When I arrived at the masjid today, the weather was harsh\u2014cold winds blowing against me, and the chill settling into my clothes. It didn\u2019t help that I had lost both of my jackets the day before, leaving me even more uncomfortable. I was running late again, partly because I asked my mom to come with us, and it took extra time for everyone to get ready. Thankfully, LG announced to all the parents that anyone who has children attending different programs at the masjid is allowed to come anytime after nine, since coordinating everything takes time. That definitely made me feel better about walking in a little later than usual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As soon as I entered the classroom, I felt the warmth immediately, though the atmosphere was calm and a bit monotonous. That changed once the presentations began. Kids were testing out and reciting their pledges\u2014the ones who hadn\u2019t passed yet or didn\u2019t pass the week before. Last week, I had already completed my testing in both English and Arabic, so LG gave me an extra challenge: to memorize Ayatul Kursi in English. I had learned it in Arabic on my own time, so he wanted to push me further. I didn\u2019t get the chance to practice much, but surprisingly, on the walk to the masjid I managed to get it down, and by the time I arrived, I felt ready.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It took a while before our class officially started because of so many kids testing out. Before that, we heard some fun news: it was someone\u2019s birthday, and they had brought a cake for all of us. We ate the cake before presenting, which definitely made everyone a bit happier and more energized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the presentations began, most of them were decent, though they weren\u2019t exactly easy to compare because everyone had different styles and effort levels. Some of the feedback students received included using better body language, putting in more effort, simplifying their bullet points, and staying focused on the topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After we finished presenting, our next task was to write letters to a friend we wanted to invite to the Greenstairs program. Since many of us write with big handwriting, our letters had to be two and a half pages. Because we weren\u2019t prepared for that assignment, the letters weren\u2019t very strong. Thankfully, LG gave us another chance and told us to rewrite them and submit them to him later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next, LG instructed us to take one of the Qur\u2019ans from his bookshelf, and we began learning about its structure. We learned that the Qur\u2019an has 30 sections (juz) and 114 surahs (chapters). We also learned the difference between Meccan and Medinan surahs. Meccan surahs tend to be shorter, while Medinan surahs go into more detail. The other students then practiced navigating the Qur\u2019an to locate specific passages, such as the ten commandments found in Surah Al-An\u2019am, ayahs 151\u2013153. These included commands like: Do not associate others with God, honor your parents, do not kill children from fear of poverty, stay away from indecencies, do not take innocent life, respect the wealth of orphans, give fair measure, be just, and follow the path of Prophet Muhammad (\ufdfa).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After that, we explored why women in the ancient Middle East were sometimes mistreated or seen as less valuable. LG explained that in times of war, if women were captured, they and their partners often became slaves, while men alone were turned into soldiers. Because people back then didn\u2019t think women were warriors, they often didn\u2019t want to take responsibility for feeding or sheltering them, which unfortunately led to unfair and harmful treatment. Understanding this helped us appreciate how much Islam elevated the rights and dignity of women compared to the surrounding societies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We then learned that many of the longer surahs focus on themes of gratitude\u2014whether people are thankful or unthankful for the blessings their Lord has given them. LG connected this to Stephen Hawking, who was given an extraordinary mind but spent much of his life focused on what he didn\u2019t have, such as motor functions, and who did not believe in God. This comparison helped us understand how gratitude\u2014or the lack of it\u2014shapes a person\u2019s worldview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since we still had some time left, LG went over several of the religious analogies we use in the Greenstairs program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Greenstairs is one of the programs we participate in, and it focuses on religious, personal, and community development. It teaches leadership, writing, presentation skills, and moral growth. The idea is that by improving ourselves, we can improve the people around us and create a better community. It\u2019s not just about memorizing information\u2014it\u2019s about learning how to live with purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have four important pledges:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Pledge of Allegiance, which reminds us to be responsible citizens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Pledge of Faith, renewing our belief in God and rejecting any form of shirk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Pledge of Knowledge, where we ask our teachers to guide us toward truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Pledge of Voluntariness, reminding us that we attend by choice, and real growth is voluntary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This metaphor teaches that all religions are branches connected to the same trunk\u2014God. Though their paths differ, they share a common origin. This idea encourages unity, respect, and understanding between different faiths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CCA helps us tackle questions not directly answered in the Qur\u2019an or Hadith.
First we use common sense, then consider context, and finally accept accountability for our choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This concept is about the Day of Judgment. Everyone must cross a symbolic bridge. God can forgive sins committed against Him, but He will not forgive sins committed against others until they forgive us. This emphasizes humility, relationships, and reconciliation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
QHA reminds us that the Qur\u2019an is the highest source of guidance\u2014above hadith, opinions, or culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This analogy compares two types of prayer.
Praying \u201cwith water\u201d means rushing through it without focus.
Praying \u201cwith soap\u201d means being present, sincere, and spiritually cleansing yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These are moral teachings found in all cultures and religions, such as honesty, kindness, and fairness. They show that goodness is universal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Every bad deed adds a drop of unstable oil to a symbolic jug. Too many drops can cause it to \u201cexplode,\u201d representing the consequences of accumulated sins. Good deeds remove the oil, and repentance resets the jug entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We also reviewed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 8 Seconds Concept, comparing focus in prayer to staying on a bull for eight seconds<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Phone Connection, comparing our connection with God to finding strong Wi-Fi<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Mother\u2019s Day Discussion, explaining that showing appreciation on one day doesn\u2019t take away from daily love<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PAPAPACA, a method for finding sources of knowledge by checking the Prophet\u2019s words, God\u2019s guidance, and then using common sense with accountability<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We didn\u2019t review all the analogies today, but these were the main ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the end of class, LG told us to take home some of the Qur\u2019ans he had\u2014ones full of explanations\u2014and \u201cabuse them,\u201d meaning to read them a lot and use them frequently. While everyone was leaving, I reminded him that he asked me to memorize Ayatul Kursi in English. He asked me to recite it, and after I did, he was pleased. Before I left, he reminded me to write Ayatul Kursi in the same format as the prayer packet and send it to him, along with two questions I could ask him based on the ayah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today has been a very informative class as always so hopefully I was able to cover enough topics and reach the word requirement and hopefully anybody reading this likes my essay! Assalam!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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