My_Faith_Islam_3

ry fhThe Arabs had forgotten the religion of Nabi Ibrahim [a] , of worshipping fhOne Allah, because of neglect. They had taken idols as gods whom fhthey worshipped along with Allah. fhBecause they had no guide or teacher their wonderful qualities of fhbravery and courage were used to fh harm the poor and the weak. fhThey drank wine and gambled. They robbed and murdered. They fhbelieved in every foolish supersti- fhtion and would even offer human beings as sacrifices to their imagi- fhnary gods, thinking foolishly that fhthis would please them and bring them great rewards. fh They were especially cruel to the fhwomen and the little girls, whom fhthey would sometimes bury alive, under the hot dry desert sands, and fhleave to slowly die, or to be eaten vn298 my faith ...ISLAM

ry by the crawling insects and the wild fh beasts passing by. The widow, the fh orphan and the weak had no pro- tector too. So, despite some excel- lent qualities, the Arabs had fh become evil in the end. They lived fh like barbarians and all because they fh had no teacher to guide them. fh Now Allah never leaves a people fh without guidance and a teacher and so it was, on one starry night, in the city of Makkah, that a very special fh child was born. The skies had lit up fh from the east to the west, and even fh the little desert rabbits were curi- ously peaking their pointy ears and fh tiny heads out of their burrows and fh crests. Ahh, something very special was happening, someone very spe- fh cial was coming. fh In fact, the child's grandfather, ‘Abd fh al-Muttalib, the grand chief of all Arabia, spent six days deciding on a vn my faith ...ISLAM 299

ryname for the child. On that seventh fhday, he dreamed that the name should be Muhammad, which fhmeans 'The Praised One'. But what was stranger still is that when he fhwent to tell the baby's mother, he fhfound that she too had had the very same dream. And so they named fhthe child, Muhammad, the Praised One. fh fhBaby Muhammads father had passed away. His name was fh‘Abdullah, and he would have been fhso very proud of his beautiful little child. Oh, how beautiful a child fhMuhammad was, with eyes as deep fhand starry as the desert nights and shiny curly hair, like rolling crystal fhwaves on a dark sea. And he had the most rosy red cheeks and the fhmost handsome round face. It fhlooked like the full moon on a clear desert night. Ahh, this was a very fhspecial child. vn300 my faith ...ISLAM

ry fh It was the custom in those days for fh the women of the city to send their young children into the desert vil- lages where the air was fresh and fh the food healthy. And also because fh amongst the village folk the Arabic fh language was spoken very beauti- fully. The children would grow fh healthy and strong while they were fh there. Once every year, the desert women fh used to come to Makkah and collect fh the young children. But Aminah was fh a poor widow. Her husband ‘Abdullah had passed away and it fh seemed that no one would take her fh orphan child, the beautiful baby Muhammad. The desert women were afraid that their would be no fh one to pay them for looking after the fh little child and so they all walked fh away. vn my faith ...ISLAM 301

ryAt last a poor woman named fhHalimah agreed to take the child. She was a kind, generous women, fhand seeing that no one else wished to care for the little baby she decid- fhed to take him. She already had a fhchild of her own, a son, about the same age as Muhammad. “They fhcan grow up together, as friends, “ fhshe thought, “And play and go on desert adventures”. fh As she travelled home, she won- fhdered how she would feed the chil- fhdren, for back at home her sheep and goats were thin and the crops fhhad dried. But she hoped that Allah fhwould bless her because she had kindly taken the orphan child fh Her prayers were answered. When fhshe returned to her desert village, fhand to her little house, a wonderful sight met her eyes. The sheep and fhcamels were fat and strong, and vn302 my faith ...ISLAM

ry their udders were swollen with milk. fh The small patch of grass around her fh tiny house had stretched out over the dunes and now looked like a green, grassy meadow. The date fh palms too were bending over, heavy fh with all their juicy dates, and her fh house was full of every enjoyable thing, and bright and happy too. fh This was a miracle and Halimah fh knew why. Their was something very special about Aminah’s beauti- ful child, something wonderful ffhh indeed. fh From that day the little house, in the little village, in the desert, was the fh happiest and brightest in the whole fh wide world, and in it two little boys grew up healthy and strong. fh Happy moments, and happy days fh and months, passed by, and after fh four years Halimah was on her jour- ney back to the city of Makkah. The vn my faith ...ISLAM 303

rytime had come to return the beauti- fhful baby Muhammad to his mother. But now, he was a handsome little fhboy. Muhammad had grown up to be a loving and gentle child, with best ffhhof manners and the purest heart. Lady Aminah was overjoyed. Her fhson Muhammad had returned, and fhmy, was she so impressed by how big and strong he had become. fhThey hugged and kissed, and from that day they were inseperable, fhlady Aminah and Muhammad, her fhhandsome boy . fh fh ry fh vn fh fh fh vn304 my faith ...ISLAM

