1
2 Introduction
Level : 2 (Medium Level) Age Group : 9-10 years Prerequisite : Basic Religious Knowledge and or successful completion of Level 1 Course Objectives:
This syllabus is designed for two years of Level-2, and is based on the Ahmadiyya Children Sunday School ‘Curriculum’ Document. The level 2 class is continuation of fundamental and basic knowledge of Islam with more detailed approach that will enable students to understand and have a solid footing on basic knowledge of Islam. This course level also deals with the study of Holy Qur’an, Salat, Ahadith, Prayers and General Religious Knowledge. After successful completion of this level, the student will have medium level of religious knowledge and will be able to: correctly recite Holy Qur’an. Memorize and translate Surah Fatiha and last ten chapters of the Holy Qur’an. demonstrate greater understanding of Wudhu, Salat, its translation along with other Salat related matters such as, Wudhu and Tayammun, difference between Farz and Sunnah and etiquettes of Salat and Mosque. demonstrate medium level knowledge of basic principles of Islam- Ahmadiyyat including Pillars of Islam, Articles of Faith and simple social, moral and family values. relate briefly the life of: o Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) o Promised Messiah as. memorize 10 additional prayers with translation(from the Holy Qur’an & prayers of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa)) memorize 10 additional Ahadith with translation. understand Ahmadiyyat and system of Khilafat.
For any questions and concerns, please contact: Email: [email protected] 3
4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
All praise belongs to Allah the Almighty who has enabled us to compile and publish this syllabus for Ahmadiyya Children Sunday School Canada. It is only through the sheer grace and blessings of Almighty Allah that the School system has reached the maturity level and has a comprehensive syllabus and teaching method. After a year of research and hard work, Sunday School has successfully published the syllabus in the form of four books - one for each Level, to better educate and train our children for tomorrow with religious and moral education of Islam-Ahmadiyyat. These books have been created by the Curriculum Team of the school’s central branch, and are basically the extended and detailed version of the Curriculum Outline provided by the National T`alim Department of Canada Jama`at for children of age group 7 to 15 years. This syllabus provides a detailed, cohesive, child friendly and consolidated resource for our children to learn and understand the Islamic education in an effective and well structured manner. Interactive worksheets, research projects and creative activities related to different religious topics for a child’s better understanding are some of the features of this resource material. The syllabus and course material have been designed by professionals in the field of education who gave due consideration to ensure age appropriateness and use of easy language for better comprehension. Ahmadiyya Children Sunday School would like to express its sincere gratitude to all those who have worked very hard and gave stimulating suggestions and contributed in various ways. The selfless effort and teamwork along with the determined dedication of the team leaders and volunteers made the publication of a very high quality material, a reality for the spiritual training of our younger generation. It should be noted that this syllabus is a working document which will be revised every year, insha’Allah! It would be a miss, if I do not mention the names of Naumana Khan and Durri Sameen Ahmed for an excellent leadership and team work and specially bearing with me and taking all the pressure and meeting my ever challenging demands without any complaints. With the request for prayers, I would also like to thank and appreciate the following persons who have put countless hours, days and nights and have sacrificed their comfort and personal commitments only for the sake of pleasure of Allah. Jazakum Allah Ahsanal Jaza! Curriculum Team:
5 Naumana Khan, Durri Sameen Ahmed Writing and Research: Naumana Khan, Hina Kausar, Qudsia Lone (Detroit), Ansa Talat, Misbah Baig, Azhar Rehan Khan(Australia), Maryam Tariq, Naima Khalil and Salim Iftikhar Baig Proof Reading: Sadaf Khursheed, Annie Siddiqi, Sheila Malik, Durri Sameen Ahmed, Naumana Khan Compilation, Design Formatting and Editing: Naumana Khan, Hina Kausar, Misbah Baig Title Pages: Naumana Khan, Shagufta Faraz, Muzaffar Ahtesham, Hammad Rana
May Allah accept their humble efforts and enable our children to take the most benefit from this service and become the true custodians of our future. Ameen.
Dr. Syed Muhammd Aslam Daud Ahmadiyya Children’s Sunday School April 2, 2008
Resources used:
Basics of Religious Education by Respected Sheikh Abdul Hadi Religious Knowledge Workbook, compiled by Lajna Ima’illah USA Website: www.alislam.org
6 Table of Contents
Holy Qur’an ...... 9 Introduction to the Holy Qur’an ...... 11 Rules of Recitation of the Holy Qur’an ...... 17 Qaim Muqam Huroof-e-Madda & Huroof-e-Leen ...... 17 Tanween & Tashdeed ...... 19 Rules to Stop and Pause during Recitation ...... 20 Surah Al-Fatihah ...... 24 Commentary of Surah Al-Fatihah ...... 25 Surah Al-Fil ...... 29 Surah Al-Quraish ...... 30 Surah Al-Maoon ...... 31 Surah Al-Kauthar ...... 32 Surah Al-Kafiroon ...... 33 Surah Al-Nasr ...... 34 Commentary of Surah Al-Nasr ...... 35 Surah Al-Lahab ...... 37 Commentary of Surah Al-Lahab ...... 38 Surah Al-Ikhlass ...... 41 Commentary of Surah Al-Ikhlaas ...... 42 Surah Al-Falaq ...... 44 Commentary of Surah Al-Falaq ...... 45 Surah Al-Naas ...... 47 Commentary of Surah Al-Naas ...... 48
Religious Knowledge ...... 51 Religion ...... 53 The Articles of Faith ...... 56 Allah ...... 56 The Angels of Allah ...... 57 The Books of Allah ...... 57 The Prophets of Allah ...... 59 The Day of Resurrection and Judgment ...... 59 The Divine Decree ...... 60 Our God – Short Story ...... 61 Attributes of Allah ...... 62 The Five Pillars of Islam ...... 66 Kalimah ...... 66 Salat ...... 66 Fasting ...... 67 Zakat ...... 69 Hajj ...... 70
7 Eid Festivals ...... 79 Life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SA) ...... 80 Khilafat after the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SA) ...... 91 Life of the Promised Messiah (AS) ...... 98 Basic Values and Codes of Conduct ...... 117 Pledge of Atfal and Nasirat ...... 125
Salat ...... 127 Salat and Related Matters ...... 129 Salat and Timings ...... 129 Fard and Sunnah Prayers ...... 129 Call to Prayer ...... 130 A Second Call to Prayer ...... 131 Wudhu and Tayammum ...... 132 Salat with English Translation ...... 136 Etiquettes of Salat ...... 147 The Benefits of Salat ...... 149 Prohibited Timings of Salat ...... 151
Prayers and Ahadith ...... 153 Prayers from Holy Qur’an ...... 155 For Parents ...... 155 For Allah’s Mercy and Forgiveness ...... 157 For Success in Calling to Allah ...... 158 Prayers ...... 160 After Eating ...... 160 On Leaving and Entering Home ...... 162 While Traveling ...... 164 For Protection Against Enemy ...... 167 On Beginning the Fast ...... 169 On Ending a Fast ...... 170 Hadith ...... 172 Seeking of Knowledge ...... 173 Persistence in Prayers ...... 175 Criteria of a True Muslim ...... 178 Criteria of a True Believer ...... 180 The Best Action ...... 182 A Word of Goodness ...... 184 Kindness to Younger Ones and Respect for Elders ...... 186 Allah’s Help ...... 188 Show Mercy to Others ...... 190 Think Before you Speak ...... 192
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10 Introduction of the Holy Qur’an
Meaning of the word, “Qur’an” The word “Qur’an” means that which is often read or recited. The Holy Prophetsa received the messages from Allah through verbal revelations for 22 years and 5 months. The Holy Qur’an is the collection of those verbal revelations from Allah.
The First Revelation of the Holy Qur’an The Holy Prophet Muhammadsa received the first revelation in a cave at Mount Hira where he often went for meditation and prayers. Angel Jibraeel as appeared in front of the Holy Prophetsa and asked him to “read”. The Holy Prophetsa replied that he could not read. The angel again asked him to read in the name of his Creator. The Holy Prophetsa recited the verses he was just told.
[96:1] In the name of Allah, the Gracious; the Merciful.
[96:2] Proclaim thou in the name of thy Lord Who created.
This is how Allah started revealing the Holy Qur’an to His Messenger. This was also the start of the prophethood of Hadhrat Muhammadsa. The revelations continued until his death.
11 The Holy Qur’an is Memorized and Written Angel Jibraeel as would ask the Holy Prophetsa to repeat the verses after him when he brought a new revelation. The Holy Prophetsa had the verses memorized. He would then recite them to his companions. Many of his companions also memorized the verses by heart. They would also write the verses down on leather, the bark of trees, or stone. (Paper was rare and expensive).
Arrangement of the Holy Qur’an The Holy Prophetsa indicated the order of the verses, and the chapters according to the guidance from Allah.
After the death of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa, his companions put all the verses and chapters together and made the first standard version (standard text) of the Holy Qur’an. The copies of this version were sent to Muslims in different parts of the world.
The Holy Qur’an was revealed in Arabic. It has been translated into most languages. The Holy Qur’an consists of 30 Siparahs or parts, which are further divided into 114 Surahs or chapters.
A Special Claim of the Holy Qur’an The Holy Qur’an is the only book in the world to claim that every word of it is the actual Word of God. It also claims that Allah Himself will protect, and preserve the Holy Qur’an.
Protection of the Holy Qur’an The Holy Books of other religions are no longer found in their original form. Also, the language in which the other Holy Books are written is no longer spoken. Arabic, the language of the Qur’an, is a living language; spoken, read and written by millions and millions of people.
Another way Allah has protected the Holy Qur’an is by making it easy to memorize. Even those who do not speak Arabic can memorize large portions of the Holy Qur’an. Thousands of people around the world have memorized the entire Qur’an.
12 The Holy Qur’an is the book most often recited and quoted throughout the world. Muslims normally read the entire Holy Qur’an from start to end, several times during their life. This also makes sure that no part of the Holy Qur’an is ever forgotten.
Besides Salat, a Muslim should also recite the Holy Qur’an daily.
Recitation of the Holy Qur’an and its Reward The Qur’an can be recited at any convenient time, but the best time is after Fajr prayer. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:
[17:79] Observe Prayer from the declining and paling of the sun till the darkness of the night, and recite the Qur'an at dawn. Verily, the recitation of the Qur'an at dawn is especially acceptable to Allah
The Holy Prophetsa has said: “Keep reading the Qur’an for it will stand by for its readers on the Day of Judgment”.
The Promised Messiah alaihis-salam also had a great love for the Holy Qur’an, and has advised his followers to love, read, and honour the Qur’an in these words:
“Those who honour the Qur’an shall be honoured in the heaven”.
There is a great reward from Allah for those who: memorize the Holy Qur’an recite and try to understand the meaning teach others the recitation and meanings of the Holy Qur’an.
What is in the Holy Qur’an The Holy Qur’an has instructions for what we should and should not do. The Holy Qur’an gives a solution to every problem. It is a book of guidance for all people, and for all ages.
The Holy Qur’an tells us about the prophets of the past and their nations. It tells us how people behaved and what became of them, so we can learn from their stories.
13 The Holy Qur’an also contains prophecies. It tells us about things that will happen in the future. There are many scientific discoveries which we came to know now and they were revealed in the Holy Qur’an 1500 years ago. This is also a proof that the Holy Qur’an is the Word of Allah, because only Allah knows what will happen in the future.
EXERCISE:
A. Answer the following Questions:
1- In how many years was the Holy Qur’an revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa? 2- How was the text of the Holy Qur’an preserved? 3- How many parts (Siparahs) and chapters (Surahs) are there in the Holy Qur’an? 4- What has the Promised Messiahas said about people who honour the Holy Qur’an? 5- What does the Holy Qur’an teach us?
B. Choose the best answer.
1. The word “Qur’an” means a. a “holy” book b. a “divine” book (“divine” means from God) c. that which is often read and recited d. that which is read and recited on special occasions
2. The Holy Prophetsa received the first revelation of the Holy Qur’an when a. he was doing Tawaaf around the K`aba b. he was praying and meditating in a cave at Mount Hira c. he was taking a trade caravan to Syria
3. Which of these is true regarding the Holy Qur’an
14 a. The Holy Prophetsa memorized each revelation as he received it. b. Many of the companions of the Holy Prophetsa also memorized the Holy Qur’an. c. As the messages were revealed, they were written down on leather, bark of trees, stones etc. d. All of the above are true.
4. Holy Qur’an is the only book that claims that a. it is the actual word of God Himself b. God Himself will protect and preserve it. c. only a religious scholar can make corrections in it d. both a and b are correct
5. The best time to recite the Holy Qur’an is a. after Isha prayer b. at sunset just before Maghrib c. at dawn after Fajr prayer d. between Zuhr and ‘Asr prayers
6. The Holy Qur’an contains the following: a. prophesies about the future b. instructions for what to do and what not to do c. life stories about past nations and prophets d. solutions to all the problems for all the people, for all times to come e. all of the above are true
C. True or False.
1. The Holy Qur’an was revealed over a period of 32 years. 2. The revelations of the Holy Qur’an stopped after the Holy Prophetsa migrated to Madinah. 3. The Holy Qur’an was revealed in the Arabic language. 4. Only four revealed Books have their original texts preserved. 5. The Holy Qur’an is the book most often recited and quoted throughout the world. 6. A Muslim should recite the Holy Qur’an three times a week. 15 7. We memorize small portions of the Holy Qur’an because it is impossible for people to memorize all of it. D. Questions.
1. “Qur’an is the collection of verbal revelations from God to the Holy Prophetsa”
Answer these questions about the above statement:
a. What does the word “verbal” mean? b. What does the word revelation mean? c. How did the Holy Prophetsa receive the verbal messages of Qur’an from Allah? d. How long did it take to receive the entire message of the Holy Qur’an?
2. The Holy Qur’an consists of ______Surahs or chapters, arranged in ______Siparahs.
3. Write down a saying of the Holy Prophetsa about the recitation of the Holy Qur’an.
4. Write down a saying of the Promised Messiahas about giving respect to the Holy Qur’an.
E. Write the following in order: Event Order The Holy Qur’an was compiled in one volume in the period of Hadhrat Abu Bakrra The Holy Prophet Muhammadsa indicated the arrangement of verses, and chapters according to the guidance of Allah. Translations of the Holy Qur’an have been done in almost every language now.
During the time of the third Khalifa Hadhrat Usmanra the first official version (standard text) of the Holy Qur’an was issued, and copies were sent to Muslims in different parts of the world.
16 Rules of Recitation of The Holy Qur’an Qaim Muqam Huroof-e-Madda & Huroof-e-Leen
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18 Tanveen +Shadda
19 Rules to Stop and Pause During Recitation
20
21 Stop and Pause Rules The line with bigger words shows the actual text which will be read from the Holy Qur’an. The line below, with smaller words, shows how the letters should be pronounced at these places.
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23 Surah Al-Fatihah Part-1 Chapter-1
I seek refuge with Allah, from the accursed Satan.
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
All praise belongs to Allah Lord of all the worlds.
The Gracious, the Merciful;
Master of the Day of Judgment.
You alone do we worship and You alone do we beseech for help.
Guide us in the right path
The path of those upon whom You have bestowed your blessings,
not of those who have incurred Your displeasure, nor of those who have gone astray
24 Commentary of Surah Al-Fatihah
This is the first chapter of the Holy Qur’an. It was revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa in Makkah, in the early days of his prophethood.
This surah is also known as Umm-ul-Qur’an which means ‘Mother of the Qur’an’, because it gives all the knowledge which is needed to guide us to the right path.
A. First, this Surah discusses the four main attributes of Allah:
1. Lord of all the worlds:
Allah is the Lord of all the worlds -- He is the Creator of all the worlds: Allah has made the universe and all the creatures in it.
Allah is the Lord of all the worlds -- He is the Sustainer of all the worlds: He provides for the universe, and all His creations in it, so they can survive. Without Allah’s help, nothing can survive.
Allah is the Lord of all the worlds -- He is the Developer of all the worlds: He causes His creation to change from one stage to another. For example, a seed changes into a plant which dies and changes into nutrients for the earth.
2. The Gracious:
Allah has given graciously to all creation without regard to their efforts. This includes everything that we are born with and everything that we need to survive.
Allah has given to His creation countless blessings out of His Grace. Some examples are air, water, food, arms, legs, eyes etc.
25 3. The Merciful:
Allah shows Mercy to our actions, and He does it again and again.
When we make an effort, Allah rewards us. For example, He answers the prayers of those who obey Him and ask for His help.
4. The Master of the Day of Judgement:
Allah is the Master of the Day of Judgment; he will judge people according to their deeds. He will then decide if they deserve to go to heaven or hell.
Allah also has the Power to forgive because He is the Master.
B. The last three verses contain prayers -- Prayers to Allah for gaining all that we need to succeed in life.
1. In this surah, we are taught how we should start a prayer: First we should accept Allah as our Lord and Master. We must believe that He is the only one who can help us, so it is only Him that we ask for help.
2. Then we should ask Allah to guide us in the right path. In the Holy Qur’an we learn about people who followed Allah’s messages. They were on the right path. Allah was happy with them. He blessed them and rewarded them. We should pray to Allah to make us like those people.
