Prophet Ismail

Prophet Ismail

Holy Kaaba

The Prophet Ismail (peace be upon him) was a gift from Allah in response to the prayers of his father prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him).

Prophet Ibrahim and his first wife, Sarah, were childless when Prophet Ibrahim married Hajira, a devoted and pious lady. The holy Qur’an refers to the coming of Prophet Ismail in the following verse:

“Ibrahim said: My lord! Grant me of the doers of good deeds, so we gave him the good news of a boy possessing forbearance.” (37:100-101)

The childhood history of Prophet Ismail is one of extreme hardship and one can see in it the quality of forbearance that Allah had blessed him with.

While only a babe in his mother’s arms his father Ibrahim left him along with his mother at the place where the Holy Kaabah stands today. At that time it was a barren and waterless place with no trace of life in any form. prophet Ibrahim prayed with a heavy heart:

“O Lord! I have made some of my off-Spring settle in this barren valley near the sacred House so that they may keep up prayer.” (14:57)

The prophet Ibrahim placed beside the mother and the infant a bag of dates and a skin full of water and prepared to leave.

Hajira ran to him and said: “Ibrahim where are you going? Have you left me in the wilderness where none is to take pity on us? Nothing is available here to eat and drink”. Ibrahim (Pbuh) was silent.

Then she asked him, “Has Allah commanded you to do so?”

He replied in the affirmative.

She said: “Then Allah will cause no harm to me.” Thereupon she turned and went back.

Once Hajira was out of sight, Ibrahim prayed to Allah for their safety.

Meanwhile the Mother suckled the baby. Very soon the water in the skin was emptied and the baby began to cry of thirst. The mother’s suffering was unbearable: She ran seven times between the two hills of Safa and Marwa in quest of water. On her eighth round she saw the infant kicking the ground with his tiny heels in agony. Then she saw the water gushing out from under his feet like a fountain to save them.

She then gratefully lifted the skin with water and drank it and suckled the child. Almighty Allah had given the well of Zam Zam.

Ismail was a boy when the greatest trail in his life and in the life of Prophet Ibrahim occurred. Prophet Ibrahim had a dream in which he saw himself sacrificing his son. Since a Prophet’s vision is true he commanded his only son to accompany him to the hill where he was going to be sacrificed. In Ismail he found a son who asked his father to fulfill the command of Allah. Satan tried to dissuade them from their firm resolve but to no effect.

The Prophet Ibrahim passed the sharp knife over the throat of his son but an angel turned the knife upside down and a heavenly message forbade the act. Prophet Ibrahim was commanded to sacrifice, in place of his son, a ram. Thus, a well-fed ram, presented by Allah was slaughtered.

The Holy Kaabah, the place towards which all Muslims turn to prayer was first built by Prophet Adam (Pbuh). It was damaged by the flood and was later constructed by the prophet Ibrahim and Ismail.

The corner foundation of the Holy House was marked by a stone called Hajr-al-Aswad. When the Prophet Ibrahim and Ismail raised the foundations of the House of Allah they prayed”

“Our Lord: Accept from us, surely you are the hearing, the knowing. Our Lord! Make us both submissive to you and raise from our offspring a nation submitting to you and show us ways of devotion and turn to us mercifully. You are the Oft-returning to mercy, the most merciful.” (2:127-128)

The incidents in the life of Ibrahim, Ismail and Hajira (Peace be upon them) have become part of the rites and duties of a Muslim when he performs the Haj. Pilgrims visiting Makkah have to go seven times from Safa to Marwa, they have to go round the Kaabah reciting hymns in praise of Allah. They also offer prayers at the place where Ibrahim (Pbuh) stood and finally they offer animal sacrifice in memory of the great sacrifice of Prophets Ibrahim and Ismail (Peace be upon them).

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Prophet's Companions
Usman bin Affan
The most generous and modest among the Sahabis

Hazrath Usman bin Affan was the third caliph of Islamic state in Madinah. He embraced Islam when Abu Bakr introduced the message to him. Even before becoming a Muslim he was pious. He had never touched the liquor and was known for his extremely shy nature. He was a keen businessman and used to make good lot of money. Yet he never loved wealth and used to spend his earnings for the welfare of the poor and the have-nots. His generosity was legendary. When Muslim migrated to Madinah, water scarcity was acute. A Jew owned a well in Madinah. He sold water to Muslims at a very high cost. Usman was pained with people’s sufferings. He purchased the well for 35,000 Dirhams and dedicated it for people to draw water freely.

Usman donated 10,000 Dirhams for the battle of Tabuk and offered them to the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him. The Prophet was very pleased with the gesture. He tossed the Dirham in the air and declared that henceforth no act of Usman would harm him.

Before he was martyred, a siege had been laid around the house of Hazrat Usman by his enemies. Ibnul Fahmi who had been to Usman during that period has been quoted by Ibne Asakir describing some of the things he was very particular about.