ry The following lessons learnt from the T fh story must be explained & discussed thoroughly fh - The Arabs lived in Arabia. They fh were a brave and hospitable peo- fh ple. fh - The most hospitable people fh often live in the harshest environ- fh ments. This because they under- fh stand the difficulties that come with having few resources. - The Arabs are the descendants of Nabi Ibrahim [a] from his son Nabi Isma’il [a]. fh - The Arabs, like all other people, fh originally worshipped one Allah. fh - The Arabs forgot the true reli- gion of Nabi Ibrahim [a] because fh of neglect and began to worship fh false gods and Idols. fh - Those who worship false gods become barbaric - drinking wine, gambling, robbing and murder- fh ing. - Those who worship false gods vn my faith ...ISLAM 305

do not respect women and girls. ry - Those who worship false gods fh are always cruel to the poor, the fh weak, the orphans and the wid- ows. fh - People become cruel and fh wicked when they have no guid- fh ance. fh - The best qualities are used for fh the most evil ends when people fh have no guidance. fh - Allah never leaves a people without a guide and a teacher. - Dreams can be a form of inspi- ration from Allah. - Children must be given good fh names. fh - Children must be brought up in fh a healthy environment. fh - Children must be taught elo- quence from a young age. - Good speach and eloquence fhdistinguishes man from animal. fh- Children must be stimulated from a young age. Constructive vn306 my faith ...ISLAM

ry activity and adventure is the best fh way of achieving that. fh - Monetary gain should not be the fh fh deciding factor of our actions. fh - Allah always rewards kindness fh and generosity, even in this fh world. fh - Allah always keeps those happy fh who bring joy to others. fh - Allah generously rewards those fh who take care of orphans. - The house in which there is an fh orphan is always blessed by Allah. - We should never overly con- cern ourselves with the feeding and provision of children. Allah is the provider and each will receive his or her provision. fh - What makes a child truly hand- fh some or beautiful is good man- TComments ners and character. fh☺ ☺ - The love between a mother and vn child is very special. my faith ...ISLAM 307

Draw a picture of Halimah’s happy home, with C ryACTIVITIES fh green grass, fat camels and sheep and lots of fh tall palm trees. Don’t forget to include a small oasis. fh fh fh fh fh fh fh fh fh fh fh fhTComments f☺ h☺ vn308 my faith ...ISLAM

ry Complete the crossword puzzle using C P fh the clues provided below. fh ACROSS fh 1) The people who lived in Arabia. fh 2) The name of the last Prophet. fh 3) Lady Aminah’s baby was born in the month of fh Rabi al-................... fh 4) He is One and the Creator of all. 5) The father of Nabi Muhammad [s]. 6) The Prophet sent before Nabi Muhammad [s]. DOWN 7) He was the grand chief of all Arabia. 8) ‘Abdullah’s wife. 9) She took care of Nabi Muhammad [s] for four years. 10) A child who has lost his father. fh 10 fh 71 8 9 fh 2 fh fh 6 fh 3 fhTComments f☺ h☺ 4 vn 5 my faith ...ISLAM 309

Ask your parents or elder siblings to C P ry fh help you complete the following Hadith. The answers can be found in the lesson fh“Indeed Allah selected ................... as the best of the children of fhIbrahim, and then he selected fh................... as best of his children, and then he selected the fh................... as the best of them, and then he selected ................... fhas the best of the Quraysh, and then he selected ................... as fhthe best of the Banu Hashim (for fh the mantle of Prophethood).” SUMMARY P fh fh BY THE END OF THIS LESSON THE CHILD HAS : (tick in box if completed) - listened to an extract fh - completed a true & false exercise - learnt a new Ayah and a new Hadith - listened to a story fh - found suitable one word meanings - identified specific teachings fh - drew a picture based on the storey - completed a cross word puzzle - completed a Hadith fhTComments How does my teacher f☺ h☺ rate my performance in this lesson ? ☺☺ vn310 my faith ...ISLAM

ry lesson 2 fh fh OUTCOME OBJECTIVES TP fh fh - learn that the immediate family bear the primary fh resposibility of caring for orphans. fh - understand that cherishing of the young takes priority fh over all other ocupations. fh - discover that the loss of loved ones was instrumental fh in engendering in the Prophet [s], at a very young age, a profound sense of appreciation and value for life and people. - learn that amongst peoples of other faiths, believing Christians are the most affable and more readily embrace the true faith. - realise that miracles are unique to Prophets and serve as a sign only to those who seek the truth. - discover that Prophets are averse to paganism from childhood. - recognize that the Jews have always been the arch- enemies of the Prophets of Allah. fh LESSON OVERVIEW TP fh BY THE END OF THIS LESSON THE CHILD WILL HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO : fh - listen to an extract being read out by the teacher describing the youth of Nabi Muhammad [s] fh - complete a writing exercise for comprehension fh - learn a new Ayah and a new Hadith - listen to a story about the youth of Nabi Muhammad [s] and his journey to Syria. - find suitable meanings for the difficult words fh - identify the specific teachings of the story - draw a picture using a grid - answer an important question related to the lesson vn my faith ...ISLAM 311

