Muslim schools,  education, children and family life

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Education Features
Education Resources
Islamic Education and Professional Training Resources for Adults
Sites for children and their parents
Issues affecting families, young adults and the Muslim community
Muslim schools and education establishments in:
Great Britain
USA
Canada
France

Education Features

France's Islamic heartland
The wooded hills of deepest Burgundy are the unlikely setting for a place that could play a key role in the development of a European Islamic identity - a theological college, which for 13 years has been training up a new generation of indigenous imams for France and the rest of the continent.
BBC News, 18 April, 2003

France gets first private Muslim lycee
The French education authorities have granted permission for a Muslim school to open in the northern French city of Lille.
BBC News, 11 July, 2003

School's Out
The law in England says you must educate your children, but it doesn't say where. Which is why more and more parents are choosing to give up on schools and teach their kids at home....
Michael O'Flynn reports.

Education "more important" that hijab
Singapore's top Islamic authority urges girls in headscarf ban row to return to school.

Studying Islam after September 11: Reflections and Resources
Dr Gary Bunt of the University of Wales, Lampeter, examines the challenges now facing academics in the field of Islamic Studies.

Education of Muslim Children - Challenges and Opportunities
Dr. Ibrahim B. Syed, Ph.D analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of Public, Parochial, Private non-parochial, Islamic, Virtual Islamic, or Home Schools in the United States.

The Pleasures of Learning
By Dr. Ibrahim B. Syed, Ph.D
"My Lord! Enrich me with knowledge.." - (Quran, 20:114)

Why we should send our Children to a Muslim School
Obligations, benefits and blessings
by Hussein Abdulwaheed Amin.

X International Islamic Free University
Economically, Muslims are poor; in education they are backward; and in science and technology they are marginal."  Dr. Ibrahim B. Syed, Ph.D contrasts the golden age of Islamic civilization with the present-day pitiful state of the Ummah and calls for the establishment of an elite Free University for the most dedicated Muslim students.

Western Education vs. Muslim Children
by Khadija Anderson

"Holistic" Education the Islamic Way
Abdul-Lateef Abdullah reports from the Taqwa Gayong Academy, an American Islamic boarding school offering  troubled youth  a stable, disciplined and supportive environment for their education.

Muslim Schools in the U.S., a Voice for Identity
"They don't only teach you. They guide you."  Susan Sachs reports on the insatiable demand for places in New York's Islamic schools.

Muslim Schools: A View From The Inside
Yahiya Emerick launches a scathing attack on the hypocrisy of immigrant Muslim parents in North America.

Working in Muslim Schools
"For those who are interested in seriously passing the teachings of Islam on to the next generation, a secular education will not suffice", says American convert, writer and teacher Yahiya Emerick.

The Education of Muslim Children in the UK
Iftikhar Ahmad of the London School of Islamics reflects on widespread poor academic achievement among Muslim children in Britain and calls for more state funding of Muslim schools.

Islam in America: From African Slaves to Malcolm X
Professor Thomas A. Tweed of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, advises American educators how to introduce their students to Islam.

Compulsory Christian Collective Worship and Christian Religious Education (RE)in UK Schools.  WHAT CAN MUSLIMS DO?
by Ghulam Sarwar.

Birmingham, England, Local Education Authority
Official Guidelines on meeting the Religious and Cultural Needs of Muslim Children

Working mothers' link to school failure
Children of full-time working mothers are more likely to perform badly at school, research suggests.
BBC News, March 14, 2001

Michigan Muslims Want Halal Food
Parents campaign for halal school dinners
BY LISA M. COLLINS The Associated Press, February 24, 2001

'Apartheid' row over Islamic school
Councillors in Birmingham, England, are divided 
over the merits of a publicly-funded Islamic secondary school.
BBC News, 9 February 2001

Boys study the Quran at an Amsterdam mosque.

Education Resources
GCSE Islamic Studies (UK qualification)
A 'Do-it-Yourself' study package offered by convert, author and former Religious Studies teacher, Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood.

Islam at School
A British religious education site offering better resources with which to teach Islam from an intelligent perspective, and dedicated to offering the young an appreciation of Islam as a free-thinking and rich faith which values both traditional wisdom and critical thinking.

