15th Annual

MuslimVille Ramadan Competition

Let’s Learn About

2016 THEME

For Children Ages 5 to 13

An educational program to spend Ramadan in a planned & Islamic way Participate Online www.MuslimVille.com www.RamadanCompetition.com www.MuslimVille.com | www.RamadanCompetition.com

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WIN COOL

Prizes

About the Competition

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uslimVille Ramadan Competition is for children in Junior Kindergarten to grade 8. The series of programs – Activities Challenge, Smart-Cool Week, Little Sadaqa in Ramadan and Knowledge Competition – are designed to keep you and your children actively engaged during the month of Ramadan. The competition seeks to expand your child’s Islamic knowledge and activities. The holy month of Ramadan was chosen for this competition because it gives parents and teachers a unique opportunity to come closer to their

children and students. We find ourselves being more conscious of doing good, setting goals to become better Muslims, and creating habits we hope to carry out for the rest of the year. First organized in Toronto in the year 2002, this competition has now drawn in participants from all over the world. The program is offered online and organized by our volunteers in various cities.

To organize the competition in your school, masjid or community contact [email protected]

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Participate in all of the programs listed (on the right). Details on following page.

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Fill out the reports for the programs online and submit by July 15

Group A & B: Gift Pack (value $100) Group C, D & E: iPad!

LITTLE SADAQA Grand Prize: iPad! Top 10 volunteers from all groups: Gift Pack (value $50)

RAMADAN CHALLENGE

Important dates: Smart-Cool Week: June 17-23 Islamic Knowledge Competition: July 17 Deadline to submit reports online: July 15

GROUPS*

Register online for the competition by going to ramadancompetition.com Registration is free!

ISLAMIC KNOWLEDGE

Top Prizes Group A & B: Gift Pack (value $50) Group C,D&E: Gift Pack (value $100) Runner-up: Gift Pack (value $25)

How to Participate 1

Special prizes for each program!

Group Group Group Group Group

A : Age 5 and below B : Age 6 & 7 C : Age 8 & 9 D : Age 10 & 11 E : Age 12 & 13

*Based on age September 1st, 2015

THE PROGRAMS Page 3 RAMADAN CHALLENGE: Increase your productivity, creativity and learning in this Ramadan.

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Page 5 ISLAMIC KNOWLEDGE COMPETITION: Increase your Islamic knowledge.

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Page 4 LITTLE SADAQA IN RAMADAN: Care for orphans.

Ramadan Challenge Ramadan Challenge consists of three parts: 1. Activities Challenge 2. Smart-Cool Week 3. Ramadan Projects You must do all three to win a prize.

1. ACTIVITIES CHALLENGE Keep track of the good activities that you do each day for the whole month of Ramadan online (under Activity Challenge Calendar in Member’s Login). Each activity that you do is worth a certain amount of points. For example, if you performed all 5 prayers, donated $1 to the mosque, and memorized 1 verse from the Quran in a day, you will have earned a total of 45 points (25+10+15) according to the point system. Note your added up points for the day on the Activities Challenge calender available online. An example of the calendar is shown below. The next day, try to increase the good activities you do so you can collect more points! Complete your Activity Challenge Calendar online by July 15.

2. SMART-COOL WEEK Friday June 17 to Thursday June 23 is Smart-Cool Week. In this week you are to withhold yourself from any screen-time. Turn off of your TV, Netflix, Youtube, XBox you name it, anything you can use to waste your time. Challenge yourself to be productive and do Islamic activities and projects. Don’t worry you won’t get disqualified if you use our website to submit your video or report, only that is allowed.

file or taking a picture and submitting it. You are encouraged to include a description of your project as well. At the end of every day of this week, go to the Member’s section of our website and fill up the Smart-Cool Week Report and upload your artwork/ project. The deadline to submit your report and work is July 15

3. RAMADAN PROJECTS Start doing some projects in the month of Ramadan. You may do them alone or in a group with your other Muslim friends, brothers or sisters. Make a video presentation of your project and submit it online, along with your report, by July 15. Make a poster, write an essay, and/or create a digital artwork. Visit our website for some specific project ideas. More and more ideas: Ask your teachers, parents, sisters, brothers and even your friends about more ideas. --------------NOTE TO PARENTS: Encourage your child to be more active as a Muslim. Encourage them to maintain the Ramadan Activities calendar and keep track of all their good activities during the month of Ramadan. The age of the participant will be taken into consideration while evaluating their point collection.

Plan ahead to devote this week to creativity, productivity and learning. You can devote this week to study for the Islamic Knowledge Competition, or do your Projects. Plan to do extra good activities that week and make an Islamic project or artwork. For example, you can: make a model, make a powerpoint presentation, make a computer drawing, draw a picture, write an article, write a song, write a poem, keep a journal. Submit your work online by directly submitting the www.MuslimVille.com | www.RamadanCompetition.com

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Little Sadaqah In Ramadan

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The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The one who cares for an orphan and myself will be together in Paradise like this,” and he held his two fingers together.

This is a program by the children for the children to encourage caring for others. Throughout Ramadan, children raise money for the needy

and the poor. Their efforts are used to provide food, shelter, healthcare, education and emotional support to orphans around the world through ICNA Relief Canada. Since 2006, the donation from our participants is being used to sponsor 27 orphans from Canada, Indonesia, Kashmir, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Kenya.

How to Participate

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Make your own donation box or order MyLittleSadaqa box online from littlesadaqa. com to store the collected funds.

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Start collecting money from the first day of Ramadan by donating first from your own pocket.

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Keep your donation box in a place where everyone can see it and be reminded to contribute.

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Tell visitors to your home about the program and ask them to donate.

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At the end of Ramadan, count your collected funds and submit the Little Sadaqa in Ramadan Report Form online by July 15.

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Ask your guardian to mail a cheque for the amount you collected to “MuslimVille”: 104, Whiteface Cres, Brampton, Ontario, L6X 4W7, Canada or “ICNA Relief Canada”: 1-1620 Montevideo Rd, Mississauga, Ontario, L5N 3W5, Canada or pay online. Do not forget to write “Little Sadaqa” as memo.

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Little Sadaqa is a joint campaign with ICNA Relief Canada. visit www.littlesadaqa.com for more information

Islamic Knowledge Competition THEME: LET’S LEARN ABOUT ISLAM

Standard Time) Online Quiz (Age 8 to 13): Participants can start anytime between 8am and 3pm, but must finish within 1 hour of the start time. The Test is a random set of questions in form of ‘Multiple choices’ and ‘True/False’ based on Study notes. Click here for sample test.

Participants of this competition should study from the notes available in this site in the menu at the top, and memorize the Surah, Duas and other items listed for their group during the month of Ramadan. The study notes are different every year and customized for participants age. At the end of Ramadan, on Sunday, July 17, 2016, each participants must undertake Verbal (for all ages) and Online (age 8 to 13 only) test. Test will start from 8 AM and end at 3 PM (Eastern

Verbal (All ages): Over the phone test. Participants will be will be given a phone number to connect the automated verbal test system. Call the number between the above mentioned time. Verbal test will take 15 to 20 minutes for each participant. The verbal test is a random set of questions and recitations from the study notes.