3. We should also pray to Allah to keep us away from doing things He does not like. In the Holy Qur’an we learn about people with whom Allah was angry. These people stopped following Allah’s message and changed the religion which Allah had sent. They had left the right path. We should pray to Allah that we may never become like them.
26 EXERCISE:
A. Choose the best answer.
1. Surah Al-Fatihah was revealed to the Holy Prophetsa
a. in Madinah b. in Makkah in early days of Prophethood c. in Makkah d. on the way from Makkah to Madinah
2. Surah Al-Fatihah is also known as Umm-ul-Qur’an, which means
a. mother of all Holy Books b. the most recited chapter of Qur’an c. mother of the Holy Qur’an d. father of Surah Al-Baqarah
B. True or False.
1. Surah Al-Fatihah is the last chapter of the Holy Qur’an.
2. There are four attributes of Allah mentioned in the Surah Fatiha.
C. Questions.
1. What do we pray to Allah in the last three verses of Al-Fatihah? Whom do we want to follow? Whose path do we want to avoid?
2. Research and find out what the word Al-Fatihah means.
27 D. Which of the four attributes of Allah mentioned in surah Al- Fatihah best describes each of the given examples. You can write more than one attribute for some examples, if you cannot decide between two. Be prepared to give reasons for your choices in class.
Attribute Example
Allah increases the income of those who spend in His way.
Air, water, plants and animals are all there to benefit people.
Based on how people lived, Allah will send them to heaven or hell.
Allah has made this universe and set it in perfect motion.
A student who studies hard and prays to Allah for success gets A+ in all his / her courses.
A giant meteor is headed Earth’s way, but before reaching our planet Allah changes its path.
A woman goes to heaven because Allah was pleased with her selfless act of saving a dog’s life from thirst.
Allah gave us life and will cause us to die. Then He will raise us again in another form.
28 Surah Al-Feel
Part-30 Chapter-105
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
Do you not know how your Lord dealt with the owners of the Elephant?
Did He not cause their design to miscarry?
And He sent against them a swarm of birds,
which ate their dead bodies, striking them against stones of clay.
And thus made them like broken straw, eaten up.
29 Surah Al-Quraish
Part-30 Chapter-106
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
Because of the attachment of the Quraish -
To make them attached to their journeys in winter and summer.
So they should worship the Lord of this House,
Who has fed them against hunger,
and has given them security against fear.
30 Surah Al-Ma`un
Part-30 Chapter-107
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
Have you seen him who denies the Judgement?
That is he who drives away the orphan,
And urges not the feeding of the poor.
So woe to those who pray,
But are unmindful of their Prayer.
They like only to be seen of men,
And withhold legal alms.
31 Surah Al-Kauthar
Part-30 Chapter-108
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
Surely, We have bestowed upon you an abundance of good;
So pray to your Lord, and offer sacrifice.
Surely, it is your enemy who shall be without issue.
32 Surah Al-Kafiroon
Part-30 Chapter-109
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
Say, 'O ye disbelievers!
'I worship not as you worship,
'Nor do you worship as I worship.
'Nor do I worship those that you worship,
'Nor do you worship Him Whom I worship.
'For you your religion and for me my religion.
33 Surah Al-Nasr
Part-30 Chapter-110
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
When the help of Allah comes and the Victory,
And you see men entering the religion of Allah in troops,
Glorify your Lord with His praise and seek His forgiveness.
Surely He is Oft-returning with mercy.
34 Commentary of Surah Al-Nasr
This Surah was revealed to the Holy Prophetsa about 70 or 80 days before his death in Madinah.
In this Surah, Allah gives the good news to Muslims that the victory promised to them has already come. People have begun to accept Islam in large numbers. Allah tells the Holy Prophetsa and his companions, that they should be thankful to Allah, praise Him and ask for His protection.
The Holy Prophetsa had to migrate from Makkah because of the cruelty of Makkans against him and his followers. The Holy Prophetsa returned to Makkah as a winner after 10 years of living in Madinah. It was the greatest victory in history.
Many tribes of Arabia accepted Islam and the worst enemies of Islam accepted their defeat, and became the most faithful followers.
Allah tells the Holy Prophetsa to pray for forgiveness of the sins of new Muslims who have accepted Islam. This is because they were mostly doing evil deeds and were not on the right path.
Allah may also have meant that the Holy Prophetsa should pray to Him to save the Muslim community from learning the bad things from those new converts who do not know the difference between from right and wrong. This is because the new converts will still have some bad habits from their lives before Islam and it will take some time to change completely.
35 EXERCISE:
A. Fill in the blanks.
1. This Surah was revealed in the city of
______and has ______verses, including Bismillah.
2. In this Surah Allah gives the good news to Muslims that the ______
promised to them has already come and people have begun to join
the ______in large numbers.
3. Allah tells the Holy Prophetsa and his ______, that they
should be ______to Allah, ______Him and ask for
His ______.
4. After Migrating to Madinah, the Holy Prophetsa returned to Makkah
as a victor after ______years.
5. Many tribes of ______accepted Islam and the ______
of Islam accepted their______, and became the most
______followers.
B. Questions.
1. Why did the Holy Prophetsa migrate to Madinah from Makkah? 2. How did the Holy Prophetsa return to Makkah? 3. What does Allah commands the Holy Prophetsa to pray about the new converts to Islam?
36 Surah Al-Lahab
Part-30 Chapter-111
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
Perish the two hands of Abu Lahab, and perish he!
His wealth and what he has earned shall avail him naught,
Soon shall he burn in a flaming fire;
And his wife, too, bearer of slander,
Round her neck shall be a halter of twisted palm-fibre.
37 Commentary of Surah Al-Lahab
This surah was revealed to the Holy Prophetsa in Makkah and has six verses including Bismillah.
This surah talks about the people with red faces and hot tempers. It also talks about Allah’s promise to the Holy Prophetsa that the efforts of the enemies of Islam will fail and He will punish them.
Abu Lahab (father of the flame) was the nickname of ‘Abd Al-Uzza’. He was the Holy Prophet’ssa uncle and his biggest enemy. He was called Abu Lahab because of his hot temper. He was very rich, and powerful.
The surah talks about the early years of preaching of Islam. The Holy Prophetsa was commanded by Allah to convey His message to his relatives. Therefore, he stood on Mount Safa and called the tribes by name, and then told them that he was a Prophet of Allah, and if they did not accept his Message, and give up their evil ways, God’s punishment would grab them.
Abu Lahab was the one who laughed at the Holy Prophetsa and spoke rudely with him. He abused the Holy Prophetsa and his followers and told others to do the same.
In this surah, Allah promises the Holy Prophetsa that Abu-Lahab would be punished and would burn in a flaming fire. This could also mean that he would suffer in the flaming anger he will feel on seeing the growth of Islam. Later on, Abu-Lahab got sick with plague, and died a pitiful death.
The surah also tells about his wife Umm-e-Jamil. She filled the Holy Prophet’ssa path with thorns, and used to spread lies, and rumours against him. Later, she committed suicide by strangling herself with a rope.
A lesson from this Surah This Surah tells us that wealth, and power of Abu-Lahab, and his wife could not save them from Allah’s punishment.
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It does not matter if you are rich or powerful in the world. If you are not obedient to Allah, He can take everything away from you whenever He wants. And those to whom Allah promises help always win over their enemies, no matter how big their enemies appear.
EXERCISE:
A. Choose the best answer.
1. Which statement is true about Surah Al-Lahab? a. It was revealed in Madinah b. It was revealed in Makkah c. It has 6 verses including Bismillah d. Both b and c are correct
2. Which statement is true about Surah Al-Lahab? a. It promises punishment for the enemies of the Holy Prophetsa and informs of their failure b. It talks about people with red faces and fiery tempers c. It recalls the time of early preaching of Islam d. None of the above are true e. a, b and c are true
3. “Abu Lahab” means.. a. the cursed one b. brother of the molten lava c. father of the flame d. son of the enemy
4. What is true about Abd Al-Uzza? a. He was a severe enemy of the Holy Prophetsa b. He was an uncle of the Holy Prophetsa c. He was rich and powerful among his people d. Only a and c are true e. a, b and c are true
39 5. What is true about Umm-e-Jamil?
a. She was wife of Abd Al-Uzza, also known as Abu Lahab b. She used to spread lies and rumours about the Holy Prophetsa c. She is mentioned in Surah Al-Lahab d. Only a and b are true e. All of the above are true
40 Surah Al-Ikhlaas
Part-30 Chapter-112
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
Say He is Allah, the One.
Allah the independent, and besought of all.
He begets not, nor is He begotten.
And there is none like unto Him.
41 Commentary of Surah Al-Ikhlaas
This surah was revealed to the Holy Prophetsa in Makkah, and has five verses including Bismillah.
This surah talks about God as:
Allah -- A unique name not used for any other being. As-Samad -- Independent and besought of all, who provides for the needs of all but does not need any help from anyone. Without parents or children -- He has not given birth to any one, nor does he have any parents. Unique -- Nothing is like Him, nor is He like anything else.
This surah teaches us not to make any partners with Allah, because He is the One, the Independent – The only Creator, Sustainer, and Developer of the universe.
The first verse of the surah commands Muslims to keep saying and spreading this message, that Allah is the one and only God: He always has been, and always will be Alone. And He has no partners to share His Lordship or His power.
Allah is Independent of everything; all depend on Him for their needs. Everything will come to an end; He will continue to exist forever.
He is complete in all His attributes – He is Perfect; He is Everlasting.
There is none like Allah – No one shares in His Being, or in His attributes.
42 EXERCISE:
A. Choose the best answer.
1. Which of the following is true for Surah Al-Ikhlas? a. It was revealed in Makkah b. It was revealed in Madinah c. Including Bismillah it has 4 verses d. Including Bismillah it has 5 verses e. Both a and d are correct f. Both b and c are correct
2. The word “Samad” (As-Samad) means… a. the One b. the Independent who does not need anyone else c. the one whom everyone else depends on for existence d. the Merciful e. Both b and c complete the meaning
3. The phrase “he begets not” means… a. Allah does not need to get food b. no one can get anything from Allah without His permission. c. He does not have any children, nor will He ever have any. d. He does not have a mother or father
B. True or False.
1. “Allah” is a unique name of God, which is not used for any other being. 2. Allah is not the father of anyone. 3. Allah is not the child of anyone.
C. Questions
1. What is Allah commanding us to do in surah Al-Ikhlas? 2. Research what the word “Al-Ikhlas” means.
43 Surah Al-Falaq
Part-30 Chapter-113
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of the dawn,
'From the evil of that which He has created,
'And from the evil of darkness when it overspreads,
And from the evil of those who blow upon the knots (of mutual relationships) to undo them,
'And from the evil of the envier when he envies.'
44 Commentary of Surah Al-Falaq
This surah was revealed to the Holy Prophetsa in Madinah, and has six verses, including Bismillah.
In this surah we are told to ask for Allah’s protection, by calling Him ‘the Lord of the Dawn’. Dawn is the time of early morning. We are told to pray for the protection of Allah, Lord of the Dawn, from:
The evil people or things: Not all of Allah’s creatures obey Him. He has given the choice to His creatures of doing good or bad, until the Day of Judgment. We should ask Allah to save us from those who are evil.
The evil of darkness when it overspreads: Allah has enabled us to see right from wrong. Those who disobey Him are living in darkness. They try to harm others with this darkness. We should ask Allah to protect us from the darkness of evil.
The evil of those who blow upon the knots to harm them: Allah has tied people in knots of relationships. We enjoy being together because of these ties. Those with evil on their minds try to break up our relationship and cause fights. We pray to Allah to protect us from these people.
The evil of the envier (a jealous person): People who become jealous of others can hurt them. These people can create trouble for us. They are secretly looking for ways to harm others. Only Allah can protect us against their bad plans.
In this surah we are warned that good and evil live side by side in our world. Allah, Lord of the Dawn, can protect us from the badness of evil. We should always remember to ask for Allah’s protection.
45 EXERCISE:
A. Fill in the blanks:
1. Including Bismillah, surah Al-Falaq has ______verses.
2. Surah Al-Falaq was revealed in the city of ______.
3. In this surah, when seeking Allah’s help we call Him by His attribute,
______.
4. In this surah we are warned that ______and
______live together in this world.
5. Only ______can protect us from all types of evil.
B. Questions.
1. Which four evils have been mentioned in surah Al-Falaq? 2. How can we protect ourselves from all the different evils?
46 Surah Al-Naas
Part-30 Chapter-114
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
Say, 'I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind,
The King of mankind,
The God of mankind,
From the evil whisperings of the sneaking whisperer;
Who whispers into the hearts of men,
From among the Jinn and mankind.'
47 Commentary of Surah Al-Naas
This surah was revealed to the Holy Prophetsa in Madinah, and has seven verses, including Bismillah.
In this surah three attributes of Allah have been mentioned:
Rabb -- Lord of mankind Malik -- King of mankind Ilah -- God of mankind
These three attributes of Allah tell us that it is very sinful to believe that Allah has other partners who share His powers.
A believer should look upon Allah… as his only provider of everything and should be completely obedient to Him and should love, and worship Him only.
This surah warns us about those who create doubt in the hearts of people with the purpose of harming them. These “whisperers” who create doubt can be common people (An-Naas), or people working in secret (Jinn) whom we don’t know about.
Things like doubt, fear, misunderstandings, and wrong beliefs make people confuse and lose their faith in Allah. Often doubts are put into people’s hearts about God and His religion. Because of these doubts, some people start to believe that there is no God.
There is only one way to be saved from all kinds of evil, and that is by looking for Allah’s protection who is the Lord, Master and God of Mankind.
48 EXERCISE:
A. Questions
1. Where was this surah revealed? How many verses does it have, including Bismillah? 2. What kind of harm or evil this surah talks about? 3. Doubt, fear, misunderstandings and wrong beliefs can arise from within us, or they can be planted in our hearts by other people. Is this statement True or False? 4. How can we save ourselves from the harm mentioned in question #3? 5. Write the meanings of the three attributes of Allah mentioned in this surah:
Attribute Meaning
6. The above three attributes tell us that all sins start when a person considers some other being, other than Allah, as his God. True or False? 7. Who are “jinn”?
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The Meaning of Religion: A Religion is a divine system of beliefs, acts of worship, and rules for our lives. If we follow this system, we become closer to Allah, and can live a peaceful, safe, and a better life.
Why Do We Need Religion: Religion is needed because:
. It brings us closer to our creator -- Allah Almighty. . It helps us in choosing the right path, and saves us from wrong and evil acts. . It unites the believers as one people.
The world has never been without a religion. Ever since the world has been created, Allah has sent different prophets for people in different parts of the world to guide them to the right path.
The Need for New Prophets in the Past: In the past, when the population on the earth started to grow, people started living in different parts of the world. They did not have any means to contact and talk to each other.
It was not possible for a prophet to spread the message of Allah to the other parts of the world. This is why Allah sent many prophets, from time to time, to different parts of the world with teachings to guide people to the right path.
Another reason for sending new prophets was that as time passes, people forget the teachings of their prophet. They leave the right path that leads to God, and start leading sinful lives. When this happens, Allah sends a new prophet to bring people back to the right path. The new
53 prophet, either supports the teachings of the previous prophet, or replaces it with new commandments of Allah.
Following are the names of some famous Prophets. (This is the order in which they came to the world):
Books (scriptures) given to Prophets them by Allah Hadhrat Adamalaihis-salam alaihis-salam Hadhrat Nooh (Noah) Hadhrat Ibrahim (Abraham)alaihis-salam Hadhrat Daud (David)alaihis-salam Zaboor (Psalms of David) Hadhrat Musa (Moses)alaihis-salam Torah (The Old Testament) Hadhrat Isa (Jesus)alaihis-salam Bible (The New Testament) The Holy Prophet Muhammadsa Holy Qur’an
Before the arrival of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa, the prophets were sent for their nations only. But, the Holy Prophetsa was sent for the guidance of the whole mankind. 1500 years ago he brought the final religion of Allah – Islam, which means peace and obedience.
Islam is the message of Allah for the people of every nation, until the end of the world.
54 EXERCISE:
A. Questions
1- What is a religion? 2- Why are there are so many religions in the world? 3- Write two reasons for the need of new prophets in the past.
B. Write down the names of some prophets in the order they appeared. Include all prophets who were given books.
Books (scriptures) given to Prophets them by Allah
55
“Iman” means belief or faith. Iman is a belief in something.
The following are the Articles of faith in Islam; a Muslim must have Iman (belief) in the following Articles:
1. Belief in the Oneness of Allah 2. Belief in His Angels 3. Belief in all His Books 4. Belief in all His Prophets 5. Belief in the Day of Resurrection and Judgment 6. Belief in His Devine Decree
1- Allah
Allah is the one God -- the Almighty. He alone is worthy of worship. He has no partners. Allah has created everything. He has created us in the best form. He gives life, and causes death.
He listens to our prayers, and accepts them. He has neither wife nor children. He loves us all, and shows mercy to us. He sends His guidance to us through His Prophets. He is Master of the Day of Judgment.
He never sleeps. He does not need any food. He has knowledge of everything. He is All-Knowing, All-Seeing and Just. He is our Master – He has the power to forgive. He is perfect.
We can have a relationship with him by obeying Him, and praying constantly to Him. He answers the prayers of those who obey Him and follow his commands.