A -Z of A-levels: Arabic
A guide to the British academic qualification.

IQRA
American publisher of Islamic text books for Muslim schools

Islam4Schools.Net
A site set up to help teachers, pupils and parents to have a better understanding of one of the world's largest religions, complementing and supporting lessons in subjects such as  Religious Education (RE) and History.

Muslim Home School Network
Materials and ideas for children educated by their parents.

Muslim Home Schooling
Islamic and general education resources for teaching young children at home.

Islamic Homework Help !!
Lesson plans, worksheets and other practical resources for Muslim home-schoolers and Islamic educators.

The Islamic Foundation of North America
An organization dedicated to the establishment of a viable Islamic educational structure.  They seek to create a systematic approach to the study of Islam by designing standardized curricula and syllabi that any school, home school or weekend school can implement for maximum benefit.    For this purpose they  have organized learning materials and compiled lists of grade-appropriate subject matter for all grades from KG-12th grade covering Islam, Arabic and reading.

The Institute of Islamic Information and Education (III&E)
Dedicated to the cause of Islam in North America through striving to elevate the image of Islam and Muslims by providing the correct information about Islamic beliefs, history and civilization from the authentic sources.

The Islamic American University
Located in Southfield Michigan and Kansas City Missouri, the Islamic American University is an institution for education, training, Da’wa and studies in the fields of Islamic Shari’a, its fundamentals, linguistics, and sciences.

The Council of Islamic Schools (USA)
Empowering Islamic schools with Effective Educational Tools

Islamic Education and Professional Training Resources for Adults

The Islamic Training Foundation
The Islamic Training Foundation is a non-profit organization of Muslim management professionals - university business professors and management executives with years of experience in researching and managing organizations.  Their mission is to enhance the effectiveness and professionalism of Islamic workers and organizations globally through training in management skills based on Islamic values.

Association of Muslim Researchers
A British organisation which provides training courses, discussion forums, and seminar programmes in a variety of subject areas including Education, Humanities and Science and Technology.

Sites for children and their parents

Meet Dara and Sara
Iran's Islamic alternative to Ken and Barbie.

ALIMY (A Leadership Institute for Muslim Youths)
provides separate residential summer programs for Muslims boys and girls ages 13 to 17 - helping our young people to develop a greater sense of understanding, ownership and pride in the American Muslim identity. 

Camp Al-Mu-Mee-Neen
Canadian Summer Camp for Muslim children that
combines all the enjoyment, games and learning experiences
of a camp within an Islamic atmosphere.

A Fishy Tale
A sensible warning in the form of a parable.

List of Male Muslim Names and their Meanings

List of Female Muslim Names and their Meanings

The Cultural Academy of Islam
Competition entry by three American High School students.
Covers Islamic history, art and architecture, literature, math and science, culture.

Albalagh Children
For children, by children. Includes the Five Pillars, Muslim and World History, Muslim contributions to science, children's writing, Islamic Quiz.

The Muslim Homeschool Network
Islamic Education and Muslim Homes school Information and Resources.

Bismillah
A site for Muslim children.

Little Horus
A website for young children about Egypt in English, French and Arabic.

Islamic Web Sites for Children
Links to and short overviews of 18 websites.

Play and Learn
A meeting place for older Muslim children on the Internet.
(Some pages are specifically Shia, but most are applicable to all Muslims.)

History of the Muslim World
Written for children.  Covers the first 50 years of Islam, the Ummayyad and Abbassid caliphates, Cordoba, The Crusades, biographies of important Muslims, various timelines.

Islam For Children
Part of a series on world religions written for children between the ages of seven and eleven by English primary school teacher, Carol Rainbow.

Issues affecting families, young adults and the Muslim community

Zahid Bukhari and daughter Omaima of Maryland, USA, study the Quran together 

Islamic teachings on the Importance of Parents 
Say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honour. - Quran 17:23

Questions to Ask a Prospective Marriage Partner
Don't just rush into marriage.  Sort out these key issues in advance.