STUDY NOTES GROUP A

For age 5 and below Recitation from memory Surah Fatiha and Kalima Tayyibah (Compulsory): Kalima Tayyibah: LA ILLAHA ILLALLAH WA ASHHADU ANNA MUHAMMADUR RASUL ULLAH Recitation-Surah: (Will be asked to recite randomly 2 from the following surah): An-Nas, Al-Kawsar, Al-Ikhlas; Al-Asr

Assalamu Alaikum - Peace be on you We say it when meeting a Muslim. Walaikum Assalam - Peace be on you too We say it in reply of Assalamu Alaikum Insha’-Allah - If Allah wishes We say it when hoping to do something in the future or make a promise. Rabbi Zidni Ilma - Oh Lord, increase our knowledge We say it for our knowledge

Islamic Quiz (Will be asked to answer 5 questions randomly from the following) (Parents/Teacher: teach the Who made us? Allah made us. participants to memorize the Zikr & Who is Allah? Allah is our creator. He the occasions. The meanings are for is the creator of everything. understanding only. Participants will Does Allah have a father or a mother? be asked to say randomly from the No, Allah has no father or mother. following Zikr) Does Allah have any sons or daughters? No, Allah has no sons or Bismillah - In the name of Allah We say this when we begin something. daughters. Can you hide anything from Allah? eg. Before reciting the Quran, eating, No. Allah knows everything and can getting into a car, etc. see everything we do. Alhamdulillah - Praise be to Allah We say it to thank Allah. We also say it Can you name at least 3 other names of Allah? Some names of Allah: Aswhen we sneeze. Samad, Ar-Rahman, Ar-Rahim, ArYarhamuka-Allah - May Allah blesses Razzak, Al-Qayyum, Al-Quddus. you Who is our Prophet? Muhammad (S) is We say it when we hear someone our Prophet. sneeze.

Who was the Mother of Muhammad (s)? Amina Who was the father of Muhammad (s)? Abdullah What we have to say after the name of our Prophet? We have to say ‘Sallallahu alaihi Wasalam’ after the name of our prophet. What are the names of the 5 daily Prayers? Fajr, Zuhr. Asr, Magrib and Isha. Questions on Wudu (ablution) and Salah Learn the steps of performing Wudu (ablution) and Salah (Will be asked to answer steps of Wudu (ablution) and Salah)

GROUP B

For ages 6 & 7 Study the notes of Group A as well as the following: Surah Surah Fatiha and Kalima Tayyibah (Compulsory) Kalima Tayyibah: AS HADU AL LA ILLAHA ILLALLAH WA ASHHADU ANNA MUHAMMADUR RASUL ULLAH Recitation-Surah

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(Will be asked to recite randomly 2 from the following surah): Al-Asr, An-Nas, Al-Kawsar, Al-Ikhlas, Al- Falaq, Al-Lahab, Al-Nasr & AlKafirun Zikr (Remembering Allah all the time) Zikr is the best way to remember Allah all the time. It is to say some phrases which remind us of Allah during different times and activities of the day. Bismillah - In the name of Allah We say this when we begin something. eg. before reciting the Quran, eating, getting into a car, etc. Alhamdulillah - Praise be to Allah We say it to thank Allah. We also say it when we sneez. Yarhamuka-Allah - May Allah bless you We say it when we hear someone sneeze. Assalamu Alaikum - Peace be on you We say it when meeting a Muslim. Walaikum Assalam - Peace be on you too We say it in reply of Assalamu Alaikum Insha’-Allah - If Allah wishes We say it when hoping to do something in the future or make a promise. Subhan-Allah - Glory be to Allah We say it to praise someone or when we see something amazing. Masha-Allah - Allah has willed it We say this in happy occasions, when hearing good news or when giving appreciation to someone. Fi Amanillah - In the protection of Allah We say it when we say farewell to someone. Jazak-Allahu Khairan - May Allah give you the best reward We say it to thank someone. Astagfirullah - I seek Allah’s forgiveness We say it when we feel sorry for something bad we thought, said or done. Audhubillahi minash shaitanur razim - I seek refuge in Allah from shaitan We say it before reciting the Quran. We also seek Allah’s protection from Shaitan (devil) by saying it so that Shaitan cannot trick us. Dua (Supplication) ‘Dua’(Supplication) means to ask Allah directly for something. There is nothing that Allah cannot do, therefore Dua is basically the means of asking the creator to do something. So Dua is to seek guidance, help and benefit from Allah, the All-Mighty. Learn the following Supplications: Dua before going to bed: Bismika Allahumma Amutu wa ahya In the name of Allah we die (go to

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sleep) and get life (wake up again). Dua after waking up in the morning: Alhamdulillah-hillathee ah-yana ba’da ma ama tana wa ilayhi nushoor. Many thanks to Allah who gave us life after having given us death and our final return are to Him. Dua before entering the washroom: Allahumma inni a udhu bika minal khubuthi wal khaba ith Oh Allah! I seek refuge in You from male or female devils. Dua when leaving the washroom: Ghufranaka I seek your forgiveness Dua for knowledge: Rabbi Zidni Ilma Oh Lord, increase our knowledge Dua for parents: Rabbir hamhuma kama rabbayani sageera My Lord! Bestow your mercy to them (my parents) similar to that they were with me when I was in my childhood. Islamic Quiz (Will be asked to answer 10 questions randomly from the following) Learn the meaning Allahu Akbar– Allah is the Greatest Subhan Allah – Glory be to Allah Bismillah– In the name of Allah Al Hamdu lillah – All praises are for Allah Astagfirullah I seek Allah’s forgiveness Audhubillahi minash shaitanur razim I seek refuge in Allah from shaitan Learn about Allah Allah is one. Allah made us. Allah made the mountains, the rivers and the flowers. Allah made the Sun, the moon, the stars and the sky. No one created Allah. Allah has no partners. Allah has no father or mother. Allah has no sons or daughters. We cannot see Allah. Allah sees us all the time. We are Allah’s servants. Allah is our Lord and Master. Allah will be pleased with us if we do the following: • Pray 5 times daily. • Respect our parents. • Remember Allah at all times. • Read the Quran. • Help the needy. • Be kind to everyone, including animals. • Always keep promises. Learn about Prophets. Prophets of Allah are: Adam(A) Idris(A), Nuh(A), Hud(A), Salih(A), Ibrahim(A), Harun(A), Isma’il(A), Ishaq(A), Lut(A), Ya’qub(A), Yusuf(A), Shu’aib(A), Ayyub(A), Musa(A), Dhul-kifl(A), Dawud(A), Sulaiman(A), Ilias(A), Al-Yasa(A), Yunus(A), Zakariyya(A), Yahya(A), Isa(A) & Muhammad (s). Adam (A) is the first Prophet.

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Muhammad (S) is the last Prophet of Allah. We have to say Sallallahu Alaihi Wasalam after the name of Prophet Muhammad. We have to say Alaihis salam after the name of other Prophets. Our prophet is Muhammad (S). Muhammad was born in Mecca. His mother’s name was Amina. His father’s name was Abdullah. Learn about the Quran The Quran is the book of Allah. Allah sent Quran to Prophet Muhammad (s) through Angel Jibrail. The first Surah of the Quran is Sura Fatiha. The last Surah is Sura Nas. Smallest surah is Surah Kawsar. Other small surahs are Surah Ikhlas and Surah Asr. Questions on performing Salah Participants will be asked to answer basic things regarding Salah, Wudu & Azan Learn how to pray. Learn the steps for performing Wudu (ablutions) and Salah Learn the timings for five time prayers Learn how to call Azan

GROUP C

For age 8 & 9

Study the notes of Group A, B as well as the following: Basics of Islam Islam means to obey Allah and follow his commands. If we obey Allah and do as He commands then we will have peace. That is why Islam also means peace. Islam teaches us to live a good life on this earth. It tells us how to live as good people. Islam shows us the right way. If we follow Islam, we achieve peace. We learnt about Islam from the messengers and Prophets of Allah. A Muslim is a person who follows Islam. A Muslim will always try to do good works. He speaks the truth. He does not lie, he helps others, and he cares for the old and needy. He does not like bad things. He does as Allah commands him. We feel proud to be Muslims. Iman means belief or faith. To be a good Muslim, we must believe in: Allah Angels of Allah (Malaikah) Book of Allah (Kitabullah) Messengers of Allah (Rasulullah) The day of Judgement (Yawmuddin) Predestination or Supremacy of divine will (Al-Qadr) Life after Death (Akhirah) One who has Iman is called a Mu’min.

