Keeping Faith Front and Center

Islamic tradition places the knowledge of God at the forefront in the pursuit of education. It further delineates a clear pathway to achieve this objective through the character and example of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. But what does this mean in the current North American context? Wouldn’t following this literally limit us in pursuing secular and other worldly knowledge? As a parent, guardian or care taker, how do I keep this intention and purpose alive and integral in the lives of children without compromising on their intellectual/academic pursuits? 

Primacy of Knowledge

In order to answer these questions, we have to first understand three things;

  1. The origin and source of all knowledge is God
  2. The science of adab teaches us how to interact with and use every type of knowledge
  3. Practicing that knowledge allows us to derive benefit from it, for ourselves and or others 

The answer to the first question is clear and simple- we are not commanded to limit our pursuit to revealed knowledge alone, in fact we are commanded to pursue various sources of knowledge, worldly and sacred, revealed and experienced as all knowledge is knowledge of God. Islamic history and tradition bears witness to this commitment as the birth of the Renaissance is directly inspired by the Golden Age of the Muslims. When we understand knowledge through this lens, we realize that prioritizing this purpose for our children’s education does not jeopardize their intellectual and worldly growth. In fact, it is when we ignore this purpose, that their growth (intellectual and spiritual) is endangered and their character development at risk.  Answering the second question requires some elaboration though. And it begins with understanding that the pursuit of education begins with the adab of education. Absent this, our children begin their journey that is inherently deficient and inadequate. 

In modern context, knowledge is organized under a wide umbrella of specialized sciences (i.e. a compilation of ideas, thoughts, concepts, experiences recorded over a period of time and categorized under a specific subject matter). Knowledge has multifurcated into an enormous tree whose branches have grown so far and wide that a connection to its roots and origin seem to have gotten lost over time. Restoring this connection is essential to this pursuit and must be integral to the choices we make every step along the way. Secondarily, teaching the appropriate method of how to interact with any given knowledge (adab) is key to character development, intellectual growth and fulfillment of human potential. Educational institutions don’t just teach our children knowledge, the type of knowledge they impart instills in them the value and importance of knowledge that matters and holds merit. So if sacred knowledge or knowledge of God is completely absent from this process, so is the value and importance of that type of knowledge.  

Human Faculties & Potential

The human being is inherently gifted with certain faculties that deserve preservation, development and growth. According to Imam Fakhr Al-din al Razi, a human being is born with two faculties, the theoretical and the practical. The theoretical faculty is comprised of two primary sources of knowledge, divine and sensory perception. While the practical faculty involves action through experience and development of human character. Al Razi considered the composition of human essence to be its soul and believed that the two faculties can be perfected only through the capacity of the soul. The Islamic tradition and worldview also places great emphasis on the preservation and refinement of the human soul. It further holds that all other faculties are interconnected and rely on this faculty to help the human being fully realize its gifts and capacities. The Quran is therefore a primary source that can be accessed for theoretical knowledge in addition to sensory perception. Concomitantly, Prophetic character is the epitome of practical knowledge that can help refine and perfect good character in a human being. Everything else flows from and comes after establishing this as a fundamental. 

Modern modes of education are devoid of these two fundamentals in the pursuit of education. Development of human character through active acknowledgment and refinement of the human soul is almost a non-existent concept in modern education, even in faith based schools. The focus of “modern” and secular education is and remains how to derive worldly benefit from the sensory perception knowledge available to us at hand. Precisely due to this, children do not naturally develop a holistic worldview which places God at the center of their life. The absence of this primal connection to divine knowledge is treated as an afterthought. Parents step in to fill the gap but face great challenges in reconciling between the two worldviews. A duality and conflict eventually emerges in our children’s mind because the worldview they are developing at school may not align with the moral, and ethical standards that are inspired by faith. In fact, many of those standards are at odds with each other and when presented with the choice, our kids gravitate towards the view they are more familiar with and have grown accustomed to on a day to day basis. It is natural for them to incline towards what sounds and looks familiar and not necessarily what is ethical, moral or correct. Their minds are never trained to discern between truth and falsehood. Rather, they simply become subjective recipients who must learn and specialize in knowledge of the worldly sciences so they can get “good jobs” and climb higher on the ladder of socio economic status. 

A Holistic Worldview

The dominant worldview our kids are exposed to at most schools is not a holistic view but rather that of an ever evolving and precarious social environment. Even in Islamic schools where faith should be front and center, it is instead an addendum that’s added to a child’s day via an Islamic studies class. It’s a place that looks and feels “Muslim” but does not embody nor reflect ideals of high moral/ethical character. That’s how our children’s frame of reference is being developed and over time, it only solidifies its foothold on the mind and heart. As the children mature into adulthood, they may cast doubt on the “old”, and dated version of faith. Their default is not to connect back to their roots or critically think about their precepts but rather, adopt the easier of the two worldviews to retain a “normal” American identity. Instead of engaging with and trying to understand the Islamic worldview, they may stand in front of it, blocking the very light that can help guide their way. Instead, what they experience and witness is a shadow that looks familiar but appears dark and shapeless, lacking any color, life, vibrancy, beauty and rigor. That’s why where our kids “stand” with their faith matters- physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually. When they are young, this is our responsibility. As their “standing” may determine whether they are obstructing the light of faith or can build the capacity to reflect it. 

