Umer Toor Blog 2: Self-serving Blog

Of a court jester of Prophet Muhammad

Prophet Muhammad actually had a court jester, amazing, whom he loved.

Once he directed a blind person to do a thing. That man went and started beating Hazrat Usman, who was praying, in the mosque. And after prayer he inquired, "What's going on!?" He said, "I thought you were such a such person. Nouman told me to that." And Nouman snickering in corner.

Prophet used to smile on it. And Prophet was also called by a scholar a laughing Prophet. His face used to be filled with smile. But he never laughed out like we use to. And what a beautiful thing is said in the Quran, "And He is the One who made you laugh and made you cry."

* Notes taken from a talk by Sheikh Hamza Yusuf. Watch.

'Using Excel to Teach Economics'

Saw this very useful activity-based Excel workbooks for teaching all major Principles of Economics at a very introductory level which even the business students in Pakistan study, 'with emphasis of micro-economics'. Here you can find links to workbooks for Economics and International Economics (440 - which shows that probably its the highest level course at under-grad); plus, published papers on the already mentioned subjects.

If you find it useful please share your feedback.

3 Ways to do Tazkiya (Self-Purification) Today

Here are simple, 3 straight ways* of attaining self-purification (in hierarchy) which is perhaps the greatest aim of human beings on earth, and you cannot ignore any of it:

1. Qur'an

2. Reading and acting upon the life of Prophet Muhammad (his seerah)

3. Attaching oneself to the company of truthful, pious people.

* I learnt it from an Islamic scholar based in Lahore on 21 April '10.

'No big picture': Greatest dilemma of Moderns

"The problem of modernity is that all efforts are put into understanding 'details' of nature. But i has no bigger picture. That's what you see at Nat-Geo and Discovery (channels) ... people going deep into a leave, but so ignorant of the most important questions and mysteries of life." This is just an opposite of a Moslem's perspective, who has the bigger picture. That is why a Moslem is often startled and confused by the over-scientific environment and academic extremism of God-less human creatures, who deify knowledge, which is an unacceptable situation for him.

What makes an Idea a SUCCESs?

Read Made to Stick: Why some Ideas Survive and Others Die, by Heath brother that what makes an Idea a SUCCESS is SUCCESs. It stands for:

- Simple

- Unexpected

- Credible

- Concrete

- Emotional

- Stories

If any idea that is to be communicated has few or all above qualities, it would STICK in the minds of audience, others would die. The rest of the book just explains each quality. Plus, the whole book is filled with useful resources for teachers, as one of the author has been a very enthusiastic teacher.

You don't just learn by solving questions...

... rather you can also learn - perhaps better - by 'posing (or developing) questions'. According to a research article in School Science and Mathematics, "Problem posing, with its emphasis on having students generate and develop their own mathematical problems from particular situations or on the basis of their prior problem solving experiences, may be an important activity that in fact helps students develop as inquiry-based problem solvers."*

Well, I have a friend who does the same with his O/A level students in Pakistan, helping them make DISTRACTORs: questions that only 1 out of 1000 can answer. One of his student said that this is the way of real learning and growth. How does it happen that by posing questions a student may better solve a problem? the article mentions two instance:

1. ... he or she may look to break down or reduce the original problem into smaller problems, the solution of which lead to a solution of the original problem.

2. ... students engaged in the solution of a problem may generate a result that challenges or calls into question their prior goals and actions. In these situations the ways that the student acts to resolve the new question often leads to a reformulation of the original problem which may in turn lead to progress in finding a solution.

What is your strategy to change a society?

(Time to reflect deeply)

Do we need surgery or medicine to cure a dying organism, i.e., a society? What approach would you take as an educator in your school; as a family member in your home; or if you are given immense POWER over whole society? Let the bird of your imagination soar in heavenly clouds...

What is the the Message of Islam & role of Prophet Muhammad

Teaching 'novel' subjects in Pakistan

I was talking to my advanced English writing skills professor, who is also running a small school for two years about developing thinking skills in pupils. He said that we cannot teach our pupil novel subjects to induce creativity and develop critical thinking skills being affiliated to dull and boring board system unless: a) we've have to trade-off for numbers/board positions (or do you have to?); b) we have to make the creative subject a side-subject (in my sir's school their's a learning class, in which pupil make encyclopedias of their own on topic/subject they are most interested in), for which training teachers does magic ::

As for point A :: For example, the prof. once visited two schools in Northern Areas: One used brutally, full-time 'stick', taming pupils to rote-learn for positions in boards, and they successfully got many positions board; the second school, on the other hand, fully promoted activity-/projects-/practical-based learning, e.g., in a lesson, a pupil was asked to go home and write down the attitude of his/her elder's brother toward him/her - don't you think this is enhancing cognitive abilities in the child, which is the ability to know what you're thinking, but they got less or no positions in the board :)

Qualities of a friend of Knowledge

I heard a scholar, Mr. Khalid Zaheer, enumerating qualities of an ilm dost, friend of knowledge:

He is Truthful and doesn't fail to accept truth
He is not prideful/proudly of his knowledge, nor does he consider others worthless
He is very Honest. He fully acknowledges contributions of others.
He is not prejudiced, nor is he sentimental when it comes to understanding nature of things.
But, when it comes to action, he is emotional in acting upon his knowledge.
He does not hoard knowledge; rather is keen in spreading it.
He is balanced and maintains balance/'itidal.
He is not snobbish.
He prays five times prayers.
He reads Qur'an daily.
He is polite.