My_Faith_Islam_3

ry fh fh my faith ...ISLAM fh fh Mawlana Feizel Chothia fh Mu‘allimah Naeema Desai fh fh fh A TEXTBOOK FOR fh fh ‘AQA’ID fh AKHLAQ fh fh FIQH fh ‘AD‘IYAH ADAB QASAS AL-AMBIYA’ SIRAT AN-NABI & TARIKH AL-ISLAM GRADE 3 fh vnmy faith ...ISLAM

ry fh fh my faith ...ISLAM Author fh Mawlana Feizel Chothia fh A TEXTBOOK FOR ‘AQA’ID, AKHLAQ, FIQH, ‘AD‘IYAH WA ADAB, ‘QASAS AL- Reviewed by AMBIYA’ , SIRAT AN-NABI & TARIKH Mu‘allimah Naeema Desai AL-ISLAM Typesetting fh GRADE 3 Mawlana Feizel Chothia Cover Design Mawlana Feizel Chothia fh fh fh fh fh fh fh fh fh fh vn my faith ...ISLAM 1

preface ry fh The preservation of the religious and moral heritage of Muslims is impor- fh tant as well as complex. To impart Islamic education to children and to fh enable them to grow as Muslims in modern society offers a great challenge fh to us. A fundamentally important facet in this context is Islamic didactic fh material. It gives me pleasure to say that the book ‘MY FAITH, ISLAM’ rep- fh resents a positive attempt to address this challenge. fh fh For a long time, the need has been felt for an augmentation of the current fh Islamic studies programs. An innitiative was undertaken to address this fh need. The outcome is ‘MY FAITH, ISLAM’. It is a comprehensive set of text- fh books on Islamic Studies embracing the full school career of Muslim chil- dren. The books have been specially graded to enable children from grade fh one through to grade twelve to relate to the text in a manner that suits their fh particular academic level. fh This text is designed to be both practical and interesting. I hope that the users will find the variety of topics, exercises and extracts do, in fact, fulfil that aim. An effort has been made to present the matter in a methodical and readable manner and all major Islamic topics pertinent to Muslim children have been included. The text has been presented in lesson format and I have used language which is simple and a style which is appealing to young minds. I have attempted to narrate the facts in such a way that there is a moral lesson for the learners in each section and through every lesson I attempt to motivate the learner to imbibe the spirit of Islam and transform it into practical living. Although care has been taken to cover aspects as thoroughly as possible, constructive and clear criticism would be appreciated to improve the mate- rial. In the preparation of these books consideration was given to the limit- ed time teachers have in preparing lessons. However, teachers should still make use of any extra material they have appropriate to the standard and lesson. I do not claim this material to be the best, but it is the product of very sin- cere and laborious efforts. How far I have succeeded in my attempt is for the users to judge. Books do provide a basis for education and it is the teachers who make them really useful and meaningful. Books on their own can do no miracle for young people unless they are properly geared to use them. I hope the Islamic teachers will remain conscious of this. Although my aim has primarily been to fascilitate the instruction of teach- ers and the assimilation of children I hope it will benefit parents too. I will deem my efforts well rewarded if it inspires young Muslims to under stand and practice Islam passionately. May Allah accept my humble effort and make it a source of my salvation in fh the Hereafter. Amin. vnMawlana Feizel Chothia Ramadan 1427 AH / October 2006 CE 2 my faith ...ISLAM

ry fh acknowledgements fh “Whoesoever is not grateful to people is not grateful to Allah.” fh fh I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude in appreciation of the enthusiasm, fh sincerity and dedication to Islamic re-awakening of brother Muhammad fh Doola without who's support this treatise could not have been accom- fh plished. Special thanks to brother Muhammad Amod who provided invalu- fh able technical assistance in the production of this work. Their love of Faith is most heartening and inspirational indeed. May Allah, the Exalted, grant them all the best of this world and the hereafter. I would be failing in my duty if I did not display my gratitude to my mentors, Mawlana Hasan Docrat a truly outstanding and erudite scholar of Islam, who very kindly proof-read the work. I owe a special debt of gratitude to my wife, Mu'allimah Naeema Desai Chothia, without whose assistance, support, encouragement and patience this work would not have been Possible. Finally, let me add that if this work stimulates a more assertive and active interest in Islamic faith and doctrine amongst young Muslims, I will consid- er the effort to have been amply rewarded. Mawlana Feizel Chothia fh Mawlana Feizel Chothia has devoted his life to the cause of Islam. Born in fh Johannesburg, South Africa in 1970 he was educated at the Madrasah Arabiyah fh Islamiyah (Dar Al-Ulum Azaadville) institute of traditional Islamic sciences, one of the fh most well known institutions of Islamic learning in South Africa. He studied under the fh guidance of the eminent Islamic scholar and Shaykh ul-Hadith (Specialist in Prophetic Tradition), Mawlana Fazlur Rahman Azmi and Mawlana Hasan Docrat, author of the popular work on Arabic syntax, ‘A Simplified Arabic Grammar’ and Syllabus Co-ordina- torof Madrasah Arabiyah Islamiyah. He has also acquired a post graduate degree in Islamic Studies under the guidance of the distinguished academic, Prof. Abdur Rahman I. Doi. He has specialist training in Islamic jurisprudence, primarily the Hanafi School of Law, and his approach is rooted in a traditional, normative stance. Mawlana Feizel has traveled widely in the cause of Islam, visiting Arabia, Palestine, South East Asia, Turkey and England as well as living both in South Africa and Australia where he served as Imam in numerous Masjids and was actively engaged in Islamic propagation, teaching and administration, and developing curricula and materials for Islamic elementary and afternoon schools (ie. Madaris - primary and secondary Islamic seminaries). Apart from his formal training and experience, his development as an Islamic scholar within the Western milieu and his intimacy with Western culture and its institutions has served him well in assessing and positively engaging the challenges it poses to Muslims and the Islamic Faith. He currently lives in Perth where he is associated with a number of innovative projects in the field of Islamic education and literature. fh Mu'allimah Naeema Desai Chothia is a South African born graduate of Madrasah Tarbiyat ul-Banat, a popular tertiary Islamic institute near Johannesburg. She has, in the course of her academic endeavors, also acquired a diploma in the Montessori method of nursery and pre-school education. She has experience in teaching in pri- fh mary, secondary and tertiary Islamic seminaries (ie.Madrasah's and Dar ul-'Ulum's) and Nursery and Pre-schools, as well as conducting teenage and adult Islamic educa- tional programs for women and new convert Muslims, both in South Africa and Australia. Mu'allimah Naeema Desai is a qualified Islamic Studies directress with twelve years of experience as not only a teacher but also as principal of Islamic primary vn seminaries. She currently lives in Perth, Australia. my faith ...ISLAM 3