A Sacred Trust & Responsibility

Something I have observed in all children(as a parent and an educator of over a decade), even those not born into Muslim households is the desire and gravitation towards their fitra (primordial nature to know and understand God through discovering the natural world). Children are not just naturally curious about exploring their environments but also seem interested in understanding the “why”, the purpose for why things are the way they are. They gravitate towards finding meaning and purpose for things. They heavily rely on the environment and the people within those environments to help make sense of their curiosity and questions. The answers they find and receive begin to shape their ideas about right and wrong/ good or bad. They also express (even if in limited capacity) things they are naturally interested in and want to be around. We as parents don’t always do a good job “listening” to their cues. Our hearing is oftentimes biased or coloured by our own expectations for them. This is not easy for any parent to do (Muslim or not) but it is something we cannot and should not ignore. It is one of the keys to helping our children find their true potential in life. It is a part of our sacred trust and responsibility as parents and in the truest sense of the word “guardians”. 

The bare minimum we must do as parents is to ensure that we are not obstructing the light of faith from reaching our children. So when we choose the “elite” private school over an Islamic school or homeschooling, or blended education models like that of Sanad Prep, we may be standing in the way of faith reaching our children. And although we feel good about sending them to the occasional Sunday school or after-school program, it will not meet the bar to help develop a sound, strong and holistic identity in our children. Blunt and outright, it is our responsibility to bring the light of faith into their lives through an active and living force on a daily basis. Are we doing that for our children? Are we doing that for ourselves? Are we ignoring the institutions that are right in front of us because of our personal biases, lifestyle choices, class status and entertainment priorities? Are we accepting the invitation to prioritize faith and preserve the best of what our children have the capacity to develop; i.e knowledge of God. 

If we ignore the first two fundamentals (the source of all knowledge and the method of how to interact with it, i.e adab), practice alone bereft knowledge of its essence and its meaning. The choice is not simply between academic/worldly success and faith, but rather a life devoid of meaning, or one with meaning. So, how do we help keep faith front and center in our children’s lives? The answer is not as complicated as we make it sometimes. It is by putting faith front and center in our lives and in the lives of our children. It is by accepting the invitation to do good, when the opportunity presents itself. It is to remove our biases and choose for the reasons that are worthy and truly matter. It is by asking ourselves what our choices reflect about our views and our priorities. The choice is in our hands, not our children. May God give us the capacity to choose wisely and prioritize that which is everlasting and true over that which is temporary and fleeting. Aameen. 

Inspired by the way of the Prophetic community, the intention of the Neighborhood Halaqa is to come together for the purpose of remembering Allah and reflecting on Prophetic character. Every member of a family and community is invited to travel together in spiritual development and to improve our relationship with Allah, His messenger, and our faith.

The Neighborhood Halaqa is our humble effort to provide a sanctuary for children, young adults, parents, and professionals to come together to travel on this path together.

For this special in- person Winter Neighborhood Halaqa, we wanted to have a sense of a rihla or travel in search of knowledge (in this case, also travel to seek good company or suhba :). This, so that we can get away from the day-to-day grind we have all experienced. We are big on nature and Allah’s natural world at Sanad Trust, so the other main objective was to be in a setting which embraces us with His beautiful natural world. Finally, we wanted all this to be safe. Sixteen distinct natural communities create the mosaic that is Jonathan Dickinson, the largest state park in Southeast Florida. So we have plenty of space and the largest pavilion in the park reserved.

More details about the program can be found on the website.

https://sanadtrust.networkforgood.com/events/39230-the-neighborhood-halaqa-winter-edition-2022

A few weeks ago, we featured an article that introduced the concept of Adab as a science and we received positive feedback as well as interest in further exploration of this topic. So in this issue, we discuss why we believe that Adab is in fact a science and a very significant one in the dialogue of education. But in order to arrive at that point, we have to share some background that clarifies the need for this revived model first. Hence, we will briefly discuss the break of primary educational systems from religion (in North America), and explore some of the symptoms and underlying causes facing these educational institutions post-religious separation. We will also discuss why the religious and parochial schools may be falling short despite the name and presence of faith attached to them. And finally, propose how the science of adab can be one possible solution to addressing many of the current issues in the primary educational arena.   

Understanding the Problem

Education plays a pivotal role in the healthy development and well-being of communities. In fact, it can be argued that the very purpose of education is to produce human beings who can positively contribute to the wellbeing and betterment of society as a whole. So the question then becomes, are educational institutions set up to meet this objective? Produce human beings who can positively contribute to the wellbeing and betterment of society as a whole. 

In an ideal world, where all things were equal and there was no discrepancy between access to high-quality curriculum, good schools, and plenty of resources, would the educational institutions produce such a human being? We do not live in an ideal world where all children have access to this type of education but many do. In fact, millions of children in the US do have access to such standards yet the institutions that educate them do not always meet this objective. Why? Many of our educational institutions (including the ones in wealthy and “safe” neighborhoods) are getting crippled by gun violence, mental health crisis, drug abuse, identity crisis, virtual bullying, addiction to gaming, unhealthy usage and attachment to social media, anxiety, depression, and suicide just to name a few. Despite having access to rigorous educational institutions, accessibility to state-of-the-art furnishings, and plenty of resources at their disposal, why are our institutions still failing? Perhaps a more appropriate question could be, why are WE (who design, run, and operate those very institutions) falling short? What is plaguing our youth and claiming their lives and well-being even more adversely than an actual global pandemic?(*Note: The entire blame of failure certainly can’t be shouldered by educational institutions alone. Socio-economic, political, cultural, and familial paradigms play an important role contributing to the overall negative impact. The purpose of this article is to focus on educational institutions and by extension their role in improving and inhibiting positive prospects.) 