Read the following sentences. ryT L E S S O N 2 Youth fhNabi Muhammad [s] stayed with his ry fhmother, Lady Aminah, for two years. vn fhWhen Muhammad [s] was six years THE PROPHET’S [s] YOUTH fhjourney to Yathrib. old, Lady Aminah took him on a Vocabulary fhLady Aminah’s family lived in trade Yathrib. monk recognise fhLady Aminah died on the return fh journey. fhNabi Muhammad’s [s] grandfather, fh‘Abd al-Muttalib then took care of him. fh‘Abd al-Muttalib passed away two years later, when Nabi Muhammad fh[s] was eight. fh Abu Talib, Nabi Muhammad’s [s] fhuncle, then took him into his care. fhAbu Talib was very fond of his nephew, Muhammad [s]. fh At the age of twelve, Abu Talib took vn312 my faith ...ISLAM

ryACTIVITIES Muhammad [s] on a trading journey fhQur’an to Syria. Allah I has There they met a Christian Monk declared: named Bahira. fh“And remember when Bahirah recognised Nabi Jesus, son of Mary, Muhammad [s] as the future said, ‘O Children of Prophet of Allah. Israel! I am the Complete the sentences using the list below C fhMessenger of Allah sent to you, confirm- ing the Law which came before me, and giving glad tidings of fha Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be fhAhmad’ ...” Hadith Our beloved Prophet Aminah Prophet Bahira Yathrib six fhMuhammad e said: ‘Abd al-Muttalib Abu Talib “I have been sent to mankind to bring to When Muhammad [s] was six years perfection good char- old, Lady Aminah took him on a fhacter.” fh fh journey to .................... . Lady .................... died on the return journey. fh Nabi Muhammad’s [s] grandfather fh .................... took care of him from fh the age of .................... . .................... was very fond of his fh nephew, Muhammad [s]. At the age of twelve Muhammad [s] fhTComments met a Monk named .................... . fh☺ ☺ Bahirah recognised Nabi Muhammad [s] as the future vn .................... . my faith ...ISLAM 313

Read the following story. ryT P C fhMuhammad was back at home Vocabulary fhagain. It was such a happy time for admiration Lady Aminah and her little boy. .................... fhHappier moments, and happier tragedy .................... days and months passed by, until, warrior .................... fhwhen Muhammad was six, his charming .................... fhmother took him on a long and treat exciting journey, a journey to .................... character fhYathrib, the city now known as .................... fhtrustworthy Madinah. .................... .................... righteous .................... fhLady Aminah’s family lived in monk .................... Madinah, and were they, oh, so monastery fhexcited to meet her and her won- .................... fhderful little boy! Everyone loved trade .................... route Muhammad and he was cuddled .................... sacred fhand kissed. He was the joy and .................... fhadmiration of all his uncles and merchant .................... aunts. fhladen .................... fhIt was a happy time, a time that TComments Muhammad would never forget, a ☺ ☺ fhtime that he wished would go on for- vn314 my faith ...ISLAM

ryP C ever, for soon thereafter, tragedy fhVocabulary was to come again, and little Muhammad’s heart would be bro- warrior ken into a million tiny pieces. fh.................... On their journey back to Makkah lit- tle Muhammad’s mother, Lady fascinating Aminah, became terribly ill and died. Now he was an orphan, all fh.................... alone, without the love of a father or winding the care of a gentle mother. .................... Little Muhammad was now left in fhshimmer the care of his grandfather, the chief of all Arabia, ‘Abd al-Muttalib, the .................... very man who had given him his approach beautiful name. fh.................... deceive fh.................... gaze .................... fhsolitary .................... shielding fh.................... absent fh.................... minding .................... fhdestined fh.................... fh Now ‘Abd al-Muttalib was a power- ful man whom everyone respected, fh even the most fiersome Arab war- fh riors. But he had one weakness, and that was his love for little fh Muhammad. Hand in hand the two vn my faith ...ISLAM 315