introduction ry fh T PThe first and most crucial obligation upon a Muslim is to fh fh acquire knowledge. This is so because correct knowledge fh must come before correct action. The opposite is also true: that par- fh tial or false knowledge could, and does, lead to wrong or disastrous fh conduct. It is impossible for a Muslim to live according to the require- fh ments of Islam and at the same time live in a state of ignorance and fh barbarity. fh fh Our attitude, as Muslims, to knowledge is an important part of our fh worldview. How well we understand and fulfil our role as human beings will depend on the type of knowledge we acquire, the sources fh we depend on and the ways in which we gain knowledge, and the fh purposes for which we use our knowledge. Knowledge is connected in Islam with worship. The acquiring of knowledge is worship, reading the Qur’an and pondering upon it is worship, travelling to gain knowledge is worship. The practice of knowledge is connected with ethics and morality - with promoting virtue and combatting vice, enjoining right and forbidding wrong. Knowledge is to be pursued and practiced with modesty and humili- ty and leads to beauty and dignity, freedom and justice. The main pur- pose of acquiring knowledge is to bring us closer to Allah. It is not simply for the gratification of the mind or the senses. It is not knowl- edge for its own sake or science for its own sake. Knowledge accord- ingly must be linked with values and goals. One of the purpose of acquiring knowledge is to gain the good of this world, not to destroy it through wastage, arrogance and shameless- ness in the reckless pursuit of higher standards of material comfort. Another purpose of knowledge is to spread freedom and dignity, truth and justice. It is not to gain power and dominance for its own sake. The Qur’an is our most important link with reality. A Muslim must therefore acquire a knowledge of the Qur’an and its essential guid- ance. A Muslim needs to have a knowledge of the Sunnah of the Sacred Prophet Muhammad [s]. This is because his Sunnah is the practical method or path for implementing Islam. The Sunnah includes what the noble Prophet [s] said, what he did and what he agreed to. From the Qur’an and the Sunnah a Muslim needs to have a knowledge of the Shari‘ah or the Islamic Moral and Legal System which regulates man’s actions. A Muslim needs to know the purpos- es of the Shari‘ah and how it categorises life’s transactions, that is, what is lawful (halal) and what is unlawful (haram) and the principles and values that govern each. Islamic knowledge is the only authentic way to come nearer and clos- fh er to the Creator. It informs us of Him, of His attributes, of how He rules over the cosmos and history, of how He relates Himself to us, and how we should relate to Him, to ourselves and to our fellowmen, fh and to every other being. It is also important to remember that the search for knowledge is a life-long process and does not end with the receiving of a certificate. vn4 my faith ...ISLAM

ry fh GENERAL contents fh ‘AQA’ID beliefs 7 fh LESSON 1 Allah, the All-Hearing 9 fh LESSON 2 Allah, the Merciful 21 LESSON 3 Islam, Our Religion 37 ‘AKHLAQ character 57 fh LESSON 1 Respect for Teachers 59 LESSON 2 Respect for Neighbours 75 LESSON 3 Respect for Guests & Hosts 87 fh FIQH islamic law 105 fh LESSON 1 Tayammum 109 LESSON 2 Zakah 127 LESSON 3 Sawm 143 fh LESSON 4 Haj 161 AD‘IYAH wa ADAB supplications and etiquette 183 fh REVISION 186 fh LESSON 1 Du‘a’ during Wudu’ 193 LESSON 2 Du‘a’ when Eating Elsewhere 194 194 Du‘a’ after Drinking Water fh LESSON 3 Du‘a’ after Drinking Milk 194 Du‘a’ Morning and Evening 197 Du‘a’ when Entering a Bazaar 197 fh LESSON 4 Du‘a’ when Boarding a Vehicle 202 fh LESSON 5 Du‘a’ when Commencing a Journey 202 Du‘a’ when Returning from Journey 202 Du‘a’ when in Prosperity 206 Du‘a’ when in Adversity 206 fh LESSON 6 Du‘a’ when seeing Another in Adversity 206 LESSON 7 Arabic Numerals 211 Important Phrases 211 fh QASAS AL-AMBIYA’ 213 stories of the prophets 215 vn LESSON 1 The Story of Musa[a] my faith ...ISLAM 5