Looking at the Underlying Cause

It behooves us as a society to deliberate and think about this question deeply. It is even a greater responsibility to not ignore the symptoms, which are the underlying cause of these very problems. Having worked with children from KG to 12th grade over the past decade, I can confidently tell you that it’s not all about the resources and furnishings. It’s certainly not all about the wealth and accessibility to elite education, either. There is so much more happening in the hearts and minds of our children than just interaction with an advanced curriculum or high academic standards of learning. What if I said that the solution is not in more but in less. It takes less than fancy science and technology labs. It takes less than bright open windows, large classrooms, and top-notch STEM, Arts, Music, Debate, and Drama clubs. Just to be clear, by stating this, I’m not advocating the removal of these privileges from our children. No, absolutely not. All of these things are very important in the process of education. But once they are in place, they actually become secondary to the process of education. They can provide the tools that can create a catalyst in the process of education but they are not the primary driver and function of education. So what does it take then, if not all of these things? Let me tell you about a dinner party I attended a few days ago that impacted me deeply. 

My husband and I drove (he did the driving:) for an hour to Parkland, Florida to attend a party organized by some esteemed community members on behalf of TCF (The Citizens Foundation). Their mission is to provide access to high-quality education to impoverished children in Pakistan. The cause is noble, TCF’s reputation impeccable and their impact significant. In full disclosure, I am a supporter of their work. As I sat through the deeply moving stories shared by board members and previous executives, I could not help but think about our own mission at Sanad Trust Foundation. And I felt that there were a lot of similarities between their work and ours. Allow me to explain why. TCF is providing access to children whose barrier to education is primarily poverty (not enough money and resources to pay for a good education) among others. TCF addresses that by giving free access to high-quality education to these children. And most of the children thrive, as we saw and heard story after story describing their successes. The rest of the evening is spent eating, networking, and socializing with the wonderful and generous individuals at the dinner but my heart is captivated by the connection between TCF and the work of STF, which is different but shared nevertheless. I realized what is shared through thinking about a very famous model in psychology, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.     

Now attributed to the western scholar Maslow but originally discussed and explained by a 10th-century scholar Ibn Sina (also called Avicenna in the western spheres) the hierarchy of needs.1 The model is well known and is a timeless representation that can shed light on uncovering this mystery. At the bottom of the triangle sits the physiological needs (food, clothing, shelter, safety, and security). When these needs are unmet, they become the focus and attention of our lives. There is just not enough time or space to address the higher needs on the hierarchy. For the children being served by TCF in Pakistan, these children sit at the bottom of the pyramid and they use education as a way to climb out of the bottom pit. They are almost instantaneously transformed by the possibility and hope of having a better life, which actually becomes their driving force and purpose. Not only that, they do not struggle to understand the urgency of making an effort on their part to make this work. But what happens when these needs are met for children? Do the children automatically move up the ladder to self-actualization? Do the children at the middle of the pyramid automatically find purpose, motivation, and meaning through their education? What are the needs of OUR CHILDREN who are already living a life of privilege at the second stage of the hierarchy? How are their social, emotional, spiritual, and psychological needs being met? Are they getting fulfilled by a source that may be in conflict with our own value and belief system? Are we and our existing institutions designed to help meet those needs adequately?  

The middle of the pyramid outlines the psychological needs of a person, those of belongingness, love, and esteem. These needs are met through the environment, the influence of the social construct surrounding our children, the relationships (especially those with friends) they build, the emotional attachments they develop, the things they place value and meaning in, and the people and sources they trust. This part of the pyramid gets heavy and gets complicated. There is an implicit expectation by parents that since we are the source of helping fulfill the basic (physiological) needs of our children, their psychological needs for belongingness, love, and esteem are also being fulfilled automatically by us as parents. This is not always the case and certainly not true for helping our children define their purpose, meaning, and value in life. Moreover, as the hierarchy points out at this stage, a sense of esteem, love, belongingness, and companionship are top of mind and top of priority for an individual. This is when priorities are rearranged, values challenged and faith tested. I believe that without the science of adab (and highly trained Coaches of this science that can help students acquire, apply and transmit that knowledge 2), our children will not gain access to the tools they need to navigate the unexpected and often emotionally and spiritually precarious terrain they will tread at this stage.  This is where the forgotten science of Adab comes in.    

The Unpropitious Consequence

Most educational institutions in the current US system are not set up to address the faculties of the heart and soul ( emotional, spiritual, and psychological well being of a child). This was one direct impact of the deliberate decision to separate Church from State but one without thinking through the adverse consequences of such a drastic change on the children. Religion began to be labeled as a hindrance, limitation, roadblock, personal matter and choice, a threat to innovation and progress, and a lot more… It became the scapegoat which could be blamed for the problems and challenges that were facing the society at that moment in time so removing it altogether from the public arena seemed like the most obvious solution. I know I’m generalizing here as it was much more complex. Nevertheless, this was a part of the overall historical context. Slowly but surely, faith was stripped away from all spheres of primary education and was replaced by the ideals of secularization, capitalism, consumerism, democracy, and modernity. If you are thinking that the change instituted went from a rigid prescription of one dominant interpretation of faith to absolutely no faith, you would be wrong. Faith was still palpable and real, it was just replaced and redirected towards concepts mentioned above, secularization, capitalism, consumerisms, democracy, and modernity. When faith is hijacked by political ambitions, bad things result. When faith is altogether removed from the public discourse, nothing good can result. Both represented in some form a polarity of extremes. The cost of this negligence is just starting to surface in the forms of many of the challenges listed above.  

