Samples of practice lessons to incorporate reproductive health and gender concepts into islamic education curriculum

The Subject of Islamic Education

The Health Education Unit

Title of the Lesson : Abstinence and Combating Abomination

Target Group : First Year of the Secondary School

Time slot : 2 hours

Teaching Aids : Pictures, Statistics, posters, audiotapes

Targeted Abilities :

* The student should be able to realize the danger of the sexually transmitted diseases.

* The student should be able to realize the role of Islamic values in preventing moral deviations which lead to these diseases.

* The student should be able to use Qur’anic texts and Sunnah in building his own convictions, and to defend his ideas in the various dialog situations dealing with the subject.

Introduction :

Your friend was absent from school all day. In the evening, you learnt that he was bedridden at a hospital. Just as you were about to visit him, you realized that you did not have the attending doctor’s permission to see your friend, whose health did not permit him to receive visitors.

The Doctor took you to his office because he had noticed that you were very worried about your friend, and informed you that the test confirmed that your friend had contracted AIDS as a result of an unlawful sexual relationship.

What are the lessons that can be learned from this situation ? What kind of advice would you give yourself and your friends to prevent these diseases ? How can you help your friend to overcome this serious health problem ?

Texts that can be used as a point of departure :

Allah, be He exalted, says : “Nor come nigh to adultery : for it is a shameful (deed) and an evil, opening the road (to other evils)”(29).

Allah, be He exalted, says : “Let those who find not the wherewithal for marriage keep themselves chaste, until Allah gives them means out of His grace.”(30)

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said : “No sooner a major sin appears in the midst of a people than they get caught in it, then plague and sufferings, unknown to their ancestors, spread among them”(31). (lam tadhar al-fahisha fi qawm hatta ya’la1u biha illa fasha fihim at-ta’unwa al-awja’ allati lam takun madat fi aslafihim.)

Glossary of Concepts and Terms :

Zina : sex between a man and a woman who are not lawfully married.

Fahisha : major sin, abomination

‘iffa : abstinence from unlawful sex

Nikah : lawful marriage

Fasha : to spread and propagate

Ta’un : a killer disease

Aslaf : past generations, ancestors

Axes of Analysis :

Adultery (Zina) and its Health and Social Effects :

The purpose of God’s creating the male and the female was to perpetuate human progeny on the basis of lawful relationship while preserving the relationship of lineage and blood relations, and protecting them from those who would abuse it. When God created in each one of the two sexes the instinct of one’s inclination towards the other, the goal was to create peace, love and mercy within the Muslim family which can raise its children in an atmosphere of responsibility before God and before society, because the family is its first seed. Allah, be He exalted, says : “And Allah has made for you mates (and Companions) of your own nature, and made for you, out of them, sons and daughters and grandchildren”(32),

When man deviates from this divine guidance which organizes his conduct and polishes his desires, he collides head on with intractable feelings that incite him to satisfy his instinct every time the religious deterrent and reason are weak; he then lives a fleeting moment of pleasure whose consequences are too well known and whose negative impact is reflected on himself, society and his destiny, if he does not repent when he meets his Creator.

A thoughtful glance at society is enough to realize that there are serious phenomena whose causes can be traced back to an unrestrained desire to satisfy sexual appetite unlawfully.

A trip to hospitals will unveil the terrible living conditions of foundlings and the ensuing devastating consequences which stay with them all their lives in the absence of family stability, and the impact of this on the rise of crime rates and violence against society. 

A glance at the statistics and high figures will reveal the high suicide rates among young people (men and women) as a result of unexpected and unlawful pregnancies, and all the drinking, drugs and abortions that ensue from these pregnancies. 

Many a peaceful family was destroyed by an adultery relationship ; the father divorces the mother, and the children become homeless. Many are the diseases that are transmitted through unlawful sexual relationships, such as syphilis, gonorrhea, and AIDS.

Phase Evaluation Activity :

Through concentrated reading of the analysis, identify three negative impacts of adultery on the individual and three negative impacts on society, and arrange them according to their degree of gravity in your opinion while justifying your choice. 

Abstinence, its Means and Impact :

The Holy Book and the Prophetic Tradition contain lofty directives that monitor man’s control over his sexual appetite without subjugation, coercion or inhibition. They also clearly show the ways of channeling this appetite in such a way as to realize the goal for which it was created. These directives include :

* Avoiding everything that would intensify and inflame sexual appetite, such as pictures of naked individuals and pornography movies; the man and the woman should avoid provocation and sexual harassment, and they should adhere to Islamic dress. Allah, be He exalted, says : “Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty : that will make for greater purity for them : and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty ; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof ; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms”(33).

