Kids Nasheed Course - February 2020
A hugely popular course...
Our nasheed classes for children have been one of the highlights of The Travellers - Al Musafirun and ran in conjunction with Essential Islam across various cities, including Reading, Manchester, Bradford and Birmingham.
Our ethos, based on Reviving Traditional Inshād - the science of learning nasheeds - is to preserve the oldest and most authentic poems and tunes composed by the greatest masters without alteration in tune or words, something which has become common practice today. It is not mastered by self-study but by accompanying great masters - until the poems have been mastered to the finest details in terms of melody, rhythm and performance.
Watch our students!
Here are some clips of our wonderful students engaged in the learning of nasheeds across various towns and cities when we first launched the courses in 2018.
Where do nasheeds come from?
After accepting Islam, Sayyiduna Hassān ibn Thābit, may Allah be pleased with him, was the first poet to praise and defend the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who ordered for a minbar (pulpit) to be constructed for him in Masjid al-Nabawi to stand and recite from, and prayed for him:
When the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him entered Al-Madinah, the Ansar collectively recited what is now one of the most famous nasheeds of all time - 'Tala'al Badru 'Alayna' (the full moon rose over us).
Hence, throughout the centuries, poets have kept up with these traditions and tried to describe and praise the Prophet, peace be upon him, with the utmost eloquence. One line of poetry from Hassān ibn Thābit suffices in describing this noble act, where he said:
"O Hassān! Reply on behalf of Allah's Messenger.
O Allah! Help him with the Rūh Al-Qudus (Angel Jibril)."
"I am not praising Muhammad by my poetry,
rather my poetry is praised by the mention of Muhammad [in it]".
Course instructors
Our course instructors, Brothers Basam and Qasim, have been fortunate enough to sit with great masters upon the guidance of His Eminence Shaykh Sayyid Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi (may Allah preserve him) in pursuit of this knowledge. They include munshids (singers) from Morocco: Sidi Ali Al-Rabbahi, and Sidi Muhammad Bennis, as well as from Aleppo (the capital of inshād) - Ustadh Samer Nashar and Ustadh Muhammad Muslimānī.
Awaiting Maghrib prayer - Jami' Fatih, Istanbul, 2019
Beginner course
Our beginner course has been carefully designed to enrich students with variety, including language (Arabic, English and Urdu) and subject, which include poems in praise of Allah, our Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, and invocation (dhikr).
Students are taught how to sing in unison within a group - following the same notes exactly all the time with exactly the same rhythm - which builds their confidence. Vocal ranges are tested too. It must be understood that not every voice is suitable for singing, yet this must never put off a student because the goal is higher: to increase our knowledge and love of Allah and His Prophet, peace be upon him. We often remind our students of this which allows them to feel more comfortable!
We emphasise the manners of learning and remind students (and ourselves) of the importance of rectifying our intentions - for the sole pleasure of Allah and His messenger, peace be upon him, and not worldly gain. This has helped students to excel in other aspects of their lives too. Our relaxed and fun environment allows children to enjoy themselves whilst learning, resulting in them absorbing and retaining what is taught.
Intermediate course
Students can then enrol onto our intermediate course. Each new term will focus on one of the seven maqams (melodies) of classical Arabic music. These classes begin with the recitation of Surat al-Fatihah and the adhān (call to prayer) to familiarise students with the mood of the maqam before moving on to learning poems from it. Our classes in February will focus on a western maqam known as Ajam, known for it's jolly mood.
Students who complete subsequent terms will be firmly grounded with knowledge the seven maqams as well as having built up a strong base of poems. Thereafter, students can focus on solo singing and muwashahāt - more complex poems with intricate, yet beautiful tunes!
What will students be provided with?
A course booklet is provided which contains the lyrics to the nasheeds; they are also Romanised to help students who have not yet become fluent in reading Arabic. English translations are also provided for each poem. To supplement their knowledge of the poems, fun activities, quizzes and stories are included too. Here is a sample:
Full audios of nasheeds in the course booklet will be provided to facilitate students outside of the class. This is as important as attending the class.
Parents/guardians of students will be added to a Whatsapp group, where important information and advice is provided to ensure the best possible learning experience.
Graduation Assembly
Students who complete the term will be given certificates at the graduation assembly, signed by His Eminence Shaykh Sayyid Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi, where students will perform some of the poems they learnt. It will be open to the public. They will also be in a better position to enrol on future courses. We welcome our students to perform with The Travellers - Al Musafirun at our weekly gatherings of remembrance which take place all over the UK, further boosting their confidence.
Hounslow
Graduation ceremonies from previous courses
When a new city joined us!
Watch our students enjoy their time learning nasheeds in Manchester.
Testimonials
We have received fantastic feedback from parents and children, which further encourages us to teach more classes! Here are just a few...
A student asked his mother to message the following to one of our course instructors: "Last night I met the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and his companions in [my] dream. The Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him gave me a topi [hat] so I can remember him." She said that he seemed very quiet and says he can still see what he saw like it's imprinted in his eyes wherever he looks.
“JazakAllahu khair for a beautiful event. Thank you for helping feed love into the hearts of our children towards our Lord, and His most beloved, may peace and blessings be upon him"..."and for building enthusiasm and confidence in our children."
“After the first lesson my son came home and said, ‘That was better than playing PlayStation!”
“Since the course, my son has not only gained more confidence, but also taken more of an interest and is a lot more enthusiastic about learning. The most beautiful part of it is that as a result, his 2 year old sister is also singing the qaseedas. This course has genuinely exceeded any expectation I had in a lot of respects.”
"We are so grateful for the blessings and rehmat (mercy) the Inshad classes have brought us. [The children] all asked about it so much. Not having it has made us realise how it's become part of what we look forward too. [My son] asks everyday a few times if it's Sunday and [if it's the day of] your lesson [and] to go to the next day. I was reflecting on the change it has brought to all of them and even us as parents."
Start date and timings
All classes will take place every Sunday, beginning 9th February 2020, for boys and girls over 6 years old.
Beginners class: 1.00pm till 2.30pm (TBC) for 8 weeks, ending on 29th March. No preliminary knowledge or experience is required to enrol.
Intermediate/advanced class: 2.45pm till 4.45pm (TBC) for 12 weeks, ending on 12th April. Recommended for children that have successfully completed a previous course.
A graduation assembly will take place on Sunday 19th April where students will sing and certificates behanded out.
Fees
The beginners class is £40 for 8 weeks.
The intermediate class is £50 for 10 weeks.
Venues
Birmingham
The Olton Project, Kineton Green Rd,
Solihull. B92 7DY
(Former church)
Manchester
Guidance Hub, 389 Waterloo Rd, Cheetham Hill. M8 9AB
(Other town and cities coming soon, Insha Allah)
Further enquiries
Click here to contact us for any further information. We will get back to as soon as possible.