Are Religious and Parochial Schools Meeting The Objective Of Education?

A fair question at this point can be raised: Aren’t religious and parochial schools meeting this objective already? Although religious schools emerged with the intention to keep faith front and center for the children, they ended by duplicating the public and private school models and adding a religious class to fill the gap for “faith”. This duplication is problematic at many levels, which cannot be explored here but the primary reason is what I call “sectarianism of sciences”. Instead of creating a holistic model that met the noble objective of education, a model was simply duplicated with an addendum for faith-based instruction. What resulted was many similar issues and challenges emerging in the religious schools just like public and private schools, except the students, were now surrounded by each other sharing the same faith, or lack thereof. 

A Possible Solution

The advent of secularization and divorce of religion from state in the western world has led to many unintended adverse consequences, especially in the field of education. One such unpropitious result has been the negligence of addressing the human heart, soul, and spirit which works in conjunction with the intellect and the mind. The Islamic worldview does not divorce the mind and the heart, nor the intellect from the soul as separate faculties. It views them as congruent, interconnected, and inter-relational. Each faculty actively interacts together to form a complete reality of the human being and the human experience. Islamic worldview addresses mankind as a whole, speaking to all of its faculties; rationale (of reason), intellectual (of cognition and mind), emotional (of the heart), spiritual (of the soul), and psychological (of the psyche or conscientiousness). Inclusive and comprehensive to all of these faculties is the concept of Adab. Adab as I was taught and am still learning to this day is so much more than just respect, manners or “obedience”. Adab is a science that helps us see the place of things (of the material and non-material in their essence and true form of reality). My thoughts have been deeply influenced by many traditional and contemporary scholars and poets but the foremost on this subject has been the contemporary scholar Naqib Al Attas who explains the concept of Adab similarly. In particular, the framework for the Science of Adab below is directly influenced by his work “The concept of education in Islam”3. Al Attas discusses adab, and many other concepts extensively in his dialogue, while explaining the purpose and goal of education. What I have extrapolated here is 3 primary points of discussion from his writing and have proposed a framework around those key ideas.  

I certainly do not have all of the answers or solutions to these difficult questions. But I have witnessed and experienced a positive and transformational change in the lives of many children and families through a solution over the past decade. The solution, however, requires time, hard work, patience, deliberation, and commitment from the beneficiary as well as the service provider. What is being proposed here is not simply a theory. It is an actual effort that has worked for a decade and is supported by data exhibiting the model’s effectiveness, reliability, and credibility. It takes adab to give our children the best chance to be inspired, to be motivated, and to work towards their full human potential. Applying the science of adab as an integral framework of an educational model can help us achieve the noble objective of education, to produce human beings who can positively contribute to the wellbeing and betterment of society as a whole. Below, I am sharing a very basic framework, which outlines the skeleton for the science of Adab. In a future issue, the framework will be explored in more detail, including the explanation and implications of each section and its inner workings with concrete examples and potential case studies.  

I have divided the framework of the Science of Adab into three main sections as inspired by Al Attas’s writings on the concept of education in Islam. The demarcation of these points as a consideration to define the science of adab is mine, thus any limitations in this initial stage are attributed to me alone as well and not to Al Attas. The trivium I’m proposing that encapsulates the science of adab includes 1. Qudra (Faculty), 2. Ma’na (Meaning), and 3. Tahqiq (Actualization).What is being shared here in the form of a 3 point model is after a lot of deliberation, thought and conglomeration of a myriad of concepts through the academic, religious and experiential knowledge and training of a decade. Each section is organized the same way by posing a question, stating a response and finding a direct connection of the two to an Islamic principle or explanation.  

