BISMILLAH IR RAHMAN IR RAHEEM THE STORY OF THE LIZARD Adapted for children from an authentic hadith by Khadijah Stephens Darwish There was a Bedouin who lived in the desert and one day he went out hunting and caught a lizard. As he was returning home to his tent he happened to see a group of men and wondered who they were. Not many people left the cities unless they were traders going to far off places to sell their merchandize and these people didn't seem to be traders. He wandered across the hot desert sands and when he reached the group of people, he greeted them. Suddenly he caught sight of a man, the like of whom he had never before seen in his life whose face looked so kind and shone like the moon, it was certainly not a face to forget. The people the Bedouin had seen from afar were no less than Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him, and a group of his Companions. The Bedouin could not hold his curiosity anymore and asked the Companions "Who is that man?" And of course the Companions told him he was the Prophet of Allah, but the Bedouin refused to believe them and swore by the pagan gods of Arabia Al Lat and Al Uzza saying, "I swear by Al Lat and Al Uzza I do not believe you, and neither does this lizard!" and then turned to the Prophet and threw the poor lizard down in front of him. The lizard didn't try to escape and run away as you might expect, it just respectfully stood there before the Prophet. The Prophet was neither upset nor angry at the Bedouin's rudeness, it was not his nature to be like that, and he looked down and spoke kindly to the lizard. To the great surprise of the Bedouin, the lizard looked up at the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, with its big round eyes and started to speak with the voice of a human and said, "Obedient to you, O beloved of Allah!" Then the Prophet gently asked, "Who do you worship?" and the lizard replied, "Allah, the One whose throne is in the heavens and whose power is in the earth, and whose mercy is in the Gardens of Paradise and whose punishment is in the Fires of Hell." Then the Prophet asked the lizard to tell him who he was, and it replied, "You are the Messenger of the Lord of the Worlds and the Seal of the Prophets. Those who bear witness to this are successful, but those who do not are lost." The Bedouin was amazed, he had never, ever heard of a lizard ever speaking before, but what really amazed him were the answers it had given. The Bedouin didn't need anything more to convince him and happily declared, "I was wrong and now I believe" and became a Muslim. Parent and teacher's notes: This story is based on a prophetic quotation and has been adapted especially for children. InshaAllah, when your children are old enough you will introduce them to the hadith transmitted by Omar and both you and they will enjoy the story even more. NEW WORDS The vocabulary in "New Words" section is listed in the order of occurrence in the story. Bedouin A Bedouin is a person who lives a very hard life in the desert. Bedouins do not have houses like we do, they live in tents. When they want to move to a new place, they pack up their tents and load them on to a camel and wander across the desert until they find a new place. Obedient When someone is obedient to someone else, it means they respect that person. Prophet Muhammad taught us that we must obey our parents and when our parents ask us to do something, we do it because we know we are pleasing them but most of all we are pleasing Allah. Throne When we think of a throne, we usually think of the seat on which a king sits. Well, the throne of Allah isn't like that at all, it is so special we can't even begin to imagine what it is like, but most important of all, we have to know that Allah does not look like us, or anything He has created so His sitting on the throne is not at all like the way in which humans like us sit. Paradise Paradise is a wonderful place and the place where all good people go who believe that Allah is One and does not have a son, or daughter. When you go to Paradise you can ask for whatever you want, and you will be given it. You will see such beautiful things that you have never seen before and you will never leave it. Hell Hell is not a nice place, it is the place where Allah punishes people who have do not believe and even those who believe but have done a lot of very bad things. But if a person believes in Allah and His Prophet, Allah in His Mercy will not let that person stay there forever. QUIZ TIME QUESTIONS 1. What do you call a person who lives in the desert? 2. Do they live in houses or tents? 3. What did the man catch? 4. Who did the man see? 5. Did he go and meet them? 6. Was the man surprised when the lizard spoke? 