Transcript here - Interfaith Explorers

Webinar Series 2016
Promoting religious literacy about Islam
The importance of teaching pupils
different aspects of a religion
4.00pm - 4.45pm
Thursday 28th April 2016
http://www.interfaithexplorers.com/webinars
www.interfaithexplorers.com
• Supported by UNESCO
• Helps pupils understand the world around them & respect
cultural and religious diversity
• Offers high quality cross-curricula resources to use with
pupils at Key Stage 2 and those embarking on their Key
Stage 3 transition
• Supports core personal and social skills development as
well as self-directed, exploratory learning
• Promotes universal core values & the development of
ethical thinking
• Designed to compliment RE and PSHE teaching, alongside
citizenship education
Webinars
• Support teachers in their work around
interfaith dialogue and RE; as well as PSHE
and Citizenship learning in schools
• Offers a space for teachers to come
together and think about issues arising from
classroom practice in these areas
Webinar Presenter
• Claire Clinton
o An experienced teacher within EYFS, Primary and Secondary
education
o She has over 20 years of classroom experience, and 16 years of
advisory work at a national and local level
o For the past 10 years has been the Religious Education Advisor for
the London Borough of Newham
•
Sayed Ali Abbas Rawazi
o An international scholar, with training in Islamic Sciences and
degrees in History, Comparative Philosophy and Law
o Director General of the Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society & chair of the
external-policy committee of the Shi'a Council of Scholars Europe
o Member of the National Council for Imams and Rabbis
Session objectives
• To consider:
o What teachers need to know about the main
differences between Shia and Sunni Islam including religious authority;
o Attitudes to other religions within Shia Islam and
Shia attitudes to interfaith work;
o Why is it important to understand the different
aspects of a religion when teaching RE, Citizenship
and PHSE
• Offer practical activities that teachers can use in the
classroom
What is religious literacy?
• Religious literacy is the knowledge of, and ability to,
understand religion
• In the British context: more people profess a postChristian spirituality, humanism or atheism belief &
other faith communities have become prominent
• The Commission on Religion and Belief in Public Life
on religious literacy:
‘the potential for misunderstanding, stereotyping and
oversimplification based on ignorance is huge –
and schools have a big part to play in putting this
right’
Islam: some facts (1)
• Islam is the second-largest religion in the
world – and the fastest growing;
• The word 'Islam' in Arabic has two meanings:
‘submission to the will of God’ and ‘Peace”
• Followers of Islam are called Muslims.
• The world's largest Muslim population is in
Indonesia;
• Islam is regarded as one of the three
Abrahamic faiths alongside Judaism and
Christianity.
Islam: some facts (2)
• Muslims believe:
o there is only one God (Allah which is the gender
neutral word in Arabic for God);
o Islam was revealed over 1400 years ago in what
is the Holiest city in Islam: Mecca in modern-day
Saudi Arabia;
o Islam was revealed to a man called Muhammad,
whom Muslims believe is the final prophet in a
chain of prophets going back to Adam;
o Muslims commonly address the prophet
Mohammed with the phrase 'peace be upon
him' after his name.
Islam: some facts (3)
• Muslims believe:
o God sent prophets as a means of guidance for mankind to
live virtuously (having or showing high moral standards)and
to worship the one God;
o That Abraham (Ibrahim), Moses (Musa) and Jesus (Isa) are
respected prophets.
• The Holy book followed by Muslims is called the
Qur'an which are believed to be the word of God;
• They also subscribe to the Sunnah, which they
believe to be the practical example set by Prophet
Muhammad.
Islam: some facts (4)
• Muslims follow the five basic Pillars of Islam – which are an
essential part of Muslim life.
• These pillars are:
o The declaration of faith (Shahada)
o Praying five times a day (Salat)
o Giving money to charity (Zakah)
o Fasting (Sawm)
o A pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime(Hajj)
• Muslims can worship in a building called a Mosque, but also
they can pray at home or at work if there are prayer facilities;
• When Muslims pray, they must always face Mecca
• The Muslim day of rest is a Friday and the main congregational
prayer (Jummah prayer) is held at noon.