  1. What faculty gives us the ability and capacity to understand, recognize and acknowledge something? The faculties of reason, intellect, mind, heart, and soul
    1. Souls took a covenant with God: “Allastu bi rabbikum” & “bala”
  2. What formulates the shape and form of reality as we experience it as human beings?  Knowledge is made manifest and taught by virtue of its relative place and meaning 
    1. Adam learned the name of things: “And He taught Adam the names – all of them. Then He showed them to the angels and said, “Inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful.” (Quran 2:31)
  3. What makes it possible to achieve the objective of education? Adab actualized is Education realized
    1. Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him said: “My Lord educated me and made my education most excellent”. اَدﱠﺑَﻧِﻲ رَﺑِّﻲ ﻓَﺎَﺣْﺳَنَ ﺗَﺎْدِﯾﺑِﻲ
References
  1. Yaqeen Institute & Stanford Muslim Mental Health Lab. “Therapy a Millennia Before Modern Psychology | Holistic Healing Series.” yaqeeninstitute.org. 15 December, 2020, https://yaqeeninstitute.org/rania-awaad/therapy-a-millennia-before-modern-psychology-holistic-healing-series.
  2. Rehan Mirza’s conception for implementing Habib Omar’s trivium of Ilm, tazkiya and dawah.
  3. Al Attas, Muhammad Naquib Syed. The Concept of Education in Islam: A framework for an Islamic philosophy of Education. Kuala Lumpur, Ta’dib international, 2018 (first published in 1980).
EndNotes:
  1. For a more detailed study and exploration, see further Dr. Rania Awad’s research on Islamic psychology and the Muslim scholars and their contributions to the field of psychology pre-western era available through Stanford Muslim Mental Health Lab.  
  2. Rehan Mirza’s conception for a model of Education at Sanad Prep is inspired by Habib Omar Bin Hafizdh’s trivium of ilm, tazkiyah, and dawah. Rehan Mirza developed the Sanad Prep model informed by the understanding of the trivium as the acquisition of knowledge, application of knowledge, and transmission of knowledge. He is the Founding Executive director of Sanad Trust Foundation and regularly publishes articles through the Sanad Trust blog at www.sanadtrust.org. 
  3. Amongst the foremost traditional scholars behind the inspiration of my thoughts and ideas include the works of Imam Ghazali, Imam Abdullah bin Alawi Al Haddaad, Imam Nawawi, and Ibn Arab amongst many others. Some poets whose work has inspired me deeply include Maulana Rumi, Allama Iqbal, and Khalil Gibran. Contemporary scholars whose writing, works and contributions have helped me understand the place of my own thoughts include Shaykh Abdul Hakim Murad, Imam Zaid Shakir, Habib Omar bin Hafidh, Habib Kadhim, Shayk Ibrahim Osi efa, Shaykh Hamza Yousef, Dr. Rania Awad and others.   

How do you teach adab? A simple yet essential question that’s easy to ask but quite difficult to answer and even harder to follow through in action. That’s because  most of us do not look at adab as a science when in fact we should. Teaching Adab is a comprehensive and nuanced science that requires knowledge, training and a complex skill set. It is not something that can simply be picked up by an educator or learnt inherently through one’s experience. To teach adab, one must know the science of adab, it’s apparent and hidden realities and how it relates to character development. Our prophet Muhammad peace be upon him is described in the Quran as “the best in character” and the science of adab is closely tied to his character. As an educator,  it is a great and weighty responsibility because it not only demands that you learn the science of adab but also reflect its beauty and light through your own character. In the form of a rhythmic poem, one of our learning coaches captured an eye account of adab coming to life at Sanad Prep. We hope this gives you a glimpse of what makes Sanad Prep’s environment loving, nurturing and transformational for our students. 

The Realization

By Ameena Nasir
I learnt something that day and it was really profound
It happened the day the beaker fell to the ground
Laughter, tension and chaos abound
But it was only met with curiosity that left me spellbound

Gently and slowly she guided his way
No anger or consequence was shown on that day
Smiling, the message she did convey
Was that we all make mistakes and it’s okay

Such a beautiful example for us all
Of how to respond to children in matters big or small
The glass was broken when the beaker did fall
But the child’s dignity and heart was preserved for the long haul

On the day, a realization was found
That in order for a child to swim and not drown
He needs no judgment but only sincere concern around
I learnt adab that day, it was really profound. 

It is true that teaching adab begins at home and parents/guardians are the very first teachers of this science. However, their role and influence lessons or sometimes diminishes as children enter schools and places of learning where they are not seeing any active examples of adab or at worst, are constantly witnessing examples of bad adab. Because of this, a correct understanding of adab not only fades in our children, it is threatened because no effort is being made to cultivate it within their heart and soul. Adab cannot be drilled in the mind. It is slowly fostered and developed as it gently takes root in the heart and the soul. An educator that is not trained to impart this lesson cannot impart this lesson. And a system that does not value adab as a core science cannot disseminate it to its pupils. 

Our mission at Sanad Trust Foundation is to provide a place of learning for you and your child that honors, represents and upholds adab.  Our approach, ethos and our model are all predicated on this essential concept. It is what we strive to preserve, cultivate and propagate through our education, wellness and community programs. Adab is and will always remain front and center of our efforts. We believe it is our best chance of getting close to the one whose example portrays the best adab for humanity. 

For the past 10 years, Sanad Trust Foundation has built a student-centered — and what we often call a heart or soul-centered — learning environment around an accredited K12 curriculum in a service we call Sanad Prep Learning Center.

We provide expert learning coach services to students and families that positively nurture the social, emotional, and spiritual well-being of a child and excel in academic expectations and standards. The learning experience at Sanad Prep is delivered on-the-ground and online through a compassionate, adaptive, and personalized relationship with our Learning Coaches.

Thus, we offer a true blended learning environment at Sanad Prep. The best of both worlds for all stakeholders. For families we function in many ways like a traditional school. For county/district partners we are informed, competent, and capable learning coach partners. For students, we are the ideal balance between an innovative learning experience and homely learning environment. 

Our Plans for the Fall

Many have asked about our plans for this coming academic year. Last March we chose not to renew Sanad Trust Foundation’s lease at its Miramar Location. Alhamdulillah, this was great timing for our contract to end as we, like so many organizations, shifted to a remote format for all services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Believe it or not, Sanad Prep Learning Center thrived during this time in many ways due to the unique model we are built upon. All students passed FSA in upper percentiles and graduated their respective grades with a 3.0 or higher GPA; both measures are independently assessed and documented by the public school district.  This has been true since year 1 on Sanad Prep. We have maintained a 3.0 or higher GPA since inception for all grades K-12 for 10 years! There is no other schooling option that can make this claim in South Florida . 

