By Mubaashir Uqdah
mubaashir.uqdah@verizon.net

NATIONAL - On April 4, 2009, approximately 30 educators from different parts of the country convened via teleconference and webconference to kick-off the effort to create the long-discussed Islamic curriculum, based on the Qur'an, life of Prophet Muhammed, and Commentary of Imam W. Deen Mohammed.

This group of educators, known as the Muslim Education Professional Group, originally began as a Special Education Committee of The Mosque Cares and worked directly with Imam W. Deen Mohammed.

From their work with the Imam, they developed an educational framework for building the Clara Muhammad School (CMS) System, referred to as the "Ascension of the Soul Framework."

This framework, while still evolving, was a major step toward establishing an "Islamicly based methodology, curriculum, school culture, climate and educational policy through Imam W. Deen Mohammed's commentary and Qur'anic vision."

A new thrust has Deen initiated to take another major step forward toward the fulfillment of this vision by creating a national curriculum that describes, step-by-step from Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12, a set of standards of knowledge-content, skills and character development that Clara Muhammad School students should learn and acquire.

This curriculum is designed for a full-time school, whose foundation is the Qur'an, life of Prophet Muhammed, the Tafsir of Imam W. Deen Mohammed and all it implies, as well as exceeding state standards set for the best American schools.

CMS weekend schools will be able to take from this national curriculum those aspects of it that they are able to teach, given the size and ages of their students. Furthermore, a future project will, one day, be enacted to collaborate and make recommendations for a superior weekend/Sunday school program.

The educators used telephone conferencing technology to participate in the discussion of the curriculum project. And they used web conferencing technology to view the Creation Inspired Learning Chart and a demonstration of the Curriculum Development Tool in real time.

After Imam Kashif Abdul-Karim of Hartford, Conn., led the opening prayer and described the purpose and intent of the Conference, each educator introduced themselves and shared a little about their work and interest in joining the effort.

They briefly talked about their schools and the geographical area in which they lived. All joined the conference with an enthusiastic spirit to work together on this important task that Imam W. Deen Mohammed had desired to see for many years.

Dr. Hameed El-Amin of Alabama provided a brief introduction to the history of the development of the creation-inspired, Ascension of the Soul educational framework. This framework is described in a 60+ page document.

It incorporates all of our student's educational needs in the concept of Prophet Muhammed's Night Journey and the Ascension of the Soul, as explained by Imam W. Deen Mohammed. According to page 7 of the framework document, Imam Mohammed said, "These are steps in the evolution of man, who has to be responsible for society."

The document lists the 1* seven levels: "1) Adam - the n Original Soul, 2) Jesus and P1 John - the Spiritual Man, 3) tc Joseph - The Intuitive Man, Sl 4) Idris - Academic Man, 5) Aaron - Cultural Man, 6) E Moses — Man as Ruler of Government and Social Life, e and 7) Abraham - Ethical a Man."

The framework indicates that the Clara Muhammad ' School curriculum would be designed to ensure that its students are educated and cultivated, so that each of these levels or aspects of the evolved human being are instilled in our students' hearts and souls and then brought out of them to produce some of the most useful and gifted human beings the world will see.

Mubaashir Uqdah of New Jersey displayed the Curriculum Development Tool via the web conferencing tool, described the task at hand, and demonstrated how to use the tool to input the curriculum standards. He differentiated curriculum development from development plans (lesson plans).

Mubaashir noted that he no longer uses the term lesson plan, after educator Habibullah Saleem impressed upon him that indeed "words make people" and "we are not trying to teach our children less (lesson)."

The CMS Curriculum Development Tool provides a template with space to list each knowledge or skill that a student should learn or acquire for each grade, pre-K - 12, for each subject that is taught.

Educators select a subject and begin working on listing all of the standards, including subjects with well-defined state standards, such as reading, math, science, etc. For example, Arabic educators will define what skills students should be taught in Kindergarten, first grade, second grade, on up through 12th grade. They would define these tasks for reading, speaking, writing and listening.

Conference call participants agreed that each person would take one or more of the Subject/Content areas, which included Language Arts, Math, Science, Islamic Studies, Home and Family Studies, Health and Physical Education, Language (Arabic Fus'haa), Social Studies, and the Visual and Performing Arts.

It also was recognized that we currently have successful Clara Muhammad full-time schools in several areas of the country and that an assessment should be taken to identify what is currently working for those schools.

Beverly Yaman of Washington, D.C., volunteered to create an assessment questionnaire for educators to complete to help ensure that those
standards already identified as valuable are included in the national curriculum.

Virtually everyone on the conference call provided useful input to the process discussion. The CMS Curriculum Development Team set an ambitious goal of completing the first version of the national curriculum within 12 months. They are calling out to all who have expertise in some area of education and can make a contribution to what our students should be learning in our Clara Muhammad Schools.