7. Who did the lizard say the Prophet was the Messenger of? 8. Did the man become a Muslim? ANSWERS 1. A person who lives in the desert is called a Bedouin 2. They live in tents 3. He caught a lizard 4. He saw the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, and a group of his Companions 5. Yes, he went to met them 6. Yes, he was very surprised 7. The lizard said, "You are the Messenger of Allah, Lord of the worlds. 8. Yes, Al Hamdullillah SCORE TIME If you mentioned the Prophet and said, praise and peace be upon him, add another mark to your score. 1-3 questions right? You tried hard, how about asking your parents to read the story again to you so you can get a better score? 4-5 good, well done! 6-8 very good indeed! 8 E X C E L L E N T, you did very well, we are proud of you! BISMILLAH IR RAHMAN IR RAHEEM THE STORY OF THE WOLF Copyrighted 2006 www. Allah.com and Muhammad.com All rights reserved Adapted for children from an hadith transmitted by Abu Hurayrah by Khadijah Stephens Darwish Ahban was a shepherd and one day as he sat peacefully looking after his sheep he didn't notice there was a wolf hiding nearby. The wolf waited patiently and then his luck changed when a sheep wandered away from the fold and he pounced upon it. The shepherd ran shouting at the wolf and caught up with it and managed to rescue the sheep from the wolf. Much to the shepherd's surprise, the wolf did not run away. It just sat there, lifted its head and said, "Don't you fear Allah! You have stopped me from having the food Allah had sent me." Well, you can guess just how surprised the shepherd was – a wolf speaking to him but more importantly asking if he feared Allah! The shepherd exclaimed, "Fancy that, how very strange, a wolf that speaks!" The wolf replied, "Hum, what is even more surprising is that you are sitting here with your sheep and abandoning the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him. Do you know, Allah values him much more than any of the previous prophets? And, the Gates of the Garden of Paradise have been opened for him and its inhabitants look down at his Companions to see what they are doing. Do you realize he is just over the hill, go and join him." The shepherd was curious and wanted to go but said to the wolf, "How can I go when there is no one to guard my sheep?" The wolf replied, "Don't worry I will look after your sheep for you until you return." So strange as it may seem, the shepherd left the wolf to guard his flock and went to see if what he had been told was true. The shepherd climbed the hill and as he looked down he saw a crowd of people just as the wolf had described and thought to himself, "What the wolf said must be true, I must hurry down and see what is going on." He ran quickly down the hill, and soon caught sight of the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him. He knew immediately that this was no ordinary man and listened intently and loved what he said. After the Prophet finished speaking, he went up to him and told about the wolf but the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, was not surprised and said, "Return to your sheep you will find them all there." The shepherd had no hesitation in becoming a Muslim and was sad to leave the company of the Prophet, but promised himself that he would see and hear him as often as he could. As he climbed back over the hill, he kept thinking of all the wonderful things that had happened to him that day, and was thankful that Allah had sent a wolf to guide him to the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him. When he reached his flock, he found them happily grazing just as he had left them and counted them. Not one single sheep was missing and so the shepherd thanked the wolf and gave him a piece of meat so he would not be hungry. The wolf was happy and ran off home to his family with some food for them. Parent and teacher's notes: This story is based on a prophetic quotation and has been adapted especially for children. InshaAllah, when your children are old enough you will introduce them to the hadith transmitted by Abu Hurayrah and both you and they will enjoy the story even more. NEW WORDS The vocabulary in "New Words" section is listed in the order of occurrence in the story. Abandon This means to leave Inhabitant an inhabitant is someone who lives in a place. In this story the inhabitants are angels and our heavenly friends in Paradise. Flock a flock means a group of animals, in this story it means a group of sheep. Intently means very well or hard. In this story it means that the shepherd listened so hard that he did not notice anything other than what the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, was saying. Immediately means as soon as, or straight away. Hesitation if some one is hesitant it means they are nor sure what to do. In this story the shepherd had no hesitation, he had no doubts. QUIZ TIME QUESTIONS 1. What was the shepherd doing? 2. What was hiding from the shepherd? 