Feb
14
Posted under
carbon footprint,
cooking,
fish,
kids What have I been up to for the past few days … hmm
Some interesting questions from the kids:
a) Why do we have to get married?
b) But men arn’t nice so why do we have to marry them?
c) Why do non muslims live together and not get married?
d) Why is it haram for men to marry men and women to marry women?
e) Who created Allah 
?
f)If Allah made us all and He knows what will happen, why did He make people who don’t believe in Him?
Those are but to name a few that I can remember.
My answers:
a) Its sunnah and because it keeps people from doing bad things. Also because since the beginning of time Allah has made it that men and women marry.
Students answers: 1- So you can have children. 2- You just have to! 3- So you can do what you want!
b) I’m sure you’ll find one that you like.
Students: 1- I doubt it! 2- no ways! 3- apa have you?
c) Because they don’t believe in the same as we do. Islam believes in keeping peace and being sensible, and if you stay with people not marrying them it can become very messy.
students: 1- Thats true you know (and a long story) 2-They so silly!
d) Because Allah made men and women for each other not men for men and women for women. Also Islam says it is haram so we believe in it. Explain the story of Lut (alayhis salam)
Students: 1- Ewww why did you ask apa that?!
e) No body created Allah , Allah is wajibal wujood and he has always been and always will be.
We don’t understand this because in our lives everything has a beginning and an end, but Allah is very very different from us, so we find it very hard to understand. We should try not to think too much about these things because we can’t understand them.
Students: 1- even a chair? 2- Thats true!
f) Because even though He knows what will happen to us we still have some free will, which means that we can choose what we do. Everybody is born a Muslim but they change depending on their life. We should be very thankful to Allah that we have good muslim families and that we’ve stayed on Islam.
Students: 1- wow
Today we played hangman in class, we’re off now until monday for a well needed break! Alhumdulillah its been a fun term so far.
We recently started “wise time spending” where I give them 10-15 mo=ins to use their time fully conscience of what they are doing and if they are spending their time wisely. Then they have to give me an account of exactly what they did in those minutes. This is to teach them to spend time wisely and that even though I ask only what they did in those few mins angels write what they did every minute of everyday.
In other news, I was made painfully aware of the carbon footprint of my love for ice cream (thank you dear!), though it shall take me a lot to actually be fully conscience i’m trying slowly but surely.
Alhumdulillah for some time we’ve been using bio-diesel in the car, so thats good news (and no its not just cos its cheaper - well maybe!)
Also i’ve been honing my culinary skills and have extended to mastering the art of fish. This as I have been told is a delicate process, so today I went and bought 3 full salmons, though I couldn’t quite take having the head kept on!
I marinated in simple things: Olive oil, lemon, pepper, salt, garlic a few random herbs.
Here are the two I marinated (mum fried the third one):
Thats the first one.
Here’s the second.
The last to prove it is fish not lamb!
How it turns out is anybody’s guess (InshaAllah well!), will let the results be known after satisfactory marination and cooking!
Also if you see the black sheets I’ve used underneath, they are known as teflon sheets, they’re reusable non-stick baking/cooking sheet that stop the food from sticking to the pan or tray and are an absolute wonder for the world of cooking!
You can wash them by hand or put in a dishwasher, they also are great to put at the bottom of the oven when cooking things which might spill over, or to put on the oven racks!
Invest in them and you won’t ever regret it.
Thats all for now … off to sample some fried fish …
Duas Requested
Ma’assalam
Jan
16
Posted under
kids السَّلامْ عَلَيْكُمْ وَ رَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَ بَرَكاته
Apologies for not updating, my brother is in hospital, so I’m doing the daily runs to and fro. I will update as much as I can inshaAllah.
I will continue with the etiquette’s with the acquaintance at a later time inshaAllah, just wanted to write a personal post today about the kids.
Alhumdulillah we’ve finally set into a proper routine, we started learning 40 ahadeeth with meaning, along side the seerah, but cos of the bugs and stuff going around, many of them take days off, and getting them caught up is a task and a half! Today one of the 4 year old says she didnt attend madrassah yesterday because she had a “headache” … heh.
Which reminds me, the two most talkative in my class are a pair of 4 year olds, they sit and talk to each other behind their Ahsanal Qawaaids, like i don’t notice them, but honestly what do 4 year olds have so much to talk about?!
One of the girls asked me yeterday:
“Apa, If your a muslim, does it mean you can only travel to Pakistan?”
I was like “umm no, why?”
She answers “well thats the only place everyone I know goes!
