Part 2: Rules & Etiquette Guidelines For Your Halaqa

“Al-Adab (manners and etiquette) always precede knowledge.”

 – Ibn Al-Munaya

Etiquette Guidelines for Halaqa Sessions 

v    Please arrive on time, or call the host to inform her that you will be late or unable to attend. We should respect another person’s time. Sessions will begin promptly at 6:30pm. Plan to arrive at least 5-10 minutes earlier to get situated and remember to plan for traffic. If you are late, we will not re-start the session from the beginning.

v    We should greet each other with, “As’salaamu Alaikum”, not, “Hi” or “Heyyy Girl” (Self-explanatory!) and begin our session with, "Bismillah ir Rahman ir Rahim."

v  Please bring a notebook. We will make time for a question/answer session.

v    Please TURN OFF CELL PHONES. Vibrating is also a distraction in small groups. Make sure your parent(s), husband, or children know where you are and that you will only be available for emergency situations. (And not because they can’t find the remote control or because the Wi-Fi isn’t working!)

v    Foul, offensive or incendiary remarks will NOT be tolerated. I have a zero-tolerance policy in my home for any racial slurs or defamatory language. You will only receive one warning, because we should know better. Race is irrelevant, unless it is used in the context of the topic, for instance if we discuss the Prophet’s last sermon when he stated, “No race is superior to another…” (Exactly my point!)

v    Please check your judgmental attitude at the door! None of us are even close to perfection and none of us has the right to determine who is or isn’t “religious.”

v    Be conscious of your words. We live, work and socialize with people from other races and various socio-economic backgrounds. I hope that our Halaqa sessions become a welcoming space for people from all walks of life and ethnicities. Insha’Allah. Let’s truly learn to   

 

v    Please do not interrupt the speaker during her lecture. If you have a question, wait for a pause in discussion – please make sure your question is relevant and about the topic being discussed. If the topic is about Salah, please don’t ask if we can eat kosher hotdogs, or where you can find a decent spouse! (Trust me, if I had the answer to that, I wouldn’t be single!)

v    The host will be responsible for bringing any discussion back on topic, so please don’t make her job difficult!

v    Remember that we are here to discuss matters pertaining to our Deen, and because we have a desire to increase our knowledge and our Iman. This is not a place to backbite or discuss non-relevant issues.  We don’t want any of the blessings that we may receive be stripped because of our inability to guard our tongues.

v    Everyone is encouraged to participate in the discussions and should feel comfortable enough to ask questions. We are here to learn from each other, and become stronger Muslims. Insha’Allah.