One can pray to Him in any language. Allah is everywhere. He sees us at all times, but we cannot see Him with our physical eyes.
56 2- The Angels of Allah
We believe in the existence of the angels of Allah, and we also believe that they are honoured servants of Allah. He has created Angels, and they obey His commands. Physically, angels are hidden from us, we cannot see them, but Allah may show them to some of His servants. When they appear to people, it is usually in human form.
There are a lot of angels, and Allah has assigned various duties to them. One of the duties is to help His prophets and their followers.
The four most important angels of Allah are:
Jibraeel asas He is responsible for conveying revelations. He is the angel who brought revelations to the Holy Prophetsa. He brings the messages from Allah to whomever Allah wishes among His Prophets and Messengers.
Mikaeelas He is in charge of rain and plantation.
Israfeelas He is in charge of blowing the Horn on the day of Resurrection (The Day of Judgment).
Izraeelas He is the angel of death, who takes away people's souls at the time they die.
3- The Books of Allah
Allah sends His guidance to mankind from time to time. This guidance is given to mankind through Prophets of Allah. It contains laws for our day- to-day life. These laws and rules are called the Books of Allah. We must believe in all books of Allah.
These are the well known Books of Allah, in order of their revelation:
57 The Mus'haf : This was given to Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham)peace be on him.
Psalms of David or Zaboor: This was given to Prophet Daud (David)peace be on him.
Torah: This was given to Prophet Musa (Moses)peace be on him. It is the holy book of the Jews.
The New Testament or Injeel: This was given to Prophet Isa (Jesus)peace be on him. It is the holy book of the Christians.
The Holy Qur’an: This was given to Prophet Muhammad sa. It is the holy book of the Muslims.
More About the Holy Qur’an:
Holy Qur’an is the last and perfect book. It was revealed in Arabic language.
Allah made His people to preserved Holy Qur’an in many ways. The most common way was that the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa and his companionspeace be on them all memorized the entire Holy Qur’an. Since at the time of the Holy Prophetsa it has been an honoured tradition among Muslims to memorize the entire Qur’an by heart. This practice continues even today.
More About Our Belief in Other Books:
All other books have been changed mostly by their followers over the time. They are not the word of Allah as it was revealed to the previous prophets. Some of them have not even been preserved in their original language, like the New Testament.
We believe that these books originally had the message of Allah, but today they are not the same as they were given to the prophets.
58 4: The Prophets of Allah
Prophets are people chosen by Allah to guide humans towards the right path. Allah chooses kind, truthful, trustworthy and righteous people to be His prophets. He speaks to His prophets, and they in turn teach Allah’s message to their people. All prophets in the past believed in the one God, and did not associate any partners with Him.
Hadhrat Adamas was the first prophet of Allah on the Earth. These are some of the Prophets of Allah in the order they came:
1. Adamas 6. Suleimanas (Solomon) 2. Nuhas (Noah) 7. Isaas (Jesus) 3. Ibrahimas (Abraham) 8. Muhammadsa 4. Musaas (Moses) 9. Mirza Ghulam Ahmedas 5. Daudas (David)
5: The Day of Resurrection and Judgment
On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will give us a new life. He will then judge us according to our deeds on earth.
Those who try to please Allah and do good works will go to heaven. In heaven they will have the nearness of Allah. They will be given everything they need to be happy. There will be no worries in heaven. This will be their reward from Allah.
Those who break the rules set by Allah, and live without trying to please Him, will go to hell to learn their lesson. This will be their punishment from Allah. Hell is a temporary place where people who have sinned will stay until they have paid for their sins. Then, they will be able to go to heaven.
59 6: The Divine Decree
“Divine Decree” means that Allah has decided about something to happen at a certain time and it will happen at that time.
We believe that Allah is the only one who has control over everything in the universe. He has power to do anything that He wants.
When Allah decides that something will happen, it always happens, even if it looks impossible to us.
There are certain things which are decreed. These are things that will happen and we cannot change them. For example, Allah has decreed that every living thing, besides Him, will die. But Allah has given us choices in other things. For example, it is our choice how we want to live our life. We can choose right from wrong. Allah has told us where each choice will take us -- to heaven or hell.
Allah has made it easy for us to find the right path by sending us His messengers.
EXERCISE:
Display the six articles of Faith nicely, either on a Bristol board or in another creative way. Get prepared to present it in the next class.
60 OOuurr GGoodd –– AA SShhoorrtt SSttoorryy
A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things, and various subjects.
When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said:
"I do not believe that God exists."
"Why do you say that?" asked the customer.
"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God does not exist. Tell me. If God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be children left alone? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I cannot imagine loving a God who would allow all of these things."
The customer thought for a moment, but did not answer because he did not want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.
Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair, and an untrimmed beard.
He looked dirty, and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barbershop again, and he said to the barber:
"You know what? Barbers do not exist."
"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber.
"I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!"
"No!" the customer exclaimed.
"Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside." 61 "Ah, but barbers DO exist! " answered the barber. "What happens is that people do not come to me." "Exactly!" said the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! What happens is, people don't go to Him and do not look for Him. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."
Attributes of Allah
The Lord Ar-Rub
The Gracious Ar-Rahmaan
The Merciful Ar-Raheem
Master of the Day of Maalik-e- Judgment Yaumiddeen
The Sovereign Al-Malik
The Holy One Al-Quddoos
The Source of Peace As-Salaam
The Bestower of Al-Mo`min Security The Protector Al-Muhaimin
The Mighty Al-Azeez
62 EXERCISE:
A. Choose the best answer.
1. “Iman” means the following: a. pillar b. article c. belief or faith d. both a and b are correct
2. We can communicate with Allah in the following way: a. by looking up at the sky for a long time b. by sacrificing two black goats c. by obeying His rules, and praying to Him
3. Allah sends guidance for people by a. email b. regular mail c. sending prophets d. sending us notes through angels
4. One of the ways we can tell Allah is listening to us and is pleased with us is a. if our favourite basketball team wins b. if our prayers are being answered c. if we get a circle of light around our heads
5. All the earlier Books, before the Holy Qur’an, are not reliable anymore because a. they have been changed by people, and are not in their original form b. some are not even in their original language of revelation c. both a and b are correct
6. Which of the following is true regarding the prophets of Allah a. they have supernatural powers b. they are the most righteous among their people c. Allah gives them messages to tell the people d. they all preach to worship one God e. a is wrong, all other answers are true.
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B. True or False
a) “Articles of Faith” are what we believe in. b) Prayers in English are not answered quickly because the Angels need time to translate them into Arabic before sending them to Allah. c) Allah Ta’ala knows everything, even what we think.
d) Angel Mikaeel used to bring the Holy Qur’an from Allah to the Holy Prophetsa. e) The Holy Qur’an is the last, and perfect Book, and was revealed in the Arabic language f) Hadhrat Ibrahimas was the first prophet of Allah. g) Those who enter hell will remain there forever.
C. Questions.
1- List the Articles of Faith in correct order. 2- In point form, list some of the qualities of Allah that no one else has. 3- How can we have a relationship with Allah? 4- What is an angel? 5- What do we mean by the “Books” of Allah? 6- Write the names of five Books that you’ve learned, and mention the prophet who was given those Books. 7- Name some prophets of Allah. 8- What is the Day of Resurrection?
Read the story about the man, and the barber. Tell it to a few other people. It could be members of your family or friends. Write how many people you told it to.
64 D. Write names of Angels next to their duties:
Angel Duty In charge of blowing the Horn on the day of
Resurrection
Responsible for conveying revelations
In charge of taking away the soul at the
time of a person’s death
In charge of rain, and plantation
E. Fill in the following table:
Attributes of Allah Meaning of the attribute
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
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The five Pillars of Islam are the basic acts of worship through which we practice our faith. These acts of worship are obligatory (must be done) for every Muslim. The five Pillars of Islam are:
Kalimah Salat Fasting Zakat Hajj
1. Kalimah
Declaration of Faith - sincerely reciting the Kalimah of faith which is:
There is no God but Allah; Muhammadsa is the Messenger of Allah
2. Salat
Allah has commanded us to offer Salat five times a day. The Holy Prophetsa taught us how to offer Salat.
Salat means to praise, and to pray. It is the most important act of worship. Salat is a way to speak with Allah.
In Salat we ask Allah for what we need; we thank Allah for everything that He has given us; and we ask His 66 forgiveness for the things we do wrong. Salat brings us closer to Allah. The five daily prayers (Salat) are:
Salat Timings
Fajr In the morning before sunrise. Zuhr In the early afternoon. Asr In the late afternoon Maghrib Just after sunset.
Isha After Maghrib, at night when it is dark, until Fajr.
3. Fasting
Fasting is the third Pillar of Islam, and is another important form of worshipping Allah.
In the Islamic month of Ramadhan we fast for thirty days, if we are in good health, and not travelling.
How to Fast: At the age of 18, Fasting becomes obligatory (must) upon every Muslim to keep the fast for the whole month. Younger children can also keep the fast once in a while for practice.
We do not eat or drink during daylight hours, instead we eat before sunrise, and we open our fast when the sun sets.
It is important to offer all five daily prayers on time, or the day's fasting has no meaning at all.
67 We also try harder not to say or listen to anything bad or harmful. We stay away from saying or doing bad things, such as swearing, arguing, fighting, wasting time, watching too much television, etc.
We should be at our best behaviour to please Allah. This includes respecting and understanding others, and helping those who are poor, needy, and less fortunate. We should not be greedy, and selfish.
Fasting is the time to learn, and understand the teachings of the Holy Qur’an, and try to act upon them in our daily lives.
Benefits of Fasting: Fasting makes us realize how difficult it is to be poor, hungry, and thirsty. This feeling reminds us of being thankful to Allah for all His gifts, blessings, and happiness given to us. The more we become thankful to Him, the more He rewards us with His love, and pleasure.
When we suffer from hunger and thirst ourselves we are more likely to help those who remain hungry because of being poor.
Fasting helps us to discipline ourselves. It strengthens our ability to avoid bad things.
Since we focus more on praying and being good, we become closer to Allah, and He forgives our mistakes and blesses us more.
Who Should not Fast: The sick The elderly Children People on a journey Pregnant or nursing mothers
68 Note:
People, who are unable to fast because of their weak health, should make up their fast by feeding the poor for each fast that they miss, if they can afford to do so.
Those people, who are not able to fast in Ramadhan for some temporary reasons, must make up their fast at a later time before next Ramadhan.
4. Zakat
Zakat is money given from a portion of our wealth that is not used in one year. This amount is paid to the poor and needy (widows, orphans, etc.), to help them in their living.
Zakat means:
. To purify the property to please Allah . To look after
There are many kinds of property on which Zakat should be paid, such as:
. Money . Belongings (house, land, etc) . Precious Metals or jewels (Gold, Silver, etc) . Crops . Cattle
We believe that everything we have belongs to Allah. Therefore, if we have more blessings of Allah, we should share them with those who have very little. He wants us to take care of our fellow Muslims who are less fortunate, poor, and needy.
Paying Zakat saves us from becoming greedy, and selfish. It is a way of gaining Allah’s pleasure, and His blessings.
69 Many Muslims also give Sadaqa (charity) that is not Zakat. Giving Sadaqa is a charitable act and brings us closer to Allah.
Ahmadi Muslims give an amount from their incomes, called Chanda. That is also not Zakat. But whenever we pay Chanda, or charity, Allah rewards us, and multiplies it for us many times.
5. Hajj
Hajj is the 5th pillar of Islam. It is an important act of worship. It is offered during the last month of the Islamic Calendar, which is Zul-Hajj.
If we can afford and are healthy enough to make the trip, it is our duty to go once in our lives to Makkah in Saudi Arabia, and visit K`aba to perform Hajj.
Hajj is a worship which reminds us of great prophets from the past. We walk on the same ground which was walked upon by Hadhrat Adamas, Hadhrat Ibrahimas, Hadhrat Ismaeelas, and our beloved prophet Hadhrat Muhammadas.
We remember the difficulties they faced and the sacrifices they made for the sake of Allah. We also remember the hardships faced by Hadhrat
70 Hajira, the wife of Hadhrat Ibrahimas and the mother of Hadhrat Ismaeelas while performing Hajj.
During Hajj men wear an ‘Ihram’, which is made up of two sheets. They must not be sewn.
Hajj is performed from 8th to 12th Zul-Hajj.
On 10th of Zul-Hajj, Muslims all over the world celebrate Eid-ul-Adhiya.
While we are there, we pray to Allah to forgive us, and guide us to succeed in our lives.
K`aba
The K`aba is the first house of worship of Allah in the world. It was rebuilt by Hadhrat Ibrahimas and his son Hadhrat Ismaeelas about 4000 years ago.
Muslims face in the direction of the K`aba when they offer their prayers.
71 EXERCISE:
A. Choose the best answer
1. Kalima is the declaration of: a. intent to fast b. independence c. faith
2. Which of the following is true of fasting? a. It makes us realize the pain suffered by the poor, and hungry b. It makes us thankful to Allah since we acknowledge our blessings c. It makes us strong, and disciplined d. Our extra efforts bring us closer to Allah e. All of the above are true.
3. Zakat means: a. to give chanda b. to purify the property c. to look after d. to give Sadqa e. both b and c are correct
4. Which of the following is true regarding the K’aba? a. It was the first place of worship built on Earth b. Muslims go to the K`aba to perform Hajj c. We face the K`aba when we offer Salat d. It is in the city of Makkah e. All of the above are true
B. True or False
a) “Pillars of Islam” are actions we do, whereas “Articles of Faith” are things we believe in.
b) Fasting is the second Pillar of Islam.
c) We get more reward if we fast when we are sick or travelling.
72 d) At the age of 18, it becomes obligatory upon every Muslim to keep the fast for the whole month.
e) Zakat is paid on that portion of our wealth that has not been used in two years.
f) We believe that half of everything we own belongs to Allah.
g) Sadaqa is a voluntary contribution of money given to the needy in order to gain Allah’s pleasure.
h) Ahmadi Muslims also pay a portion of their income as Chanda to gain Allah’s pleasure.
i) We celebrate Eid-ul-Adhiya from the 8th to the 12th of Zul-Hajj.
C. Answer the Questions.
1- List the five Pillars of Islam in the correct order. 2- Why are some acts of worship, called the pillars of Islam? 3- What is Kalima? Write down the translation of the Kalima. 4- What does “Salat” mean? 5- Name the five daily prayers, and their timings. 6- Name the Islamic month of fasting. 7- List four things one should do while Fasting. 8- What are the things that spoil one’s fast that should be avoided? 9- Who should not fast? 10-What is the fifth pillar of Islam? How many times must we perform it?
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Eid is an Arabic word that means "a day which returns often." There are two Eid festivals in a year. One is called Eid-ul-Fitr, and the other, which comes about 10 weeks later, is called Eid-ul-Adhiya.
Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated at the end of the month of fasting or Ramadhan. On this day, Muslims rejoice for having been given the strength to fulfill their obligation of fasting.
Eid-ul-Adhiya is celebrated on the 10th day of the month of Dhul-Hajj to remember the obedience of Hadhrat Ibrahimas , and his son Hadhrat Ishmaelas. Allah accepted their devotion and obedience, and commanded Hadhrat Ibrahimas to slaughter a lamb instead of his son Ishmaelas for the sacrifice.
Muslims, who gather in the city of Makkah for Hajj, offer their sacrifices (of goats, lambs, or cows) on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adhiya, following the example of Prophet Ibrahimas. Also, in keeping with this spirit of sacrifice, Muslims all over the world repeat this practice during Eid-ul-Adhiya.
Early in the Morning of Eid Day All Muslims-- men, women, and children, join in the congregational Prayer and perform two Raka'ats. Early in the morning, on an Eid day, after taking a bath, Muslims, young and old, put on their best clothes. Children often wear new clothes. Perfume is worn by both men, and women, in keeping with the practice of the Holy Prophetsa.
Special food is prepared on Eid day in Muslim homes. (Takbeer is recited while going to the Mosque or centre for Eid prayer.)
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Fitrana of Eid-ul-Fitr On the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, one should pay Fitrana before the Eid Prayer. Fitrana money is spent on the poor and needy so that they can also celebrate the festivities of Eid. Every member of the family should give Fitrana at the rate fixed for that year. Parents are expected to pay for their children including newborn babies even if they are one day old.
A Short Fast Before Slaughtering the Animal One should have a full breakfast before proceeding to the Eid gah, the place where Eid Prayer is offered. On the occasion of Eid-ul-Adhiya, it is reported that the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa preferred not to eat anything until he slaughtered his own animal for sacrifice. With the meat of that sacrifice he would have the first meal of the day. But eating before that is not forbidden.
As was the practice of the Holy Prophetsa, Muslims generally go to the Eid Gah by one route and return by a different route.
75 Time and Procedure of the Eid Prayer The time for Eid Prayer is before noon. Like Friday Prayer, Eid Prayer is always offered in congregation. There is no Azan or Iqamah prior to Eid Prayers.
First Rak`at In the first Rak'at of Eid Prayer, after reciting Takbeer-i-Tahreema and Thanaa, but before reciting T`auz, the Imam raises his hands to his earlobes seven times saying Allahu-Akbar in a loud voice. He then, drops his arms to his side each time. After the seventh Takbeer, he folds his arms and goes on with the Prayer.