Can’t we be (Halal) Friends?
"We should accept that what is forbidden in Islam is seeking privacy with someone of the opposite sex without a third party present... What we need is firstly to recognise that there is nothing at all wrong with young people meeting in situations where intimacy cannot occur because of witnesses; and secondly to create occasions in which they can meet safely in halal ways, so that they CAN get to know each other."
By Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood

Dare to be different
Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood offers advice for the shy Muslim teenager who longs to be like everyone else in the group and feels left out; for the Muslim teenager who is being tempted into non-Muslim ways – getting drunk, smoking, sexual activity etc.; for the Muslim teenager who is so committed to serving God that he/she is in danger of becoming a ‘pain in the neck’ – an extremist.

Sex Education: An Islamic Perspective
"Say: Are they equal those who know, and those who do not know?" (Quran 39:9).
"Blessed are the women of the Helpers. Their modesty did not stand in the way of their seeking knowledge about their religion" (Bukhari and Muslim).
Dr Shahid Athar examines the issues.

Smoking is haraam in Islam
Powerful arguments based on the Quran and Sunnah from Dr. Ibrahim B. Syed

Goal Setting for Muslims
by Ahmed Adam
Part 1 - Introduction, The Journey, The Importance of setting goals, Leading a balanced life, Focus is the Key, What goals should we pursue?

Zabihah.com
A guide to self-declared halal restaurants and food stores in North America with over 1,000 reader reviews.

Sex Education Acceptable In Islam
"There is no shame in knowing one's religion. Ask everything that you do not understand."
Islamic Scholar, Sheikh Sanusi Gumbi of Kaduna, Nigeria, is interviewed by Ilyasu Ibn Muhammad.

Three Tips to Strengthen your family
By Khurram Murad.

The Status of Parents in Islam
By Syed Hasan Akhtar, M. D. Austin, Texas
"Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or more attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honor. And out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say, "my Lord! bestow on them Thy Mercy, even as they cherished me in childhood." (Quran 17: 23,24)

Preserving the Faith at the Campus
What happens to he faith of our young people when they leave home to enter a college campus? Do they take faith along with other belongings and necessities of life or, do they leave faith behind at home?
By Shahid Athar, M.D.

Born Muslim...
Reflections about Muslim immigrants in the West by Neqiniso Abdullah

A Fishy Tale
A sensible warning in the form of a parable.

The Fall of the Family (Part I)
"Back in the 1950s and early 1960s, British family values were still recognisably derived from a great religious tradition rooted in the family-nurturing Abrahamic soil. While the doctrinal debates between Islam and Christianity remained sharp, the moral and social assumptions of the "guest-workers" and their "hosts" were in most respects reassuringly and productively similar.  That overlap has now almost gone."
Abdal-Hakim Murad

The Fall of the Family (Part II)
By Abdal-Hakim Murad
"Many houses have become more like dormitories than homes. Mealtimes are desultory, tin-opening affairs; both parents are too exhausted to spend "quality time" with active children; and the sense of belonging to the house and to each other is sadly attenuated. By the time children leave home, they feel they are not leaving very much."

Keeping the Spirit Alive
by Yahiya Emerick
Thoughtful article by this American convert and writer on how some Muslim parents  inadvertently drive their children away from Islam and lose them to western ways.

Lifestyle Choices - Food for Thought
"I took my clothes off, I learnt all there is to know about sex and I changed my body - all to please men" - topless model Jordan.  A recent British tabloid story gave Michael Young cause to reflect.

Family Law Issues Affecting American Muslims
"You have to know what the law is, how to approach it, how to speak the language, and how to present Islamic law so that it is not trivialized into something that sells women, or oppresses women."
Dr. Azizah Al-Hibri calls for legal literacy among Muslims in the United States.

Thinking about duty
In this beautiful, uplifting article English convert to Islam, Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood, talks to young Muslims about their responsibilities to the people in their lives and to Allah.

The Ideal Muslim and His Community
Dr. Muhammad Ali Al-Hashimi offers more than 60 practical tips.

The Ideal Muslim Family
Mohammad Amin C. Cave finds guidance in the Holy Quran  for a happy and harmonious Muslim family life.

