11 Tolerance, Respect and Love for Humanity
Suggested Duration: 60 minutes
Learning Objectives
- To understand the concepts of tolerance, respect and love for humanity
- To learn that tolerance, respect and love are qualities of a good Muslim and are key citizenship values
Key Words
- Tolerance, respect, love, humanity
Islamic Values
Islam teaches us to respect fellow human beings, accept differences and love all creatures.
Citizenship Values
Good citizens tolerate differences, respect fellow human beings and love all creatures.
Activities
Ask some quick questions to recap the last lesson.
Share the lesson objectives.
A Starter Activity
Ask pupils to talk to the person sitting next to them and identify three differences between them.
Take feedback and ask pupils whether these differences make them a better or a worse person.
Stress that we are all different and need to learn to respect each other's differences.
B Development
Activity 1: Tolerance, Respect and Love for Humanity
Ask pupils to complete a card-matching exercise in pairs (Pupils' Activity Sheet 3.1102) to help them understand the meanings of the words 'tolerance', 'respect', and 'love'.
Give pupils five minutes to work out the correct definitions.
At the end of the exercise, each of the header words should have one definition and one scenario under it.
Activity 2: Respect
Ask pupils to name at least five people they respect and to give one reason for each person (parents/teachers/sports personalities/friends).
Take feedback.
Activity 3: Islamic Guidance
Ask a pupil to recite the following verses. Explain the meaning.
...He (God) created affection between your hearts, so you became by His grace brothers (and sisters).' (Surat Alee Imran 3:103)
Question: Is it possible to love another person as you love your own brother or sister?
Suggested answer: Yes, all mankind is God's creation and we should love what God has created.
O mankind! We created you from a male and a female and we made you into nations and tribes so that you may know each other; the most noble of you in the sight of God is the one who is the most righteous. Indeed God is All-knowing, All-aware.' (Surat al-Hujurat 49:13)
Question: What does God mean by 'you may know each other'?
And if your Lord willed, all who are on the earth would have believed together. So would you (Muhammad) force people until they become believers?' (Surat Yunus 10:99)
Question: Are you allowed to force people to become Muslims?
Suggested answer: No, as the verse suggests, if God had wished, he would have created everyone as believers.
God shows compassion only to those among His slaves who are compassionate.' (Bukhari, Muslim)
'Make it your duty to show compassion and make yourself tolerate the shortcomings of people.' (Kanz al-'Ummal)
'None of you becomes a true believer until he wishes for his brother (and sister) what he wishes for himself.' (Bukhari, Muslim)
'When a disbeliever performs any good deed, he is rewarded for it in this world; and in the case of a Muslim, God stores up his good acts for him in the Hereafter and provides him with subsistence in this life due to his obedience.' (Muslim)
C Plenary
Give pupils examples of multi-faith societies around the world today through pictures of mosques and churches. Finish with a short history of Egypt:
The Muslim armies of Amr ibn al-As arrived in 642, but it was another two hundred years before the population of Egypt embraced Islam. Even today there is still a sizeable Christian minority who, by and large, live in peace.
Sum up and emphasise that Islam teaches respect and love for others, and teaches us to accept that differences are all part of God's design.
Invite pupils to fill in Pupils' Activity Sheet 3.1105.
Suggested Follow-up Work
Give instructions for follow-up work:
Using Pupils' Activity Sheet 3.1106, list all the things that you have done which demonstrate your tolerance, respect and love for humanity.
Resources
- Pupils' Activity Sheet 3.1101: Lesson Objectives
- Pupils' Activity Sheet 3.1102: Definitions
- Pupils' Activity Sheet 3.1103: Islamic Guidance
- Pupils' Activity Sheet 3.1104: Church and Mosque Pictures
- Pupils' Activity Sheet 3.1105: Feedback
- Pupils' Activity Sheet 3.1106: Follow-up Worksheet
Pupils' Activity Sheet 3.1102
Definitions
Match the words and example scenarios with the correct key ideas.
| Definition | | | :---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :-------- | | Due regard for the feelings, values or rights of others | Respect | | To accept the difference between people and their views even if you don't understand or agree with them | Tolerance | | Loving other human beings regardless of their colour, race, ethnicity or religion | Love | | A person from a different masjid comes to your madrasah and you don't agree with his views but you remain polite | | | Your teacher comes into the classroom and all the pupils stand up for them | | | You see a young child shouting for help in a nearby pond and you jump in to save him or call 999 for help | |