Idrak al-Muallim lil-Asalib al-Tarbawiya al-Faala fi Halaqat al-Jamiyat al-Khayriya li-Talim wa Tahfiz al-Quran al-Karim
- Author died
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- Editions
- King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Quran in Medina
Idrak al-Muallim lil-Asalib al-Tarbawiya al-Faala fi Halaqat al-Jamiyat al-Khayriya li-Talim wa Tahfiz al-Quran al-Karim (A Teacher's Awareness of Effective Educational Methods in the Study Circles of Charitable Societies for Teaching and Memorizing the Holy Qur'an) is an educational field study by Hamid bin Salim Ayd al-Harbi, composed around 1420 AH (1999/2000 CE) . The work investigates the pedagogical methods employed in Qur'anic memorization circles and assesses instructors' grasp of effective teaching practices .
Background and Objectives
The author undertook the study following encouragement from personnel at the King Fahd Glorious Quran Printing Complex . The study's stated goals are to identify effective instructional methods for Qur'anic teaching and memorization, ensure their continuity and dissemination, and stimulate further empirical research into Qur'anic education encompassing recitation, memorization, comprehension, and practical application .
Methodology and Scope
Al-Harbi adopted a descriptive, analytical, and deductive approach . The empirical component was conducted using an exploratory questionnaire validated by academic specialists, with a test-retest reliability concordance rate of approximately 97% . The target population comprised 916 teachers working within the Charitable Society for the Memorization of the Holy Qur'an in Mecca, from which a representative sample of 25% (229 teachers) was surveyed .
Core Themes and Pedagogical Framework
The study is organized around four main pedagogical inquiries :
- Methods for Teaching Recitation: Al-Harbi stresses sincere intention, the teacher's dedicated desire to instruct, ensuring that students attain mastery over an entire surah before progressing (hadd al-tamakkun), continuous daily recitation without prolonged interruption, maintaining ritual purity, direct oral transmission from qualified teachers alongside listening to master reciters, and contemplative recitation (al-tilawa al-taammuliya) with silent reflection .
- Methods for Teaching Comprehension: The work highlights that comprehension is inseparable from recitation and constitutes the foundation for implementation, requiring contemplation of meanings and deriving guidance for daily life .
- Methods for Teaching Memorization: It outlines approaches for retention rooted in piety, regular revision, oral transmission directly from memorizers, and the supplementary use of audio recordings .
- Methods for Practical Implementation: It emphasizes training students to emulate the Prophet's Companions by acting upon verses as they learn them, while holding the instructor up as a moral and behavioral exemplar whose deeds must match his knowledge .
Findings and Recommendations
The study concluded that while state and community initiatives in Saudi Arabia actively maintain Qur'an circles across cities and villages, the predominant instructional practice remains heavily focused on rote memorization at the expense of comprehension and behavioral application . Furthermore, responses revealed a low level of awareness among teachers regarding effective pedagogical techniques, indicating a pressing need for specialized training courses offered by university deanships of community service and continuing education . The findings also noted the persistent requirement for philanthropic funding and endowments (awqaf) to provide financial stipends for both students and teachers .
Al-Harbi proposed carrying out comparable empirical studies across other Saudi cities, extending similar research to female student sections, and directing graduate students at the master's and doctoral levels to investigate Qur'an memorization circles and their broader societal effects .
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