Dear brother, sisters respected guests, respected elders, and honored Alim. Assalamualaikum WA rahmatullahi WA barakatuh.
My name is Fatima Nabila Uddin. I’m in the 6th grade at Baitul Hamd; and I have memorized Allah’s most beautiful book: Al Qur’aan.
Say (O Muhammad): if you really love Allah, then follow me. Allah will love you and forgive you your sins and Allah is oft-forgiving, Most merciful”.
Imagine this: A lone figure stands on his prayer mat, tears rolling down his cheeks drenching and soaking his beard, his feet swollen due to such prolonged standing. Yet, he is aware that all his sins are forgiven, the entry to paradise, a guarantee. His only uttering throughout the whole night:
‘Oh Allah, My people, my people’.
His only worry: his precious ummah,
You and I.
Can you guess the name of this person?
Well, this lone and amazing figure is the one and only prophet Muhammad (saw.).
Rasulullah Abu Qasim Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allāh al-Hashimi al-Qurashi (saw.) sacrificed and forsook his entire life for his ummah. With every action he carried out, he always kept in mind: my people. Will they be able to carry out this task? Whenever the prophet was given a choice between two things, he would always choose the easier one, hoping that he had chosen a practice that would be easy for his ummah to follow. The Quranic verse clearly proves this statement as Allah says,
“Verily, there comes onto you a messenger from amongst yourselves. It grieves him that you should receive any difficulties, he is anxious over you. For the believers kind and merciful”.
In the above mentioned verse, Allah clearly states the word:
To describe the prophet (saw). We learn from this that the holy Prophet (saw) was determined and strove in every way to ensure the guidance of every living being.
The sahabhi of the prophet’s time admired and adored him to such an extent that when any of them would address him they would say such things as: May my parents be sacrificed on you Oh messenger of Allah! When the prophet would perform wudu, not a drop of water would reach the floor, for the sahaabi of the prophet would catch every drop of his blessed water used from wudu. Allah showed so much love and gratitude to our prophet that he paved his coming to this world in many ways. In one example, Hazarat Fatimah bint Abdullah relates that she was present at the birth of the prophet (saw). She witnessed that the whole room was illuminated and that the stars were so close to the ground that is was as if they would fall onto the earth. SubhanAllah
Hazarat Ibraheem (as) was known as Khalil -Allah, but our beloved prophet was known as HabibAllah. Ulama have stated that the status of habib-Allah is greater than the status of Khalil-Allah. If you think about it, The Khalil-Allah, friend of Allah, will do acts to please the Creator. However, in regards to Habib-Allah, the beloved of Allah, Allah himself will perform acts to please his habib.
Allah states in surah Baqarah, ayah 144:
“Verily! We have seen the turning of your (Muhammad (saw)’s) face towards the heaven. Surely, we shall turn you to a Qiblah (prayer direction) that will please you.”
The Qiblah was originally faced towards Jerusalem. The prophet would face that direction but would put the Kaaba in front of him. Likely, Allah subhanuwatAllah noticed that the prophet’s happiness lay in facing the Kaaba—so for his please and happiness, Allah changed the direction of the kiblah towards the Kaaba. This one example is just a smallmeasureof Allah’s love for Rasulullah Muhammad (saw).
If we loved someone truly in our heart and soul, we would follow their every step. Indeed, I don’t have to bring forth examples of saahabi; we witness this in our society today. Our manners of dress are those of our favorite famous personalities. However, do you want to be with Brad Pitt, Christian Dior, Barak Obama, or your favorite TV actresses on the Day of Judgment? The day when even mothers won’t recognize their children—out of fear of their Lord in front of them?
