Holy Prophet's Kindness to Children

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THE Holy Prophet’S Kindness to Children

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THIS BOOK BELONGS TO

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ISLAM INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATIONS LTD The Holy Prophet’s Kindness to Children First published in the UK in 1989 Second edition published in India 2004 Third edition published in India 2016 (ISBN: 1 85372 292 8 ) Present edition published in the UK 2022 © Islam International Publications Limited All rights reserved.No part of this publication may be repro- duced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the Publisher, Islam International Publication Ltd.Published by: Islam International Publications Ltd.Unit 3, Bourne Mill Business Park, Guildford Road, Farnham, Surrey, UK, GU9 9PS Printed in UK at: For further information, please visit www.alislam.org Cover design: Absar Butt ISBN: 978-1-84880-999-4 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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Contents This Book Belongs to....................................................i Foreword..................................................................vii Chapter 1—Muhammad s as...............................................1 Chapter 2—A Timeline of the Life of Muhammad s as 13 Chapter 3—Abolishing the Custom of Killing Baby Girls................................................................................17 Chapter 4—Respect Your Children.............................19 Chapter 5—Every Child Gets Inheritance.................21 Chapter 6—Education of Girls.....................................25 Chapter 7—Parents to Pray for Their Children.........29 Chapter 8—Care of Orphans.......................................31 Chapter 9—Responsibilities of Guardians................35 Chapter 10—Do not Deprive the Legal Heirs..........37 Chapter 11—Treat All Children Fairly.......................39 Chapter 12—Be Kind to Servants...............................41 Chapter 13—Affection for Children..........................43 Chapter 14—Keep Your Promises...............................47 Chapter 15—Consideration Towards Children.......49 Chapter 16—Punishing Children...............................51

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Chapter 17—Every Child is Born Sinless.............53 Chapter 18—Invoke Blessings on the Prophet....57 Endnotes.................................................................61 Activities.........................................................62 Fill in the Blanks..........................................................63 Moral Values Taught by Prophet Muhammad s as...64 Unscramble the Words................................................65 Crossword Puzzle.........................................................66 Picture Game.................................................................68 Book Summary..............................................................72 Answers..........................................................74 Fill in the Blanks...........................................................75 Moral Values Taught by Prophet Muhammad s as...75 Unscramble the Words Solution...............................76 Crossword Puzzle Solution........................................77 Picture Game Solution................................................78 Publisher’s Note......................................................81 vi

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Foreword Addressing the Holy Prophet of Islam, Muhammad s as , Allah says in the Holy Quran, ‘We have sent you not but as a mercy for all peoples ( S u rah al-Anbiy a ’, 21:108).The Holy Prophet was indeed an embodiment of mercy.He is a blessing for all mankind, as his message was not limited to a particular group or time.By leav- ing priceless teachings as a source of guidance that can help save people from sins, the Holy Prophet becomes a mercy for all people: men and women—old and young, alike—including even his enemies! The Holy Prophet’s Kindness to Children, is a won- derfully written book that describes events from the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as , that will surely appeal to children.The events described will be of immense value to children because they teach lessons related to kindness, good morals, and respect.These teachings are sure to develop lofty virtues in our children, and cultivate love in their hearts for the Holy Prophet s as.I would like to express my gratitude to Hazrat Mir Muhammad Ismail, a late companion of the Promised ix

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Messiah as , whose original Urdu book Aalam-e-Atfal aur Rahmatul-lil-Aalameen, was acknowledged as one of the best books written for the upbringing of children.The book has indeed inspired us to produce the present work.May Allah shower His blessings on him.May God bless Rashid Ahmad Chaudhry and his team, namely Mansoor Saqi, Masroor Ahmad, Salimullah Kahlon, and Maidah Ahmad, who pre- pared an earlier edition.In this present revised edition, the members of the Children’s Book Committee of Additional Wakalat-e- Tasneef have added the section on activities and rede- signed the book with illustrations and other activities.May Allah bless all those who helped in this endeavour; namely, Bushra Shahid, Waseem Ahmad Sayed, Aisha Arain, Asifah Wahab Mirza, Amatul Aala Mirza, and others.Special thanks are due to the Research Cell for providing references for the Ahadith.We hope and pray that this book achieves its pur- pose of fostering a deep love for the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as.Aameen.Munir-ud-Din Shams Additional Wakeel-ut-Tasneef London, June 2022

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1 1–Muhammad It was 9 o’clock on Friday morning.The bell rang and all the children in the local primary school hurried to their classes.Form 2M had religious studies as their first lesson.As soon as they sat down in their seats their teacher Miss Mitchell entered the room.‘We are going to discuss the life of the Prophet of Islam this term,’ she announced.Who can tell me the name of the Founder of Islam? The founder of Islam is Muhammad s as

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2 Below sea level Makkah on the map.The Prophet Muhammad s as was born in Makkah in 570 AD Makkah was steeped in idol-worship at the time of the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as.

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3 She asked the children if they knew where the Holy Prophet was born.There was no response from the children.She then asked, ‘Who can tell me the name of the Founder of Islam?’ Ahmad raised his hand, and said, ‘The name of the Founder of Islam is Muhammad, may peace and bless- ings of Allah be upon him’.‘Well done,’ said Miss Mitchell.She then told the class that the Prophet of Islam was born in a town called Makkah in Saudi Arabia.Miss Mitchell then asked Angela to point out the country of Arabia on the world map.Angela stepped forward and placed her finger on the map.Miss Mitchell began her story like this: Muhammad s as was born at Makkah in Arabia in 570 AD.His grandfather Abdul Muttalib gave him the name Muhammad.He was born an orphan.The name Muhammad means ‘one who is praised’.

