Mariam Bee Sultan – Growing Future Leaders

Madrasah

The foremost project undertaken by the Al-Ansaar Foundation, in line with its objective, was the Mariam Bee Sultan Madrasah established at 222 Kenilworth Road, Overport, Durban in 1994.

Our Madrasah is the cornerstone of fostering a deen (religion) with Islamic identities and instilling the roots of Imaan (faith) into the young minds. Children are an amanah (trust) from Allah Ta`ala and it is our duty as educators to nurture and mould our children and impart Islamic education in the best manner, bearing in mind that we are answerable to Allah Ta`ala for all our actions.

The Mariam Bee Sultan Madrasah has professionally trained and qualified Islamic Studies educators. Madrasah classes are offered from grade 1 to grade 7. The Madrasah is supervised by IEOSA (Islamic Educational Organisation of Southern Africa) and is coordinated by the Al-Ansaar Foundation.

To encourage learners to treat the learning of our Deen as a multi-faceted aspect of their lives, Mariam Bee Sultan Madrasah has introduced a Sports Day and excursions to complement our end of year Jalsa and Awards Day.

Alhamdulillah (praise be to god), our learners have had opportunities to interact very successfully with young Muslims from other areas, by participating in speeches, debates, and inter-Madrasah quiz competitions.

As in any learning environment, educators are faced with the difficult task of coping with learners who come from very differing home environments and levels of Islamisation.

Our goal as educators is to:

- Produce exemplary Muslims whose entire lives revolve around the Qur’anic ayah (verse): ‘My prayer, my service of sacrifice, my life and death, are all for the sake of Allah’ (6:162),
- Inculcate moral values and spiritual training; to develop a sense of discipline and exercise self-control,
- Develop in the child a sense of what pleases and what displeases Allah Ta`ala; to maintain a standard of morality in the child; to uphold the truth and ensure honesty in his/her dealings.

We pray to Allah Ta`ala that our efforts contribute towards an Ummah (Muslim community) that embodies the attributes and values of our beautiful deen... that our future leaders continue to act upon the teachings of Islam, and that the sunnah (pattern of living) of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) be practiced in the homes of every Muslim, insha’ Allah (god-willing).

Montessori/ Pre-Primary

The Mariam Bee Sultan Montessori/ Pre-Primary was established in January 1994. It is one of the first formal nursery and pre-schools in KwaZulu-Natal that provides an integrated Islamic and secular curriculum.

“The first years of a child’s life and the golden years of childhood should be filled with love, play, fun and laughter...”

The aim of the pre-school is to create a warm and caring environment for children in their most formative learning years, conducive to developing a well-rounded individual. Mariam Bee Sultan Montessori/ Pre-Primary offers a secure environment, which improves self-esteem, enforces individuality, and encourages natural curiosity and the desire to learn from each new experience without fear of failure.

The school curriculum has been revised to incorporate both the “traditional” teaching method as well as Montessori principles, since most of the educators have obtained qualifications in both. Educators are encouraged to attend regular workshops and seminars so that they keep abreast of new methods and innovations in the field of pre-school education.

The school encourages learners to participate in all activities that teach essential life skills. Regular excursions are organised to teach learners social and behavioural skills and improve general knowledge; sporting activities encourage competitiveness and the development of motor skills and coordination; and other events such as Bakers Day are organised to enhance fundraising and create parent-learner interaction. An intensive school readiness programme is adopted so that learners are able to cope with the routine of normal school life.

The Islamic curriculum ensures that children receive an education in the basic Islamic essentials such as behaviour, morals, etiquette, duas, salaah and so forth. The Islamic syllabus is coordinated by IEOSA (Islamic Educational Organisation of Southern Africa). The Islamic teaching methods at pre-school level are very practical and many aspects are introduced through play.

There is a definite need in our community for day-care centres with an Islamic ethos. The Mariam Bee Sultan Montessori/ Pre-Primary envisages opening more schools in areas that are identified with this need. This task is made easier by the fact that the Mariam Bee Sultan Montessori/ Pre-Primary has been successful and provides a ready-made model for future establishments.