FROM THE HEADMASTER
Asalaamu Alaikum,
My name is Kebba Wadda, headteacher and co-proprietor of Al-Furqan Islamic International School (AFIIS). The seed of AFIIS was sown after attending a series of Islamic lectures in the UK which motivated my wife and I to return to The Gambia to set up an Islamic school aimed at giving students a sound education and a good Islamic upbringing.
We returned home in August 2014 and in January 2015, AFIIS was set up. We started a primary school under the slogan, ‘buy three for the price of one’- a conventional, Islamic and Quranic memorisation school combined. We also introduced the ‘maktab’ system (evening Quranic studies) from 5pm-7pm, which we borrowed from the UK, to give an opportunity to students attending other schools to learn the Quran.
From 2015 to date, we have been able to:
- set up a bilingual Islamic school from Nursery to Year 12
- enrol over 400 students
- set up an international school affiliated with Cambridge University
- produce 10 students yearly who have completed memorising the Quran
- become one of the most sought-after schools in The Gambia.
The target of AFIIS is for all our students to complete memorising the Holy Quran by Year 8. In addition to this, students will also learn under the conventional education system and can grow up to become doctors, engineers, accountants etc. without their options only limited to being Quranic or Islamic teachers.
Our system encourages students to grow, and from a young age they are exposed to calling out the ‘athaan’ (the call to prayer), leading prayers, giving sermons, participating in debates, giving their opinions on how to effect change in The Gambia etc. This is all done with the hope that it will gear them towards being patriotic Muslims and citizens, ready to make a positive difference in society.
Even though a lot of emphasis is placed on our students’ education and other developmental skills, character reformation is taken most seriously. We do our utmost for students to speak Arabic (Fusha) so that they can understand the message of the Quran. In addition to this, a reminder is given to them for 5mins after every Zuhr prayer to increase their ‘eeman’ (faith) and to remind them about their purpose in this world. It is usually a few hadiths that are read out to them or a short lecture. These five minutes are very vital in safeguarding them from the vices of society- virtual world, mobile phones, social media apps, pop culture, nudity etc.
Islamic studies is taught using the Qatar syllabus which is very child friendly and with a lot of practice exercises after each topic. It generally covers ‘tawheed’, ‘fiqh’, ‘hadith’, 'good conduct' and ‘tajweed’. We have also incorporated daily ‘duas’ and ‘seerah’ into the syllabus to make our students exposed to Islam from a very young age.
The vision of AFIIS is to be standard bearers in the Educational Sector and to produce outstanding students who will not only have a positive impact on society but on the environment as well.
We would like you to be part of this exciting journey with us. If you are a parent looking for a reputable Islamic school to register your child/children, then AFIIS will surely meet your expectations, and if you are a philanthropist looking to make a difference, kindly contact us so we can start working together.
Jazakumullahu Khairan.
KEBBA WADDA
Headmaster