ry fh LESSON 2 The Story of ‘Isa [a] 255 fh fh SIRAT AN-NABI 291 fh life of nabi muhammad [s] - REVISION gr. 1-2 294 fh LESSON 1 The Birth of the Prophet [s] 311 fh LESSON 2 The Prophet’s [s] Youth 331 LESSON 3 The Revelation Begins 347 LESSON 4 Cruelty of the Quraysh 361 LESSON 5 The Mi’raj 377 LESSON 6 The Hijrah to Madinah 397 LESSON 7 The Victory of Islam TARIKH AL-ISLAM fh411 history of islam fh413 LESSON 1 Sayyiduna ‘Uthman [r] LESSON 2 Sayyiduna ‘Ali [r] 427 fhCURRICULUM Profile & PERFORMANCE Assessment 445 fh fh ABBREVIATIONS T - An activity that must be conducted by the teacher. fhC - An activity or exercise that must be completed by the child. - An activity or exercise that requires the assistance or fh P participation of the parent. fh As a mark of reverence, Muslims are required to invoke the benedictions of Allah upon the Noble Prophets and angels whenever their names are mentioned. Prayers are also invoked upon the Family and Companions of the Prophet [s] as well as the pious pred- ecessors of Islam. [s] - sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam : May the Peace and Blessings [a] - of Allah be upon him. fh [r] - alayhis-salam : On whom be peace. [rh] - radiy-allahu anhu / anha : May Alla be pleased with him / her rahmat-ullahi alayhi / ha : May Allah shower His Mercy upon him / her vn6 my faith ...ISLAM

ry ‘AQA’ID beliefs fh fh fh fh fh X fh fh fh ry fh vn fh fh fh fh C O N T E N T fh S fh LESSON 1 Allah, the All-Hearing LESSON 2 Allah, the Merciful 9 21 vn LESSON 3 Islam, Our Religion 37 my faith ...ISLAM 7

ry fh The word Islam is derived from the Arabic root T P fh fh ‘salama’ which means, among other things, peace, fh purity, submission and obedience. In the religious sense the fh word Islam means submission to the Will of Allah and obedi- fh ence to His Law. The connection between the original and the fh religious meanings of the word is strong and obvious. Only fh through submission to the Will ofAllah and by obedience to His fh Law can one achieve true peace and enjoy lasting purity. fh fh Those who follow Islamic teachings are Muslims. Contrary to popular misconceptions, Islam or submission to the Will of Allah, together with obedience to His Law, does not mean in any way loss of individual freedom or surrender to fatalism. Anyone who thinks or believes so has certainly failed to under- stand the true meaning of Islam and the concept of Allah in Islam. The concept of Allah in Islam describes Him as the Most Merciful and Gracious, and the Most Loving and most con- cerned with the well-being of man, and as Full of Wisdom and care for His Creatures. His Will, accordingly, is a Will of Benevolence and Goodness, and whatever Law He pre- scribes must be in the best interest of mankind. Submission to the good Will of Allah, therefore, does not take away or curtail individual freedom. On the contrary, it gives free- dom of a high degree in abundant measures. It frees the mind from super stitions and fills it with truth. It frees the soul from sin and wrong and quickens it with goodness and purity. It frees the self from vanity and greed, from envy and tension, from fear and insecurity. It frees man from subjugation to false deities and low desires, and unfolds before him the beautiful horizons of goodness and excellence. Submission to the good Will of Allah, together with obedience fh to His beneficial Law, is the best safeguard of peace and har- mony. It enables man to make peace between himself and his fellow men on the one hand, and between the human com- fh munity and Allah on the other. It creates harmony among the elements of Nature. Man is singled out as being endowed with intelligence and the power of making choices. When he choos- fh es the course of submission to the Law ofAllah, he will be mak- ing harmony between himself and all the other elements of Nature, which are by necessity obedient to Allah. He will be consistent with the truth and in harmony with all the other ele- fh ments of the universe. But if he chooses disobedience he will deviate from the Right Path and will be inconsistent. Besides, he will incur the displeasure and punishment of the Law-Giver. vn8 my faith ...ISLAM

ry lesson 1 fh fh OUTCOME OBJECTIVES TP fh - learn about Allah as the ‘All-Hearing’ fh - realize that Allah hears everything, even the whisper- ing of our hearts - discover that Allah always hears the prayers of His fh servants fh - discern that Allah always comes to the assistance of those who do good deeds sincerely for His pleasure alone - learn that those who care for their parentrs are cared fh for by Allah fh LESSON OVERVIEW TP BY THE END OF THIS LESSON THE CHILD fh WILL HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO : - listen to an extract being read out by the teacher fh explaining the attribute of Allah, the ‘All-Hearing’ - complete a true & false exercises for comprehension fh - investigate & colour-in an Arabic word for enjoyment - learn a new Ayah and a new Hadith - search for words in a word maze fh - construct simple sentences using a word list - develop a tangible appreciation of the attribute the ‘All-Hearing’ fh - read a short story describing Allah as the ‘All-Hearing’ - find suitable one word meanings for the vocabulary list fh - identify the specific teachings of the story - colour-in a picture for enjoyment - solve & colour-in a maze fh - relate a true story associated with the topic - use a mirror to read a hidden message - search for verses in the Holy Qur’an related to the topic vn my faith ...ISLAM 9

Read and explain the following. ryT L E S S O N 1 Allah fhAllah hears everything, the truth we ry fvhn speak and the lies too. THE ALL- fhAllah hears when we call on him, even H E A R I N G the secret whispers of our hearts . fh Allah hears all His creatures, even the Vocabulary fhfootstep of the tiny ant. physical fhAllah hears without ears because He islimbs realise utter not like us in any way. fhobscene sacred He has no physical body nor limbs. displease fhHe is perfect and beyond our under- standing. fh Those who realise that Allah is All- fhHearing will never utter an untruthful or fh obscene word. fhThey will also use the gift of hearing to listen to Allah’s sacred words only and fhto all that is good. fhA Muslim believes that Allah is the All- TComments ☺ ☺Hearing and therefore never utters fhwhat may displease Allah. vn10 my faith ...ISLAM

ryACTIVITIES State whether True or False. CP fhQur’an Allah hears everything. T Allah hears only the truth we Allah Ihas speak. Allah hears when we call on fhdeclared: Him, both silently and loudly. “Do people think that Allah hears even what we say in We do not hear their our hearts. secrets and their pri- Allah cannot hear the footsteps of the tiny ant. fhvate talks. Indeed (We do), and our Allah hears without ears because angels are with them He is not like us in any way. recording (all that He has a physical body, organs and limbs. fhthey say).” fhHadith Our beloved Prophet Muhammad e said: “Allah hears (all) your fhsecret conversations” fh fh fh Search for the words below in the word maze. C P fh fh Allah speak tiny whisper ant all hears creature prayer footstep heart fh CREA TUREGHP T F fh A S F GWH I S P E R I D D S P E A KWE H A A N T fhTComments HJ KL LQLK JRYYS ZXCV L TYU I SEOP fh☺ ☺ B N M Q A L L H E A R T A QWE R H F OO T S T E P vn my faith ...ISLAM 11

