ISSUE 4 | JANUARY 2019 THA BULLETIN TORONTO HIFZ ACADEMY | 2 THORNCLIFFE PARK DRIVE, UNIT #50 | TORONTO, ON M4H 1H2, CANADA Horseback Riding Ahmed Hatia (Age: 12) It is said that the beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) said that you should teach your kids four physical activities which are, horseback riding, archery, swimming, and wrestling. Allah also informs us in the Quran that He created horses, mules, and donkeys for us to ride. Some of the benefits of horseback riding are, it builds core strength, is good for lower back pain, builds pelvis strength, builds inner thigh strength, helps with balance, it calms the mind, lightens the mood, and is fun. Horseback riding originated in Central Asia at around 800 BC. Horseback riding was also an excellent way to travel during wars. Horseback riding was used during business trips to get to other cities or towns faster. Horseback riding is a fun and effective way to travel without polluting the earth. Horseback riding was used by the beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) and many other people to travel to faraway places and to migrate and is still used in the Olympics today. Horseback riding is a physical activity that is also THA BULLETIN is a student publication of one of the four sunnah sports and it is good for physical, mental, and spiritual health. the Toronto Hifz Academy. Articles and accompanying graphics in this issue are based on the theme “Sports and Nutrition” and were written and created by our Full- Time Hifz students. -!1- THA BULLETIN Swimming Dawood Rahaman (Age 13) and Obaidullah Sukhera (Age 12) Our beloved Prophet Muhammed (saw) encouraged every Muslim to learn how to swim because it has many benefits for the mind and the body. It is also important for us to know how to swim in case of an emergency. As much as it is important to learn to swim because of safety reasons, it is also has great health benefits. Swimming makes your heart and lungs strong. While swimming you are working on your breathing, and you are making your heart and lungs work twice as hard as you would on dry earth. Swimming is one of the only sports that truly works your whole body because you use all your muscles. Swimming helps maintain a healthy weight, tones muscles, builds strength and builds endurance. Swimming is also a relaxing sport, people dealing with stress and anxiety often swim to relax the mind. There are many places in the Quran that mention exercising and respecting the body that Allah has given to you. Doing any exercise with the niyyat that you’re doing it because it is recommended by the Prophet Muhammad (saw), becomes a Sunnah and reward. Archery Adnaan Essak (Age 13) Archery is a form of sport or entertainment in which you use a bow and arrow. It is used to hunt for food and for the entertainment of others. Archery is an important sport because it is one of the four sunnah sports. During the time of our Nabi (S.A.W) people used archery for hunting and fighting. The Muslims used archery for the Battle of Badr to fight against the Kuffars and won. The first people that made a bow and arrow were Africans, about 64,000 years ago. Archery is one of the oldest sports which people still play. Archery was first made to hunt and they started to use it for fighting and now they use it for games and entertainment. The benefits of archery are that it improves your focus and improves your upper body strength. It also helps you socialize with other people and helps you exercise. Archery trains your hands to aim based on the feedback from your eyes which make you better at aiming. The benefits of doing hifz and archery together is that it helps with your focus and helps you be patient. It also helps you relax and helps you with control. In conclusion, archery has been around for a very long time and is still a useful sport today. -2! - ISSUE 4 | JANUARY 2019 Wre s t l i n g Yunus Baloch (Age 20) Wrestling is a sport deeply embedded in Islam. Muslims have participated in this sunnah sport since it was introduced over 15,000 years ago. Wrestling was a way of solving disputes. People with disputes would challenge each other to a wrestling match to settle their problems. On one occasion, Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) wrestled a disbeliever, which eventually resulted in the disbeliever losing and becoming Muslim. Wrestling matches would usually take place in a ring or a flat surface with enough space to roll around. Wrestling includes many physical combat moves, such as grappling, throws and joint locks. It is very beneficial as it increases