Muslims have 5 basic duties: Ash-Shahadah (The Declaration of faith) As Salah (Five compulsory daily prayers) Az Zakah (Welfare contribution) As-Sawm (Fasting during Ramadan) Al-Hajj (Pilgrimage to Makkah) Ash-Shahadah: A person becomes Muslim by reciting and believing in Ash-Shahadah. AshShahadah is LA ILAHA ILLAL LAHU MUHAMMADUR RASULUL LAH. This means: There is no God But Allah, and Muhammad (s) is the messenger of Allah. As Salah: We offer Salah to remember Allah, to be close to Him and to gain His favour. Salah helps us to do the good and give up the bad. Az Zakah: Islam teaches that the poor and the needy have rights in the wealth of the rich. Islam therefore commands every Muslim to pay Welfare money (Zakah) to the needy and for good causes. As-Sawm: Every grown up Muslim is required to fast during the month of Ramadan. Fasting begins at day break and ends at sunset. During this time, eating and drinking etc are not allowed. Sawm is a mean for spiritual training and development. It helps one to resist temptations and to have selfdiscipline in life. Al-Hajj: Hajj or the Pilgrimage, is visiting the Kabah at least once in a lifetime if one can afford it. Kabah is the house of Allah, located in the city of Makkah. Muslims gather in Makkah in the month of Zul-Hijjah and worship Allah. This special worship lasts for several days. The Hajj brings Muslims from all over the world of different colours and races to one place—The Kabah. This strengthens the spirit of unity, equality and brotherhood. Salah Learn how to perform Wudu and Salah (prayer). What do we have to do as preparation for performing Salah? What is the importance of Niyah (intention) for Salah? What is the Qibla? Why do we face the Qibla during prayers? What is Qiyam? What do we have to utter in Qiyam? What is the meaning of that? What is Ruku? What do we have to utter in Ruku? What is the meaning of that? What is Sujud? What do we have to utter in Sujud? What is the meaning of that? Life of Prophet Muhammad (S) (Seerah)

Muhammad (S) is our prophet. Muhammad(S) was born into the noble tribe of Quraish in Makkah, Arabia in 570 CE (Christian era). His father, Abdullah, died before his birth. His mother, Aminah, died when he was only six. A few days after his birth he was given to the care of Halimah; his foster-mother. It was the custom of the tribe of Quraish to give their newborn babies to foster mothers for breast feeding; Muhammad (S) was with Halimah for two years. After the death of his mother, his grandfather, Abdul Muttalib looked after him. His grandfather died when Muhammad (S) was only 8 years old. Muhammad (S) was then looked after by his uncle Abu Talib. The name Muhammad (S) means praiseworthy. At the age of 40 Muhammad (S) was given the first revelation from Allah through angel Jibrail. He became the prophet of Allah. For the next 23 years of his life he shared the teachings of Allah. Important teachings of Prophet Muhammad (S) Prophet Muhammad (S) asked people to worship Allah alone. He taught love and brotherhood. He asked his followers to be kind and polite towards both children and the elderly and to help one another. He stopped people from doing harm to one another. He asked us to always be truthful, and to practise what we preach. He established Truth, Justice and the Islamic Society. Hadith’s are the sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad (S) recorded by his followers after his death. Some Hadith Salah Prophet (S) said: “The key to Paradise is Salah (five daily prayers) and key to Salah is Taharah (purity- performing wudu).” Taharah (Cleanliness) Prophet (S) said: “Cleanliness is part of one’s faith.” Prophet (S) said: “Brushing your teeth makes your mouth clean and please Allah.” Intention (Niyah) Prophet (S) said: “Action shall be judged only by intention; a man shall get what he intends.” Study of the Quran Prophet (S) said: “The best person among you is the one who learns the Quran and teaches it to others.” Greetings Prophet (S) said: “Greet each other with Assalamu alaikum” Prophet (S) said: “Say Assalamu alaikum before you talk.” Prophet (S) said: “The person closest to Allah is one who says his salam (assalamu alaikum) first.”

Study of the Quran Memorize the last 15 Surahs of the Quran. Go to Al-Quran Recitation and Study Center Learn the meaning of the names of the last 15 surah of the Quran. Learn the meaning of Surah Al-Fatiha and Al-Ikhlas Study: Some important verses Al-Baqarah, verse 2 – Dhalik al-kitabu la raiba fi-hi, hudal lil-muttaqin (This book, the Quran, has no doubts about it at all; it guides to right path those who are Muttaqin) Al-Imran, verse 19 – Inn ad-dina ind Allah il-Islam (Surely the true religion with Allah is Islam) Al-Ankabut, verse 45 – Innas salata tanha anil fahshai wal munkar (Surely prayer keeps one away from indecency and evil.) What is Quran? Quran is the book of guidance from Allah, each word of the Quran is the word of Allah. What is the meaning of the word ‘Quran’? The meaning of word ‘Quran’ is “the reading” or “that which is to be read”. What are the other names of the Quran, mentioned in the Quran itself? The other names of the Quran, mentioned in the Quran itself, are: Al-Furqan (the Criterion between right and wrong) Qitabullah (the Book of Allah) Qalamullah (the words of Allah) Al-Jibar (the Message of Allah) To who was the Quran revealed? The Quran was revealed to the last Prophet Muhammad (S). Is the Quran the only guidance from Allah? No, Allah sent many other books of guidance to different prophets of different times,. What are the other books of guidance? Sahifa given to Prophet Ibrahim (A) Tawrah given to Prophet Musa (A) Zabur given to Prophet Dawud (A) Inzil given to Prophet Isa (A) Those books no longer exist today, they are lost as the followers did not safeguard them and changed them as they pleased. How was the Quran sent down to Prophet Muhammad (S)? Allah revealed the Quran in pieces through the Angel Jibrail, to prophet of Allah Muhammad (S). Angel Jibrail deliv­ered the message from Allah to the Prophet (S) as exactly stated to him by Allah. When did the revelation of Quran begin? The first revelation of the Quran was revealed on Lailatul Qadr, in the month of Ramadan. Lailatul Qadr is on one of the odd nights after the 21st

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Ramadan. Prophet Muhammad was at the age of 40 at the time (around the year 610 A.D.). Where did the Prophet receive the first revelation? Prophet received the first revelation in the cave of Hira on a mountain near Mecca. How long did it take to complete the Quran? The Quran was revealed though out a period of 23 years. Has the Quran been changed since it was revealed to the prophet Muhammad (S)? The Quran has not been changed since it was revealed it is as it was when it was delivered from Angel Jibrail. What is the first word revealed to Muhammad (S)? The first word revealed to Muhammad (S) is “IQRA”. What is Surah (plural: Swar) of the Quran? Surah is like chapters of the Quran, there are 114 Surahs or chapters in the Quran. What is Ayah, (plural: Ayat) of the Quran? Ayah is a sentence of Quran, and Ayat means more than one sentence? Do all the Surahs of the Quran have the same numbers of Ayat? No. Which is the longest Surah? How many Ayat is there? AI-Baqara (no.2) number of ayats 286 Name one of the shortest Surah. How many Ayat is there in the shortest Surah? Al-Asr (no. 103) It has 3 (three) Ayat. Do all Surah begin with ‘Bismilla hir rahmanir rahim’? Yes, except one Surah: Surah atTauba). Who are called ‘Qari’? Qari is the one who has learned and mastered perfect recitation of the Quran. Qari means the excellent reader of the Quran. What is the meaning of ‘Hafiz-UlQuran’? Whoever has memorized the Quran is called Hafiz-ul-Quran, meaning protector of the Quran. Why and how do we know that the Quran hasn’t been changed? The Quran has not been changed since it was revealed, because we know from the Quran that Allah has stated that He will preserve the Quran. And we see today that thousands of people have memorized the Quran. Etiquettes of eating and drinking • Halal and Haram • Basic facts about the Quran • Islamic festivals • Islamic Greetings • Obligation to parents