* Spending time and effort on useful hobbies, such as sports, reading, and cultural and social activities.

* Avoiding khulwa between the man and the woman whom he is not allowed to lie in bed with, because of the crimes that might ensue from this intimacy, i.e., rape and sexual harassment.

* Shunning dirty language, aspersing people’s name, and propagating stories and tales of moral corruption so as to prevent the spread of abomination amongst people for fear that they might grow accustomed to it and do nothing to stop it. Allah, be He exalted, says : “Those who love (to see) scandal published broadcast among the Believers, will have a grievous Penalty in this life and in the Hereafter”(34).

* Remembering Allah, reading the Holy Qur’an, establishing regular prayer at its times, keeping good company, frequenting useful and lawful places of pastime and entertainment, such as mosques, libraries, stadiums, and cultural societies, etc. 

* Seeking God’s forgiveness swiftly through turning to Allah with sincere repentance, for He accepts repentance from His votaries and He forgives sin.

* Calling on parents to ease the conditions of marriage through cutting down on the material costs and relaxing the social traditions that accompany marriage, and which Sharia does not acknowledge.

* Making certain that deterrent textual Sharia laws pertaining to adultery, when the latter is lawfully and legally confirmed, are implemented in accordance with the Words of Allah, be He exalted : “The woman and the man guilty of adultery or fornication flog each of them with a hundred stripes : let not compassion move you in their case, in a matter prescribed by Allah, if ye believe in Allah and the Last Day : and let a party of the Believers witness their punishment.”(35) This is the retribution decreed for the unmarried adulterer. 

As for the punishment prescribed for a married adulterer, it is even harsher as it involves stoning to death as the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) ordained in the case of Ma‘iz and Ghamidia, and because he said : “The child belongs to the wedlock; and the harlot gets guardianship”. Islamic Sharia has prescribed a severe punishment for adultery to protect the individual and the community from its negative impact which greatly surpasses the harm that might afflict the adulterer as a result of applying the punishment to him. Likewise, this severe retribution can serve as a deterrent from committing the forbidden sin and to draw man’s attention to its dangers.

Phase Evaluation Activity :

Choose from the previous directives those which in your view are the most important, and classify them in focused sentences.

Activity for Self-learning Outside the Classroom :

Perform one of the following activities of your choice.

Find a medical definition of syphilis, gonorrhea, AIDS and write it down in your notebook.

In the lesson there is a reference to Ma’iz and Ghamidia, look for this story in one of the books on Hadith and the Prophetic Biography, summarize it, and say what lesson you have learnt from it.

The Islamic Education Subject

Social Education Unit

Title of the Lesson : Woman in Islam

Target group : Second Year of Secondary Education

Time slot : 2 hours

Teaching Materials :  Pictures, Statistics, Publicity Posters, Audiotapes, Internet Sites, Documents and Texts.

Targeted Abilities :

* The student should deduce Islam’s position on woman issues from Qur’anic and Hadith texts included in the lesson.

* He should be able to discriminate between Islamic rulings pertaining to women and the social traditions that are in conflict with them.

* He should be able to use this acquired information in taking positive stands vis-à-vis Islam’s view of the woman.

* He should be prepared to show respect for the woman in his public relations.

Introduction :

Confused and besieged by various ideas, the Muslim woman tries to form a clear idea of her situation and problems for which she endeavors to find solutions that can restore her dignity. These ideas and analyses have their roots in the various doctrinal and philosophical trends. Nevertheless, the Creator of the woman and the Knower of what is best for her has conferred upon her special care and attention.

How does Islam see the woman and what are the directives of the Holy Qur’an and the Prophetic Tradition that guarantee her rights ?

Texts that Can Be Used as a Point of Departure :

Allah, be He exalted, says : “And their Lord hath accepted of them, and answered them : "Never will I suffer to be lost the work of any of you, be he male or female : ye are members, one of another”(36).

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said : “The best of you is he who always wants the best for his own people, and I am the best amongst you for my own people.”(37)  (khayrukum khayrukum li-ahlihi wa ana khyrukum li-ahli)

A man went to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and asked him : “O’ Messenger of Allah ! Who is the most entitled to my good companionship ?” The Messenger of Allah replied, “Your mother”. The man said : “Who else ?” He said : “Your mother.” Then the man said : “Who else ?” he said : “Your mother.” The man again asked : “And who else ?” and the Prophet said : “Your father ?(38) (‘ya rasul allah ! Man ahqqu an-nas bi-husni sahabti ?’ qal : ‘Ummuk !’ qal thumma man ?’ qal ‘Ummuk !’ qal thumma man ?’ qal ‘Ummuk !’ qal thumma man ? qal ‘abuk.’)

