Islam might be defined as a holistic path toward human completion. According to Islamic understanding, the heart of the human being is the only thing in creation capable of reflecting all the Divine Qualities, often encapsulated for Muslims by the 99 Names. Ninety-nine, of course, is a symbol of infinity (there is always the possibility of adding one more), and it is understood that God's (Allah's) (SWT, Glory to Him, the Exalted) qualities are infinite. Nevertheless, the 99 Names have a sense of completeness and inclusiveness that humans can attempt to emulate.
Al-Asma-ul-Husna ( اَلاسْمَاءُ الْحُسناى ), or Asmaul Husna, refers to the 99 Names and Attributes of God. Muslims need to study the Asmaul Husna and the Attributes of God. He is the Creator of this world and everything in it. Knowing God makes Muslims love and fear Him, put their hope in Him, and be sincere toward Him in their actions. Seeking a proper understanding of His Beautiful Names is the best way to connect with God.
We design this learning module to help the learner connect their hearts to their Lord. It will help them to develop a better understanding of God and their own place in this world.
We design hybrid learning modules for young Muslims to discover and amplify their faith as a community. Our mission is to create a safe space for them to network, share and experience the world with different perspectives and views - a haven for voices for young Muslims to explore their faith regardless of practice.
This learning module introduces innovative approaches to learning and teaching, termed by Cope and Kalantzis (2014) as New Learning, focusing on e-learning and social web technologies.
Video 1 talks about technology and education, where technology facilitates the implementation of the seven affordances of new learning, as shown in Figure 2 above. These affordances are not new. Technology makes them easier to implement.
Video 1: Education at Illinois. (2014). What's the use of technology in learning? Introducing seven e-affordances.
This course is co-designed with the Asatizahs (religious teachers) in the video lessons. They have condensed their regular class materials into short video lessons. Together, we designed the reflective questions to encourage application, moving into their proximal development and peer learning zone.
Assessment has become a continuous process as a part of learning and participation. Learners must comment on their peers' posts to encourage dialogue and mutual learning. This way, learning becomes collaborative, and the source of knowledge becomes more expansive than the curriculum and the instructor. The class then becomes more social, and learners become more engaged. This discourse will also contribute to crowdsourcing assessment learning and enable each other to be more proficient in the subject. The dialogue will also be the feedback on the learners' progress and the lessons' design.
Aided by technology, learning in this course is ubiquitous and asynchronous, i.e., it can happen anytime, anywhere. As a form of differentiated learning, Learners learn at their own pace, deciding how they choose to respond to the questions and peers' posts.
Assessment will also be mainly formative and knowledge-making—regurgitation of the information in the video is not expected from the learners. In addition to watching the video lessons, learners must share their reflections on the platform with peers and the instructor.
All submissions must be digital and in any of their chosen medium - text, images, video, etc. The video lessons and other media used in the resources provided make the module multimodal.
Target Audience:
This course targets Muslim youth aged 10-15 in the secular educational system, who take these religious lessons over the weekends. They would have some basic Islamic knowledge and are looking to sharpen their knowledge rather than achieving a specific grade.
On Completion:
A certificate of achievement will be presented upon them achieving the minimum requirement of the rubrics.
As Muslims, our purpose is to worship Allah. For us to have a deep connection with Allah and to worship him in the way He deserves, we must seek knowledge of His Names and Attributes (Description, Quality, Features). How, then, do we worship, love, and adore Allah if we don't know who he is?
Al-Asma-ul-Husna ( اَلاسْمَاءُ الْحُسناى ), or Asmaul Husna, refers to the 99 Names and Attributes of God (Allah) (SWT, Glory to Him, the Exalted). It is essential to know the Asmaul Husna and the Attributes of Allah. Allah is the Creator of this world and everything in it. Knowing Allah makes Muslims love and fear Him, put our hope in Him, and be sincere towards Him in our actions. There is no better way to know Allah except by connecting with His Most Beautiful Names and seeking a proper understanding of their meanings.