3. Did the shepherd rescue the sheep? 4. Did the wolf run away? 5. Did the wolf tell the shepherd to "Fear Allah"? 6. Who did the wolf say was on the other side of the hill? 7. Did the shepherd leave the wolf guarding the sheep? 8. What did the Prophet tell the man 9. Did the wolf do his job well and look after the sheep? 10. Were all the sheep there when the shepherd returned? ANSWERS 1. The shepherd was looking after his sheep. 2. A wolf was hiding. 3. Yes he did. 4. No, he sat there and spoke to the shepherd. 5. Yes, he told the shepherd to fear Allah. 6. The wolf told the shepherd that the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, was on the other side of the hill. 7. Yes. 8. "Return to your sheep, you will find them all there." 9. Yes, the wolf looked after the sheep very well. 10. Yes, none were missing. SCORE TIME If you mentioned the Prophet and said, praise and peace be upon him, add another mark to your score. 1-3 questions right? You tried hard, how about asking your parents to read the story again to you so you can get a better score? 4-5 good, well done! 6-8 very good indeed! 9-10 E X C E L L E N T, you did very well, we are proud of you! BISMILLAH IR RAHMAN IR RAHEEM THE STORY OF THE GAZELLE Copyright 2006 www. Allah.com and www.Muhammad.com All rights reserved Adapted for children from an hadith transmitted by Umm Salama, wife of the Prophet, Mother of Believers, may Allah be pleased with her by Khadijah Stephens Darwish One day when Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him, was walking in the desert a gazelle saw him and called to him in her soft, delicate voice saying, "O Messenger of Allah!" The Prophet looked around and saw the gazelle and asked gently, "Is there something you need?" The gazelle told him that a Bedouin had caught her and she was worried about her two baby fawns she had left in the safety of the mountains as she knew that by now they must be very hungry. The gazelle was not worried for herself, she was worried for her baby fawns and asked the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, if he would untie her so she might go to them and suckle them and promised she would return. The Prophet asked her if she was sure she would return and again she promised that she would, so he untied her and the gazelle ran off to suckle her fawns. The gazelle kept her promise and returned to the Prophet later on that day. When the Bedouin returned he was so happy to see the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, and asked if there was anything he wanted or could do for him. So the Prophet with kindness of heart asked, "Please, let this gazelle go". The Bedouin was so happy to be able to do something for the Prophet and did not think twice and untied the gazelle, and she ran off into the desert saying, "I bear witness that there is no god except Allah, and that you are the Messenger of Allah!" The little baby fawns were so happy to see their mother again and they wandered happily off up the mountain. Parent and teacher's notes: This story is based on a prophetic quotation and has been adapted especially for children. InshaAllah, when your children are old enough you will introduce them to the hadith transmitted by Umm Salamah, wife of the Prophet, Mother of the Believers, may Allah be pleased with her and grant her peace, and both you and they will enjoy the story even more.NEW WORDS The vocabulary in "New Words" section is listed in the order of occurrence in the story. Bedouin A Bedouin is a person who lives a very hard life in the desert. Bedouins do not have houses like we do, they live in tents. When they want to move to a new place, they pack up their tents and load them on to a camel and wander across the desert until they find a new place Gazelle A gazelle is a deer, that looks a lot like Bambi. Fawn A fawn is a baby deer. Allah blesses these little animals so that just after they are born they can stand up and walk. When they are born they have a brown coat with pretty white spots. Suckle Suckle means giving milk to babies, no matter whether they are animals or children, just like mummy did for you when you were a tiny baby. QUIZ TIME QUESTIONS 1. Who heard the gazelle call him? 2. What did he ask the gazelle? 3. What did the gazelle ask for? 4. Did she keep her promise? 5. What did the Bedouin ask the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him? 6. Did he agree to do as the Prophet asked? 7. What happened to the gazelle? 8. What did she say? 9. Were her fawns happy to see her again? ANSWERS 1. The Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, heard the call of the gazelle. 2. The Prophet asked, "Is there something you need?" 3. The gazelle asked the Prophet to untie her so she could go to suckle her baby fawns. 4. Yes, she kept her promise. 5. The Bedouin asked if there was anything he could do for the Prophet. 