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4 Something to Remember The child, Muhammad s as lived among Banu Hawazin, the tribe of Haleema, until he was four years old.Haleema was a poor woman.When she took the baby Muhammad s as to her home, the family’s luck suddenly changed.Haleema loved Muhammad s as and Muhammad s as loved her.In later life he never forgot what he owed to his foster-mother.An Outline of Early Islamic History, by N.R.A.G.Soofi, Chapter 2: Birth of Muhammad, see www.alislam.org ‘Do you know what is an orphan?’ asked Miss Mitchell.‘Miss,’ said Robin, ‘A child who has lost his father or mother is called an orphan.’ ‘That is correct’ said the teacher.Muhammad’s father Abdullah had died a few months before the birth of the child.Muhammad s as belonged to a very noble family of Arabia called the Quraish.As was the custom in Arabia in those days,

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5 baby Muhammad s as was handed over by his mother Aamina to a wet nurse called Haleema, to be brought up in the countryside.‘What is a wet nurse?’ asked Kim.‘A wet nurse is a woman who is paid to suckle another woman’s baby,’ answered Miss Mitchell.When Muhammad s as was six years old his mother died.His grandfather Abdul Muttalib took him into his care, but he too died two years later.Thereafter his uncle Abu Talib looked after him.As a boy, Muhammad s as used to look after the goats and cam- els in the fields like other Arab youngsters.He was a very noble child.He never told a lie.He was pious, truthful and honest, so much so that he was given the titles as-Sadiq meaning ‘the truthful’ and al-Ameen, meaning, ‘the trustworthy’, by the people.He tried to help the poor and the weak.He was always respectful to his elders and kind to the young.Khadijah, a rich widow of Makkah, had heard of the honesty, piety, trustworthiness and high moral character of Muhammad.She decided to employ him as her trade agent.She therefore approached

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6 Abu Talib with the suggestion that he should let his nephew lead a trading caravan of hers to Syria.Abu Talib consulted Muhammad s as and they both agreed to the proposal.The business trip was a great success.Muhammad s as returned with huge profits.Khadijah was greatly impressed with his honesty and the way he had handled her business affairs.She therefore made him a marriage proposal, which he accepted.At the time of their marriage, Muhammad s as was twenty-five and Khadijah was forty years old.After the marriage Khadijah gave all her wealth and slaves to Muhammad s as.Muhammad s as spent most of the wealth to help the poor and needy and immedi- ately freed all the slaves.Muslims believe that when Muhammad s as reached the age of forty, God appointed him as His Messenger.It is said that he often went outside the city of Makkah and spent his time in the worship of God in a cave called Hira.This cave was situated on the top of a mountain about three miles outside Makkah.He was dissatisfied with the way of life which he saw around him in Makkah.It was a corrupt society.The poor and the orphans were totally neglected.People worshipped

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7 many gods made of stones or wood.One day when he was praying to God in the cave, the angel Gabriel came and directed him to recite.Muhammad s as replied that he did not know how to recite.The angel insisted and so Muhammad s as began to recite as he was instructed.This was the start of the revelation.It was a new expe- rience for Muhammad s as.Imagine this The Holy Prophet Muhammad s as would often go to the cave Hira for many days and spend all his time in the worship of God.Imagine spending sev- eral nights alone in a cave at the top of a mountain with no one around.What does this tell us about the character of the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as ?

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8 Mount Jabal an-Noor translated in English as The Mountain of Light or Hill of Illumination is a mountain near Makkah in Saudi Arabia where the Hira Cave is located on the top of mountain.

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9 The first words revealed to Prophet Muhammad s as were ْاَرْقِا ِمْساِب َكِّبَر ْيِذَّلا َقَلَخ ْاَرْقِا ِمْساِب َكِّبَر ْيِذَّلا َقَلَخ (S u rah al-‘Alaq, 96:2) which means: Convey thou in the name of thy Lord Who created.It took twenty-three years for the entire Quran to be revealed.

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10 This and other revelations, which followed, became parts of the Quran, the Holy Book of the Muslims.The word ‘Quran’ literally means that which is recited most often.Whenever any portion of the Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammad s as he learnt it by heart.Many of his followers did the same.Some of them even wrote the verses on anything available like pieces of leather, bark of trees or stones.What is revelation? Revelation is the Divine knowledge that is conveyed verbally to man.

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11 The Prophet of Islam could neither read nor write, but God gave him a great amount of knowledge through revelation.She continued: ‘Very few people accepted him in the beginning.Most of the people of Makkah rejected him and ridiculed him.He lived in Makkah for thirteen years.During this time he and his follow- ers were persecuted.’ When the persecution became very intense, God commanded him to leave Makkah.He therefore went to Madinah, a city where Islam had already spread.This event is known as Hijra in Islamic history.The Islamic calendar starts from the date the Prophet of Islam migrated from Makkah to Madinah.When the people of Makkah saw that Islam was flourishing in Madinah, they attacked Madinah a number of times in order to destroy the Muslims.Against all odds, the Muslims not only survived but continued to flourish.Finally the Muslim forces, under the command of the Prophet of Islam, entered Makkah victorious.The Prophet died at the age of sixty-three in 633 AD.By that time Islam had spread throughout Arabia.The Prophet of Islam showed kindness to everyone,

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12 even to his enemies, but he was extremely kind to children.The pupils were so absorbed in the story that they did not even hear the bell, which had already gone, marking the end of the lesson.The teacher then said, ‘Next week, those children who want to take part should relate one incident from the life of the Prophet of Islam, which shows his kindness and love for children.’ The pre-Islamic era is known as the Age of Jahiliyyah, meaning the age of barbarism & ignorance of God’s guidance.

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13 2–A Timeline of the Life of Muhammad ✏ 570 AD—Muhammad s as is born on 12 Rabi- ul-Awwal.His father Abdullah had died before his birth.As was the custom in those days he was handed over to a wet nurse Hazrat Haleema for the early years of his life.✏ 577 AD—His mother Hazrat Aamina dies.Muhammad s as is just six years old.1 According to some other traditions, Hazrat Aamina had passed away when Muhammad s as was four months old.2 He then comes under the care of his grandfather Hazrat Abdul Muttalib.✏ 578 AD—Hazrat Abdul Muttalib dies.Muhammad s as is just eight years old.His uncle Abu Talib ra becomes his guardian.

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14 ✏ 595 AD—Muhammad s as marries Hazrat Khadijah ra.Hazrat Muhammad s as is twenty-five while Hazrat Khadijah ra is forty years old.✏ 610 AD—Revelations begin and continue for twenty-three years.Muhammad s as and the early Muslims are bitterly persecuted.✏ 622 AD—The Muslims migrate from Makkah to Madinah.The Holy Prophet s as was the last to leave.He left for Makkah with Hazrat Abu Bakr ra.✏ 624 AD—Battle of Badr.One of the most important battles in the early days of Islam.313 Muslims fought in this battle against an army three times bigger.However the Muslims won a decisive victory in this battle.✏ 625 AD—Battle of Uhud.

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15 ✏ 627 AD—Battle of the Trench.✏ 630 AD—Conquest of Makkah.✏ 633 AD—Dies at 63 years of age in what is now Saudi Arabia.Something to find out Do some research online about the battles the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as had to fight before he entered Makkah victorious.After that discuss your findings with your parents or older siblings.They might have some more information to share.