one's physical strength, mental toughness and endurance. Wrestling has also helped shape some of the best leaders in the world, including Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) and Umar (R.A.). Umar (R.A.), the second Caliph of Islam, was the best wrestler of his time. He was known to have been in many wrestling matches, and even wrestled a Jin, which resulted in him winning. One of the similarities Umar (R.A.) shared with Nabi (S.A.W.) was that they “The Eagle” both loved and encouraged wrestling as a sport. Although Islam is a religion of peace, our leaders never shied away from sport or Mohammed Yusuf Khan (Age 12) and Ibrahim Kazi (Age 13) competition, and in fact, used the skills to be more effective. Khabib Nurmagomedov, also known as “The Eagle”, is a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter and is the two time Sambo World Champion. (Sambo is a Russian martial arts and combat sport.) Khabib was born on September 20, 1988 in Dagestan, Russia. At the age of eight, his father trained him in various martial arts. When he was nine he wrestled a baby bear. When Khabib was a teenager he was really strong, so people wanted to challenge him. It was a tradition in Khabib’s country to wrestle. Khabib’s family is a huge part of his success. His father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, was an army veteran. Hs father learned judo and sambo in the military and then taught it to Khabib. His brother's name is Abubakar Magomed Nurmagomedov fights in the in the Welterweight division of professional fighters league. He is a combat sambo world champion bronze medalist. Mashallah, Khabib has a skilled family. Khabib’s most famous quote is, “ When I'm in the ring, I feel like I represent my country and my billion Muslim fans.” -!3- THA BULLETIN Greatest of All Time (G.O.A.T.) Shafiullah Hadi (Age 19) Muhammad Ali, born January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky, was a professional boxer. He was one of the most significant sports figures of the century. He was mentored by Malcolm-X, a Muslim human rights activist, and through him, learned about Islam and converted in 1964. He changed his name, Cassius Clay, which he called his “slave name”, to Muhammad Ali. In 1966, Muhammad Ali refused to join the U.S. military, due to his religious beliefs. He was arrested and was stripped of his boxing titles. In 1971, his conviction was overturned . By this time he had not fought for 4 years. Muhammad Ali continued with boxing and retired in 1981. Muhammad Ali's actions made him an icon for Muslims and African Americans throughout the country. He stayed strong with Islam when it came to joining the military. In the Quran it says to fight for the cause of Allah and not for the cause of disbelievers, because the believers fight for the cause of the devil. Muhammad Ali didn't want to fight in the U.S. military because he knew this “Boom Boom” was a fight between disbelievers and he did not want to be a part Saad Ramin (Age 8) and Abdullah Malek (Age 10) of it. As Muslims, we should follow the Quran no matter what hardships come with it. Muhammad Ali knew his career and life Shahid Afridi was born on March 1st 1980, in Khyber were on the line, but he followed what he believed and this Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Afridi played for Pakistan’s international resulted in the legacy we know today. cricket team from 1996-2012. His nickname is Mr. Boom Boom because he hits more than 6 sixes in every game. Shahid Afridi is not only good at batting, but is also really good at bowling. Shahid Afridi is known to be one of the best cricket players in cricket history. After Afridi retired, he used the time that he had to focus on his Afridi Foundation, which focuses on Pakistan. The reason why it is focused on Pakistan is so that the Afridi Foundation can make it a better country. The Afridi Foundation supports poor people, hospitals, and people that have a very severe illness. The Afridi Foundation also supports other countries that are in need. Afridi was, and still is, popular because he was a very explosive batsman during his professional career, but what he did after his career, by using his fame and money to create the Afridi Foundation is what makes him an even better Muslim athlete. -4! - ISSUE 4 | JANUARY 2019 King Khan Yousaf Baloch (Age 15) Amir Iqbal Khan is a Muslim boxer from Bolton, England who was raised in a Punjabi family originally from Pakistan. Amir has two sisters, Nikhat and Farhat, and a brother Haroon. Haroon “Harry” Khan in also a boxer, who is undefeated in 7 total matches.