The Ascension Framework

1. The Ascension Framework Key Ideas and Implications

2. Curriculum Purpose Imam WD Mohammed – 1982 “Educational Concerns” Sedalia, North Carolina. “Our guidance is the teachings of the Quran. But if we were to select certain principles of behavior; and behavior, understand, covers more than just how you move physically, or how you move morally, behavior also covers how you think. • Teach children how to manage their physical lives (dress, walk, talk, hygiene, etc.) • Teach children morals, likes and dislikes, etc. • Teach children how to think (perception of world and logical & independent thinking) Muslims have their own way of thinking and if you’re behaving wrongly it’s because you’re thinking wrongly most likely… So we have to establish what proper Muslim behavior is. And it should begin with a rationale that holds for us the beliefs and outlook of the Muslim. Because this world is writing philosophy for us, this world establishes principles for us to believe in, ideas for us to believe in. And then this world establishes viewpoints for us. They establish the way we are to look at reality, ourselves, and the external world. And we can’t buy that from the world. We can’t introduce the philosophy of the western society into our schools. We won’t be Muslims anymore… So the heavy responsibility of the educators in this community is the responsibility to extract from the Quran and from the life of Prophet Muhammad, (and from the commentary of Imam Mohammed) the proper idea, the proper ideology , the proper way to look at the world, the external world of reality.”

3. Key Ideas The Night Journey The Ascension of the Soul Seven Levels of Ascension Align Natural & Social Worlds Generative Knowledge Cognitive Knowledge Communal Knowledge Social Constructionist Knowledge

4. The Night Journey • Origin of the Night Journey/Ascension Framework Concept • Night Journey – Not a Physical Trip • Full Hadith - Sahih Bukhari • Hadith - Sahih Muslim • Hadith - Sahih Bukhari • Quran 17:1 - Purpose of the Night Journey • Neither Masjid Al-Haram, nor Masjid Al-Aqsa existed at the time • Prior to Qur’an, no one referred to places of worship as Masjids. • Al-Haram was area around Ka’aba with 360 idols in it. Al-Aqsa was Jerusalem (prayed 13 years). • If a Masjid is not a physical building and not a piece of earth, then what is the sacred Masjid and what is the farthest Masjid? • IWDM Language – Journey from Original Self through darkness to Enlightenment. • Masjid Al-Haram symbolic of prohibition of what’s wrong, which leaves that which is pure and original; The first house of worship is the human soul. Built by Adam; because he is the first to know G-d. • Masjid Al-Aqsa is symbolic of enlightenment, because it is where the seventh and highest heaven is. • Riding Baraq (flash or bolts of lightning) is symbolic of the periodic growth of knowledge and insights that occur as we journey towards enlightenment. • Teachers, Parents, Ummah are to provide learning and experiences that causes lightning sparks and flashes of insight and understanding in students to raise them to the highest heavens.

5. Ascension of the Soul • What is the Ascension Framework? • Raise the soul; Raise the person • Page 8 – Why a Framework? • At present we are in a philosophical box of ideas not of our own design. Attempting to change or expand the content of curriculum or build a system of education without a critique of these philosophical foundations is like changing the style of furniture in a house we rent from others. We want to think and build a system of education based on the guidance of revelation, the life example of the Prophet (saw), and the foundational principles symbolized by the House of Allah (swt) the (Kabah), built for all humanity as set out in the vision of Imam WD Mohammed. The Imam’s commentary has prepared us to look at education in a more natural and universal way than either traditional Islamic or Western education, In- sha- Allah.

6. Al-Haram - Prohibition of Wrongs Culture - Religion Economics - Business Physical - Material Emotional - Spiritual Education Government - Politics Mental - Rational Moral - Ethical Revelation Human Soul Creation

7. Four Ideas(page 11) • The Ascension of the Soul informs the philosophical and practical ideas on which education is based, the way we should teach, (methodology) and what we should teach, (curriculum). • Generative Knowledge aims at developing intuitive understanding and common sense through direct experience. • Conceptual Knowledge (skills, facts, theories). • Communal Learning, teaching for shared knowledge . • Social Constructionism, teaching for mastery and application to social life and culture.

