Humanity S Teacher:21 Teaching Techniquesby Shaykh Muhammad Al Shareef
Humanity’s Teacher:21 Teaching Techniquesby Shaykh Muhammad al Shareef
The translation is not at all literal; it is basically, the meaning of what is in Arabic
1) Li’ayatu SalaLlahu ‘Alaihi Wassalam Fitta’lim Al I’itidaal Wal Bu’d Anil Imlal
Translation of the meaning:To not bore the listener
Example: When RasuluLah would speak as ‘Aishah (RA) says, “When he would speak, the person who was listening to the Prophet , could count his words on his fingers.”
When Prophet would speak, he would never give a marathon lecture.
Al I’tidaal Fitta’lim is a chapter in Sahih al-Bukhari which deals with being moderate whilst teaching someone.
Ibn Mas’ud (RA) used to teach on Thursday every week and the people wished that he (RA) would teach every single day. He said that he could do that but also said that this was not the way Prophet would do, he would bore the people and they would not learn.
2) Ra’itu Mu’allim Miqdara ‘Aqli at-Talib Wa Fahmihim
Translation of the meaning:Speaking at the intellectual level of the listener.
By not speaking at intellectual level of someone, the speaker might even cause the listeners to go away from Islam or might shake their Iman.
As Imam al-Bukhari writes, “Teaching knowledge to some and not others for fear of misunderstanding.”
Example 1: The Prophet told Mu’adh ibn Jabal (RA), “Whoever says La Ilaha IllaLah sincerely from his heart, will enter Paradise.” Mu’adh (RA) said to the RasulluLah , “Shouldn’t I tell everyone?” The Prophet said, “No, because they will start to become lazy in their Deen after that.” And after that Mu’adh (RA) did explain this hadith to others.
Ibn Rajab (RAH) said, “The rukhsahs facilitations shouldn’t be passed on to the late people because the late people will the take it as the complete Sunnah.”
Example 2: If someone doesn’t have too much water it is possible for them to make wudu’ only once meaning all the body parts only one time. If you teach this to the children that this is permissible but the afdal is to wash three times, then you will see the child, forever, will only be washing once and this is not the Sunnah of RasulluLah . That child does that because their understanding isn’t up to the level where they realise that this is a rukhsah and this is not what we should be doing.
Prophet would speak at the intellectual level of someone because of the different situation on who’s the question.
Example 3: The hadith, when a person came and asked the Prophet about kissing whilst fasting and the he gave permission to one person and didn’t give permission to another. And when they asked about this, the Prophet said, “The difference was that one of the people who was asking was a senior person and the other one who was asking was a newly married person.”
So the one who is older has more control over himself rather than the newly married one.
The Prophet used to asked by his companions (RAA) to advise them. He would give many different answers to different people.
Example 4: The man who came to the Prophet and he said, “give me advice” and the Prophet said, “Don’t get angry.” The man asked him again, “Give me more advice. ”The Prophet said, “Don’t get angry.” And the person asked again and again Prophet kept telling him again and again “Don’t get angry.”
The Prophet didn’t give the same advice to everyone.
Example 5: The Sahabah used to compete with each other in doing good deeds and used to ask this question again and again that, “What actions are most beloved to Allah (SWT)?” The Prophet said, “To feed the hungry.” Another person would ask the same question and the Prophet would reply, “Do not harm others.” Another one would ask and the Prophet would reply, “Iman in Allah and His Messenger.”
All of these things would be told by the Prophet by keeping in mind who he was talking to.
3) Ta’limu SalaLlahu ‘Alailhi Wassalam Bil Hiwaar Wal Musa’ala
Translation of the meaning:Using questions and debate
It is one of the most popular techniques that is used in the book of Sunnah. That the Prophet would use.
Example 1: The Prophet said, “What would be the situation of someone who has a river at their door and every day five time each day they would come out and they take a bath in that river at the end of the day would they have any dirt on them?” The companions replied, “There will be no dirt on him Ya RasulluLah.” Then the Prophet said, “Similarly are the five salawat.”
The Prophet used to ask them a question and they would reply like this.
Example 2: The Prophet once asked, “Who is the Muslim?” Then he said, “The Muslim is the one who other people are at peace from his hands and his tongue.”
Example 3: The Prophet asked, “Who is the Muhajir?” The companions said, “The one who emigrated from Makkah to Madinah.” Then he said, ”The person who emigrates and goes away from those things which Allah (SWT) forbade.”