Usman had told him that :
I am the fourth person to have embraced Islam.
I have never played music.
I have never indulged in vulgar entertainment.
I have never aspired for committing sins or had an evil wish for others
I have never touched my private parts with right hand after doing bayt (oath taking) on the hands of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him
I have never committed adultery or fornication either before embracing Islam or prior to it.
I have never committed a theft.
I have freed a slave on every Friday after embracing Islam.

Once a severe famine gripped Madinah. Usman threw open his godowns of foodgrain and went on helping the needy. Yet he never boasted about his wealth or generosity. His greed to convey Islam and the teachings of the Prophet to others was never satisfied. Usman never spared any opportunity to address the people. Once a lot of slave maids were taken as prisoners by the Islamic forces. He reached there immediately and conveyed the message of Islam. They were all moved by his speech and they embraced Islam.

Usman funded the expansion of the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah as space within was falling short for ever expanding namazis in the wake of thousands of people joining the fold of Islam. He also introduced the dual azan system prior to the Jumah prayers as congregation was becoming too large and people were unable to know the exact time when the sermon would begin.

The credit for compiling the Qur’an in the written form goes to Caliph Abu Bakr. It was necessitated because a score of companions of the Prophet were killed in a battle. But it was Usman who thought of ways to bring about uniformity in the way Qur’anic verses were pronounced. It is tajweed. The need was felt because the Qur’an was being pronounced in different ways by people belonging to different regions that were falling under Islamic domain. He therefore called for the copy of the Qur’an from Hazrat Hafsa that had been compiled during the time of Abu Bakr by Hazrat Zaid bin Sabith and other companions. He called for a consultative meeting and arranged for preparation of multiple copies of the Qur’an. A panel of very capable and talented sahabis (companions) was appointed for the job. With authentic copies of the Qur’an reaching every where, the task of uniform pronunciation of the Qur’an became easier. This is a major milestone in the History of Islamic dawah.

Hazrath Usman knew reading and writing even before he became a Muslim. Company of the Prophet gave it further impetus. He was one among those early Muslims who were considered capable of issuing fatwas(edicts) even during the Prophet’s lifetime.

The consciousness of accountability of Qiyamat and the grave was an overriding concern in the life of Hazrath Usman. He would begin shedding tears whenever he passed by a grave inasmuch as his beard would get wet. Someone asked him as to why the sight of a grave disturbed him so much while his reaction to the description of hell and heaven does not create impact in a similar degree. He said, “the Holy Prophet had told me that the grave is the first stage in the passage to the final destination of the Akhirah. Whoever passed through this stage with ease would have a safe passage elsewhere.

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The Karate Kid

Karate Kid
A. I. Makki

A long, long time ago, there lived a person, who had dedicated his entire life in learning the art of fighting. Over the years, he became an expert in the fighting art of Karate, kungfu, jiu-jitsu, Judo etc. He had served his teachers well and in return they had taught him all the tricks. His services were usually hired to various kings who wanted to be rid of their enemies. In the arena, he excelled over his opponents. The people would never miss a chance to witness his bouts. His fame spread far and wide and within no time he became the undisputed hero of his country so much so, that there was not a man born who could match him in his strength, skills and cunning in the battlefield.

He had been so obsessed with learning the techniques of fighting that he had neglected to marry and raise a family. In the past such stupid things had never bothered him. But, he had realized of late that he was growing old by the day. His fighting instincts were failing him. He had noticed that he was developing gray hair near his temples. The thought of getting old worried him a lot. He had no offspring to whom he could teach his art. He began to despair that his art would die with him. But, he wanted to live and since no man is immortal he decided to adopt a boy and dedicate himself in teaching all that he knew about fighting to the boy so that he could live in him after his death. He would become immortal. Anybody watching the boy fight would tell to others that this boy had learnt about fighting techniques under a great master such as him.

He began his search from the very next day. He toured far and wide; many boys were scrutinized and rejected because they could not meet his criteria. At last, he chanced upon an orphan and in him he found all the qualities that he was looking for, his perfect alter ego. The great master was delighted to learn that this boy was all alone in this world, without any living relative, who would miss him when he trained under him. He eagerly took the boy under his tutelage and started training him in right earnest.

Karate Kid2The boy trained under the great master for 12 long years. The boy had grown up into a handsome youth of 18 years. On his eighteenth birthday his master called him to tell those magical words which he had longed to hear all these years. The master had embraced him warmly and he told him that this was the day of his graduation and he had passed all his tests with flying colours and this was the day he was free to go and seek his fortune in the world. The master told him that he hoped that he would bring glory to his name, wherever he would pass by. He also told the lad that he had taught him all there was to teach about fighting, and this was the day that he was perfect as his master.