Can you read the word below ? Do C P ry fh you know what it means ? Write your answer in the space provided and colour-in the word. fh fh fh fh fh Using the words below, construct CP fh three simple sentences. fh Allah secrets All-Hearing ........................................................ fh........................................................ fh........................................................ Now close your eyes and listen fhcarefully to the sounds all around you. Can you count how many dif- fhferent sounds there are? List each sound below! fh e..g.....C...h..i.ld..r..e..n...la..u..g..h..i.n..g...o..u..t.s..i.d..e............ fh........................................................ TComments fh........................................................ ☺ ☺ ........................................................ vn12 my faith ...ISLAM

ry Can you make sense of all the fh sounds? I am sure it must be fh very difficult. Now, can you hear fh the tiny creatures crawling in the earth, or the birds flying high in fh the skies above, or can you hear fh the secrets in your friends fh hearts? Can you hear the fh prayers of all the people, or their fh cries for help? Well Allah hears fh them, all at once, because He is the All-Hearing. Read the story below and find suitable one T word meanings for the words in the vocabulary list. fh Three men were once on a journey fh when they were overtaken by a vio- lent storm. Lightning flashed in the fh dark skies and the wind howled. The raindrops came tumbling down fh drenching the three travellers. fh In the cold, wet darkness the three fh men searched for a place to pass the night. They came upon a cave vn my faith ...ISLAM 13

ryand decided to take shelter in it till PC fhmorning. The cave was warm and Vocabulary dry. “How very lucky we are!” they fhthought to themselves. But just they journey ................... entered the cave they heard a overtaken fhfrightful rumbling noise. .................... flash fhRocks came tumbling down the .................... fhmountain, covering the mouth of the howled .................... tumble .................... cave completely. They were drench fhtrapped. “Help!” they shouted, .................... search “Somebody please help us!” But .................... fhthere was no one to hear their cries shelter fhfor help. .................... enter .................... frighful fhOne of the men then said, “The only .................... way for us to be saved is to pray to rumble .................... fhAllah, for Allah always hears the pasture .................... graze .................... peep .................... prayers of those who call on Him, fheven if they be trapped deep inside fha huge mountain. Allah always answers the prayers of those who horizon .................... fhbelieve and do good.” fhThereupon the man began to pray, TComments fh☺ ☺saying, “O Allah! My parents were very old and I cared for them and vn14 my faith ...ISLAM

ry loved them dearly. I used to feed fh them and bring them their nightly fh drink of milk, even before my very own children had any to drink. fh One day, though, I went far away in fh search of green pastures for my sheep to graze and returned very fh late that night. I milked the animals fh and brought my parents their night- ly drink, but they were fast asleep. fh What was I to do. I did not wish to disturb them, but I also knew that fh they had gone to bed hungry. fh Further, I would not give any part of the milk to my children till after my fh parents had had their drink. So, with the cup in my hand, I awaited there fh by their bedside the whole night long, hoping that they would wake fh up and I could then give them some fh thing to eat and drink. I could hear my children crying in hunger, but my fh parents had to eat first. The hours passed by, the night passed by until fh the sun peeped over the morning vn horizon. my faith ...ISLAM 15

ryMy parents woke up and were sur- fhprised to see me waiting by their bedside patiently. O Allah! I did all fhthat only to please you. O Allah! Please do save us and remove the fhrocks that have blocked our way.” fhThe other men began to pray too fhand, all of a sudden, the rocks moved away. The men were free at fhlast. Indeed Allah hears the prayers of His servants even if they are fhtrapped deep inside a huge moun- fhtain. Allah always answers the prayers of those who do good. fh T fh From this story we have learnt : fh- Allah always hears the prayers of His servants. - Allah is our only true helper. fh - Allah always helps those who fh do good. fh - We must seek Allah’s help when we are in difficulty. fh - Allah has power over all things. vn16 my faith ...ISLAM

ry fh - Those who care for their par- ents are always cared for by Allah. fh - Serving parents is more impor- fh tant to a Muslim than serving his fh very own family. fh - We must never lose patience in fh serving our parents. - A Muslim must give his own family the best of care too. - All good deeds must be done fh for the pleasure of Allah alone. fh - Always travel in a group, never fh alone. fhACTIVITIES Colour-in the picture of the man praying. C fh fh fh fhTComments f☺ h☺ vn my faith ...ISLAM 17

Can you help the man find his way out of the C ry fh cave. Take a colour pencil and draw a line along fh the correct tunnel to lead him out to safety. Thereafter colour-in the picture. fh fh fh fh fh fh fh fh fh fh fh fhTComments f☺ h☺ vn18 my faith ...ISLAM

ry Can you think of a time when you P C fh fh were in danger and by praying to Allah you were protected. With your parents help, write your story below. fh ........................................................ ........................................................ fh ........................................................ fh ........................................................ ........................................................ fh ........................................................ fh ........................................................ ........................................................ fh ........................................................ ........................................................ fh ........................................................ fh ........................................................ ........................................................ fh ........................................................ fh ........................................................ ........................................................ fh fhTComments Use a mirror to read this message. C P f☺ h☺ Thereafter write it out in the space provided. .gniraeH-llA eht si hallA vn ........................................................ my faith ...ISLAM 19