rywould walk, sometimes racing, fhsometimes skipping, through the streets and alleys of Makkah. fh fhWherever ‘Abd al-Muttalib went the little boy followed. Even when he fhsat with great and mighty kings, lit- tle Muhammad never left his side. fhThey were inseperable, ‘Abd al- fhMuttalib and Muhammad, his charming grandchild. fh fhIt was a happy time again, a time that Muhammad would never for- fhget, a time that he wished would go fhon forever, for soon thereafter, tragedy was to come yet again, and fhlittle Muhammad’s heart would be fhbroken into a million pieces more. fhOne dark night, ‘Abd al-Muttalib, the great chief of all Arabia, became fhterribly ill and soon, he too died. fhThe grandfather that the boy vn316 my faith ...ISLAM

ry Muhammad loved even more than fh a son could love a father, was now fh gone. And yet again, Muhammad was all alone. fh fh But there was an uncle, a very kind man, Abu Talib was his name. He fh now took the orphan boy Muhammad into his home and fh treated him like a son, like his very fh own. Abu Talib grew so fond of little Muhammad that people would call fh him “Muhammad, son of Abu Talib.” fh And whenever you looked for the boy, he was by his uncles side, his fh dear and loving uncle, the gentle fh Abu Talib. fh And who could not love a boy like Muhammad, for he was like no fh other child. He was a handsome, fh charming boy indeed, but that was not all. Allah had blessed him with fh kindness, wisdom and honesty, vn my faith ...ISLAM 317

and the best of all character. ry fh So truthful and trustworthy was the fhboy, that whenever he walked by fhthe people would call out in admira- tion, “Here comes that truthful boy fhhere comes As-Sadiq. Look there he is, the trustworthy boy, there is fhAl-Amin.” fh Naturally, Abu Talib was very proud fhof his nephew, and wherever he fhwent, Muhammad would be by his side. They were inseperable, Abu fhTalib and Muhammad, the righteous fhnephew who was like his very own fhchild. It was a happy time again, a time fhthat would last for many, many fh years. fhAt the time, there was a monk fhnamed Bahira, who lived in a vn318 my faith ...ISLAM

ry monastery near the town of Busrah, fh on the trading route to Syria. He fh had spent his life worshipping Allah and reading the Sacred Books of fh the Prophets of old, the Tawrah of fh Nabi Musa [a] and Injil of Nabi ‘Isa [a]. He had read of a great Prophet, fh the last Prophet, who would one day come to the world. Bahira had fh prayed to Allah asking that he live to fh see that Last Prophet fh The people of Makkah were mer- fh chants, who traded with the cities of Syria. Day after day, caravans of fh camels, laden with goods, set out fh across the golden, barren deserts. One of these caravans belonged to fh Abu Talib. fh Now, Abu talib was preparing for a fh journey to Syria, and as we now know, he and his nephew fh Muhammad were inseperable. So vn my faith ...ISLAM 319

ryhe decided to take his nephew with him. fh fhMuhammad was twelve years old fhnow and he was bursting with excitement for he had never been fhto Syria before. He had only heard the wonderful tales of its huge fhcities, and tall towers. Its fascinating fhmarket-places and strange people. fhAll was ready and the caravan set fhoff. It made its slow windy, way across the golden desert sands fhuntil, after many hot days and chilly fhnights, it reached the city of Busrah. fh The monk, Bahira, was seated all fhalone that day in his monastery. He fhhad just finished reading one of his books when he streched and fhyawned, looking out through his fhwindow across the desert. Through vn320 my faith ...ISLAM

ry the shimmering heat, he saw a car- fh avan approaching. That was not fh strange to him at all, for many cara- vans passed that way. But hold on, fh what was this. “Are my eyes deceiv- fh ing me. It cannot be!” Bahira said to himself. He rubbed his eyes and fh stretched his gaze over to where the caravan was approaching. “How fh very strange indeed! No How very fh wonderful!” he shouted out as he jumped up clicking his heels. fh fh There in the distance Bahira could see a solitary cloud floating in the fh skies just above the caravan, not fh moving any faster or slower. It seemed that the cloud was shield- fh ing someone from the sun. Bahira watched in amazement. “Yes!” he fh said to himself, “That cloud is fh shielding someone from the sun. Look it follows the caravan wherev- fh er it goes.” vn my faith ...ISLAM 321

ry fhHe continued to look as the caravan drew nearer and nearer, until even- fhtually it stopped beneath a grove of fhtrees. No sooner did everyone come into the shade of the trees fhbut, the strange cloud suddenly disappeared. Bahira had read about fhthis having happened to others fhbefore, but those others were non other than Prophets. “Only fhProphets are shielded by clouds,” fhBahira screamed excitedly, “Oh, how wonderful.” fh fhBahira rushed over to greet the merchants. He knew these mer- fhchants and recognised Abu Talib. 'It's good to see you again,” Bahira fhsaid to him. “And you too Bahira,” fhreplied Abu Talib. “Now come in and have something to eat,” Bahira fhsaid. fh vn322 my faith ...ISLAM

