Darul Arqam School

5/8/2008. Principal Saboohi Adhami congratulates her staff of teachers, students, parents, and volunteers on the wonderful news that the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools & the Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACSCASI) has granted exemplary accreditation status to Darul Arqam North Islamic School. On behalf of the ISGH Governing body, the I.E.I.T. school board, and the Parent - Teacher Organization special appreciation goes out to all of the dedicated individuals who worked tirelessly throughout the process to help make this goal of accreditation a reality.

The Darul Arqam School, is committed to its' mission of,

"Preparing todays' students for tomorrows' challenges and the Hereafter", by instilling in our children the Islamic values, habits, attitudes, high moral and ethical standards, tolerance, and patience that are the characteristics of a good Muslim American.

With the help of Allah (SWT) we shall prepare our children to become Muslim role models, exemplary citizens in their communities and to excel in their professional careers.

Darul Arqam will prepare our children to read and understand the message of the Quran, and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and teach the students to apply it in every facet of their personal and professional lives.

Darul Arqam functions under the umbrella of the Islamic Education Institute of Texas (I.E.I.T.), a subsidiary of the Islamic Society of Greater Houston (I.S.G.H.). Darul Arqam currently offers its services in the following levels of education:

Pre-School (ages 3 & 4), Kindergarten (age 5), Elementary (grades 1-5), Middle School (grades 6-8) and High School (grades 9-12). The school currently has thirteen classrooms, library, bio-chemistry lab, physics lab, computer lab, enclosed gymnasium, teacher's lounge, and administrative office. Construction of the soccer field and jogging track has recently been completed.

8th grader Aneesa Badat improved on last year's 2nd place finish by capturing top honors in the Darul Arqam North 8th Annual Science Fair. As the top overall score in the annual contest featuring science fair experiments and presentations by students competing in elemenatry and middle school divisions, Aneesa also captured the coveted Ibn Sina Award. 5th grader Zainub Mallick also improved on her runner-up finish last year by capturing the 1st place trophy in the elementary division with a narrow margin over 2nd place Salmah Siddiqui. The complete results of this years' event follows.

    A number of years ago I wrote an article entitled, "Islamic Schools: A View from the Inside. "  What has surprised me is how widely circulated that piece has become on the net.  It seems hardly a week goes by before it appears on yet another website. Given that the article was written almost a decade ago, and because times have changed, I felt compelled to write something of an update, or a part two, so to speak.

    To begin, by way of summary, my previous article focused on both the shortcomings and strengths to be found in the American Islamic Educational "system".  At the time of that writing, I was a bit frustrated with the oddball ways in which several of the Islamic schools I've been exposed to were being operated.  Specifically the way in which school administrators often treated their colleagues in disrespectful and unprofessional ways, the way in which schools were often set up and operated by medical and engineering professionals who had no idea how a school should be structured and operated, and the problems of a student body in which many of the children (and their families) had next to no clue about even many basic Islamic beliefs and practices, who were patronizing the Muslim schools for little other reason than the fact that it was a safer and more wholesome environment than their local public schools.