My_Faith_Islam_3

Learn the following etiquettes of Passing the T ry fh Day and visiting the Bazaar. 1) When starting in the morning, fhfirst make the intention to obey fhAllah’s commands scrupulously. 2) Make a firm intention to encour- fhage righteousness and discour- age wrongdoing during that day. fh3) Make a firm intention to assist fhany person who may ask your assistence that day. fh4) Pray to Allah, asking him for strength and wisdom to fulfill fhyour duty as a Muslim for that fhday. 5) Try your level best to do as fhmuch good as you possibly can, knowing that that day will never fhreturn again. fh6) Continuously beg Allah for for- giveness for any wrongdoing or fhoversight on your part during fh that day. 7) Before going to bed in the fhevening pray for all those peo- vn198 my faith ...ISLAM

ry ple who have been good to you fh during that day. fh 8) Also forgive anyone who may have harmed you. Ask Allah to fh guide them or give them what fh they justly deserve so as to pro- tect others from their harm. fh 1) When entering the bazaar make fh a firm intention to conduct all transactions strictly according fh to the Shari’ah. fh 2) Make a firm intention to be hon- est and fair in all you dealings. fh 3) Do not cheat nor allow yourself to be cheated. fh 4) Do not buy any doubtful goods fh no matter how cheap they may be. 5) Do not commit yourself to any fh contract regarding which you fh are unsure or which may be ambiguous. fh 6) Be polite and patient with sales men and customers alike. fh 7) Do not be overly insistent on demanding a lower price for an vn my faith ...ISLAM 199

item you wish to purchase. ry fh8) Do not be impolite nor make a nuisance of yourself. fh9) Do not act or speak in an inap- propriate manner nor talk about fhinappropriate things in the fh bazaar. 10) Do not overspend or buy any- fhthing that is unnecessary. 11) Do not litter. fh12) Use the public facilities, like toi- fh lets, responsibly. 13) Do not spend too much time fhunnecessarily in the bazaar. Complete the sentences using the list below C fh responsibly overspend return forgive dealings fh polite wisdom patient unnecessary speak act fh good strength harmed bazaar honest obey time fhWhen starting in the morning, first make the intention to .................. fhAllah’s commands scrupulously. Pray to Allah, asking him for fh.................. and .................. to ful- fhfill your duty as a Muslim that day. Try your level best to do as much vn200 my faith ...ISLAM

ry .................. as you possibly can, fh knowing that that day will never fh .................. again. Before going to bed .................. any- one who may have .................. you. fh When entering the bazaar make a fh firm intention to be .................. and fh fair in all your ................... Be .................. & .................. with fh sales men and customers alike. fh Do not .................. or buy anything that is .................. . Do not .................. or .................. in fh an inappropriate manner in the fh bazaar. fh Use the public facilities .................. Do not spend too much .................. fh unnecessarily in the bazaar. fh SUMMARY P fh BY THE END OF THIS LESSON THE CHILD HAS : fh (tick in box if completed) - memorized the du‘a’s - learnt the etiquettes - completed a word selection exercise fh How does my teacher rate my performance in this lesson ? vn ☺ ☺ my faith ...ISLAM 201

Memorise the following Du‘a’s. CT ryL E S S O N 4 fhTravelling Du‘a’ when Boarding a Vehicle ry fvhn fhD U ‘ A ’ s & ETIQUETTE fh “All praise be to Allah. Glory be to Him who has made this Vocabulary vehicle subservient to us while we (of ourselves) were unable to control it. And, to our Lord we are indeed fhvehicle all journeying back.” fhsubservient Du‘a’ when Commencing a Journey unable commence “O Allah! In Your name I commence this journey and in Your name I travel about and in Your name I progress.” fhprogress committed preferable fhconveyance steady fhswift prolong inform fh fhDu‘a’ when Returning from a Journey fh fh “We are returning (from our journey). We beg (from Allah) fh forgiveness (for any sin committed), we worship our Lord (alone) and We praise (Him).” fh vn202 my faith ...ISLAM

ry Learn the following Sunnah etiquettes of travelling. T fh 1) It is preferable to set out on a journey on a Thursday or fh Monday. fh 2) It is preferable to set out on a fh journey early in the morning. 3) Do not travel alone. It is always fh preferable to travel in groups of fh at least three persons. 4) When seating oneself on or in the conveyance say, “Bismillah fh (I begin in the Name of Allah)”. fh 5) When travelling on a long jour- ney, maintain a steady and swift fh pace. fh 6) When going uphill recite ‘Allahu fh Akbar’ (Allah is greatest) thrice. 7) When going downhill, recite ‘Subhan-Allah’ (Glory be to fh Allah) thrice. fh 8) If a traveller stops over at any fh place during his journey, even if just for a little while, he should fh perform two raka‘at of Nafl (vol- vn untary) Salah before continue- my faith ...ISLAM 203