You can get involved by joining the Muslim Educational Professionals Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group /MuslimEducationalProfessionals/. When you join the group, you can send an e-mail to the group address and let us know you have joined and want to get involved.

Within two to three days, we will welcome you aboard, give you a template of the tool, help you select a subject area to work in and show you how to use the tool. You will receive all e-mails posted by any member of the team.

The Conference call was brought to a close with the unveiling of the new Clara Muhammad Schools website, http://www.claramuhammadschools.org. Imam Kashif led the group on a tour of the website's features, which included a listing of our Schools, links to their websites, directions to the Schools, a calendar of events that can be shared by all of the Schools in our association.

The website includes files and documents that can be accessed by the public and by educators and will become a valuable resource for educators and the community-at-large. The site is new, so data is being added weekly. But it is live and you should take a visit.

The next meeting was set for May 3. Educators and thinkers, come join the group and help design a quality curriculum for our students. Join now, so that you can participate in the next Conference call.

THE PAST

When we hear or read others speech about the legacy of Imam W. Deen Mohammed, they speak about his achievement of transforming the Black Nationalist movement of the Nation of Islam to an integrationist movement practicing the basic tenets of the Islamic religion. While this is an amazing achievement in its own right, we know that Imam Mohammed represents much more than that.

The transformation of the most powerful black organization in our history to the path of the Qur'an and the example of Prophet Muhammad is indeed a monumental achievement, but, we know that this miracle was not for the sole purpose of simply becoming a good practicing Muslim as Islam is understood and taught by others today.

Our African American heritage has taught us that we do not allow others to define us. We are to define ourselves. We who have lived that history and lived that experience, are best qualified to define that experience and history, lest others intentionally or unintentionally minimize and trivialize its meaning and significance.

There are people with views of what has happened during the leadership of Imam Mohammed that vastly minimize its significance, but they are not necessarily at fault or insincere, for they were not as close to it as we are. From their vantage point, all they saw was a change from Black Nationalism to the adoption of a different religion. They are not privy to the language of Imam Mohammed and all of its implications for the future. Many of us, understandably, also do not know the implications of the Imam’s language and how to transform it into its applied form.

The true legacy of Imam Mohammed will not be seen until we reach the zenith of our Next Evolution. It is only then—when our tree has grown in height and stature, is adorned with mighty branches, abundant with fruits of every kind on every branch, lit with many, beautifully colored lights with a piecing star shining forth from its head, and every leaf is dripping with light reflecting the great light of that star, shining like the glistening of pristine tinsel—it is only then that the true work and legacy of Imam W. Deen Mohammed will be known. A legacy is known by its contribution and Imam Mohammed’s contribution is still a work in progress.

They have seen Imam Mohammed plant the seeds of Al-Islam far, wide, and deep. While he worked to till the soil and bring up the plants, they sat on the sidelines and watched him struggle with meager means. Now that he is gone, they say he did a good job planting seeds, now they must come and raise up the plants into the correct and proper Islam. LA! You must wait until you see what Imam Mohammed has planted and perhaps you will be amazed and thankful. When you see what springs forth, then you will know what his legacy is.

Nevertheless, let us examine what we have inherited from the inheritor—let us consider what has been achieved in the past, analyze what might be done in the present, and understand the applied pathway to the future; our Next Evolution.
Make no mistake about it, Imam Warith Deen Mohammed loved the Qur'an and our Prophet (pbuh). He did bring us to Allah’s revelation, the Holy Qur'an, and he showed us the example of Muhammad Ibn Abdullah, to whom the Qur'an was sent down. But he brought us to this path with an expansiveness and depth of insight that has opened the books of scripture like none we have seen before.

The language of scriptural and social interpretation that he used to open our understanding and perception of the meaning of Al-Islam, the life of Prophet Muhammad, and our lost human and African American identity, is the profound gift that we have been given. It is this language and interpretation that brought about the historic transformation that is recognized as his legacy and it is this language and interpretation that will serve as the elixir for the new mind, culture, and society that will emerge as the Next Evolution.

I repeat, the true legacy of Imam Mohammed will not be seen until we reach the zenith of our Next Evolution. Imam Mohammed brought us to the Qur'an and the life of the Prophet for the same reason that he picked up the American flag and brought us to American Patriotism, when it was unpopular with both Muslims and Black Americans. For the same reason, he put us on the course of interfaith relationships with other communities of faith and steered us away from an Afrocentric world view towards a human world view. It was for this same reason, that he defined our individual identity in the context of our original human nature and community life. What is this reason?

The reason is his perception of our destiny and the Time we are living in and his perception of how human beings are transformed into beings of great value, able to bring about Paradise on earth. He believed that Satan has attacked the original nature of human beings by corrupting human culture. His belief is that by restoring human nature back to its original pattern, the natural human being will solve the many problems we face today. To restore human nature back to its proper form, it needs an environment that is compatible and nourishing to it.