6. Yes, the Bedouin happily agreed. 7. She ran off into the desert. 8. She said, "I bear witness that there is no god except Allah, and that you are the Messenger of Allah!" 9. Yes, they were very happy to see their mother again. Al Hamdulillah! SCORE TIME If you mentioned the Prophet and said, praise and peace be upon him, add another mark to your score. 1-2 questions right? You tried hard, how about asking your parents to read the story again to you so you can get a better score? 3-4 good, well done! 5-7 very good indeed! 8-9 E X C E L L E N T, you did very well, we are proud of you! Bismillah Ir Rahman Ir Raheem PROPHET NOAH AND THE ARK Adapted for children from the reference of ibn Kathir By Khadeijah Stephens Darwish Copyright 2006 www.Allah.com and www.Muhammad.com All rights reserved Prophet Noah was the first amongst the prophets to be sent as a Messenger of Allah and the Archangel Gabriel was sent to him fifty times. A Messenger of Allah is a very special person he is a prophet sent by Allah with a mission to go out and preach. Many Messengers of Allah were given a Holy Book from Allah which was delivered to them by the Archangel Gabriel. A Messenger of Allah brought to his people not only of the good news of the reward of Paradise for those who worship Allah alone and do good deeds, but would also warn them of the punishment of Hell, if they disobeyed Allah and worshiped or associated others with Him. Prophet Noah was born about a one thousand years after Prophet Adam, peace be upon them, and during that time satan who is the enemy of us all had been very busy trying to make people forget Allah. He attracted them by causing them to want the luxuries of this life and made them forget that the luxuries of this life do not last and can't be taken with us when we die, whereas the luxury of the remembrance and worship of Allah always lasts and stays with us in this life and in the Everlasting life. Many years before Allah sent Prophet Noah, there lived some very good worshipers of Allah called, Waddan, Suwa'an, Yaghutha, Ya'uqa and Nasra, They loved Allah and worshiped Him alone, and had a lot of followers. Waddan had been a very humble man and those who knew him loved him very much, they loved him for the Sake of Allah. When he passed away the people were very sad and buried him in the city of Babylon and would visit his tomb and thank Allah for his fine example. satan was, and still is, always on the lookout for ways to mislead people and used their grief to his advantage. He disguised himself to look like a man and went to them cunningly saying, "I feel your loss for this man, if you would like I can carve an image of him that you can place in your meeting place so you can remember him." The people saw no harm in it and agreed. Then satan put the second part of his plot into being and casually said, "Umm, if you would like I can make smaller images of Waddan so that each of you can remember him in your home" and once more the people agreed. satan used the same trick he had used for Waddan for Suwa'an, Yaghutha, Ya'uqa and Nasra! The plan satan had sown wasn't one that would be hatched during the life time of the friends of Waddan, Suwa'an, Yaghutha, Ya'uqa and Nasra it was for their children and grandchildren. The years passed and the people who loved those worshipers of Allah passed away and with their passing the reason for the statues being in their homes was either lost or distorted, and the statues became worshipped idols, which was just what satan wanted. It was during this time that Allah in His Mercy sent Prophet Noah to guide his people back to Him. Prophet Noah called his people to worship of Allah alone and drew their attention to the pointlessness of worshiping idols that could neither speak, benefit, create nor harm them. He told them that it is Allah alone who creates, and favors His creation with so many good things. He also warned them that if they did abandon their worship of the idols Allah would send down a very great punishment upon them. Try as he might to convince the people to turn away they refused. Some of the unbelievers even told Noah they would stone him and his small band of followers if he did not stop his preaching. Others said they would send him into exile. But this did not stop Noah from preaching he stood up for the truth and was made fun of. The unbelievers mocked him, saying "You are only a human like us, and those who follow you are the ignorant on the lower edge of society - their opinion is worthless" and they called him a liar! Noah was patient and every hopeful that they would change their ways and told the unbelievers that he was not after their money or possessions and said, "My nation, for this I do not ask you for your wealth for my wage is only with Allah. Nor will I drive away the believers, for they will surely meet their Lord. But, I can see that you are