ing. ry fh9) Always share the various duties equally when travelling. fh10) Do not prolong a journey unnec- essarily. fh11) When returning from a journey, fhfirst perform two raka‘at of Nafl Salah, preferably in the local fhMasjid, before settling down. fh12) Always inform the housefolk of your arrival in advance. Never fhenter your home all of a sudden. 13) When a traveller returns from a fhjourney he should hug those fhwho come to greet him and he may kiss them on the forehead fhtoo. (This will not apply to fhwomen outside the family whom he can marry). fh ACTIVITY Colour-in the correct word/s in green. C P fh It is preferable to set out on a jour- fhney on a Thursday Tuesday . fhIt is preferable to set out on a jour- ney early in the morning evening . vn204 my faith ...ISLAM

ry It is always preferable to travel in fh groups of at least three five . fh When travelling on a long journey, maintain a slow swift pace. fh When going uphill recite ‘Allahu fh Akbar’ ‘Subhan-Allah’ . Do not Do prolong a journey. fh When returning first perform two fh raka‘at of Nafl Salah in the Masjid at home before settling down. Never You may enter your home fh without first informing the housefolk fh of your arrival. fh When a traveller returns he may affectionately hug those women fh outside within the family whom he fh can cannot marry. fh SUMMARY P fh BY THE END OF THIS LESSON THE CHILD HAS : (tick in box if completed) fhTComments - memorized the du‘a’s - learnt the etiquettes - completed a word selection exercise f☺ h☺ How does my teacher rate my performance in this lesson ? vn ☺ ☺ my faith ...ISLAM 205

ryC T Memorise the following Du‘a’s. LESSON 5 Du‘a’ when in Prosperity fhProsperity ry fvhn fhAdversity “All praise be to Allah by whose grace all good work is fh accomplished.” Vocabulary Du‘a’ when in Adversity fhprosperity “O Allah, grant me refuge and safety in this adversity and fhgrace give me in return something far better than I have lost.” accomplished Du‘a’ when seeing Another in Adversity adversity “All praise be to Allah Who has guarded me from the diffi- fhguarded culty which has befallen you, and Who has blessed me befallen with favours that so many other creatures do not enjoy.” verbally fhcondescend- ing fhcomplacent exert endeavour fhanticipate consider afflict fhencourage relieve fhdispleasure ease fh Learn the following Sunnah etiquettes. T fh When in Prosperity fh 1) Be grateful to Allah for his bless- vn206 my faith ...ISLAM

ry ings. fh 2) Thank Allah verbally by saying “Al-Hamdu Lillah (All Praise be fh to Allah),” and “Ash-Shukru fh Lillah (All Gratitude be to Allah).” fh 3) Use the gift in a manner which pleases Allah. fh 4) Do not become proud. fh 5) Do not be condescending. 6) Share the favour with others. fh 7) Pray to Allah to increase His favours upon you. fh 8) Do not become complacent and fh lazy. 9) Exert yourself even more in fh your endeavour. fh When in Adversity 1) Be patient in the difficulty that fh has befallen you. fh 2) Understand that it is a test from Allah. fh 3) Do not show any displeasure towards Allah. fh 2) Continue to uphold the com- vn mands and laws of Allah. my faith ...ISLAM 207

6) Do not lose hope. ry fh7) Do not resort to impermissable deeds which may displease fhAllah. 4) Anticipate a great reward from fhAllah for your patience. 5) Pray to Allah to remove the fhadversity fh8) Continue to exert yourself in your endeavours. fh9) Know that after difficulty comes fhease. fhWhen Seeing another in Adversity 1) Remember the favours of Allah fhupon you and be grateful to Him for his blessings. fh2) Thank Allah verbally for protect- ing you from the adversity by fhsaying “Al-Hamdu Lillah (All fhPraise be to Allah),” and “Ash- Shukru Lillah (All Gratitude be fhto Allah).” 3) Never laugh at or mock the per- fhson in adversity. fh4) Do not consider yourself better than him. vn208 my faith ...ISLAM

ry 5) Remember that Allah could fh afflict you with the very same fh adversity too, or even worse. 6) Treat the one struck with adver- fh sity as you would like to be treated. fh 5) Do as much as is possible to help the person in adversity. fh 6) Encourage the person in adver- fh sity to be patient and never to lose hope. fh 7) Pray to Allah to relieve the suf- fering of the person in adversity. fh 8) Pray to Allah to protect you from adversity. fh fhACTIVITY Use a mirror to read these sentences. C P Thereafter write them out in the space provided. fh -sselb sih rof hallA ot lufetarg eB fh .sgni ........................................................ fh ........................................................ rennam a ni hallA fo stfig eht esU fh .miH sesaelp hcihw ........................................................ fh ........................................................ vn -ednoc dna duorp emoceb ton oD my faith ...ISLAM 209

ry .gnidnecs fh........................................................ ........................................................ fhhtiw yojne uoy sruovaf eht erahS .srehto fh........................................................ fh........................................................ nosrep eht kcom ro ta hgual reveN fh.ytisrevda ni ........................................................ fh........................................................ ytisrevda htiw kcurts eno eht taerT fh.detaert eb ot ekil dluow uoy sa fh........................................................ ........................................................ fhsemoc ytluciffid retfa taht wonK .esae fh........................................................ fh........................................................ SUMMARY P fh BY THE END OF THIS LESSON THE CHILD HAS : fh (tick in box if completed) - memorized the du‘a’s fhTComments - learnt the etiquettes f☺ h☺ - read & rewrote inverted sentences How does my teacher rate my performance in this lesson ? ☺☺ vn210 my faith ...ISLAM

