Summary
Lives of the Prophets:
We study the Lives of the Prophets because:
- Allah commanded the Prophet* to tell these stories
- So we can reflect on these
- We should follow their advice (as role models)
- So we learn to love them
Nabi (plural Ambiya) are Prophets from Allah (124,000)
Rasool (plural Musul) are special Prophets that have also been given a Law for people to follow
Everything was written down by Allah 50,000 years before the creation of the Heavens and Earth
Main Topic: Short video reminder on Surah al-Asr
Allah says:
- Time is Running Out
- Man is in Drowned in Deep Loss
- Except:
- Those who Believe
- (that they are in Loss, hence they try to reconcile the situation by swimming = DOING GOOD DEEDS to correct the situation)
- And Tell Others the Truth (over and over again)
- And keep Persistently doing these with Patience (Sabr)
Hence all 4 conditions required to SURVIVE!
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Lives of the Prophets:
Lives of the Prophets: Introduction
Why should we talk about the Lives of the Prophets? It’s not just history….Benefits of Talking about the Prophets include:
1. Because Prophet Muhammed* was commanded to do so. Allah says “relate unto them the stories.” This is a command from Allah to the Prophet*. It becomes a duty upon us to convey the message of the Prophets of Allah and their stories. So this is first an ‘ibaadah – a worship.
2. “Relate and convey to them so that they may reflect.” (TMQ 7:176) These stories are not for entertainment; they are to derive lessons, deeply reflect and contemplate. At the time of the Prophet* the Quraish would try to distract the people with other ‘stories’ from Persia. These stories do not have the details you will find in JKRowling or Tolkien books!
3. Allah says: “They are those whom Allah had guided. So follow their guidance.” (TMQ 6:90) Allah is instructing the Prophet*. It is very important to have role models. You find that every human being has role models. If they aren’t good, they are going to be bad. It is our make up as human beings – we have to have people that we look up to. If we don’t provide our children and youth with the role models of the sahabah and Prophets, they will find role models somewhere else. If Allah is telling the Prophet* to follow the example of the Prophets, then what about us? We need to study the lives of the Prophets so that they become our role models.
4. To love them – if you do not know someone, you cannot love them. We all claim that we love the Prophets of Allah. If we do not know them, what they went through, how could we have respect for them?
Terminology: Nabi (Prophet) vs. Rasool (Messenger)
Abu Dharr came to the Prophet* and asked him, “What is the total number of Prophets?” The Prophet* said, “The number of ambiya (Prophets) is 124,000 and the Rusul (Messengers) among them are 315.” We are translating Nabiy as Prophet and Rasool as Messenger.
They are two different things: nabiy and rasool. The plural of nabiy is ambiya. The plural of rasool is rusul.
So what is the difference between the Prophet (nabiy) and Messenger (rasool)? There are a few opinions about this: the rasool is the nabiy that is given a law. But the nabiy, who is not a rasool, is following the law of another rasool. So every rasool is a nabiy, but not every nabiy is a rasool.
If a Prophet is given a new law, he is a rasool and a nabiy. If he is not given a new law, he is just a nabiy. An example of this: Musa (Moses) is a Rasool – a Prophet – because he was given the Taurah. Haroon is just a Nabi, because he is following the law of his brother.
The Story of Creation
Before we start talking about Adam, let’s look at the story of creation. Narrated in Bukhari, ‘Imran ibn Hussain said, people from Yemen came to the Prophet* and said, “We have come to you to learn our religion and ask how all of this started.” The Prophet* said, “There was Allah, and nothing before Him and His Throne was on water. And He wrote everything in the tablet, and He created the heavens and the earth.” [Also see Bukhaari, 9/93/514] The Prophet* says, “The first thing Allah created was the pen, then Allah ordered it to write. So it wrote everything that will happen until the day of judgment.”
We worry about our rizq – our sustenance. We have a problem of paranoia of rizq. We are always in a state of despair, when it comes to wealth. The Prophet* says, in a hadith narrated by Muslim, “Allah wrote down the sustenance of the creation 50,000 years before He created the heavens and the earth.” Everything that you will get is already written down – not 50,000 year before this day – but 50,000 years before the creation of the heavens and the earth. What you will get is already written down as well as how long you will live.
Time, after all, is your currency of life and we need to spend it wisely. Hence, we will have a reminder about Surah al-Asr…
Surah al-Asr (Reminder Video) by Nouman Ali Khan
(click on the link below or click HERE)
Highlights
from the short clip:
You are Drowning and you are Unconscious
Time is running out
Asr literally means time that is running out
last part of the day when the day is running out , or like when juice they
squeezed out - time that's being
squeezed out like a cloth drenched in water and to squeeze it out.
4 parts to Survival:
1. What do you need to do to survive = WAKE
UP. (Even if your having a great dream!)
If you go back to sleep you would be insane!
Only blame yourself!
2. Hence – you would SWIM (or try to!)
Pulled back down by a sleeping cousin
chained to you!
You try to wake him up (for yourself) but he
wants to stay asleep. So both try to swim…
3. TELL OTHERS THE TRUTH
4. Have Patience and Persevere
Allah says:
- Time is Running Out
- Man is in Drowned in Deep Loss
- Except:
- Those who Believe
- (that they are in Loss, hence they try to
reconcile the situation by swimming = DOING GOOD DEEDS to correct the situation)
- And Tell Others the Truth (over and over
again)
- And keep Persistently doing these with
Patience (Sabr)
Hence all 4 conditions required to SURVIVE!
Children's Feedback
How to start doing Dawah
Study Circle history
What I have leaned from the Study Circle
Hoe the Study Circle has helped me
Information about the London Trip to British Library Mughal Exhibition
Link to the Exhibition - click HERE
Also, we are looking for interest in this Spring’s Study
Circle trip. It has been suggested we go to London again for a short exhibition
on Mughal India at the British Library.
This is titled ‘Mughal
India: Art, Culture and Empire’ and the Exhibition runs until 2 April
2013. We would like, if possible, to take a coach with children & adults to
London for the day where we would see the Library Exhibition in the morning,
have lunch or a picnic, then do some other activity before returning to
Birmingham in the evening. For last year’s trip see the photos on the following
link: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150650782640938.388706.666745937&type=1&l=5e6185db67
Prices = Adults £9; Under
18s FREE; Over 60s £7; Students £5
We haven’t booked the
coach but that could cost about £10-£15 per person.
If you are interested – please:
- Check the British Library website to more information (http://www.bl.uk/mughalindia/). The exhibition usually takes 2 hours or so.
- Also, let us know if you want to take your own sandwiches/picnic or would prefer us to organise catering for food.
- Tell us what dates you would like to go: Saturday Saturday 23 March
- Finally, suggestions for what to do / where to go after lunch. Such as Kew Gardens, or a local mosque or other attraction...
An example of the exhibits: http://www.bl.uk/whatson/exhibitions/mughalindia/zoomifycrown.html
Homework:
- Lives of the Prophets: What was Adam made from? What are the different terms used in the Quran to describe what Adam (mankind) is made from?
- Any questions on Evolution?
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