The followers also raise their hands to their earlobes saying Allahu-Akbar, but in an inaudible voice, and then leave their hands hanging by their sides as done by the Imam.
Second Rak`at In the second Rak'at there are five Takbeerat, that is, the Imam, and the followers raise their hands to their ears five times saying Allahu-Akbar, and then leave them hanging on their sides each time.
Eid Sermon After the Eid Prayer, the Imam delivers a sermon. Like the Friday Prayer, the Eid sermon consists of two parts. It should be noted that for the sermon for the Friday Prayer is given before the 2 Fardh Rak’aat are offered. Whereas, on the occasion of Eid, the sermon is offered after the 2 Rak’aat prayer is offered.
After the two Rak'at Eid-ul-Adhiya Prayer, the Imam and the congregation recite the following words of glorification of God (Takbeer) in an audible voice:
76
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest
La ilaaha illallaahu There is none worthy of worship expect Allah
Wa Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar and Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest
walillahil hamd and all praises belongs to Him.
77 EXERCISE:
A. Choose the best answer.
1. It was the practice of the Holy Prophetsa on Eid a. to wear perfume b. to use different routes for going to and coming back from Eid prayer c. to recite Takbeer when going to and coming back from Eid prayer d. All of the above are true
2. Which of the following is true of Eid prayers? a. It is offered in congregation b. It has two Rak`aats c. The sermon is given after the Salat d. All of the above are true
3. The word “Eid” means a. a day to eat sweets b. a day which returns often c. a day when it doesn’t rain d. a day of joy
4. We celebrate Eid for a. remembrance b. thankfulness c. celebration d. All of the above are true
B. True or False
1. Eid-ul-Adha comes about 10 weeks after Eid-ul-Fitr.
2. Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated to remember the sacrifice and obedience of Prophet Ibrahimas and Prophet Ismaeelas.
3. On Eid-ul-Adha the Holy Prophetsa would take his first meal of the day with the meat prepared of the animal he had sacrificed.
78 4. For Eid prayer an extra Azaan, and an extra Iqaamah is called.
C. Questions
1. Why is Eid-ul-Adha celebrated?
2. What did Allah command Hadhrat Ibrahimas to sacrifice in place of his son?
3. What is Fitrana?
4. How is salat of Eid different from other congregational salat like Jum’ah?
5. Write the translation of Takbeer (glorification of Allah) which is recited before, and after Eid.
D. Write a one page essay on how your family celebrates Eid. You can write a general description of what you do on Eid days, or write about a particular Eid day that you enjoyed. Make a drawing related to your essay.
E. Prepare a project on the Islamic Calendar. Highlight the features of important months.
79
When people forget divine teachings, and leave the path which leads to God, a prophet is sent by Almighty Allah to bring them back to Him.
This was the reason why Allah sent the Holy Prophet Muhammadpeace and blessings of Allah be upon him. He was sent to bring the final Message from Allah. This message would be perfect and protected to serve the needs of people until the Day of Judgment.
Birth Muhammadsa was born in Makkah, a city in Arabia, in April 570 AD. It was known as a holy place because of the K`aba. People from all over Arabia used to come to Makkah to visit the K`aba.
Family Background The Holy Prophetsa belonged to a noble family of Arabia, called the Quraish. His father, Hadhrat Abdullah, was from the descendants of Hadhrat Ismaeelas, the elder son of Hadhrat Ibrahimas. The K’aba was rebuilt by Hadhrat Ibrahimas, and his son 2,600 years ago before the arrival of Prophet Muhammadsa.
80 Hadhrat Abdullah had died few months before the birth of his son. His mother Hadhrat Amina was one of the pious and honourable women of that time. Before the birth of her child, Allah showed to her in a dream that she would be blessed with a son, and that she should name him “Muhammad”. “Muhammad” means “worthy of praise”.
When Hadhrat Amina’s son was born, she called the child’s grandfather to show him the baby. She also told him the dream she had seen. He carried the baby to the K’aba and announced his name as “Muhammad”.
The Holy Prophet’s Nurse After his birth, Muhammadsa was handed over to a pious woman called Halimah Sa`adiya. He spent the first few years of his life with his nurse in the countryside of Makkah. She nursed him and took good care of him when he was an infant. This was a tradition of those people of Makkah who could afford it.
The child Muhammadsa stayed with Hadhrat Halima Sa`adiya for five years. After that, she brought him back to Hadhrat Amina. He visited his mother twice in those five years. Hadhrat Amina died when he was about 6 years old.
His Grandfather His grandfather Hadhrat Abdul Muttalib was a Chief of Makkah. He had great love for his grandson. He took the child Muhammadsa in his care after the death of his mother. Two years later, his grandfather died when Muhammadsa was about 8 years old.
His Uncle Hadhrat Abu Talib, one of the uncles of the child Muhammadsa, loved his nephew very much and took great care of him after the death of his grandfather.
Hadhrat Abu Talib had a large family of his own, but Muhammadsa was very dear to him.
81 Arabia - at the Time of His Birth At the time of the birth of Prophet Muhammadsa the condition, of the people of Arabia, was terrible. They used to drink and gamble their lives away.
Their tribes fought endless wars with each other. It was common for them to start a war over a small dispute. The wars lasted for many years killing many people on both sides.
They worshiped many gods in the form of idols. At that time, there were 360 idols in the K’aba – one for each day of the year.
Women had no respect in the society. Men could marry as many women as they wanted. When husbands died their wives had no right over their property.
Women did not have respect as mothers, daughters, wives or sisters.
The Arabs considered the birth of a boy as an honour, but were ashamed when a baby girl was born in their home. Some men used to bury their baby girls alive.
Slavery was common, and the slaves lived in horrible conditions. They were treated with all kinds of disrespect and were also beaten by their owners.
Except for a few people, the whole of Arabia was uneducated. They were proud of all their bad habits.
82 His Childhood Muhammadsa was calm, obedient, and a friendly child. He never took part in quarrels or fights. His behaviour and mannerism in childhood were so good that he attracted everyone’s attention.
His Youth As a young man, Muhammadsa was extremely honest. Everyone respected him for his excellent manners. He never took part in any activities which were bad or wasted time. He always stayed away from quarrels. In fact he was always ready to help others in solving their disputes, and problems.
Since his youth, the people of Makkah called him Al-Ameen (The Trustee), and As-Saadiq (The True or Truthful).
He used to assist his uncle Abu Talib in his day-to-day life. He also accompanied his uncle in a trade caravan to Syria, Yemen, and Bahrain.
Marriage to Khadijara Trade was the main work of the people of Makkah. When Muhammadsa grew up, Khadijara, a rich widow of Makkah hired him as her trade agent to Syria. Muhammadsa brought back great profits.
She asked her slave who went with him as to how Muhammadsa worked. He told her about his hard work, honesty and wisdom. Very impressed with his character, she sent a proposal of marriage to him. After discussing with his uncle, Hadhrat Muhammadsa married Khadijara. At the time of their marriage Muhammadsa was 25 years old, while Khadijara was 40.
She handed over her wealth to him, to use as he pleased. He gave out a large amount of the wealth to the poor and needy, and lived a simple life.
83 First Revelation Hadhrat Muhammadsa was always worried about the pitiful conditions of his people. He knew that worshipping idols was wrong. He never took part in any such activity. He was searching for guidance from His Creator.
He used to go to a cave on mount Hira to pray and worship Allah. He would take food with him and stay there for several days. When the food and water finished he would come home take some more food and go back to the cave. Before returning to his home, he used to go to the K`aba to make seven or more circulations.
After 10 long years of prayers, at the age of 40, one day in the month of Ramadhan while Hadhrat Muhammadsa was busy in prayers in the cave of Hira, an angel appeared and told him to recite. It was the angel Jibraeel asas.
Hadhrat Muhammadsa was surprised, and became much disturbed. He replied, “I cannot”. The angel held him tight, and insisted, but Muhammadsa gave the same reply. Then after the third time, Muhammadsa began to recite as he was told. He was told that he had been appointed as the messenger of Allah.
It was his first experience of getting Allah’s message. He was worried about how to fulfill the great responsibility as a messenger of Allah.
He hurried back home, and told everything to his wife Khadijara. He was trembling with fear of Allah, and was extremely worried. She put a blanket on him and comforted him by saying,
“…God will not cause you any harm. You are kind and caring to your relatives. You are truthful. You carry the burdens of those in need. You bring out the goodness in yourself which the world has lost. You honour your guests. And you stand up for people’s rights.”
This was the testimony of his wife, who knew him better than anyone else.
84 Preaching Islam in Makkah From then onwards, the Holy Prophetsa started calling people towards Allah. His wife Hadhrat Khadijara, his cousin Hadhrat Alira (son of his uncle Abu Talib), and his best friend Hadhrat Abu Bakrra were the first people to believe in his Prophethood and to accept Islam.
The Holy Prophetsa taught his people to believe in one God instead of many idols. He taught them to be nice, kind, and friendly to each other. He advised them to end all fights, and wars, and bring peace, love, and brotherhood to the society.
He taught them to treat women with respect, honour, and care. He also taught them to free the slaves, and treat them equally as there is no difference between people in the sight of Allah. Allah does not give any importance to caste, colour, or wealth of human beings. He likes those who have true faith in Him, and who are kind, truthful, pious and righteous.
In the beginning those who accepted Islam, besides his close family and friends, were mostly the slaves and the poor. The powerful Quraish of Makkah did not believe in the Holy Prophetsa and refused to follow the teachings of Islam. They did not want to leave the old customs of their forefathers and lose the power they had over the weak people because of those evil customs. These people who refused the teachings of Islam are known as the Kuffar – (the disbelievers).
The Holy Prophet Muhammadsa was becoming popular among the common people because of his excellent character, and the beautiful religion he brought. He was on the path to change their world, and his popularity was a great threat for the Kuffar in Makkah. They grew angrier and angrier, and tried their best to stop him from preaching.
85 They tried to torture anyone who accepted Islam. The slaves, who had accepted Islam, were an easy target. Their masters beat them even more than before. They were dragged on rocky streets. They were taken out during the burning heat of the mid-day sun and were made to lie down on their bare backs on the burning sands and rocks, with stones heaped on them.
Hadhrat Bilalra was a slave owned by a chief, Umaiyyah. When Bilalra accepted Islam, Umaiyyah tortured him, and ordered him to say that “Lat” and “Uzza”, the idols in K`aba, were the real gods instead of Allah. Despite the pain he suffered, Bilalra only uttered the word “Ahad!” – which means there’s only one God.
The Makkans became awfully cruel towards the Holy Prophetsa and other Muslims. Once, while he was in prostration during prayers, they put a dead camel’s intestines on his back so he could not get up. Someone went and informed his uncle who came and removed the weight so he could get up.
Another time, while he was praying, they tried to strangle him. Every time they plotted to kill him, Allah saved His prophet’s life.
The persecution of Kuffar carried on. The condition of the Muslims was getting so bad that the Holy Prophetsa commanded some of his followers to go to Abyssinia, a neighbouring African country where they would be safe.
Umar Accepts Islam Umar was one of the worst enemies of the Muslims. He was a great soldier. When he saw that in spite of the strong opposition, Islam was
86 spreading day by day, he decided to kill the Holy Prophetsa in order to stop the new ‘Faith’ forever.
He took a sword in hand, and set out in search of the Holy Prophetsa. A friend met him on the way, and asked him where he was going.
"To kill Muhammad,” replied Umar.
"But don't you know that your sister Fatima, and her husband have already become Muslims", said the man. Umar became shocked after hearing this. He decided to deal with them first before going to the Prophetsa.
As he reached his sister's house, he heard a recitation being made inside. A Muslim teacher, Khabab was teaching Umar’s sister and brother-in-law the holy message (verses) of Allah written on the leaves. As soon as they saw Umar coming, Hadhrat Khabab hid himself. Fatima hid the leaves as well.
Umar faced his sister and brother-in-law and said, "I heard that you have joined the new religion which Muhammadsa has brought." They tried to calm him down, but Umar was in no mood to listen to an explanation.
He raised his sword to hit his brother-in-law, but Fatima who was standing nearby stepped in quickly to save her husband, and was slightly injured. Blood began to flow from her face. She looked straight into Umar's eyes, and said bravely: "Yes, we are Muslims now and shall remain so. Do what you want."
Seeing the blood on his sister's face and hearing her bold reply, Umar calmed down quickly. Soon, he was a changed man. He requested that the leaves of the Holy Qur’an, which were being read, be shown to him. Fatima refused in fear that he would tear them up, and throw them away. Umar promised that he would not do so. She told him to wash himself, and when he did so, she gave him those leaves. Calm and cool, he began to read those verses of the Holy Qur’an. He finally realized that it was the truth. He decided to become a Muslim.
Umar asked them where he could find the Prophetsa, and went straight to the place, still carrying his sword in his hand. When he reached the house, the companions of the Holy Prophetsa who were inside with him
87 peeped through the keyhole, and saw him standing with a sword in his hand. They hesitated to open the door. The Holy Prophetsa told them to open the door and Umar came inside.
The Holy Prophetsa asked him, "Umar, what brings you here?" "I have come to accept Islam", said Hadhrat Umarra. The Holy Prophetsa and the companions were much pleased to hear this, and all of them said with one voice 'Allah-o-Akbar', Allah is the Greatest.
Soon, the news spread in the whole of Makkah. It was a severe blow to the enemies of Islam, as Hadhrat Umarra was a very brave and important man in Makkah.
Muslims up to that time used to say their prayers secretly behind closed doors. Now as Hadhrat Umarra was one of them, they decided to say their prayers openly. Hadhrat Umarra had done so much for Islam, that after the death of Hadhrat Abu Bakr, the first Khalifa, he was chosen as the second Khalifa of Muslims.
The Hijrah The Holy Prophet Muhammad'ssa popularity was seen as threatening by the people in power in Makkah. Therefore, in 622 A.D he advised his followers to migrate to Madinah, a town near Makkah. The people in Madinah welcomed the Holy Prophetsa with open arms.
This journey is called the Hijrah (migration), and this migration is considered an important event. The Islamic calendar begins with the year of the Hijra, which took place in 622 A.D.
Life in Madinah The Holy Prophetsa continued to preach the religion of Islam in Madinah. Madinah was mostly a friendly town. Many people in Madinah accepted Islam. Madinah became very dear to the Holy Prophetsa.
88
The enemies from Makkah did not let the Holy Prophetsa live in peace in Madinah either. They brought their armies to fight the Muslims. The enemies were so many more in number and had all the weapons they could need. The Muslims were very few in number and most were too poor to afford weapons and horses for war. But because God was on the side of the Holy Prophetsa and his followers, they always defeated the enemy.
Return to Makkah Within ten years, The Holy Prophet Muhammadsa had gained so many followers that he was able to return to Makkah. The Holy Prophetsa prepared an army of 10,000 Muslim soldiers. When this army reached Makkah there was not a single man who had the courage to fight them.
The Holy Prophetsa forgave all his enemies. These were the people who had been trying to kill him and his followers for so many years – the people who had forced the Holy Prophetsa out of the city he loved and had tortured and killed so many Muslims in the past years.
At the time of this great conquest not a single enemy was hurt! Never in the history of the world has such an amazing event happened.
89 It was this noble character of our Holy Prophetsa which won the hearts of his enemies. This is how Islam was spread. History tells us that the whole of Arabia accepted Islam in the life of the Holy Prophetsa.
The Holy Prophet Muhammadsa continued to lead his people both spiritually and in worldly matters, until his death in 632 A.D. He died at the age of 63.
The life of the Holy Prophetsa is not just the life of a prophet of Allah, but is the life of the greatest Prophet, and the greatest man that ever lived.
For his people, he left behind:
1. The Holy Qur’an -- a complete guidance for mankind. 2. His examples and sayings -- the written treasure of Sunnah, and Ahadith. 3. His faithful companions -- who carried out the banner of Islam to the four corners of the world.
By his living example and by his constant prayers, lives of hundreds of thousands of people changed dramatically. This amazing makeover has never been seen in the history of mankind. People who used to live like animals became the most God fearing on Earth.
We are fortunate to be the followers of Allah’s greatest prophet. We should try to follow his example, and spread the message of Islam by our word and deeds, to please our Lord.
Note: Whenever the name “Muhammad” of the Holy Prophetsa is said, we should say aloud “Sallallaahu alaihi wa aalehi wasallam” which means:
“Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny”
(A.D= Anno Domini-from the birth of Hadhrat Isaas)
90 KKhhiillaaffaatt AAfftteerr tthhee HHoollyy PPrroopphheett MMuuhhaammmmaaddsa
It is the design of Allah Al-Mighty that after the death of a prophet, He appoints another person from his believers to become the leader to carry on with the mission of that prophet. Otherwise, the believers would lose the right path, and will not stay together as a nation.
That person does not have the status of a prophet but he is called a Khalifa (Successor of the Prophet). This whole system is also called Qudrat-e-Sania, or Khilafat; meaning the second coming of the divine guidance.
Although the followers of the prophet choose that person by giving votes, it is actually Allah who makes them choose the right person.