ryL E S S O N 6 Memorise the Arabic Numerals. CT fhArabic One ry Two fvhn fhNumerals fh Three fh Four fh Five fh Six fh Seven fh fh Eight fh Nine fh Ten fh SUMMARY P fhTComments BY THE END OF THIS LESSON THE CHILD HAS : f☺ h☺ - memorized the Arabic Numerals How does my teacher rate my performance in this lesson ? vn ☺ ☺ my faith ...ISLAM 211

Muslims often use Arabic words and phrases in their ryL E S S O N 1 2 daily conversation. Even if we don’t speak Arabic, we fhImportant use many Arabic terms. ry These phrases help us to remember Allah. They remind us of Allah’s Power over His creation as well as His fvhn Compassion. fhPhrases fh They assist in moulding thoughts and actions into the natural mould of ‘ibadah or worship of Allah and provide a person with a spiritual climate and orientation. fhMemorise the following important phrases. C T fh When a Loss Occurs fh fh“Indeed to Allah we belong, and to Him is the Final return.” fhWhen seeing another Muslim Cheerful fh fh “May Allah always keep you cheerful.” fh fh SUMMARY P fh BY THE END OF THIS LESSON THE CHILD HAS : (tick in box if completed) - memorized the important phrases fhHow does my teacher rate my performance in this lesson ? ☺☺ vn212 my faith ...ISLAM

ry QASAS AL-AMBIYA’ fh stories of the prophets fh fh fh fh fh ry Xfh vn fh fh fh fh fh fh fh C O N T E N T S fh LESSON 1 The Story of Musa [a] 215 LESSON 2 The Story of ‘Isa [a] (Jesus) 255 vn my faith ...ISLAM 213

ry fh To every nation that has passed on, Allah sent T P fh fh a messenger who summoned them to His fh true path. Messengers are those who communicate the fh existence and oneness of Allah, spread His religion, and inform them about what Allah demands from them, in other words, things that they should do and things that they should abstain from. They also warn them against the punishment of Hell and give them the glad tidings of Paradise. The lives and struggles of the messengers are abun- fh dant in lessons for believers who think and are inclined fh to learn from them. In the Qur’an, Allah describes in fh detail the subjects they communicated to their peoples, fh the methods they employed to persuade them and fh many other aspects of the messengers themselves. fh Believers should not differentiate between any of the fh messengers and should take their virtuous manners fh and behaviour as described in the Qur’an as their model. They should follow their advice, and act on it and hold in very high regard their warnings. Allah narrates the stories of these distinguished ser- vants of His in the Quran not merely as historical facts, but also in order to encourage believers to reflect on, and pay heed to these superior people so that they may take them as their models. As a matter of fact, Allah sets forth in the Qur’an the facts which messengers have invited their people to accept, and provides a detailed account of the excellent character traits they possessçd. That being so, the responsibility of believers is to give fh careful consideration to the life stories of messengers related in the Qur’an, and make their best effbrts to fol- low the path they indicate, and comply with their admo- fh nitions and warnings. The purpose of these stories therefore is to assist such efforts on the part of believ- vners. 214 my faith ...ISLAM

ry lesson 1 fh fh OUTCOME OBJECTIVES TP fh fh - learn about the Prophet Musa [a] - discover that all kings who are proud and disbelieve in Allah become cruel and wicked - understand that we must be concerned for the poor fh and oppressed even if we ourselves are living in comfort - learn that when intending marriage, always look for one who has commendable spiritual & moral qualities fh - realize that what seems to be beneficial to us Allah fh can make harmful, and what seems to be harmful to us Allah can make beneficial - appreciate that belief does not depend on miracles - learn that Allah punishes severely those who see his fh signs and still refuse to believe - learn that Allah always comes to the rescue of those who believe in him and follow His Prophets fh - learn that In the end, only the believers are successful 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 about the Prophet Musa [a] fh - unscramble words to be used to complete sen- tences - learn a new Ayah and a new Hadith - listen to a detailed story about Nabi Musa [a]. fh - find suitable one-word meanings for the words in the vocabulary list - identify the specific teachings being conveyed fh through the story - complete and colour-in a maze puzzle - identify some qualities of Prophets and tyrants vn my faith ...ISLAM 215