ignorant. Were I to drive you away my people, who would help me from Allah? Won't you remember? I do not say to you that I possess the treasuries of Allah, and I do not know the unseen. I do not say I am an angel, nor do I say to those whom you despise Allah will not give them any good. Allah knows best what is in their hearts. Indeed, if this were so then I would be amongst the harm doers." The unbelievers became very upset and even more arrogant and said, "Noah, you have disputed, and disputed too much with us. Bring down upon us that which you promised us, if what you say is true!" Noah replied, "Allah will bring it down upon you if He will; you will never frustrate Him." Noah had been very patient indeed, he had worked tirelessly among his people and lived among them for 950 years, but his followers remained but a handful. Then one day he was so sad that he complained to Allah saying, "My Lord, night and day I have called my people but my call has only increased them in running away. Each time I called them so that You might forgive them, they thrust their fingers in their ears and wrapped themselves in their garments, and persisted becoming very proud. I called them clearly, and indeed I spoke to them both publicly and in secret saying, 'Ask for forgiveness of your Lord, surely, He is the Forgiver.'" It was simply no use the unbelievers had refused to listen and he knew they would never change. Although he had been insulted, and ridiculed it meant nothing to him, the only thing that mattered was that the unbelievers belied the truth Allah had sent him with and he supplicated against them saying, "My Lord, do not leave a single unbeliever upon the earth! Surely, if You leave them they will mislead Your worshipers and father none except the immoral, and unbelievers." Then he asked Allah, "Forgive me, My Lord, and my parents and whosoever seeks refuge in my house as a believer, men and women alike and do not increase the harmdoers except in ruin." Allah heard Noah's supplication and revealed to him, "None of your nation will believe except whosoever has already believed. Do not distress yourself with what they may do. Build the Ark (a large ship) with Our seeing (and protection), and as We reveal. Do not speak to Me concerning the evildoers; they shall be drowned." As Noah and his followers worked away building the Ark in the way in which Allah had directed them, the unbelievers would pass by and mock him, whereupon he said, "If you mock us, we shall indeed mock you, just as you mock. You shall know to whom a degrading punishment will come, and upon whom the Everlasting punishment will fall." We don't know the exact size of the Ark, nor yet its height, however we do know that one part was built to house animals, another for birds and the other for Noah and his followers. The Ark was now ready and Allah revealed to Noah, "When Our command comes and the oven gushes water, take on-board a pair from every kind (of animal and bird) and your family, except him against whom the decision has already been passed. Do not address Me concerning those who have done evil; they shall be drowned." The time for the command of Allah was near at hand and the sign they waited for came as water gushed out from the oven. Noah was told, "Embark. In the Name of Allah will be its course and berthing." And the waters started to rise and the unbelievers ran to the nearby mountains thinking they would find safety, after all they thought, floods had never, ever been known to reach to the tops of mountains they would be safe there! The rain poured, and poured down unceasingly, and the springs of the earth gushed forth and combined as the waves grew higher and higher. Amongst the unbelievers was Yam, one of the sons of Noah. When Noah caught sight of him he called out to him saying, "Embark with us, my son, do not be with the unbelievers!" But his son replied, "I shall seek refuge on a mountain, which will protect me from the water." Noah cried out, "Today, there is no defender from the command of Allah, except those to whom He has mercy!" and the waves came between them and Yam was drowned along with the other unbelievers. Noah and his followers settled themselves on-board the Ark praising Allah and supplicated to Him with the words He had given to Noah, "Praise be to Allah who has saved us from the harm-doing nation. Lord, let me land a blessed landing. You are the Best of harborers." Later on in the voyage, Noah called to Allah saying, "O Lord, my son was of my family, and Your promise is surely the truth. You are the most Just of judges." Allah replied, "Noah, he is not of your family. It is not a good deed. Do not ask Me about things of which you have no knowledge. I reproach you lest you become among the ignorant." Immediately, Noah repented and said, "My Lord, I seek refuge with You from asking You of that which I have no knowledge. If