GRATI TUDE TO ALLAH SERI ES
Lif e Skil l s 1
Communicat ion & social s skil l s AMuslim's Guidet oEveryday Life
FA I T H PUBL I CAT I ONS
Lif e Skil l s 1 GRATI TUDE TO ALLAH SERI ES
Communicat ion & social s skil l s AMuslim's Guidet oEveryday Life
FA I T H PUBL I CAT I ONS
This book was developed by Al-Huda School, College Park, MD. USA All thanks are due to Allah subhaanahu wa ta'ala for enabling us with this effort. Special thanks to the following contributors: Content Writer: Walida Mukhtar, LMSW Editing Team: Safi Khan, Amal Saadat Graphic and Layout Design: Farah Firman Curriculum Developer: Samira Hingoro Published by FAITH Publications, exclusive publishers for Al-Huda School, MD. A project of Dar-us-Salaam community, College Park, MD, USA www.darussalaam.org Copyright © 2023 FAITH Publications All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. Printed in the United States of America For permission requests, write to the publisher at the address below. FAITH Publications 5301 Edgewood Road College Park, MD 20740, USA Phone: 301-982-9848 email: info@Faithpublications.org faithpublications.org
TABL E OF CONTENTS U N I T 1 | COMMUNICATION SKILLS 09
Et i quet t e of Li st eni ng
12
Hear i ng vs Li st eni ng
13
How t o Be an Act i ve Li st ener
15
Showi ng Empat hy
16
Nonver bal Communi cat i on
18
Et i quet t e of Speaki ng
20
Et i quet t e of Soci al Medi a
24
Wr i t i ng and Respondi ng t o Emai l s
28
Et i quet t e of Text Messages
31
Revi ew and Ref l ect Quest i ons
U N I T 2 | SOCIAL SKILLS 32
Et i quet t e of Gi vi ng Sal aams
33
Et i quet t e of Bei ng a Guest
36
Et i quet t e of Bei ng a Host
38
Et i quet t e of Joki ng
40
Soci al i zi ng wi t h I ndi vi dual s of Di f f er ent Backgr ounds
42
Respect f ul of Thei r Language Ski l l s
43
Et i quet t e of Vi si t i ng t he Si ck
45
Revi ew and Ref l ect Quest i ons 5
PREFACE Living in a digital era, the way we communicate and socialize is continuously changing. While in some ways we are more connected than ever, sometimes confusion, stress, lack of communication and waning of proper social etiquette accompanies this ever-shifting world of information overload. This often leads to disconnected personal and professional relationships. It is imperative for youth as well as adults to be proactive in becoming effective communicators and empathetic citizens. This occurs when applying the true understanding of Islam in today's egocentric world. This book will help you begin exploring effective communication and social skills which are critical in maintaining and developing life long relationships. Deriving the guidance from the Qur 'an and the example of Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam, this journey will transform the way you communicate and interact with others around you. Being first in the series of essential life skills, this book is part of a new Islamic Studies curriculum; a curriculum which aims to help you apply your faith to real world issues. It presents everyday, practical applications of Islam. We pray that this curriculum helps you draw closer to Allah. Please send your feedback to info@Faithpublications.org. We welcome any suggestions to improve this curriculum.
Lastly, we would like to thank Sr. Walida Mukhtar for writing the units so beautifully. Being an educator, a social worker, a psychotherapist by profession and a career school counselor she shares with us wealth of information gathered through her research and experience. May Allah accept this effort from her and everyone who worked on this curriculum, and more importantly, may Allah accept your efforts to draw closer to Him.
7
UN IT 1
Communication Skills Learning to communicate effectively is possibly the most important life skill. Not
ETI QUETTE OF LI STENI NG
only does it allow us to pass information
Have you ever heard the quote, "every
to others, it enables us the opportunity to
good conversation starts with a good lis-
understand what is being said to us.
tener "? Being a good listener is the foundation of being a good communica-
At its core, com munication is the act of
tor. It?s difficult to converse with an indi-
conveying information from one person
vidual who only focuses on how they are
to another. It can be done orally (using
going to respond and does not take the
voice), scripted (using printed or digital
time to listen to what is being said. Fail-
media means), visually (using pictures,
ure to be a good listener, makes it hard
charts or graphs), or gestured (using body
to comprehend what is being asked of
language and the tone and pitch of voice).
you.
You will often find it done through several of the above-mentioned methods.
Fu n Fact Our anatomy tells us to listen twice as much as we talk; Allah gave us two ears and one tongue between two jaws.
9
Th er e ar e t h r ee elem en t s t o t h e ar t of
body towards the individual. Sim ply turn-
list enin g :
ing your body and head to mirror the individual speaking, lets them know that
1
Inpu t (the message)
you are invested in what they have to say. This in turn allows the speaker to feel val-
2
Pr ocess (listening and reflecting
ued and helps create a connection be-
upon it)
tween the speaker and the receiver. Developing a connection with the speaker
3
Ou t pu t (reaction to the message)
Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam is the greatest exam ple of a good
listener. He displayed the best of communication skills. Let us learn from some of his listening skills: He w ou ld t u r n h is body com plet ely t ow ar ds t h e speak er .
supports the communication process. He w ou ld m aint ain eye con t act . Upholding eye contact is imperative when communicating with an individual of the same gender. Turning your body towards the speaker must be paired with good eye contact for the speaker to feel important and valued. Inability to hold eye contact
The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam
with the speaker can be translated as a
would lend his entire focus to the person
form of disregard for the speaker and
who was speaking to him. and his entire
their message.
10
He w ou ld u se posit ive body lan gu age.
interest and can be detrimental to the speaker and the message. We find in the
Body language is another vital compo-
sunnah of the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa
nent of effective communication. The
sallam that he would never interrupt a
posture of our body, our facial expres-
speaker and even asked if the speaker
sions, our hand gestures, and our physical
was done before responding to the mes-
movement speak greatly to how engaged
sage. In the few occasions that the
we are in the conversation. Smiling at the
Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam inter-
speaker, nodding in approval, and clap-
rupted a speaker, there was falsehood
ping occasionally lets the speaker know
within the speech.
that we are engaged. Smiling is a sunnah and no other person demonstrated it
He w ou ld ask qu est ion s.
more than Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu
Following up any speech with relevant
?alayhi wa sallam.
questions demonstrates to the speaker that you are engaged.
He w ou ld list en pat ien t ly w it hou t in t er r u pt in g t h e speak er .
There are multiple incidents in which the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam would
The art of not interrupting an individual
ask questions to get clarification from the
while they are speaking is fundamental to
speaker. This showcased his level of care
being a good listener. Interrupting the
and engagement in their conversation.
speaker can be translated as lack of
11