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16 The Holy Quran describes the negative attitude of the Arabs on the birth of a girl as follows: َو اَذِا َرِّشُب ْمُهُدَحَا ىٰثْنُاْلاِب َّلَظ ٗهُهْجَو اًّدَوْسُم َّو َو اَذِا َرِّشُب ْمُهُدَحَا ىٰثْنُاْلاِب َّلَظ ٗهُهْجَو اًّدَوْسُم َّو َوُه ٌمْيِظَك۰۰ۚ ىٰلَع ٍنْوُه ْمَا ٗهُّسُدَي يِف ِباَرُّتلا١ؕ اَلَا َءٓاَس اَم ىٰلَع ٍنْوُه ْمَا ٗهُّسُدَي يِف ِباَرُّتلا١ؕ اَلَا َءٓاَس اَم ىٰراَوَتَي َنِم ِمْوَقْلا ْنِم ِءْٓوُس اَم َرِّشُب ٖهِب١ؕ ٗهُكِسْمُيَا ىٰراَوَتَي َنِم ِمْوَقْلا ْنِم ِءْٓوُس اَم َرِّشُب ٖهِب١ؕ ٗهُكِسْمُيَا َوُه ٌمْيِظَك۰۰ۚ َنْوُمُكْحَي۰۰ َنْوُمُكْحَي۰۰ And when to one of them is conveyed the tidings of the birth of a female, his face darkens, while he suppresses his inward grief.He hides himself from the people because of the bad news he has had: ‘Shall he keep it in spite of disgrace or bury it in the dust?’ Verily, evil is that which they judge.( S u rah an-Na h l, 16:59–60) From the Holy Quran

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17 3–Abolishing the Custom of Killing Baby Girls Next Friday when the class assembled, Ayeshah stood up and said, ‘One of the great favours bestowed by our Holy Prophet s as on mankind was that he abolished the custom of killing baby girls.I come from Arabia.In the old days, before the time of the Holy Prophet s as of Islam, there lived certain tribes in Arabia, which con- sidered the birth of girls as a disgrace to their families, so some of the chiefs used to kill the girls soon after their birth.They thought that they would save their honour by such an action.The Holy Prophet s as abolished this cruel custom.He has, thus, shown great kindness to children, espe- cially girls.May peace and blessings of Allah be upon the Holy Prophet of Islam.’ As soon as Ayeshah finished her story, Satnam raised his hand and said, ‘Miss, my mother told me

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18 that in India too, there were some people that used to kill the baby girls.Even now-a-days, on the birth of a girl, people are not as happy as on the birth of a boy.’ Miss Mitchell said, ‘Yes Satnam, you are right.We are therefore very grateful to the Prophet of Islam for abolishing this cruel custom.’ Something to find out Find out what other rights Islam has given to women.You should do your research from www.alislam.org.The rights women have in Islam are important to know since Islam is widely consid- ered to be oppressive towards women.Even now the birth of a girl is not a happy occasion in some cultures.

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19 4–Respect Your Children It was Ahmad’s turn next.He related a saying of the Holy Prophet s as of Islam, in which he had instructed his followers to respect their children.The Holy Prophet said: Respect your children & cultivate in them the best of manners.‘It is a pity,’ Ahmad remarked, ‘that most parents disre- gard this golden principle of showing respect to their children.’ ‘They sometimes ignore their children completely,’ he continued.‘There are parents who love their chil- dren very much, feed them well, give them decent clothes to wear and generally look after them properly but do not care for their feelings.’

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20 The Holy Prophet s as has instructed that parents should not hurt the feelings of their children.They should be kind to them.Moreover they should openly discuss with them those matters, which are important to them.This would surely develop in them the feel- ings of dignity, self-respect and high moral qualities.The Holy Prophet s as has emphasized to parents that they should educate their children in the best possible manner and develop in them the respect for elders.This is a great favour of the Holy Prophet s as on chil- dren.May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.’ Miss Mitchell thanked Ahmad for bringing these important teachings of the noble Prophet of Islam to the notice of the class.The Holy Prophet also said: A man is like a shepherd of his family & is responsible for them.

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21 5–Every Child Gets Inheritance Imran was eager to speak next.He said, ‘The Holy Prophet s as taught his followers that when a person dies, his property should be distributed fairly among all his children and the younger ones should not be left out.’ It was a custom in Arabia in those days that the elder son inherited everything, making the younger ones dependant on him.Even today in some countries it is the eldest son only, who inherits the wealth his parents leave behind.

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22 Imran said, ‘We should be extremely grateful to the Holy Prophet s as who has instructed Muslims not to differentiate between children.In a Muslim society therefore, all children get the share of their parental wealth and property.I am the youngest of my broth- ers, yet I am entitled to a fair share of my father’s estate.We should therefore praise the wisdom of the Holy Prophet s as for such beautiful teachings.May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.’ Tahira raised her hand and said, ‘I would like to add a bit more to what has been said already.Islam is the only religion, which has given a detailed system of inheritance.It defines the people who inherit and the share each person receives in a particular situation.Moreover Islam is the first religion, to give women the right of inheritance.It makes daughters, along with sons, heirs to the property left by their parents.’ Tahira continued, ‘Because of these teachings, not only girls, but also women in general, were given proper inheritance rights.’ Miss Mitchell said, ‘It seems that the Prophet of Islam s as was very keen on improving the condition of

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23 Key Questions 1.When do you think the people in the western world started recognizing rights of inher- itance for women? 2.How comprehensive are these laws? Do you think women have all or most of their rights protected? Use online research to find the answers.women in society and on securing for them a position of dignity and fair treatment.’

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24 In the Spotlight Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V aba said: The Holy Prophet s as gave special attention and consideration to women’s education.Drawing attention to women’s education, the Holy Prophet s as also said that half of the religion should be learnt from Ayeshah.Here the Holy Prophet s as has not stated for women alone to acquire this education, but rather he has given advice in general to attain knowledge of half of the religion from her.Hence, at times Hazrat Ayeshah ra would even take classes from behind a curtain and she would impart her knowledge and teach- ings at gatherings, which men would also attend.Address at Waqf-e-Nau Ijtema, by Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih V, delivered on 28 February 2015, see www.alislam.org

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25 6–Education of Girls The next pupil Maryam stood up and said I would like to say something about the education of girls.The Prophet of Islam s as has laid great stress on the educa- tion of girls.He instructed Muslims to make sure that they received a good education.In this way, not only would they become good mothers and bring up their children in the best possible manner, but also being educated, they would be able to contribute more to society.’ She said, ‘Acting upon this saying of the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as , my mother’s father made sure that my mother received a good education both academic as well as religious.As a result, she excels most of her male colleagues in her work.We should be grateful to Prophet Muhammad s as who instructed Muslims to educate their daughters.May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.’ John raised his hand and said, ‘Miss! Does it mean that the Prophet of Islam s as was not in favour of boys’

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26 education?’ Miss Mitchell said, ‘No, that is not the case.The Prophet of Islam s as lived in a society where women were looked down upon.They had no sta- tus in the society.The Prophet of Islam s as , therefore, emphasized the education of girls.’ The education of boys is just as important as that of girls.Lailah raised her hand and said, ‘Miss! I come from Afghanistan.There was a time when the government did not allow girls’ education in schools.The girls’ schools were closed.The instruction of the Holy Prophet s as that ‘Acquisition of knowledge is obliga- tory upon every Muslim male and female,’ was com- pletely ignored.Miss Mitchell said, ‘I know that seeking of knowl- edge is considered to be a religious obligation in Islam.This is a very important topic indeed.If someone else wants to contribute something please do so.’