Ask your parents or elder siblings to P C ry fh help you find three verses of the Holy Qur’an that fh describe Allah as the ‘All-Hearing’. Don’t forget to include the chapter and verse numbers too. fh........................................................ ........................................................ fh........................................................ ........................................................ fh........................................................ fh........................................................ P fh SUMMARY BY THE END OF THIS LESSON THE CHILD HAS : fh (tick in box if completed) - listened to an extract fh - completed a true & false exercise - investigated & coloured-in an Arabic word fh - learnt a new Ayah and a new Hadith - searched for words in a word maze - developed a tangible understanding fh - read a short story fh - found suitable one word meanings - identified specific teachings - coloured-in a picture - solved a maze fh - related a true story - discovered the hidden message - searched for verses in the Holy Qur’an fhTComments How does my teacher f☺ h☺ rate my performance in this lesson ? ☺☺ vn20 my faith ...ISLAM

ry lesson 2 fh fh OUTCOME OBJECTIVES TP fh fh - learn about Allah as the ‘Merciful’’ fh - realize that Allah’s treasures of Mercy are limitless and fh is the only thing in which we can really have hope in fh - discover that sinning causes Allah’s anger and that only sincere repentance can dispel that anger - discern that Allah forgives all sins even if they be equal to the heavens and earth - learn that if we innitially fail in our repentance then we must always try again for simply by attempting to reform Allah forgives all our sins fh LESSON OVERVIEW TP fh fh BY THE END OF THIS LESSON THE CHILD fh WILL HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO : fh fh - listen to an extract being read out by the teacher fh explaining the attribute of Allah, the ‘Merciful’’ fh - complete a word selection exercises for comprehension - investigate & colour-in an Arabic word for enjoyment - learn a new Ayah and a new Hadith - identify words that correctly define Allah’s ‘Mercy’ - read a short story depicting Allah’s ‘’Mercy’ and ‘Forgivness’’ - find suitable one word meanings for the vocabulary list - identify the specific teachings of the story - emphasize an important point - solve & colour-in a maze - identify various ways by which Allah manifests His Mercy - read a second story related to the topic - identify some lessons to be learnt from the story vn my faith ...ISLAM 21

Read and explain the following. ryT L E S S O N 2 fhAllah Allah is Merciful and Forgiving. Allah forgives all sins. ry fvhn Allah’s mercy is far greater than his fhpunishment. THE MERCIFUL Allah is more merciful than a moth- fhVocabulary fher is to her baby child. merciful forgiving Everything good we have is by His deserve fhprovide mercy and not because we deserve it. guide fhBy His mercy He provides for us, immediately opportunity guides us and protects us. fhrepent wrongdoing hope fhAllah forgives only those who wor- judgement ship Him alone. fhAllah forgives sins up to the time of fh death. Allah does not show mercy to those fhwho die worshipping others besides Him. fh fhBecause of His mercy Allah does not punish immediately. fhAllah always gives us an opportuni- vn22 my faith ...ISLAM

ry ty to repent and turn away from fh wrongdoing. fh Allah is especially merciful to those fh who are merciful to others. fh Allah is merciful to those who have fh hope in His mercy. Allah does not show mercy to those fh who think evil of Him. fh We will only see Allah’s true mercy on the Day of Judgement when He fh forgives so many millions of people fh who will deserve punishment fh because of their evil deeds. fhACTIVITIES Colour-in the correct word/s in green. CP fh Allah always punishes for every sin is ever Merciful . fh Allah’s mercy is greater lesser than his punishment. fh Everything good we have we deserve fh is by His mercy . Allah forgives anyone and everyone vn only those who worship Him alone . my faith ...ISLAM 23

Allah forgives sins even after death ryQur’an only up to the time of death . fhAllah I Allah does not show mercy to those declared:has who die worshipping others sin alot Because of His mercy not knowing “Say, ‘O My slaves, Allah does not punish immediately. Allah is merciful to those who have fhwho have trans- hope in His mercy Muslim names gressed against their Allah does not show mercy to those own souls, despair who think evil of Him make mistakes not of Allah’s mercy! fhSurely, Allah forgives Can you read the word below ? Do C P all sins. Surely, He is the Forgiving, the you know what it means ? Write your answer Merciful’.” in the space provided and colour-in the word. fh“Indeed Allah does not forgive that part- ners should be ascribed to Him, but fhHe forgives what is less than that to whomsoever He wills.” fhHadith fhOur beloved Prophet Muhammad e said: “Were the believers only to know what fhpunishment Allah has in store, no-one would hope for His Garden. And were fhthe unbelievers to know what mercy Allah has in store, no- one would despair of His Garden.” fh“No-one should die without thinking well of Allah.” fh“Allah Most High declares, ‘I am as My slave thinks Me to be, fhand I am with him when he remembers Me’.” “True faith lies fhbetween hope (in His mercy) and fear (of His punishment).” fhTComments f☺ h☺ vn24 my faith ...ISLAM

ry Colour-in the ovals that relate to Allah’s C fh Mercy in green, and those that do not in red. fh forgives sin punishes fh fh immediately not for provides sinners for us fh patient greater than fh His anger fh loving comes to an end fh kind cruel fh fh Read the story below and find suitable one T word meanings for the words in the vocabulary list. fh fh There was a once man who lived during the time of Prophet Musa [a]. fh He was a good man but he had one fault. He was in the habit of commit- fhTComments ting a certain sin and could not fh☺ ☺ remain true to his repentence. Every time he committted the sin he vn my faith ...ISLAM 25