That is why after the sad demise of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa, Hadhrat Abu Bakarra (the best friend of the Holy Prophetsa) was chosen as the first Khalifa.
razi Allah-o-Ta`ala Anho Hadhrat Abu Bakar : Period of Khilafat: 632 A.D to 634 A.D (A.D= Anno Domini-from the birth of Hadhrat Isaas)
Hadhrat Abu Bakrra was the first Khalifa after the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa. He was the first man to believe in Islam. He accompanied the Holy Prophetsa on his journey to Madinah. He remained Khalifa for about two years after the Holy Prophet’s death. He made special efforts to protect the Holy Qur’an; although the Holy Prophetsa had supervised the writing of the Holy Qur’an, it was
91 written on pieces of skin, and leaves. Hadhrat Abu Bakrra collected all the pieces. He also organized the Huffaaz. These are people who memorized the whole Qur’an in a systematic way.
ra Hadhrat Umar Farooq Period of Khilafat: 634 A.D to 644 A.D
He was the second successor of the Holy Prophetsa. Hadhrat Umarra was a very strong opponent of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa in the beginning, but accepted Islam later on and proved to be very valuable. He remained Khalifa for ten years. He paid much attention to the well being of his people. He managed to create ‘Majlis Shoora’, an advice-giving Body of Advisors to the Khalifa. He also created a finance (funding) department for building schools, mosques etc. He introduced the Islamic Calendar of Hijra of 12 months. His demise was in 644 A.D – he was stabbed by a Persian slave while he was praying in the mosque.
ra Hadhrat Uthman Ghani Period of Khilafat: 644 to 656 A.D
Hadhrat Uthmanra was elected as the third Khalifa of the Holy Prophetsa after the death of Hadhrat Umarra. Hadhrat Uthman was famous for his generosity towards the poor, which is why he was given the title of Ghani.
92 He was the fourth person to accept Islam, due to the preaching of Hadhrat Abu Bakrra. He spent a lot of his wealth for the cause of Islam, and gave a great amount of donations at the time of need to fellow Muslims. Standard copies of the Holy Qur’an were prepared from the one compiled by Hadhrat Abu Bakrra and were sent to all the provinces of the state. This was his most important work. Unfortunately his last six years of Khilafat passed in much disorder due to the bad schemes of some groups of people who tried to damage his Khilafat, and the religion of Islam. He was also martyred at the age of 82 on June 17, 656 A.D, while reading the Holy Qur’an.
ra Hadhrat Ali Period of Khilafat: 656 to 661 A.D
He was the fourth Khalifa of the Holy Prophetsa after the death of Hadhrat Uthmanra, and was his first cousin – son of Hadhrat Abu Talib who brought up the Holy Prophetsa after the death of his grandfather. Hadhrat Alira was also related to the Holy Prophetsa as he was married to Hadhrat Fatimara, the daughter of the Holy Prophetsa. There was much opposition against him. After becoming a Khalifa he chose not to take revenge of the death of Hadhrat Uthman Ghanira in order to avoid bloodshed. Some people from the Muslim community rose to battle against Hadhrat Alira. Finally a group of people known as the Khawaarij chose a different Ameer (leader) for themselves. 93 Soon after, Khawaarij fought the war with Hadhrat Alira but lost. In revenge, the Khawaarij decided to murder Hadhrat Alira, and two of his companions – the two companions managed to escape but Hadhrat Ali was fatally wounded, and died two days later.
EXERCISE:
A. Choose the best answer.
1. Before the Holy Prophetsa was given the message of Islam to preach to people, the Arabs worshipped the a. sun b. local singers with exceptional voices c. idols d. one God
2. The Holy Prophetsa was born in a. Madinah b. Makkah c. 400 AD d. 570 AD e. Both b and d are correct
3. The following is true about Hadhrat Abdullah, the father of the Holy Prophetsa a. He was from the descendants of Hadhrat Ismaeelas b. He was from the noble family of Quraish c. He passed away when Holy Prophet was 7 years old d. a and b are correct
4. Which of the following is true about the mother of the Holy Prophetsa? a. Her name was Hadhrat Halima S`adiya b. Her name was Hadhrat Amina c. She passed away when he was about 6 years old
94 d. She passed away before he was born e. b and c are correct
5. Before Islam, there were this many idols placed in K’aba a. 500 small ones b. 250 c. 360 d. 13 very large ones
6. What is true about the Holy Prophet’s wife Hadhrat Khadijara? a. She had hired him as her trade agent to Syria b. He brought her less profit than usual c. She was 25 and the Holy Prophetsa 30 years old when they were married.
7. Which are true about mount Hira? a. It is a cave where the Holy Prophetsa used to go to worship God every year for a month b. It was in this cave that the Holy Prophetsa received his first revelation from Angel Jibraeel as. c. The Holy Prophetsa continued worshipping here for 10 years before the first revelation. d. All of the above are true
8. Which is true about Hadhrat Umarra? a. He was once the worst enemy of the Muslims b. He was a great soldier c. He found the truth about Islam at his sister’s house d. He became the second Khalifa of Muslims e. All of the above are true
B. True or False
1. Even before Islam, Makkah was known as a holy place and people from all over Arabia came to visit the Khana K`aba.
2. The K`aba was rebuilt by Hadhrat Ibrahimas and his son 2,600 years before the arrival of Prophet Muhammadsa. 3. The Holy Prophetsa was named ‘Muhammad’ by his grandfather.
95 4. The Holy Prophet’s grandfather, Abdul Muttalib, was a chief of Makkah.
5. The Holy Prophet’s uncle Abu Talib had a large family, so he did not like the fact that he had to care for the young Muhammadsa as well.
6. The Holy Prophetsa accompanied his uncle in a trade caravan to France, Italy, and Germany.
7. Trade was the main work of the people of Makkah.
8. When the Holy Prophetsa received his first revelation, he was very happy, and excited about being chosen as a prophet.
9. The first people to accept the message of Islam were the rich and powerful chiefs of Makkah.
10. When the condition of Muslims became worse due to cruelty by the Makkans, the Holy Prophetsa commanded some of his followers to go to Abyssinia, a neighbouring African country where they would be safe.
11. Before Hadhrat Umarra accepted Islam, Muslims used to say their prayers secretly behind closed doors.
C. Answer the Following Questions:
1. What was the condition of the people of Arabia at the time of the birth of the Holy Prophetsa?
2. Describe how the Holy Prophetsa was in his childhood and youth.
3. What two titles were given to the Holy Prophetsa in his youth? What do those titles mean?
4. Who said the following words to the Holy Prophetsa and why?
“Do not fear; be happy, God will not cause you any harm. You are kind and caring to your relatives. You help the poor, and those in trouble. You try to bring goodness to the world. Surely God will never let you fail”.
96 5. Who were the first three people to accept Islam? How were they related to the Holy Prophetsa?
6. What did the Holy Prophetsa teach people?
7. How were the slaves who had accepted Islam treated? Name one slave who later became one of the most respected Muslims.
8. Give an example of an act of cruelty the Kuffar of Makkah committed towards the Holy Prophetsa. 9. Who is a Khalifa? Name the four Khulafa (successors) of the Holy Prophetsa. 10. Write five important things about the Khulafa (successors) of the Holy Prophet sa.
D. Fill in the following table. Write the relationship to the Holy Prophetsa, e.g. father, mother, etc.
sa Age of Holy Prophet at this relative’s death (if Name Relationship known)
Hadhrat Amina
Hadhrat Halima S`adia
Hadhrat Abdullah
Hadhrat Abdul Muttalib
Hadhrat Abu Talib
Hadhrat Khadijahra
Hadhrat Alira
Hadhrat Abu Bakrra
E. Choose any aspect of the life of the Holy Prophetsa, and present it on a Bristol board or as a short story book. Do not forget to add pictures. Be prepared to present in class next time.
97 LLiiffee ooff tthhee PPrroommiisseedd MMeessssiiaahh Alaihis-Salam HHaaddhhrraatt MMiirrzzaa GGhhuullaamm AAhhmmaadd ooff QQaaddiiaann
The Promised Messiahas is the person Allah promised would come to reform His religion. A careful study of religion shows that after the death of any prophet, his people slowly forget about his message. It is the tradition of Allah that when people forget about Him and His teachings, He sends a prophet to remind them of the true teachings of their religion.
About 1400 years after the death of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa, Allah sent Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas as the Promised Messiah. He was a true follower of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa and was appointed by Allah as a prophet about 100 years ago.
His mission was:
To revive the Ummat -e- Muhamadiyya (people of Muhammadsa). To deliver the true message of Islam because people had forgotten about it—the message about peace, complete brotherhood, and submission to the will of Allah in its natural purity. To remove the wrong beliefs about Islam. To bring the whole world under the religion of Islam.
He was the person that every religion was waiting for to establish peace in the world. He was born in Qadian, India on February 13, 1835. His father’s name was Hadhrat Ghulam Murtaza, and his mother’s name was Hadhrat Chiraagh Bibi.
Relationship with Allah When the Promised Messiahas was growing up, his parents hired tutors at different times to teach him the Holy Qura’n, the Arabic language, and logic. As a boy, the Promised Messiahas liked privacy. He spent most of his time in prayers or in the study of the Holy Qura’n. The Promised Messiahas had a very close relationship with Allah. He was very obedient
98 to Allah. At the age of thirty, Allah blessed him with the vision of the Holy Prophetsa.
His father often encouraged him to take interest in the family business, but the Promised Messiahas preferred worshiping Allah over worldly jobs. To respect his father’s wish, he got a job with the government at Sialkot. However, he continued to spend all his free time in the study of the Holy Qur’an, in taking care of the poor people, and in debating with Christian Missionaries about religion.
In June, 1876, he received a revelation from Allah, informing him that his father would die soon. After this revelation, he became sad, and worried. He thought there would not be enough money, and his father’s business would come to an end. While in hopelessness, he received another revelation from Allah that stated:
Is Allah not sufficient for His servant?
After this revelation, he knew that Allah would take care of all his needs.
The Post Office Lawsuit During the time of Promised Messiahas, there was a law in India that did not allow one to put letters inside the packages. The Promised Messiahas was not aware of this law. In 1877, he unknowingly placed a letter inside a package, and sent it through mail. A Christian man named, Ralia Ram, sued him for doing so. He claimed that the Promised Messiahas knew about the law but broke the law because he didn’t want to pay for the mailing of the letter.
The Promised Messiah’s lawyers advised him to lie in the court, and say that he did not place the letter in the package, but the Promised Messiahas refused to tell a lie. Instead he told the judge that he had placed a letter inside the package, but he did not know that is was against the law. The judge believed him, and dismissed the case.
99 The Claim of the Promised Messiahas In 1880, the Promised Messiahas published the first two volumes of his famous book, Baraheen-e-Ahmadiyya (The Arguments of Ahmad). The purpose of this book was to defend Islam from the attacks of non-Muslims and show its beautiful teachings to the world.
In 1882, he received the revelation from Allah that he was appointed as a ‘Mujaddid’ or a Reformer. In March 1885, he made a public announcement saying:
“Allah has informed me that I am the “Reformer of this Age”, and I have come in the likeness of Jesus Christ, Son of Mary.”
This information was sent to famous religious leaders, scholars, and kings of the world. He also asked them to visit him in Qadian, and see the divine signs that would prove that he was the Reformer appointed by Allah.
The First Bai’at On March 23 1889, he took the first Bai’at at Ludhiana another city of India. His best friend Hadhrat Maulana Hakeem Noorudinra was the first person to take Bai’at at his hand.
Bai’at is an action through which a person makes a promise at the hand of the person taking the Bai’at. So people who accepted that Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas was the Promised Massiah, made a promise to be faithful and obedient to him.
In 1890, God clearly told him that he was the Messiah, promised by the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa. He made a public announcement that he had been appointed as the Promised Messiahas. He also said that Jesus died as a prophet, and will not return in his physical body.
In 1901 the Promised Messiahas named his community the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, and officially registered the name.
TheTrue Story of Hadhrat Isaas Christians after the time of Hadhrat Isaas believed that he died on the cross, came back to life again, and was raised up to the sky in his
100 physical body, and is still alive in heaven. However, the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa and his companions believed that Hadhrat Isaas had passed away just like all other prophets.
Several hundred years after the death of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa, hundreds of thousands of Christians converted to Islam. They did not, however, let go of their belief that Hadhrat Isaas was raised up to the sky. Gradually, this belief was adopted by most of the Muslims of the world. The entire Muslim world at the time of the Promised Messiahas believed that Hadhrat Isaas was still alive, and would come back from the sky in physical form as the Messiah.
In 1895, the Promised Messiahas told the world that Hadhrat Isaas (Jesus Christ) was buried in the city of Sri Nagar in Kashmir, India. Later in 1899, he gave the historical story of the life, and the travel of Hadhrat Isaas in his book called ‘Masih Hindustan Mein (Jesus in India)’. This book revealed the following facts about the life, and death of Hadhrat Isaas:
He did not die on the cross. He was taken alive from the cross in a wounded condition to a cave-like grave. This type of grave was the tradition of that time. The grave was big enough for the people to walk inside. A few of his companions gave him medicines for his wounds, and provided him with food. The other people did not know that he was still alive in the cave. When his wounds healed, he secretly met his people. They thought that he had come to life, but actually he did not die then. Since his life was in danger, he left town in order to find the ten lost tribes of Israel. He traveled east, and found the Jewish people who had left their homeland a long time ago. He died in the town of Sri Nagar, Kashmir in India and was buried there.
Continuous Contact with Allah Once, Hadhrat Maulvi Abdullah Sanaurira (a companion of the Promised Messaihas) was massaging the feet of the Promised Messiahas to comfort him. Suddenly he felt the body of the Promised Messiahas trembling a little. He noticed that a few fresh drops of a red liquid suddenly appear on the ankle of the Promised Messiahas .
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The Promised Messiahas told Hadhrat Maulvi Sahib that he had just received a vision from Allah. He saw that he gave Allah some papers to sign. Allah dipped his pen in red ink, shook it a little, and then signed the papers.
The red drops which appeared on the Promised Messiahas were dropped on him when Allah shook his pen. This was clear indication that Allah loved the Promised Messiahas, and kept in touch with him on a regular basis.
Prophecy About a Promised Son When Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas announced that he was the Messiah, people asked him to show a sign about the truth of his claim. In 1886, the Promised Messiahas worshipped Allah in loneliness, continuously for forty days, and forty nights in the city of Hoshiyar Pur.
During his special worship, Allah told him that a holy son would be given to him. The Promised son would be blessed with 52 extraordinary characteristics that Allah explained in the revelation.
On February 20, 1886, the Promised Messiahas announced the prophecy about the Promised Son. He mentioned that the promised son would be born within the next nine years. On January 12, 1889, Hadhrat Mirza Bashir-ud-din Mahmood Ahmadra was born, and the prophecy was fulfilled.
Service of Islam The most important thing in the life of the Promised Messiahas was to defend the honour of Islam, and to make sure that the true Islam was presented to the world. Once in the city of Ludhiana, in front of a large audience, he had a religious argument with Maulvi Mohammad Hussain Batalvi. With his arguments, he proved to the listeners that the Holy Qur’an was superior to the Ahadith. Thus, he cleared up the misunderstanding about the superiority of the Ahadith over the Holy Qur’an.
In 1896, some well-known Hindus organized an interfaith conference. They invited the leaders of many religions to speak about their faith. This
102 conference was held on December 26-28, 1896 at the Islamia College of Lahore.
A few days before the lecture, Almighty Allah revealed to the Promised Messiahas that his speech would be superior to the other speeches. Hadhrat Maulvi Abdul Karimra read the speech written by the Promised Messiahas. The audience was so pleased that they asked the organizers to give another day of the conference to let Hadhrat Maulvi Abdul Karimra finish reading the whole speech.
All the newspapers stated that the speech written by the Promised Messiahas was the best. This was the true victory of Islam over other religions.
Kishti-e-Nuh On February 6, 1898, after receiving a revelation from Allah, the Promised Messiahas advertised that a plague (a disease) would spread in Punjab. However, the opponents of the Promised Messiah as laughed at his prophecy, and did not believe him. But the following winter, many cities of India suffered from the plague, including the cities of Jaalandhar, and Hushiar-pur. By 1902, people were dying in the streets. It was at this time that the Promised Messiah as told people to turn towards Allah. It was the same year when he wrote a book Kishti-e-Nuh (Noah’s Arc). In this book he mentioned that Allah had revealed these words to him:
“I will protect all of those who are within your house”
This meant that true Ahmadis would be saved from the plague even without immunization, since they obeyed the spiritual house of the Promised Messiahas. While thousands of people around them died of the plague, Allah saved the Ahmadisas in fulfillment of His promise.
The First Ahmadi Martyrs The Promised Messiahas had a revelation from Allah that said:
Two goats will be slaughtered.
This was about the two people who would give their lives for their faith. Hadhrat Sahibzada Abdul Latifra was a prominent member of the court of
103 the ruler of Kabul, Afghanistan. Hadhrat Abdur Rahmanra was a friend of Hadhrat Saibhzada Abdul Latifra. They were both stoned to death in Afghanistan because they accepted Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas as the Promised Messiahas.
The next day, after the stoning, a terrible epidemic of cholera broke out in Kabul. Several thousands died including those who threw stones that had caused the death of two pious people. The Promised Messiahas became very sad with the news of these martyrdoms. He wrote the detailed story in his book entitled Tadhkira-tush-Shahadatain.
Addressing the land of Kabul he wrote:
O’ land of Kabul! Bear witness, that a grave crime was committed on thee. O’ unfortunate soil! You have fallen in the sight of Allah, because you are the place of this great injustice.