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• Friendship and Respect to others What is the importance of showing respect to others? Showing respect to others is a means of getting respect from other. Islam teaches us to respect our parents, teachers, relatives and neighbours. We should respect our friends, our younger brothers and sisters. How should we behave with our parents? – we should be kind to our parents – we should take care of them – we should talk to them politely and not be rude or shout at them How should we treat our neighbours? – we should be helpful towards our neighbours – we should visit them when they are sick – we should be polite with them and not quarrel – we should not be jealous of them but should celebrate their happiness – we should help them when they are in trouble How should we be with our friends? – we should befriend those who have good manners – we should help friends whenever they need help – we should not abuse our friends – we should treat them with good manners and share our knowledge with them

GROUP D

Age 10 and 11

Study the notes of Group A,B,C as well as the following: Basic of Islam What is the meaning of Islam? Islam means obedience. Obedience means to accept, to submit and to follow. Islam therefore, means to submit to Allah and to follow His commands. We can have peace in our lives if we follow the commands of our Creator. So another meaning of Islam is peace. True peace lies only in following Allah’s commands. Those who follow Islam are called Muslims. Iman means belief or faith. To be a good Muslim, we must believe in: Allah, Angels of Allah (Malaikah), Book of Allah (Kitabullah), Messengers of Allah (Rasulullah), The day of Judgement (Yawmuddin), Predestination or Supremacy of divine will (Al-Qadr) and Life after Death (Akhirah) Belief in Allah: One, who believes in Allah, believes that: There is no god but Allah. Allah is ONE and ALMIGHTY. There is no one like Allah.

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Allah has no children and no partner. Allah has been there from the beginning, and will always be existing. Allah will never die. He knows everything. He sees everything. He is the creator of the Universe. He is our Lord. Allah is the Greatest and MostMerciful. He is the Most-Kind and Most-Loving. Allah has provided us with everything. He created us as the best. He sent prophets to guide us and to tell us how to obey him; how to live like good human beings and be happy and successful. Belief in Angels of Allah: Angels are created by Allah. They are Allah’s servants; they obey Allah’s commands and carry out his orders. We cannot see them; they do not have a body like us. If Allah wills they can take any shape. We know the name of some angels through the Quran and Prophet Muhammad (S). They are: Jibrail (Gabriel), Azrail (Azrael), Israfil, Mikhail (Michael), Ridwan, Munkar and Nakir. Angel Jibrail brought the message of Allah to Prophet Muhammad (S). Belief in Books of Allah: Allah has taught us how to live, to obey and worship Him. This guidance was given through Prophets in the form of revelations. The revelations given to the Prophets have always guided mankind. The revelation given to prophet Muhammad (S) is called the Quran. A Muslim believes in all revealed Books. Those are the Tawrat (Torah) to Musa (Moses); Jabur (Psalms) to Dawud (David); the Injil (Gospel) to Isa (Jesus) and the Quran to Muhammad (S). The Quran also mentions Suhuf-i-Ibrahim (Scrolls of Abraham). But the Books given to the Prophets before Muhammad (S) were not fully preserved, some were lost or they were changed by the people. Allah’s words were mixed with man’s ideas. Belief in the Messengers of Allah: Allah sent His guidance through the Prophets. They were men of great virtue and character. Their lives were truly pure and honourable. They are role models for mankind. They taught us how to obey Allah- our Creator. None of the Prophets claimed to be God. They themselves obeyed Allah and invited others to obey Him. Allah sent prophets to all people at different times. All of the Prophets preached the same message of God. They preached peace and justice. While preaching the message of God, the Prophets

were tortured, betrayed and ignored by the disbelievers. However, the good people of their time followed the Prophets with heart and soul. The Prophets gathered the good people and taught them how to obey and worship God. The Quran mentioned the names of 25 prominent Prophets. Prophets mentioned in the Quran are also believed to be Prophets by Christians and Jews. Following are the Quranic names and English names (in bracket) of Prophets mentioned in the Quran. Adam; Idris (Enoch); Nuh (Noah);Hud (Heber); Saleh (Shelah); Ibrahim (Abraham); Lut (Lot); Ismail (Ishmael); Ishaq (Isaac); Yaqub (Jacob); Yusuf (Joseph); Ayub (Job); Shoaib (Jethro); Musa (Moses); Harun (Aaron); Dhul-Kifl (possibly Ezekiel or Gautama Buddha); Daud (David); Sulayman (Solomon); Ilyas (Elijah); AlYasa (Elisha); Yunus (Jonah); Zakariya (Zacharias); Yahya (John the Baptist); Isa (Jesus) and Muhammad. Belief in Life after death: Our life in this world is temporary. Everyone has to die. Death is a natural event. Muslims believe that Allah will bring an end to this world and extinction of all the creatures of this world. After that all human beings will be given back life to judge the deeds they have done in this present world. This great day is commonly known as Yawm al-Qiyamah (Day of the Raising of the Dead). The Quran has other names of this day. Those are given below: Yawm al-Din (Day of Judgment) Yawm al-Taghabun (Day of Loss and Gain) Yawm al-Bath (Day of Resurrection – to bring something to life) Yawm al-Hisab (Day of Reckoningaccountability) Yawm al-Haqqah (The day which is Inevitable) In the Day of Judgment every person will be judged by Allah alone based on his or her acts in this world. Those who worship Allah and do good deeds in this world will be granted paradise. The Arabic word for paradise is Jannah. Those who disobey Allah willingly in this world and do not ask for forgiveness will be punished, the punishment will be hell. The Arabic word for hell is Jahannam. This life after death is called Akhirah. Belief in Akhirah has a great impact in the life of a believer. He knows that Allah is watching all his actions and he will have to account for them on the Day of Judgment. His conduct and behaviour will therefore be responsible, controlled and careful. To prepare for that day and to be rewarded by our Lord, we need to

do all that Allah demands of us and give up all the bad habits and wrong actions. We can do this if we follow the guidance given to our Prophet Muhammad (S) by Allah. This is the safest course for our success in life, both in this world and in the life after death Learn about Quran Muslims follow the Quran. The Quran is the words of Allah. It was revealed to the last Prophet Muhammad (S). The words of the Quran are fully preserved in its original form. Not a single word of it has been changed or lost. It is found today exactly as it was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (S). A Muslim believes in all the Books of Allah, but as the earlier Books are lost or have been changed; a Muslim follows the Quran only. Allah wants to guide men and women through revelation (wahi). It is the prophets who received the revelations and then they conveyed those to their followers. Revelation is a message and guidance from Allah, the Arabic word for revelation is Wahi. It means Guidance from Allah is called Hidayah. Revelations were sent to Prophets in different ways. Revelation by inspiration- like a dream: example, Allah guided Prophet Ibrahim (A) to make a sacrifice of his son. Revelation by speech (behind the scene): example, Allah spoke to Prophet Musa (A) in the mountain of Torah. Revelation through Angel: example, Allah revealed the Quran to Prophet Muhammad (S) through angel Jibrail. The first revelation of the Quran was 5 verses from Surah al-Alaq. Which are as follows: “Read in the name of your Lord, Who created man from a clot of blood. Read and your Lord is most Bountiful, Who taught (the use of) the pen, He taught man which he knew not.” There was no revelation for a certain period of time after the first. The second revelation is the first beginning verses of Surah AlMuddather, which begins as follows- “ O you, Who is covered in your cloak, arise and warn.” Some of the earliest Surahs are AlMuzzammil, Al-Fatiha, Al-Takweer, Al-A’laa, Al-Lael, Al-Fazr The revelation continued till the death of the Prophet (S). It was approximately for 23 years. One of the last revelations is– “This day I (Allah) have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you and have chosen for you

