Time for Summer Vacations and Madrasa

The days after the exams are very relaxing. Kids plan a lot of things. Every kid has a plan. Like beach-parties, sleepovers, going to theatres and a lot of fun things. They are completely in freedom during this time as there is no homework, tuitions and studies. They can sleep late in the morning and generally be very lazy. Some schools organise Summer Programmes like crafts, games and some literary activities like learning languages. But there is no serious stuff whatsoever!
Most schools have a heavy study and examination schedules round the year. This leaves little time and stamina to cover other aspects essential for a complete development of an individual.
Summer is a good time to learn new things, which are not covered in the regular school round the year. Summer vacations are about two months and an ideal time to catch up with the learning of Islamic studies. It is time to organise Summer Madrasa Programmes.  During the regular academic year Muslim children spend a good proportion of their time outside of Masajid and Madrasa.  During school term times, they do not get much opportunity to spend time in Islamic environment and further their Islamic learning. Therefore, school holidays, specially the summer holidays, present a great opportunity to enrol in Islamic classes, where they can learn more about Islam and put those teachings into practice.
The Summer Madrasa Programme can cover the following:
1. Beliefs of Islam: Learn about the core beliefs of Islam.
2. Qur’ān & Tajweed: Learn to read the Holy Qur’ān with Tajweed.
3. Qur’ān Memorisation.
4. Essentials of Islam: Learn the basics and essentials of Islamic way of life such as cleanliness, prayer and fasting.
5. The Blessed Life of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him): Study the life and character of our beloved Prophet.
6. Translation of the Complete Salah (Prayer): Starting with the Azan (Prayer-call) to Salam (done at the end of each Salah).
7. Qur’ānic Arabic: Basic Arabic in order to understand, when the Qur’ān is being recited.
8. Islamic Etiquette.
This year, the Ramadan al-Mubarak is falling in the summer break. This is another impetus to run the summer Madrasa programmes. We ask Allah the Almighty to help us and all the Muslims to understand His religion and adhere to it, to bless us all by making us follow the Sunnah, and to protect us from shirk, taghut and bida’h, for He is the Most Kind and Generous.  May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad, and his family and his companions.
[The writer is a student of Indian School Salalah, Salalah, Sultanate of Oman.]