self-esteem.
When a child had to step out for a moment, I would ask another child to summarize what they had missed upon their return. This ensured that everyone remained engaged and included in all activities.
Domain Two: Interacting within Positive Group Dynamics
As mentioned previously, the meeting took place in the grandmother’s house, a place where the child feels safe and comfortable. Additionally, the learners were relatives and friends, which facilitated a pleasant positive interaction among them. Furthermore, I was keen on accepting and respecting everyone’s opinions, and I insisted on everyone participating in the singing, especially during the final activity when all the learners sang together in front of the grandmother in an atmosphere of closeness and joy.
Domain Three: Reviewing Activities within RAR Model
As is clearly evident in the “Sequence of Activities” section, I was careful to respect the three sections of the RAR model in my learning activities. In the “Readiness Increase” stage, the learners were prepared, peers were called, places were taken, ears were opened to listen to the instructions which were reviewed by the learners before starting the facilitation stage. In other words, they were mentally, physically, and emotionally prepared for the activities.
During the “Activity Facilitation” stage, I followed the learners and employed a balance between pulling and pushing to carry out continuous verification and assessment. In the “Reviewing Actively” stage, I invited the learners to share what we had done during the activity and summarize the lessons learned through short, quick questions that I had prepared before the meeting.
Domain Four: Sequencing within the eXperience Flow
I varied the experience activities (pre-opener to closure) and the learning activities, ensuring that the energy level was respected during their arrangement so that learners would not feel bored or tired. I also made sure to diversify the activities, using a story, a song, an educational game (giving up things), and a set of questions to stimulate the learners’ enthusiasm and capture their attention.
Domain Five: Transforming Learning into Performance
At various stages, especially during the “Reviewing Actively” stage of all activities, I was keen to link the story of the migration with the current struggles of Muslims today. I also facilitated the distinction between Muslim holidays and those of others by connecting it to the learners’ experiences of Christmas celebrations around them. The activity “Be an Ansari” greatly helped in linking the story of the Ansar (the Helpers) to the learners’ reality as well.
Impact of Applying the Domains of FIRST-ADLX Framework
I clearly noticed several things that indicate the impact of this journey on the learners, including:
- Directly touching the child’s faith.
- Strengthening the child’s Islamic identity amidst its instability in their reality.
- Differentiating between Islamic and non-Islamic occasions.
- Learning unselfishness and exemplifying the character of the Ansar (the Helpers), may Allah be pleased with them.
Conclusion
I concluded the first meeting, designed and facilitated using FIRST-ADLX Framework, with many reflective thoughts in mind. Despite the simplicity of the meeting, it had a profound impact, demonstrating that applying the framework is not limited to classrooms and training halls but extends to our daily lives and family gatherings. May Allah grant us and you a lasting positive impact.