Islam as your religion.” Surah 5: verse 4. Names of surahs: Each of the 114 surahs has their own name. Allah and His messenger have given a name to each surah. Usually the surah is named from a word used in that particular surah. Surahs are sometimes named according to an event or subject mentioned in that specific surah. Examples: Surah Al-Fatiha: the opening, Surah Al-Baqarah: The Cow; Surah Al-Imran: The family of Imran; Surah An-Nisa: The Women; Surah Maidah: The table spread; Surah AnAmm: The cattle. The Quran contain stories (Qasas, sg. Qissah). “We do relate unto thee the most beautiful of stories.” 12:3 The Quranic stories are about: – Prophets of Allah, their people, their message, their call …etc., for example Nuh (A), Musa (A), and Isa (A). – Past people or events, e.g. the Companions of the cave. – Events that took place during the lifetime of the Prophet, e.g. battle of Badr. – The Quran tells us the story of previous nations. It tells us the stories of good people of the past that followed the path of Allah and His prophets. – It also tells us stories of bad people and how Allah punished them in this world. Some teachings of the Quran are: There is only one true God- Allah. Everything in this universe belongs to Allah. We should worship, obey and serve Allah. Allah guides people by sending His Prophets and Messengers, His revelations and Books. Muhammad (S) is the last Messenger. The Quran is the last book of guidance. One day whole world will come to and end. This day is called The Last day. After death, all dead will be brought to life. On that day Allah will judge all of the people. Good people will be rewarded. They will go to Heaven (Paradise). Bad people will be punished. They will be throne to Hell. The Quran tells us: The Quran tell us how to become good men and women. The Quran tell us how to obey, worship and serve Allah. The Quran tell us how what is the difference between right and wrong. The Quran tell us how to do well and give up bad habits The Quran tell us how to behave with parents, brothers, friends, and neighbours

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The Quran tell us how to live pious, happy, peaceful and good life. The Quran tell us how everything that is needed for our success in this world and in the Hereafter. The Quran tell us stories of the good people of the past who followed the path of Allah and His Prophets. It also tells us the stories of bad people and how Allah punished them. Learn Practicing Islam Salah The lessons and significance of Salah are: Salah brings us closer to Allah. It keeps us away from indecent, shameful and forbidden activities. It teaches us to control evil desire and passions. It purifies heart and comforts the soul. It is a constant reminder of Allah and His greatness. It develops discipline and willpower. It is the source of patience, courage, hope and confidence. It is a mean to purity, cleanliness and punctuality. It demonstrates our obedience to our Creator. It is a proof of equality, unity and brotherhood. Learn the meaning of Dua Qunut. Study of the Quran Memorize last 15 Surahs of the Quran. Go to Al-Quran Recitation and Study Center Memorize and study the meaning: Verses 190-194, Surah Al-Imran (Surah 3). CLICK for teachings of those verses. Study of the Hadith Love for Prophet (S) Prophet (S) said: “None of you has faith unless I (Prophet) am dearer to him than his father, and his son and all mankind.” Mentioned in Bukhari Modesty Prophet (S) said: “Modesty (Haya) is part of faith.” Mentioned in Bukhari & Muslim Politeness Prophet (S) said: “Allah is polite and likes politeness.” – Condensed from Muslim Brotherhood Prophet (S) said: “Each of you is a mirror of his brother, if you see something wrong in your brother, you must tell him to get rid of it.” -Mentioned Tirmidhi Gifts Prophet (S) said: “Give gifts to one another, for gifts take away malice.” -Mentioned in Mishkat Visiting the sick Prophet (S) said: “Visit the sick, feed the hungry and free the captives.” -Mentioned in Bukhari

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General Knowledge What is the meaning of the word ‘Quran’? - The meaning of word ‘Quran’ is “the reading” or “that which is to be read”. What are the other names of Quran, mentioned in Quran itself? The other names of Quran, mentioned in Quran itself, are: Al-Furqan (the Criterion between right and wrong) Kitabullah (the Book of Allah) Kalamullah (the words of Allah) Al-Jibar (the Message of Allah) What is the first word revealed to Muhammad (S)? - The first word revealed to Muhammad (S) is “Iqra”. In which month the Quran was revealed? - The Quran was revealed in the month of Ramadan. In which night the Quran was revealed? - The Quran was revealed in the night of Laillatul Qadr. How many surahs are in the Quran? - There are 114 surahs in the Quran What is the largest surah in the Quran? - The largest surah in the Quran is AlBaqara. Name some surahs named after insect. - Al-Nahl (the bee), Al-Ankabut (the spider) and Al-Naml (the ant). Name some surahs named after animals. - Al-Baqara (the cow), Al-Adiyat (the horse) and Al-Fil (the elephent). The Quran tells us about some brave young believers who along with a dog slept for several years in a cave. What is the name given to that group of believers? Which surah of the Quran mentioned that incident? - The group of brave young believers who along with a dog slept for several years in a cave is called As-safe Kahaf (the resident of cave). The name of the surah mention the story of As-safe Kahaf is Al-Kahaf (the Cave). What is the name of the Prophet who was throne in a well by his own brothers? Which surah of the Quran mentioned that incident? -The name of the Prophet who was throne in a well by his own brothers is Yusuf (A). The name of surah mentioning the incident of Yusuf(A) is

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Al-Yusuf. What is the name of the first house built to worship Allah? - The first house built to worship Allah is Kaba. Who first built Kabah? - Prophet Ibrahim (A) first built Kabah. What is the name of the stone on which Prophet Ibrahim (A) stood while building the Kabah. - The name of the stone on which Prophet Ibrahim (A) stood while building the Kabah is Makame Ibrahim, What is the name of the son of Prophet Ibrahim (A) who helped him building the Kabah? - The name of the son of Prophet Ibrahim (A) who helped him building the Kabah is Ismail (A). What is the old name of Makkah? - Bakkah is the old name of Makkah. This is mentioned in the Quran. What is the old name of Madina? - The old name of Madina is Yasrib. Who are called Ansar? - The muslim residents of Madina who gave shelter to the people who migrated from Makkah is called Ansar. Who are called Muhajir? - The group of people who migrated from Makkah is called Muhajir. Which event marks the beginning of the Islamic Calendar year? - The beginning of the Islamic Calendar year is marked by the event of migration of Muslims from Makkah to Madina. What is the name of the mosque which Muslims used to face while praying before the Kabah? - Muslims used to face Masjidul Aqsa (while praying) before the Kabah? What is the name of the fountain beside the Kabah? - The fountain beside the Kabah is Zam zam. Who gave the advice to introduce Azan for prayer? - Omar (R). Who is the first person to call Azan? - Bilal (R) is the first person to call Azan. Name the uncle of Prophet who used to torture him along with his wife, whose name is mentioned in the Quran.