rywould regret it terribly and turn sin- PC fhcerely to Allah, begging of Allah’s Vocabulary forgiveness. “O Allah, please do for- fault fhgive me!” he would cry while pray- ................... fhcommitting ing in the dark hours of the night. .................... repentance .................... fhHe promised to himself never to do regret the bad deed again, but as hard as .................... sincerely fhhe tried, and tried he did, no sooner .................... deed fhdid a few days pass but he commit- .................... ted the very same sin once more. continued .................... fhThis continued for twenty long stern fh.................... years. revealed .................... welled fhThen, one day, Allah revealed to His .................... pardon messenger, Nabi Musa [a], saying, .................... fh“O Musa! Go to that man and say to quality fhhim that now I have become angry with him.” .................... recognised .................... fhability .................... overjoyed fhProphet Musa [a] looked all over for .................... the man and when he found him fhwalked straight up to him and, in a TComments stern voice, said, “O servant of ☺ ☺ fhAllah, Allah has revealed to me that vn26 my faith ...ISLAM

ry he is now angry with you.” fh fh Tears welled up in the mans eyes and his legs could not hold him up anymore. He fell to his knees and fh began to cry. “How could it be?” he fh thought to himself, “For Allah is fh most Merciful!” fh He stretched his hands to the skies fh and began to pray, and this is what he said, fh fh “O my Allah, have all the treas- ures of Your mercy become empty. fh O my Allah, has my sin harmed fh You in some way. fh O my Allah, do You no longer wish to share Your Mercy with Your servants. fh O my Allah, are you no longer the fh one who pardons all sins. fh Which sin could possibly be greater than Your mercy? vn my faith ...ISLAM 27

ryTo be sinful is a small, weak qual- fhity of mine, and to be forgiving is a great, powerful quality of Yours. fhCan my weak quality be greater fh than Your powerful quality? fhO Allah, if all Your mercy is fin- ished and if punishment is all that fhis left, then give me all the sins of fhall Your creatures and set them free. I will take their punishment fhbecause there is now nothing left for me to have hope in, that is, if ffhhYour Mercy has come to an end.” The man cried and cried and it fhseemed as if the heavens and the fhearth cried with him, and all the creatures flying through the skies fhand crawling on the earth and fh swimming in the oceans too. fhBut it simply could not be, because we all know that Allah is the All- fhMerciful and that His mercy is vn28 my faith ...ISLAM

ry greater than all things. fh fh Just then Allah revealed to His dear Prophet, Musa [a], “O Musa, say to my servant that even if his sins fh were equal to the entire earth and fh all that is in it, I would surely forgive fh every single one, because he has recognised Me as being perfect in fh My mercy and forgiveness, as well fh as My ability to punish him.” When the man heard this he was fh overjoyed, as any would be. From fh that day onward he tried even hard- fh er to stay away from his sin. Sometimes he was successful and- fh sometimes he still failed, but he fh always turned back to Allah, beg- ging of His forgiveness and having every hope in His Mercy, and trying ffhh to set the wrong done right. fh vn my faith ...ISLAM 29

From this story we have learnt : T ry fh- Making mistakes is part of fh human nature. - If we make a mistake and com- fhmit a sin we must repent immedi- fhately. - Repentence means: 1) regretting what we have fh fh done 2) begging of Allah’s forgive fh ness fh 3) trying our best to refrain from the sin fh 4) and trying our best to set fh the wrong done right. - Sinning causes Allah’s anger. fh- Only sincere repentance can fh remove that anger. - Allah’s treasures of Mercy are fhlimitless. fh- The only thing in which we can really have hope in is Allah’s fhmercy. vn30 my faith ...ISLAM

ry fh - Sinning causes remorse and sorrow in the hearts of the believ- fh er and no remorse in the hearts fh of the disbeliever. If we feel no remorse then it means that our fh Iman is very weak indeed and if fh we do feel remorse then it means that we are true believers. fh - Allah forgives all sins even if fh they be equal to the heavens and earth together. fh - Allah’s mercy brings joy to the fh hearts of the believers. - If we fail in our repentance then fh we must always try again. By fh simply attempting to reform Allah forgives all our sins. fh Repentance also includes an appeal for support T AN IMPORTANT and strength from Allah to help oneself not to repeat the fhPOINT TO same misdeed again. The form of repentance accepted REMEMBER by Allah is one that is followed by good deeds for Allah says, fh “And whoever repents and does good has truly fh turned to Allah with an (acceptable) conversion.” vn my faith (Al-Furqan, 25:71) ...ISLAM 31

Sometimes, when we commit sins C P ry fh continuously, we feel trapped and fh unable to escape from our evil habits. However, if we fh fh make an effort and try hard enough we can escape fh from the prison of bad deeds. Not only will we feel fhVocabulary relieved and happy by freeing ourselves from the maze of sinning but we will also find Allah’s mercy freedom and forgiveness at the end of the maze. Now, can fhcomfort you help the man find his way out of the maze. calm Take a colour pencil and draw a line along the correct tunnel to lead him out to safety. fhrelief Thereafter colour-in the picture. safety Allah freedom peace happiness mercy comfort fhstart fhhere! fh fhcalm safety Jannah fhforgiveness relief Construct one simple sentence using any C P fhTComments f☺ h☺ of the abovementioned words. ........................................................ vn32 my faith ...ISLAM

ry Can you think of other ways by which Allah P C fh fh shows His Mercy to us, for eg. , by giving us eyes to fh see, or fruits to eat, or parents to care for us, etc. ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ fh ........................................................ fh ........................................................ fh ........................................................ ........................................................ fh ........................................................ fh ........................................................ ........................................................ fh Read the story below and find suitable one T fh word meanings for the words in the vocabulary list. fh Once, after a successful battle, the Holy Prophet Muhammad [s] and fh his Companions [r] were resting in the shade of some trees when, all of fh a sudden, they heard someone fh screaming and crying. TComments fh☺ ☺ It was a women from the enemy camp who had lost her child in the vn my faith ...ISLAM 33