ry They were quite surprised because fh Bahira, the monk, had never invited fh them into his monastery before. “But why? You never invite us into fh your monastery?” they asked. “Ahh, fh things are very different today,” he replied. fh Bahira knew that there was some- fh one very important with them, fh someone whom he had been wait- ing his whole life to meet. They sat fh down together for the meal and fh Bahira asked them questions about themselves, but he could not get fh the answers he was looking for. At fh last he asked, “Is your whole group here or are some absent?” fh “No, not all of us are here,” replied fh Abu Talib. “My nephew is minding fh the camels. He is a young boy, so we we thought it best that he stay fh behind.” vn my faith ...ISLAM 323

ry fh“Please allow me to talk to him,” Bahira requested. fh fhBahira questioned the child closely, learning all he could about who he fhwas, where he came from, what he believed and what he thought about fhmany other things. As the young fhMuhammad spoke Bahira’s face lit up like a lamp. Everyone could see fhthe excitement on his face. Bahira fhwas now quite sure that the young boy Muhammad was indeed the fhProphet he had read so much fhabout. He tried one last test. Bahira asked the child to swear by the idol- fhgods of Makkah, al-Lat and al- Uzzah. Muhammad refused. fh fhBahira took Abu Talib by the shoul- der and, whispering into his ear, fhsaid, “O Abu Talib! This child is des- fhtined for greatness,” he said. “Many vn324 my faith ...ISLAM

ry will follow him, but I fear that many fh will try to harm him too. I fear the fh Jews of Syria will see him for what he is to become. So take him back fh to your country immediately and fh look after him well.” fh No sooner did Abu Talib finish his meal but he set off immediately fh back for Makkah. From that day fh onward, Abu Talib would always be by the side of his dear nephew, the fh last Prophet to be. fh fh fh fh ry fh vn fh fh vn my faith ...ISLAM 325

The following lessons learnt from the T ry fh story must be explained & discussed thoroughly fh- Visiting relatives and friends is a virtuous act. fh- Visiting is a means of engen- fh dering love and solidarity. fh- The death of a parent is the most traumatic experience for a fhchild. - The immediate family has the fhprimary responsibility to care for fh orphans. fh- No matter how important an occupation you may think you fh have, children are always more fh important. fh - Care and concern for young fh children is a sign of true great- ness. - Losing loved ones develops in fhthe individual a great sense of fhappreciation of life and value of people, all people. This was of vn326 my faith ...ISLAM

ry particular significance in the life fh of the Prophet [s] for his was a fh life dedicated to the wellbeing of all people. His concern for fh humanity was unequaled. fh fh - Good character is the most fh admirable attribute. - All people are attracted to those who possess good character. fh - The coming of the Last Prophet, fh Nabi Muhammad [s], was pre- fh dicted in the previous Books of Allah. fh - Most Christians during the time fh of Nabi Muhammad [s] embraced fh Islam because of their knowl- fh edge of his coming, as we will learn later. - Among the Christians we find the most faithful, pure hearts, fh (even today) who no sooner see Islam but embrace it. fh vn - Travelling is the best way to my faith ...ISLAM 327

gain knowledge of the world. ryACTIVITIES fh - All Prophets are accompanied fh by miracles. fh - Miracles strengthen the faith fh and bring joy only to the pure of heart. - Christian monks avoid the com- fh pany of other people. Muslims, fh on the other hand, are command- fh ed to mix with all people, and to fh influence them positively. This is fh called Da’wah. fh fh - Prophets are given exceptional wisdom and are inspired even from an early age. - Even as children, Prophets never commit shirk, believing in fhother gods or idols. fh - All Prophets are apposed by the fhTComments enemies of true religion. - The greatest enemies of ☺ ☺ fhProphets are the Jews. vn328 my faith ...ISLAM

ry Draw the camel using the grid then colour-in. C fh 1234567 fh A fh B C fh D E fh F fh G H fh 1234567 fh A fh B fh C fh D fh E fh F fhTComments G f☺ h☺ H vn my faith ...ISLAM 329