- Abu Lahab, uncle of Prophet Muhammad (S), used to torture Muhammad (S). Name the uncle of the Prophet Muhammad (S) who was Shaheed in the battle of Uhud. - Hamza (R), uncle of the Prophet Muhammad (S), was killed (Shaheed) in the battle of Uhud. Name the major battles fought by the Prophet against his enemies. - Three major battles fought by the Prophet against his enemies are: the battle of Badr, the battle of Uhad and the battle of trench (Khandaq). Name the Arabic months. - Names of 12 Arabic months are: Muharram, Safar, Rabiul-Awal, RabiusSani, Jamadiul-Awal, Jamadius-Sani, Rajab, Shaban, Ramadan, Shawal, Jilkadh and Jilhajj. In which year and month the Prophet conquered Makkah? - Prophet conquered Makkah in the month of Ramadan of 10th Hijra. What are the names of the two sons of Prophet Muhammad (S) and Khadijah (R) - who died at childhood? - Al-Qasim and Al-Tahir. What are the names of the four daughters of Prophet Muhammad (S) and Khadijah (R)? - Fatima (R), Zaynab (R), Umm Qulsum (R), Ruqayyah (R). What is the name of the youngest son of Prophet Muhammad (S) whose mother was Mariam (R)? - Ibrahim (R).

In which Islamic year Hijra did the Prophet performed his last Hajj? - The prophet performed his last Hajj in 10th Hijra. In which Islamic year Hijra and month the Prophet died? - The Prophet died in the month of Rabyul-Awwal in 10th Hijra. What is the meaning of the word ‘Masjid”? - The meaning of the arabic word “Masjid” is the place of prostration (sujud). What is ‘Mehrab’, ‘Minar’ and ‘Mimbar’? The extention of the masjid in front of the place where the imam stands is called Mehrab. The tower of the masjid building is called Minar. The platform from where the imam delivers the speech during friday prayer is called Mimbar. What is ‘Halal’ and ‘Haram’? - The act or things permissible by Quran and Sunnah is called halal. And the act or things prohibited by the Quran and Sunnah is called Haram. What is Sunnah? - The life and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (S) is called Sunnah. When is the ‘Eid ul Fitr’? - The first day of the month of Shawal in the Islamic calendar is Eid ul Fitr. When is ‘Eid ul Adha’? - The 10th day of the month jil-Hajj in

the Islamic calendar is Eid ul Adha. What is the meaning of ‘As Salamu Alaikum’? The meaning of Assalamu Alaikum is Peace be upon you. What is “Janajah”? - The special prayer (salat) for a dead person is called Janajah. What is the importance of showing respect to others? - Showing respect to others is a means of getting respect from other. Islam teaches us to respect our parents, teachers, relatives and neighbours. We should respect our friends, our younger brothers and sisters. How should we behave with our parents? - we should be kind to our parents - we should take care of them - we should talk to them politely and not be rude or shout at them How should we treat our neighbours? - we should be helpful towards our neighbours - we should visit them when they are sick - we should be polite with them and not quarrel - we should not be jealous of them but should celebrate their happiness - we should help them when they are in trouble How should we be with our friends? - we should befriend those who have good manners - we should help friends whenever

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they need help - we should not abuse our friends - we should treat them with good manners and share our knowledge with them Do all Surah begin with ‘Bismilla hir rahmanir rahim’? - Only surah At-Tawbah of the Quran does not start with ‘Bismilla hir rahmanir rahim’ Who are called ‘Qari’? - Qari is the one who has learned and mastered perfect recitation of the Quran. Qari means the excellent reader of the Quran. What is the meaning of ‘Hafiz-UlQuran’? - Whoever has memorized the Quran is called Hafiz-ul-Quran, meaning protector of the Quran. What are the names of 25 prominent Prophets mentioned in Quran? Adam(A) Idris(A), Nuh(A), Hud(A), Salih(A), Ibrahim(A), Harun(A), Isma’il(A), Ishaq(A), Lut(A), Ya’qub(A), Yusuf(A), Shu’aib(A), Ayyub(A), Musa(A), Dhul-kifl(A), Dawud(A), Sulaiman(A), Ilias(A), Al-Yasa(A), Yunus(A), Zakariyya(A), Yahya(A), Isa(A) & Muhammad (s). What should we do as the followers of Muhammad (s)? - The Prophet left two things for us, one the Quran and the other his Sunnah. The Quran is the Book of Allah and the Sunnah is the teachings of the Prophet. So, as followers of the prophet we should follow the path of the Quran and the Sunnah. We should preach to others to follow the same way.

GROUP E

Age 12 and 13

come closer to Allah. Those are like a training program for a Muslim to shape life around. Study: • The meaning and significance of Kalima Taiyibah, Tawhid and Risalah • The timings of five daily prayers: What are the times when we should not pray? • What is the importance of Taharah (cleanliness) and Niyah (intention) for Salah. • Significance of Salah: ‘Our salah is the first thing we will be asked about when we die and stand’- explain in relation to the benefits of Salah. • Lessons of Salah • Meanings of Tasbih (uttering) which are recited in Ruku and Sujud • Meanings of Qibla, Qiyam, Ruku, Sujud, Tayammum • Meaning of the word Zakah • Which people are helped by Zakah • Importance of Zakah in context of social welfare • Good qualities developed by Sawm • Morals and social lessons of Sawm • Why Lailatul Qadr is an important night • What is Hajj? What Hajj teaches us? • Hajj is called the Annual International Muslim. Assemblyexplain What are common messages of all the Prophets? What were the common things the Prophets did? What should we do as the followers of Muhammad (s)? What is modesty? Why is it so important? What is the importance of helping the poor and needy in Islam? How should we treat out neighbours? What is the importance of following the Prophet (S)? If you really love Prophet (S), what do you have to do?

History of the Quran Allah has guaranteed the protection Study the notes of Group A,B,C,D,E as of the Quran. The words of the Quran well as the following: were revealed to Prophet Muhammad (S) throughout the last 23 years of his Basic of Islam life. The Prophet used to memorize Five pillars of Islam those and told his companions to •Ash-Shahadah (The Declaration of memorize its words. The revelations faith) were written down by his followers. •As Salah(Five compulsory daily During the time of Caliphat Abu Bakr prayers) (R), all those words and sentences •Az Zakah (Welfare contribution) were collected in the form of a •As-Sawm (Fasting during Ramadan) book and were arranged following •Al-Hajj (Pilgrimage to Makkah) the direction given by the Prophet The first pillar of Islam is Shahadah, Muhammad (S). which is about belief in Tawhid and Among the Muslims there are always Risalah of Muhammad (S). some people who memorize the The other four pillars are the main whole Quran by heart. duties in Islam, called Ibadah. Ibadah The Quran would always be preserved includes any activity which is done by memorization and printing. to please Allah. Salah, Zakah, Sawm Some companions of the Prophet (s) and Hajj are the main four forms of memorized the Quran. They wereworship or Ibadah. If we perform AbuBakr(R), Omar(R), Uthman(R), those regularly and correctly we www.RamadanCompetition.com | www.MuslimVille.com 12