Read and explain the following. ryT L E S S O N 2 Musa fhProphet Ibrahim [a] had two sons, fhNabi Ismail [a] and Nabi Is’haq [a].ry vn Nabi Ishaq [a] had many grandchil- fhdren and great-grandchildren. THE STORY OF MUSA[a] fhIsra’il, the Israelites. They were known as the Banu Vocabulary fhsettled The Banu Isra’il settled in the land slavery male fhof Egypt. fhAn evil king came to rule over suffering revelation claimed amazed Egypt. serpent release fhHis name was Fir‘awn. seperated fhFir‘awn hated the grandchildren of Nabi Ishaq [a]. fhThis was because they refused to fhbelieve in the false gods and idols the Egyptians worshiped. fh The wicked Egyptians forced the fhBanu Isra’il into slavery. fhThe Banu Isra’il were treated like animals. fhFir’awn also ordered that every vn216 my faith ...ISLAM

ry newborn male child of the Israelites fh be killed. fh During this frightful time a hand- fh some boy was born. fh His name was Musa. Fearing for the safety of the little child, Musa’s mother put him into a fh basket and placed it into the waters fh of the river Nile. fh The Queen of Egypt found the bas- ket floating on the river. fh She decided to keep the child as fh her own. Musa grew up in the palace of fh Fir‘awn as a prince of Egypt. fh Although Musa was brought up as a fh prince the suffering of the Israelites made him very unhappy. fh One day Musa saw an Egyptian fh man beating an Israelite slave. While trying to stop the Egyptian Musa accidentally killed him. fh Musa had to flee from Egypt to the vn my faith ...ISLAM 217

land of Madyan. ry fh There he met the pious Shu‘ayb. fhMusa lived with Shu‘ayb and his fh family for ten years. One day while travelling with his fhfamily, Musa saw a strange light shining from the Mountain of Sinai. fhIt was the light of Allah and there fhMusa received his first revelation. Allah commanded Prophet Musa [a] fhto go to Fir‘awn and his people and fhcall them to Allah as well as to free the Banu Isra’il from slavery. fh Fir‘awn was proud and refused to fhbelieve in Nabi Musa [a]. fhWhen Prophet Musa [a] showed his miracles to Fir‘awn he claimed that fhit was magic. fhFir’awn called all the magicians of Egypt together to defeat the mira- fhcles of Prophet Musa [a]. The magicians cast ropes to the fhground which seemed to turn into vn218 my faith ...ISLAM

ry snakes. fh The people were amazed. fh Then Prophet Musa [a] cast his staff to the ground which immediately turned into a huge serpent which fh swallowed up the snakes of the fh magicians. fh The magicians knew that Prophet Musa [a] was a true Prophet and fh believed in him. fh Fir‘awn was furious and killed them. Instead of believing in Allah and fh releasing the Banu Isra’il from slav- fh ery Fir'awn became even more fh cruel. fh Allah sent his punishment upon fh Fir‘awn and the people of Egypt. But still Fir‘awn refused to believe fh and stop his cruelty. fh Fir‘awn then promised to set the fh Banu Isra’il free. But as soon as they began their vn my faith ...ISLAM 219

ryjourney out of Egypt, Fir'awn broke fhhis promise, and with a great army, he set out in pursuit of them. fh Prophet Musa [a] and the Israelites fhcame up to the shores of the sea. fhBehind them was the army of Fir‘awn and infront the ocean. They were afraid. fh fhAllah came to help of His Prophet and the waters of the ocean seper- fhated allowing the Banu Isra’il to pass through. fhProphet Musa [a] and the Israelites fhpassed through safely. fhWhen Fir ‘awn and his army tried to fhpass through Allah caused the waters to come crashing over them. fhFir‘awn and his army were all drowned. fhAllah saved His Prophet and those fhwho believed in Him and destroyed the evil disbelievers. fh vn220 my faith ...ISLAM

ryACTIVITY Unscramble the following words first C P fhQur’an and thereafter use them to complete the sentences. Allah I has declared: fh“And then We sent hqsIa edwnorD ciagsMian Faiwrn Musa and his brother ...................................................................... Harun, with our signs and clear authority, to kSnea iaSin Etpyg veliBee Ptra ...................................................................... fhFir’awn and his chiefs. But they were The Banu Isra’il were the great grandchildren of Nabi .................... scornful and they Fir’awn was the wicked king of were a people who ..................... Nabi Musa [a] grew up in the palace fhwere arrogant.” of .................... as a prince. “Then We inspired Allah spoke to Nabi Musa [a] on the Musa to, “Strike the mountain of .................... sea with your Nabi Musa [a] threw his stick to the ground and it turned into a gigantic fhstaff!”And it divide, .................... and each sepearate The .................... all embraced Islam. [part became like a Fir’awn stubbornly refused to huge, firm mountain.” believe in Nabi Musa [a]. fh“We saved Musa and those with him and We drowned the oth- ers. Indeed in that fhthere is a sign, and yet most of them do not believe.” fhHadith Our beloved Prophet fh“Indeed Muhammad e said: Musa praised his Lord say- ing, ‘All praise be to Allah Who has hon- fhoured me by speak- ing to me (without any intermediary), Who has chosen me as his Apostle, Who fhhas revealed the Tawrah to me, Who has destroyed Fir’awn at my hands, fhand Who has saved the Children of Israel fhthrough me.” fhTComments Allah caused the sea to fh☺ ☺ .................... for the Banu Isra’il. Fir’awn and his army were vn .................... my faith ...ISLAM 221

