Al-hikmah Learning Workshops

Reading the Quran with a scientific approach, as defined in my book, leads the readers to generate knowledge at multiple levels.

Surah Al-Hashar

The central message of Surah Al-Hashr is that Allah is All-Powerful and All-Wise, and that His divine system governs both the universe and human life with perfect justice. Everything in the heavens and the earth belongs to Him, follows His commands, and continuously glorifies Him (tasbeeh). This universal obedience reflects a divine law: human beings ultimately receive outcomes that correspond to their actions. What a person does today will manifest in consequences tomorrow, in accordance with Allah’s wisdom and decree.

The surah provides a concrete historical example of this principle through the events surrounding the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. During his time, some of the People of the Book and the polytheists opposed Allah and His Messenger (yushaqqiqūna Allāha wa rasūlahu), persecuting and exiling the believers from their homes and wealth. In contrast, the believers supported Allah and His Messenger (yansurūna Allāha wa rasūlahu), remaining steadfast despite hardship.

Allah, in His perfect wisdom, reversed their circumstances. Those who once held power and expelled the believers were themselves driven into exile, while the believers were granted divine favor (faḍl) and approval (riḍwān). This reversal demonstrates a fundamental divine law: worldly power is not permanent, and true success is determined by alignment with Allah’s guidance. What appears strong can become weak, and what appears weak can rise to strength—by Allah’s will.
The name Al-Hashr (the gathering or exile) itself symbolizes this turning point, where established power structures collapse and are transformed. It represents the moment when injustice is overturned, and divine justice manifests clearly. This serves as a powerful lesson for all times: those who are righteous yet oppressed should not despair, and those who are unjust despite their strength should not feel secure. Allah’s law is constantly in operation, bringing eventual success to the righteous and decline to the wrongdoers.

Two key concepts emerge in this surah: opposition (shaqq) and support (nasr). These concepts are deeply connected to human destiny (qadr). The surah suggests that destiny is not a fixed, passive reality; rather, it unfolds in accordance with human choices and actions within Allah’s divine system. A person’s future is shaped by their level of obedience, their commitment to tasbeeh, and their active support of Allah’s cause.
Therefore, the greatest lesson of Surah Al-Hashr is that true success lies in aligning oneself with Allah’s commands. To achieve success, one must follow the path of nasr—supporting Allah’s message and striving to uphold His guidance on earth. In doing so, a person becomes part of Allah’s divine plan, through which justice is established and outcomes are ultimately set right.

Roohi A. Ahmad

The Universal Islamic Education Methodology
The Taxonomy of Zikar for the Intellectual Muslim
by Roohi A. Ahmad
Have we ever wondered why Allah swt uses His name as Allah some places and Rabb in the others?

Have we ever wondered what the difference between momin and muslim is? Can we make an argument to prove their meanings from within the Quran?

Have we ever wondered why Allah swt uses the word zikar so extensively throughout the Quran; or what the meaning of the word zikar is; or how the meaning of zikar is different from talu, qara, and ratal; and even why there are talu, qara, and ratal, the three different words for reading the Quran?

Or have we ever wondered why we are plagued by all kinds of catastrophes? Or why is there so much chaos and conflict in the world, and how can we solve these problems?

If we have not wondered about such questions, the reason is that we have not read the Qur’an in its true sense.

Today’s Muslims have two main objectives for their children: success in this world and triumph in the life hereafter. Muslim children need natural and social knowledge, but to fully enrich their minds, they also need to learn about the Quran and Islamic traditions. Many Islamic schools in North America are pursuing both of these objectives, but educators often feel that merging these two goals is too difficult. Having spent years teaching in Islamic schools and conducting a wealth of research, Roohi A. Ahmad has observed firsthand how complex the enterprise of Islamic education is. She has also witnessed the void of learning outcomes, teaching goals, and, most importantly, a clear vision and methodology for Islamic education. She has sought to remedy that situation in this book. It provides a practical methodology designed to help Muslim educators create a state-of-the-art Islamic education system that will lead to fully formed students who can function well in this world and ensure a positive outcome in the world to come.

www.scienceofreadingthequran.com

Roohi A. Ahmad has a bachelor of education, focused on literature and linguistics, curriculum and instructional design after degree diploma, as well as a master’s degree in education. A lifelong learner of the Quran, she has worked as an English language teacher and English program coordinator in Canada and abroad. Roohi also runs her own non-profit organization, al-Hikmah Learning Workshops, which is focused on teaching and learning about the Quran. Her pastimes include reading the Quran as well as studying scientific learning methods, educational psychology, and linguistics. She lives in Edmonton, Alberta, with her family.

