Sulaimaan and School

Ask our children:

1. Where is the best place for a child to learn and study?
2. If we go to school, then what type of school should we attend?
3. What should we do if we attend a school where haraam and sin takes place?
4. Why is it important for us to go to madrasah?

Now tell them the story:

It was the start of the new school year, and Sulaimaan was missing his friends after the holidays. Last year, they had all been together in the hifz class, but this year, Sulaimaan was being home-schooled while his three best friends were going to different schools. “Never mind!” Sulaimaan thought, “I’ll get to see my friends zuhr time!”

Later that day, when Sulaimaan had finished his school work at home and it was zuhr time, his father fetched him from home and took him to the musjid for salaah. Sulaimaan read his sunnats, and a few minutes later, the iqaamah was called out. All this time, Sulaimaan was looking for his friends but could not see them! As they started the salaah, Sulaimaan wondered why he didn’t see his friends for salaah.

After performing his zuhr salaah, Sulaimaan went home with his father, ate lunch, and then returned to the musjid for madrasah. Now Sulaimaan was excited, because he was sure that he would get to meet his friends who he was missing so much!

A few minutes later, two of Sulaimaan’s friends arrived – Hasan and Husain, but his third friend – Ya’qoob – was nowhere to be seen. However, before Sulaimaan could ask them where Ya’qoob was, Moulana entered the classroom so all the children remained silent.

That day, Moulana taught the children how to perform the Janaazah Salaah, and Hasan was thrilled because Moulana made him lie down in the front, pretending to be the dead person, while the other boys performed the Janaazah Salaah.

A few minutes before madrasah finished, Moulana called the children and asked the questions in Sulaimaan’s mind. Moulana asked, “Where is Ya’qoob today, and Hasan and Husain – why did you not come for zuhr?” Hasan and Husain told Moulana that because school finished late, they could not come for the zuhr salaah.

When Moulana heard this, he was disappointed and said, “Allahu Akbar! Salaah is the most important thing in a Muslim’s life! How can you miss salaah in the musjid just because of school? Salaah is more important than school! You must try to leave the school early so that you can come to the musjid!”

Then, since Hasan was going to the same school as Ya’qoob, he said, “Moulana! Ya’qoob started soccer training! I think that he will only come to madrasah twice or thrice a week now!”

Hearing this, Moulana was very sad and said, “Poor Ya’qoob! I must speak to his parents! If he does not come to madrasah, then how will he ever learn deen and know how to please Allah Ta‘ala? Already he has missed out on learning the Janaazah Salaah which is so important and necessary for every Muslim male to know!”

Then, Moulana asked Hasan, “Hasan! Which school are you going to this year?” Hasan gave Moulana the answer, and told him the name of a non-Muslim school that he was going to. Moulana then asked him, “Tell me Hasan, how did school start today?”

Hasan said, “Moulana! First there was assembly. All the students were in the hall and the principal spoke to the students, gave some advice and made some important announcements. But Moulana, they also played music, sang songs and said a Christian prayer. Moulana I was confused and didn’t know what to do! I just stayed where I was and kept quiet!”

Moulana was very sad when he heard this. He said, “Innaa lillaahi wa innaa ilayhi raaji’oon! Hasan! A Muslim must not be in a place where music is being played and Christians are saying their prayers! You can lose your imaan! You must speak to your parents and tell them that you are not happy with this school! If your parents do not listen and do not want you to change schools, then you must tell them to at least speak to the principal so that he will allow you to leave the hall before the music is played and the prayers are said. This school is not good for your imaan! You must make istighfaar every day!”

Then, Hasan asked a question. He said, “Moulana, the teacher in school was saying something very strange and weird. It didn’t make any sense, but the other students were listening and believed the teacher. I know that Allah Ta‘ala created the world, but the teacher told us that the world started with a big bang! I know that Allah Ta‘ala created Nabi Aadam (‘alaihis salaam) from sand, and we are all the children of Nabi Aadam (‘alaihis salaam), but the teacher said that we all come from monkeys!”

When Moulana heard this, he became very, very sad. He said, “Hasan! Thank Allah Ta‘ala that through the barakah of coming to madrasah, you at least know that the teacher is talking nonsense. Otherwise, if you believe what that teacher is saying, you will lose your imaan! That is why it is so important to come to madrasah! But Hasan, I am still afraid for your imaan. When this school is a non-Muslim school, then what if they teach you something else which is wrong, but you do not even know that it is wrong and you begin to believe it, then you can lose your imaan!”

After Moulana said this, Husain spoke and said, “Moulana! Alhamdulillah, I am going to a Muslim school, but I am also worried about some things. Moulana, you taught us about hayaa and purdah, but I see that in my school, all the boys and girls are together in one classroom, and there are also male teachers teaching the girls, and female teachers teaching the boys. Also, you taught us that videos and photos are haraam, but in school, they sometimes take photos of the students and play videos for the students.”

When Moulana heard this, he said, “That is why the best option is for you to be home schooled! If your parents teach you at home, you will be saved from all these sins and evils! Your deen will be safe and your imaan will be protected! If your parents cannot teach you at home, then they should find a small school or some place for you to study where your imaan and deen will be safe. They must send you to a place where you will have good company and the teachers are pious and firm on deen, otherwise you will learn wrong things from the children and teachers!”

Hearing this, Husain said, “Oh yes Moulana! I know what you mean! There were some children in my class today who had phones, and they were looking at wrong things on their phones and were showing it to other children as well! Alhamdulillah, I did not look at it and I stayed away from them!”

As class came to an end, Moulana said, “Children! The reason for getting an education is so that you can earn money one day. What good will it be if you get an education in school, and make money, but because of the school you went to, deen and salaah comes out of your life and you lose your imaan? You will have money in this world, but after you die, you will be stuck in Jahannum forever and ever! Children, imaan, deen and salaah is the most important thing! Remember that, and never ever think that school or anything else is more important! If you put your deen first, your imaan will be safe, and insha Allah, you will enter Jannah safely as well.”

Lessons:

1. The best place for a child to learn and study is the home, under the parents, so that the child can be safe from the sins and naughty children that are found in many schools.
2. If we go to school, we must make sure that it is a school where boys and girls are separate, where sins do not take place such as music, videos and photos, and where they do not teach wrong things that will make us lose our imaan.
3. If we attend a school where haraam and sins take place, and our parents do not want to put us in a good school, then we must make istighfaar everyday y for the sins we are involved in.
4. It is very important for us to attend madrasah regularly so that we can learn deen and our imaan can remain safe.