What have you learnt about Christians C P ry fh in this lesson? fh....................................................... ....................................................... fh....................................................... fh....................................................... ....................................................... fh....................................................... fh....................................................... ....................................................... fh....................................................... fh....................................................... SUMMARY P fh BY THE END OF THIS LESSON THE CHILD HAS : fh (tick in box if completed) - listened to an extract fh - completed a comprehension exercise - learnt a new Ayah and a new Hadith fh - listened to a story fh - found suitable one word meanings - identified specific teachings - drew a picture using a grid - answered an important question fhTComments How does my teacher f☺ h☺ rate my performance in this lesson ? ☺☺ vn330 my faith ...ISLAM

ry lesson 3 fh fh fh fh OUTCOME OBJECTIVES TP fh fh - understand that the best and most successful busi- fh nessmen are those who are honest and trustworthy. fh - learn that good character is more valuable than wealth - discover that meditation & prayer lead to great insight - learn that revelation is conveyed thorugh the agency of the Arch angel Jibra’il. - realise that angels belong to a dimension that tran- scends our own. - understand that acquiring knowledge is a primary duty. - appreciate that revelation is the greatest knowledge. - recognize that Khadijah was a wise & supportive woman. - understand that only those who have pure hearts & great knowledge respond to the mission of Prophets. fh LESSON OVERVIEW TP fh BY THE END OF THIS LESSON THE CHILD WILL HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO : fh - listen to an extract being read out by the teacher fh describing the Beginning of Revelation fh - identify the odd word in a group fh - learn a new Ayah and a new Hadith fh - listen to a story about the Marriage of Nabi Muhammad [s] and the Beginning of Revelation to him. - find suitable meanings for the difficult words - identify the specific teachings of the story - solve a picture puzzle for enjoyment - find out about a sport encouraged in Islam - complete an Ayah relating to the lesson vn my faith ...ISLAM 331

Read and explain the following. ryT L E S S O N 3 Revelation fhAs a young man Nabi Muhammad ry fvhn [s] was a businessman. He was honest and truthful. fhA rich widow named Khadijah THE REVE- L AT I O N BEGINS employed Muhammad [s] as a fh manager for her business. Vocabulary fhbusiness Muhammad [s] and Khadijah mar- employ meditate fhried. revelation learned fhThey were a loving couple who lived a happy, peaceful life together. fhThey had seven children together. fh Nabi Muhammad [s] would spend fhtime meditating in the cave of Hira. Angel Jibra’il brought the first reve- fhlation to Prophet Muhammad [s] fh while he was in the cave. fhNabi Muhammad [s] was afraid and fhran to his beloved wife Khadijah. Khadijah took Prophet Muhammad fh[s] to her learned Christian cousin, Waraqa ibn Nawfal. vn332 my faith ...ISLAM

ryACTIVITIES Waraqa told Prophet Muhammad fhQur’an [s] that the angel Jibra’l had brought Allah I has revelation to him. declared: fh“Ramadan is the He explained that Nabi Muhammad month in which the [s] was chosen as the last prophet Qur’an was revealed of Allah. as a guide to Look carefully at the groups of words C P fhmankind.” Hadith below. Three of the words belong together while Our beloved Prophet one does not. Circle the odd one out in red. fhMuhammad e said: Prophet businessman honest cheat “The parable of Khadijah widow chief rich myself and the other loving argue happy peaceful fhProphets is as that of a palace in which the children Aminah seven Khadijah construction has been made good but fhwherein the place of a brick has been left out. The on-lookers went round it wander- ing at its good con- fhstruction except for the place of the brick. fhsealed by me, and The construdion has therefore been the messengers have come to an end with me...I am the (last) brick I am the seal of fhProphets.” fh fh fh uncle meditate Hira cave fh revelation Jibra’il first Khadijah fhTComments Waraqa cousin enemy Christian fh☺ ☺ afraid last Muhammad Prophet vn my faith ...ISLAM 333

Read the following story. ryT P C fhMuhammad grew up in Makkah, Vocabulary and, like his uncle, he became a business fhgood businessman. He was the .................... fhmost honest and truthful trader in all trader .................... Makkah. fhwise .................... wealthy Now, there was a very wise, beauti-.................... caravan fhful and rich widow named Khadijah fhwho lived in Makkah. But unlike the.................... manage .................... other wealthy people of Makkah, charge .................... fhshe was kind and generous. popular fhKhadijah also had large trading car- .................... successful avans and she was looking for .................... fhsomeone to manage it for her. She tremendous .................... had heard of Muhammad’s honesty impress .................... fhand truthfulness and so she asked superb fhhim to take charge of her caravans. .................... noble .................... fhMuhammad accepted and after a bustling .................... short while Khadijah’s caravans period .................... fhwere the most popular and suc- fhcessful. Muhammad had made her TComments a tremendous amount of money, but fhwhat impressed Khadijah most was ☺☺ vn334 my faith ...ISLAM