To leave the best to the last:
Every so occasionally the kids want to know why I’m not married yet, they seem to care more than I do.
Anyway, I say to them, that its not easy you can’t just marry anyone, and mentioned the five qualities that Islam mentions, that the person must be a good person and behave in an islamic way.
So one of the girls says “But Apa! They could just lie! They could just pretend to be good but not be good!”
I say “well thats where the biggest problem lies isn’t it, but we just have to trust Allah , and remember that no matter what happens its what He wanted to happen to us”
“well that’s it then, I’m not getting married”
And so agree 90% of the class!
Duas Requested
السَّلامْ عَلَيْكُمْ وَ رَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَ بَرَكاته
Dec
31
Posted under
etiquette of class,
kids,
madrassah rules,
nasihah Assalamualaykum warahmatuAllah
As requested by k-swiss :)
The key word is RESPECT.
YOU respect ME and I’ll respect you.
You come to madrassah to learn and I come to teach.
You can’t learn from me nor can I teach you if you do not pay attention to what I ask or respect my wishes of classroom behaviour.
Respect for where you are.
You are sitting within a masjid, which is the house of Allah .
You are in the company of thousands of angels at all times.
When you come into the masjid the angels and Allah are happy with you, but if you do not respect the masjid, and you disrespect the house of Allah by doing things such as talking very loudly, being rude or not keeping the classroom clean, the angels get angry and so does Allah and instead of getting reward you are sinning and like that you won’t learn anything.
So learn to obey the rules of a masjid;
Do not talk loudly or about worldly things such as TV.
Talk nicely to everyone and respect all those you are around.
Keep the masjid clean.
Respect for the teacher
The teacher is taking out her time to come and help you learn.
If you keep the teacher happy by respecting her, you will see that you will be happier to learn.
In Islam a teacher has a status like a parent; how you listen to them you must listen to him/her.
You must at all times respect the teacher. If you hurt the teachers’ feelings by not listening to him/ her or answering back, you will make Allah very angry and not learn anything.
If the teacher says be quiet, stay quiet, if you must speak raise your hand to ask permission, and wait until the teacher has finished with the pupil he/she is dealing with first.
If you must speak to another pupil firstly ask the teachers permission, if she gives you the permission; speak quietly, so you do not disturb those around you.
Learn to respect you teacher and he/she will respect you, and you will automatically see that he/she is happy to teach you.
Respect for your books.
Your books are like teachers also.
Don’t throw them about or lean on them, as they have Allah ’s name in them.
They are helping you learn so you must respect them at all times also.
Do not doodle in them; would you doodle in something that is valuable to you?
Respect for fellow students.
Once again the main rule: respect others and you will be respected is the most important thing.
If someone is smaller than you have mercy on them like Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wassalam) has said.
If someone is older than you respect them, even if they are only older by a few days or months.
Do not be nasty to anyone as this is not what Muslims do, always try and be kind to everyone, even the people you don’t like.
If someone is nasty to you, do not be nasty back to them, instead say to them I forgive you and walk away, this will make you the better person and remember Allah and His angels are watching you always, this will make them very happy with you.
If they carry on being nasty, or bullying you tell the teacher immediately.
Remember never lie, even if the truth is against you. Your teacher will respect you more for saying the truth, than lying to him/her. If you say the truth and have to face punishment you will be rewarded, but if you lie Allah knows and you will be punished when you go by Him.
Punishment for Breaking Rules
As Allah has said that we will be punished for breaking Islamic rules in this world and that we could end up in hell fire. In the same way if madrassah rules are broken you will be punished (insert suitable punishment)
Note for teachers’: When implementing these rules do not tell the children the rules instead sit with them as though you are giving naseehah, if they have questions answer them. At first you may have to strictly implement them, be forgiving (tell them you are forgiving them as Allah says it is better to do) but also be slightly harsh, let them off once or twice with naseehah. If rules are continuously disregarded you must carry out the punishment (yes I know it can hurt as heck especially if a kid cries that he doesn’t want to go to the principal’s office!) but unless the children have example that you will carry out punishment they will not take you seriously (hai kids these days!)
Also respect these children as young adults not kids, I know even if they are only 6!
But kids these days grow much quicker and they seem to think they are little adults, do not patronize them, but explain with love and care.
Even if you think something they ask or do is silly, do not laugh at them or put them down instead explain to them, as putting them down would discourage from further questioning and the main part to a teacher student – teacher relationship is the ability to talk freely.
InshaAllah that helps any questions you know where I’m at :)
Duas Requested
Ma’assalam