It is our task to evolve the culture to a state where it brings people back to the original nature rather than corrupt that nature. To achieve this, we will work with people of faith and good will from all persuasions; Jews, Christians, Muslims, any right-minded person, whether they believe in G-d or not.

This is the reason Imam Mohammed made these transformations in our lives, to create a mental, spiritual, and physical situation that removes artificiality from us so that our oppressed original nature could be free to come alive again.

He transformed us from black consciousness to human consciousness, to remove the psychology of white superiority and black inferiority and to reconnect our human nature with the reality that all human beings are from the same source; so we are equal and we are one family. This puts our nature in a good environment. He removed us from black god, white devil, for the same reason.

He picked up the flag and taught us about the good side of America and Caucasian people, because he knew that the right situation for human nature is unity and harmony. America is our immediate environment and to be hostile to the womb of our development and for that womb to be hostile towards us is an unhealthy situation for progress. This transformation made the situation good for the resurrection of our original human content.

He gave us instruments of government: the committee system, the ratification system, the Monitoring Team, and the National Imam Council and more. He gave us instruments of business: AMMCOP, CPC, Salaam Nutrition and more. He gave us instruments of Education: Clara Muhammad School System, WD Mohammed High School System, Muslim American Teachers College and more. He gave us instruments of Culture: Culture Night at the conventions and the idea that we should have cultural houses in every city, and more.

Each of these experiences; our struggle to achieve these efforts, were situations that elevated our natural human nature. We learned to take Shura in each of the major influences in the life a people: Government, Business, Education, and Culture. While we did not accomplish the tasks, we clocked the experience in our makeup and our soul; the original human soul has recorded the goal and will respond as the 4 birds trained by Abraham responded to his call when the time was right.

Imam Mohammed also made us free and independent thinkers. Our African American heritage is up from slavery; there are no slaves and Chicken Georges here. He made us independent thinkers, because he knew that to fulfill our mission would require the freedom and independence of mind to resist being co-opted by the scholars of other traditions so that we could grow the fruits of this new perception of Al-Islam. We must be strong enough to stand up to the pressures of those who do not want us to be ourselves. They want to influence who we become in the next chapter of our growth.

The freedom and independent thinking that was taught needed a structure that was compatible with it. So, the Imam decentralized our community and established an environment of autonomy. His purpose for doing this was multifaceted.

By decentralizing, he removed the structured grip held by Imams in the community. There was a time when we would do nothing in the community without the Imam’s approval and support. That has all been changed. No longer can a group of Imams control the progress of the Ummah. The individual is free to pursue what he is inclined to pursue.

The Imam was also concerned about government agencies and other powerful forces in the society that want to keep us from reaching our fulfillment. If there was a small group of leaders that ran the community, they need only bribe them or influence them to control the community. Autonomy makes it difficult for them to implement this kind of influence. It also prevents those who would like to be our leader so they can exploit the population of people for selfish gains; for example money.

This combination of Autonomy and free thinking sent individuals into many walks of life and we excelled. We have high achievers amongst us. This situation is good for us, because no individual or group of individuals can be oppressed or blocked from a worthy pursuit.

However, this orientation also facilitated a tribalism and uncooperative behavior which made it difficult for us to work together for a common cause. We have become so individualistic that we cannot find a common denominator for cooperative progress. So each Masjid does its own thing without much concern or commitment to other Masjids in our association. However, a testament to the Imam’s wisdom is the fact that we are beginning to realize that contesting each other is not the best way forward.

All of us know that we are free, independent, and autonomous, but that we need to cooperate to fulfill this mission. We might make a little progress as a lone self-serving entity, but if our identity is in community, then a common unity is important. Autonomy is the way, but don’t think Imam Mohammed is against government and working together for common purposes.

TO BE CONTINUED

THE PRESENT

When Imam W. Deen Mohammed resigned from the American Society of Muslims (ASM), the ASM as a national organization quickly dissolved. A new state (state of existence) of autonomy replaced it. In Masjids across the country, we conducted our Islamic life independently and autonomously; each Masjid structuring itself as it saw best and our Masjids survived and continued to function.

Yet, while we functioned autonomously, we looked to Imam Mohammed for direction and guidance. Many waited and wondered for years for the Imam to lead us to the next development: a next phase in our story. Some traversed the country to attend every speaking engagement, anticipating the earth-shattering announcement.

Upon the passing of Imam W. Deen Mohammed, most agree that our community is entering another chapter in its history. We no longer have our Mu’alim; the Mujeddid, to provide real-time direction and guidance for us. Many people in the community wondered what we will do next. How are we to operate? Who will lead? Where do we go from here?