You do not forgive me and have mercy on me, I shall be among the losers." The Ark sailed on under the protection of Allah, then one day Allah sent His command to the earth, "Earth, swallow up your waters. Heavens, cease!" and the waters subsided and the Ark came to rest on the mountain of Al Judi. Noah and his followers were happy to see dry land again and left the Ark praising and thanking Allah for saving them, and they took with them the animals and birds to start a new life where they were free to worship Allah without being harmed. As for the unbelievers, Allah said of them, "So because of their sins they were drowned and admitted into the Fire. They found none to help them other than Allah." PARENT/TEACHER NOTES The vocabulary in "New Words" section is listed in the order of occurrence in the story. NEW WORDS Archangel Archangel means the chief angel, and his name is Gabriel. Convey means to deliver or bring. Luxuries means something that is not necessary and can be done without. Grief means sorrow or being sad. Distorted means to change its meaning. Idols an idol is a false god. Pointlessness means not at all useful Abandon means to leave Convince means to make someone believe in something. Exile means to force someone to leave his home or country. Arrogant means someone who is stubborn and proud Dispute means argue. Thrust means to do something with force Mock means to make fun of. Embark means to go on board, in this case go on board the Ark Berthing means a place where something lands, in this case the Ark. Unceasing means without stopping. Repent means being very, very sorry to Allah. Gushed means to pour out forcefully. Subsided means to die down or to settle. QUIZ TIME QUESTIONS: 1. What was the name of the Prophet in the story? 2. What was the name of the Archangel who came to him? 3. What did satan do when he saw the people feeling sad? 4. What did Noah tell his people to do? 5. Did he have a lot of followers? 6. What did Allah tell Noah and his followers to build? 7. What was the sign Noah waited for? 8. Name two things Noah took on board with him. 9. What did the unbelievers do when the land started to flood? 10. What was the name of Noah's son who did not get on board the Ark? 11. What was the name of the mountain on which the Ark landed? 12. Did any of the unbelievers remain after the Flood? 13. Who remained when the Flood subsided? 14. Did Noah leave the animals and birds on the Ark when he got off? 15. How old was Noah when he died? ANSWERS: 1. His name was Noah. 2. His name was Gabriel. 3. He made idols saying that they would remind them of the good people. 4. Noah told his people to worship Allah alone, and not the idols. 5. No, he had only a few followers. 6. He told Noah to build an Ark, which is a large ship. 7. The sign was that water would gush out from an oven. 8. He took, his followers, animals and birds. 9. They ran to the mountains where they thought they would be safe. 10. The name of Noah's son who was left behind was Yam. 11. The name of the mountain was Al Judi. 12. No, all the unbelievers were drowned. 13. The only people to remain on earth were Noah and his followers. 14. No, he took them with him. 15. Noah was 950 years old when he died. SCORE TIME 1-3 questions right? You tried hard, how about reading the story again so you can get a better score? 4-7 well done! 8-11 very good indeed! 12- 14 E X C E L L E N T, you did very well, we are proud of you! 15 CONGRATULATIONS you are an honor student of Allah.com and Muhammad.com BISMILLAH IR RAHMAN IR RAHEEM THE STORY OF PROPHET JOB (AYYUB) Adapted for children from the reference of ibn Kathir By Khadeijah Stephens Darwish Copyright 2006 www.Allah.com and www.Muhammad.com All rights reserved Prophet Job's father was called Moss, and they were descendants of Prophet Isaac. His mother was the daughter of Prophet Lot whose uncle was Prophet Abraham, peace be upon them all. Prophet Job, or Ayyub as he is called in Arabic, was a very, very patient, thankful man. There was a time in his life when he had been a very rich. He had been blessed with a lot of children and big herds of cattle and sheep that grazed on the many acres of land he owned. When Allah loves someone He tests them according to the strength of their faith, and He tested Prophet Job in many ways. All of his children died and he and his wife very sad but they were never ungrateful and never asked, "Why us, and not someone else" because they loved Allah and knew that He knows best. Job was to be tried yet again, this time he became very sick indeed, and people would not come near him fearing they too would become very sick. His sickness did not leave him for many years and during that time he was tried yet again and lost all his herds of animals. No one wanted to know or help him, they all stayed away, the only one who remained faithful to him was his devoted