RE at key stages 1 and 2 (Year 5)
Unit 5A: Why is Muhammad important to Muslims?
Section 1: Muhammad: the night that changed his life
|
|
Objectives |
| Children should learn: |
- to understand why Muslims call Muhammad
 the messenger of God - to identify the religious beliefs about Allah, Muhammad and the Qur'an which are expressed in the story of the revelations to Muhammad
- to recognise the impact and influence this event had on Muhammad and all followers of Islam
- to compare their own experience of quietness for reflection with those of religious people such as Muhammad
- to use a range of research and study skills, including ICT, to locate the life of Muhammad in its historical and geographical context
|
Activities |
|
Outcomes |
|
Children: |
- Focus on the story which is often called the 'Night of power' and how it changed Muhammad's life and the history of the world. Tell or read the story which tells of the revelation of the Muslim holy book, the Qur'an, to Muhammad. This is an exciting and dramatic story which can be a starting point for some extended work on themes such as:
- events which have changed the history of the world
- experiences which have changed the lives of individuals
- an exploration of the idea of change and transformation
- the meaning of 'revelation', making links with other stories children may know about powerful religious experiences
- the importance many people, both religious and non-religious, place on finding time for reflection and contemplation
- How might Muhammad have felt when he realised what Allah had done (eg fear, inadequacy)?
- Muhammad frequently spent time alone in quiet contemplation. Ask the children to sit quietly and reflect on times when they have been asked to do something which they felt a bit afraid of doing.
- Ask the children to write a response to this story in different forms, such as a first person account, an account from the point of view of another character (eg Khadijah) or a poem, to capture the spiritual dimension of Muhammad's experience.
- Ask the children to copy the Shahadah and write a short explanation of the beliefs it expresses.
- Set an independent learning research task by asking the children to find out where and when the events took place in the story. Make links with other people, places and events which they have studied in other curriculum areas. Record the information on a class timeline and world map. What else was happening around 570 CE that you might add to the timeline? What other places can you identify on the map?
|
|
- explain why Muhammad is called the messenger of God
- describe how the Qur'an contains the revelations given to Muhammad by Allah
- explain why the Qur'an is believed to be the word of God
- reflect on their own experience of being daunted by a task
- place the events in the life of Muhammad in historical and geographical context
|
|
Points to note |
- Muslims often write or say 'peace be upon him' when the name of the prophet Muhammad is used.
- A number of versions of the story of Muhammad and the stories he told are available. Choose versions that are appropriate to the age, ability and background of the children, and check that the illustrations are appropriate.
- Introducing children to different versions of the stories could be a valuable teaching point and link with the National Literacy Strategy: Framework for teaching.
- Some television and video versions of the stories are available, but check that these are acceptable before using them. Remember that it is not acceptable to the majority of Muslims to reproduce the human form: teachers need to be aware of this and the reasons why, and select resources with this in mind. Be particularly sensitive to Muslim children when you set tasks that may require drawing people.
- Use a range of resources for the research task, including ICT.
|
|
|
This unit is divided into sections. Each section contains a sequence of
activities with related objectives and outcomes. You can view this unit by
moving through the sections or print/download the whole unit.
|
|
|
