Active Citizenship

Suggested Duration: 60 minutes

Lesson Objectives

To understand the nature of active citizenship
To learn that active citizenship is part of the Islamic way of life

Key Words

Active citizenship, community, participation, engagement

Islamic Values

Islam encourages us to be active in bringing positive change to the community in which we live.

Citizenship Values

Citizenship encourages us to be an active member of the community.

Resources

Pupils' Activity Sheet 2.1501: Appropriate Actions (This Activity Sheet has been provided courtesy of IHNA.)

Activities

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

A Starter Activity

This activity has been provided courtesy of the IHNA Education Programme, developed by Building Bridges Pendle.

Ask pupils, in small groups, to list five good things they have done to help people in their school, home or community. Take feedback.

Now ask which of these activities they were told to do and which they decided to do themself. Take feedback.

Explain that, if they have taken action to help people in their community or school, they are an active citizen.

Explain that the opposite of an active citizen is somebody who does nothing about issues affecting their community. Prophet Muhammad was very clear in telling us to help people, especially if things were going wrong.

B Development

Activity 1: Appropriate Actions

Prophet Muhammad said 'When you see anything wrong going on, then stop it with your hands if you can, otherwise speak out against it and if you cannot do that, then dislike it in your heart.' (Muslim)

Ask pupils what they think it means to change something with their hands or with their tongue. What does it mean to dislike in our heart when we see something wrong?

Emphasise that, although it is our duty to change 'evil' with our hands, we should not break the law of the country we live in. We should bear in mind the safety of others and ourselves.

Using Pupils' Activity Sheet 2.1501, ask pupils to fill in the blank columns with appropriate actions – for example, stop bad things with their hand or tongue, or disagree within their heart.

Activity 2: Islamic Guidance

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

وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبَرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ '...And help each other in goodness and righteousness, and do not help each other in sin and aggression...' (Surat al-Ma'idah 5:2)

Question: What messages do we get from this verse?

Suggested answer: We should help each other in good deeds and should not help each other in wrong deeds.

Explain that we have a duty to the whole of society to do good deeds, to help each other, and to make positive changes wherever we can. This will help make our community a better place to live in, insha'Allah.

C Plenary

Tell pupils that we have learnt that:

as Muslims, it is our duty to become active citizens
we should care for everything created by God
citizenship values are similar to the teachings of Islam
Islam teaches us to volunteer to bring about positive changes in the community we live in
we have to take responsibility and help or intervene where possible in order to make our community a safer place for all.
in order to achieve this we must remember not to break the law of the country we live in.

Suggested Follow-up Work

Ask pupils to think of one thing they could do to become active citizens and how they would implement their suggestion.

Pupils' Activity Sheet 2.1501

Appropriate Actions

For the following 'bad actions', decide what would be the best response. Give reasons for your choice.