wife, who nursed and did her best to look after him. Soon there was nothing left except a few possessions and these too had to be sold so that they might eat but not long after there was nothing left to sell. Now that there was nothing left to sell Job's loving wife decided to look for work. She had once had servants of her own, but now she was willing to take on any kind of work someone would offer her in exchange for food. However, when people realized who her husband was and remembered how ill he was, they did not want her to work for them as they thought they might catch the disease from her, even though she was a healthy lady and showed no signs of illness at all. Throughout his illness Job's wife nursed and cared for him as best as she could and only left his side when someone gave her work. The years passed by and life became more difficult, but they did not complain, then one day Job's wife asked, "Why don't you ask Allah to cure you. He will make you better?" But Job, who was now an old man and ever patient with what Allah sent replied, "For seventy years I had good health, is it too much to be patient for another seventy years?" Job never became ungrateful to Allah despite the many trials he was sent. Instead he would praise and thank Him. Life became harder still and there was nothing to eat, so Job's wife who had beautiful long hair that she used to braid decided to cut one braid and give it to a woman in exchange for a large amount of food. When Job saw the food he was surprised and asked, "Where did you get it from?" But she told him she had been given the food in exchange for serving some people. The next day she cut and sold the remaining braid of hair and returned home with another large quantity of food. This time Job swore that he would not eat any of it until she told him exactly how she got all the food. Job's wife took off her scarf and he realized what she had done and became very upset and vowed to beat her one hundred times when Allah restored him to good health. Job called out to Allah saying, "satan has afflicted me with harm and pain." Whereupon Allah told him, "Stamp your foot on the ground here is cool water with which to wash and drink." Job obeyed the Words of Allah and stamped his foot on the ground and washed himself in the cool water and then drank some, and Allah not only cured him but gave him back his family as well as other children and restored his wealth to him because he had been so very patient with the trials He had sent him. Allah describes Job in the Koran saying, "We found him to be patient, a good worshiper and he was penitent." As for the vow Job made he did not want to break it and Allah in His Mercy told him to just take a bundle of rushes and smack his wife with them so that the oath would fulfilled and not broken. Prophet Job continued to bring the Israelites back to Allah for many years teaching them that Allah alone is the One to be worshiped. After he passed away his son Bishr, who has also been called Zul Kifl continued to spread the Word of Allah. PARENT/TEACHER NOTES The vocabulary in "New Words" section is listed in the order of occurrence in the story. NEW WORDS Descendant A descendant is the grandchild of a grandparent, for example, you are a descendant of your grandfather. Ungrateful This means not being thankful. Tried In this story the word "tried" means tested. Faithful A person who is faithful is a person who is loyal which means trusted. Braid In some countries a braid of hair is called a "plait". Vow A vow is a very big promise. Penitent This means very sorry. Obey This means to do as you are told. Cured This means made better. Restore This means to give back or return something. Rushes These are very long grasses that are hollow. QUIZ TIME QUESTIONS 1. Who was Prophet Job descended from? 2. Who was the father of Prophet Job's mother? 3. Name two of the things Allah took away from Prophet Job. 4. Did Prophet Job's wife go out to work do when they had no money left? 5. What did Prophet Job's wife do to her hair? 6. Was Prophet Job upset when he saw what his wife had done to her hair? 7. Allah said Job was p – t – e - t. Fill In the spaces. 8. What came up from the ground when Job stamped his foot? 9. What did Prophet Job do with the water? 10. Was Prophet Job cured? ANSWERS 1. Prophet Job was descended from Prophet Isaac. 2. Prophet Lot was the father of his mother. 3. Allah took away his children, cattle and sheep. 4. Yes, she took any kind of work she was offered. 5. She cut her braided hair and gave it in exchange for food. 6. Yes, he was very upset. 7. Job was p a t i e n t. 8. Cool water sprung up from the ground 9. He washed himself with the water and drank some of it. 10. Yes, Al Hamdulillah! SCORE TIME 1-2 questions right? You tried hard, how about asking your parents to read the story again to you so you can get a better score? 