25 January 2015 - 8th Anniversary Session

25 January 2015 - 8th Anniversary Session

Salaam
This week started of with a recap of the film and how it deviated from Islam (full version available on last week's blog).
Then followed a review of hte Study Circle and its 8 years with some highlights and achievements.
Then a light-hearted quiz / Activity involving Islamic Riddles, picture Quiz and a WordSearch
Answers available later, inshaAllah

Recap of the film ‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’:

The main points of error / deviation of the film ‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’ from Islamic texts. A longer summary  sent last week and full version uploaded on the website last week.

• No Birth story / miracle of the Nile.
• No Staff of Moses
• The death of the Egyptian
• Moses exiled on a horse
• How he encounters the Burning Bush
• The whole Burning Bush is wrong
• God appearing as a little boy
• The boy later being a ‘messenger’
• Joshua (Yusha) a contemporary of Moses
• Moses no speech impediment
• Moses meeting  Harun
• Moses training insurgency
• No Moses magicians
• Hanging families of Bani Israel
• The plagues / signs are in the wrong order
• No explicit demand for freeing slaves
• Plagues also  affected Bani Israel
• The death of the first born
• Moses and Bani Israel leaving parade
• Parting of the sea & dry river bed
• Pharaoh survives
• Ten Commandments written Moses
• The wilderness years
• Moses doubting

Review of the Study Circle:

...Not Just a Study Circle

- Halaqa

- Learning

- Discussion / Debate

- Islam Accessible

- Developing a community

- Shared experiences

Study Circle Themes

- Life of Prophet Muhammed*

- Lives of the Prophets

- Selected Hadith

- Nawawi’s 40 Hadith

- Usul al-Fiqh

- Basics of Belief / Aqeeda

- Naveed's Belief Pathway

- Death and the Journey afterwards

- News and Current Affairs

- Charity Events

- Shahnam 2010 (Zarina)

- Shahnam 2012 (Noreena)

- Shahnam update 2013 (Shahana)

- Palestine 2014 (Junaid)

Trips

- London (Hajj, Regent’s Park Mosque)

- London (Mughal, Kew Gardens)

- Manchester and Bradford Mosques / Restaurants

- Exodus Cinema Trip 2015

- [Palestine 2014]

- [Living Islam 2014]

Other Events

- Quiz

- Pictionary

- Homework

- Hand-outs

- Children’s Feedback

- Online Surveys / Polls

- Hajj Deed box (Bank of Akhirah)

- Video / Clips

- Logo Design

- Iftar in Canon Hill Park

- Ramadhan Saturday Iftars

- Crime Scene Investigation (Babylon, Egypt)

- Football - Dads vs Sons, Boys Team

- WhatsApp Summaries

- Exhibitions

- Hajj - British Museum

- Mughal - British Library

- Muhammed*  - Birmingham

- [Dawud Wharnsby Home Concert ]

Guest Speakers

- Hadith of the Assassin

- Feedback Salah and how to have Khushu in Salah

- Exhibition Muhammed* at Birmingham Central Mosque

- Jinn

- Practical Guide to a Better Umrah

- Umrah Experiences

- Islam, Arts and Music

- Du'a

- Child Protection in Islam

- Surah al-Falaq

- Palestine, Jerusalem and Masjid al-Aqsa

- Shahnam Charity Feedback

- Syria / Charity work

Website

- Total hits – 18,536

- Average – 13 per day

...Not Just a Study Circle

- Halaqa

- Learning

- Discussion / Debate

- Islam Accessible

- Developing a community

- Shared experiences

Riddles

1.
Not necessary before du'a
The key to your Salah

2.
I am the best ayah in the Qur’an
Read me and I’ll protect you from Shaytan

3.
The Prophet* loved me so you should too
I am sunnah/fard and look beautiful on you.
By 'You' I mean the men, not the women folk
Coz on the women I will look like a huge joke

4.
I lead to two great acts of Worship,
To the Shaytaan I'm the most painful Whip
I lead to patience, so beautiful, without flaw
I lead to contentment, so sweet and pure

5.
Allah will question you about me first thing on Judgement Day
I differentiate you from the non believers so don’t turn me away
I’m no use if you rush me through
As Allah will throw me right back at you.

