Monday's story. Teaching fiqh.

Bismillah.

Salam.

I am currently working at my former primary school, SRIHJB as guru ganti sementara (temporary replacement teacher ke?). I teach Bahasa Melayu, Fiqh and Sivik & Kajian Tempatan. Here is a story that has been stuck in my head for a while.

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Year 2 class, teaching Fiqh.
Last week, I have taught them on how to perform daily prayers. The steps, the niat.

Therefore, this week, it's time to learn about one of the recitation in prayer that is Doa Iftitah (Opening prayer).

The class went well. The students listened to what I told them. They did some work in their activity book. Activities on the daily prayers and doa iftitah.

One student raised his hand. Asked me on how to do one question. It's on niat solat fardhu.
"You just have to fill in these blanks. Alright, try one here. Usolli fardha subhi...? what comes after that?"

He kept quite.
"Okay. Try this one, since you're going to perform Zohor prayer after this. Usolli fardha zuhri..?"
He kept quite again.

I helped him continue, "arba'a roka'aatin......"
Later I said, "It's okay. You can refer the niat in your textbook. Here."

Then he continued his work with his friends.

The time's up. It's time for them to get ready for Zohor prayer. After giving salaam and read some dua, the students went out of the class. But some boys didn't. I heard one of them said, "Ustazah, he's crying!"

I went closer to them and asked the friends around the crying one, "Why is he crying?"

It was the one who asked me the question earlier.
"We don't know, Ustazah," they said.
"Did someone make you cry?" I asked the boy. He shook his head.
"Is it me? Am I too 'garang'?" He shook immediately.
"Then why?" He still sobbed.

Then one of his friend said, "Maybe he's afraid to perform prayer."
That's an odd reason. but I asked him anyway, "Are you afraid to perform prayer?"
To my surprise, he nodded.

"Why?" I asked.

"He just transferred here, Ustazah. He's from overseas," said one of his friends.

Okeh, no wonder his face looked new, because he was (or is? since he's still new).

I recalled to the time he asked me the question before. No wonder he looked a bit blur. Maybe he is still learning to perform prayer.

I asked the boy, "Do you not know how to pray? Is that the reason?"

He nodded again, still sobbing.

"It's okay, *name*. You can learn to pray in the musolla. Just follow their movements and what they recite during performing prayer."
(Good thing that for Tahap 1 [Year 1-3], when they pray, they recite the prayer recitation out loud, from the niat, to salaam, and dua after prayer. Easier for them to remember and memorize)

I patted the boy's back. "Come on now. It's okay."
Then his friends said, "Let's pray. Don't worry. Just follow us."

and there they go.

lepas tu balik bilik guru, duduk sebentar. batuk-batuk. lepas tu suara terus serak sampai sekarang. an immediate change. unpredictable. (selingan :P)

Some school view at night.
academic building (secondary school) on the left, kompleks tahfiz building on the right.
The musolla (surau) is the one with bright windows on the ground floor. above it is female's musolla.  

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A few thoughts came across my mind after that,

Just in standard 2. Approximately 8 years old. Cried for not knowing how to pray. Has supportive friends. Got to be in religious school, insya-Allah to strengthen his Islamic foundation. He is lucky. At least he started learning now. Not later.

May he grow up to be a mu'min soleh.

and to think about it,

hey, I think I'm actually luckier. Thanks Allah. Thanks abah and mama.

but I took the things I got for granted.
Only when I lose them that I tried to grab everything back. and that is right after I finished high school.

Hence,

let us always be grateful. For having faith. For having lots of knowledge. For everything that we have.

I've learnt a lot from my experience as a temporary teacher, but I guess I'm gonna share just this for today.
Wassalamualaikum.