Al-Iman School
Encyclopedia
The Al-Iman School is an islam
ic school catering for muslim
students. The school, located in Jamaica
, Queens
, New York
, USA
, was established in September 1990. Its main benefactor was Grand Ayatollah Abul-Qassim Khoei. Within four years the school became the first Pre-K through 12 Islamic school in North America. Due to demand, between 1990-94 several grades were added. Al-Iman School is the first Islamic High School to be accepted in the Federal 'Reading First' Program.
faculty and the students are mostly Shiite. There are students from Pakistan, Bangladesh, India. Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, Trinidad, Guyana, and more. All the teachers are bilingual and some of the faculty speak up to six languages.
. Every morning and afternoon, students assemble in the prayer-cum assembly hall in the school to recite from the Qur’an and also to make small oral presentations to improve verbal skills and delivery in front of an audience. Midday adhan
is followed by congregational prayers in the assembly hall.
At Al-Iman classes end early, at 2 pm, during Ramadan
. All the students are expected to try to read the Qur'an
from beginning to end over the lunar month
.
.
The Imam Al-Khoei Foundation's research library contains more than fifteen thousand volumes, in several languages, on all aspects of Al-Islam, including comparative religion
. This reference library is available to the community at large as well as the Al-Iman faculty. The school receives assistance from the State and City Education Department in the form of books and audio-visual equipment for the library.
The 1000-seat congregation hall is regularly used for prayers, celebrations and commemorations. Al-Iman School uses the facility, that has a stage and pillars, for display of exhibits during the science fair, Heritage Day, and for graduation from kindergarten and high school.
Al-Iman has been dogged by space constraints for some time. A closed-down warehouse adjoining its premises was purchased and plans have been drawn up to erect a four-story extension. The new facility will house a gym and health club facility with an Olympic-size swimming pool available to the community. Two floors of classrooms, laboratories, and administrative offices will be connected to the existing building by a sheltered walkway.
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic school catering for muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
students. The school, located in Jamaica
Jamaica, Queens
Jamaica is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, United States. It was settled under Dutch rule in 1656 in New Netherland as Rustdorp. Under British rule, the Village of Jamaica became the center of the "Town of Jamaica"...
, Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, was established in September 1990. Its main benefactor was Grand Ayatollah Abul-Qassim Khoei. Within four years the school became the first Pre-K through 12 Islamic school in North America. Due to demand, between 1990-94 several grades were added. Al-Iman School is the first Islamic High School to be accepted in the Federal 'Reading First' Program.
Demographics
Al Iman School is a Shiite school yet it has a predominant SunniSunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
faculty and the students are mostly Shiite. There are students from Pakistan, Bangladesh, India. Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, Trinidad, Guyana, and more. All the teachers are bilingual and some of the faculty speak up to six languages.
EAL students
The School employs remedial reading teachers from the Education Department who test, assess and coach students in English language arts and reading in order to integrate them into the mainstream classroom lessons.Religious observance
On Fridays, Al-Iman School students from grades 1-12 join the rest of the community in Friday prayersJumu'ah
Jumu'ah is a congregational prayer that Muslims hold every Friday, just after noon in lieu of dhuhr...
. Every morning and afternoon, students assemble in the prayer-cum assembly hall in the school to recite from the Qur’an and also to make small oral presentations to improve verbal skills and delivery in front of an audience. Midday adhan
Adhan
The adhān is the Islamic call to prayer, recited by the muezzin at prescribed times of the day. The root of the word is meaning "to permit"; another derivative of this word is , meaning "ear"....
is followed by congregational prayers in the assembly hall.
At Al-Iman classes end early, at 2 pm, during Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
. All the students are expected to try to read the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
from beginning to end over the lunar month
Lunar month
In lunar calendars, a lunar month is the time between two identical syzygies . There are many variations. In Middle-Eastern and European traditions, the month starts when the young crescent moon becomes first visible at evening after conjunction with the Sun one or two days before that evening...
.
Facilities
The Al-Iman School is located in a 75000 square feet (6,967.7 m²) building, crowned by the traditional Islamic dome and minaretMinaret
A minaret مناره , sometimes مئذنه) is a distinctive architectural feature of Islamic mosques, generally a tall spire with an onion-shaped or conical crown, usually either free standing or taller than any associated support structure. The basic form of a minaret includes a base, shaft, and gallery....
.
The Imam Al-Khoei Foundation's research library contains more than fifteen thousand volumes, in several languages, on all aspects of Al-Islam, including comparative religion
Comparative religion
Comparative religion is a field of religious studies that analyzes the similarities and differences of themes, myths, rituals and concepts among the world's religions...
. This reference library is available to the community at large as well as the Al-Iman faculty. The school receives assistance from the State and City Education Department in the form of books and audio-visual equipment for the library.
The 1000-seat congregation hall is regularly used for prayers, celebrations and commemorations. Al-Iman School uses the facility, that has a stage and pillars, for display of exhibits during the science fair, Heritage Day, and for graduation from kindergarten and high school.
Al-Iman has been dogged by space constraints for some time. A closed-down warehouse adjoining its premises was purchased and plans have been drawn up to erect a four-story extension. The new facility will house a gym and health club facility with an Olympic-size swimming pool available to the community. Two floors of classrooms, laboratories, and administrative offices will be connected to the existing building by a sheltered walkway.