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27 Zoya said, ‘My Sunday School teacher has told us a saying of the Holy Prophet of Islam s as.He is reported to have said, ‘No gift, among all the gifts of a father to his child, is better than education.’ ‘Thank you, Zoya,’ Miss Mitchell said, ‘for this information.’

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28 Did You Know The Promised Messiah as said: My own condition is such that there is not a single prayer of mine in which I do not pray for my friends, children and wife.The Promised Messiah as also said: If a person states that he longs for a virtu- ous and pious progeny which shall serve faith (which indeed is a great desire to have), however this will merely be a claim unless he makes an effort to improve his own condition.Friday Sermon by Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih V, delivered on 14 July 2017, see www.alislam.org

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29 7–Parents to Pray for Their Children Ambreen then reminded the class of a saying of the Holy Prophet s as , in which he instructed Muslim par- ents to pray for their children.She said that the Holy Prophet s as had mentioned special prayers for that pur- pose.Some prayers are: َّو ْيِنْبُنْجا َو َّيِنَب ْنَا َدُبْعَّن َماَنْصَاْلا َّو ْيِنْبُنْجا َو َّيِنَب ْنَا َدُبْعَّن َماَنْصَاْلا ‘And keep me and my children away from worship- ping idols.’ ( S u rah Ibr a h i m, 14:36) ِّبَر ْيِنْلَعْجا َمْيِقُم ِةوٰلَّصلا َو ْنِم ْيِتَّيِّرُذ ِّبَر ْيِنْلَعْجا َمْيِقُم ِةوٰلَّصلا َو ْنِم ْيِتَّيِّرُذ ‘My Lord, make me observe Prayer, and my children too.’ ( S u rah Ibr a h i m, 14:41) اَنَّبَر ْبَه اَنَل ْنِم اَنِجاَوْزَا َو اَنِتّٰيِّرُذ َةَّرُق ٍنُيْعَا َّو اَنْلَعْجا َنْيِقَّتُمْلِل اًماَمِا اَنَّبَر ْبَه اَنَل ْنِم اَنِجاَوْزَا َو اَنِتّٰيِّرُذ َةَّرُق ٍنُيْعَا َّو اَنْلَعْجا َنْيِقَّتُمْلِل اًماَمِا

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30 ‘Our Lord, grant us of our spouses and children the delight of our eyes and make each of us a leader of the righteous.’ ( S u rah al-Furq a n, 25:75) Ambreen said ‘May peace and blessings of Allah be upon the Holy Prophet who taught these wonderful prayers to Muslims.’ Ayeshah said, ‘Let me remind you of another say- ing of the Holy Prophet s as.He is reported to have said, ‘Three prayers are accepted by God without any doubt.The prayer of a father for his progeny, the prayer of a person on a journey and the prayer of a person who is persecuted.’ Miss Mitchell thanked Ambreen and Ayeshah.Barbara inquired, ‘What is meant by progeny?’ The teacher explained, ‘Progeny means the descend- ants of a person.‘My progeny’ means my children and the children of my children and so on.The Prophet of Islam s as has instructed his followers to pray not only for themselves but also for their coming generations.’

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31 8–Care of Orphans Waleed then got up and said, ‘I am an orphan.My parents died a long time ago.My foster parents looked after me.They were always very kind to me.They brought me up like their own child.I am very grate- ful to Allah and his Messenger Muhammad, the Holy Prophet of Islam, for the concern shown about the care of orphans.Allah says in the Holy Quran, َكَنْوُلَٔـْسَي ِنَع ىٰمٰتَيْلا ١ؕ ْلُق ٌحاَلْصِا ْمُهَّل ٌرْيَخ١ؕ َو ْنِا ْمُهْوُطِلاَخُت ْمُكُناَوْخِاَف١ؕ َو ُهّٰللا ُمَلْعَي َدِسْفُمْلا َنِم ِحِلْصُمْلاَنِم ِحِلْصُمْلاَكَنْوُلَٔـْسَي ِنَع ىٰمٰتَيْلا ١ؕ ْلُق ٌحاَلْصِا ْمُهَّل ٌرْيَخ١ؕ َو ْنِا ْمُهْوُطِلاَخُت ْمُكُناَوْخِاَف١ؕ َو ُهّٰللا ُمَلْعَي َدِسْفُمْلا ‘They ask you concerning the orphans.Say: ‘Promotion of their welfare is an act of great goodness.And if you intermix with them, they are your brethren.And Allah knows the mischief-maker from the reformer.’ ( S u rah al-Barqarah, 2:221)

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32 The Prophet of Islam said: ‘I and the one who looks after the needs of an orphan and brings him or her up in the best possible man- ner, will be together in heaven like two fingers of a hand.’ And the narra- tor raised his forefinger and middle finger by way of illustration.Waleed explained that the Holy Prophet s as had given detailed instructions to Muslims as to how orphans should be treated.Waleed said ‘The Holy Prophet s as himself was an orphan; therefore he understood their feelings.May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.’ Tariq said, ‘I have a book which contains the sayings of the Holy Prophet s as.In one of them he is reported to have said: ‘The best Muslim home is that

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33 Something to Think About What can we do to take better care of orphans in our community? in which an orphan is treated with kindness, and the worst is that in which an orphan is treated unkindly.’ Miss Mitchell said, ‘The bringing up of orphans is a very delicate and important matter.Islam lays great emphasis on the care of orphans.It tells us that they should be treated as members of the family and be brought up in the best possible manner.It is the responsibility of those who take up the role of a guard- ian to provide for the orphans in their care a good education and take good care of their property until they are old enough to manage their own property.’

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34 The Promised Messiah as has said, ‘ A Muslim should always be ready to discharge the rights of God and the rights of fellow beings.’ Malfuzat, vol.10, p.61, Urdu edition, published by Islam International Publication Ltd.1960s Further Reading An important book to read on how Islam safe- guards all rights of human beings is Islam and Human Rights by Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khan.You can read it on www.alislam.org or purchase it from the alislam online store.