Many attended the 2008 Ramadan session in hopes of discussing their concerns about the future of our community. Unfortunately, while many good speeches were given, the concerns of the people were swept under the rug. They were told that the Imam’s last words on the future direction of the community were that we should remain autonomous and continue doing what we were doing before his passing. To be fair, it is understandable, for we were all in shock at the passing of our Imam and it is best to pause when in a state of shock and surprise.

Ironically, a telling situation developed with national implications, which our current autonomous state was unprepared to deal with. Before the Imam was even buried in the ground an inheritance dispute arose between those closest to him, which threatens to stain the spotless reputation of our leader and the reputation of the community that supports him.

Both parties are willing to promote disgrace around our leader in his exit, in pursuit of their own gain. One side using the law and the public media to take everything from the other without consideration of what is just, and the other side, in pursuit of justice, willing to needlessly publish to the world public a matter that the world does not understand and which unfriendly and imprudent elements could use to discredit and mock our leader. Neither side appears willing to consider the bigger picture of the future dignity of our leader and our community’s well-being.

To the detriment of us all, neither side appears willing to accept arbitration from parties of their choosing from amongst ourselves. One side ignores the concerns of the people, while the other rouses them to attack and defame each other.
Let their arise from the body of Imams a Shura to investigate the claims of the aggrieved party and to ascertain the reasoning of the accused party.

Imams, call yourselves together and appoint members fair and just, knowledgeable and honest, to ascertain the balanced truth of the situation. Then seek a fair way to mediate the dispute and form agreements to settle this matter satisfactorily, but only after sincerely and objectively seeing the issue from the eyes and hearts of BOTH sides. Show mercy and compassion for the errors made, then report back to the Ummah what you find and from there further decisions can be made, if necessary.

I said this is ironic, because if our community model is totally autonomous, then this is none of our business. We can have unjust treatment of people throughout the country in Masjids associated with Imam Mohammed’s leadership and our position is that it is their problem and we have nothing to do with it. Is this the model community? Is this New Africa? What happened to the teaching that if one part of the body is in pain, the whole body is in pain? What happened to the conventional wisdom, if it happened to you it can happen to me?

However, it is true that some things are personal problems, some things are local problems, some things are regional problems and others are national problems. Our state of autonomy is not prepared to respond to problems on most of these levels. We must move from an autonomous state of existence to an autonomous system, which has the intelligence structured into it to respond and manage problems on whichever level they occur.

When the community as a whole is threatened, how should our autonomous system respond to meet the threat? Oh, there is no “whole” community, we are individual Masjids. Has history stopped for us? There was this legacy of a community that started in 1930 and continued to the present.

It had a history of greatness. Is this history now over? Was all of this transformation simply so we could convert to Islam and make prayers, celebrate the Eids, wear a different dress, be a good person? Do you think this is New Africa? Is this the new culture so often talked about? Is this the new mind?
What about the idea of this wisdom as compensation for 400 years of slavery? Do you think replacing the singing of hymns with the chanting of Qur'an is compensation for our people’s destruction? Were we resurrected so we can take on the form of an Islamic society that has long been dominated by corrupting schemes of influence? Is that what all of this has been about?

Be not like the children of Israel, who when Moses was on the mountain communing with G-d, seeking guidance for a promised land for his people, grew impatient with the wilderness, abandoned Moses, and chose another way. Those disbelieving ones lost their covenant; their gift from G-d. Shall we trade our special gift for a beautifully wrapped empty box? Shall we trade reading the book, for its recitation? Shall we trade understanding for cultural tradition?

There is no doubt that we are in a serious time in the history of this community’s mission. Those who can read the signs know that this is true. Weakness within, opportunists without. Not individual weakness; for we have individual strength. But, systemic and strategic weakness for moving our cause forward with certainty; with science, not just with a hope and a prayer.

Let us be patient, there is no need to jump to another man (leader; leadership). We can continue doing as we were without a hitch or misstep. Let us do so. But we are the Imam’s students and our teacher was a man of great depth. He taught us to dig deep in the well of understanding. We must take the time to understand not only that we exist in an autonomous state of being, but why the Imam believes autonomy is best for us. You, who believe you already know, don’t be impatient or dismiss the rest of us, for the Ummah needs the dialog and conversation, so we too can know.

Those of you at the forefront of knowledge must not disconnect yourselves from those of us that are still learning and those of us still learning must not turn off to the sometimes complex and convoluted thinking of those with knowledge. While the eyes are independent of the ears, these autonomous components must be connected. Even though the hand is independent of the foot, these autonomous entities must be coordinated. The mind and the body are two different functionalities, but they must, in real terms, support each other.

Failure of these autonomous components to connect, coordinate, and support each other, in real terms, can lead all of them into the abyss of suspended animation.
In this present moment, for this next year, we need not rush to change anything other than increasing the productivity with which each of us are pursuing our worthy current tasks.