Example 4: The Prophet asked, “Who is the bankrupt (Muflis)” The companions said, “The one who does not have a dinar nor a dirham.” Then he said, “No, it’s the person who comes on the Day of Judgement with all his good deeds and he hit this person, and he cursed that and they start taking from their good deeds until they have no good deeds left they go bankrupt. Then those people start giving them their own bad deeds and the person is finally thrown into the Hellfire.”
Example 5: There are two children and one (Zaid) of them is playing with a toy. He says, “My toy my toy.” The other (‘Amr) child starts crying waiting for his parents to come and take the toy. So what happens is that most parents would grab the toy from the child’s hand and saying, “No, you’ve been playing with this the whole time and it is time for the other child to play give it to him.” So, its ripped out of child’s hands given to the second child. The first one starts crying just as loud or louder than the first other one. And when the parents are gone, what will they do? Fight. This is how normally an issue of this type is resolved.
What the parents should do?
If the parent goes up to the child (Zaid) and calmly says, “Zaid is it fair that you play with the toy all the time and ‘Amr plays for no time ,doesn’t get anytime to play with it?”
- Try to provoke the child to answer
Example 6: A teacher should not shout at the students when they are found talking. Rather the teacher should ask, “Are you talking in class because you’re bored or because you want something to say?”
Try to provoke the student to answer the teacher. The student will start thinking about the answer.
If someone asks a question then he should give them a chance to answer and listen to what they say. Do not use rhetorical questions or shout at them because then the students will not answer and not think but will just feel that they are trouble.
4) Ta’limu SalaLlahu ‘Alaihi Wassalam Bil Maqayasati Wa Tamththeel
Translation of the meaning:Using analogies
Example 1: The hadith of the woman who came and asked the Prophet about herm mother who made an oath to do Hajj and she died. And then she asked the Prophet , “Should I do Hajj on her behalf?” He said, “If your mother had any debts, would you pay that on her behalf?” And the woman said, “Yes.” So the Prophet said, “The debt owed to Allah (SWT) is more worthy of being fulfilled.”
Example 2: The companions of the Prophet (RAA) were always competing in doing the deeds most beloved to Allah (SWT). The Companions (RA) who were wealthy used to spend it in the way of Allah (SWT) and the others did not have money to spend. Those companions used to complain to the Prophet because they could not spend in the way of Allah (SWT). Just look at their complain. They are complaining that they want to vie for the sake of Allah (SWT).The companions (RAA) said, “They pray like we pray. They fast like we fast and they spend in the way of Allah with the wealth they have.” Then The Prophet said, “Didn’t Allah give you that from which you could sadaqah from?” Then the Prophet said, “SubhanAllah WalhamduLilah WaLlahu Akbar.” Then he said, “Even the marital relationships a person has with his wife is sadaqah.” Then they (RAA) said, “How can one have marital relation and this is their own desire and they are getting rewarded by Allah (SWT)?” Then the Prophet answered, “Didn’t you see that if you did this in haram wouldn’t you be susceptible to punishment and be blameworthy for it?” And they (RAA) said, “Yes.” Then the Prophet said, “Similar that if you do in halal then you should be worthy of reward for that.” Those wealthy people (RAA) also heard that hadith and they went and did the “SubhanAllah WalhamduLilah WaLlahu Akbar.” And then they came back to Prophet and they complained again. Then the Prophet said in reply, “This is the virtue of Allah (SWT) He gives to whomever He wishes.”
Example 3: Many of the times, the Prophet would compare the ahadith with Jabal Uhud and the companions would then reply, “So much reward?” (these are not the exact words of in the ahadith)
5) Ta’limu SalaLlahu ‘Alaihi Wassalam Bir Rasmi ‘Alaal Ardh Wat Turaab
Translation of the meaning:Prophet teaching using drawings (Drawing on the earth and on the dust)
Prophet drew the lines like that in the picture on the top. Then he mentioned verses related SabiluLlah. “And do not follow the other paths as it will distract you and divide you from the path of Allah (SWT)”
So the Prophet would say the verse and then the people were looking down at the drawing the sand.
After drawing this, he said, “The middle is the person. The line going out is the hopes of that human being.” The box is the Qadr. Those the lines that are coming against the person are the different things that will happen in a person’s life.
6) Jam’uhu SalaLlahu ‘Alaihi Wassalam Baynal Qawli Wal ‘Ishirati Fit Ta’lim
Translation of the meaning:The Prophet ‘s joining between statements and hand movements (signals) while he would talk
Example 1: The Prophet said, “Myself and the one who takes cares of the orphans is in Paradise like this (like the closeness of the first two finger on the hand.)”
