Learning about Salah
On Sunday 18th March, students from junior school up to upper school were off their usual timetable and instead took part in a 4-hour intensive Salah workshop.
At the start of the day, although mostly tired and yawning as they made their way to class, many faces lit up when they heard the news that normal lessons were off for today - let's be honest, which student wouldn't have been over the moon?!
The workshop began with an introduction to the importance of Salah delivered by Ustadh Mohsin. Together as a school, students gave their answers to the all-important question, "Why do we pray?". From it being an obligation which had an attached consequence to developing patience and connecting with Allah, all the students from the youngest to the oldest gained insight into the main reasons and wisdoms behind carrying out this pillar of Islam.
As the day progressed on, Ustadh Ismail further reinforced just how important Salah is and then tackled the rulings of both performing Wudhu (ritual ablution) and Salah. Students were given a wonderful practical demonstration by one of the students who was happy to volunteer (after a little persuasion!) and they could also follow along a printed resource of the steps of salah.
Step by step, Ustadh went through the motions and outlined the names and timings of the 5 Salah in the day, the number of raka'ah in each as well as the brief history of when the command came. After a long and exciting morning, the students were ready to go on their lunch break.
Following on from lunch, everyone was then put to the test - split up into groups the children had to prepare a short presentation. They were all allocated a different topic - from how to perform Salah to the reasons why we perform it. Below are some images of one of the groups who had to demonstrate and explain the movements of Salah.
Alhamdulilah, the students delivered wonderful presentations - Ustadh Mohsin even mentioned he was quite impressed! The day came to an end after every student was tested on their Salah - the teachers all individually listened to each child making notes on where they needed a little more practise with the hope of monitoring individual progress throughout their journey of perfecting, or even learning, how to pray.
Alhamdulilah, by the permission of Allah SWT, it proved to be a beneficial workshop for both the teachers and students alike. After great reception from parents too, in'sha'Allah a lot more workshops are on their way!
“We pray that Allah SWT allows the youth of today to grow up with a strong attachment to the Deen and become shining beacons of light for the Ummah at large. ”