Madina Institute students apply theory to community action

Saleemah Jaffer

OVER the past year Madina Institute first-year students were exposed to participatory action research methods, community needs assessments and peace education.

The main aim was to help students apply Islamic concepts that they learnt to address challenges within the community. Students identified problems or challenges within their community and set out to try and address them.

At each point, they reflected on why they were doing the project and how they would conduct their intervention, seeking guidance and inspiration from the Quran and the authentic Prophetic Sunnah. Students stepped out of their comfort zones and found innovative ways to make an impact.

The loving and caring manner in which projects were executed made lasting impressions on the beneficiaries. Students approached their projects with the intention of following the example of the Prophet (SAW) in their manners and actions, and this was evident in how the communities they worked with received them. After the projects were completed, eight student groups presented their community projects to an esteemed panel of academics and community leaders, highlighting the positive changes they made within the community. The projects included:

1. An upliftment programme for female students at the institute,

2. A tutoring programme for school learners at a masjid;

3. A masjid garden project;

4. A period poverty campaign;

5. A hijab awareness intervention;

6. A clean water education project;

7. A stationery drive, and

8. A school nutrition project.

The presentations were followed by a question-andanswer session where panellists engaged students about their projects.

The panel prompted student reflections on their personal growth, lessons learnt and allowed them to think about how to take their ideas forward.

This session also served as a platform for intergenerational dialogue, where the youth and the panel benefited from the interaction.

The discussions included questions about sustainability, environmental impact, ethics, human rights, scaling projects, collaboration and impact.

Panellists were especially impressed with the alignment of the community projects with the Quran and authentic Sunnah. This dimension added a sense of purpose and direction and made the experience both spiritual and academic.

Knowledge that does not lead to action and change is merely information. Students and panellists alike were able to see this reality in the outcomes of the projects.

Experiential service learning is key in developing young Muslim South Africans and supporting their personal growth and development. It challenges students to think critically and creatively, developing the skills needed to create social change. It calls on them to see how they can practically and contextually apply the inspirational message of Islam.

One of the challenges Muslim youth face is that often their careers or interests are seen as separate from their spiritual growth. Redirecting their purpose and intention to align with their faith allowed them to bring different parts of their lives together. While this skill was taught to the students in relation to their community projects, it is undoubtedly something that can be translated into other areas of their lives.

The founder of Madina Institute, Shaikh Muhammad Al Ninowy says: ‘Allah SWT loves those who serve each other and help each other without anticipating recognition. Be among those beloved to Him. Servitude is a gateway of Divine Closeness.’

Serving Allah’ss creation purely for His Sake and His Pleasure is something we can all aspire to. Service and community work are often not elevated to the rank it deserves. It is especially important to expose our youth to opportunities where they can serve and make a difference. Being an agent of change and a positive contributor to our society is part of our faith.

Shaikh Ninowy emphasizes three key areas for the purification of the heart: knowledge, dhikr (remembrance of Allah) and khidma (selfless service of the creation for the sake of the Creator). These projects bring together two areas, knowledge and khidma, and when done with awareness and consciousness, become a means to remember Him.

Our youth can – and will – take up leadership roles of positive change in our communities if we give them the opportunity, the platform and the tools to get started. As the adults in the broader Muslim community we need to encourage our youth to take up leadership positions, and move from theoretical learning to practice. Khidma is a teacher, sharing lessons of humility, selfawareness, social responsibility and gratitude that can never be taught in books.

Developing and facilitating this module for the past two years has been a very rewarding experience and added to my own personal learning journey. Not only did students learn new skills and broaden their understanding and perspectives but our local communities benefited from the fruits of their projects, Alhamdulillah.

May Allah accept everyone’s hard work and efforts, and may it be a means of attaining His Pleasure.

Saleemah Jaffer is a community researcher and facilitator. She works in the youth programming department for Madina Institute and is a student of the Alawi Husayni Ninowy Zawiyah (Spiritual School).