We should take this next year to engage in Shura amongst ourselves all over the country to discuss and share thoughts and feelings about our future, our many concerns, and how we can turn our autonomous state into an autonomous system.
We must talk about how our autonomous system could work to ensure that we can respond to all problems; local, regional, and national, as well as, how it should work to ensure that we will achieve New Africa and its Model Communities across America. Let the people; Imams and believers, express their concerns, desires, and feelings, plans and solutions. Let that collective wisdom help guide us.

Over this next year, let the educators take Shura; we have not produced an authentic, IWDM based curriculum yet for our schools. Let the business persons take Shura, we must figure out how to create wealth for this community’s needs. The guidance can be found, I am sure, in the Imam’s business initiatives. We are poor, because we have not helped each other become rich. Let the social and cultural practitioners take Shura, for we have not adequately produced the new culture that shall nourish the new mind.

Let our organizers and strategic planners (our politicians or statesman) come together in Shura to conceptualize and operationalize government in our autonomous system. What are the processes, agreements, and arrangements of coordination between the many autonomous parts in our autonomous system? How will it get us to the goal?

Some say, we don’t need all of this talk to understand or they ask rhetorically, “What’s there to understand? Just move out and work and Allah will do the rest.” Others do not see it so simply and want to understand how we are to progress without any organization at all. These are all voices of the Ummah and there must be an opportunity for them to be heard, considered, and we all should have the opportunity to communicate with each other about the future of our community.

Do we think there is only one form of autonomy? Weren’t the tribes of the Arabs autonomous? Is tribalism or nomadism the autonomous system of New Africa? Do we know what our model of autonomy is? Perhaps it doesn’t matter or maybe it is critical that we know. One thing is for sure, Muslims are not gamblers.

If we will not gamble with our money, we certainly should not gamble with the creation of New Africa, with the fulfillment of our vision that we received from Allah through Prophet Muhammad, explained by Imam Mohammed. The entire Ummah must be conscious of what we are doing, why we are doing it, and how we are doing it.

Imam Mohammed once compared our two legs to knowledge and understanding. He said the legs are moral and rational knowledge respectively. Understanding these two legs is what allows us to put one foot in front of the other to move to the destination. We have knowledge that our system is an autonomous one, but do we understand how we are to use it to move forward.

Yes, we are to move out and into action, there is no need to wait. This is acting as if today was our last day. But, at the same time, we are to act as if we were going to live forever. This means we plan for the future. Just as we seek the right path to gain paradise in the future life, we should meet, take Shura, and plan, seeking to find and walk the right path to make our future life on earth, a paradise.

TO BE CONTINUED

TO BE CONTINUED

THE FUTURE – Education (BIRD #1)

The first bird of social resurrection and enlightenment is enlightened education. It is imperative that we are clear about what we mean by enlightened education. Enlightened education can mean different things to different communities. We must know what it means for our community. Typical Islamic and American educational curricula are not sufficient for the type of individuals that this school system must develop. “Follow the logic to its conclusion,” our Imam says. If we are producing new minds, a new culture, and a New Africa, then a new educational system must be designed to reproduce and enhance the new minds that must implement this logic.

Carter G. Woodson wrote a book titled, “The Miseducation of the Negro.” The premise of this book is that we have been trained under the guise of education, but not really educated. Woodson asserts that our miseducation is that we were taught the knowledge and skills to build the world for others, but not how to apply the knowledge and skills relevant for our own advancement. He used the example of a dog that is highly trained to bring back food for his master, but does not know how to use those same skills to feed itself.

Imam Mohammed called education our number one priority and he said at the 2006 Ramadan session, “Education is the greatest tool for advancing the society.” We do want to advance our society, don’t we? Are you a part of a society or are you just a part of a Masjid? What kind of education do we have going on in our Masjids? What is its focus? Are we training our students to be good tools for other people’s constructions or beautiful props in other people’s plays, or do we have a real story to write? As we think about our educational system; the Clara Muhammad and W. Deen Mohammed schools, do not forget the message of Carter G. Woodson.

In the domain of education, there are many goals to achieve; many tasks to undertake. At the top of this list must be the creation of an authentic Clara Muhammad School System (CMS) Educational Curriculum. Imams, educators, parents, take note; we must be able to reproduce the mind of Imam Mohammed in this current generation of believers, both new and old, and the next generation of young Muslims fortunate enough to have an interest in Al-Islam and this community.

We are not born knowing the teachings of Al-Islam and the commentary of Imam Mohammed. If the knowledge body of Imam Mohammed is not taught systematically, it will not be learned systematically. If we do not learn it systematically, then we cannot reproduce that knowledge body systematically. If we cannot systematically reproduce that knowledge body in ourselves, then we cannot systematically reproduce the New Mind, which is the basis of the New Culture of New Africa and the model communities we seek to build.