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Roohi A. Ahmad

www.scienceofreadingthequran.com

https://books.friesenpress.com/store/title/119734000323461299/Roohi-A.-Ahmad-The-Universal-Islamic-Education-Methodology

The Universal Islamic Education Methodology at the FriesenPress Bookstore Have we ever wondered why Allah swt uses His name as Allah some places and Rabb in the others? Have we ever wondered what the difference between momin and muslim is? Can we make an argument to prove their meanings from within the Quran? Have we...

We lose nothing when we die except the opportunity to please Allah swt.

"Thus, learning the Quran is not like learning any other course or curriculum. It is the building of character and morals with righteous thoughts, feelings, and acts. The learning of the Quran is for the inception of the will and the construction of our cognition to act in the way of Allah swt with His fear taqwa as if this cognition is instilled deep in us naturally like other creatures. Allah swt says, “All seven skies and the earth and whatever is within them exalt Him, and there is not a
thing except that it exalts Him by His praise” (17:93). If we do our daily acts according to Allah swt’s commands, remember Him every minute of a day, and say our prayers, indeed, it is our exalt to Him all day like other things in the universe. It will be our tasbeeh. So, our goal for learning the Quran should be the construction of such cognition, which originates in the will to obey Him. Once our cognition is constructed with the knowledge of Allah swt, righteous behavior will become our natural disposition. In surah al-hujarat verse 7, Allah swt says, when iman adorns in our hearts, we love iman and hate disbelieving, defiance, and disobedience. And we become rashidun. I do not have a word in English that can convey the meaning of rashadun, but its interpretation is those who act naturally in a certain direction, in our case in the path of Allah swt, the straight path. The taxonomy of zikar was developed to teach and learn the Quran scientifically for the purpose of gaining righteous cognition. One point is very important to remember in teaching and learning the Quran: learning should occur in a very clean area. Students and the teacher should not wear shoes while teaching and learning the Quran, and they should also have carried out proper ablution beforehand."

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The Universal Islamic Education Methodology: The Taxonomy of Zikar for the Intellectual Muslim

"In the context of the Quran, asking questions does not mean asking other people for the answers. It means that after listening to the Quran, our minds should reflect on what we read or heard. If we have the ability to think, if we are sane, we will have questions on the information that our minds were unable to make sense of. We will formulate our thoughts into questions when we have understanding gaps, when words and concepts do not make sense. These questions act as quests that drive us to learn more and read the Quran attentively. I have learned that the more we read the Quran analytically, more questions we have. Then, over time, and with the favor of Allah swt, we start to find the answers. If we have answers, we speak or write, if we have the ability to speak and write and are not dumb (8:22). In sum, Allah swt is saying we should seek to make sense of what we read. If that knowledge does not make sense, we should formulate questions and seek their answers."

The Universal Islamic Education Methodology: The Taxonomy of Zikar for the Intellectual Muslim Have we ever wondered why Allah swt uses His name as Allah some places and Rabb in the others? Have we ever wondered what the difference between momin and muslim is? Can we make an argument to prove their meanings from within the Quran? Have we ever wondered why Allah swt uses the word zikar ...

Introducing My Book on Islamic Education Reform
For years, I had been reflecting on a question that many Islamic schools quietly struggle with:
Why do students often memorize the Quran beautifully — yet struggle to engage it analytically?
The issue is not intelligence.
It is not sincerity.
It is not even memorization.
The issue is methodology.
After years of research, classroom experience, and educational training, I developed a structured framework called the Universal Islamic Education (UIE) methodology, along with what I term the Taxonomy of Zikar — a cognitive model for teaching the Quran scientifically.
This book bridges:
• Quranic pedagogy
• Cognitive science
• Adult and higher education theory
• Curriculum design
• Critical and analytical thinking
Rather than adding more content to Islamic education, it proposes a structured way to deepen how learning unfolds.
The goal is simple:
To move from content transmission → to intellectual formation.
If you are involved in Islamic education, teacher training, curriculum design, or higher education discourse, I would welcome a conversation.
How do we cultivate reflective, analytical learners while preserving reverence for sacred text?
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My humble request to all of us 50 or over to get Islamically educated in inheritace matter and make our will according to the laws. The punishment for not doing so is very severe, 4:14.

https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Islamic-Education-Methodology-Intellectual/dp/1039175791

The Universal Islamic Education Methodology: The Taxonomy of Zikar for the Intellectual Muslim Have we ever wondered why Allah swt uses His name as Allah some places and Rabb in the others? Have we ever wondered what the difference between momin and muslim is? Can we make an argument to prove their meanings from within the Quran? Have we ever wondered why Allah swt uses the word zikar so e...

Our consciousness is not who we are. Indeed we are our unconscious self.

https://www.scienceofreadingthequran.com/

Home Roohi A. Ahmad is the author of the book The Universal Islamic Education Methodology: The Taxonomy of Zikar for the Intellectual Muslim, a book that provides a practical methodology designed to help Muslim educators create a state-of-the-art Islamic educa