Learning about Respect
Junior school students learnt about respect this week - something of course they have already heard before. But what does the word mean? Who should we respect - should it just be our families, people we like, Muslims only? What should we respect - does it include animals or objects too?
The children learnt that respect is something that everybody and everything deserves. Not only Muslims - but all human beings because every living thing has feelings - and the Prophet SAW taught us to be kind and show mercy to others. And it's not just humans that deserve respect, but animals and objects like books and pens too. Respect is something earned - a two way system where you need to treat others respectfully in order to be respected.
After a class discussion, the kids then started thinking about respecting our parents - because they are our keys to Jannah.
How do we look after house keys - we add keyrings to them and make sure we keep them safe so we don't lose them. Why? Because if we lose them we won't be able to get into our front door. Just like that if we don't respect our parents Allah SWT will be very angry with us and the key into Jannah won't work and the door won't open.
As a fun end to the lesson, the children wrote poems on respect, some individually and some in groups. A few have been collected together here for you to have a peak...
Respect - by Hasan Rosmeen, Year 5
A world with no respect,
No kindness, how unfair!
A world with hatred we reject,
The world in shallow despair.
Adults and the elderly,
They all deserve respect,
Youngsters and the youth
Their parents - they must not reject
We all deserve respect,
So we must treat each other well
Allah loves when we are kind
And doesn't want us to go to Hell
Respect - by Husain Rosmeen, Year 5
A thing for me and you,
Use it for earning respect too,
If you judge some one for being sad and sore,
Showing respect will make them happy and more,
Don’t judge some one on how they look,
This is not respect, you were mistook!
Respect shows kindness to all of us!
Respect,
Commanded by Allah swt
Respect,
Practised by our Prophet saw
Respect.
Respect - by Raisa Ashalina, Year 4
Respect is something that’s given for free
Respect is about us not about me
Respect is like a friendship that was found
Respect is like an anchor stuck to the ground
Respect is something that everyone could learn
So respect who we are and keep who we were