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35 9–Responsibilities of Guardians It was Abdullah’s turn next.He related the following saying of the Holy Prophet s as : O ye People, everyone of you is a guardian and is responsible to God Almighty for the people in his care.Miss Mitchell said, ‘Abdullah can you explain what it means?’ Abdullah said, ‘It means that those in authority are answerable to God Almighty for the treatment of the people in their care.Every person has some authority over others but he also has some duties and responsi- bilities towards those who are in his care.For exam- ple the Imam, or the religious leader, who is to look after the people will be asked about his people and the husband, who is to look after the members of his fam- ily, will be asked about the people of his family.The

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36 wife, who is to look after the household and children, will be asked about the household and the children.Similarly the servant or the employee will be answera- ble about all that was given in his charge.‘All such people like teachers, parents, brothers, sisters, employers, and elders should discharge their duties in the best possible manner.Those who look after children should make sure that the children acquire good habits and receive a good education.We as children should be extremely grateful to the Holy Prophet of Islam for such beautiful teachings.May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.’ Every single one of us is a guardian and answerable to Allah.

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37 10–Do not Deprive the Legal Heirs The next person to speak was Khalid.He stood up and said, ‘My uncle is a rich man and owns a large prop- erty.He has no children of his own.My aunt adopted a child from her close relations and tried to make him the sole heir.This would have deprived us and all the other legal heirs from the share in the property of my uncle.When my uncle consulted the Imam, he told him that Islam does not recognise the inheritance rights of an adopted son.My aunt therefore changed her mind.We were therefore not deprived of our share.We thank Allah and His Prophet s as for this justice.May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.’ Tony, who was sitting next to Khalid, said, ‘Miss, who is an Imam?’ Miss Mitchell replied, ‘The Imam is a person who leads Muslims in Prayer.He is a reli- gious leader, to whom Muslims go for advice in reli- gious matters.’

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38 Did You Know There was a common practice that an adopted son was considered as a real son, and he was entitled to all civil liberties like a real son, while the other close relatives were ignored and their rights were neglected.So Islam drew the line between blood relations and the adopted children, and gave them proper rights what they deserved.Practically to make the difference between the real children and the adopted ones, Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) mar- ried Hadrat Zainab, the divorced wife of Hadrat Zaid, a freed slave and the adopted son of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).This way he established correct sta- tus of an adopted child.Before that it was not allowed to marry the widow or the divorced wife of the adopted son.The Holy Prophet Muhammad, by Maulana M.A.Cheema, see www.alislam.org

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39 11–Treat All Children Fairly Sameen spoke next.She informed the class that the Holy Prophet of Islam has told Muslims to be fair in their dealings with all children.She related an incident from the life of the Holy Prophet s as.She said ‘Once a Companion by the name of Bashir approached the Holy Prophet s as along with his son Nu’maan and said, “Will you please be my witness that I have given one of my servants as a gift to this son of mine.” The Holy Prophet s as inquired, “What about your other sons? Have you given a similar gift to each one of them?” Bashir replied, “No.” The Holy Prophet s as then remarked, “I cannot be a witness to such an unjust act.”’ From this incident we see that the Holy Prophet s as was very keen to see that parents treat all their children fairly and equally.May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.Satnam said, ‘Miss, my sister does not like the toys

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40 which I like, so my father brings different toys for her.Is that alright?’ ‘Yes,’ said Miss Mitchell, ‘as long as both of you get toys of your choice, it is okay but sup- posing one of you doesn’t get anything at all, that is unfair.’ So Said the Holy Prophet 1.Hazrat Thauban ibn Buhdud relates that the Holy Prophet s as said: The best dinar 1 is that which a person spends on his wife and children.3 2.Hazrat Anas ra passed near some children and offered them the greeting of peace and said: The Holy Prophet s as used to do the same.4 1.Dinar was the main currency in medieval Islamic empires.

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41 12–Be Kind to Servants It was Mansoor’s turn next.He began his story like this: ‘My brother delivers newspapers in the morning before school.If he makes a mistake, he is told off, shouted at, and sometimes fined by the newsagent.He is not always paid on time.The shopkeeper with- holds his wages sometimes for weeks.The other day when I went to the mosque, I heard the Imam saying that during the days of the Holy Prophet s as , there lived a boy called Anas.He was one of the most devoted followers of the Holy Prophet s as.His mother had left him in the company of the Holy Prophet s as , when he was ten years old.He had the good fortune of serving in his household for many years.He related that the Holy Prophet had never told him off for not doing something, which he ought to have done or for doing something he should not have done.Anas also claimed that he never saw anyone else who would show such kindness to children.’ Mansoor said, ‘This incident shows that the Holy

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42 Prophet s as was extraordinarily kind towards children.May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.’ Sarah raised her hand and said, ‘The Holy Prophet s as had laid great emphasis on the rights of the workers.He is reported to have said, ‘Pay wages to the worker before his sweat is dry.’ A shopkeeper, therefore, has no right to withhold the wages of the boy who deliv- ers newspapers for him.’ Miss Mitchell added, ‘The teachings of Islam are beautiful in this regard.Employers should make prompt payment of the wages of their workers.’ َو اَذِا ْمُهْوُلاَك ْوَا َّو ْمُهْوُنَز ٌلْيَو َنْيِفِّفَطُمْلِّل۰۰َۙنْيِذَّلا اَذِا اْوُلاَتْكا ىَلَع ِساَّنلا َنْوُفْوَتْسَي۰۰ٞۖ َو اَذِا ْمُهْوُلاَك ْوَا َّو ْمُهْوُنَز ٌلْيَو َنْيِفِّفَطُمْلِّل۰۰َۙنْيِذَّلا اَذِا اْوُلاَتْكا ىَلَع ِساَّنلا َنْوُفْوَتْسَي۰۰ٞۖ ( S u rah at-Ta t f i f, 83:2–4 ) َنْوُرِسْخُي—۰۰ؕ َنْوُرِسْخُي—۰۰ؕ Translation: Woe unto those who give short measure; Those who, when they take by meas- ure from other people, take it full; But when they give by measure to others or weigh to them, they give them less.

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43 13–Affection for Children Humairah related an incident from the life of the Holy Prophet.‘Once the grandsons of the Holy Prophet s as came to see him.He picked them up and kissed them and cuddled them affectionately.A bedouin who was watching him said: “O Messenger of Allah, we have never shown affection to our children like you have shown.” The Prophet s as replied, “If you are deprived of love and mercy for your children, what can I do?”’ Humairah continued, ‘This incident also shows us that the Holy Prophet s as was very kind and affec- tionate towards children.May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.’ Winston asked, ‘Miss, what is a bedouin?’ The teacher replied, ‘Bedouin are Arabs who live in the deserts and move from one place to another like gyp- sies.They have no permanent place to live.’ Ahmad said, ‘If we look at the life of the Holy Prophet s as we will see that he was very kind to everyone.

