Teaching Muslim Students
By Zainab Al-Dhahi
Embedded Files
Learning Targets
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to...
Explain the meaning and core beliefs of being a Muslim.
Identify and describe three key Islamic practices.
Identify three ways they can support Muslim students in the classroom.
Why is it important for teachers to understand their students' religious and cultural practices?
Educators strive to have a classroom where every single student feels comfortable, valued, and respected. I am here to help you make sure the Muslim students in your classroom feel that way. In this lesson, you will learn about practices of Islam, explanations to those practices, and facts that will benefit you and your students in the future.
Pictured above: A picture of a Muslim girl and a Muslim boy.
Pictured above: A picture of Muslims praying their obligatory prayers | A picture of Kaaba in Mecca | A picture that represents Ramadan.
The Five Pillars of Islam
Testimony of Faith: There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is His final prophet.
Prayer: Pray five times a day at certain times.
Zakat: Support the needy and give charity.
Ramadan: Fast from sunrise to sunset.
Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca.
Pictured above: A picture of a Muslim child praying with his father.
Praying in Islam
Praying in Islam
Prayer is every important in Islam, and it has to be done five times a day at certain times (Sarkingobir et al., 2022). Those times change slowly everyday, then drastically as the seasons change. We have to understand how important prayer is in Islam because we may need to give students that time and place to complete their prayers during school hours. The school day consists of around eight hours, and sometimes, students cannot wait until they get home to complete their prayer, because each prayer has to be completed on time, and especially in the winter, it can be difficult.
Fasting in Ramadan
You may sometimes see Muslim students in your classroom who are not eating or drinking throughout the day and who do not want to go to the cafeteria. Those students are fasting for Ramadan, the holy month of Islam (Al-Nawaiseh & Al-Rawashdeh, 2023).
Watch this short video to get some context on Ramadan (GainPeace, 2017).
Halal Food
Halal Food
Many of us may know that Muslims are not allowed to eat pork. However, are you aware that (most) Muslims only eat halal food? Halal means allowed. Therefore, halal food means food that is allowed. So, what makes food halal? For food to be halal, animals have to be slaughtered according to Islamic law (Basri & Farid, 2020). Most of the food in America, including in schools, are not considered halal. This includes chicken sandwiches, hamburgers, turkey, etc. Muslim students are also not allowed to consume candy that contains gelatin and marshmallows. As educators, especially in elementary schools, we have to pay attention to these things (Hossain, 2013).
In conclusion, completing prayers on time, avoiding forbidden food, and fasting during Ramadan are all things that Muslim students value. An important piece of information for future (and current) educators to know is that students have to complete wudu before prayer. Wudu is an Islamic cleansing that involves washing certain body parts, such as their hands and arms. Educators need to make sure they give Muslims students the time and place to perform wudu and complete their prayers. Prayer time takes around five minutes, and it does not have to be completed at a certain time, but there is a small window. For example, in the month of October, Dhuhr (the second prayer of the day) has to be completed between around 12:51p.m. and 3:48p.m. Therefore, educators need to give students a five-minute break during that time to complete their Dhuhr prayer. Keep in mind that the prayer times change. Athan is the Islamic prayer call. Apps that are called "Athan" will tell you the times of the prayers, incase you are interested in downloading one to make sure students are aware of the exact time of the prayers, since younger children do not have phones. They may need you to check the times for them.
We should also pay attention to the food they eat, especially for younger students, and especially for students who do not speak English. They need to be guided, and they are going to need your help, whether they know it or not. Checking candy packages to see if they contain gelatin and/or marshmallows, and checking students' breakfast to make sure they do not contain any meat or chicken shows you care. We should also check the lunch options and let Muslim students know what they may eat and what they may not eat. For example, "This pizza has pepporoni on it. It it not halal (not allowed). But you may have the yogurt portfait." Students will appreciate this, if not now, then later. And I can assure you that their parents will appreciate it as well.
Teachers should also be more flexible and/or considerate during the month of Ramadan when some Muslim students (depending on the age) are fasting throughout the day, that means no food and no water. Student's energy levels may be down, so we have to take that into consideration. We should also be mindful of students and avoid eating and drinking in front of them, if possible. We should also avoid preparing activites that include eating or drinking. For example, using skittles to do math should be avoided during the holy month of Ramadan. Those same students are going to want a place to stay in while other students go to the cafeteria. Not every student will voice their wants and needs. Therefore, we have to approach these students and make sure they have everything they need.
It is important for teachers to understand their students' religious and cultural practices so we can make sure all students feel valued and respected. We also need to understand their practices because small children will need our guidance with things they may be afraid of asking. To close the lesson, college students will reflect on one way they can make their classroom more inclusive for Muslim learners. They will consider how understanding a student's faith can create a more respectful and welcoming environment.
REVIEW:
Which of the following is not true regarding prayer?
A. The number of prayers is five.
B. The original number of prayers was fifty.
C. Wudu must be performed before each prayer.
D. Prayers must be prayed at certain times of the day.
What is a reason that Muslims fast in Ramadan?
A. To gain self-control and grow closer to Allah
B. To lose weight and stay healthy
C. To remember the hardships of Prophet Muhammad's journey
D. To show others that they can handle hunger better than anyone else
How I used AI
What I used & how I used it: I used ChatGPT to reword my learning targets, proof-read my work, check for errors, and make it flow nicely. I also used ChatGPT to help me find articles to reference.
AI helped make my process easier by finding articles and by finding mistakes that I would have had trouble finding. However, I am still not interested in depending on it or using it. It had no effect on my understanding of the lesson topic.
My current thoughts on my own use of AI is that it is harmful and not as beneficial as we think. I do not usually use it, and I do not plan on using it in the future. I don't believe that we should keep looking for ways to make things easier for ourselves. We were always able to get things done without AI by being creative and working hard. I believe we should continue to be creative and use our own ideas, and complete assignments and tasks by taking our time and using critical thinking.
References:
Al-Nawaiseh, A. M., & Al-Rawashdeh, A. I. (2023). Changes in dietary and lifestyle behaviors and mental stress among medical students upon Ramadan diurnal intermittent fasting: A prospective cohort study. BMC Public Health, 23(1), 1265. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16385-1
Basri, H. Farid, M. (2020). The Effects of Haram Food on Human Emotional and Spiritual Intelligence Levels. IJHAR: International Journal of Humanities, Arts and Religion. https://journal.uinsgd.ac.id/index.php/ijhar/article/view/7711/3870
GainPeace. (2017, June 9). Why Do Muslims Fast in Ramadan? Youtube. https://youtu.be/66NavFz6hSM?si=y7eNwWeLTZMErVh5
Hossain, K. I. (2013). Understanding Islam in the U.S. Classroom: A Guide for Elementary School Teachers. Multicultural education, 20(2), 49-52. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1015045.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Sarkingobir, Y., Sharu, A. U., Sahabi, M., & Ashafa, N. A. (2022). Religious and Health Benefits of Salah/Prayer: A Review. International Journal of Emerging Issues in Islamic Studies, 2(2), 59–71. https://doi.org/10.31098/ijeiis.v2i2.1053
Answers: C and A
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