Asalam alaikum
I am really happy to have found the ICO Network website. Inshallah you will find this a really useful website to aid your child's journey in learning Islamic Studies and Arabic Studies.
The materials published by ICO are of the highest quality. They have demonstrated excellence in their endeavour to deliver high standard, engaging books and textbooks that aim to teach children Islam and Arabic.
My daughter's islamic school uses these text books as part of its curriculum for Islamic and Arabic Studies. I'm sure those mothers who are homeschooling have been searching for a professional set of textbooks for their children. These mothers as well as those whose children are unable to access an islamic school would be very interested in these texts.
I definately recommend this publisher's works. I like the way the same characters are used throughout the curriculum, it is comforting for children to see Lulu, Yara, Wassim and Shadi crop up in different books and settings. Children find the lively drawings, colours and layout of the pages very engaging.
The use of creative graphic design and fonts are also aesthetically pleasing. There has been a great deal of child psychology and teaching studies that have gone on in the production of these materials.
One of the major, very major problems with the texts however is that the text is completely in Arabic. From the title to the end notes. So for those ajami (non-arabic) mums and teachers these books present a hurdle that needs to be overcome. For those who can afford a tutor or an arabic friend to help out with the translation then these books are very beneficial. For those who can not then the books still provide a great of help, especially for writing and recognition of letters and word formation. What the teacher would do at my daughter's school would be to print out a list of instructions with page numbers and fill out a table with translations for that particular unit of the week.
There is also another website called the First Education website which is listed with the ICO Network's website but I though I'd share it here again. This website is the distributor in the UK. Though I haven't used it I'm sure inshallah it will work for Australia.
ICO Network website: http://iconetwork.com/
First Education website: http://first-education.co.uk/
I pray that this post is beneficial to sisters and brothers
Asalam alaikum
Umm Musk
Asalam alaikum sisters :D
Alhamdulilah Story Night with Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan took place last Friday in Sydney. Muslims turned up in record numbers and it was said to be the largest ticketed Islamic event held in Sydney.
The amount of sincerity with which Ustadh exercises his effort in order to illuminate the world to the miracles of the Quran was demonstrated last weekend. He took time out to visit Rooty Hill masjid, Lakemba masjid for Jumuah, Sydney Olympic Park on Friday night and met with community leaders on Saturday morning.
His work brought many different people of the community together last weekend. Muslims from different cultures, ethic backgrounds and associations turned up as one.
I was grateful for meeting many of the sisters at the event too. One sister during our ritual hijab fixing bathroom session gushed over how "amazing Ustadh is", her reply was promptly met with a response by a very young sister with a smile- "he's not amazing. It is the Quran that is amazing". The commenters face lit up as if to a new revelation. So did the rest of ours as we continued to wrap, fasten and pin. We affixed this point in our own minds.
I first took ustadh seriously through my husband who watched his eulogy for Dr. Israr Ahmed on Youtube. Dr. Israr had passed away and we were awash with sadness and had an empty slot for a guide in our hearts. Ustadh Nouman filled that void. He truly picked us up and out of depression.
Because we are from an Indian/Pakistani background like Ustadh, we are deeply appreciative of his advice on how to deal with difficult family members and other members of the community. Some of our people can be very defiant and hateful of rulings in Islam to point of hating Allah and his Messenger and doubting their validity.
What Ustadh has presented is genius. Proving the miracles in the Quran brings forward immediate physical evidence of the truth. Once the Quran is proved as a real miracle, everything in it follows suit. Bringing people to the Arabic language means they can understand the miracle and follow the beautiful hidaya that comes with it.
It was a simple idea but it changed the world. It definitely changed ours. From our relationship as husband and wife, as parents and as children to our role in the community as madrassa teachers - Ustadh has influenced everything. In the most beautiful of ways. If everyone could implement his teachings the ummah would be brought so forward.
If you would like to learn from ustadh sign up to Bayyinah TV here: www.bayyinah.tv
I have video footage of three events that i'll edit and post here soon inshallah :)
May Allah reward Ustadh for visiting us. It was a pleasure and a humbling experience to be able to host him.
Ps: His wife wears niqab and has 6 six children and she still sent him here from America. What an inspirational lady - even more than her husband! :)
Umm Musk :)
