Dar-ul-Uloom
Dar-ul-Uloom of Atlanta
1097 Center Street
Atlanta, GA 30318
404-874-7521 Ext. 223
darululoom@alfarooqmasjid.org
The Prophet (saws) told us to ”Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave.“
As per the explanation of the above quoted Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (saws) two things come to light-education is important and seeking knowledge is a year-round, life-long process. As Muslims, we should constantly strive to expand on our knowledge. As parents, we have the responsibility to raise and educate our children properly, in matters of religion and daily living.
In any environment anywhere, one subject that affects us all directly or indirectly is the education. The upbringing of our children is an issue which should concern every Muslim. Children tend to be influenced by the environment they are brought up in. Many of these influences may go against the values which Muslims hold dear. These influences may be in the form of their school education, the friends they keep, television and radio programs, magazines and books they read. For Muslim children to live in any environment, they have to have a good understanding of their Deen-religion. And to infuse the spirit of Deen one has to attach oneself to the fountain of knowledge-the Glorious Qur’an, and the person who learns and teaches it is quoted as the best of the Ummah in a Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (saws):
”The best of you are those who learn the Holy Qur’an and teach it.“ (Bukhari, Hadith 545)
Qur’an is a living miracle from Allah Almighty to His last and final messenger, Muhammad (saws), which has been protected throughout the ages from any corruption. Allah has made the Qur’an very easy for Muslims to learn and memorize. It is, in fact, a very special attribute of the Holy Qur’an that the Muslims can learn and memorize it easily. Allah said in the Quran:
”And indeed we have made the Quran easy to memorize.“ (Qu’ran 54:17)
Tahfeez ul Qur’an
Alhamdulillah, Darul’ Uloom of Atlanta (DUL) has been serving the community for the last fifteen years helping young children to memorize the Glorious Qur’an (Tahfeez-ul-Qur’an) under the supervision of talented and experienced teachers who hold expertise in the field. They take all the requisite measurement to ensure that the student completes the Glorious Qur’an following the proper rules of Tajweed and intonation. However to join the Hifz program a child must be able to read Qur’an fluently. In the case where a student joins DUL after memorizing some parts from a different school, DUL makes sure that he memorizes them well as per the required standard. The students enrolled for Hifz program in Darul’ Uloom (DUL) include two types; those who commute every day and those who are provided boarding by DUL. To qualify for boarding in DUL, a child must be at least nine years old. As per experience and previous records, average students with average memory skills completed memorization (Hifz) within eighteen months to two years. Furthermore, DUL has also produced some of the finest Huffaz who, with an exceptional and God-gifted aptitude, achieved the target within one year. To achieve the desired ambition (Hifz of Qur’an) a student must strive to follow the schedule of classes designed by the teachers to achieve success in the pursuit of his goal. The student’s daily activities include the Sabaq-the daily lesson, Sabqi-the revision of previous lessons from the current Juz (part) and Manzil-revision of previous memorized parts of Qur’an (at least half to a complete Juz on daily basis). If the previous lessons or parts grow weak, the current progress of daily Sabaq is halted until the student recalls and engrains the entire previous portions of Qur’an.
Tajweed Class
All the teachers who serve in the Hifz faculty strive hard to train the students to recite the Qur’an following all the Tajweed rules. DUL conducts a class in which the teacher enlightens the students about Tajweed following a particular book (Qa’idah) of Tajweed. This book contains the rules for memorization and allows them to practice individually with the teacher or in a group with other class fellows. With the help of this class a student becomes able to recite the entire Qur’an with the proper consistency, accent, and intonation.
Class for Basic Essentials of Islam
Islamic education is the only means by which we can preserve our true nature and that of our children, as Allah created it. A good Islamic education is more essential to our children to keep them rooted to their religion-Islam. Taking this notion into account, DUL makes sure that the child learns the basic teachings of Islam that help him to remain in Islamic environs, practicing his religion, while he is enrolled in the Hifz program. In this special class he learns all the six Kalimahs with translation, the proper way to call Adhan, the requisite Arkan (actions) to offer Salat, memorization of the day-to-day Masnoon Dua’as, and particular Ahadith with their translation. Given the importance of authentic Islamic knowledge, every effort has been made to ensure that the material presented in the class is stringently reviewed for accuracy and authenticity.
Online Home Schooling
Knowledge is, indisputably, a commodity much valued in Islam. For a Muslim there is no distinction between religious and secular education. A Muslim approaches all learning in the same manner, whether it is a study of fiqh or a doctorate in quantum physics. Both Qur’anic learning and the physical sciences, for example, should equally promote and inculcate Islamic values.
Many Muslim families debate whether or not to send their children to public schools. Whatever the parents choose for their children, they must do their best to guide them. As parents we all want our children to be successful doctors, lawyers or professionals. The needs and demands of our children can be met only through Muslim schools, but education can be an expensive proposition and the Muslim community often does not have enough resources to set up schools for each and every child. But Alhamdulillah, Online home schooling programs like the ‘Georgia Virtual Academy’ (GVA) is a phenomenon which can be described as a gift from Allah to Muslims. With these kinds of programs Insha’Allah our children will be equipped with modern education, along with Islamic knowledge. DUL has several students who along with their Hifz are enrolled in GVA and use a spacious computer lab comprising of thirty computers to access their online classes. Moreover, DUL retains the services of several experienced teachers who supervise the classes and help the students finish their online assignments. Since the demand for the GVA program has been increasing steadily for the last two years, it is recommended that the parents complete the admission process as soon as possible to avoid any disruption in the student’s schooling. For more information on the GVA go to www.k12.com.
Extra Curricular Activities
According to the designed schedule, every student is entitled to participate in physical activities for two hours a day. Under supervision, the students are given access to the play ground adjacent to the DUL premises and can take part in many physical activities, including basketball, football, and volleyball. DUL is also planning to undertake field trips and other off-campus activities to provide the students with variety in their day and a healthy change of pace.
