I know that some Muslims don't practice anything recognizably Islamic, but still they have memorized much, if not all of the Qur'an (the sounds of the verses but not the meanings). Is this the way the Qur'an should be taught? How are these "teachers" trained?
Thank you for your question.
You raise some important issues that need addressing related to the wisdom of memorizing Qur'an and understanding it and the traditional teaching methods. Yes there are people who, despite memorizing much of the Qur’an, still fail to practice its teachings. The reasons for this are many, but certainly as you indicate, one of those reasons is due to the fact that some people do not understand the Arabic they are reading. The sad thing is that some of these people wouldn’t read a translation, even if it were made available. The reasons for this are complex but it is an attitude contrary to several verses in the Qur'an.
You raise some important issues that need addressing related to the wisdom of memorizing Qur'an and understanding it and the traditional teaching methods. Yes there are people who, despite memorizing much of the Qur’an, still fail to practice its teachings. The reasons for this are many, but certainly as you indicate, one of those reasons is due to the fact that some people do not understand the Arabic they are reading. The sad thing is that some of these people wouldn’t read a translation, even if it were made available. The reasons for this are complex but it is an attitude contrary to several verses in the Qur'an.
Do ye enjoin right conduct on the people, and forget (To practice it) yourselves, and yet ye study the Scripture? Will ye not understand?Surah 2 Verse 44
Do they not then earnestly seek to understand the Qur'an, or are their hearts locked up by them?Surah 47 Verse 24
There are also many verses that end with phrases such as "... so that maybe you would think deeply" or "... so that maybe you would use your intellects".Verily in this is a Message for any that has a heart and understanding or who gives ear and earnestly witnesses (the truth).Surah 50 Verse 37
Yet in other countries where children memorize Qur'an and have Arabic as their mother tongue they do learn the meaning of the words. Parents are keen to put them in such Qur'an schools in order to memorize Qur'an, assuming they will study it in depth later. Later they can start a process of reasoning on the meaning and implications of the different parts and verses.
One major purpose for this in the Arab countries is also to improve their Arabic as the Qur'an is highly poetic, so it is like teaching your kids to learn by heart long parts of the writings of Shakespeare to improve their English -which it surely does. It is a fact that children can memorize easier when they are young even if they do not understand the meaning, while it is hard to memorize when you grow up and have the mental capacity of interpretation and understanding. So there is no harm in learning the Qur'an as a child, on the condition that it is done according to good educational principles, allowing kids to enjoy it and have fun in the process.
This needs good preparation of other parallel activities and games of languages and understanding that many such schools do not care to perform. Teachers at such schools usually are graduates of religious studies colleges. In many cities now this teaching is performed in mosques by womens' groups and they might come from different academic backgrounds. Studying and memorizing Qur'an with children is part of their wider religious community activities.
There should be strong institutions of scholarship in the Muslim society. Then any dangerous misunderstandings, about Islam or about anything else for that matter, can be demonstrated as such through a process of dialogue and deliberation. In this way there can be no excuse for any pervading attitudes which stop people seeking to understand the Qur'an, out of a fear of misunderstandings arising.
The Qur’an should be taught in a way that encourages people to understand its message and implement it. This includes that when they have a problem with understanding a verse, then they should ask qualified people who have studied the issue.
A gentle rocking motion might help memorizing the Qur’an. It has, when recited, a form of rhythm, and that is part of what helps you remember it. As for beating children for failing to do so, I don’t think it is something that is sanctioned at all in Islam. The prophet never hit his children. Nor should we if we want to follow his example.
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