Module Objectives:
By the end of this Module, you will:
Basic Requirements for This Module:
Video 2: The Youth Muslim Guide On-Boarding Introduction
To benefit from this Module:
To complete this Module, You must:
Learning need not be longwinded or confined to a classroom. Learning can become part of your daily self-care routine. You decide when and how much you do each day. In the process, you can discuss ideas, share new reflections with your friends, and learn from each other. Most importantly, you shall be able to apply them instantly to your everyday life.
When you start this course, you are taking another step towards becoming a more confident, God-conscious Muslim who is valuable to the community.
Pre-Work:
Before we start the Module, watch this video:
Video 2: Fazal, S. (2022). 99 Beautiful Names of Allah (Asma ul Husna). The Muslim Reminder Kids. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I9XMmnUvag.
Update 1: Essential Questions - share your answer in the comments section below:
1. Share with the class some of Allah's names in the video above that you have heard of before.
2. Share with us where you have heard the names mentioned, e.g., in the Quran, during religious class, or even the name of someone you know.
3. Remember to comment on your friends' updates. This will also motivate them to participate.
Delving deeper into the 99 names of Allah would not only help in deepening a connection with Allah but would also help in forming that solid Islamic foundation in the child. Each attribute of Allah is, in fact, a guiding principle and teaches qualities that we can all aspire to.
It is not the intent to get the child to learn, or even remember, these 99 names, but rather it is a way to consciously spend time reflecting on and remembering Allah and His many blessings. Through reflection of the qualities of Allah, if God is willing, we can embody His essence and the principles He has imparted.
The outline of the lessons is as follows:
At the end of each lesson, each student is expected to post a short update (reflection) and make a comment on a peer's update. Your timely nudges will help to get the sharing going.
Learners can start the course at different times. You can support the learners through the course by:
Rubric for Module completion:
Learning is accelerated when we share with others what we know. Please encourage the learners to comment on each other's posts.
Strategies to Improve Participation in Your Virtual Classroom
The challenges of getting young learners to participate intensify during remote learning. Digital platforms can create added communication barriers, including a lack of familiarity with navigating the platform, variability in students' access to technology, and privacy concerns. Getting young learners to contribute in virtual classrooms takes some work. They need personal support, scaffolding, and reassurance technology does not provide. It is simply a tool, not a teacher.
Here are additional activities for you to consider during your live sessions:
Video 3 - YouM. (2021). Connecting with His Beautiful Names - Lesson 1 | YouM.
Learning about the Names of God is enjoyable and delightful, and Video 3 above tells us that it is also beneficial. It will have an impact on our hearts, conduct, and worship. You can use the Names of Allah when you pray to him. It will help you to connect to Him and develop these desirable traits in your character.
You can find the list of the 99 names and their meaning here:
Update 2: Essential Question -
Content:
What are the beautiful names of Allah swt?
Video 4: Memphis Islamic Center (MIC). (2016). Beautiful Names of Allah (pt.1)- Introduction - Why learn them? Dr. Shaykh Yasir Qadhi. YouTube. [Video]
In Video 4, Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi mentioned that the Names of God is a central concept in the Quran. God reminds us in the Quran that "To Allah belong the most magnificent, perfect and beautiful names (Al-Asma Wal-Husna) so make prayers with them."
Why do we need to know His Names?
Where can we find and explore His Names?
Video 5: YouM. (2021). Connecting with His Beautiful Names - Lesson 2 | YouM [Video]. YouTube.
For us to have a deep connection with God and to worship him in the way He deserves, we must seek knowledge of His Names and Attributes. Learning His Beautiful Names will:
The Prophet (PBUH, peace be upon him) said, "Whoever is not grateful to people is not grateful to Allah." Acts of kindness like saying 'thank you' are one of the simplest ways we can express our gratitude towards a person. Sometimes, we quickly point out people's shortcomings rather than acknowledge and appreciate their efforts.
Update 3: Essential Questions:
Benefit 1: Improves the connection with Allah swt, the Creator.
Benefit 2: Enhances the relationship with the creations.
Benefit 3: Live a life of mindfulness and present in the moment.
Video 6: YouM. (2021). Connecting with His Beautiful Names - Lesson 3 | YouM [Video]. YouTube.