If there is no system of education, then our education is left to haphazard chance; to a gamble. Would we gamble with the life of our child? How can we gamble with G-d’s gift of compensation for our ancestor’s 400 years of horrifying slavery? Allah carefully designed everything in the creation (Sura 22:73) and put at least one purpose in the design of each thing. This is a pattern of creation; this is a Fitrah. Our educational system must be built according to this Fitrah; with design and purpose.

The success of our educational enterprise is measured by the product it produces relative to the design and purpose of the educational system. The goal of the community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed is to produce the new minds that will create the new culture (model communities; New Africa, new society), which will serve as the womb of birth and reproduction of generations of new minds. These minds will become the vanguard of the band of people arising to work together with all right-minded people, inviting America and the world to embrace the good and reject the bad. Our educational system must be designed to accommodate these purposes.

A curriculum is the path taken to reach the goal of an educational system. The curriculum of the Clara Muhammad/WD Mohammed school system is the systematic roadmap from a student’s starting point in our system to their birth as a new mind with the rudimentary skills and understanding needed to advance the life of their individual and collective identity. In between the beginning and end of the journey along this roadmap are courses they must take, checkpoints they must reach, requirements and standards that must be met, because these are indicators that the student is progressing towards the destination.

Our curriculum must chart courses that develop the knowledge, understanding, and skills required to manifest the vision Allah provided through Imam Mohammed. What are the essentials of this curriculum, at least, for the next 5 to 10 years? What must we develop in our students (all of us are students of Imam Mohammed) to move along the roadmap to the destination that we envision?
In addition to the curriculum ideas described below, please review an article I wrote in 2006 titled, “Curriculum for the Clara Muhammad Schools.” Also, please note that the first curriculum refers to Imam Mohammed’s commentary, however this includes the study of the Holy Qur'an and the life of the prophet, because Imam Mohammed’s commentary centers on the Qur'an and example of the prophet.

Curriculum Essentials

1) The first curriculum essential are courses that teach us the language of Imam W. Deen Mohammed. This essential includes understanding the meanings and interpretations of the symbols, parables, and stories in the scriptures (Qur'an, Bible, others), the interpretation of the signs in the creation (animate and inanimate), and the interpretation of the rituals in religious traditions and practices.

This curriculum essential includes not only learning the meaning and interpretations of things taught to us by Imam Mohammed, but the logic and method of thinking of the new mind, which enables the student to read the signs and extract wisdom independently of the direct teachings of Imam Mohammed.
This curriculum essential must also include exercises and training in expressing the concepts and practice in applying the teachings in different forms (for example, the cultural, political, and business expression of an idea, etc.)

This curriculum essential must also include learning to read Qur’anic Arabic. We must be able to see Qur'an with our own eyes. All of us do not need to become fluent Arabic readers, reciters, and conversationalists, but all of us need to must become proficient enough with Qur’anic grammar and use a good Arabic/English dictionary to be able to read the Qur’an and see what it is saying using our own eyes and brain. When we are able to do this, we will see, as the excellent Arabic professor, Imam Salim Mu’Min has said, “Imam Mohammed’s teachings in the Arabic language of the Qur'an.”

This curriculum essential is mandatory, because in these courses are the ingredients out of which Imam W. Deen Mohammed was produced and out of which that new mind; the knowledge body called Imam W. Deen Mohammed, will be reproduced over and over again. Out of these courses will also evolve the applied knowledge needed to manifest the new culture.

2) A second curriculum essential are courses that cultivate the original human nature of the individual. This essential includes learning and training in knowledge and practices that purify and feed the soul of the individual. This essential is moral and spiritual training.

Courses in prayer, dhikr and du’a (in a WDM sense), meditation, reflection, and contemplation are a part of this curriculum essential. This essential must also include courses and training that cause the student to experience the benefits of charitable acts on his/her soul as a result of helping others. Self-mastery must be a course in this curriculum essential.

Its goal is to awaken within the original nature of the student the exhilarating consciousness of the power of the self when it discovers the virtue of having the discipline to plow through adversity and struggle to reach a goal and achieve a victory.

This curriculum essential is required for our educational system, because we have been taught that Allah created the human being in the best of forms and as Imam Mohammed believed, if we can return the human being back to his original nature and form, he will become a superman in this world and will be a great force for manifesting our vision and remaking the world. To build New Africa and model communities, we must be natural human beings living on a moral foundation. If our souls are not alive with the Ruh, then we are nothing.

3) A third curriculum essential are courses in the study of Bilalian (African American) history and heroes and Islamic history and heroes. After learning who we are as humans and members of the human family first, we must learn our ethnic and cultural history. We must be taught our role and purpose in the world, as a consequence of 400 years of slavery (as described by Imam Mohammed). We must be taught the lessons of our leaders and the lessons of our people’s responses to our condition. We must be taught about the negatives in our mentality, culture, and emotional makeup. It is very important that the student is fully aware of the kinds of thinking, feeling, and behaving that must be avoided.