Islam & its two branches
• In Islam there are two main branches:
o Sunni Islam
o Shia Islam
• Both branches of Islam have a theological
and a legal dimension
• Of the estimated 2.8 million Muslims in Britain,
5% follow Shia Islam
Sunni’s & Shia’s in Britian
95% SUNNI
2.8
MILLION
MUSLIMS IN
BRITAIN
Sunni Islam (1)
• Modern day Sunni Islam consists of 4 Schools
of Theology:
o Maturidi: which is prominent across the Indian
Subcontinent (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh)
o Ash’ari: which is prominent in the Far East and parts
of the Middle East
o Mu’tazili: which was historically the leading
theological school in Sunni Islam but has diminished
over the last 300 years
o Wahhabism & Salafism: which is prominent in
modern day Saudi Arabia
Sunni Islam (2)
• Modern day Sunni Islam consists of 4 Schools
of Law:
o Hanafi: the predominant school since the 19th
century, and traditionally known as the School of
Kufa (in Iraq);
o Maliki: the oldest official school known as the
‘School of Madina’ (the second Holiest site in Islam)
o Sha-fi: this was the dominant school followed
before the start of the 19th century
o Hanbali: this is the minority school followed, and an
off-shoot of the school is followed in modern day
Saudi Arabia
Shia Islam (1)
• Modern day Shia Islam consists of the following schools of
theology:
o Twelvers: believe in the 12 Imams who are the descendants of
Prophet Muhammad, and are vested with both spiritual and
political authorit;
o This is and is the school followed by the majority of Shia Muslims
around the world.
o Isma’ili: a minority school within Shia Islam which is branches off from
the 6th Shia Imam. They believe in a ‘living’ Imam who is referred to
as the Aga Khan
o Bohra: another minority school which is also an off-shoot of the 6th
Shia Imam. Within the Bohra Shia tradition there are some Sunni
branches
o Zaidi: another minority school within Shia Islam and dominant in
Yemen. This tradition branches off from the 4th Imam.
What does the word ‘Shia’ mean?
•In Arabic Shia or Shi‘ah literally means
‘follower’;
•So in the Quran:
o ‘Abraham
was
among
his
[Noah’s] shi’ah’ (Quran 37:83)
o ‘He [Moses] found two men
fighting, one being his shi’ah, the
other his enemy…’ (Quran 28:15)
•Muslims also use the word Shia or
Shi‘ah as an abbreviation of Shia-ne-Ali
(followers of Ali)
•It refers to those Muslims who believe
that the prophet Mohammed
designated his son-in-law, Imam Ali as
his successor and the leader of the
Muslims
Who are the Shia according to Google?
The split – Shia perspective
•
Following the death of Prophet Muhammad –
there was an issue of who would lead the
Muslims;
•
For Shias’ Ali is regarded as the first Imam and
is considered, along with his descendants, to
be one of the divinely appointed successors
of Muhammad;
•
Instead, after Muhammad’s death, the
Muslims voted for a leader instead. These
leaders became known as the ‘rightly guided
Caliphs’, with Ali being the 4th of these.
•
Although Ali was regarded, during the lifetime
of Muhammad, as his initial successor, it would
be 25 years before he was recognized with
the title of Caliph (successor);
•
The supporters of Ali remained loyal to him
and, along with Ali, protested on certain
occasions.
However,
they
remained
cooperative in order to not cause friction in
the Islamic community.
Prophet Muhammad
Lady Fatima
Imam Ali
Imam Hassan
Imam Hussain
Imam Zainul Abideen
Imam Muhammad Baqir
5 Shia Principles of
Faith
(Usul-e-Deen)
•
•
•
•
•
Tawhid (divine unity)
Prophethood
(Nabuwwah)
Divine Justice
(Adalah)
Imamate
(Imamah/Wilayah)
Day of Judgement
(Qiyamah)
Imam Jafar Sadiq
Imam Musa Kadhim
Imam Ali Ridha
Imam Muhammad Taqi
Imam Ali Naqi
Imam Hasan Askari
Imam Muhammad Mahdi
Shia sources of
authority
Quran
+
The Ahlulbayt
(People of the House)
Who are the Ahlulbayt?
•Prophet Muhammad
•Prophet Muhammad’s
daughter – Fatima
•The 12 Imams
With thanks to Zameer Hussain for
this diagram
Some Shia beliefs about the Ahlulbayt
• The word ‘Imam’ is not just one who leads prayer or a cleric – it is someone
chosen by Allah with authority. The 12 Imams are chosen by Allah, not by
humans:
"He [Allah] said: ‘Lo! I appoint you an Imam for mankind.’ (Abraham) said:
‘And of my offspring (will there be Imam)?’ He said: ‘My covenant does not
reach the wrong-doers.’”(Quran 2:124).