Content summary:
This video explores the categorization of the Beautiful Names by the scholars into Asma' Al-Jamal (the Names of Beauty), Asma' al-Jalal (the Names of Grandeur and Magnificence), and Asma' Al-Kamal (the Names of Completeness and Perfection). It then begins by taking samples of Asma' Al-Jamal - Ar-Rahman and Ar-Raheem.
Update 4: Essential Questions -
The study of al-Asma' Al-Husna, has two components: an "intellectual" component and a "spiritual" component.
The intellectual component tackles the foundational questions of how we know there are Divine Names, how many they are, and where the list of names (that perhaps hangs on our wall at home) comes from.
The spiritual component then explores the possible purpose behind the Names, introduces the students to the classification scheme posited by some scholars, and then takes examples of the Names to explore their spirituality and beauty.
What is the classification of the beautiful names of Allah swt?
What are the introductory names of God (ar-Rahmaan & ar-Raheem)?
Why is it essential to understand the introductory names of Allah swt?
Video 7: YouM. (2021). Connecting with His Beautiful Names - Lesson 4 | YouM [Video]. YouTube.
Summary:
Here are some more ways we can live with the Names of God:
Update 5: Essential Questions
You can use the following to guide the students -
Application 1: Reflect on the manifestation of His beautiful names in the daily life
Application 2: Ponder upon His beautiful names whenever one comes across them
Application 3: Make supplications with His beautiful names
Update 6: Group Project
Find a buddy from the class to do this activity with you.
Take a stroll together out in the park, at the beach, or around your neighborhoods. Be anywhere, out in nature.
Notice your surroundings and focus on one thing that calls out to you. It can be the dried leaves on the pavements or the sound of children's laughter at the playground.
Take a photo of the occurrence and write a caption describing that incident. In your caption, pick one of Allah's Names that closely relates to it. For example, Ya Allah, Ya Lateef (The Subtle), the gentle morning breeze today reminds me of Your Gentleness, so soften my heart and make me calm to face the day.
With your buddy:
Congratulations! You have reached the end of the course.
We hope that you have enjoyed the lessons that the Asatizahs have prepared for you and benefited from the class discussions with your peers.
Before you go, please check that you have:
You are on your way to certification for this course.
We aim to get every learner to complete and be certified for each course.
There is no time limit on when they must complete the required work.
Use the platform to remind learners to complete their requirements and provide feedback to improve their posts.
Adil, R. (2016, May 25). Teaching Children the Names of Allah [web log]. http://blog.iiph.com/teaching-children-the-names-of-allah/.
Dyer, D. T. (2017, February 28). Children's Spirituality and the 99 Names of God. https://www.woolf.cam.ac.uk/blog/childrens-spirituality-and-the-99-names-of-god#:~:text=Its%20aim%20is%20to%20make,Muslims%20by%20the%2099%20Names.
Education at Illinois. (2014, March 3). What's the Use of Technology in Learning? Introducing seven e-affordances [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INC4s_kuC7g&t=189s.
Fazal, S. (2022). 99 Beautiful Names of Allah (Asma ul Husna). YouTube. [Video]. The Muslim Reminder Kids. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I9XMmnUvag.
Kalantzis, M., & Cope, B. (2015). Learning and New Media. The SAGE Handbook of Learning.
Memphis Islamic Center (MIC). (2016). Beautiful Names of Allah (pt.1)- Introduction - Why learn them? Dr. Shaykh Yasir Qadhi. YouTube. [Video] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfC1_b5CERI.
QURAN Reading (2018, January 31). Importance of Learning Asmaul Husna | 99 Names of Allah with Benefits. http://www.quranreading.com/blog/importance-of-learning-asmaul-husna-99-names-of-allah-with-benefits/.
YouM. (2021). Connecting with His Beautiful Names - Lesson 1 | YouM [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qcue8bImnwc.
YouM. (2021). Connecting with His Beautiful Names - Lesson 2 | YouM [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMiJDc800lM
YouM. (2021). Connecting with His Beautiful Names - Lesson 3 | YouM [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWRzH15iZ7s
YouM. (2021). Connecting with His Beautiful Names - Lesson 4 | YouM [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQ-2KV0A6pI