4) A fourth curriculum essential are courses in the knowledge of others: Social Studies, History and the Humanities. Our students must have knowledge of the peoples in our society and world. We must know something about other cultures and religions. Our students must be taught an appreciation for the history and ways of others. To be together as one human family is our destiny, we must be prepared with the interpersonal skills and knowledge to get along with other people.

We must be able to get along comfortably with others, because we must build alliances with other right-minded people and faith communities in the struggle against the schemes of Satan and the building of paradise on earth.
This essential includes learning about the history of Islam, the life of Prophet Muhammad and all of the prophets and great religious people and ideas that have shaped our world.

THE FUTURE – Education, Bird #1 Continued…

Before continuing my comments on Education, I want to commend those Masjids and communities that I have heard are planning to have discussions and conversations with the people about the future of our association. I believe that all areas of our association should have these kinds of conversations. Why? What value do they hold? Aren’t these just gripe sessions?

Community self-reflection is as valuable as individual reflection. It increases self-awareness and many great ideas are discovered during reflection. This also happens during community conversations (politicians like to call them Town Halls). Many important insights are revealed and many serious concerns and considerations are discovered.

Sometimes, when reflecting on ourselves and our lives, our self-accusing spirit whips us, makes us feel guilty for our faults, but it helps us improve. Why should community reflection be any different? As for wrong and improper behavior, well that always has to be contained. The fear of misbehavior by some should not stop the pursuit of the greater good. After all, Satan is going to always make sure there is some misbehavior. So, we cannot let that stop us. We cannot stop now.

We must be concerned about the state of our association and its mission, and many people do have concerns. We should hear from each other. Sometimes just hearing and expressing concerns is helpful. A master plan or work order does not have to be the result of every group meeting. But, it can be. Let me continue with our education, curriculum essentials.

5) A fifth essential is that we teach and train students how to lead and how to follow. We must learn and practice organizing, conducting meetings, and Shura. We must practice and train our students in independent thinking and acting, as well as cooperative thinking and acting. We must be taught community building, activism and advocacy against wrong and for what is right. This essential includes lessons in American government and civics, being a good neighbor and citizen, and an appreciation for the political process.

Human beings learn what they know. If we are going to be good leaders and good followers/supporters, we must teach and train ourselves to be these things. Saying we must work together doesn’t make us know how to work together. Cooperation must be practiced. Working independently must be practiced. We must be taught and practice these essentials in our curriculum.

6) A sixth essential is to learn and appreciate the sciences and mathematics. Our students must learn to appreciate the study of Allah’s creation and to understand that the study of science and mathematics is the study of Allah’s creation. The courses of this curriculum should include the standard practices of observation, hypothesis experimentation, measurement, and etcetera. Our students should also receive practice with extrapolating guidance from the patterns seen in the creation and described in the science text book.

This curriculum essential is one of the foundations of the language of Imam W. Deen Mohammed and the Qur'an, if we understand it. It is the soil out of which the new mind and new culture must grow. It will also inspire our students in science and math.

7) Our curriculum must include teaching practical skills; such as how to budget, manage finances, fix cars and home appliances, use a computer, parenting, being a good mate, child, friend, student, how to debate with the spoken and written word. How to make a bed, do laundry, cook, bake, proper etiquette, customs, traditions. Exposure to these practical matters helps us become more useful and helpful people. It makes for better families, which are essential for a model community.

8) Our curriculum should include an introduction to business, economics, and entrepreneurship. A large part of our heritage is the idea of doing for self. Our model community needs to amass great wealth to support our dreams and plans. We must cultivate great businesspersons.

Can we accomplish this, if we are not grooming our students for this challenge? Shall we leave it to chance or shall we work towards producing what we need and want? If a man is a farmer and the woman is our tilth, what are the children? They are the crops that are grown by the cooperation of man and woman. Let us know what seeds we are planting and working to grow? This is what a curriculum helps us do.

9) Do you think arts and crafts and music are non-essentials? Arts and crafts are the first stage in making engineers and artists out of our students. We must be tool makers and people who know how to put things together. How to manufacture and construct is a requirement. Cultural development is an essential of our curriculum.

The greatest battle we must fight is against the decadent culture that is the environment we live in; such as the filthy music, ugly movies, crazy party life, and low morality of our society. We must train an army of conscious cultural practitioners; artists, singers, dancers, playwrights, film makers, literature, painters, to inspire us to higher ideals and values. These inspired people must combat the schemes of Satan and we must ensure that they are prepared. We must help them come into existence and then help them become the best at their service. Ummah, Mother, this is our task.

10) A tenth essential for our curriculum is an understanding of government and politics. Imam Mohammed has taught us that having government in our lives is very important. This curriculum should certainly teach students about the American governmental system and other systems of government around the world.

