Law and Order

Suggested Duration: 60 minutes

Key Stage 2

Lesson Objectives

To explore the importance of law and order in society
To learn that Islam requires Muslims to be law-abiding citizens

Key Words

Law, order, law-abiding, justice, fairness

Islamic Values

Islam teaches us to be law-abiding citizens of the country we live in.

Citizenship Values

Good citizens obey the law and help others.

Resources

Pupils' Activity Sheet 2.0801: Rules and Reasons

Activities

Ask some quick questions to recap the last lesson. Share the lesson objectives.

A Starter Activity

Working in pairs/groups, ask pupils to prepare a list of rules that they had to follow from the minute they woke up until now in the madrasah classroom. Take feedback and then ask:

Do you have rules at home?
What are your school rules?
What are your madrasah rules?

Take feedback and ask why we need rules.

B Development

Activity 1: Rules and Reasons

Pupils use the same list as in the Starter Activity, as well as some preset ones on the example sheet, to compile a list of rules. Then, for each one, they think about the reason behind the rule.

Point out that:

Laws and rules are there to maintain order in society.
If everyone did as they pleased there would be chaos.
The police and the legal system (courts) are there to protect us.
We are obliged to follow and respect the laws of the land.

Activity 2: Islamic Guidance

Ask a pupil to recite the following verses. Explain the meaning.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ

'Indeed God commands justice and kindness and giving relatives their rights and forbids shameful acts and evil and oppression...' (Surat al-Nahl 16:90)

Question: What about the rights of non-relatives?

Suggested answer: Non-relatives also deserve to be treated with justice and kindness as we learn from other Islamic teachings. This verse specifically mentions relatives for emphasis.

Question: What is the meaning of 'oppression'?

Suggested answer: Denying justice, people's rights and freedoms.

'Hearing and obeying are the duties of a Muslim, both regarding what one likes and one dislikes, as long as one is not commanded to perform an act of disobedience to God, in which case one must neither hear nor obey.' (Bukhari)

Emphasise that Islam teaches us to respect and obey the law of the country.

C Plenary

Ask pupils:

What should we do as Muslims if we see things that we are unhappy about?
How should we react if we see a crime taking place?
Are we allowed to take the law in our own hands? If not, why not?

Suggested Follow-up Work

Ask pupils to think about the last time they, or someone they know, was in the wrong.

Ask them to write about what happened and what they did.

Ask: In the light of today's lesson, would you have done things differently?

Pupils' Activity Sheet 2.0801

Rules and Reasons