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44 Children too, loved his company.Seeing him in the street the children would come close to him jumping with joy.He would pick them up one by one, cuddle them, kiss them and pray for them.It is related that very often when he was riding a horse or a camel, he would carry his grandson on the horse either at his back or in his front or sometimes on his shoulders.Very often the companions of the Holy Prophet s as would see Hasan, his grandson, seated on his right thigh while Usama, the son of his freed slave Zaid ra , seated on his left thigh.He would embrace both of them lovingly and supplicate, “O Lord! Shower Thy Mercy and Grace on both of them.” Sometimes it so happened that a mother handed him over her baby to seek his blessing.While he was holding a baby in his arms, the baby wetted.The Holy Prophet s as did not mind, but he immediately got his clothes washed.In fact the love and kindness that the world has witnessed at his hand was matchless.No other person equals him in this regard.May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.’

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45 A Comparative Study Talk to your Christian, Jewish, Hindu and friends of other faiths and find out what their faith teaches them about kind treatment and consideration to children.Try to explain to them the beautiful teachings of Islam on this subject and what the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as has taught us.Write down here in a few sentences what you learn from them.Use extra sheets if necessary: Christianity:_____________________________ _________________________________________ Judaism:__________________________________ _________________________________________ Hinduism:_________________________________ _________________________________________ Any other faith:____________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________

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46 So Said the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as : Leave alone that which involves you in doubt and adhere to that which is free from doubt, for truth is comforting, falsehood is disturbing.5 From the Holy Prophet

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47 14–Keep Your Promises Naseer began his story like this.‘Once the Holy Prophet s as went to the house of one of his Companions.The woman of the house called her son, who was play- ing outside, in order to present him before the Holy Prophet s as to seek his blessings.She said “Come here, I will give you something to eat.” The Holy Prophet s as inquired, “What are you promising to give him?” She replied, “A dried date.” The Holy Prophet s as remarked, “If you promise something to a child and you do not keep your promise, you commit the same sin as the one who tells a lie.”’ Naseer continued, ‘This saying of the Holy Prophet s as tells us that we should always keep our promises.May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.’ Mary said, ‘Every religion tells us that we should keep our promises and speak the truth.Telling a lie is regarded as a great sin.’ The teacher explained, ‘To tell a lie is not a good

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48 thing, and once the habit is developed, it is very dif- ficult to get rid of.Generally, children acquire this habit by copying their elders.So grown ups should set a good example in front of children and refrain from telling lies.’ Sarah asked permission to speak and related a say- ing in which the Holy Prophet s as said, ‘Truth guides to virtue and virtue guides to paradise.A person persists in telling the truth till in the sight of God he is named Truthful.Telling lies leads to vice and vice leads to the Fire.A person goes on telling lies till in the sight of God he is named a liar.’ Avoiding falsehood is also the second condition of bai’at as laid down by the Promised Messiah as.

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49 15–Consideration Towards Children Zoya related an incident from the life of the Holy Prophet s as.She said, ‘Once the Holy Prophet s as remarked that he wanted to prolong supplications, when he was leading the Prayer but he cut it short, when he heard a child crying.He did not want the child and the child’s mother to suffer.This shows how sensitive and considerate the Holy Prophet s as was towards children.May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.’ Aamina raised her hand and said, ‘The Holy Prophet s as has told us that we should be respectful to our elders and kind to the young.He is reported to have said, “One who has no compassion for our young ones and does not recognize the rights of our elders is not of us.”’ Sarah said, ‘Miss! I know a saying of the Holy Prophet s as related by Hazrat Ayeshah ra , the wife of the Holy Prophet s as :

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50 “A poor woman came to me with her two daugh- ters.I had nothing in the house to give to her except dates.So I gave her three dates.She gave one to each girl and raised the third to her own mouth to eat.The girls asked her for it, so she broke it into two parts and gave half to one and the other half to the other.I was astonished at her sacrifice and mentioned this incident to the Holy Prophet.The Holy Prophet s as said: God will bestow paradise upon that woman on account of the consideration she had shown towards her daughters.”’ From the Holy Quran ( S u rah Al-Anbiy a ’, 21: 108 ) َو ۤاَم َكٰنْلَسْرَا اَّلِا ًةَمْحَر َنْيِمَلٰعْلِّل—۰۰ َو ۤاَم َكٰنْلَسْرَا اَّلِا ًةَمْحَر َنْيِمَلٰعْلِّل—۰۰ Translation: And We have sent you [O Muhammad] not but as a mercy for all peoples.

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51 16–Punishing Children The next person to speak was Tariq.He told the class that the Holy Prophet s as forbade anyone to hit a child on the face.He said, ‘I was watching a TV programme the other day.There were many cases reported, where parents were so annoyed with the behaviour of their children that they lost their temper and hit them on their faces.In some countries, even today elders hit children as a punishment, for any wrong they have done.Sometimes this leaves a scar on their faces or causes other serious injuries.The Holy Prophet of Islam, who stood for the cause of children, forbade anyone to hit them on their faces.This shows the kindness and love of the Holy Prophet s as for children.May peace and blessings of Allah be upon the Holy Prophet who gave us such beautiful teachings.’ Miss Mitchell said, ‘We all know that the face is a sensitive part of our body, and hitting on the face can cause serious harm.We should therefore never hit children on their faces.’

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52 The Promised Messiah as trusted his children, encouraging them to never do anything that was wrong.For instance, the Promised Messiah as was once with one of his disciples, who was peeling almonds.Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Deen Mahmood Ahmad ra , who was about four or five years old at the time, came in and took all the almonds.The Promised Messiah as was watching this.He said, ‘He is such a good child.He will not take a lot.He will take only one or two and put back the rest.’ The child complied immediately and left with only one or two almonds.6

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53 17–Every Child is Born Sinless Zain was to speak next.He got up from his seat and said, ‘In Islam we believe that all children are born sinless.’ John said ‘Miss! What do Christians believe?’ Miss Mitchell explained, ‘The majority of Christians believe in the hereditary sin theory.They say that Adam and Eve sinned.As a result their progeny began to inherit sin and ever since all children of Adam are born sinners.’ Zain said, ‘According to Islamic teachings, each person is responsible for his or her actions and is accountable to God.The Holy Quran says that no one can bear the burden of another.’ 1 َو اَل ُرِزَت ٌةَرِزاَو َرْزِّو ىٰرْخُاَو اَل ُرِزَت ٌةَرِزاَو َرْزِّو ىٰرْخُا 1.And no burdened soul can bear the burden of another ( S u rah F at ir, 35:19).[Publisher]

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54 He continued, ‘If a man commits a sin, punishment of that sin should be given to him alone and to no one else.This is the fundamental principle of justice.According to Islam, therefore, every child is born sinless, as the sin of one person cannot be passed on to any one else.It is his environment, the ideas and beliefs of his parents and the training he receives from them subsequently that make him good or bad.’ Hamzah was sitting next to him.He added, ‘The Holy Prophet of Islam s as is reported to have said, “Every child is born in harmony with nature.It is his parents who turn him into a Jew, a fire-worshipper or a Christian.”’ He said that we should be grateful to the Holy Prophet s as of Islam as he had removed the stigma of sin from every new-born and declared that every child that comes into this world is sinless and innocent.