6.
In having me there is blessings for you
In ignoring me there is sorrow
I am a light...and a shade too
On the day of tomorrow
My name begins with the letter ‘B’
No sorceress cannot memorise me

7.
We are more than 1 less than 11
You must practice us to go to heaven
One of us teaches us to compromise with the poor
Don’t wanna make it too easy so I’m saying no more

8.
Leave me and you will never find the treasure
Use me and you'll attain Allah’s pleasure

If you judge by me you'll be just
If you argue by me you'll win
Hold onto me fast, I’m the centre of your deen

9.
If you’ve got me you’ve got power
But the devil will try to pride you with me every second, minute, hour
I will take you to heaven if you act upon me well
But if you misuse me I’m also dangerous enough to take you to hell.

10.
I come in your way
Don’t let you pray
I’m the enemy within
Leading you to sin

11.
When you use me wrongly you can’t undo your mistake
So please control me for Allah’s sake.
Use it less and use it well
Or this thing on its own can take you to hell
So use me carefully, or at least try,
Now tell me, what am I?

12.
I shield you from sin
Limit what goes out and in
Cannot be done every day
But God-consciousness all the way



Picture Quiz

 

 Islamic WordSearch

27 January 2012

6th Anniversary of the Harborne IslamicStudy Circle

Full Survey Results

Thank you all for the 52 responses to the online survey.

The results are below:

Hence, by popular demand we hall start to study the Lives of the Prophets (I/A) now that we have chronologically finished the Seerah. That is not to say we know everything about the Prophet*'s life, but are merely acquainted with the major political and social events in his* life. There is, of course, far more to study about the life of the Greatest Man, ever!

By popular demand, we shall keep the Circle to one hour!
However, it is important that people keep to time!!

I have made careful notes on how to improve the Study Circle.I am an constantly seeking to makes things better and to improve the learning experience for people, and welcome all these useful suggestions. InshaAllah, the Circles will be more interactive and inspiring with more quizes and the occasional guest speaker.

It is reassuring that the effort going in to make the handout (and emailed out) is being used by some of you!

It is reassuring that the effort going in to update the blog (website) is being used by some of you!

The respondents were mainly children and teenagers, and more boys than girls...
 

Time and short Tafsir on Surah al-Asr

Surah al-Asr
The Surah is Makki and it has 3 verses.
With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Gracious
I swear by time,[1] man is in a state of loss indeed,[2]except those who believed and did righteous deeds, and advised each other for truth and advised each other for patience.[3]

Virtues of Studying Surah al-Asr
Ubaidullah ibn Hion reports that whenever two companions of the Holy Prophet met, they would not part company until one of them had recited Surah Al-Asr in its entirety to the other ( transmitted by Al-Tabaarani). Imam Shafi says that if people thought about Surah Al-Asr carefully, it would be enough for their guidance. It is a concise but comprehensive Surah, which in three verses, outlines a complete way of human life based on the Islamic world view.
In the Surah Allah swears an oath by the 'Time" and says that mankind is in a state of loss: exception, however, is made of people ho are characterized by 4 qualities: [1]faith [2]righteous deeds;[3]advising each other for truth and [4] advising each other for patience. this is the only path to salvation in this world, as well as in the next world. The Qur’anic prescription comprises, as we have just seen of four elements. the first two of  them relate to man's own personal betterment and other two relate to other people's guidance and reform [Ibn Kathir]
 