rymidst of the battle. Many people PC fhhad died in that battle and she Vocabulary feared that her little child might fhhave been killed in the confusion. attention ................... moment fhThe Prophet too was very con- .................... pebble cerned even though the woman .................... fhwas a disbeliever. He showed love instructed and concern for all humanity for he .................... wiggling fhwas a mercy to mankind. fhUnfortunately battles had to be .................... wonderful .................... nibbling fought against the disbelievers as .................... fhthey intended to harm the Muslims strange and kill the Holy Prophet .................... praise fhMuhammad [s]. But the Prophet [s] fhalways preferred peace to war. .................... fhThe woman rushed to and fro, des- perately searching for her lost child. fhThe Prophet [s] sent some of his fhCompanions [r] over to help her too, but they feared the worst. fh Just when all hope seemed to be fhlost, the women saw a tiny body fhwriggling in the dust. She rushed over and to her delight it was her lit- vn34 my faith ...ISLAM

ry tle child. He was not hurt at all. She fh hugged and kissed the little boy and fh tears of joy poured from her eyes. Oh, how happy everyone was. fh The Holy Prophet Muhammad [s] fh smiled, and what can describe to you how beautiful the smile of the fh Prophet [s] was. It was like the fh sparkling full moon on a starry desert night. fh Turning to his Companions [r], the fh Holy Prophet Muhammad [s] said, fh “Do you see the joy of that mother having found her little child.” fh “Yes indeed, O Prophet of Allah, fh and how wonderful it is,” they replied. fh fh “Well,” the Prophet continued, “Allah becomes even more happy fh when a servant of His turns in repentance to Him after committing fh a sin.” vn my faith ...ISLAM 35

With the help of your parents or elder P C ry fh siblings, try to identify at least three lessons you can learn from the story. fh........................................................ ........................................................ fh........................................................ fh........................................................ ........................................................ fh........................................................ fh........................................................ P fh SUMMARY BY THE END OF THIS LESSON THE CHILD HAS : fh (tick in box if completed) - listened to an extract fh - completed a word selection exercise - investigated & coloured-in an Arabic word fh - learnt a new Ayah and a new Hadith - identified words defining Allah’s Mercy fh - read a short story - found suitable one word meanings - identified specific teachings fh - emphasized an important point - solved a maze - identified various manifestations of Mercy fh - read another short story - identified some lessons to be learnt fhTComments How does my teacher f☺ h☺ rate my performance in this lesson ? ☺☺ vn36 my faith ...ISLAM

ry lesson 3 fh fh OUTCOME OBJECTIVES TP fh fh - learn about Islam, the religion, its meaning and funda- fh mental teachings, and what it means to be Muslim fh - understand the concept of Ummah and its implications fh - discover that the Muslim Ummah is constituted of many different races - discern that faith, piety, good action and service to Islam are all that make one person better than the next - recognize that Islam is the only true religion taught by all Prophets from the beginning of time - realise that Allah chooses only the best of human beings to be the companions of His Prophets [a] and that the Sahabah were the best of all human beings fh LESSON OVERVIEW TP fh fh BY THE END OF THIS LESSON THE CHILD fh WILL HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO : fh fh - listen to an extract being read out by the teacher fh about Islam and what it means to be Muslim fh - comoplete a multiple-choice exercise - learn a new Ayah and a new Hadith - identify the various continents on a map, locate ones own country, the countries of origin of Muslim nationals, the most populopus Muslim country as well as the geographic position of Makkah - colour-in the continents using different colours - read a story about the diversity of Muslims - identify the specific teachings being conveyed - answer questions related to the topic - read another short story for enjoyment - deduce the specific teachings being conveyed vn my faith ...ISLAM 37

Read and explain the following. ryT L E S S O N 3 Islam fhWe are Muslims and our religion is ry Islam. fvhn We declare the Shahadah: fhO U R RELIGION fh Vocabulary fhdeclare fhbear “I testify that there is no god but Allah, and I testify that witness Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger.” obedience will attain fhShahadah means to bear witness. Those who make this Shahadah teachings final fhand believe in it are called Muslims. community nation fhThe word ‘Islam’ comes from the common fhArabic word ‘aslama’, which means race language billion superior pious pleases ‘to obey’. fhIslam is a religion of obedience to Allah. fhThe word ‘Islam’ also comes from fhanother Arabic word - ‘salima’ - which means ‘peace’. fh Islam is a religion of peace. fhIslam is a religion of obedience to the will of Allah, and by so obeying vn37 my faith ...ISLAM

ry Allah we attain peace. fh fh A Muslim is one who accepts Islam as his religion and follows its teach- fh ings. A Muslim is one who believes in fh Allah as his God and Creator. fh A Muslim is one who believes Nabi Muhammad [s] to be the final Prophet and Messenger of Allah. fh A Muslim is one who follows the fh teachings of the book of Allah, the fh Qur’an. All the Muslims are one Ummah. fh Ummah means a community or a fh nation. fh This means that all the Muslims are one community of believers. fh fh All Muslims have common beliefs and all of them follow the teachings fh of Islam. Muslims are not one race, they are fh not one colour, and they do not vn speak the same language. my faith ...ISLAM 39

ryBut all Muslims are one Ummah, fh one huge world community. All Muslims are brothers and sisters fhto one another. fh Muslims live all over the world. fhMuslims live in Asia, Europe, Africa, America and Australia. fhMuslims are brown, white, black and yellow. fhThere are more than one and a half fhbillion Muslims in the world. Out of every five persons living in fhthe world one is a Muslim. Islam is the fastest growing religion fhin the world. fhA day will come when everyone in the world will be Muslim. fh fhAll Muslims are equal before Allah. No one among them is superior to fhthe other. The Arab is not superior to the non- fhArab neither is the non-Arab superi- or to the Arab. fh But those who are more pious and vn39 my faith ...ISLAM

