Study packs
Four printable packs, one for each chapter, for a halaqa, a weekend school, a classroom or a family table. Each has a page for the leader, a handout, and the answers.
The First Refuge
Tell the story of the first emigration, about 615, and why the Prophet, peace be upon him, chose Abyssinia.
Open the pack IIAges 10 and up, and adult study circlesHouses of Learning
Name four old centers of learning in Africa, Kairouan, Fez, Cairo and Timbuktu, and put them in order.
Open the pack IIIAges 12 and up, and adult study circlesKingdoms and Roads
Explain how Islam traveled Africa with merchants and teachers, by caravan across the Sahara and by monsoon along the east coast.
Open the pack IVAges 13 and up, and adult study circlesAcross the Water
Explain that Muslims were among the Africans enslaved in the Americas, and why historians will not give a confident number.
Open the packHow each pack works
Every pack runs for about an hour and has three parts. The first is for the one leading: aims, a timing plan for a halaqa and for a classroom, and notes. The second is the handout: the story in brief, dates, people, words to know, passages to read together, questions to talk about, things to try, and a short check. The third has the answers and the sources.
Each pack prints on its own, and the handout can be printed without the other parts, so learners do not see the answers. The questions point to the section of the chapter that answers them, so a leader who has read the chapter once is ready.
The readings
The passages to read together are taken word for word from verified texts: the Quran in Arabic from the Tanzil Project with the English of the Rowwad Translation Center (QuranEnc), and hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari in the translation by Muhammad Muhsin Khan, numbered as on sunnah.com. Each one links to its source.
Free to print
Print and copy these packs freely for teaching, in a masjid, a school or a home. Please keep the sources with them. If you find a mistake, write to corrections@ferrand.africa.