If we look at what has happened to the land of Kabul since these Martyrdoms, we can see Allah’s curse has been upon this land. There has been continuous civil war. People have completely drifted from the right path, and the suffering seems to be never-ending. All this happened because of what the Promised Massiahas had said. His word has become a sign of the truthfulness of his claim as the Promised Messiahas.
Dr. Alexander Dowie Dr. Alexander Dowie was a famous, American, Christian minister from Zion, Illinois state in America. He claimed in 1899, that he was a Prophet of God. In 1902 and 1903, the Promised Messiahas invited Dr. Dowie to a Mubahila (Prayer Duel), to ask God to determine which of the two, the true Promised Messiah. Dr. Dowie replied by calling the Promised Messiahas with the abusive name of “Silly Muhammadan Messiah.” The Promised Messiahas asked Allah to punish Dr. Dowie.
Two years later in September 1905, Dr. Dowie suffered an attack of paralysis while speaking to a very large audience. Afterwards, his followers left him, and he was fired from the ministry because he had been stealing church money.
On March 9, 1905, two weeks before the death of Dr. Dowie, the Promised Messiahas prophesied that he would die a shameful death. The
104 newspapers of America admitted that the prophecy of the Promised Messiah of India had been fulfilled. The Death of the Promised Messiahas On May 20, 1908, the Promised Messiahas received a revelation about his own death. Allah told him:
“Departure, again a Departure, the death is very close now”
After this revelation, he became ill, and passed away at 10:30 am on May 21, 1908. Two Kinds of Prophets According to the Holy Qur’an, prophets are of two kinds.
1. Prophets who give to the world a new system of laws, and a new religion (shariah). Such as:-
Hadhrat Musaas (Moses) and Hadhrat Muhammadsa brought a new Shariah (a system of laws).
These kinds of prophets have come to an end after the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa because he brought the perfect religion.
2. Prophets who do not bring new a law but come to revive the law of the previous Prophet. Such as:-
Jesus Christ came to revive the teachings of Moses.
Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani, the Promised Messiahas came to revive the law or the teachings that were brought by the Holy Prophetsa.
105 KKhhiillaaffaatt oorr QQuuddrraatt--ee--SSaanniiaa
Qudrat-e-Sania means the second appearance (coming). Before the death of the Promised Messiahas, he told the community that there would be a chain of Godly appointed successors who would continue his work.
These successors are called Khalifatul Masih - the successor of the Promised Messiahas. They are the head of the Ahmadiyya Jama`at which is called Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam.
Hadhrat Maulana Hakeem Noor-u-din Khalifa-tul-Masih I(Radi Allaho- `Anhu)
After the death of the Promised Messiahas, Hadhrat Maulvi Hakim Noor- ud-dinra was chosen as the first successor of the Promised Messiahas. He came from the family that had a deep love for the Holy Qur’an. He memorized the entire Qur’an and became a Hafiz. He taught Holy Qur’an and Ahadith to the children of the Promised Messiahas, and hundreds of other students.
He was the first person to take Bai’at at the hands of the Promised Messiahas. He established a clinic in Qadian and gave free treatment to the poor. After the demise of the Promised Messiahas, he was elected as the first Khalifa and nearly 200 people took Bai’at at his hand on that day.
Although it appears that some pious people elect the Khalifa, it is Allah who helps, and guides them to elect the person whom He wants to become a Khalifa. The most outstanding achievement performed by Hadhrat Khalifa-tul-Masih Ira was the Consolidation of the system of Khilafat. He made it clear to everyone that Khilafat was an institution destined for the Jama’at. He established funds and a school for religious education. His important accomplishments include:
Masjid Noor Talim-ul-Islam High School A Foreign Mission in England He passed away on March 13, 1914, while saying prayers.
106 Hadhrat Mirza Bashir-u-din Mahmood Ahmad Khalifa-tul-Masih II(Radhi Allaho-`Anhu)
After the death of Hadhrat Khalifa-tul-MasihRadhi Allaho- `Anhu, Hadhrat Mirza Bashir-ud-din Mahmood Ahmad was elected as Khalifa-tul-Masih II. He was the Promised Son of the Promised Messiahas, and had all the characteristics mentioned in the prophecy of the Promised Messiah about his Promised son. He was also known as Hadhrat Musleh-e-Maudra.
He learned the translation of the Holy Qur’an, and Ahadith from Hadhrat Khalifa-tul-Masih Ira. In 1907, Allah taught him the commentary or detailed explanation of Surah Fatiha through an angel. He was gifted with the understanding of the Holy Qur’an. Some of his achievements are:
He established Jamia Ahmadiyya, a school of training missionaries. He established foreign mission in Sri Lanka, Mauritius, USA, some West African countries, Indonesia and Palestine. He established the following organizations in Jama`at: 1. Majlis Ansarullah 2. Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya 3. Lajna Ima`illah 4. Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya 5. Nasirat-ul Ahmadiyya.
He passed away on November 8, 1965.
107 Hadhrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad Khalifa-tul-Masih III (Rahimahullaho Ta`ala)
After the death of Hadhrat Khalif-tul-Masih IIra, Hadhrat Mirza Nasir AhmadRahimahullaho Ta`ala was elected as Khalifa-tul-Masih lll. He was the oldest son of the Khalifa-tul-Masih IIra and the grandson of the Promised Messiahas. He was born on November 16, 1909.
He became Hafiz at the age of 13, completing the memorization of the Holy Qura’n. In his early life he served as a Principal of Jamia Ahmadiyya in Qadian, and Talim-ul-Islam Collage.
In 1974, Hadhrat Khalifa-tul-Masih IIIrh presented the Ahmadiyya belief to the National Assembly of Pakistan to prove the truth of Ahmadiyyat.
Some of his great works are as follows:
He established the Fazl-e-Umar Foundation of the Jama’at. He established the Nusrat Jehan Scheme, which sends groups of volunteer teachers and doctors to the schools and hospitals in West Africa, only for the service of humanity.
He passed away on June 9, 1982.
Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad Khalifa-tul-Masih IV (Rahimahullaho Ta`ala)
After the death of Khalifa-tul-Masih IIIrh,Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmadrh was elected as Khalifa-tul-Masih IV. He was the son of Hadhrat Khalifa-tul- Masih IIra and the grandson of the Promised Messiahas .
He was born on December 18, 1928 in Qadian, India. Before becoming a Khalifa, he made great efforts in promoting missionary work in Pakistan. Some of his great works are:
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He launched the Dawat-e-Illallah Scheme for calling the people towards Allah. He established the Waqf Nau Scheme, asking Ahmadi families to dedicate their children for the service of Jama’at. In 1994, he established Muslim Television Ahmadiyya (M.T.A), a universal satellite channel for religious programs worldwide. He inaugurated Masjid Basharat in Pedro Abad, Spain. This was the first Mosque built in Spain after 500 Years. Two thousand people attended this event. He passed away on April 19, 2003.
Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad Khalifa-tul-Masih V (Ayyadullah T`aala Binasrul Aziz)
Period of Khilafat: April. 22, 2003 to-date
Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad was elected as a Khalifa after the sad demise of Hadhrat Mirza Tahir AhmadRahimahullaho Ta`ala
He was born on 15 September, 1950 in Rabwah, Pakistan. He is the son of Sahibzada Mirza Mansoor Ahmad and the grandson of Hadhrat Mirza Sharif Ahmad and the great grandson of the Promised Messiah as. He got his primary education from Taleemul Islam High School in Rabwah. He obtained a master’s of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from the Agricultural University in Faisalabad, Pakistan. He became a Moosi at the young age of 17. 109 He devoted his life to Ahmadiyyat, and went to Ghana under the Nusrat Jehan Scheme. He was the founding Principal of the Ahmadiyya S.S, Salaga, Ghana, and later served as a principal of another school in Ghana for four years. He did successful experiments of growing wheat in Ghana. He served as Wakilul-Maal, Nazir Taleem, Nazir A’la of Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya and Local Amir before being elected as the fifth Khalifatul Masih.
Salutation:
(pbuh) = Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him or (sa)= Sallallaho alaihi wasallum as = Alaihis- Salam -May peace be upon him (ra) = Radi Allaho Anho – May Allah be pleased with him (rh) = Rahimahullaho Ta`ala – May Allah shower His mercy upon him (aa) = Ayyadahullaho Ta`ala Binasrul Aziz –May Allah strengthen his hands with mighty help
110 EXERCISE:
1. While employed at Sialkot, The Promised Messiahas devoted most of his time to?
__Study of Ahadith __Study of the Holy Qur’an
__Social Work __Debates
2. During the Post Office Lawsuit, what attribute did the Promised Messiahas practice?
__Forgiveness __Justice __Truthfulness
3. The purpose of the publication of Baraheen-e-Ahmadiyya was:
To explain that he is a prophet To warn people about the plague.
To defend Islam with good To tell people his death was near. arguments.
4. What was the purpose of the conference held in Lahore in December, 1896?
1. To decide which religion was right.
2. To explain qualities of one’s faith.
3. To prove that the Promised Messiahas is a Prophet of Allah.
111 5. Please write the missing English or Arabic phrases.
Arabic English
People of Muhammadsa
Baraheen-e-Ahmadiyya
Hadhrat Isaas
Jesus in India
Mubahila
Noah’s Ark
6. Please write the missing information about the revelation of the Promised Messiahas
Revelation Event Surrounding the revelation
Two goats will be slaughtered
Is Allah not sufficient for his servant?
Death of the Promised Messiahas
Ahmadis were protected from the plague without getting immunized.
112 7. Please put the following events from the life of the Promised Messiahas in chronological order. Start from events that occurred first to events that took place later.
Order Event from the Promised Messiah’s Life
He wrote Baraheen-e-Ahmadiyya. He had to go to the court for the post office lawsuit. He invited Dr. Dowie for Mubahila. He started working in Sialkot. He passed away. He wrote “Masih Hindustan Mein” His father passed away. He wrote Kishti-e-Nuh. His son, Hadhrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmadra,
was born. He had a revelation that his speech would be superior to all
others. He had a revelation that his death was near.
8. Does every prophet bring a new religion? Did the Promised Messiah as bring a new religion? Please Explain.
113 9. What was the age of the Promised Messiahas when he passed away?
______
10. Please write the significance of the following people in the life of the Promised Messiahas
Importance in the life of the Name Promised Messiahas
Mirza Ghulam Murtaza
Chiraagh Bibi
Ralia Ram
Abd-ur-Rahman
Maulvi Abdullah Sanauri
Mirza Bashir-ud-din Mahmood
Muhammad Hussain Batalvi
Sahibzada Abdul Latif
Alexander Dowie
114 11. Please write the significance of the following places in the life of the Promised Messiahas.
Place Name Significance in the life of the Promised Messiahas
Lahore
Qadian
Sialkot
Hoshair Pur
Sri Nagar
115 Zion, Illinois
Kabul
Jaalandhar
Ludhiana
116 Basic Values and Codes of Conduct
Importance of Sadqa
What is Sadqa? Sadqa is money or goods that are voluntarily given to the poor to win Allah’s pleasure. Sadqa must be given from one’s legally earned wealth. The person we are giving Sadqa to, should not be made embarrassed for receiving Sadqa.
Why is it Important to Give Sadqa? In the Holy Qur’an, Allah says:
[2:273] It is not thy responsibility to make them follow the right path; But Allah guides whomsoever He pleases. And whatever of wealth you spend, the benefit of it will be for yourselves, for, you spend not but to seek the favour of Allah. And whatever of wealth you spend, it shall be paid back to you in full and you shall not be wronged.
Later it says in verse 275:
[2:275] Those who spend their wealth by night and day, secretly and openly, have their reward with their Lord; on them shall come no fear, nor shall they grieve.
We believe that it is Allah who provides for all of our needs. We also believe that all people are Allah’s creation. He is pleased with those who take care of his creation, and does not like those who do not take care of them.
117 When we spend out of our money to help the needy, we please Allah in many ways such as:
By taking care of his people when we share our blessings with them. By understanding that it was Allah’s wealth to begin with and therefore by giving Sadqa we are showing that we are thankful to Him. By showing our strength of faith in Allah that He will provide for us, due to his promise to those, who spend in His way. By showing that we give Allah’s pleasure the first choice over worldly choices.
Sayings of the Holy Prophetsa on Giving Sadqa Khauzam bin Fatik relates that the Holy Prophetsa said:
“Whoever spends something in the cause of Allah is rewarded seven hundred times over.”
Giving Sadqa saves us from misfortunes, and the fire of hell. The Holy Prophetsa said:
“Give charity to save yourself from the fire even if it be by giving a portion of a date.”
This hadith not only tells us that Sadqa is important in saving us from hell, but also explains that for someone who has no money, even giving a portion of a date is considered a valuable act in Allah’s sight.
Hadhrat `Aaisha relates that the Holy Prophetsa once said: “A generous person is close to Allah, close to the people, and close to paradise but far away from hell, an ignorant person who is generous is better than a worshipping miser.”
118 A Muslim’s Duty Towards Mankind
Allah, the exalted, says in the Holy Qur’an:
[4:37] And worship Allah and associate naught with Him, and show kindness to parents, and to kindred, and orphans, and the needy, and to the neighbour who is a kinsman, and the neighbour who is a stranger, and the companion by your side, and the wayfarer, and those whom your right hands possess. Surely, Allah loves not the arrogant and the boastful.
A Muslim must fulfill two kinds of duties.
1. One is the duty towards Allah called “Huqooqul-Allah”, or the Rights of Allah. 2. The other is the duty towards mankind, called “Huqooqul-Ibaad”, or the rights of people (God’s servants). Huqooqul-Ibaad is an extension of our duties to Allah since He has commanded us to take care of His creation, as we have read in the verse above.
Now let us look at some of these duties one at a time.
Orphans Allah, the exalted, says in the Holy Qur’an:
[107:2] Hast thou seen him who
denies the Judgment? [107:3] That is he who drives away the orphan, [107:4] And urges not the feeding of the poor.
Allah commands us in the Holy Qur’an to take care of the orphans at our best. An orphan is a child, whose father or both parents have died. Islam instructs us to take care of these children until they grow up, and can become independent. It has been made a big crime in Islam for anyone to
119 misuse the properties of these children left by their parents. The guardians of these children are to keep the properties of the orphans as a trust, and hand them over when they are old enough.
The Holy Prophetsa has said:
“He, who takes care of an orphan, whether related to him or a stranger, will be like these two in Paradise; and the narrator raised his forefinger and the middle finger by way of illustration.” (Muslim)
Neighbours After our families, those who are the most affected by our behavior, are our neighbours. Perhaps this is why so much stress is laid in Islam on being good to neighbours. The Holy Prophetsa said to his companions:
“Jibraeel as kept urging me about the neighbour till I imagined he would include him in the category of heirs (Bukhari and Muslim)
By this the Holy Prophetsa meant that Allah had put so much importance on taking care of the neighbours that the Holy Prophetsa thought that it would also become necessary to include the neighbours in one’s inheritance which is given to blood relatives.
In another Hadith the Holy Prophetsa said,
“He who believes in Allah and the Last Day, must not put his neighbour into problem; he who believes in Allah and the Last Day, must honour his guest; and he who believes in Allah and the Last Day, must speak beneficently or keep quiet” (Bukhari and Muslim)
We learn from the sayings of our Holy Prophetsa that we should look after the welfare of our neighbours in every possible way.
120 Sharing food is one simple way to extend our hand of friendship towards our neighbours. According to a hadith the Holy Prophetsa instructed a companion to put some extra water in food he cooked so he could share some with his neighbour. The assumption here is that due to limited income it may not have been possible for the companion to make enough food to share, but by adding water, and making a thin soupy dish he could send some to his neighbour as well.
By the grace of Allah, most of us are able to share more without having to make thin soups. There are so many easy ways for us to help our neighbours. We can help someone bring in grocery bags. We can rake leaves in their yards, or mow their lawn for them or shovel snow off their driveways. We should make a habit of doing these simple chores especially for those for whom it is more difficult due to old age or disability, etc. We should also visit our neighbours when they are sick. That is a time when a warm meal is most appreciated. Giving gifts (other than food) to neighbours was also liked by the Holy Prophetsa.
This is also an excellent way to extend a hand of real friendship towards our non- Muslim neighbours, and show them the true teachings of Islam.
Besides some of the things we can do to help our neighbours, there are also some things we should avoid. We should not be so loud in our homes so as to disturb the peace of our neighbours. In apartments especially, we should not let children jump and run inside if that noise can reach the neighbours’ apartment. This is especially important when we have gatherings of family and friends.
Wayfarer Wayfarer is a traveler, especially one on foot. The Holy Qur’an makes special mention of travelers as a group of people who need to be looked after, as mentioned in the verse at the beginning of this topic.
Travelers are needy because they are away from their homes, and are going through hardships of the journey. Even with the conveniences of modern transportation, anyone who has to travel away from home knows how difficult it can get when there aren’t proper opportunities to rest, eat, 121 and bathe. Therefore, in Islam, part of the money given for the needy is to be spent in service of travelers.
