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Islam Awareness week: Geography and Islam

At a school like Al-Noor Primary, which has a strong reputation for community engagement, an "Islam Awareness" event is a powerful way to build bridges and dispel misconceptions.

Why This Matters

Events like this are brilliant for several reasons:

  • Building Confidence: Speaking in front of nearly 200 people (including adults from other schools) is an incredible boost for a 9 or 10-year-old’s public speaking skills.

  • Interfaith Dialogue: Opening your doors to local schools fosters a sense of community and helps neighbours understand each other better.

  • Active Learning: There is an old saying that "to teach is to learn twice." By preparing a presentation for their peers, the Year 5 students also deepened their own understanding of their faith and the significant contribution Muslim scientists have made toward the field of geography. 

Long before GPS and Google Maps, Muslim explorers and scientists were the ones figuring out what the world looked like.

The World's First Great Map-Maker

Al-Idrisi was like the "King of Maps." In the 1100s, he was asked by a king to create a map of the entire world.

  • The Silver Ball: He didn't just draw on paper; he engraved a huge map of the world onto a 450-pound silver disk!

  • Upside Down? On Al-Idrisi’s maps, South was at the top and North was at the bottom. This was very common for Muslim map-makers back then.

  • The Travel Guide: He wrote a book called The Pleasure of Him Who Longs to Cross the Horizons, which described different countries, their people, and even their favourite foods!

🐫 The Ultimate World Traveler

If you think a long car journey is tough, meet Ibn Battuta. He is one of the greatest travellers in history!

  • 75,000 Miles: He travelled for 30 years, covering 75,000 miles. That’s like going around the whole Earth three times!

  • No Road Twice: His goal was to never travel the same road twice. He visited Africa, India, China, and Russia—mostly on foot or by camel.

  • The Rihla: He wrote a famous book called the Rihla (The Journey), which told amazing stories about the places he saw, from the Maldives to the Great Wall of China.

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