Ali(R) and some women companions were- Aisha(R), Hafsa(R) and Umm Salma(R). The 3 companions who memorized the entire the Quran and went over it with the Prophet be­ fore his death were Ubai ibn Kab(R), Mu-aaz ibn Jabal(R), and Zaid ibn Thabit(R). It is reported that the Quran was indeed written down by the companions. But it was not bound as a single volume. Prophet Muhammad (s) dictated the revelation to some 48 companions and it was written down accordingly. The Prophet under guidance of Allah through Angel Jibrail determined the arrangement of the verses of the Quran. Prophet (s) also gave instructions for the arrangement of the verses of the Quran. This way the order and the arrangement were well known to the Muslims due to the daily recitation of the Quran in their prayers. When people came to Madina to learn about Islam, they were provided with copies of the chapters of the Quran, to read and memorize. Angel Jibrail used to recite the Quran once a year with the Prophet (S) and he recited it twice with him the year he died. All parts of the Quran were in written form in separate written materials. It was written on paper, dry skin, papyrus and etc. The order of the verses within each Surah was fixed, but the sheets on which the Surah was written were still in a loose arrangement. i.e. not bound into a volume. The Quran was in this form during the Prophet’s time and also during Abu Bakrs(R) and Omar’s(R) time. Collection of the Quran into a volume: – During Abu Bakr’s(R) rule, he instructed Zaid lbn Thabit(R) to collect the Quran from the various written material and from the memories of people. The collection was kept with him and then with Omar(R) and then with his daughter Hafsa(R). – During Uthman’s(R) rule, disputes had risen among Muslims in the vast Muslim empire about the correct manner of reciting the Quran. – Uthman(R) borrowed the collection of the Quran, which were kept with Hafsa(R) and ordered four companions among them Zaid lbn Thabit(R) to rewrite the script in perfect copies. – Uthman(R) sent those copies to the main centers of the Muslim world to replace other copies that were in circula­tion. Those copies of the Quran have remained the same to this day. Today’s volume of the Quran has vowel marks (tashkil) to help in the pronunciation and diacritical marks to help tell the difference between

similiar letters. All old Qurariic script is completely without diacritical points or vowels signs. Also there are no headings or separations between the Swar or any other kind of division or formal indica­tion of the end of a verse. In the Egyption National Library there is a copy made of gazelle skin which has been dated 68 after Hijra (688 A.D.), 58 years after the Prophets death. There are also copies from the first and second centuries A.H. The current manuscript of the Quran printed in 1925 (1344 A.H.) in Cairo, Egypt and it is based on the reading of Hafs as reported by Asim. Understanding the Quran It is easy to understand messages and teaching of the Quran. Allah said in the Quran, “We have indeed made the Quran easy to be remembered (and to be understood). Is there any­one that remembers (and understands) it.” 54:17. When a surah’s beginning portion is found to be revealed before Hijra that sura is called a Makkyia, Mekkan Surah. There are 85 Mekkan surahs. When a surah’s beginning portion is found to be revealed after Hijra, even if some ayat are revealed before Hijra that sura is called a Madanyia, Medinian Surah. There are 85 Medinian surahs. The main topics of the Mekkan Surah are: – Allah and His unity (Tawheed). – Resurrection and the day of Judgement. – Righteous conduct. The main topics of the Medinian Surah are: Addition to the same topics of the Mekkan Surah, new topics were added. e.g. legal rulings, addressing the people of the book (Jews and Christians). It is important to understand the particular occasion or situation of revelation of that particular Ayat(s). This is called Asbab –Al – Nuzul. The explanation and interpretation of the Quran by the renowned scholars of Islam is called Tafsir. A Mufassir is a Muslim scholar who does the tafsir (commentary) of the Quran, A ‘mufassir’ must have following qualifications – Be of sound and strong belief (aqeeda). – Be fluent in the Arabic language, mastering its grammar, structures, etc. – Be highly qualified in Islamic sciences, e.g. Hadith and Fiqh. – Refers to other ‘tafsir’ and to reports of the Prophet, his companions (Sahaba) and their followers (tabieen). – Abstains from using unfounded explanation. – To explain the Quran by using other parts of the Quran, by using

Understanding the Quran) was written the Prophet’s sunnah and by using by Abul Ala Mawdudi of Pakistan. reports from the sahaba and finally Written in urdu, completed in 1973 the reports from tabiun. and has been translated into different Some famous Sahaba, whose reports language including English. This one are useful in tafsir are: Abu Bakr (R) of the best available complete tafsir. , Omar (R) , Othman (R) , All. Ibn Mawdudi used the standard technique Massud (R) , lbn Abbas (R), Ubay lbn of providing an explanation of the Kab(R) , Zaid lbn Thabit (R) , Abu Qur’anic verses from the Sunnah Musa Al-Ashari (R) and Abdullah lbn of the Prophet (s), including the Zubair (R). historical reasons behind the verses Most important ‘tafsir’ of the Quran with views reflecting those of a are: sincere believer striving to apply the Tafsir al-Tabari (d310 AH.), Tafsir Qur’anic teachings Ibn-Kathir (d774 A.H), Tafsir al-Suyuti Some parts of the Quran translated (d911 A,H.), Tafsir al-Zamakhshari (d539 A.H.), Tatsir al-Razi (d606 A.H.), to other languages during the time of the Prophet. When the Prophet sent a Tafsir al-Baidhawi (d685 AH), Tafsir message to Herachlus, the Byzantine al-Jalalain (d911 A.H.),Tafsir al-Manar (d1354 A.H.), Maref ul Quran, Fizilal-al- emperor, it contained an Ayah (3:64), the mes­sage was translated Quran (d1386 A.H.), Tafhim -al-Quran including that Ayah. Also, the Muslims (d1400 A.H.), Tafsir A-Qurtobee and translated ayat from Surah Maryam Tafsir An-Nasfee. (19) regarding the Prophet Isa Tafsir al-Tabari was written by lbn (Christs) in front of the emperor of Jarir al-Tabari who lived in Iraq and Abyssinia (Ethiopia today). traveled to Egypt and Syria. What is the definition of a miracle This tafsir is based mainly on reports (mo’jeza) from Allah? from Prophet (S) , the shahaba Mo’zeza is an event which happens and the tabieen. It is one of the through a messenger only by the will voluminous scholarly works (30 of Allah the Creator. It breaks the volumes) and one of the early tafsir usual norms and serves as a proof which is referred to by almost every for the truth and the claim by the subsequent scholar. messenger that he is the messenger Tatsir lbn-Kathir was written by of Allah. Ismail Ibn Amr Ibn Kathir who lived Why the Quran is called a miracle? in Damascus and was the student of – It’s language and style excels other lbn-Tymia. It is one of the widely used texts of the Arabic language. tafsir, with emphasis on soundness – It’s comprehensiveness cannot be of reports, referring a reader to other matched. relevant ayat on the topics discussed. – It’s legislation and legal ruling and English translation is available. sophistication cannot be surpassed. Tafsir al-Suyuti was written by Jalal – It’s narrations about the unknown al-Deen al-Suyuti. can only result from a revelation Tafsir al-Razi was written by from the creator (e.g. creation of Mohammed Ibn Omar al-Razi. It is the Universe. Day of the Judgment, one of the most comprehensive work Paradise, Hell fire, Stories of the covering many areas in length; e.g. It Prophets, etc.) has one volume only for explaining – It has no contradiction with the most Surah al-Fatiha. It is also known as aladvanced sound discovery of all the Tafsir al-Kabeer (the large Tafsir). branches of science. Tafsir al-manar was written by It’s fulfillment of all its prophecies. Muhammed Rashid Rida, the well – It is complete harmony with human known student of Imam Muhammed natural need (fitra) Abduh (d 1 323) of Egypt. The Tafsir – It speaks to the human heart as well is in 12 volumes covering only about as the human faculty of reason at (1/3) of the Quran, since its author the individual level and at the group died before completing it. This taf­sir (Ummah, Jamaah) level. refers to current everyday problems – It was delivered 1417 years ago by facing Muslims. a messenger, who could not read nor Fizilal-al Quran (In the Shade of write. the Quran) was written by Sayid – It transformed a group of 100,000 Qutb of Eygpt, mostly during his early Muslims through a quantum and imprisonment (1954-64). Tafsir was giant step to one of the best examples complete before he was executed by for humanity in only 23 years. the Egyptian government because – It answers the most important of his association with the Islamic questions in human life. e.g. Why we movement. The author emphasized are here in this world? Who created the difference between Islam and the us? non-Islamic systems, as well as the What happens after we die? What need to establish about the nations before us? What is Islam in the individual and the social right and what is wrong? How can you level. English translation is available be happy? etc. Tafhim-al-Quran (Towards www.MuslimVille.com | www.RamadanCompetition.com 13