Example 2: The Prophet told his companions, giving them advice and he grabbed his tongue.
Example 3: In the farewell Khutbah of the Prophet , when at the end of his Khutbah he said to his people, “You are going to come on the Day of Judgement and Allah (SWT) is going to ask you about me so what will you say?” They said, “We testify that you did your mission and duty to Allah (SWT)” So the Prophet raised his hands up and said, “Allahumma Fashhal (O’ Allah testify).” He would point upwards and then to the people and say, “Allahumma Fashhal (O’ Allah testify).”
7) Ta’limu SaLlahu ‘Alaihi Wassalam Biraf al-Manhi ‘Anhu Biyadihi Ta’kidan Lihurmati
Translation of the meaning: Prophet would occasionally raise something up that was haram and basically use an exhibit to emphasise something to be haram.
Example 1: The hadith of gold and silk for men. The Prophet raised up gold and silk and said, “These are haram for the men of my Ummah and halal for the women of my Ummah.”
Example 2: The Prophet speaking about the ghulool. He picked up from the war spoils and began explaining to the Sahabah about the intensity of the haram of someone stealing from war spoils. And he did this holding and standing beside the war spoils after a battle.
8) Ibtida’oo SalaLlahu ‘Alaihi Wassalam Ashabuhu Bil Ifadati Duna Su’ala Minhum
Translation of the meaning:Answering questions before they are actually asked.
Example 1: The Prophet said, “The shaytaan will come to a person and tell them who created this who created that until the shaytaan finally brings the person to the conclusion who created Allah?” Then he said, “To whomever this happens, he should recite Surat al-Ikhlaas and spit three times to the left and then say, ‘A’audhubiLlahi Minashaytaan Nir Rajeem.’”
This issue didn’t really come about but the Prophet said, “When it comes about do like this.”
The Prophet would answer questions before the question actually came about.
9) Jawubuhu SalaLlahu ‘Alaihi Wassalam As-Sa’il Bi Akththari Mima Sa’ala ‘Anhum Ri’ayatan Lihajati
Translation of the meaning:Prophet people would ask questions and he would answer with more than what he was asked.
Example 1: People who came to the Prophet and asked him about making wudu’ from sea water. They said that, “If we have the drinking water with us and we use it to make wudu’, then when we would be thirsty, we won’t have any water left.” So the Prophet said, “The water is pure.” Then the Prophet started talking about seafood. “Animals that are dead in the water are halal.”
It is a key characteristic of a successful teacher because people don’t normally ask the questions that are most important to them.
Example 2: In a class, the teacher could tell the students to take a piece of paper and write on this piece of paper what the students wanted to benefit from this class, what they wanted to learn from this class. You’ll find out that many students have the same thing written down. So the teacher will try to include and the students will them feel fulfilled.
Example 3: A lady came to the Prophet and asked him about Hajj for he infant.
This is the way she asked the question. The Prophet asked her, “Who are you?” She replied, “So and so” Then she asked, “Who are you?” He said, “I am RasulluLah.” When he said this, she raised her baby and said, “Is there hajj for this baby?” He said, “Yes, and you’ll have the reward.”
The additional part, which she didn’t ask about, but the Prophet replied her with more than what she asked because the issue would later come up.
10) Laftuhu SalaLlahu ‘Alaihi Wassalam As-Su’al Ila Ghairi Ma S’ala ‘Anhu Lihukmati Baaligha.
Translation of the meaning:How the Prophet Would tune and turn the question to something that was not asked because of the immense benefit and hikmah behind the question he was turn the person to.
Example 1: A person came to the Prophet and asked, “When is the Hour?” *
The Prophet said, “Which is more important to ask? What have you prepared for that final Hour?” The person said, “I haven’t prepared a lot of Salah, haven’t prepared a lot of Zakah but I am preparing one thing. I have prepared love for Allah and His Messenger.” Then the Prophet said, “You’ll be with whom you love.”
Example 2: Anas (RA) said, “There was no hadith more beloved to him than this hadith.”
Example 3: The companions asked, “What should the muhrim wear?” The Prophet answered the question by saying, “What should the muhrim not wear?” “The muhrim should not wear…” (He started to count out the things which he should not wear.)
Example 4: When a person came and asked the Prophet giving examples of three people who fight in the way of Allah (SWT). “One person will fight because he got angry. Other one because to show off and the last one (I do not know since the Shaikh didn’t remember it himself and Allah (SWT) knows best.) which one is feesabiliLlah?” The Prophet , “The person who fights so that the banner of Allah is the highest, he is the one who is fighting for the sake of Allah.”