Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet

Personal and Civic Values

By Susan L. Douglass and Aiyub Palmer

Overview:

This lesson addresses the values expressed by contemporary Muslims in the film and their relationship to the Qur’an and Hadith, the two sources of Islamic teachings.

Objectives:

Students will be able to:

• list values expressed by contemporary Muslims.
  
  
• link values expressed by contemporary Muslims to primary sources from early Islamic history.
  
  
• explain how these values relate to a contemporary or personal situation.
  
  

Procedure:

1. Have students form groups and use their film notes to list personal, social, and civic values expressed by the contemporary Muslims in the film.
   
   
2. Have students write one or two sentences describing how the contemporary Muslims in the film have tried to exemplify those values in their lives.
   
   
3. Using Student Handout: Personal and Civic Values in Islam, have students match the contemporary quotes of Muslims in the film to the hadith that best describes the value. This will require students to think about both the meaning of the modern quote and the how it relates to the hadith. The Teacher's Key: Personal and Civic Values in Islam provides answers to the matching activity.
   
   
4. Have students write a paragraph describing a contemporary situation or personal dilemma that might be related to the values expressed in the texts.
   
   

Extension: List some characteristics and habits of persons who serve as personal role-models for the students and discuss how they can emulate these qualities and apply the values of their role-model in daily or professional life.