ry fh have done more good deeds are better in the sight of Allah than fh those who are not pious and have done few good deeds. fh fh Islam was taught by all the Prophets [a]. fh Islam is the only true religion. Islam is the only religion that pleas- fh es Allah and leads to Jannah. fh All other religions are false and lead to Jahannum. fh We thank Allah for giving us His reli- fh gion, Islam. fh We thank Allah for sending us His book, the Qur’an. fh We thank Allah for choosing us to be the Ummah of His last and great- fh est Messenger, the Holy Prophet fh Muhammad [s]. fh We thank Allah for making us Muslims. fh vn my faith ...ISLAM 41

Circle the correct answer in the multiple C P ryACTIVITIES fhQur’an choice exercise below. The religion of Muslims is called ... hasfhAllah I 1) Islam declared: 2) peace “I have chosen for 3) love fhyou Islam as The reli- The word Islam means ... gion.” 1) religion “And whosoever 2) Allah chooses any other 3) obedience and peace fhreligion as a faith A Muslim is one who ... besides Islam it will 1) believes in Allah only never be accepted 2) believes in Allah and the from him.” Prophet Muhammad [s] 3) believes in all religions fhHadith Our beloved Prophet fhMuhammad e said: “By Him in Whose hand is the life of fhMuhammad, he who amongst the commu- nity of Jews or Christians hears fhabout me, but does not affirm his belief in that with which I have been sent (ie. the reli- gion of Islam) and fhdies in this state (of disbelief), he shall be one of the denizens of Hell-Fire.” fh“...Even if (Prophet) Musa were to return ... he would have to follow me.” fh All Muslims are one Ummah which fhmeans that ... fh1) they are all one colour 2) they all speak the same lan- fhguage fh 3) they all have the same Islamic beliefs and practices vn41 my faith ...ISLAM

ry Muslims live ... fh 1) all over the world 2) in Arabia only fh 3) in my country alone fh ... is the fastest growing religion in fh the world. 1) Buddhism fh 2) Islam fh 3) Christianity fh Only those who are ... are superior in the sight of Allah. fh 1) Arab fh 2) wealthy fh 3) pious and do good deeds fh ... true religion. 1) Every religion is a fh 2) Islam is the only fh 3) There is no fhTComments f☺ h☺ Muslims live all over the world. They all do C P not look the same nor do they speak the same lan- guage. They dress differently and eat different foods, but they are all brothers and sisters in Islam. Look vn carefully at the map of the world on the next page. my faith ...ISLAM 43

Name the continents. Locate your own country on the ry map as well as the Holy city of Makkah. Also find out fh how many Muslims live in your country and what their fh origins are. Locate these countries on the map too. fh Next, find out which is the most populous Muslim country in the world. Lastly, colour-in the map using a different colour for each continent. fh fh fh fh fh fh fh fh fh fh fhTComments f☺ h☺ I live in ......................... vn43 my faith ...ISLAM

ry fh The number of Muslims living in my country is ......................... fh The Muslims living in my country originate from ... fh .......................... .......................... fh .......................... .......................... .......................... .......................... fh .......................... .......................... fh The most populous Muslim country in the world is ......................... fh Read the story below and find suitable one T fh word meanings for the words in the vocabulary list. fh A man once visited the Prophet’s [s] masjid in Madinah. There he saw fh a group of people sitting and talking fh about their faith together. Among them were Salman [r] who came fh from Persia, Suhayb [r] the Greek who grew up in the Roman Empire fh and Bilal [r] who was from Africa. fhTComments The man was very surprised and fh☺ ☺ said, “I can understand if the (Arab) vn tribes of Madinah, the Aws and my faith ...ISLAM 45

ryKhazraj, help and support PC Muhammad, because they are fhArabs like him. But what are these Vocabulary fhforeign people doing here?” faith ................... fhThe man had very little understand- fhing of Islam and thought that it wasempire .................... support .................... foreign an Arab religion as it was brought .................... fhby an Arab Prophet. understanding .................... fhreported .................... The Holy Prophet Muhammad [s] immediately fhbecame very angry when this was .................... summoned reported to him. Immediately he.................... congregation fhwent to the masjid and summoned.................... fhthe people to a congregational arose ................... salah. fhfirm .................... Sustainer fhAs was his habit when something of .................... forefather great importance arose, when the .................... reagarded fhprayer was over the Prophet [s] .................... ignorant .................... fhstood up on the mimbar and turned to the people, saying in a firm voice, fh“O people, know that the Creator TComments and Sustainer, Allah, is One. Your ☺ ☺ fhforefather, Adam [a], is one, and vn45 my faith ...ISLAM

ryP C your faith, Islam, is one. Your being fh an Arab is no more than a lan- Vocabulary fh guage. For whoever speaks Arabic former is an Arab.” .................... valued Now Bilal [r], Suhayb [r] and Salman [r] were not only regarded fh................... beasts .................... fhpossessed .................... by the ignorant people as non- served Arabs but were former slaves too who were valued even less than fh.................... beasts in those days. But they were close and beloved Companions of admiration fh.................... race .................... fhstatus .................... the blessed Prophet [s]. They pos- wealth sessed the strongest faith and served Allah with all their strength. fh.................... unites fh.................... fh They were the admiration of all the Muslims of their time and till today fh Muslims all over the world tell the fh tales of their great love for the Prophet of Allah. fh fh It is therefore neither race, status TComments nor wealth which makes a person a fh☺ ☺ member of the Muslim Ummah. Rather it is the firm belief in the one- vn my faith ...ISLAM 47