The story of Nabi Musa [a] is essential to understand- ry ing the many fundamentals of faith. For this reason a fh relatively detailed account will be rendered here. Read the following story and thoroughly T fh discuss the lessons to be learnt. fh fh CHAPTER 1 PC fhwas Nabi Ismail [a] and the other Vocabulary Nabi Ibrahim [a] had two sons, one fhNabi Is’haq [a]. They were both superstitious pious and obedient servants of .................... terrified fhAllah. Now Nabi Ishaq [a] had many .................... false fhgrandchildren and great-grandchil- .................... dren, more than you could imagine, slavery .................... fhand they came to be known as the bear .................... alleyway .................... rage .................... Banu Isra’il, the Israelites. They fhbelieved in Allah and worshipped fhHim alone. male fhThe Banu Isra’il had come to settle .................... fhin the land of Egypt. They lived wept .................... bitterly .................... there for many years, enjoying the exclaim fhblessings of Allah in this wonderful .................... enchanted land. However, as time went by, .................... fhadopt things changed as things do, and a .................... vn222 my faith ...ISLAM

ryP C very proud, superstitious and evil fhVocabulary king came to rule over Egypt. fhoverjoyed Wherever he went the people were terrified and ran, He was cruel and .................... wicked and and his name was Fir’awn. luxury This king hated the grandchildren of fh.................... Nabi Ishaq [a]. He hated the Banu merciless Isra’il. This was because they refused to believe in the false gods .................... and idols the Egyptians worshiped fhregretful .................... fhserious .................... wandering fh.................... maiden .................... fhassistence .................... and remained faithful to their belief fhquench in one Allah, Master and Creator of all. The proud Egyptians forced the .................... flock fh.................... fhapproach Banu Israel into slavery and placed .................... introduce such difficulties upon them that .................... none could bear. fhupbringing They forced them to work as ani- .................... rid fh.................... fhemploy mals do, beating them, kicking them .................... fh and starving them too. The only TComments food the Banu Isra’il were given to fh☺ ☺ eat were the scraps and waste oth- erwise given to the dogs and cats in vn my faith ...ISLAM 223

the streets and alleyways. ryP C fhDespite all these difficulties the Vocabulary fhBanu Isra’il continued to grow in propose .................... number. They had become so many blazing fhthat the Egyptians became afraid of.................... fhthem. Fir‘awn knew that the Banu ember .................... overawed Isra’il would become too many and .................... fhtoo powerful to control. And what is miraculous .................... more is that he was told, that an slither fh.................... Israelite child will be born who will unexpected fhdestroy his kingdom. .................... sight fhFir’awn was mad with rage and.................... fhordered that every newborn malesplendor .................... revelation .................... child be killed and only the girls of nation .................... fhthe Banu Isra’il be left alive. This unexpected fhcruel order was obeyed and thou- .................... preach sands of little baby boys were .................... mission fhslaughtered in the streets before .................... fhencounter their mother's eyes. .................... fhTComments f☺ h☺ CHAPTER 2 vn224 my faith ...ISLAM

ryP C During this frightful time a hand- fhVocabulary some son was born to the wife of fhenslave Imran. Imran was a pious man of the Banu Isra’il. For a few days the .................... beautiful baby's mother hid the child away from the cruel Egyptians, but demand the time soon came when she could do so no longer. Fearing for the fh.................... safety of the little child, the fright- persecute ened mother put the baby into a basket and carried it down to the .................... banks of the river Nile. She hid the basket amongst the reeds, com- fhassemble manding Maryam, her daughter, to keep watch from a distance. The .................... poor mother wept bitterly but what could she do? Rather than see the fhserpent child killed before her eyes, she decided to hand the child over into .................... the care of Allah. radiant fh.................... advise .................... fhpossess .................... fhhumiliate .................... threaten fh.................... heed .................... fhwithold .................... fhstarvation .................... sorcery fh.................... swarm fh.................... fhTComments The basket began to float slowly fh☺ ☺ down the river with the child sleep- ing peacefully in it. It so happened vn my faith ...ISLAM 225

rythat it was that time of the day when PC Fir'awns wife, the Queen of Egypt, fhwould go down to the river to bathe Vocabulary fhalong with her maid servants. As summon .................... she came closer to the bank of the behalf fhriver, she saw the basket and.................... fhordered the servants to bring it to her. plague .................... devour fh.................... vegetation .................... The Queen lifted the blanket and infect fh.................... peeped under it. She could not boils fhbelieve her eyes. There lay the .................... pursue most beautiful little baby, smiling.................... shore fhand gurgling ever so cutely. \"What a fhbeautiful child. I have never seen.................... perish .................... such beauty in all my life!\", she submerge fhexclaimed. .................... chariot fh.................... swarm Fir'awns wife was enchanted by the .................... summon fhsweet, smiling face of the child. The .................... behalf .................... fhQueen decided to adopt the little boy. She named him Musa, which in fhthe Egyptian language means 'the TComments fhone who was taken out of water'. ☺ ☺ vn226 my faith ...ISLAM

