The Approach to Islamic Education is viewed as a holistic approach. It is the belief of the Clara Muhammad school of Hartford that Islamic education should be applied to the total self. Allah tells us to enter into Islam wholeheartedly. Students are in need of complete wrap around services to succeed in this challenging world. With this in mind the following programs have been implemented to address the Islamic Education that is absent in the public school system, and the lack of educational support systems. Academic achievement is also not enough to be successful. Imam Muhammad has reminded us that there are brilliant scholars and professors that are strung out on drugs, alcohol and engaging in moral decay.

To overcome these trials faced by our youth, social support groups are implemented to guide our students toward Islamic ideas and away from the dangerous norms of society. We have also found that a child developing academically separate from their families leads to lack of interest on the part of families. Children often advance beyond parents or find themselves being confronted with questions they cannot answer or involved in situations that may be embarrassing. In the Islamic development of the youth we have tried to assist in this area by providing Adult education and Islamic Seminars on various topics. We have also learned that we are losing our children around the age of 12 -14 years of age due to issues we are struggling with. To bring them back and to transition them into adulthood appropriately and to keep Islamic Principles we have created a Rites of Passage program. The Programs below are our attempt to save our children and community through Islamic Education.

Weekend School: Saturday and Sunday

The weekend School provides Islamic Education to supplement the secular education taught within the Hartford public school system. The weekend program provides an opportunity for Muslim children to learn the institution of Prayer, develop a foundation in Islamic studies and grow in the Arabic language. The weekend school also offers Al Jami programs on a bi-weekly basis. Al Jami programs on the weekend inserts Islamic and Qur’anic based concepts within the secular educational curriculum that the children are exposed to in the Public school. Al Jami Programs provides supplemental education in the areas of Language expression, Higher order Thinking, Logic, Math, Social Studies, and Science. The Weekend Program uses Computers and technology to enhance the learning experience. The weekend school also offers young people the opportunity to network with other Muslims and in doing so develop new relationships that are healthy and productive for Islamic growth.

Weekly Tutorial Program

The weekly tutorial program gives an opportunity for Muslim youth within the public school system to come together after school. This is important since many Muslim children only see one another for Salatul-Jumuah on Friday or on Sunday for Taalim. The children get an opportunity to daily reinforce their Muslim identity in a structured setting, share in doing homework, and be cared for in a healthy and safe environment. During this period students from area colleges by appointment will be available to help with homework and provide basic tutorial assistance for English, Math and Science. Students are introduced to Islamic Ideas from Al-Jami Program.

Islamic Recreational Support Groups

'The Islamic Recreational Support Groups provide an opportunity for Muslim youth throughout the state to come together and meet other Muslim children in a safe and halal environment while sharing in joint recreational activities. The activities include Movie nights, Game Nights, Eid events, Dinners and excursions to different events such as plays, shows, museums and sporting activities. All programs are preceded with presentations that address the needs of youth in our community. Topics include but are not limited to Peer Pressure vs Peer Power, Hip Hop vs Islam, Hazards of a hip hop diet, Dating is Haram, The impact of Drugs on youth, Al-Islam is the Solution, and how abstention prevents STD’s. Students in this program could receive a mentor and case manager to assist families in developing Islamic identity. Children need action plans to follow outside of the Masjid. Parents and C.M.S. in a joint venture need to support the children’s development in public schools and within the community. 

Educational Seminars

Often adults feel left out of educational programs. Often they are busy working or engaged in the pursuit of family responsibilities. To attend a regularly established program can create a burden on some individuals. To harness the desire to learn while at the same time respecting the time schedules of believers, the Clara Muhammad School presents bi-monthly educational seminars on various Islamic Topics. The presenters are qualified Imams and / or presenters on various areas of interest to the community. The workshop and symposiums are held on a Sunday afternoon in a classroom type setting. Handouts and teaching aids are incorporated. The educational seminars will begin each year with a two day conference on a seminar theme.

Educational / Spiritual Retreats: Once a year, Spring / Summer

Educators, chaplains and Imams and those interested in the field of academia will be invited to an educational / spiritual retreat. The retreat will be in a secluded tranquil setting to promote thinking and Islamic spiritual development.

Educational Conference

Imam W.D. Mohammad has placed education as the number one priority among American Muslims. With this in mind, Muhammad Islamic Center of Hartford established an annual educational conference. The conference highlights the need for Islamic Educational Institutions and Programming, Provides a support mechanism for other Clara Muhammad Schools and serves as a stage to recognize and present the excellence of our children. T

he two-day conference is composed of workshops, symposiums, a luncheon, a breakfast and a dinner banquet. Teachers, chaplains, and Imams are encouraged to participate and receive certifications in various topics. It also serves as an excellent time to establish networking with other teaching professionals.

Adult Education

The Adult Education program provides Islamic Education to enhance Adults believers understanding of Al-Islam. It provides an opportunity for Muslim Adults in a stress-free setting to review the institution of Prayer, the reading and writing of the Arabic language. It also offers the Muslim Adults the prospect for developing a strong, established Islamic Studies foundation. The Adult education program also offers Adults the opportunity to network with other Muslims and in doing so develop stronger relationships that become healthy and productive for Islamic growth. Specialized subject are presented each Sunday with a very detailed curriculum while other evenings are used to cover special topics.

Special Extracurricular Programs

Summer Camp

 The Students each summer attend Great Hollow Wilderness School in New Fairfield, CT. It is a facility within a beautiful setting, along the Appalachian mountains. The devoted staff is composed of Muslims. They focuses on Islamic Principles as well as general concepts of self-esteem, friendships, and character. The campers choose activities from over 30 program areas! For teens, They engage in Adventure Trips and Leadership Development Programs. The Camp mission is to challenge and nurture the individual, build self-esteem, instill leadership and social skills, strengthen the body, lift the spirit and sharpen the mind.

Rites of Passage Program

The rites of passage program is a 12-week program. During this program students will learn that life is a series of transitions. Students will learn important elements that will prepare them for adulthood. The program will use Islamic Principles that are applicable for every faith group Muslim and non-Muslim alike. Groups will be done in Circles. Students will be given challenges to ensure social and community development. Students will be required to complete a community service project outside of the Masjid on behalf of the Masjid and complete one community fundraiser as a group. Students will be required to interview pioneers in the community. They will listen, and record some of the stories of Muslims in early Islamic America or within America in general. Students will write and complete biographies, discover their support systems in society and recognize whom they must turn to for assistance. Students will develop Islamic Etiquette. Students will also examine their goals for the future as individuals and for the community. As they explore goals they will discuss obstacles and strategies for overcoming difficulties in reaching life’s goals. This is a summer program that will conclude with a ceremony honoring their achievements. Family and community will be invited to attend festivities.

Junior CPC

Junior CPC is a youth entrepreneurship program modeled after the concept of Imam Mohammed Collective purchasing Conference. The program is an after-school program that focuses on discovering and analyzing growth opportunities within student supported business. Students will be taught Concepts and Skills about · Capital · Competition · Division of Labor · Expenses · Incentive · Income · Management · Marketing · Price · Productivity · Profit · Services · Stock · Variable costs · Assembling products · Estimating · Filling out forms · Giving reports · Graphing · Interpreting data · Math computation · Negotiating · Problem solving · Research · Selling · Teamwork.. Students will also study the business practices of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The students will also focus on moral responsibility as businessmen to the Masjid and general community.