It is time we allowed ourselves to do real justice: this justice is found in the Sunnah of the holy prophet (saw), within the exemplary life he led. Allah didn’t not send Prophet Muhammad (saw) but as a mercy to all mankind, as Allah declares in Surah Al-Anbiya, ayah 107:
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ
People say that it is difficult to follow the Deen in these times. It is not the times but we ourselves who have created these imaginary difficulties. My brothers and sisters, who is standing in our way and what hindrance do we experience in our ease and comfort, or what loss of wealth and property do we incur in licking our fingers after eating? Or is it the laughter of the unbelievers? Remember, you will never escape from their laughter because it will take for us to stop caring for them to stop laughing. Do not care for what the world is saying about you but care for what the prophet has advised us. We have to follow the practices of he who cared not for his own comfort but that of his ummah. It is reported in a Hadith that on the Day of Judgment, Allah will gather together the earlier and the later of the human race. Allah’s voice will be heard by them (and us) all. The Sun would come near them and they would experience degrees of anguish, pain, and anxiety which will be unbearable. They will beg the prophets Adam, Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa and Isa (alayhiss salaam) to intercede on their part in front of Allah. All these prophets will be concerned with their own selves. But when these people approach our beloved prophet Muhammad (saw), he will stand before the Arsh (throne) of Allah and fall prostrating, go into sujood. When Allah wills him to speak, our prophet may peace and blessings be upon him), will recite the most beautiful praise of Allah—as has never been recited before. He will yell out: my ummah, my ummah! And Allah will allow him to lead all those suffering people through the various gates of heaven.
Brothers and sisters, even on that day, his only concern, his only worry will be his ummah—us, you, I, and everyone around us. We cannot comprehend the difficulties he faced in bringing Islam to us, a religion we don’t want to give ourselves fully to today.
How long are 5 seconds?
Trick question, in five seconds we can change the way we live for a lifetime. How?
Brothers and sisters let us take 5 seconds to make the intention to live our lives for Allah. To fulfill our prophet’s Sunnah.
Starting now. . . . . . . . . .
Brothers and sisters, there is nothing wrong with this religion that we don’t accept it. Our Lord, Allah has himself given this gift to us, so we can live our lives with a purpose and experience the highest pleasure after our coming death. Alhamdulillah.
We need to begin with the simple practices of our Sunnah slowly and steadily, from the beginning of the day to the end, InshaAllah.
May Allah (swt) give us all tawfiq to take heed from this Ameen. Please forgive me for any shortcoming, mistakes, or any hard tones that I may have come across; for I am the lowest of all creation with very limited knowledge. And as a finale to my screech:
All that is good comes from Allah and all that is bad is from ourselves, me.
Presented by MARIA SALEEM, 5th Grade, Baitul Hamd Academy
Bismillah Hir Rahman nir Rahim
Dear honored guests and highly respected Ulemas,
Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.
My name is Maria Saleem. I’m in 5th grade at Baitul Hamd and have memorized 12 1/2juz of Al-Quran. Today, I would like to share with you the importance of seeking knowledge.
‘Knowledge is Power”, as a famous proverb says. However, have you ever wondered what kind of power knowledge really possesses? Knowledge is a light in the darkness.
Knowledge is a companion when bereft of friends,
our society in solitude.
It’s a guide to happiness. It sustains us in misery.
A person without knowledge is like someone walking along a track in complete darkness. Most likely his steps will wander aside and he can be deceived by Shataan.
Ibn Adi, a learned Hadith master and Imam reports in one hadith that our beloved Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) said, "Taa laa bul eeil mi fa ree datum aa laa kulli mus li min a mus li maa tinn" That is, “The Pursuit of knowledge is obligatory on every Muslim man and woman”. Why the pursuit and attainment of knowledge is so important, I will explain it to you.
Many scholars report that the first thing he created was Al-Qalam, the Pen; and Allah instructed this pen to write everything that was to ever happen. Then Allah created The Tablet for the pen to write upon. These two are half of that original Nur. The third part Allah used to create his Arsh—His throne; and the fourth part was to create the universe (including us). This importance of knowledge is illustrated by this simple fact: Allah’s first created object was a pen. You may have heard that the pen is mightier than the sword. Not only is the pen mightier but in Allah’s eyes, it is given more importance. AlhumdoliAllah.
Brothers and sisters, we too hold a pen. This pen allows us to record just as Al-Qalam was instructed by Allah to record everything; even the secrets about Himself that will never be made known to mankind.
What was the first word Allah taught to Prophet Muhammad (saw)?
IQRA. Recite, or as commonly known: read.
The first Aayah Allah ordained for Muslims was: IQRA' BI- ISM RABB -KA 'ALLADHE KHALAQA, Read in the name of your Lord Who created.
Allah tells prophet Muhammad (saw), who had no schooling, to recite; and to make his intention for gaining knowledge in the name of Allah.