ryP C \"We will have to find a nurse to take fhVocabulary care of him\", said the Queen and fh she gave orders that a good nurse plague .................... be found for the baby. Maryam who devour had followed the basket from a dis- .................... tance was delighted to learn that the Queen was looking for a good fhvegetation .................... fhinfect .................... woman to take care of the baby she boils had adopted. She at once went to the Queen and explained that her fh.................... pursue fh.................... fh mother was the best nurse in all the land of Egypt. fh \"Go fetch her!\", said the Queen \"If fh she can nurse the baby I shall pay fh her well.\" fh Musa's mother was overjoyed. She fh knew that Allah had protected the child from harm. She knew that fh Allah had brought mother and child fh back together, safe from the cruelty TComments of Fir'awn. She knew that Allah fh☺ ☺ always cares for those who put their trust in Him. vn my faith ...ISLAM 227

ry fhAnd so, with his mother by his side caring for him, handsome little fhMusa began his life as a prince of Egypt in the palace of Fir'awn, the ffhhvery man who wished to kill him. fh fh CHAPTER 3 fhAlthough he was brought up as a prince, enjoying every luxury and fhcomfort, the suffering of the Banu fhIsra’il who slaved around him, living like animals do, made him very fhunhappy. fh One day Musa [a] saw an Egyptian fhnobleman mercilessly beating an Israelite slave. Seeing such cruelty, fhMusa [a] fell upon the Egyptian in fhorder to save the Israelite slave but in his anger he dealt such a heavy fhblow that the Egyptian was killed on vn228 my faith ...ISLAM

ry the spot. Musa [a] was very regret- fh ful and prayed to Allah for forgive- fh ness. He did not wish to kill the man. But the crime was very seri- ous indeed and he had to flee from fh Egypt into the deserts that stretched fh across the shores of the Red Sea, fh into the land of Madyan. fh His wanderings in the desert fh brought him one day to a watering place where he saw two maidens who were finding difficulty in draw- fh ing water from the well for their flock fh of sheep. Musa [a] went to their fh assistance. After helping them he quenched his own thirst and lay fh down to rest under the shade of a fh tree nearby. Later one of the damsels came fh back. Approaching shyly, she said fh in a soft voice, \"My father is grateful fh for what you had done for us. He invites you to our home so that he vn my faith ...ISLAM 229

rymay thank you in person and fh reward you for your kindness.\" fhMusa [a] happily accepted the invi- tation and followed the maiden to fhher father whom he found to be a fhvery kind, noble old man. His name was Shu'ayb. Shu'ayb and his fam- fhily lived a very happy life in their fhcomfortable and peaceful home. fhMusa [a] introduced himself to Shu'ayb, explaining how he had fhcome to be in Madyan. He told fhShu'ayb the story of his youth and upbringing and how he had lived as fha prince of Egypt in the palace of fhFir'awn. He described what had happened to the Egyptian noble- fhman and how he was forced to leave Egypt. \"You are well rid of fhthem\", said Shu'ayb. \"Who would fhlive among such cruel people ? You should thank Allah for your escape,\" fhadded Shu'ayb. vn230 my faith ...ISLAM

ry fh After some days, one of the daugh- fh ters told Shu'ayb, \"O Father, why don't you employ this man to work for us? He is strong and seems ffhh trustworthy too.\" fh Shu'ayb had already noticed the excellent qualities of Musa [a]. and fh was only too eager to accept his fh daughter's advice. Musa [a] thus stayed in the home of fh Shu'ayb and the two became close fh friends. One sunny day Shu'ayb fh proposed to Musa [a] that he marry one of his lovely daughters. Musa fh [a] was overjoyed at the proposal fh and before long the two were mar- ried. Musa [a] and his beautiful bride lived very happily in the bright ffhh joyous home of Shu'ayb. fh But, even there, he was not at peace. He continued to think about vn my faith ...ISLAM 231

rythe sorrow of his people and their fh sufferings in Egypt. fh fh CHAPTER 4 fh One day while travelling with his fhfamily, Musa [a] saw a fire blazing fh from the Mountain of Sinai. \"Stay here!\", he told his wife. \"I am fhgoing over there to bring back a burning ember, and with it we will ffhhmake a fire to warm ourselves.\" But when he reached that which he fhthought to be a fire, he found a glo- fhrious blaze of light, a light so bright it lit up the heavens and the earth fhfrom east to the very far west. fhSuddenly an All-Powerful voice fell fhupon his ears, \"O Musa! I am your God. I am Allah, the Lord of the fhworlds.\" vn232 my faith ...ISLAM

ry Musa [a] stood overawed, fascinat- fh ed and speechless. fh \"Now throw down your staff!\", com- manded the Voice. Musa [a] fh obeyed, and miraculously, the staff fh stirred to life and began to slither fh about. It had turned into an enor- mous snake. fh fh Musa [a] was shocked by the unex- pected sight, but the Voice calmly reassured him. \"O Musa!\" It said. fh “Fear not for no harm shall come to fh you. Now place, your hand under fh your arm, near to your heart, and see what shall be seen!\" And lo, the fh hand glowed bright with the glory fh and splendor of Allah. Allah had filled the heart of Musa [a] with the fh light of faith and revelation. fh \"Now go!\", said the Voice, \" with fh these two signs, to the wicked Fir'awn and to his people. Go as My vn my faith ...ISLAM 233