Thoughts On Modesty
by Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood.
'Every religion has its characteristic, and the characteristic of Islam is modesty.'

Forced Marriages Condemned
English convert to Islam, Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood, speaks out against the practice, common among south Asian Muslims in Britain, of marrying off teenage girls against their will to unsuitable husbands from "back home".

Turning Sex Into Sadaqa [an act of voluntary kindness pleasing to God]
Now, every man knows what sexual things please him - but some men, particularly those who have not been married before and are therefore lacking experience, don't seem to know much about how to give the same pleasure to the woman; even worse, some men do know but they can't be bothered to make the effort. Yet this is vital if a marriage is to succeed and not just be a disappointing burden for the woman, and it is a vital part of one's Islamic duty.
An excerpt from 'The Muslim Marriage Guide', By Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood.

Quality Time With Dad - Tips for Muslim fathers
Ibrahim Bowers looks at the current relationship between father and child in fast-paced modern society and offers many practical tips from a Muslim perspective on how to improve this relationship to benefit the whole family.

Six things you can do for Islam
Practical tips for contributing to Islam on a community level.

How Can Young People Bring Non-Muslims to Islam?
Invite to Islam not with your tongue, but guide people by letting them observe your goodness.
By Ebrahim Mohseni

Happy ever after
An ex-Communist and former radical Labour councillor have ditched their Sixties roots to champion marriage as the best way to raise a family.  "It is now clear that children brought up in a stable, two-parent family as a rule do better than in other family types."
Bob Rowthorn and Paul Ormerod,  The Observer (London) March 25, 2001

Couples draw up own marriage contracts
Zakiyya Ismail

Sex Education: An Islamic Perspective
edited by Shahid Athar M.D.

Muslim College Life; Dating, Drinking and Deen
by Huma Ahmad.

Adjusting to University - An Islamic Perspective
"You are a walking example of Islam."  Australian student Waleed Kadous offers thoughtful insights into university life and sound advice for Muslim students at this important transition period in their lives.

Underage sex linked to single-parent families
A British study stresses home environment as key to forming youthful attitudes.

"Why do Muslim women wear the hijab?"
Eighteen year old Canadian Muslimah  Sumayyah Hussein explains.  (Followed by discussion points for young people.)

Mixed Cultures
Seventeen year old  Khawlah Mian from Pakistan adapts to life in Canada. (Followed by discussion points for young people.)

The Islamic View Of Adoption And Caring For Homeless Children
by Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad, Ph.D.

Egyptian scholars ban surrogate mothers
By Caroline Hawley in Cairo.  Muslim clerics in Egypt have banned women from acting as surrogate mothers or from receiving frozen sperm from dead husbands.
BBC News, 2 April, 2001

The Girlfriend-Boyfriend Relationship
by Amatullah Islam.

Intercultural Romances - The Great Divide
The Western world puts such a great emphasis on dating that a large percentage of ethnic youth consider the traditional matchmaking done by their parents to be out of step with the times.
By Khawlah Mian Young People's Press

Interfaith Marriages
Children have the right to be brought up in an Islamic environment by good Muslim parents.  So Muslim men in the West should think carefully before marrying outside the faith.

Tips for a Happier Muslim Marriage

How to make your husband happy

How to make your wife happy

Ten Tips on how to be a successful Muslim Husband

www.singlemuslim.com
aka the "Arab Marriage Connection".  This site is for Muslimahs (or their families) who are seeking a husband and Muslim men who are in search of a wife.  This is a free service.  The webmistress, sister Aisha, is keen to point out that "the site is closely monitored to make sure everything is modest."

Islam's Position on Polygamy
Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips addresses the critics.

Divorce: Some Misconceptions
"Either you live together legally and happily, 
or else you separate by divorce in a dignified and decent way."
by Muhammad Azam

Muslim Marriage Contract in American Courts
Lecture by Professor Azizah Y. al-Hibri of T. C. Williams School of Law, 
University of Richmond, followed by transcript of Q&A session.

What is the proper procedure of Islamic divorce?
Adil Salahi explains.