Glossary of the Basic Concepts :

Khayrukum : the best, the most generous and the kindest amongst you

Ahl : the clan and the next of kin ; it also means the husband and his wife.

Husn sahabati : a feeling of compassion for someone.

Axis of the lesson :

Equality and Complementarity between the Man and the Woman :

Allah, be He exalted, created the human being, male and female so that the human race could continue to exist, people could multiply, and civilization could spread and prosper. Allah, be He exalted, says : "O mankind ! reverence your Guardian-Lord, who created you from a single Person, created, of like nature, his mate, and from them twain scattered (like seeds) countless men and women ; fear Allah, through Whom ye demand your mutual (rights), and (reverence) the wombs (that bore you) : for Allah ever watches over you.”(39)  Between the man and the woman He put peace, love and mercy, and he entrusted them both and equally with assuming the Trust of vice-regency, and assigned equal duties and obligations to them. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said : “Women are men’s counterparts.”  

Allah, be He exalted, based the best part of divine reward on good deeds of both the male and the female ; He requested from both of them that they help each other in righteousness and piety and combat sin and rancor. He permitted both of them to work and earn a lawful living.

God has endowed the man and the woman with Fitra (natural disposition, innate character) to shoulder various burdens in life. To the woman, He gave affection and love so that she can bear the birth pains and assume the responsibility of child custody. He made the man tough, strong and solid so that he can face the hardships of life and meet the materialistic needs of the family. Sharia allows each of them to seek the other’s help in shouldering the various burdens of life so as to realize their complementarity and to coexist in peace and love, provided that family balance is preserved, because the family is the kernel of society.

Phase Evaluation Activity :

Extract from the analysis two aspects of equality between the man and the woman in Islam.

Women’s Right in Islam :

The woman constitutes half of humanity, and the continuity of humanity is highly dependent on her. She is a mother, a sister, a wife, and a daughter in the family; she is the educator, the scholar and the worker who contributes to the development of society. Islam has honored her by guaranteeing her rights which enable her to assume her educational, economic, and social role all her life. Some of these rights are :

The Right to Life :

Islam has guaranteed the woman the right of life; it condemned the custom of burying girls alive which was so widespread in pre-Islamic times and has threatened those who perform this act with dire consequences. Allah, be He exalted says : “When the female (infant), buried alive, is questioned, For what crime she was killed”(40).

The Right to Good Care and Education :

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) urged the Muslim community to look after and educate girls when he said : “He who had a female and did not bury her alive, humiliate her, or favor a male child over her Allah will admit him to Heaven”(41). 

The Right to Learning :   

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) ordered that both boys and girls acquire knowledge, and permitted the woman to pursue useful knowledge that can shape her personality and teach her own religion and how to live her life in a way that pleases God. Our Islamic history boasts a large number of women who were famous for their erudition, knowledge and wisdom, top of whom was Aicha, the Mother of the Faithful, may Allah be pleased with her. 

The Right to Ownership :

Islamic Sharia permits the woman to earn a lawful living, and ordains that she get her fair share of the inheritance. It forbids the husband from using her money unless with her consent and permits her to use her money lawfully and freely any way she wants : buying, selling, making donations, and giving it as alms or as endowment.

The Right to Choose a Husband :

The woman’s tutor cannot sign a marriage contract without her consent. Islam considers the woman’s acceptance and consent a condition for the validity of the marriage.

Worth pointing out is the fact that all the ordinances and the forbidden acts mentioned in the Holy Qur’an are addressed to the believers, men and women alike, in the various matters relating to beliefs and worship rites. The two sexes stand equal in terms of recompense, if they perform them, and of punishment, if they fail to do so. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said : “Women are men’s counterparts.”

The Right to Nafaqa(42) (adequate support ; alimony) :

The mother’s adequate support is to be secured by the son in the absence of the husband. The sister’s adequate support is on the brother in the absence of the father. The daughter’s adequate support is on the father until she marries. If in the family there are no males to support the females, Sharia allotted one third of the inheritance to the mother, and half of the inheritance to the sister or the daughter.

All these rights which Islam has ordained for the woman constitute a recognition of her importance, elevated status, lofty position, and a preparation to assume her role in raising and educating generations, and to contribute to the economic, and social development of the Muslim society.

Phase Evaluation Activity  :

In the previous paragraphs, you have read about the woman’s rights in Islam. Identify some aspects of the violation of these rights in your community and discuss them with your peers.

Activities for Self-learning outside the Classroom 

Some prejudiced minds claim that Islam has demeaned the woman’s dignity; examine this statement, quoting the appropriate Qu’ranic verses and Hadith.

Find some situations that deal with Muslim women and provide a detailed description of them.