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55 Something To Find Out Find out what you can about the theory of Original Sin in which the Christians believe.How does that compare with Islam’s teachings of every child being born sinless and every one of us accountable for our own sins?

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56 اَللّٰھُم َّ صَل ِّ عَلٰی مُحَمَّد ٍ وَّعَلٰٓی اَللّٰھُم َّ صَل ِّ عَلٰی مُحَمَّد ٍ وَّعَلٰٓی اٰل ِ مُحَمَّد ٍ کَمَا صَلَّیْت َ عَلٰٓی َ اٰل ِ مُحَمَّد ٍ کَمَا صَلَّیْت َ عَلٰٓی َ اِبْرَاھِیْم َ وَعَلٰٓی اٰل ِ اِبْرَاھِیْم َّ اِبْرَاھِیْم َ وَعَلٰٓی اٰل ِ اِبْرَاھِیْم َّ اِنَّك َ حَمِیْد ٌ مَّجِیْدٌ.اَللّٰھُم ِ اِنَّك َ حَمِیْد ٌ مَّجِیْدٌ.اَللّٰھُم ِ بَارِك ْ عَلٰی مُحَمَّد ٍ وَّعَلٰٓی اٰل بَارِك ْ عَلٰی مُحَمَّد ٍ وَّعَلٰٓی اٰل مُحَمَّد ٍ کَمَا بَارَکْت َ عَلٰٓی َ مُحَمَّد ٍ کَمَا بَارَکْت َ عَلٰٓی َ اِبْرَاھِیْم َ وَعَلٰٓی اٰل ِ اِبْرَاھِیْم اِبْرَاھِیْم َ وَعَلٰٓی اٰل ِ اِبْرَاھِیْم اِنَّك َ حَمِیْد ٌ مَّجِیْدٌ.اِنَّك َ حَمِیْد ٌ مَّجِیْدٌ.

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57 18–Invoke Blessings on the Prophet Akbar was last to speak.He said, “We have covered one aspect of the life of the Holy Prophet.We have seen that he was very affectionate towards children.We have listened to his various sayings, and teachings, which tell us how children should be brought up.Islam is a complete code of life.It mentions the rights and duties of the rulers as well as of their subjects, the rights and duties of husbands and wives, of traders and their customers.We, as children, have much to learn from Islam if we want to make our lives successful.We have to act upon the teachings brought by the Holy Prophet of Islam if we want to create a healthy and happy soci- ety.God has sent the Holy Prophet as a ‘mercy for mankind.’ He was a blessing not only for his followers but also for his opponents.He was a mercy for animals and

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58 even for plants.It is our duty therefore to pay tribute to such a person and offer salutation of peace to him.” Akbar said that the Holy Quran states, ‘Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet.O ye who believe! you also should invoke blessings on him and salute him with the salutation of peace.’ ( S u rah al-A h z a b, 33:57) In obedience to this Divine command, Muslims all over the world pray for him and invoke the blessings of God on him.They say: َ اَللّٰھُم َّ صَل ِّ عَلٰی مُحَمَّد ٍ وَّعَلٰٓی اٰل ِ مُحَمَّد ٍ کَمَا صَلَّیْت َ عَلٰٓی اِبْرَاھِیْم َ ِ اَللّٰھُم َّ صَل ِّ عَلٰی مُحَمَّد ٍ وَّعَلٰٓی اٰل ِ مُحَمَّد ٍ کَمَا صَلَّیْت َ عَلٰٓی اِبْرَاھِیْم ِ وَعَلٰٓی اٰل ِ اِبْرَاھِیْم َ اِنَّك َ حَمِیْد ٌ مَّجِیْدٌ.اَللّٰھُم َّ بَارِك ْ عَلٰی مُحَمَّد ٍ وَّعَلٰٓی اٰل وَعَلٰٓی اٰل ِ اِبْرَاھِیْم َ اِنَّك َ حَمِیْد ٌ مَّجِیْدٌ.اَللّٰھُم َّ بَارِك ْ عَلٰی مُحَمَّد ٍ وَّعَلٰٓی اٰل مُحَمَّد ٍ کَمَا بَارَکْت َ عَلٰٓی اِبْرَاھِیْم َ وَعَلٰٓی اٰل ِ اِبْرَاھِیْم َ اِنَّك َ حَمِیْد ٌ مَّجِیْدٌ.مُحَمَّد ٍ کَمَا بَارَکْت َ عَلٰٓی اِبْرَاھِیْم َ وَعَلٰٓی اٰل ِ اِبْرَاھِیْم َ اِنَّك َ حَمِیْد ٌ مَّجِیْدٌ.Translation: Shower Your blessings, O Allah, on Muhammad and his people as You have showered Your blessings on Abraham and the people of Abraham.Prosper O Allah, Muhammad and his people as You have prospered Abraham and the people of Abraham.You are indeed Praiseworthy, the Gracious.Sita, Billy, Susan and Metori all were eager to tell their stories, but the teacher looked at her watch and

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59 said, ‘There seems to be no time left for further discus- sion today.We will therefore postpone the discussion till next time.’ The bell rang and the teacher dismissed the class.