The Application of Islamic Law in the English Courts
1995 lecture at the Centre of Islamic and Middle Eastern Law, School of Oriental and African Studies, London by His Honour Judge David Pearl

UK Polygamy law set for challenge
BBC News, 18 June 2000

Women's Rights in the Islamic Prenuptial Agreement: Use Them or Lose Them
by Canadian Muslimah, Rabia Mills

Concealing the Faults and Weaknesses of Others
abridged from "Freedom of Expression in Islam" by Kamali

The Kindest Cut?
BBC News - More evidence that circumcision can protect men from HIV infection.

Islam's Position on Homosexuality
"Humans choose and God holds them responsible for their choices", explains Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips

The Problems with Television
By Bisher Tarabishy

Feeling Islam
Musings of an Indian Muslim teenager
By Aiman Salmaan Ahmed

Muslim Schools and Education Establishments

Great Britain
Please inform us of any dead or new links

Azhar Academy, London
Islamic education at almost 100 locations in Greater London.

Islamia Girls' Sixth Form College
In north-west London

Other Muslim Schools in the UK
Contact details.

Teacher Training
In a Muslim environment in England.

Association of Muslim Schools
Supporting those who are involved in organising and developing
full-time educational provision for British Muslims.

Birmingham, England, Local Education Authority
Official Guidelines on meeting the Religious and Cultural Needs of Muslim Children.

USA
Please inform us of any dead or new links

Islamic School Addresses in North America

Al-Hedayah Academy, Fort Worth TX 

Al-Huda school, College Park Maryland 

Al-Ihssan Islamic School, Syracuse, NY 

An-Noor Islamic School, Wichita, KS 

Al-Salaam School, St. Louis, Missouri 

Brighter Horizon School, Baton Rouge LA 

Clara Mohammed School; New York 

Claremont Islamic School, Pomona CA 

Crescent View Academy, Aurora CO 

Darul Uloom Al Qasimia, Shamokin PA 

Islamic Academy of Florida, Tampa 

American Islamic Academy, Dearborn, MI 

Islamic Academy of Riverside, California 

Islamic school of greater Kansas City, USA 

Islamic School Of Miami, Inc. Miami, FL 

Islamic school of Portland, USA 

New Horizon School - LA Campus, Los Angeles CA 

Muslim Community School, Maryland, USA 

Muslim Community School,  Potomac  MD 

Muslim Educational Trust (MET) Islamic School, Portland Oregon 

Pleasant View School, Memphis TN 

School of Islamic and Social Sciences, SE Leesburg, Virginia 

Silicon Valley Academy, Sunnyvale CA 

The American Open University, Falls Church, VA 

The Islamic School of Seattle, Seattle WA 

Canada
Please inform us of any dead or new links

École Marocaine, Québec
Langue arabe et culture marocaine - Arabic Language and Moroccan Culture
Site available in English and en français
Locations: Campus Lucien Pagé, Campus Marymount, Campus Montréal-Nord, Campus Rive-Sud

The Canadian Institute of Islamic Sciences
Secular and religious education under one roof  in cities such as Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary.  Approved by the Canadian Ministry of Education.

British Columbia Muslim School, Canada

Muslim Schools of Montreal

France

L’Institut Européen des Sciences Humaines (I.E.S.H.) en France
Un établissement privé d’enseignement supérieur spécialisé en théologie musulmane, en langue arabe et en apprentissage du Coran. Il vise entre autres à:

• Former des imams et des éducateurs pourvus à la fois d’une connaissance religieuse musulmane et d’une compréhension des réalités européennes.
• Former des enseignants pourvus d’une culture Islamique et maîtrisant la langue arabe tout en sachant parler au moins une langue européenne.
• Former des chercheurs spécialisés dans les sciences Islamiques qui ont une bonne connaissance des réalités de la culture européenne de telle sorte qu’ils soient préparés à la recherche scientifique sur les différentes affaires islamiques.
• Organiser des séminaires de formation pour les éducateurs exerçant un travail de prédication et qui désirent approfondir leur connaissance dans la théologie musulmane afin d’améliorer leur efficacité dans leur domaine d’activité.