8. Generative KnowledgeHands On – Direct Experience (page 11) • Generative knowledge means intuitive understanding which develops by experiencing and observing concrete reality. Experiential learning evolves through direct experience of the natural and social world through inquiry, intuition, imagination, creativity practical application, and other faculties of common sense. • Teaching for Generative knowledge aims at evolving (Ain-ul-yaqin), certainty of seeing something with one’s own eyes, seeing is believing, or certainty by personal inspection. • Generative Knowledge is derived through direct experience of the natural world which allows us to understand the concrete, practical logic of reality in common sense intuitive terms. • “And He taught Adam the nature of all things; then He placed them before the angels, and said: “tell me the nature of these if ye are right." (2:31).

9. Conceptual KnowledgeAcademic & Conceptual Thinking (page 13) • Conceptual knowledge traditionally engages the mind through rote memory to develop skills, concepts, information and analytical abilities. Conceptual knowledge engages the rational faculties which allow us to understand the abstract and theoretical logic of reality. This type of knowledge is also known as scientific or philosophical knowledge, except that it is more broadly understood here in terms of how concepts are connected with the reality of nature and natures G-d, as all knowledge comes from G-d. • “Conceptual Knowledge” builds basic skills, develops the powers of intellect, knowledge of formalities and tradition, rational awareness and abstract or critical thinking. The result of developing conceptual knowledge is lmulyaqin, man's power of judgment and appraisement of evidence, or certainty by reasoning or inference. • “It is He Who sendeth down rain from the skies: with it We produce vegetation of all kinds: from some We produce green (crops), out of which We produce grain, heaped up (at harvest); out of the date-palm and its sheaths (or spathes) (come) clusters of dates hanging low and near: and (then there are) Gardens of grapes, and olives, and pomegranates, each similar (in kind) yet different (in variety): when they begin to bear fruit, feast your eyes with the fruit and the ripeness thereof. Behold! in these things there are signs for people who believe.” 6:99.

10. Communal KnowledgeTrain to Learn & Work Together (page14) • Communal Learning (Learning Circles); Teaching for Developing Man as Ruler of Government & Social Life involves all strategies for teaching and learning together through shared effort, group projects, each one teach one, take home exams, students as teachers or tutors, and holding space etc. Holding Space is a method that uses a process of writing, discussing, then rewriting as a powerful way of evolving critical thinking. • This is a transformative method that involves emotional, creative, rational processes and collective effort for evolving and critiquing Generative and Conceptual Knowledge. • Every group of people small and large has a spirit and mindset reflecting the individuals who make up the group. This is the basis of the social atmosphere created by our shared spirit and thinking which is reflected in the influences of culture and climate which we create in schools and which in turn recreates our individual and shared spiritual and rational mentality.

11. Social Constructutionist KnowledgeBuilding The City (page 14) • Social Constructionism will teach students how the human being applies logic from the natural world to build systems of knowledge, community life and the social world. • This method will draw its primary content from Imam Mohammed’s lectures, and other suitable sources of scriptural and philosophical knowledge and all the good produced by mankind consistent with the revelation of G-d and the life example of the Prophet (saw).

12. The Night Visit & The Ascension of the Soul Applied to CMS Curriculum & Methodology Heaven #7 Abraham: “Ethical Man” Prophet who Unified the Spiritual and the Rational Students learn to Unite Religion (Moral) and Science (Rational) Heaven #6 Moses: “Governmental Man” Prophet who brought the Law to govern a Nation Students learn Government and Leadership Heaven #5 Aaron: “Cultural Man” Prophet who Knew the Language & Customs of others Students learn about Societies, Ideologies, and Group Learning Heaven #4 Idris: “Academic Man” Prophet with the Power of the Pen Students learn Academic, Conceptual Knowledge Heaven #3 Joseph: “Intuitive-Insightful Man” Prophet with the Power of Interpretation and Foresight Students learn Creative, Analytical, and Critical Thinking Heaven #2 Jesus & John: “Spiritual Man” Prophets with the Power to Inspire and Motivate Students are Inspired & Motivated about Self and Learning Heaven #1 Adam: “Original Man (Soul)” Prophet who Mastered the Physical World Students learn with and about concrete objects in our world

13. Aligning Natural & Social World • Give several examples of what alignment means