The Holy Prophetsa also gave rules of conduct regarding how one should behave while in public places or roads. He instructed people not to gather in streets unnecessarily because it makes it difficult for others to pass through. The Holy Prophetsa also instructed the removal of sticks and stones from walking paths. He also stressed the cleanliness of pathways by instructing:
“Avoid two accursed practices. He was asked: What are those accursed practices? He answered: A person relieving himself in a pathway frequented by people or in a shaded place used by them. (Muslim)
The Poor and the Weak The Holy Prophetsa said:
“I declare it sinful, any failure to safeguard the rights of two weak ones; orphans and women.” (Nisai)
On one occasion the Holy Prophetsa said:
“Look for me among the weak ones, for you are helped, and provided for on account of the weak ones among you.” (Abu Daud)
Not only did the Holy Prophetsa teach us to give to the needy, and to visit them, and take care of their welfare, but he also instructed that we should make them feel welcome in our homes, and invite them to our gatherings. The Holy Prophetsa said:
122 “The worst food is food served at a Walima (wedding) to which the rich are invited, and from which the poor are excluded. (Muslim)
These practices of the Holy Prophetsa and these instructions to his followers are the only way we can practice the belief that we are all created equal, and are all God’s creatures. This is also the way we can act on our belief that whatever we have is from Allah, and therefore we share it with his creation.
The Sick The sick are also a category of the weak. The Holy Prophetsa used to visit the sick, and pray for them. He directed:
“Visit the sick, feed the hungry, and free the slaves.” (Bukhari)
The Holy Prophetsa also stressed the importance of visiting the sick by saying:
“When a Muslim visits an ailing Muslim in the morning, seventy thousand angels keep calling down blessings on him till the evening…and he is allotted an orchard of fruit trees in Paradise.” (Tirmidhi)
It should be kept in mind that the purpose of visiting the sick is to make the sick feel better, and comforted. Sometimes, in South Asian countries especially, the sick, and those looking after the sick are visited with guests who come with the whole family which ends up being too noisy for the sick. The caretakers of the sick, which are themselves exhausted, have to provide refreshments or even full meals for such guests.
It is better on such occasions to keep the visit short, and not bring over the whole family. This is also a perfect time to bring a meal that the family can have later. This will give some rest to the caretakers who will better look after the sick person.
Sometimes, if one is not too close with the family of the sick, and knows that the caretakers of the sick are in difficulty, one can just send a meal, and enquire about the sick over the phone. It may be much more appreciated.
123 EXERCISE:
In Islam, a Muslim has two basic duties. One is to fulfill his / her rights towards Allah (Haqooq Allah) and secondly to fulfill the rights of mankind (Haqooq al-Abad).
In light of what you have learnt in this section so far, prepare a report on how an Ahmadi child can fulfill the rights of mankind.
Be creative. You may display your research on a Bristol board.
124 PPlleeddggee ooff AAttffaall aanndd NNaassiirraatt
A pledge is a promise between a person and Allah. We, as Ahmadi Muslims repeat the pledge at all the meetings to remind ourselves of our duty to our faith, our nation, our country, and also to always speak the truth.
Saying the pledge over and over again roots the message in our minds and it helps us to fulfill our promise to Allah.
Remember the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa has said: “A believer’s promise is as certain as a thing given in hand”.
The practice is that, in meetings of Jama`at members stand up and repeat the pledge together three time.
I solemnly promise that I shall always keep myself ready to serve Islam, my nation, and my country, and shall always adhere to truth. Insha`Allah!
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128 Salat and Related Matters
Raka`at Salat Timings Sunnah Fardh Sunnah Vitr In the morning before Fajr 2 2 sunrise. Zuhr In the early afternoon. 4 4 2 Asr In the late afternoon 4 Maghrib Just after sunset. 3 2 At night, after Maghrib Isha 4 2 3 Prayer until Fajr prayer.
Fard and Sunnah Prayers FARD PRAYER SUNNAH PRAYER
1- Fard means obligatory prayer; we 1- It is not an obligatory prayer, but it must offer this prayer five times a was a practice of the Holy Prophetsa day. to offer Sunnah prayers.
2- It is a sin in the sight of Allah to 2- The Holy Prophetsa advised us to miss a Fard prayer intentionally offer Sunnah Prayer, and it is very (on purpose). rewarding to offer this prayer.
3- If we miss it, we must offer it as 3- If we miss Sunnah Prayer on Qadaa (Missed) prayer later purpose, it is like disobeying the Holy on. Prophetsa, which is not good at all. In case, if we miss it by mistake, it is not necessary to offer the Qada Sunnah prayer.
4- When we are unable to offer it in 4- When we are unable to offer the the Mosque, we can offer it at Sunnah prayers in the Mosque, we home. can offer them at home.
129 Call to Prayer (Azaan)
Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar (twice)
Allah is the Greatest.
Ash'hadu alla ilaaha illa'llaah (twice) I bear witness there is no god but Allah
Ashadu anna Muhammadun Rasulullah (twice) I bear witness Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah
Hayya 'ala-s-salah (twice)
Come into prayer
Hayya 'ala-l-falah (twice)
Come into prosperity
Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar (twice) Allah is the Greatest
La ilaha illa'llah
There is no god but Allah
To every Morning Prayer (Fajr), after the words hayya 'ala falah, these words are added:
Asalatu khairum minan naum (twice)
Prayer is better than sleep.
130 A Second Call to Prayer (Iqaamah)
Iqaamah is called just immediately before the congregational prayer starts, by saying each line once instead of twice, and also by adding the following phrase just after “hayya 'ala-l- falah”:
“Qad qama tis-salatu; qad qama tis-salah” Stand for the prayer, stand for the prayer.
Allah is the Greatest.
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah Come into prayer
Come into prosperity
Prayer is starting
Prayer is starting
Allah is the Greatest.
Allah is the Greatest.
131 Wudhu and Tayammum
Muslims are commanded to perform the formal washing procedure of certain parts of the body in preparation for Salat. The Holy Qur’an says:
[5:7] O ye who believe! when you stand up for Prayer, wash your faces, and your hands up to the elbows, and pass your wet hands over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles. And if you be unclean, purify yourselves by bathing. And if you are ill or you are on a journey while unclean, or one of you comes from the privy or you have touched women, and find not water, betake yourselves to pure dust and wipe therewith your faces and your hands. Allah desires not that He should place you in a difficulty but He desires to purify you and to complete His favour upon you, so that you may be grateful.
The way in which the Holy Prophetsa performed wudhu is as follows:
1. The hands are washed to the wrists three times. 2. The mouth is rinsed with water three times. 3. The nostrils are cleaned three times by snuffing a little water into them, and blowing the nose if necessary. 4. The complete face is washed with water three times. 5. The right arm, and then the left, is washed from wrist to elbow. 6. The head is wiped over with wet hands, and the inner side of the ears wiped with the forefingers, and the outer side with the thumbs. 7. Finally, the feet are washed up to the ankles, the right one first. 8. After Wudhu or Tayammum recite this prayer:
Translation: Oh Allah, make me from among those who repent of their sins, and from among those who keep themselves neat, and clean.
132 By getting into the habit of performing wudhu, not only we obey the religious commandment, but also we establish the habit of cleanliness, and self discipline.
Importance of Wudhu: Wudhu is an act of cleaning ourselves. The Holy Prophetsa has said: “Cleanliness is half faith”.
This means faith is not complete without cleanliness. Allah is pure, and who ever loves Him must be pure or clean, externally, and internally. Since it is Allah’s command to the believers to clean their bodies, and their surroundings, therefore, it is necessary to keep yourself clean, specially before offering prayers.
A prayer, which is a direct contact with Allah, is unacceptable unless the person is clean.
The Following Things can Lapse or Break the Wudhu
1. Answering the call of nature (Urination or Passing stool) 2. Passing the water 3. Passing the wind 4. Sleeping or dozing off while leaning against a support 5. Unconsciousness 6. Injury 7. Drawing blood 8. Vomiting
If after ablution, one puts on socks, then it is not necessary to wash one's feet for the following 24 hours when one performs ablution. Instead, one should wet one's hands, and after shaking off the excess water, one should make passes with the hands on both feet over the socks.
This should be considered an alternative to the washing of the feet. This could be done for three days during a journey.
133 Tayammum
Tayammum should be performed instead of Wudhu or Ghusl (bath) in different situations.
The two most common situations for Tayammum are:
1. When the water is not found. 2. When one is not able to use water due to illness.
Tayammum can be performed with everything that is clean and found on the earth, such as sand, dirt, clay, stone, and other sort of earth.
If a person cannot find earth, sand, clay, or stone, he / she should perform Tayammum on mud. If even that is not available, then it could be done on dust particles which settle on the carpets or the dresses.
Remember! Tayammum can be done on earth, sand, clay or stone; but the it is strongly suggested that if earth is available Tayammum should not be performed on anything else.
The following 4 things are obligatory for Tayammum:
Intention (Niyyat)
Striking or keeping both the palms on the object on which Tayammum is valid. This should be done by placing both palms at the same time on the object, or surface.
134 Wiping, or stroking the complete forehead with the palms of both hands, and its two ends starting from the spot where the hair of one's head grow down to the eyebrows and above the nose.
It is recommended that the palms pass over the eyebrows as well.
Pass the left palm over the whole back of the right hand and pass the right palm over the whole back of the left hand.
135 Salat
Takbeer
Allah is the Greatest
1 2 Niyyah
I have turned my full attention towards Him
who has created the heavens and the earth
being ever inclined to Him, and I am not one of those associate partners with Allah.
136 Qayam- Standing Position
Thanaa
Holy are You O Allah the praiseworthy
and blessed is Your name
and exalted is Your Majesty and there is none to be worshipped besides You.
T`auz
I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Satan.
137 Surah Al-Fatiha
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful
All praise belongs to Allah Lord of all the Worlds.
The Gracious, the Merciful,
Master of the Day of Judgment.
You alone do we worship and You alone do we beseech for help.
Guide us in the right path.
The path of those upon whom You have bestowed Your blessings,
not of those who have incurred Your displeasure, nor of those who have gone astray.
138 Suratul Al-Ikhlas
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful
Say, He is Allah, the One
Allah, the Independent and Besought of all.
He begets not, nor He is begotten.
And there is none like unto Him.
Takbeer
Allah is the Greatest
Ruku- Bending on Knees
Holy is my Lord, the most Great
139
Tasmi`
Allah hears him who praises Him
Tahmeed
O Our Lord, Yours is the praise.
The praise that is bountiful, pure, and blessed.
Repeat Takbeer
Sajdah
Holy is my Lord, the Most High
Repeat Takbeer
140 Jalsa- Sitting between two Sajdah
O my Lord, forgive me and have mercy on me and guide me and
grant me security and make good my shortcomings and provide for me (feed me) and raise me up (in status).
Takbeer
Allah is the Greatest
Repeat Sajdah.
141 Attashahhud
All verbal worship is due to Allah, and all physical acts of worship and financial sacrifices.
Peace be on you O Prophet and the Mercy of Allah and His blessings.
Peace be on us and the righteous servants of Allah.
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.
142 Darud
Bless, O Allah, Muhammadsa
and his people
as You did bless Ibrahimas
and his people.
You are indeed the Praiseworthy, the Exalted.
O Allah, give prosperity to Muhammadsa
and his people
as You did prosper Ibrahimas
and his people.
You are indeed the Praiseworthy, the Exalted.
143 Du`a Before Salam (1)
Our Lord, grant us good in this world as well as good in the world to come,
and protect us from the torment of Fire.
Du`a Before Salam (2)
My Lord, make me observe prayer
and my children too.
and accept my prayer.
Our Lord, grant forgiveness to me and to my parents
and to the believers on the day when the reckoning will take place.
144 Tasleem
Peace be on you and the blessings of Allah. (2-times, First looking at the right shoulder then looking at the left shoulder)
Tasbeeh (At the end of the Prayer)
Holy is Allah (33 times)
All praise belong to Allah (33 times)
Allah is the Greatest (34 times)
145 Du’aa Qunoot-During Vitr Prayer
Allah we beseech your help and ask forgiveness.
And believe in You and trust in You and praise You in the best manner
And we thank You and we are not ungrateful to You, and we cast off and forsake him who disobeys You
Oh Allah! You alone do we serve, and You alone do we pray and we prostrate ourselves, and we rush for you and present ourselves
And we hope for your mercy and we fear Your chastisement
For surely your chastisement overtakes the disbelievers
146 EEttiiqquueetttteess ooff SSaallaatt
In the performance of Salat, certain etiquettes must be observed:
We must perform Wudhu before offering Salat. Our clothes must be neat, and clean, as well as the place where we offering Salat, like our prayer mat etc. Also, we should cover our head with a clean cap or a scarf.
We must try and reach the mosque in time for the Prayers. We should walk calmly and gracefully towards the mosque; and should not run even if the Prayer has started.
In a congregational Prayer, the first ranks should be filled in first. We should make the rows straight, and should narrow the gap between people so we are shoulder to shoulder.
We must concentrate on the Prayer, and try not to get distracted. During prayer, pay full attention to Allah as if you are seeing, and speaking with Him, or at least, that He is observing you.
During Salat we must not look around, talk or answer anyone, but look at the place of Sajdah. It is not permitted to close eyes during Salat.
We must follow the Imam (the person
147 leading the Prayer) in all his movements.
If we join the prayer late, or when everyone has finished some raka’ats, we should follow the Imam till the two Salams. We must not end our prayers by saying Salam, instead we should stand up when they finish without ending our prayer, and complete our prayer by performing the Raka’ats that we missed.
We should avoid passing in front of a person who is saying his/her Prayer.
A woman can lead Salat only in a women’s congregation. She should stand in the middle of the first row among other women, and not ahead of the first row.
Exercise:
1. Why is it important to be neat, and clean when offering Salat?
______
______
______
______
2. What happens to the person who is offering his Salat, when people are talking loudly nearby?
______
______
______
148 TThhee BBeenneeffiittss ooff SSaallaatt
Salat (Namaaz or Prayer) is the second pillar of Islam. It is obligatory for every Muslim to offer five daily prayers at the appointed times.
Salat has many benefits:
Allah is pleased with us when we offer Salat. It gives us peace of mind when we have fulfilled our duty towards Allah, and remembered Him.
Salat is a great source of communicating with God. By offering sincere prayers we make Allah our friend, and He makes us His friend.
Salat makes us believe that Allah has control over everything, and that He can save us from all kinds of troubles. He listens to our prayers, and we can pray to Him in any language.
While offering Salat we believe that we are facing Allah, and He is watching us. This thought creates fear of Allah, and helps us in staying away from sins and bad habits. Allah forgives our sins when we ask when we are sincere in asking forgiveness.
Offering Salat 5 times a day actually makes us more organized, and well disciplined. It makes us to do our day-to-day work on time. Therefore, we can become successful in our lives if we become punctual in offering Salat regularly, and sincerely.
Doing Wudhu 5 times a day before Salat keeps us neat, and clean throughout the day. Thus, we develop the habit of keeping ourselves neat and clean all the time.
149 Salat creates great love in our hearts for Allah, the Creator of the worlds and makes it easy for us to speak with him about anything. It also pleases our parents when they see their children are punctual in Salat, and are obedient to Allah.
EXERCISE: Words Sentences Salat
Obligatory
Peace
Offer
Bad Habits
Sin
Punctual
Neat and clean
Obedient
Love of Allah
150 PPrroohhiibbiitteedd TTiimmiinnggss ooff SSaallaatt
There are some times during the day when we are not allowed to offer Salat. They are as follows:
At the times of sunrise
At the times of sunset
151 When the sun is at its zenith or mid-day
Also, when the 'Asr Prayer has been performed, no optional Prayer like Nawafil should be offered between that time and the time of sunset.
Similarly, between Fajr prayer, and sunrise no optional prayer should be offered.
152
153
154 Prayer from Holy Qur’an:
FFoorr PPaarreennttss
O My Lord, have mercy on them even as they looked after me in my childhood (17:25)
Our parents spend a lot of time, and effort in raising us. They give us their greatest attention during the early years of our life.
This prayer is especially for our parents, and is asking Allah to have mercy on them because they had mercy on us when we were young.
EXERCISE:
1. Memorize the Prayer with translation. 2. Help out your parents with at least 10 different duties and describe what you did. (Examples: washing dishes, taking out garbage, cleaning, helping your brothers or sisters with their homework, other tasks your parents may ask of you, etc.)
155 3. Give different examples of the things that your parents do for you.
156 Prayer from the Holy Qur’an:
FFoorr AAllllaahh’’ss MMeerrccyy aanndd FFoorrggiivveenneessss
And say, My Lord, forgive and have mercy and Thou art the Best of those who show mercy (23:119).
Allah is so Gracious, He loves us more than our parents do, and He provides for us even before we ask Him. As humans we cannot be perfect, and therefore we do make mistakes. The Holy Qur’an has taught us to ask for forgiveness of our mistakes from our Creator, the All-Merciful and All-Forgiving Allah.
H.W: Memorize the Prayer with translation.
157 Prayer from the Holy Qur’an:
FFoorr SSuucccceessss iinn CCaalllliinngg ttoo AAllllaahh
O my Lord, open up for me my heart, and ease for me my task, and untie the knot of my tongue, that they may understand my speech (Chapter 20: 26-29).
Pharaoh, a ruler in Egypt, was a very cruel ruler during his time and mistreated other people by keeping them as slaves and forcing them to worship him.