ryP C his truthfulness and honesty, and fh especially his superb character. Vocabulary fhstrange It was only a matter of time before Khadijah and Muhammad married, .................... for after all, they were so much alike. Both were noble and kind, brilliant and both had the most superb char- acter. They were happy, and togeth- fh.................... er Muhammad and Khadijah had flooded many lovely children. .................... At the time, the people of Makkah worshipped idols, but Muhammad fhbrilliant was very different. He only believed in One Allah. It made him sad to see .................... the evil ways of the Arabs, their wine and gambling, their stealing fhstartled and killing, and especially their cruel treatment of the poor, the wid- .................... ows and the orphans. After all he too was an orphan, and orphans, he melodious fh.................... urge .................... fhspeck .................... fhstammer .................... bear fh.................... release .................... fhembrace .................... fhengrave .................... vanish fh.................... horizon fh.................... fh knew, needed special care. TComments fh☺ ☺ Muhammad often used to leave the bustling city streets and go to the vn my faith ...ISLAM 335

rycave of Hira where he would pray in PC peace. The cave was in a mountain fhcalled Jabal Noor just outside the Vocabulary fhcity. Here he would spend time figure thinking deeply, praying to Allah to .................... tower fhguide him and to help him solve the .................... many puzzling questions which oppose ffhhwere troubling his mind. .................... brilliant .................... startled .................... It was the Prophet's habit to spend melodious fhthe month of Ramadan there, pray-.................... fhing and fasting. urge .................... speck .................... fhOne starry night, in the month of stammer .................... Ramadan, after a long period of bear fhfasting and prayer, Muhammad, .................... who was now forty years old, had a release .................... fhstrange experience. He was sitting fhin the cave of Hira that night, deep embrace .................... engrave .................... fhcave was flooded with a brilliant in prayer when, suddenly, the dark vanish .................... horizon fhlight. Muhammad jumped up, star- .................... tled. He could hear a sweet, melodi- fhous voice urging him to read. TComments f☺ h☺ “Read!” the voice said. vn336 my faith ...ISLAM

ry It was the angel Jibra’il [a], the fh angel from Allah, the Lord of the fh worlds. The angel was so huge that it covered the skies from the east to fh the west. Even when Muhammad looked up, there was the angel, and fh when he looked down, there he was fh as well. Muhammad had never before seen anything quite as huge. fh In fact the whole world seemed to be no more than a speck of dust on fh the tip of the angels wing. fh “Read!” commanded Jibra’il [a]. fh “I cannot read!” stammered the fh Prophet, for like many people at fh that time, he could neither read nor write. fh Then the Angel grabbed him, hold- fh ing him so tightly that Muhammad fh thought he would faint. Just when he thought he could bear it no fh longer, the Angel released him, and commanded, saying to him again, vn my faith ...ISLAM 337

“Read!” ry fh “But I cannot read,” Muhammad fhrepeated. fhA second time, the Angel held the fhProphet and commanded him to fhread, but the reply was the same. Then after a third embrace, the fhAngel said, “Read, in the name of fh your Lord, Who creates.” fhMuhammad repeated these words. They had become engraved on his fhheart and he knew that he would fh never forget them. fhAs suddenly as it had come, the light vanished and the cave was fhdark again. fh But he was very afraid, and as soon fhas he thought he was alone again, he ran from the cave and rushed fhtowards the city. As he ran, he vn338 my faith ...ISLAM

ry heard the voice once more, “Oh, fh Muhammad,you are the Messenger fh of Allah, and I am Jibra'il.” fh Muhammad was no longer an ordi- nary man. He had now been cho- fh sen as the last and final Prophet of fh Allah. He was now Nabi Muhammad [s], the Messenger of fh Allah. fh He stood still, and looked up again. fh Angel Jibra’il stood on the horizon before him, so huge that his figure fh filled the sky. And whichever way Muhammad turned, the Angel tow- fh ered before him. fh By the time Nabi Muhammad [s] fh had reached his home and his lov- ing wife, Khadijah, he was shaking fh with fear. “What has happened to fh you?” she said as she wrapped him in a blanket. Nabi Muhammad [s] fh told her about the angel and the strange words he was taught in the vn my faith ...ISLAM 339

rycave. fh Khadijah knew that this was some- fhthing very special, but she did not know what it meant. So she took fhNabi Muhammad [s] to her cousin fhWaraqa bin Nawfal, who was a wise and learned Christian. fh He smiled excitedly when he heard fhher story. “It is the same message fhthat Allah sent to Nabi Musa [a],” Waraqa told them. “It means that fhMuhammad is the Prophet of our people. Be happy, O Muhammad, fhfor this is good news indeed.” fh But then Waraqa looked sadly at fhthe Prophet [s] and said, “No man has ever brought the message you fhbring without being opposed. Your fhpeople will call you a liar, and they will cast you out and fight against fhyou. Truly, if I live to see that day, I will help you all I can, even though I fham an old man.” vn340 my faith ...ISLAM