The words of the master fell sweet on the years of his pupil, and his heart swelled up in pride. The day soon came when he bid farewell to his master to begin his eager trek to make a name for himself and earn his way to fame and fortune. He traveled all over the land, and wherever he went he held his audiences spell bound with his fighting skills. He sought audiences of kings and demonstrated his prowess against the best soldiers in their armies. He always emerged out victorious over them. The kings begged him to stay in their employ, but he would have none of it. He wanted to be his own master, and carve out a name for himself in the world of great fighters.

What happened later, read next month
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Governor as Servant

Once a merchant arrived in the market of Madain from Syria with a lot of goods. Salman Farisi, the Governor of Madain, (may Allah be pleased with him) was roaming through the market. Such simple were his looks that there was all possibility to mistake him for a common man. The Syrian merchant ordered him to lift the luggage and began walking for his destination. A few of the local people who knew Salman Farisi, called the merchant aside and whispered in his ears that the man carrying his luggage was none but the Governor of Madain. This was highly embarrassing for the merchant who asked Salman to put down the luggage and pardon him for the mistake. But Salman was in no mood to oblige him. Salman said: “I have already decided to carry this burden to your destination and earn a virtue in the hereafter. And I cannot go against my niyyah (intention). He carried the luggage to the Syrian merchant’s destination.

Even the rulers did not think it below their dignity to help others, be it in a way that could embarrass their beneficiaries when it was revealed. (Translated from Ibrat Angez Waqiyat compiled by Mahmood Hassan Ghazi, Darul Kitab, Deoband)

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The Cookie Thief

Child

A woman was waiting at the airport one night, With several long hours before her flight. She hunted for a book in the airport shop, bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop. She was engrossed in her book, but happened to see, that the man beside her, as bold as could be, grabbed a cookie or two from the bag between, which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene She read, munched cookies, and watched the clock, As the gusty “cookie thief” diminished her stock She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by, Thinking, “If I wasn’t so nice, I’d blacken his eye!”

With each cookie she took, he took one too. When only one was left, she wondered what he’d do. with a smile on his face and a nervous laugh, He took the last cookie and broke it in half. He offered her half, and he ate the other. She snatched it from him and thought, “Oh brother, This guy has some nerve, and he’s also so rude, Why, he didn’t even show any gratitude!”

She had never known when she had been so galled, And sighed with relief when her flight was called. She gathered her belongings and headed for the gate, Refusing to look at the “thieving ingrate”.

She boarded the plane and sank in her seat, Then sought her book, which was almost complete. As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise. There were her bag of cookies in front of her eyes! “If mine are here,” she moaned with despair. “Then the others were his and he tried to share!” Too late to apologize, she realized with grief, That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief!!!

Moral:
(a) We should not be quick to judge others.
(b) We should not jump toconclusions and
(c) We often ignore our own faults first.

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Don't Believe it!
Fibs And Facts About Animals

A Camel’s hump is filled with water

Camel

A camel’s hump is a big glob of fat - not water! Most animals and people have fat spread all over the body. Not the camel. It keeps most of its fat in one place. In fact, the hump usually holds over 80 pounds of fat! The camel produces water from the fat in its hump.

Mosquitoes bite

Mosquito

Mosquitoes don’t have jaws or teeth. They can’t even open their mouth. In other words- they can’t bite. A female mosquito lands on someone’s skin. Out pop six small sharp needles called stylets which cut through the skin. Down they go until they hit a blood vessel. Meanwhile the mosquito drips saliva into the wound. The saliva stops the blood from clotting. The mosquito sips as much blood as it needs. When finished it pulls out the stylets and flies away. Most people are allergic to the Mosquito’s saliva. It forms a red itchy bump on skin. We call it a mosquito bite. But it is not a bite at all.

Snakes are wet and slimy

Snake

A snakes body is covered with dry fish like scales. Sometimes the scales are smooth. Sometimes the scales have bumps. But the scales are never wet or slimy.

Compiled by Shafia Ahmed
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Find Out

Find out names of some of the famous cities of India and the world hidden in these sentences. They lie hidden in between two or three words. The first serves as an example.

They named the cyber portal on Don Bradman’s name. (London)
1) There is bangalore in the town disturbed by riots.
2) William Frank furthered the cause of nursery education.
3) They saw actor Danny Zongpa rising from the haystack.
4) They called Ahmed a bad name.
5) They were washing tons of grains in the giant sieve.
6) My job on new desk was quite satisfactory.
7) They made the missile Nag purely out of indigenous know how.
I had to undergo most exasperating wait at the airport.
9) President Reagan spent his holidays in the ranch in neighbouring state.
10) The scent from his chamber lingered in the hall too.
11) They will reap at national level the benefit of mass literacy
12) Russia named a university after African leader Lomumba in Moscow.