We have completed our first 10 years with ihsan (excellence) and for the next 10, we have even higher hopes. Now, the Foundation and Sanad Prep must spread its wings even more and soar to even greater heights. This next phase of our journey begins with property acquisition for the Foundation — a home for the hearts we serve. 

For this reason we have not committed to a leased space this Fall. We are working hard to have conversations with philanthropists, property owners, and our stakeholders to see how and when we can purchase a property. If needed, we are prepared to start the Fall semester online as we did last year and plan to be on-the-ground (either in a leased or owned property) by January 1, 2022 insha’Allah. Having said that, our learning experience for students will remain robust, complete, and innovative. This will include regular (weekly) on-the-ground meetups, learning pod field trips, and comprehensive student support as we transition to a new space in the winter insha’Allah. The opportunity to continue to create new and innovative learning experiences for students, families, and the community excites me. I know our team too, is unparalleled in developing the best academic institution in South Florida. In fact, qualitatively and now quantifiably I believe this is true; it is why my own kids are in the Sanad Prep and thriving masha’Allah alongside so many other children. 

Sanad Prep applications for the Fall are currently open on a very limited basis. We have created a special place in Sanad Prep, and are confident that there is no better place in South Florida or the Country for your child’s heart, mind, and soul. 

To conclude, as you can imagine, finding a permanent home for the Foundation is a big endeavor and we are asking for your trust, patience, and support. Properties range anywhere from 1M to 5M and are throughout South Florida, from Weston to Miramar. We have always worked hard, intelligently, and ethically and have always put our trust in Allah since day 1, we are not willing to stop now on day 3,650. 

We appreciate that you have been by our side for so many years and, as such, we wanted to share our hopes, dreams, and plans. Your contributions to this dream are always welcome. Sanad Trust Foundation is an organization that establishes adab, love, and knowledge in our children, families, and community…now, it must be given a home of its own next to ours. 

Let’s make it happen insha’Allah!

Rehan Mirza

Founding Executive Director

Sanad Trust Foundation

Intention

Before one can lead others with integrity, dignity, and grace he must lead his own heart, mind, and action with sincerity towards a path that is noble, worthy, and good. 

At Sanad Prep, the cornerstone education service of Sanad Trust Foundation, we begin every day with the intention inspired and passed down from Imam Abdullah ibn Alawi al Hadad — the sage and scholar of the 12th Hijri century. Its comprehensiveness and brevity inspired us to incorporate it as The Sanad Prep Oath for Teaching and Learning from day one. 

After beginning in the name of Allah, praising Him, and asking for the peace and blessings of Allah grace the Prophet Muhammad we say, with Imam Hadad:

I intend to learn and to teach; to remember and to remind; to benefit myself and to benefit others; to serve and to be served (by the knowledge); to encourage observance of the book of Allah and the example of His Messenger (peace be upon him); to call towards guidance; to direct towards the good; to seek (thereby) the Countenance of Allah, His Satisfaction, His Closeness, and His Reward.  

Character as Channeled Force

After orienting our intention we must begin building our discussion upon some of the foundational qualities of leadership. For educators and students, the young and old, individuals and organizations, parents and community no audience can be spoken to about leadership without including the imperative of moral etiquette, refinement, and good character — or adab, defined broadly in those terms. Furthermore and within this context, adab channeled, is specifically an even greater achievement and must be a greater encouragement. An individual with adab must know or be inspired to discover what they can do with this quality when it is guided well, thus adab is seen as an ability. 

When perceived through this lens we can begin to imagine open-ended questions. What can we accomplish extrinsically with adab as an intrinsic quality? And collectively, if we have individuals of good character, what can this collective accomplish? Then we expand the boundaries of our thoughts beyond the individual level or communal level but, continue to a global level. The impact of people walking on this planet upright with good character — men and women — is what the world calls us to imagine at this moment and at any given time, that’s a goal, to at least imagine this. 

The Imperative to Preserve

And this is one of the things that we try, or rather we have an intention for, as I can’t say that we are always successful … only Allah knows, but it’s one of the things that we attempt to do at Sanad Prep with our students. That is, to cultivate and create an environment where our students and even our staff, who are also, in one regard, students of knowledge, can preserve their good character and imagine their positive impact on the world around them. Most K-12 learning environments and social settings, in general, today exhaustingly and incessantly challenge this effort of maintaining the attributes of adab (moral etiquette). The reality is that our learning and social environment can disfigure our character. Our life space can (and should) also be inspired and cultivated and beautified and made better and improved upon, and in turn, have this influence upon us and our character as well. 

Youth Must Know Who They Truly Are

There is an idea that we talk about with our students often and we share this with all youth. It may not always be meaningful and that’s okay. It may not always seem important and that’s also okay. The truth is that we’re all still growing and we’re learning what our priorities are, what is important, and the definitions of things. As educators at Sanad Prep we’ve always been okay with that process of growth, it never deters us from continuing to remind our students about these concepts. We know that our students are the most important part of what we do. 

The idea is that we all are important. We mean something and we must matter in the effort to serve and uplift humanity. It is critical to consistently remind students about why they are so important in this regard, why they are so loved, and why our work for them is so important. The reality is that they are ‘the tomorrow’ and within them is the environment that we’re hoping for in our world. 