Islam calls us to seek knowledge. The Prophet (PBUH) made seeking knowledge an obligation upon every Muslim, and he explained that the advantage of the one who has knowledge over the one who merely worships is like the advantage of the moon over every other heavenly body. Allah dares us to make this comparison say “are those equal to those who know and those who do not know” (surah Zumar, ayah 9). Prophet Muhammad (saw) informed us that the Prophets did not leave behind dinars and dirhams (i.e., money); rather their inheritance was knowledge, so whoever acquires it has gained a great share. The Prophet (PBUH) said that seeking knowledge is a way to Paradise.
Indeed, Knowledge brings a great reward. The one who points the way to something good is like the one who does it. When the knowledgeable person dies, his reward with Allah (SWT) does not cease when he dies, rather it continues to increase so long as people benefit from his knowledge.
The first and most crucial obligation on us is to acquire knowledge and secondly to practice and preach this knowledge. No man becomes truly a Muslim without knowing the meaning of Islam, because he becomes a Muslim not through birth but through knowledge. Unless we come to know the basic and necessary teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) how can we believe in him, have faith in him, act according to what he taught? It is impossible for us to be a Muslim, and at the same
time live in a state of ignorance.
A person without knowledge is like someone walking along a track in complete darkness. Most likely his steps will wander aside and he easily can be deceived by shaytaan. This shows that our greatest danger lies in our ignorance of Islamic teachings and in our unawareness of what the Qur’an teaches and what guidance has been given by the Prophet (PBUH). And Allah all knowing is ‘ the light of the heavens and the earth”(surah Nur, ayah 35), Light here represents knowledge. If we are blessed with the light of knowledge we will be able to see plainly the clear path of Islam at every step of our lives.
The Quran and Hadith advise believers to pray for advancement in knowledge. It is said,
“Acquire knowledge, because he who acquires it in the way of the Lord performs an act of piety ; who speaks of it, praises the Lord ; who seeks it, adores Allah ; who dispenses instruction in it, bestows alms ; and who imparts it to its fitting objects, performs an act of devotion to Allah. Knowledge enables its possessor to distinguish what is forbidden from what is not; it lights the way to Heaven; it is our friend in the desert, our society in solitude, our companion when bereft of friends ; it guides us to happiness ; it sustains us in misery ; it is our ornament in the company of friends ; it serves as an amour against our enemies. With knowledge, the obedient servant of Allah rises to the heights of goodness and to a noble position, associates with sovereigns in this world, and attains to the perfection of happiness in the next.”
Our beloved prophet would often say:
“The ink of the scholar is holier than the blood of the martyr”.
Scholars say, 25 minutes spent in the pursuit of Ilm (Islamic knowledge) is better than 70 years of unending solitary worship. SubhanAllah, we can’t even comprehend the virtue of struggling just to seek knowledge. Remembering and spreading it are separate matters then.
Jazakallah Khairun
Assalamuaikum wa rahmatullahi wa baraktuh.
Presented by ABRAR AKIB, 4th Grade,& Zulkifl Arefin, 6th Grade. Baitul Hamd Academy
If you only have information and knowledge about one human being in your life, knowing about the Prophet Muhammad (saw) is the most beneficial. Everything that he did was beneficial.
Everything he said was beneficial.
Everything he showed his companions and the of the world was beneficial. No one's life was studied closer and in more detail than his. He allowed his companion to pose any question they had. He let his worship of God to be the subject of study. He led his private life, his family life, and his business dealings be the subject of study. He let every aspect of his life, even his tears be the subjects of study. There is no figure in history whose life—public and personal—is so well documented by eyewitness reports. Allah told him that he was to be an example and he submitted willingly to this.
If you are a student of life don't miss this subject. The history of the last 1,400 years is replete with great statesmen, scholars, scientists, military leaders, and peacemakers—all who have attribute their success to the teachings of this man.
He was a man whose archenemies—those who plotted to assassinate him and eventually died fighting him, stated that they knew he was not a liar and was the most trustworthy among them. They held him in the highest respect, yet their interests and their pride didn't allow them to follow him. They offered to make him King, they promised him greater than anyone among them had, if he stopped his mission and allowed them to continue as leaders of what he knew was a corrupt and oppressive society. His refusal to compromise the truth for personal benefit is just one of a multitude of examples we have to continuously draw upon. Many of his staunchest enemies, who swore to kill, later became his most loyal companions.
Have you ever heard these things about anyone else?
Allah says about our beloved prophet in Surah Azab, ayah 21: Indeed, in the messenger of Allah you have an excellent example to follow".
Let us leave here agreeing that indeed, it is prophet Muhammad (saw).