rymessenger and free the Banu Isra’il fh from slavery!\" fhMusa [a] had been chosen by Allah to be His Prophet to the Banu Isra’il. fhHe was now Nabi Musa [a], fhProphet and Messenger of the Lord of the Worlds. fh fhNabi Musa [a] was fearful of the great duty placed upon him. He was fhcommanded to free a whole nation from slavery and change the wicked fhways of a powerful king. This was fhno easy task. \"O Allah!\" Nabi Musa [a] prayed, \"Make my brother Harun fhmy helper for he is a better speak- fh er than I am.\" fh\"We will certainly give you the strength of your brother Harun and fhtogether you shall preach My word\", fhsaid the Voice of Allah. So Nabi fhMusa [a] returned to his vn234 my faith ...ISLAM

ry family greatly excited, and immedi- fh ately set out on his journey to fh Egypt. fh fh CHAPTER 5 fh Nabi Musa’s [a] brother, Nabi fh Harun [a], joined him in Egypt and fh together they began their mission of calling the Banu Isra’il to their mes- sage. They told them of all that had fh happened on the Mountain of Sinai, fh Nabi Musa's [a] wondrous fh encounter and the revelation of Allah. The people were overjoyed fh and the hope of freedom filled the fh hearts of the enslaved people. Nabi Musa [a] and Nabi Harun [a] fh then made their way to the palaces fh of the king of Egypt, Firawn. fh Silence filled the court of Fir'awn as vn my faith ...ISLAM 235

ryNabi Musa began to speak, \"O fhFir'awn! I am a messenger from Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and I fhhave come to you to demand the freedom of the Banu Isra’il whom fhyou have kept in slavery and perse- fhcuted for so many years. I come with a clear sign from Allah, so be fhwarned and fear Allah, your fh Creator.\" fhThe wicked king was greatly amused. fh\"So you are now a Prophet of fhAllah!\" he laughed. \"Well, show us a sign if you are truthful \". fh fhNabi Musa [a] at once threw down his staff and all those assembled in fhthe court of Fir'awn drew back at the frightful sight before them. fhThere arose a gigantic serpent, fhslithering and hissing. Nabi fhMusa [a] reached over and vn236 my faith ...ISLAM

ry the terrifying snake turned once fh more into a staff. fh \"Now see\", said Musa as he placed his hand under his arm, by his pure fh heart. As he drew it out, to every- fh one's surprise, it was sparkling bril- fh liantly, radiant with Divine Light. fh Fir'awn and his chiefs were struck fh with wonder. \"This is magic, pure and simple!\", fh the chiefs told the king. \"Musa is fh using magic to snatch away your fh kingdom.\" fh \"Let us match his magic with that of fh our magicians\", advised the chiefs. So Fir'awn issued orders to all the fh magicians of the land to gather on a fh certain day at his palace. He fh offered them a rich reward if they could defeat Nabi Musa [a]. vn my faith ...ISLAM 237

ryOn the appointed day all the magi- fhcians gathered at the palace of the king. When Nabi Musa [a] and Nabi fhHarun [a] arrived the chief magician stood up and addressed them say- fhing, \"O Musa! Will you be first or fhshall we?\" fh\"You first,\" replied Nabi Musa [a]. fhAnd so the magicians, who knew of the staff of Nabi Musa [a], threw fhtheir rods and magically the ground was covered with slithering, hissing ffhhsnakes. Then Nabi Musa [a], taking his turn, fhthrew his staff to the ground, and fhbehold! It began to devour the magician's snakes until not a single fhone was left. The king's magicians, realising that this was no magic nor fhwas it trickery, bowed their heads fhdown before Nabi Musa [a] and declared their belief in Allah, the fhLord of the worlds. This was the vn238 my faith ...ISLAM

ry work of a power far greater they had fh ever known, a power that could only fh be possessed by a Prophet of Allah. \"Now do you believe?\" Nabi Musa fh [a] asked Fir'awn. But Fir'awn was fh angrier than before. He had been fh humiliated and his own magicians had turned against him. fh fh Fir’awn looked fiercely towards the the magicians, \"How dare you believe in Musa before I give you fh permission to do so?\" he thun- fh dered. \"I shall have you nailed to a fh cross and leave you to die a slow, painful death\", he threatened. fh fh Instead of believing in Allah and releasing the Banu Isra’il from slav- ery, the wicked Fir'awn became fh even more cruel towards them, fh ordering his chiefs to work them fh even harder and beat them even more viciously. vn my faith ...ISLAM 239

ry fh CHAPTER 6 fh fhNabi Musa [a] told his people to fhpray to Allah and to be patient. He warned Fir'awn that a great punish- fhment would come upon the land of fhEgypt if he did not heed Allah's fhwarning. But still Fir'awn refused. The punishment came over the fhwicked king and his people. Allah fhwithheld the rains and a drought gripped the land. There was a fhsevere shortage of food and many fhbegan to die of starvation. But the stubborn king saw this punishment fhas nothing but the evil of Nabi Musa [a] and defiantly said, \"We fhshall never believe in your sorcery, fhO Musa!\" fhThe punishment of Allah came upon vn240 my faith ...ISLAM