What we remind youth about and the culture we help them cultivate within themselves is what will impact the world. In 5, 10, 20 years many of our students today, who are young adults already, will be in positions of influence and leadership. At Sanad Prep perhaps we have an extraordinary amount of hope, but when we see our students — and I hope that every educator feels the same way about their students — we truly see the leaders of tomorrow.  We expect our students, every one of them to be a leader in their own regard, in their own respect, in their own personality, and in their own qualities. It doesn’t mean that they have to give speeches on the top of a mountain but we certainly expect them to be leaders of character. Their refinement and ihsan should manifest in their words, actions, good decision making, and wisdom. We expect them to lead in those qualities, many of which are inward qualities. 

A Conclusion for Youth and Adults

In the end, what we remind any youth who may be reading this, whether they’re a Sanad Prep student or not, is that what you may see in the world of disorder and chaos and political turmoil and environmental issues, those are all things that are unfortunately waiting for someone to change them. As Dr. Suess wrote amongst the last lines of The Lorax, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” So, if you’re a young person looking around at the world today, don’t be dismayed, and don’t be depressed, and don’t be saddened. Rather, be motivated, be inspired, and know that those are opportunities waiting for someone with good character, perhaps like yourself, to change them, address them, and improve upon them. 

Any conclusion to this discussion that does not center some of the responsibility upon us as parents, as leaders, as educators, and as institution-builders to really believe in this ideal first and foremost within ourselves is void. With this ideal in hand, we then must try our best to create the space, the environment, and the inspiration within young people to believe this potential in themselves. If we’re having a hard time expressing and communicating to the young people in our lives how important they are, how much they are loved, and how much the world is in need of their potential …  then we have failed.

A Prayer

I end with a prayer that wherever a student may be learning today, whether it’s a public school, a private school, a faith-based school, or a homeschool that they feel first and foremost loved;  then, that they are important; and finally, that they know they have the potential to change the world around them. No matter how young you may be, you have that capacity in you. I pray that you’re in a learning environment that cultivates that awareness and inspires that. And I pray that you are in a family environment and a community that does this as well. 

May God give us the himma (the aspiration and motivation) for not just completing our academic life and work with success in this regard year after year, but for the entirety and the balance of our lives. May God enable us to be inspired and grace us with the ability to inspire others insha’Allah.

Know that for those of us who strive to live by faith-based principles, and specifically the principles of Islam and the character of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that we have all of the tools that we need.

There should be no doubt in our minds and hearts that great leadership is built upon humility and good character.

An essay inspired by and based on the Jan. 7, 2020, Sanad Prep morning assembly – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETsxPhUqXNY

Who I am as a person, what I believe in and how I interact with the world around me. These questions are all fragments, small parts of a bigger whole that makes up me. Like pieces of a puzzle, there are parts of me that interact and live with so many other parts of myself at a micro level and even more parts of the society at a macro level. Just like the small fragments reflect a bigger picture of me,  individual portraits of each of us makes up our communities and our world. They are all interconnected,intertwined and intermingled with one another. Nothing exists in silos. 

Conventional understanding paired education and character development under one umbrella. In fact, the function of education was in part character development. Education meant that a person was being afforded the opportunity to learn, develop and grow emotionally, personally, and spiritually. Education would result in a positive transformation for the individual who would continue to give back to the bigger whole of society and this cycle would continue. The cycle, however, has been disrupted. And we need to be aware of its implications for you, me and us…AS A WHOLE. 

I read a book on the life of Mahatma Gandhi at around age 13. I remember many things from that book but one thing that resonated the most is the quote “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” This impacted me deeply even then but I would come to understand its  reality much later in life.  To date, I have a frame hanging in my 10 year old son’s bedroom that reads the same quote. It’s almost intuitive to put something up on the wall, as if a part of us believes that if we looked at it enough, we may become that. That’s not why I have it there though. I interact with that quote everyday. Especially when it gets hard and sometimes, it gets hard but the frame serves as a reminder of why I need to push through and move onward. These words don’t just live inside of me, they are a part of who I am.  It is shaping the upbringing of my children, in how I interact with my husband and family, in how I treat my neighbors and what contributions I make to the lives of students around me. Small parts that make up a big whole. It is the small things that matter a lot; like having family dinners together, having tea with your spouse, or stopping everything to just watch the butterfly your little toddler is mesmerized by. These small things have big value. They translate into meaningful moments and really add up to beautify your life as a whole. 

We do not see ourselves as fragments. We see ourselves as a whole. And from that angle, our flaws and our strengths sometimes fade. We lose our balance and because of it, a way to stay grounded in the middle. We dwindle on the polar extremes of the spectrum, bouncing from one end to the other without any virtuous field that can magnetize us back to the middle and be the guide as our true Northstar. This imbalance particularly  becomes an issue when we don’t appreciate the value of the small fragments that make up the whole. As small pieces, our strengths may shrink when we need to hold on to them most and our flaws expand when we need to contain them within parameters. We fail to see our faults at all or only see our faults and nothing good. These are polarized extremes and we all seem to be getting pushed towards embracing these extremes. Sometimes by choice but mostly by ignorance and oblivion. The vast majority of us were raised to value virtues of honesty, integrity, generosity, and justice. They are no longer values but rather static attributes that we like to hang in frames on our walls. They signify to our friends and family that we believe in good values as we make lip service to their presence in our lives. In reality though, they are just token attributes that wane very quickly against the backdrop of our daily actions. These universally held values act like forces that bind us together in our humanity. When they no longer remain universal,  society as a whole is threatened. Our fragments are different but they combine to make a beautiful whole because we understand the value of each piece. If we devalue each piece, the whole collapses on itself. This is precisely what the modern world has done to our value system. It has become a footnote that we may occasionally mention but mostly leave it at the bottom, just as a reference point in case the need arises to access it. 

