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The SCMS Consortium &

Muslim Educational Professionals Workgroup

Establishing a Shared Freedom Space through Natural Progression, Shura & Work Orientation.

National Muslim Business ConferenceMasjid As Shaheed

Charlotte, North Carolina, April 30th, 2011

“All things must be brought to agreement with what was revealed to the universal Prophet Muhammad.”

Imam WD Mohammed

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Three Lines of Work from IWDM

I Working on ourselvesII. Working togetherII. Working for the cause

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“Speak to the Reality of Education” – IWDM

“The first sign of an intelligent person is that they don’t come out with what they have in their head before they find out what is needed, what it asks for. I think this is how we should be as teachers. We should be real, speak to the reality of education, and we should respect the forms that G-d has made. G-d created all forms and G-d has made possible the interpretation, the extraction, etc of information, knowledge, education out of His creation, We couldn’t get any of that if it were not for the creation of G-d. Everything comes from G-d’s creation.”

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Some aspects of a work oriented shura process learned from the Muslim Educational Professionals Workgroup.

“Strive ye, all together as if in a race for all that is good.”

•This is the idea of cooperation (all together) and competition (in a race) for all that is good……(for G-d’s purpose, because of His rule, judgment and for His reward).

•Establish leadership as a plural and inclusive body

•Study what shura is and how to make it work so everyone in the plural body has vision and clarity.

•Establish leadership by applying the transformative values of shura to decision making. Ex. (Islamic democracy, representative democracy, majority rule even the dictator in some circumstances which Imam Mohammed says the Quran does not rule out.

•Sharing and learning together through productive work.

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"Those who hearken to their Lord and establish regular prayer; who (conduct) their affairs by mutual Consultation; who spend out of

what We bestow on them for Sustenance;"

“The society that G-d wants us to have is a society that is protected by all of us, hence the saying of the Prophet (pbuh) in Arabic "Yadul laaha alal jamaah," translate G-d's control is on the whole people. He doesn't control the people by one person He controls the people by using all of them”

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Imam WD Mohammed Quotes

“In order to develop a successful school we can’t introduce western philosophy and ideas as our base of knowledge, we will lose our Muslim identity that is formed by Allah, and developed by the Quran and Sunnah of Muhammad (PBUH).”

“The challenge for the Muslim educator is to become responsible for extracting from the Quran and from the life of the Prophet Muhammad the natural and proper basis for looking at the world.”

“The future of our children depends on our ability to step up off the muck and mire of America’s ideal of education and walk with the legs of our own thinking, that finds it’s base in the Quran and the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).”

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“The Role and Value of Imam Mohammed’s Quranic Insights and Tafsir as a Guide for this

Work. What should we extract as guiding principles ?”

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· Follow the vision and logic of IWDM’s Commentary to bring all things to agreement with what was revealed to the last and Universal Prophet Muhammed (saw).

• Organize, institutionalize and progress to develop complete G-d Consciousness…..“The light is on for me in the whole world.  There are no dark areas any more for me. I'm telling you if you will just have faith like I had, faith has brought me to where I am now.” IWDM

•“Hold on to the spirit of Sister Clara Muhammad” ---Imam W. Deen Mohammed

•“The Quran is Education”… IWDM Shift The Universal Paradigm to Achieve Our Aim for Education: Develop Our Universal Focus and G-d-given Strategy.

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Education Goals From Corona, Queens, NY, 2004

.Change our Perception of Knowledge and Education

.Revise Curriculum, and Methods

.Implement our Philosophy of Education

.Build Our System of Education

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Master Curriculum Structure Initiative

We have a sound and substantial albeit still to be completed model for a master curriculum structure because of the continuing goaloriented leadership of Brother Mubaashir Uqdah and all who have contributed to its development working in our shared freedom space. Our 2010 convention effort has also shown us how to extend our productive spirit and effort to the larger community of Imam Mohammed’s associates. Sister Zakkiyah Hassan, Sister Beverly Yaman and many others organized and led our successful convention effort.

In the last two years we have established great progress toward our strategic goals first articulated in Corona Queens, NY in 2004.

(1) We are changing our perception and knowledge of education,(2) continuing to progress in revising & transforming our curriculum structure, content and methods. The first two goals are substantial progress towards goal (3) Implementing ourphilosophy of education and (4) building our system of education.

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Policy InitiativeOur policy work is also on firm footing with the workgroup effort established at Bergen College, Paramus NJ in August by Dr Jon Yasin and Sister Najwah Abdul-Tawwab who are leading our effort to develop policies for our system of education. The policy work is an essential basis for developing a functioning National Education Council. We are also seeing how these collective efforts of committed facilitators and workgroups are being consolidated in a natural and systematic way to build a complete system of support for our Sister Clara Muhammed Schools.

Transforming Curriculum Content and MethodsWhen we undertook the master curriculum effort almost two years ago we saw that transforming curriculum content and methods would be the next logical step in our plan of work. A lesson study strategy for our effort to transform content and methods has been recommended by Dr Daaiyah Saleem of Albany State University (Ga.) who has done substantial staff development work with the Atlanta schools, the education committee and throughout the Muslim community. A modified lesson study format will allow us to build models for transforming and unifying content and methodology through sharing best practices as informed by and outlined in the Ascension Framework, our strategic plan and other documents which are available on the yahoo group . A model for lesson study is being developed by Sister Quran Shakir of the Atlanta Schools. There are many other outstanding model lessons to draw from among our teachers, Imams, other thinkers and educators.

