|
Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem
Washington Islamic Academy
Rising With the Angels and Getting Double the Reward
by Asiya Akyurt
One of the primary objectives of an Islamic school is to focus on the reading, recitation and understanding of Al-Quran Al-kareem. The school offers a class each day in the Quran in addition to a daily class in Arabic. A great deal of emphasis, therefore, is also placed upon the co-curricular activities related to it. The 3rd and the final round of the Annual Qur’an Memorization and Recitation Competition at the Washington Islamic Academy was held on March 8th, 2008.
After the first round of the competition, which was held in-class with the school’s Qur’an teachers, Sr. Hadia Bouji and Sr. Asiya Akyurt, the second round was conducted by local sisters knowledgable in the Qur’an. These sisters included: Sr. Nimao Abdi, Sr. Fatima Abdallah, Sr. Haneen Adas, Sr. Khadeejah Akyurt, and Sr. Sahar Qudsi. The winners of the second round went on to compete in the exciting third, and final, round.
This round was held in the school Musalla, with an impressive panel of judges, including Sh. Mohammad Al-Hanooti, from Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center; Sh. Abdelqadir, the Assistant Imam of Dar Al-Hijrah; and Sh.Hafiz Zaheeruddin, Imam of ICNA [Islamic Circle of North America] Masjid, Alexandria, VA.
The well attended program was started with welcoming remarks from Dr. Talat Sultan, WIA Principal followed by a short yet thoughtful message from Shaikh Hanooti. Sr.Asiye spelled out the rules of the competition.
The students were divided into 7 levels, ranging from Surat An-Nas all the way to Surat Saba’. Oh, how thrilling it was to listen to the students reciting perfectly from memory all they had learned this year and in previous years! It was truly humbling to sit there and hear even those who do not speak Arabic recite Allah’s words so beautifully, and with such confidence that some of them won first and second prizes at their respective levels. It gave us all hope that if they could memorize so much Qur’an, then so could we.
Listening to the students from different backgrounds recite reminded me of the Prophet’s (pbuh) hadeeth:
"الذي يقرأ القرآن وهو ماهر به مع السفرة الكرام البررة، والذي يقرأ القرآن ويتتعتع فيه وهو عليه شاق، له أجران."
“The one who reads the Qur’an excellently is with the honorable angels, and the one who reads the Qur’an and stutters while reading it, and it is difficult for him, has two rewards.”
At the end of the competition refreshements were served, then the winners were announced:
Levels One and Two: All participants were winners
Level Three: Ealed Nuru (First Place), Hasan Hasan and Maryam Hassan (Second Place)
Level Four: All participants were winners
Level Five: Ahilla Ghannouchi (First Place), Ayah Mahdi (Second Place)
Level Six: Zulfa Ghannouchi (First Place), Osama Mohamed (Second Place)
Level Seven: Ahmed Aden (First Place), Ousswa Ghannouchi (Second Place)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Hadith Narration Competition
Thousands of years before Prophet Muhammad [SAW] was born, his mission was thoroughly yet concisely spelled out by his ancestor, Prophet Ibrahim /or Abraham [ASWS] in a supplication to Allah. The Quran states his supplication as: “Our Lord! Send to them [people of Mecca/ Makkah] a prophet from amongst them who recites to them Your verses, and teaches them the Book and wisdom and purifies them.” [2: 129]. Whereas the Book referred in this verse is clearly the Quran, the teaching of wisdom by the prophet obviously refers to his life and sayings collected in the form of books called, Hadith. When the Quran orders us to obey Allah and obey the prophet, it is again referring to itself and the Hadith. It is, therefore, incumbent upon all Muslims to study the Hadith literature in addition to learning the Quran.
Accordingly, one of Virginia’s foremost Islamic schools, Washington Islamic Academy organized a Hadith Narration Competition on February 6 th and 7 th. It included all students of the school from Kindergarten to Seventh grades. They were asked to memorize at least one Hadith with complete Arabic text and English translation, naming the original narrator and the book. The winners of this round participated in the final round. It included requiring a student to complete the reference to at least five ahadith partially narrated by WIA Islamic Studies teacher, Sr. Raja’a Omer who organized the Competition. Sr. Haneen Adas, one of the parents and an experienced qualified Islamic Studies teacher and Dr. Talat Sultan, WIA Principal, served as the judges.
Following are the first and second place winners of the competition:
KG: Maha S. Negash, Jena Chanaa;
1 st Grade: Aser Mohammed and Fatimah Dandashi, Ealed Nuru (pictured separately);
2 nd Grade:Mohammad Chanaa and Ayman Slamani, Syed Zain Husain;
3 rd Grade: Ahilla Ghannouchi, Ahmed Ibrahim
4 th Grade: Osama Mohammad, Aya Mahdi and Nadir Kaker
5 th Grade: Reem Mohammad and Zulfa Ghannouchi, Amina Aden
6 th & 7 th Grades: Ousswa Ghannouchi, Ahmed Aden and Maha Slamani
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From the Desk of the Principal
Muharrum 7, 1429 - January 15, 2008
Dear WIA Parents
Assalamo-alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu!
H A P P Y N E W H I J R I Y E A R. As WIA students celebrate the beginning of the new Hijri year, we bring you also the greetings for the new year. May Allah [SWT] give us the strength and fortitude to fulfill all of our commitments for His Cause and to have a happy and prosperous life.