Education is a big part of society. Character education is even bigger. And makes society what it is. An invaluable conduit that disseminates knowledge and prepares the next generation to take their place in the world. If smaller parts of this big force are infiltrated and become corrupt, the bigger picture begins to lose its form. In a society driven by race for trends, modernity and consumerism, it’s hardly a surprise that we are being subsumed by these forces more than pursuing them freely by our intentional will. Things that used to have substantial meaning and purpose are being questioned or doubted in the name of reason and science. Values that were once seen as universal phenomenon are voraciously debated. The world I see for myself and my children is more expansive, more tolerant, and more meaningful. A world that tugs and pushes towards polarizing one another pushes itself to its demise. I want to show my children that my curiosity, doubts and struggles do not amount to devaluing things around me. Rather, it teaches me to learn the real value of things and strive to find their right place. In this world and the universe. A society that affords us the freedom to question and doubt faith, should also offer the same right to affirm it and hold on to its essence. Reason, logic and science are central to  education because they are its brain power. Faith, values and ethics are central to education because they are its heart. They work together to form a complete whole. 

The agencies and mechanisms that cultivate virtuous character traits in us have drastically changed. In modern times, the education system is not designed to teach my son or daughter to be honest or dishonest. It’s designed to teach them mastery of subject matters like math, science, english, etc. Our children may be recognized as honourable citizens through stickers that read “Your child did the right thing” when they display a virtuous act but that may be the extent of character development in most cases. Character development is an active science that needs to be taught like math, english and science. It needs to be cultivated in a human being with diligent, active and concerted effort. It is our communinal right and responsibility to be aware of this first. Only then can we begin to evaluate the options we are choosing for our children. 

This is not a small matter but requires each of us to look closely at our small daily choices and actions. Until we commit to that with honesty and sincerity, our intentions, efforts and capacity to educate our children in the way and manner that follows prophetic guidance will remain incomplete at best and risky at worst. For their life here and the next. May Allah guide our hearts and minds to His messenger’s light, his way and practice. May He give us the enabling grace to instill in them good adab with Allah, His messenger peace be upon him, and His creation. If we can preserve adab, we give ourselves a good chance to not just preserve good in all humanity but also the hope in humanity. Our prophet peace be upon him was sent to perfect good character. Adab is the way of achieving that good character. And through it, being the change we wish to see in the world.

View our exciting NEW series “Linkups, 15 min chats that go a long way”. We’ll linkup with people in the community just like yourself – parents, professionals, leaders, activists, friends! Listen to their thoughts and opinions on topics that affect us all. You never know who might be our next guest – it could be you! This month we are taking on an issue that’s on everyone’s minds as schools make plans to re-open (or not) in the Fall- Schooling and Moms.

In this episode, Attiqa Syeda interviews a Mom of two boys and our Sanad Prep Coordinator, Fareeza Ghani Ali. Listen to her positive schooling experiences and what she felt were the important outward aspects when it came to her children’s education.

Join us weekly on Thursdays at 6:30pm EST for more engaging interviews. Find us LIVE on Facebook and YouTube @sanadtrust

Sanad Prep uses a blended learning model. Our students receive face-to-face instruction from qualified learning coaches in addition to learning through the use of technology and our AdvancED-accredited K12 curriculum. Like a traditional classroom, our students spend much of their time doing offline work – reading books, solving math problems on paper, drawing, and conducting science experiments.

Sanad Prep Application period for the academic year 2020-2021 now open with limited open seats. Applications are considered on a first-come, first-serve basis. Admission is not guaranteed. Application deadline is July 3rd.

Learn more about Sanad Prep’s blended learning model: https://old.sanadtrust.org/youth/sanadprep

Ready to apply? sanadtrust.org/sanadprep/apply

Sanad Prep students are nurtured to develop good character and moral etiquette in order to bring a healthy balance to their life, personality and identity. We will ensure that along with the development of their minds, Sanad serves the needs of their souls as well. We focus on instilling in our students empathy and honor for the seerah, as well as sound comprehension and appreciation for fiqh and aqeedah. 

Sanad Prep Application period for the academic year 2020-2021 now open with limited open seats. Applications are considered on a first-come, first-serve basis. Admission is not guaranteed.

Learn more about Sanad Prep: https://old.sanadtrust.org/youth/sanadprep

Ready to apply? sanadtrust.org/sanadprep/apply

Sanad Prep Learning Coaches are a part of your family’s team and will work with you to ensure your child develops intellectually and spiritually. We will walk with your child and not lead from a distance ahead. 

Sanad Prep Application period for academic year 2020-2021 now open with limited open seats. Applications are considered on a first-come, first-serve basis. Admission is not guaranteed.

Learn more about our unique model: https://old.sanadtrust.org/youth/sanadprep

Ready to apply? sanadtrust.org/sanadprep/apply

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