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THE NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL COUNCIL FORTHE SISTER CLARA MUHAMMED SCHOOLS

Authorization and ResponsibilitiesAuthorization

The National Education Council for The Sister Clara Muhammed Schools and Affiliates, a not for profit corporation, is constituted and authorized by Imam W. D. Mohammed. The National Education Council was commissioned by Imam W. D. Mohammed on Monday, June 2, 2008, in the City of Homewood, Illinois, as witnessed by Dr. Hameed El-Amin of Huntsville, Alabama; Attorney Abdul Raouf Abdullah of Prince Georges County, Maryland; Sis. Laila Muhammad of Calumet City, Illinois, and Dr. Jon A. Yasin of New Milford, New Jersey. Responsibilities

In compliance with the instructions and dictates of Imam W. D. Mohammed, The National Education Council shall make, amend, and repeal policies for its own government and the transaction of its business and for the government and management of the Sister Clara Muhammed Schools and Affiliates. The National Education Council shall perform all acts and do all things consistent with the law, with the instructions of and policies of Imam W. D. Mohammed, the Qur’an, and the example of Prophet Muhammad ibn Abdullah (pbuh), necessary for the proper conduct and maintenance of the Sister Clara Muhammed Schools and Affiliates.

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By Dr. Jon A. Yasin, For Muslim JournalApril 18, 2011

“The Fourth World Congress of Muslim Philanthropists was convened in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on March 23 and March 24, 2011. The theme of the Congress was “Defining the Roadmap for the Next Decade.” This Congress brought together scholars, businesspersons, philanthropists, diplomats and civil servants, religious leaders and many others.”

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Quran as Source

The next phase of our work effort is designed to contribute to evolving and applying the logic, language and vision for education of Imam W D Mohammed, as articulated in his many directives for developing Creation Inspired Knowledge, the Ascension of the Soul Framework and its accompanying body of conceptual work, using Quran as Source.

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“...With knowledge that has been extracted out of Mother Nature the child of Mother Nature begins to see how the intellect can assist Mother Nature and a new world begins to develop, a world of science, industry, great progress. But we shouldn’t forget our mother. And certainly we shouldn’t forget the G-d Who made it all possible, the Creator of all of it and us.”

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The Role of Nature in Education, Imam WDM

The “Night Visit" of the Prophet (saw) & The Ascension of the Soul

“These are steps in the evolution of man who has to be responsible for society.” Imam WD Mohammed

Plane of the Prophets/Developmental Level of the Soul & Methods for Addressing Spiritual/Rationl/Self & Social Consciousness

7: Abraham- Ethical Man: - Universal Human Consciousness

6: Moses-Man as Ruler of Government & Social Life – Communal Learning/Critical Analysis, Institution Building

5: Aaron - Cultural Man: - Social and Ideological Construction

4: Idris - “Academic Man:” - Scientific/Conceptual (Abstract) Learning

3: Joseph – “Intuitive Man:” – Creation Inspired, Intuitive, Imaginative & Inquiry, Learning

2: Jesus & John – “Spiritual Man:” - Development of Individual motives, Social Spirit & Esteem

1: Adam - “Original Soul” – Creation Inspired Learning

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Developing Our Human Faculties

Rational Faculties or Senses

4. Imagination & 5. Thinking (Intellect)

Spiritual Senses or Faculties

3. Common Sense (Intuitive)

2. Remembrance (Habit & Rote Memory)

1. Innate or Instinctive – (Original Soul)

Faculty - 1382, "ability, means, resources," from O.Fr. faculté, from L. facultatem (nom. facultas) "power, ability, wealth," from *facli-tat-s, from

facilis (see facile).

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Organize, Institutionalize and progress to Develop

Complete G-d ConsciousnessIWDM spoke of His consciousness as having become

nothing but light In the last 14-15 years.

Imam W. D. Mohammed struggled for understandingI have studied the sacred words and I have seen it with my own eyes and it has equipped me to communicate it to the wise and saintly people of this world. They hear it and they understand it while most of you do not and they welcome me. The light is on for me in the whole world. There are no dark areas any more for me. I'm telling you if you will just have faith like I had, faith has brought me to where I am now. For many, many years I was struggling for the right understanding, struggling for the right picture, struggling for the light in the dark areas and my faith was strong to start with. And as G-d began to bless me with understanding of the sacred words and understanding of the mission of the last Prophet, Muhammed (pbuh), my faith began to be increased, increased until now it's so strong I believe it's impossible for people to stop me.

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“MGT” 3/23/07

You are beautyBy command…..A gift from G-d!

Displayed in your soul In full length pristine white

Tan or Orange pastels With head wraps and fezzes that matched

We remember admiringly Though

You are no longer girls in trainingNor we…………anybody's boys!

A. -Hameed El-Amin © 3/24/07

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We are Changing Our Shared Reality by Working together!

We want to continue to foster the exchange of ideas to make us independent thinkers working together to carry the personal and collective responsibility of establishing and advancing our system of education and our community life. Imam WD Mohammed’s vision, strategy and directives for the future of our community did not mean everyone should go their separate ways because there is no longer centralized authority! We must work “all together as if in a race for all that is good!”

As Salaam AlaikumAnd Thank Allah for Imam WD Mohammed !!!!!!!

A-Hameed El-Amin © 4/30/11

22A-Hameed El-Amin © 4/30/11

Join the Muslim Educational Professionals Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MuslimEducationalProfessionals/

Visit the Clara Muhammad Schools Website:

http://www.claramuhammadschools.org/