ry The following lessons learnt from the T fh story must be explained & discussed thoroughly - The best and most successful fh businessmen are those who are fh honest and truthful. fh - Women can own businessess fh and amass wealth. fh - Wealthy businesswomen should have male managers and not directly invole themselves in fh the businessworld. In this man- fh ner their nobility and integrity would be safeguarded. fh - Most wealthy people are not fh kind and generous. fh - Only employ those who are honest and truthful. fh - Honesty is the surest guarantee fh of financial success. fh - Character and morality are fh more valuable than wealth. vn - Only marry those who have my faith ...ISLAM 341

rygood character and morality. fh- Good character and morality ensure a happy married life. fh fh- Prophets believe in one Allah even before becoming Prophets. fh- Prophets are always concerned about the plight of their people, ffhheven before becoming Prophets. - Nabi Muhammad’s [s] difficult fh childhood taught him to feel great fh concern for those in difficulty. fh- Meditation and prayer lead to insight and understanding. fh- Peace and tranquility are fhrequired for meditation and prayer. fh- Meditation and prayer are the fh qualities of the wise. fh- Most Prophets receive revela- tion at the age of forty. fh- Angel Jibra’il is the angel of rev- vn342 my faith ...ISLAM

ry elation. fh - Angels are greater than our uni- verse. fh - Angels are created from light. fh fh - The first commandment of Allah is to read and to acquire knowl- edge. fh - The greatest knowledge is the fh knowledge of revelation, specifi- fh cally the Qur’an. fh - Illiteracy was common in the fh ancient world. - By being told to read after the fh angel of revelation, Allah was fh indicating that He, Himself, would be Nabi Muhammad’s [s] fh teacher. fh - Allah is the teacher of all fh Prophet’s, and therefore their knowledge and training is the fh best. vn my faith ...ISLAM 343

ry - All revelation is engraved on the fhhearts of the Prophet’s and there- fhfore they never forget any of it. fh - Human beings are always fh afraid of what they do not under- fh stand. - Allah chooses Prophets, and no one can become a Prophet by fh himself. fh fh - Khadijah was a strong, support- fh ive wife. - Khadijah was a wise woman. fh- Many early Christians had great knowledge of revelation and fhremained true to the teachings of fh Nabi ‘sa [a]. - Only those who have pure fh hearts and who possess great fh knowledge respond to the mis- fh sion of Prophets. vn344 my faith ...ISLAM

ryACTIVITIES Nabi Muhammad [s] would leave the busy C P fh fh streets of of Makkah and go to the peaceful cave of fh Hira to meditate. Away from all the distractions he would be able to worship Allah. Sometimes, as chil- dren, we too become distracted and forget about Allah. Can you help the little boy find Allah amongst all these distractions? Colour-in your answer. fh fh fh fh fh fh fh fh fh fh List some sports that can be played ffhh☺ ☺ with the equipment in the picture? TComments ................. ................. ................. ................. ................. ................. vn ................. ................. ................. my faith ...ISLAM 345

ryWhich of these is encouraged in Islam fh and why is that so? ........................................................ fh........................................................ ........................................................ fh........................................................ fhAsk your parents or elder siblings to C P help you complete the following Ayah. The answers fh can be found in the lesson fh“......................... is the month in fh which the ......................... was fh revealed as a guide to mankind.” fh SUMMARY P BY THE END OF THIS LESSON THE CHILD HAS : (tick in box if completed) fh - listened to an extract fh - identify the odd word in a group - learnt a new Ayah and a new Hadith - listened to a story fh - found suitable one word meanings - identified specific teachings - solved a picture-puzzle for enjoyment fh - found out about a Sunnah sport - completed an Ayah fhTComments How does my teacher f☺ h☺ rate my performance in this lesson ? ☺☺ vn346 my faith ...ISLAM

ry lesson 4 fh fh fh fh OUTCOME OBJECTIVES TP fh fh - learn that very few innitially accept the message of fh Islam. fh - understand that, because of greed and selfishness, fh the wealthy and powerful always oppose the Prophets. fh - realise that among disbelievers too there are kind peo- fh ple. - learn that disbelievers resort to violence and cruelty fh in an attempt to silence the truth. fh - understand that the disbelievers, despite their appar- fh ent strength, are great cowards. - discover that early Muslims were dedicated to Islam. fh - understand that a Muslim always persevers in preach- ing Islam. - recognize that Prophets are very patient and forgiving. - appreciate that Prophets are the greatest well-wishers LESSON OVERVIEW TP BY THE END OF THIS LESSON THE CHILD WILL HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO : - listen to an extract being read out by the teacher about the cruelty of the Quraysh - complete a word selection exercise for comprehen- sion - learn a new Ayah and a new Hadith - listen to a story about the cruelty of the Quraysh and the Prophet’s [s] experiences in Ta’if - find suitable meanings for the difficult words - identify the specific teachings of the story - solve a maze puzzle based on the story - answer an important question related to the lesson vn my faith ...ISLAM 347