ry the evil king and his people even fh more fiercely. Firstly, the water of fh the vast river Nile turned to blood. None could drink it and all the fish in fh the river died. fh Then, countless swarms of frogs fh appeared. They were everywhere; in the houses, in the gardens and in fh the street, crawling over everything, fh and everywhere you could feel them creep. The people had no water and now no peace. They ffhh became very afraid. fh The king too was very scared. He now summoned Nabi Musa [a] and fh said, \"O Musa! Pray on our behalf to fh your Allah. If we are saved from this punishment, then we shall truly believe in you and we shall allow fh you to take the Banu Isra’il with you fh as free men\". fh But when Allah removed the frogs vn my faith ...ISLAM 241

ryand the water of the Nile became fhfresh and sweet again, the king refused to fulfill his promise. So fhAllah's punishment returned; first a plague of lice then followed clouds fhof hungry locusts which settled fhupon the fields and devoured all the vegetation. fh fhThereafter came terrible hailstorms and a dreadful disease which fhinfected all the Egyptians covering their bodies with painful boils and fhsores. Through all this horror the fhBanu Isra’il were kept safe and pro- tected. fh fhOnce again, Fir'awn and his people were terrified and begged Nabi fhMusa [a] to pray to Allah to save them, promising in return to believe fhin him and to free the Banu Isra’il. fhThus it was that after years and years of slavery, the Banu Isra’il at fhlast were allowed to go. vn242 my faith ...ISLAM

ry fh fh CHAPTER 7 fh The Banu Isra’il were now free and fh set out on their joyous journey out fh of the land of Egypt. But again Fir'awn was to break his promise. fh No sooner did they leave but Fir fh ‘awn set out with a great army in pursuit of them. His wickedness would not allow him to let the Banu fh Isra’il go in peace and enjoy their fh freedom. fh The Banu Isra’il were very fright- fh ened indeed, but Nabi Musa [a] told fh them to trust in Allah and urged them to go forward. They went as far as the shores of the Red Sea. fh Here they were forced to stop. They fh had no ships with which to cross the fh blue waters of the sea, and the frightful thought occured to them vn my faith ...ISLAM 243

rythat now they would surely perish at fh the hands of the king's armies. fhBut Allah had promised to help Nabi Musa [a], and Allah never breaks fhHis promise. Allah ordered Nabi fhMusa [a] to strike the water with his staff. Nabi Musa [a] obediently did fhas he was told. The staff splashed fhinto the water and behold, the blue- white waves began to separate fhmiraculously and soon a clear path was made through the sea from ffhhshore to shore. Nabi Musa [a] led the wonderstruck fhBanu Isra’il, and crossed the sea- fhbed on foot, safely reaching the opposite shore. fh Firawn, in his fury and pride, and so fhnot realising the dangers, charged fhwith his armies into the sea path. But no sooner were they in its deep- fhest part, but the water rushed back, vn244 my faith ...ISLAM

ry submerging the whole army and fh drowning the wicked Fir'awn along fh with his soldiers, chariots, horses and all. fh On the opposite shore of the Red fh Sea, the Banu Isra’il sang out in fh praise of Allah and His messenger, Nabi Musa [a]. They were glad. fh Their long years of slavery were fh over at last. They returned once more to Kan'an, the land of their forefathers, and there they settled, fh living in peace and happiness, wor- fh shipping Allah and praising Him for fh all His favours. fh This is the reward for those who fh believe in Allah and obey His com- mands, and a warning to those who, because of pride and greed, fh disobey the messengers of Allah fh and do evil on the earth. fh vn my faith ...ISLAM 245

The following moral lessons learnt from the T ry fh story must be explained & discussed thoroughly - The disbelievers will always fh hate those who believe in Allah. fh This is so because they have fh become the friends of shaytan. fh - All kings who are proud and dis- fh believe in Allah become cruel fh and wicked. fh - Evil kings will commit the great- est evil in order to hold on to power. This is so because they love the life of this world and do not believe in the heareafter. fh - Allah gives some people power fh and rule only to test them, which fh are best in action. Power and rule are not a favour because the very same can lead one to destruc- fh tion. fh fh - What Allah decides must hap- pen will happen, and not even powerful kings can change that. fh- Allah has the power to make a vn246 my faith ...ISLAM

ry raging river, which otherwise fh drowns, a place of safety for fh even a little child. - Allah has the power to make fh even the home of your greatest fh enemy a place of safety. fh - Those who put their trust in Allah are never disappointed. fh - All Prophets are created perfect fh in every way. All are very hand- fh some and all are very strong. fh - In order to overcome an enemy fh it is necessary to know him well. fh This is the reason Allah had Nabi Musa [a] grow up in the palace of fh Fir’awn. fh - Wealth and luxury never corrupt the pure at heart. - We must be concerned for the poor and oppressed and do fh everything in our power to help them, even if we ourselves are fh living in comfort. vn - In helping others in need we my faith ...ISLAM 247