• They are infallible – they do not sin nor do they commit errors. They are the
‘perfect’ human beings for Muslims to follow:
“…Allah intends only to keep away from you the impurity [of sin], oh
Ahlulbayt, and to purify you with [thorough] purification.” (Quran 33:33)
• They have authority over all and obedience to them is obedience to Prophet
Muhammad and Allah.
“O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in
authority among you.” (Quran 4:59)
• They were all killed, apart from the final Imam, who is still alive.
At the start of the Islamic New Year, Shias begin a period of mourning.
They commemorate the death of the 3rd Imam – Imam Hussain. He and his
family were massacred by the tyrant ruler after Hussain refused to pledge
allegiance to him. This is arguably the most important time of the year for
Shias. The differing cultures mourn in their own particular way all over the
world.
As well as Hajj, Shias have a huge emphasis on visiting the graves of their
holy personalities. Some periods are busier than others, where over 20
million pilgrims attend – in particular on Ashura and Arbaeen.
Lady Fatima
Imam Ali
The Awaited Messiah
–
Imam Hassan
Imam Hussain
The 12th Imam
Prophet Muhammad
Imam Zainul Abideen
Imam Muhammad Baqir
Imam Jafar Sadiq
Imam Musa Kadhim
Imam Ali Ridha
Imam Muhammad Taqi
Imam Ali Naqi
Imam Hasan Askari
Imam Muhammad Mahdi
They were all killed,
apart from the final
Imam, who is still
alive.
"As far as newly occurring
circumstances are concerned, you
should turn (for guidance) to the
narrators of our hadiths, for they are
my proof over you just as I am
Allah's proof over them"
- Imam Mahdi (the 12th Imam)
During the absence of the 12th Imam, the Shia refer to clerics for religious guidance. The highest ranking clerics
are known as ‘Grand Ayatollahs’ – they have achieved a level of knowledge that allows them to be experts in
Islamic law and deduce their own rulings using the Quran and Ahlulbayt. Every Shia usually follows an Ayatollah,
who has rulings on issues such as prayer, fasting, transactions etc based on their research. Although they all use
the same sources, their conclusions on some legal issues may differ.
These are usually minor.
Representing Islam in the classroom
• Like most religions on the major ideas and
theology Sunni and Shia Muslims agree;
• As in many religions the disagreement is over
authority and who makes a decision, or who
you listen to;
• So for teachers it is important we understand
in any religion there is more than one way
that something is done, or interpreted.
Practical activities
• Avoid questions that result in recall or
comprehension answers ;
• Ask questions that demand analysis,
application, evaluation and synthesis;
• Deploy games and dialogue that build up
confidence in using religious terminology,
e.g. Key word quiz;
• Use classroom activities that develop
thinking skills, and the ability to reference
other beliefs.
Key word games: idea 1
Last Man Standing
• This game is fast-paced, but allows students some time to think!
• It also encourages peer learning, as students will pick up on
words they hear others speaking;
• To play the game:
o Grab a ball and have all the students form a circle. Name a category or
theme, ‘Islam’;
o Begin by tossing the ball at a student. That student will shout a word
related to the theme and throw the ball to another student;
o As each person catches the ball, they need to come up with another
word that fits the theme;
o If they repeat a word that has already been said or can’t think of a new
one within a few seconds, they are out and must sit on the side-lines;
o Don’t worry, they’ll still be learning!
Key word games: idea 2
Pictionary!
•Make your own game by writing Muslim people,
places or things on note cards and give them to your
pupils to either act out or draw.
•To play the game:
o Divide the children into two teams
o Have one member from each team act out or draw a picture from Muslim
history, culture or the Qur’an.
o Other team members try to guess the correct word.
o If the team gets it within a few minutes, they get a point.
o The team with the most points at the end of the night wins.
o Have props for your pupils to use during the game
o Give younger pupils more time to guess or help them come up with
Muslim people, places and things.
o You can use the game with other religions!
And finally…
‘Religious literacy helps you move from
tolerance to respect’
Prof Adam Dinham
•What teacher’s need to do differs depending on
school and community context;
•Regular conversations in our classrooms helps pupils
build up their ability to discuss religion with respect
and curiosity
•Ensure we as educators keep up with current
developments within any religion
Wrap up
Any questions?
Contact us
For further information about the webinar series and
how Interfaith Explorers can support you visit:
www.interfaithexplorers.com
or contact
Rokhsana Fiaz OBE
Chief Executive
Maimonides Interfaith Foundation
[email protected]