NEW DISMISSAL PROCEDURES: After a thorough discussion, the WIA faculty has decided the following new procedures for dismissal of the students each day:
-
At 3:15, one student, by rotation, through the inter-com recite the Musnoon [teaching of the prophet] supplication for departing with English translation. Another student, following the practice of the companions [Sahabas], will recite Surah Wal-Asr with translation. The significance of both of these practices has already been explained to the students in advance.
-
After the dismissal bell goes off, the homeroom teachers will take the charge of their classes while students remain seated but ready to leave.
-
The Administrative Assistant, upon personal recognition, will call, via inter-com, the name of each authorized person who has come to pick up the student (s).
-
The student (s) will then come to the Assembly area and received by the parent.
-
The parent and the student will immediately leave the campus, including the parking area. Since no supervision is provided after-school hours, the school is not responsible for any problems during that time and NO one is allowed to prolong his /herstay on campus.
-
Because of the same rationale, no parent will be allowed to pick up students from outside.
We hope that the parents will find these new procedures more convenient, orderly, safe and secure.
JOIN THE WIA ANSAR CLUB
We are sure you are well aware that no private school, including WIA, can survive financially with the tuition fee alone. Often the fee, even though it may seem high, is only 40% of the budget of the school!! It is, therefore, imperative that we all join hands together to raise additional funds for WIA. We are asking each Ansar [Helper] family to keep the Donation Can at home with the commitment that each member of the family, including children as well, will put in it all extra money/ change at the end of a day. It should become a habit for everyone, even visitors, to contribute to this effort each day. At the end of each month, we will count the money thus collected and recognize with a prize Ansars and the class that contribute the most.
The Donation Cans are available from the homeroom teacher @ $4.00 each. Please secure them from the Office for your home TODAY.
BECOME AN ANSAR TO A NON-ARAB FAMILY
As an Islamic school, WIA places utmost significance upon reading, writing and speaking of the language of the Quran. However, there are many non-Arabic speaking families whose children do not have the same advantages of learning the language as those whose mother [as well as father] tongue is Arabic. We are requesting all such Arabic speaking parents to offer their services as Ansars [Helpers] to others. providing them tutorial services, multi-media resources, and the opportunity to even converse in Arabic. Please complete the following form if you are willing to be one of the Ansars in this project.
VOLUNTEER FOR THE WIA ACTIVITIES COMMITTEES
You have already received the Activities Schedule for this year. The months of January and February are designated as Islamic Studies Months followed by Language Arts and Social Studies and then Science and Math. We will greatly appreciate if you volunteer to be a part of any one or two of the organizing committees. You can participate in the Committee’s proceedings in person and / or via e-mail and conference calls. Please complete this form.
SUMMER SCHOOL
In case you are interested in enrolling your children to a Summer School, please complete the enclosed form. Kindly also indicate if you will be interested to be employed or to serve as a volunteer. An early completion of this form will help us decide the possibility of starting a summer school.
WE NEED YOUR E-MAIL
Some of you have not yet provided us your e-mail. In this electronic age, most communication is through e-mails and once we get all of you to receive your e-mail, we can stop wasting so much money on paper. Please complete anyone of the forms for this purpose.
With Best Regards,
Dr. Talat Sultan,
Principal.
-------------------------------------------------------
Schedule of Co-Curricular Activities
Islamic Studies & Arabic
-
Daily Routine: Morning Assembly , Supplications, Ayah of the Week, Taleem Al-Salat, Salat Al-Zuhar, Salat Al-Jumma’, Dismissal Assembly.
-
Sept. 13 – Oct. 11: Ramadan: Special programs in the Assembly, Food Drive, Sadaqa Jar, Iftar Party.
-
Oct.15: Eid Celebrations: Decorations, No-Uniform Day, pot-luck lunch, Eid Card designs, gift exchange, special assembly programs.
-
Dec. 3 -18: Hajj Celebrations: Special Assembly programs, posters, Talbiyas.
-
Dec. 17: Eid Al-Adha Celebration: Decorations. pot-luck lunch, No-Uniform Day, special Assembly programs.
-
Jan. 16: Calligraphy Competition{in the class}
-
Jan. 23: Nasheed Choir Selection
-
Feb. 6 : Hadith Narration Competition {in the class}
-
Feb. 13: Story-telling Competitions{ in the class}
-
Feb. 20: Arabic Spelling Bee
-
Feb. 27: Quran Memorization & Recitation Competition
Language Arts & Social Studies
-
Mar.5: Spelling Bee
-
Mar.12: First Field Trip
-
Mar.26: Geography and General Knowledge Bee
-
April 2: International Day
-
April 16: Second Field Trip
-
April 26: Open House, BBQ, Bazar
-
April 28 : Essay Competition {in the class: 4-7}
-
April 30 : Accelerated Reader {in the class}
-
April 30 : Book It! {in the class}
-
Weekly: Newsletter/News Release
-
Quarterly: WIA Horizons
Science & Mathematics
Planned Activities by Parents*
-
Weekly Meetings on Fridays: 8:00-8:30 a.m.
-
Weekly Breakfast for Students and Parents on Fridays: 7:30 – 8: 00 a. m.
-
Monthly Heritage Dinner [Last Friday of the month at Darul Hijra]
-
Bi-Weekly Home Economics classes[ First & Third weeks of the Month}
* To be confirmed latter.
Archives: 2005 2006 2007
|