Relationship between 'Time' and 'Human Loss'
The first point that needs to be analysed here is the relationship between the 'oath of time' and 'its subject' because there needs to be a relationship between an 'oath' and 'its subject'. the commentators, generally, state, that all conditions of man, his growth and development, his movements, his actions and morality-all that take place within the space of 'Time'. Man will lose the capital of his existence. Hours, days, months and years of life pass quickly, spiritual and material potentialities, decline, and abilities fade. Man is like a person who possesses great capital and, without his permission and will, every day, a portion of that capital is taken away. This is the nature of life in this word; the nature of continual loss. How well this has been put poetically: "Your life comprises a few breath, that can be counted; when one of them is sent out, a part of your life has diminished."
Allah has granted man the invaluable capital of his life, so that he may invest it in profitable business venture. If he invests his capital of life sensibly in good works, then, let alone attracting profitable returns, he will even lose his capital, and: In addition, he will incur the dreadful scourge of committing numerous sins. If however a person did not invest his life-capital in good deeds or in evil deeds, then he at least, loses both the profit as well as the capital. This is not merely a poetic imagery but is supported by a Prophetic hadith, according to which the Messenger of Allah is reported to have said:
" When a person wakes up in the morning, he invests his soul or life in a business enterprise: some of the investors free or save the capital from loss and others destroy it."
The Quran itself has used the word tijarah in relation to 'faith' and righteous deed' thus: "shall I tell you about a trade that saves you from painful punishment?"( 61:10)
Since “Time" is a man's capital of life, the man himself is a trader. Under normal circumstances, his capital is not a frozen thing that may be kept for a while and used up later when the need arises. The capital is fluid or flowing all the time, every minute and every second. the man who invests it needs to be very wise, intelligent and agile, so that he is able to swiftly and readily reap the profit from a flowing a capital. One of the old scholars said that he had learnt the meaning of this verse from an ice-seller whose trade required utmost diligence, and if he were neglectful for a moment, his entire capital would melt away. that is why this verse has worn an oath by the 'time' to indicate that it is a melting capital and the only loss is to take every moment of his life as valuable, and uses it for the four acts mentioned in the Surah.
Another possible reason for swearing by 'Time' may be that the' time' ( in the sense of history) bears testimony to the fact mentioned in the Surah. If one thinks on the cases of rise and decline of individuals and nations, he would certainly believe that it is only these four acts (mentioned in the forthcoming verses) that may ensure the real success and betterment of mankind. Whoever has ever abandoned them has suffered a great loss, as is evident from numerous events recorded by history.
Let us now study the 'four principles' mentioned  in the Surah. As pointed out earlier, faith and righteous deeds are related to man's moral and spiritual growth and development. They are not in need of elaboration. However, the last two principles (' advising each other for truth') and (advising each other for patience') requires some elaboration.
The infinitive tawasi is derived from wasiyyah, which means 'to advise somebody strongly and effectively about the best thing to do in a particular situation'. The term wassiyyah also refers to a 'will or testament' where a estator advises his executor regarding the disposal of his estate on his death.
The two parts are in fact two chapters of the same testament [1] advice to truth; and [2] advice to patience and fortitude. These two concepts may be explained in different ways. One way to explain them is that haqq ( 'truth') refers to the package of 'correct faith' and ' good deeds' and sabr ( ' patience') refers to abstinence fro all sins and evil deeds. Thus the first cincept refers to 'enjoining good actions' and the second concept refers to 'forbidding evil actions'. The cumulative sense of the Surah is that believers have been enjoined not only to adopt right faith and good deeds themselves, but to advise others strongly and effectively to adopt them and thus help in the creation of a healthy atmosphere around them.
It is also possible to interpret ' Truth' as referring to articles of faith and to interpret 'patience' as referring to all good actions and abstinence from evil deeds. The word sabr, originally meaning to ' withhold oneself and bind oneself', encompasses binding oneself down to the performance of righteous deeds and abstaining from sins.
A scholar has stated in one of the monographs that there are normally two factors that restrain a person from faith and righteous deeds. The first cause is some doubts about the true faith. When such doubts arise in the mind of people, it destroys their faith and leaves them confused and confounded. As a result, it adversely affects their righteous deeds. The second cause is the selfish desires that stop man from doing good and involve him in evil deeds.  In this situation, he theoretically believes that he should do good and abstain from sins, but his selfish desires lead him to stray from the right oath. The current verse indicates to remove both causes of one's distraction. By stressing upon 'advice of truth' it has catered to the first cause and that it should be removed by reforming others on theoretical and academic level, and by emphasizing on ' advice of patience' it has taken care of the second cause by enjoining upon the Muslims to advise others to give up the base desires and remain firm  against their evil demands. Put differently, ' enjoining the truth' means ' improving the knowledge of Muslims or their intellectual development' and enjoining patience' means 'improving the practical life of Muslims'.

Need to Salvage the Entire Muslim Society
The Surah lays down the important principal of guidance for the Muslims that inviting other Muslims to keep to the true faith and good deeds is as much necessary as their own submission to the holy Quran and Sunnah. Without sincere efforts, to the best of one's ability, to invite others to the right path, one's own good deeds are not enough to one's salvation. Especially, if a person does not care of the spiritual and moral welfare of his wife, children and family and turns a blind eye to their unrighteous deeds, he is blocking his way to salvation-no matter how pious he himself might be. Therefore the Quran and Sunnah make it obligatory upon every Muslim to do his best to invite others to the good deeds, and warn them against the evil acts. Unfortunately, let alone the general public, many learned people are lax in this matter. They think it is sufficient for them to be concerned about their own moral and spiritual well-being. They are not concerned about the well-being of their family and children. May Allah grant us the ability to act upon this verse.


Children's Feedback:
6 years of the Study Circle

No Homework