It should also discuss the idea of an Islamic governmental system, recognizing that there is no single system that can be called an Islamic system. However, Islamic governments will have certain similar characteristics.
Students must also learn about government in the community of Imam Mohammed. What are our governmental system and our governmental processes?

How is Shura implemented in our community life? How do we expect to ever fulfill our mission in an efficient and effective way, if we don’t study and practice our way of government? We, who are politically inclined, do we think our only job is to register us to vote? A true politician or statesman goes about establishing agreements and treaties between parties so that groups can work together for the benefit of the whole. Why aren’t we doing this throughout our community? We must educate our students in this art.

We must also have classes that teach the government of self, government in creation, government in the human body, government in family life. These are all essentials to produce minds that would be the new human being and community.
All 10 of these essentials must be in our curriculum to one degree or another, depending upon the level of your school. Certainly, there are things I have missed and could be added. However, anyone can take these essentials as a framework to guide what they teach in their schools.

Educators, Thinkers, Scholars, we knowledgeable ones amongst us, we must apply some of our talent to this task. We need focused, harnessed intellectual energy to produce what we need. We need not see how brilliant we are, we need to use our brilliance to create what we can use. We need not see how well we can point out the problem; we need to see how well we can produce a piece of the solution. Don’t make the curriculum too complicated. Let it evolve as the community evolves.

Text Books and Learning Materials

Another critical educational priority is the development of text books and learning materials to support the education. We need originally developed materials that teachers can use to support our educational process. We can make a business out of producing the materials needed. Start out with pamphlets, booklets, training aides, written where children, youth, and teachers can use them. We can work our way up to text books.

We can use existing public school text books as references to support our text book development. Oh smart ones, college students, degreed people, you are needed. Your energies must be harnessed towards productive ends. Your gifts of intelligence and talent must be turned into gifts of teaching materials for teachers and students. But, do not waste time writing the kinds of information that you can buy from any Islamic store on the Internet. Produce materials based on Imam W. Deen Mohammed’s commentary.

What if one or more intellectuals amongst us have already produced the curriculum, text books, and lesson plans we need, but is not able to get the materials to us? What if the person does not have the money to produce the materials to sell or distribute to our schools? What if they cannot finance the advertising? Then, their great work remains obscure, undiscovered, and tragically, unused.

Can you see that even a great autonomous effort by a single person needs the help of the community? We cannot let autonomy mean bedouinism and tribalism. The great story is told about the prophet finding an equitable solution between the quarreling tribes for putting the black stone into the Ka’aba. The solution demonstrated Muhammad’s fairness, but actually it was not his solution that solved the problem.

The tribal leaders had already fashioned the solution when they agreed on a decision making process. They agreed to let the next person entering the area make the decision. Had it been someone else, the task would have still been achieved, although, most likely, not as fairly. Unity is still the most powerful force and although we start out as individuals in this faith (shahadah) we end up as a community (Hajj).

Facilities and Existing Weekend Schools

There is so much talk about building expensive million dollar edifices to educate our children that we neglect to fully develop the Sunday and weekend schools we have. The majority of our students are in these weekend schools. We must make these experiences stupendous for these students.

We need to have exchange programs and activities between weekend schools whenever possible. If our small weekend school students have opportunities to interact and join with other weekend schools for activities, the students would feel a part of a bigger association. Field trips between Masjids to learn the teachings together are important. Field trips for fun activities; like to the zoo or to the science center go a long way.

Mathab Protection and Development

Another absolutely critical educational piece must be taken up by our best thinkers. Our best minds must write the books that defend the basis of our emerging school of thought, which is the language and commentary of Imam Mohammed. Our association must be taught and trained in the arguments that defend our positions.

Another task for our thinkers is the development of Fiqh based upon the Imam’s tafsir, which is upon the Qur'an, the life of Prophet Muhammad, and the Fitrah of the Creation. There is much work to be done articulating the Imam’s commentary and deducing additional understanding of it and from it. This work must be undertaken. There should be research projects underway by the students of the Imam to develop knowledge upon what we have already learned.

Adult Education

Education is not only for the youth and the learned, it is a duty upon all Muslims. Every Masjid should have classes that are in harmony with our curriculum essentials. We should have Halaqah circles as a part of our customs that educate. These things, along with Jumah and Ta’aleem will keep us all smart and up-to-date in our knowledge.

Let this discussion of education end here for now. As an Ummah, we must not only make progress on the tasks outlined, we must complete version 1.0 of the projects outlined. We need to achieve these tasks within 3 years. I urge the educators to work together or work individually, but in concert to achieve these tasks. I am going to lend my efforts to many of these endeavors. I hope that you will also. Allah will bring our efforts together at the right time and we will celebrate a great achievement. Our children will love us for it and we will love each other.

An educated people, will produce a cultural renaissance; an enlightenment.

TO BE CONTINUED