Allah sent His prophet, Hadhart Musaas to convey His Message to the slaves and to free them. Hadhrat Musaas asked Allah in this prayer for His Help in giving His Message to the slaves of Pharaoh.
Allah accepted his prayer, and bestowed many blessings that resulted in the freedom of the slaves from the evil ruler Pharaoh.
158 EXERCISE:
H.W: Memorize the Prayer with translation. Fill in the blanks by matching the numbers with the letters.
What is the primary duty of each Ahmadi? How can this prayer help one in achieving that task?
______.
159 Prayer of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa:
AAfftteerr EEaattiinngg
All praise belongs to Allah who provided us with food and drink and enabled us to be Muslims (submissive to Allah) (Tirmidhi Kitab-ud-Da’awaat).
As we finish eating, we thank Allah for giving us food to fulfill the hunger and thirst of our body.
We also thank our God for making us Muslims by giving us the beautiful religion of Islam, which fulfills our spiritual thirst, and spiritual hunger (the thirst and hunger of our souls) and guides us to stay on the right path.
H.W: Memorize the Prayer with translation.
160 EXERCISE:
Use the letters below to make words in the crossword puzzle, and then write the phrase that appears!
(HINT: The phrase is present on the previous page)
Make Sentences using the words on the left: Praise
Provide
Food
Hunger
Thirst
Muslim
161 Prayer of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa:
OOnn LLeeaavviinngg HHoommee
(I leave my house), in the name of Allah and I put my trust in Allah. There is no power (to protect against sin) and there is no power (to do good) except with (the help of) Allah.
By saying this important prayer, we put our house and ourselves in Allah’s protection. He guards us, and our house from the evils, and dangers of the world.
This prayer tells that only Allah has the power to protect us from harm. Also, only Allah has the power to help us to do good. Thus, we need His help and support in every moment of our life.
H.W: Memorize the Prayer with translation. 162 EXERCISE:
Unscramble each of the clue words. Copy the letters in the numbered cells to other cells with the same number.
(Hint: The unscrambled words are in the English version of the Hadith)
Why it is important to pray to Allah when leaving home?
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______.
163 Prayer of the Holy Pophetsa:
OOnn EEnntteerriinngg tthhee HHoommee
O Allah! I supplicate You to grant me the best of entries (to my house) and the best of exits. In the name of Allah we enter and in Allah we put our complete trust.
On entering our house, we again supplicate our beloved Allah to grant us everlasting protection n and best achievements each time we enter or leave our house.
H.W: Memorize the Prayer with translation.
164 Prayer of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa:
WWhhiillee TTrraavveelliinngg
In the name of Allah be its path and its mooring. My Lord is assuredly most forgiving, Merciful. (Chapter 11: 42)
We are always in need of Allah’s protection no matter where we are, and what we do. This is a prayer for travelling, and we should recite it when we are on a journey.
We are asking Allah for His Help in making our travel safe, and successful.
We are asking Allah to protect us from all kinds of evil, and make our travelling experience a blessing for us.
H.W: Memorize the Prayer with translation.
165 EXERCISE: First find the words and then discover the hidden message!
O M Y L O R D G M A K E M Y E N T R Y A G N O O D E N T R Y A N D T H I E N M A K L E M E C O M E S F O R T H E A G O O D F O S R T H C O V M I N G A N D E G R A N T A M E F R O M T L H Y S E L R F A H E L P I B N G P O W T E R I J K U K V K B A O K P Y H W H P I N U C U A X A J J W O S L A T U Z G W I R F F Z B Q E Q Y L T W C R E Y E R P A H D F Z D L Y R D K H O M W I K B H E U L A Y Z F V X Y G L B O G C R N K V Y H F C F N X Z U H K Q U S G
BLESSING HELP ALLAH TRAVEL PRAYER
How does praying protect us from the dangers of the journey?
______
______
______
______
166 Prayer of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa:
FFoorr PPrrootteeccttiioonn AAggaaiinnsstt EEnneemmyy
Oh Allah we make You a shield against the enemy and we seek Your protection against their evil intentions.
Islam teaches its followers to stay away from fighting, except in self -defense.
In this prayer we ask Allah for protection against an enemy. Only Allah can save us from the bad schemes of evil people. We can say this prayer whenever we feel people around us can harm us. For example, if someone in school bullies us, we should pray to Allah in our heart to protect us from that person, and give us power to defend ourselves.
Therefore, whenever we feel we are in danger from someone who can hurt us, we should ask Allah for His help, and protection through this prayer.
167 EXERCISE:
Memorize the Prayer with translation.
1. Describe when in our lives we may need this prayer.
______
______
______
______
______
______
2. What do we ask of Allah in this prayer? Name and explain.
______
______
______
______
______
______
______.
168 Prayer of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa:
OOnn BBeeggiinnnniinngg tthhee FFaasstt
I intend to keep this morning’s fast, in the month of Ramadan.
The month of Ramadan is the holiest month of the year. As Muslims we are required to keep fasts during this holy month as prescribed by Allah, the Almighty.
The Promised Messiahas has advised that children after the age of 15 can begin to keep fast sometimes during this month, however, fasting becomes obligatory at the age of 18.
This is the prayer we read after eating our Sehri in the early morning (before dawn) to confirm our intentions to keep fast for that day.
169 Prayer of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa:
OOnn EEnnddiinngg aa FFaasstt
O Allah, I observed the fast for Your sake. I believe in You and I put my trust in You and I end the fast with what You have provided me.
By following the example of the Holy Prophetsa, we pray in these words when we open our fast during Iftari in the evening at the time of sunset.
In this prayer, we pray that we have fasted for the sake of Allah, and that we firmly believe in Allah, and place all our trust in Him.
This prayer also mentions that we end the fast with the food that Allah has provided and blessed us with.
170 EXERCISE:
Memorize the Prayers with translation.
1. What is the age at which fasting becomes mandatory? ______
______
2. Why do we fast? What does fasting make us understand? (HINT: How does fasting help us feel what others in the world may be going through?).
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
3. What do we celebrate at the end of the month of Ramadhan?
______
______
171
Ahadith
Hadith is an Arabic word which means “a new saying”. Ahadith is the plural of a Hadith.
In Islam, Hadith means the words actually spoken by the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa.
We as Muslims should always read and understand Ahadith as many as possible to learn from them how to become good Muslims.
172 Hadith: SSeeeekkiinngg ooff KKnnoowwlleeddggee
The Holy Prophet Muhammadsa has said: Seeking of knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim man and woman (Baihiqi).
Knowledge is power. A person who knows less can never be equal to a person who has good knowledge. Therefore, every Muslim, either man or woman, must achieve an outstanding position in the fields of both worldly and religious knowledge, through hard work, and prayer.
This Hadith shows that Islam treats men and women equally in the matters of learning, and gaining knowledge.
H.W: Memorize the Hadith with translation.
173 EXERCISE:
1. How is this Hadith a proof of Islam’s equal treatment of men and women?
______
______
______
______
2. What do you need to do to achieve outstanding positions in both worldly and religious knowledge?
______
______
______
______
3. Name and explain the 2 types of knowledge the Hadith mentions?
1) ______
2) ______
174 Hadith: PPeerrssiisstteennccee iinn PPrraayyeerrss
The Holy Prophet Muhammadsa has said: It is a sin to abandon praying.
Persistence means continuously doing something, even when it appears to be useless. Abandon means to leave or to stop doing something. Allah always hears our prayers.
Sometimes when we pray for things, which are not good for us, Allah decides not to accept our requests. At a time like this, it may appear that prayer is useless, but Allah makes some other good things happen for us.
Therefore, even when we feel hopeless, and it seems as if Allah is not listening to our prayers we must not stop praying. If we stop that means we think Allah does not know what is good for us.
We are always in need of praying to Allah. He says in the Holy Qur’an that He would not care for you, if you do not pray to Him. Prayers also give us the chance to become closer to Allah, and ask Him for His help in everything. Allah protects us from evil, and we also become stronger, and successful in our lives.
Always be regular in your prayers, for it is a sin not to pray.
H.W: Memorize the Hadith with translation.
175 EXERCISE:
1. What does Allah say in the Holy Qur’an about praying?
______
______
______
2. Why is it important to be regular in prayers?
______
______
______
______
3. What do we gain by praying to Allah?
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______.
176
4. Find the words at the bottom of the page and circle them.
T A Y Y I D A M H A O Q M T S A U M S T N E R A P P P E R K R Y U E N Z L S C E S R E I I F E T J R N I I R U S V D A N X P K I X C Z S B D E O B C D I S L A M L I R U I N Z X D N G D T A R S G F L Q I A M S E C N Y R T I H E U D P X G P S F G I A A O B Z T L P Z M R S L A N V N E J U L S A P F E D X C I E I H H N J B H L O Y H E B S T U G R A C I O U S A E Q T X F H H R L L C O I L R E Y E S U B W P O I F F L H P K W W V R O O A P F M A T M D L
AHMADIYYAT PERSISTANCE KINDNESS ISLAM MERCIFUL ALLAH HEARTS FORGIVING BELIEVERS HONESTY GRACIOUS PARENTS HAPPINESS PRAYER FAITH
177 Hadith: CCrriitteerriiaa ooff aa TTrruuee MMuusslliimm
The Holy Prophet Muhammadsa has said: A (true) Muslim is he who keeps protected other Muslims from his tongue and hands (Bukhari, Kitabul Eeman).
We should protect our Muslim brothers and sisters from our tongues by not speaking badly about them, especially behind their backs.
We should also protect our Muslim brothers and sisters from our hands by not fighting with them or causing them any pain.
This Hadith means that we should not hurt other Muslims either by hurting their feelings (through our tongues) or by giving them physical injury (through our hands). H.W: Memorize the Hadith with translation.
178 EXERCISE: 1. First find the words, and then discover the hidden message. A T R U E M G U C S S L I M I S N H R R E W H O K E I S I E E P S P R O T T T H E C T E D C I O E T T H E R E M B U R O S L I T M S K F I R R O O M H I C S A B T R O N G U A E A N P D H A N D B S B F
BACKBITING BROTHERS CRITERIA PROTECTS Message:
2. Make Sentences from the following words:
Backbiting
Protect
Hurt
Fighting
179 Hadith: CCrriitteerriiaa ooff aa TTrruuee BBeelliieevveerr
The Holy Prophet Muhammadsa has said: None among you is a true believer unless he likes for his brother (in faith) what he likes for himself (Bukhari, Kitabul Eeman).
It is human nature to wish for nice things for oneself. This Hadith explains that a true believer is one, who likes and chooses those things for other believers that he or she likes and chooses for him or herself.
This means that we should treat others the way we would like to be treated. All Muslims are brothers and sisters; therefore we should choose for all Muslims what we choose for ourselves.
H.W: Memorize the Hadith with translation.
180 EXERCISE: Write a paragraph about why it is important to treat others the way we would like to be treated. ______
______.
181 Hadith: TThhee BBeesstt AAccttiioonn
The Holy Prophet Muhammadsa has said: The best action in the sight of Allah is that which is done with regularity, even if it is small.
All good deeds (no matter how small) make Allah happy, and also benefit us in many ways. We should do good deeds everyday to please Allah.
This Hadith points out that if we start doing something good, we should not give it up after sometime. In fact we should make a habit to keep practicing it. For example, helping others, cleaning our home, being truthful, offering salat on time, reading the Holy Qur’an, and doing Homework regularly.
H.W: Memorize the Hadith with translation.
182 EXERCISE: Unscramble the tiles to reveal a message. Message 1:
Message 2: What do you learn from this message? ______
______
______
______
183 Hadith: AA WWoorrdd ooff GGooooddnneessss
The Holy Prophet Muhammadsa has said: A word of goodness is an act of charity (Bukhari).
Charity comes in many forms. You can give charity by donating money to the poor or even by giving your time to help out where you are needed. However, this Hadith tells us, even a word of goodness is like performing an act of charity.
Thus, always remember to say good things to others because they get counted as good acts. If you tell someone about a good act, and make him or her to do it, then you also get reward by Allah.
So, telling someone to do a good deed (and they actually do it) is like having done the good deed yourself.
H.W: Memorize the Hadith with translation.
184 EXERCISE:
Reflect, and describe an experience in which you have told a friend a nice thing, or comforted them when they needed someone.
185 Hadith: KKiinnddnneessss ttoo YYoouunnggeerr oonneess aanndd RReessppeecctt ttoo EEllddeerrss
The Holy Prophet Muhammadsa has said: He who is not kind to our younger ones and does not recognize the right of our elders, is not from among us (Abu-Dawood).
This Hadith explains that our elders must treat their younger ones with kindness, and respect instead of ignoring them or not caring for them.
However, our younger ones also must show due respect, and regard to their elders.
This Hadith applies to all people, no matter how young or how old. The Holy Prophetsa has said in this Hadith that those who do not follow this advice are not from among us (Muslims).
H.W: Memorize the Hadith with translation.
186 EXERCISE:
First unscramble the words on the right and then use the matching numbers to letters to solve the phrases!
Write down one benefit of respecting, and listening to our elders, and one benefit of showing love and care to our young ones.
______
______
______
______
______
______.
187 Hadith: AAllllaahh’’ss HHeellpp
The Holy Prophet Muhammadsa has said: God helps a person who helps his brother (in mankind) (Bukhari; Muslim Kitabuz Zikr).
The Holy Qur’an (Chapter 5:3) commands us to help one another in acts of righteousness, and goodness. It also prohibits us from helping one another in matters of sin.
We should follow the teachings of the Holy Qur’an to earn the love of Allah, and help out each other in good deeds.
This Hadith explains that Allah helps that person who helps other people in good deeds. Thus, to get Allah’s help, we should always be helpful towards other people when they need our help in good matters.
H.W: Memorize the Hadith with translation.
188 EXERCISE:
Unscramble the tiles to reveal a message!
Describe three good things you can get from helping others.
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189 Hadith: SShhooww MMeerrccyy ttoo OOtthheerrss
The Holy Prophet Muhammadsa has said: One who does not show mercy will not be shown mercy (Bukhari-Kitabul Adab).
The purpose of our life is to worship Allah, and to develop the attributes of Allah in ourselves.
Allah is ‘Rahman’ and ‘Raheem’ and His mercy covers everything. Therefore, He expects us to be kind and merciful to all of His creation.
Allah does not like a person at all, who does not try to treat others kindly and with mercy in his daily life. How can a person like that expect mercy and kindness from Allah in the times when he needs it?
H.W: Memorize the Hadith with translation.
190 EXERCISE:
1. What is the purpose of our creation?
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2. How can the purpose of our creation be fulfilled properly?
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3. Why is it important for us to act mercifully towards others in our daily lives?
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4. Describe any act of mercy that you may have done towards others?
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191 Hadith: TThhiinnkk BBeeffoorree yyoouu SSppeeaakk
The Holy Prophet Muhammadsa has said: Speaking (without thinking) leads to trouble (Chehl Ahadith)
One has no control over the good or bad effects of his words once these have been spoken. Therefore, we should always think before we speak.
We are responsible for the words that we speak, and thus it is very important to think about what effects your words may have on somebody else before you say them.
You should not say something that may be hurtful to another. Instead, you should say kind things.
H.W: Memorize the Hadith with translation.
192 EXERCISE:
Fill in the matching letters and discover the phrase.
Why it is important to be careful when we speak with others?
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193 Glossary
# WORD MEANING 1 Divine Preceding from God 2 Path A way of life 3 A.D. Anno Domini- from the birth of Hazrat Isa(as) 4 Noble High quality or class 5 Descendants Generation 6 Pious Religious 7 Honourable Highly respectable 8 Muhammad(sa) Worthy of praise 9 Countryside Village 10 Nursed To provide care 11 Chief Leader 12 Terrible Bad condition 13 Dispute Disagreement 14 Idols Statues 15 Al-Amin The trusty 16 As-Saadiq The truthful 17 Assist To give help 18 Widow A woman whose husband is no longer living 19 Hired To pay for service 20 Wealth Lots of money 21 Pitiful Bad condition 22 Circulation Tawaf 23 Recite To repeat 24 Trembling Shaking due to fear 25 Testimony Witness 26 Righteous Morally good 27 Kuffar The disbelievers 28 Preaching To spread a word of God 29 Torture Treat badly 30 Dragg To pull along 31 Heap Pile 32 Utter To speak 33 Awfully Unpleasant 34 Strangle To kill by choking 35 Plot Plan 36 Persecution Ill-treatment due to religion 37 Hesitate A state of doubt 38 Hijrah Migration 39 Courage To face without fear 40 Conquest To win
194 41 Amazing Wonderful 42 Spiritually Related to religion 43 Sallallaahu Alaihi wa Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny aalehi wasallam 44 Mission Task to be carried out 45 Khalifa Successor of the prophet 46 Qudrat-e- Sania The second coming of the divine guidance 47 Supervised To be have charge 48 Huffaaz People who memorize the Holy Quran 49 Successor Khalifa 50 Opponent One who is against 51 Majlis shoora Body of advisors to the Khalifa 52 Demise Death 53 Ghani Generous to the poor 54 Martyr Person who is killed for his belief 55 Disorder Not organized 56 Donations Act of giving for charity 57 Revenge To cause harm in return for any harm done 58 Fatally Deadly 59 Wounded Injured 60 Khawaarij A group of people who chose a different leader for themselves
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