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61 Endnotes 1.S i ratun-Nabawiyyah, by Ibni Hisham, B a bu Waf a t i A minata wa Ha li Ras u lill a hi ma‘ Jaddih i ‘Abdil Mu tt alib ba‘dah a , p.134, published by D a rul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah Beirut, Lebanon, First edition 2001 2.Bi ha rul-Anw ar i l -J a mi‘ati Li-Durari ‘Akhb a ril- A’immatil-A tha r, B a bu Mansh a ’ih i wa Ra da ‘ih i wa m a z ahara min I‘j a zih i ‘inda dh a lika il a Nubuwwatih i by Sheikh Muhammad Baqir Majlisi, vol.15, p.194; published by al-Am i rah Beirut, First edition 2008 3.S a hih Muslim, the Book of Zakat, Hadith 994 4.Sunanu Ab i D a w’ud, Kit a bul-Adab, Hadith 5202 5.J a mi‘ at-Tirmidhi, ar-Riq a q and al-Wara‘, Hadith 2518 6.Saw a nih Fazl-e-Umar , vol.1, Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad rta , Fazl-e-Umar Foundation, 1975, p.80–81

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A C T I V I T I E S

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63 Fill IN THE BLANKS AHADITH Some ahadith are given below.Take a look back at where they occur in the book and fill in the blanks with the correct words to complete the ahadith.1.Pay ___ to the worker before his sweat is dry.2.Truth guides to ___ and ___ guides to paradise.3.The best Muslim home is that in which an ___ is treated with ___, and the worst is that in which an orphan is treated ____.4.I and the one who looks after the needs of an orphan and brings him or her up in the best pos- sible manner, will be together in ___ like two ___ of a hand.5.No gift, among all the gifts of a father to his child, is better than ____.

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64 Moral Values Taught by Prophet Muhammad The Holy Prophet Muhammad s as taught us many beautiful values.Can you write down some of those moral values? Write each value in one circle given below.The first one is done for you.kindness

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65 UNSCRAMBLE THE WORDS Unscramble the words given below.Also think about what they mean as you unscramble them.1.B A T A I 2.I R J H A 3.I A M M 4.R H O P A N 5.A A H M K K 6.I B E R L A G 7.S I T R E B 8.A N L E M A E 9.D M N H A I A ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

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66 CROSSWORD PUZZLE Look carefully at the clues and fill in the answers in the puzzle.Try to see how fast you can do it.Clues Across: 3.One of the things the early Muslims used to write Quranic verses on.6.The name of the Holy Prophet’s wet-nurse.8.Al-Ameen means the ____________.10.The name of the cave Muhammad s as would go to pray and meditate.11.An Imam is a religious ____________.12.The prayer of this person is answered by God without any doubts.Clues Down: 1.The age of barbarism.2.Divine knowledge that is conveyed verbally to man.4.The number of years it took for the Quran to be revealed in its entirety.5.Nomadic Arabs.7.Descendants of a person.9.A title given to the Holy Prophet s as because of his truthfulness.

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67 6 2 6 1 12 11 3 8 7 4 10 7

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68 PICTURE GAME Look carefully at the pictures below.What hadith comes to mind as you look at them? Write that inci- dent in your own words as you remember it, then compare to the answers on pages 78–80.____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________

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69 __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________

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70 _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________

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71 ___________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________

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72 Book Summary Did you learn new things from the book? Was the book interesting? Would you recommend the book to others?

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A N S W E R S

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75 Fill IN THE BLANKS Ahadith 1.Pay wages to the worker before his sweat is dry.2.Truth guides to virtue and virtue guides to paradise.3.The best Muslim home is that in which an orphan is treated with kindness, and the worst is that in which an orphan is treated unkindly.4.I and the one who looks after the needs of an orphan and brings him or her up in the best possible man- ner, will be together in heaven like two fingers of a hand.5.No gift, among all the gifts of a father to his child, is better than education.Moral Values Taught by Prophet Muhammad Suggested Values: KINDNESS CONSIDERATION LOVE GENEROSITY FAIRNESS JUSTICE TRUTHFULNESS RESPECT RESPONSIBILITY

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76 UNSCRAMBLE THE WORDS Solution 1.B A I A T 2.H I J R A 3.I M A M 4.O R P H A N 5.M A K K A H 6.G A B R I E L 7.T R I B E S 8.A L A M E E N 9.M A D I N A H

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77 CROSSWORD PUZZLE Solution I N O E U R D 6 H V I T I O N H R D L 2 R A T R A U T E A S E C 6 B 12 P E R E 11 L Y A 3 L E A H T R E E E M A S W 8 T R U N Y G E O 7 P E 4 T W R 10 H T T N E E 7 A D A H 1 J A Y L I I Y H Q D I S

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78 PICTURE GAME Solution STORY ONE: Once the Holy Prophet s as remarked that he wanted to prolong supplications, when he was leading the Prayer but he cut it short, when he heard a child crying.He did not want the child and the child’s mother to suffer.STORY TWO: Once the Holy Prophet s as went to the house of one of his Companions.The woman of the house called her son, who was playing outside, in order to present him before the Holy Prophet s as to seek his blessings.She said “Come here, I will give you something to eat.” The Holy Prophet s as inquired, “What are you promising to give him?” She replied, “A dried date.” The Holy Prophet s as remarked, “If you promise something to a child and

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79 you do not keep your promise, you commit the same sin as the one who tells a lie.”’ STORY THREE: Once a Companion by the name of Bashir approached the Holy Prophet s as along with his son Nu’maan and said, “Will you please be my witness that I have given one of my servants as a gift to this son of mine.” The Holy Prophet s as inquired, “What about your other sons? Have you given a similar gift to each one of them?” Bashir replied, “No.” The Holy Prophet s as then remarked, “I cannot be a witness to such an unjust act.”’ STORY FOUR: This is a saying of the Holy Prophet s as related by Hazrat Ayeshah ra , the wife of the Holy Prophet s as : “A poor woman came to me with her two

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daughters.I had nothing in the house to give to her except dates.So I gave her three dates.She gave one to each girl and raised the third to her own mouth to eat.The girls asked her for it, so she broke it into two parts and gave half to one and the other half to the other.I was astonished at her sacrifice and mentioned this incident to the Holy Prophet.The Holy Prophet s as said: God will bestow paradise upon that woman on account of the consideration she had shown towards her daughters.”’ 80

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81 PUBLISHER’S NOTE Salutations are recited out of respect when mention- ing the names of Prophets and holy personages.These salutations have been abbreviated and inserted into the text where applicable.Readers are urged to recite the full salutations for the following abbreviations: s as s allallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, meaning ‘peace and blessings of Allah be upon him’, is written after the name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as.as ‘alaihis-salaam, meaning ‘peace be on him’, is written after the names of Prophets other than the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as.ra raziyallahu ‘anhu/‘anhaa/‘anhum, meaning ‘Allah be pleased with him/her/them’, is writ- ten after the names of the Companions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as or of the Promised Messiah as.

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82 rta rahmatullah ‘alaihi/‘alaihaa/‘alaihim, meaning ‘Allah shower His mercy upon him/her/them’, is written after the names of those deceased pious Muslims who are not Companions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as or of the Promised Messiah as.

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