– It corrects the current belief among the people of the Book. – Its uniqueness in expressing wide varieties of topics from moral ethics to complex legal rulings. – No other piece of literature, in any language, can match its combined beauty and sophistication, touching the heart and the mind. – Its teaching strikes a well measured and balanced approach to all able aspects of human needs, e.g. making a living and praying. The Quran is a unique, supreme book of guidance from the Lord of the Universe (Rabbul-allameen). If it is followed, the Lord guarantees the success in this life and in the hereafter. Throughout Islamic history, this fact has been proven time and time again. What are some examples of how the Quran contained scientific facts only discovered by modern science in the last 50 years? Everything in the universe was compacted together and then split apart (big-bang theory). Gases spread through­out the universe and stars, planets and other things were formed. The Universe was in the shape of a fiery gas (21:30, 41:11). All life originated from water (24:45, 21:30). Matter is made up of minute particles (10:62). The oxygen content of the air is reduced at higher altitudes (6:125). The cycle how rains are formed( 30:48, 24:43) Everything consists of complementary elements (equivalent to male ad female): animals, man, plants and inor­ganic material (36:36, 20:53, 22:5, 3:10, 13:3). The embryo in the womb is enclosed by three coverings. A pregnancy occurs only when the ova and the sperm unite. The fertilized egg ‘clings’ in the womb. The fetus grows in stages until it is ready to born. (23:14, 40:67, 75:37, 23:14, 5:22, 39:6). The fertilization of certain plants is done by the wind (15:22). Microscopic organisms exist that are not visible to the naked eye. (96:1) Each human has permanent individual fingerprints (75:4). There may be life on the other planets.(30:26, 24:41, 19:93-95, 3:83) Although the Quran contains facts which agree with the discovery of sciences today this does not mean that it is a book of science. We have to keep in mind that scientific facts are not absolute truths; they might change as human knowledge changes.

Memorize and study the meaning: Verses 105-111 of Surah Al-Isrra (Surah 17). Click for the teachings of those verses. Study of Hadith Truthfulness Prophet (S) said: “Guarantee me six things and I shall assure you of Paradise. (1) When you speak, speak the truth, (2) keep your promise, (3) discharge your trust, (4) guard your chastity, (5) lower your gaze and (6) withhold your hands from highhandedness.” – Mentioned in Baihaqi Charity Prophet (S) said: “Every good action is a charity (sadaqa) and it is a good action to meet a friend with a smiling face.” – Mentioned in Bukhari Love for Prophet (S) Prophet (S) said: “None of you has faith unless I (Prophet) am dearer to him than his father, and his son and all mankind.” Mentioned in Bukhari Helping the needy Prophet (S) said: “One who tries to help the widow and the poor is like a warrior in the way of Allah.” Mentioned in Bukhari Duty and obligation to neighbours Prophet (S) said: “By Allah, he has no faith (Prophet {S} repeated it three times) whose neighbours are not safe from his wickedness.” Mentioned in Bukhari Modesty Prophet (S) said: “Modesty (Haya) is part of faith.” Mentioned in Bukhari & Muslim General Knowledge Study the chapter from Group C & D along with this: What is ‘Hijab’? Hijab is the Muslim women’s veil or head-cover when meeting strangers or going out.

What to observe regarding reading the Quran? • One should have a personal copy of the Quran, kept in a clean place. • Read the Quran regularly, daily if possible at a given time, alone or with others. • Concentrate, reflect and understand as you seek Allah’s guidance by reading. • Begin with “A’oozu bil lahee minas shytaneer rageem” ( I seek Allah’s refuge from Satan), ‘Bismilla hir rahmanir rahim’ (In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate). • Be ritually clean (have Wudu). • Read with a good voice and pronounce its words correctly. Study of the Quran • Memorize as much as you can. Memorize the last 15 Surahs of the • Apply it in your daily life and Quran. Go to Al-Quran Recitation and encourage others to read and apply it Study Center www.RamadanCompetition.com | www.MuslimVille.com 14

in their daily lives. • Say when you finish “Saddaqa Allahoo al Azeem” (Allah the AllMighty told the Truth). • Pause, when you hear Azan (call for prayer) and when somebody says “As-Saiamu-Alaikum”. What is Sajda-al-Tilawa? - Sajda-al-Tilawa is the prostration similar to that we perform during the Salah. It is suggested to perform when one read or listens to a specific ayah. There are 14 places in the Quran where we have to perform Sajda-alTilawa. What is “tajweed”? - Tajweed refers to the rules of proper pronunciation and the speed at which one should read the Quran. It also teaches the correct length and emphasis that has to be given to vowels Why is memorizing the Quran so important? - Memorization has been advised by the Prophet. Ayat from the Quran are used to perform prayer (Salah) and making do’ah (supplication). What is the dress code of Muslim boys and girls? - Islam asks us to make our society nice and decent. Allah has created man in the best of forms and He wants His servants to dress nicely and decently; We should bear in mind that we are the best of all creatures and our dress should reflect this. Proper dress helps prevent indecency; immoral behaviour, and adds beauty to our personality; The Qur’an says: “0 children of Adam, we have revealed to you clothiqq to conceal your private parts and as a thing of beauty. But the garment of Taqwa (piety) is the best o f all.” (7:26) Islam does not recommend any particular dress for us. However, there are guidelines which include: I. Men must cover their body at least from the navel to the knees. 2. Women must cover their whole body except the face, hands and feet while inside. But they are also required to cover their whole body including a part of the face while going 01st or meeting adult males, outside close relatives. Some Islamic jurists allow the face to remain uncovered. 3. Men and women must not wear clothing that arouses base feelings. This includes clothing that is seethrough, skin-tight or revealing. 4. Men are slot allowed to wear pure silk, clothes decorated with gold or gold jewellery 5. Men are not allowed to wear

women’s clothing and vice versa. 6. Muslims are not allowed to wear dress that symbolises other religions. Islam encourages simplicity and modesty; Forms of dress expressing arrogance are disliked. The style of dress depends on local custom and climatic conditions but the above guidelines still apply. What is the meaning of ‘Islam’? - Islam means obedience. Obedience means to accept, to submit and to follow. Islam therefore, means to submit to Allah and to follow His commands. Why ‘Islam’ is called ‘peace’? - We can have peace in our lives if we follow the commands of our Creator. So another meaning of Islam is peace. True peace lies only in following Allah’s commands. What do you mean by the belief in Messengers of Alllah? - Allah sent His guidance through the Prophets. They were men of great virtue and character. Their lives were truly pure and honourable. They are role models for mankind. They taught us how to obey Allah- our Creator.

None of the Prophets claimed to be God. They themselves obeyed Allah and invited others to obey Him. Allah sent prophets to all people at different times. What are common messages of all the Prophets? Message to man from all the prophets were the same. They are: • There is no God but Allah. • Man has to worship only Allah. • Every person has to die. • All of us will be given life after death. • On the day of judgement every person will be judged by Allah alone based on his or her acts in this world. • Those who worship Allah and do good deeds in this world will be granted paradise. • Those who disobey Allah willingly in this world and do not ask for forgiveness will be punished, the punishment will be hell.

were tortured, betrayed and ignored by the disbelievers. However, the good people of their time followed the Prophets with heart and soul. The Prophets gathered the good people and taught them how to obey and worship God. What is modesty? Why is it so important? - Prophet (S) said: “Modesty (Haya) is part of faith.” Mentioned in Bukhari & Muslim. Haya is a quality of a Muslim. It refers to feeling of shame when a bad act is done or something indecent happens.

What were the common things the Prophets did? - All of the Prophets preached the message of God. They preached peace and justice. While preaching the message of God, the Prophets

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