3-5 good, well done! 6-8 very good indeed! 9 E X C E L L E N T, you did very well, we are proud of you! 10. CONGRATULATIONS you are an honor student of Allah.com and Muhammad.com BISMILLAH IR RAHMAN IR RAHEEM THE STORY OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD Praise and peace be upon him AND LADY KHADIJAH Mother of Believers May Allah be pleased with her By Khadijah Stephens Darwish With extracts fromTHE MILLENNIUM BIOGRAPHY OF MUHAMMAD THE PROPHET OF ALLAH Copyright 2006 www.Allah.com and www.Muhammad.com All rights reserved Lady Khadijah was the daughter of Khuwailid Asad and Fatima Zaida who were wealthy, well-to-do people of Mecca. Even as a child Khadijah's endearing character caused everyone to love her. She grew to be a very good, caring, refined, beautiful young lady who did not hesitate to help those less fortunate than herself. It is not surprising that when she reached the age of marriage many asked for her hand but it was Abu Halah, Zurarah's son she liked most and won the approval of her family. Khadijah and Abu Halah had two children whom they named Hind and Harith. Not many years after their marriage, Abu Halah passed away and in the years to come she married a man called Ateak Abid's son, and they had a daughter whom they also named Hind, but once again she was widowed. Many men wanted to marry Khadijah but she thanked them kindly and told them she did not want to remarry and was happy raising her young family. She became a very successful trader having caravans that journeyed to far of lands bringing spices and other merchandise back to Mecca where she would arrange for them to be sold. However, the Meccans whom she employed to trade on her behalf were very often untrustworthy, but there was nothing much she could do about it. One day Abu Talib, the uncle of Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him, who had raised him since he was a child suggested to his nephew, who was now twenty-four, that he might wish to contact Khadijah to ask whether she might like him to trade on her behalf. Muhammad had only dealt with male traders and was somewhat respectfully shy to ask her, so he told his uncle that perhaps if she had a need for his services she would contact him. When news of the conversation reached Khadijah, who was twelve years his senior, she was very enthusiastic and told those close to her that if she had only known he was willing to trade for her she would have offered him the opportunity long before, and so a messenger was sent to invite him to come to her house and discuss arrangements. When Khadijah met Muhammad she respectfully asked if he would take it upon himself to act on her behalf with her caravan. She told him that she had already learned of his reputation for honesty and truthfulness and knew of his high morality. Muhammad agreed and as a mark of appreciation she told him she would gift him with twice the usual amount given to other merchants. Muhammad accepted, thanked Khadijah for her generosity and returned to his uncle to tell him the good news. His uncle was delighted and told him Allah had sent him this blessing. Meanwhile, Khadijah felt honored and blessed that Muhammad had been willing to accept her offer. Shortly before the end of the month Dhul Hijjah, Muhammad, in the company of Khadijah's devoted servant Maysara, set out on his first trip. Upon reaching a place called Tayma, Muhammad and Maysara sat down to rest under the shade of a tree not far from the hermitage of a monk named Nastura, who to their surprise rushed out to greet him. Nastura, had spent his life studying the authentic version of the Torah in which the last prophet of Allah was described in detail. When he saw Muhammad he immediately recognized these signs and kissed Muhammad's head and feet then said, "I believe you, and bear witness that you are the one Allah mentioned in the Torah." He turned to Maysara and told him, ""He is the last Prophet I wish I could be with him when he is called!" Maysara was taken aback by Nastura's statement - it was indeed something to tell his mistress. After taking their farewells Muhammad and Maysara continued on their way to Basra and as the heat of the mid-day sun blazed down, Maysara noticed clouds, driven by two angels, casting their continuous, protective shade over his companion. When they reached their destination Muhammad concluded his trading and wasted no time setting off back to Mecca. Many days passed before they reached the familiar outskirts of Mecca then at long last, they finally reached Khadijah's house around mid-day. Just before their arrival Khadijah, who had been resting in an upper room, happened to glance out of her window and saw them returning, riding on their camels. Then to her amazement, as she looked up into the sky she saw the clouds drifting above Muhammad, shading him from the intense heat of the sun. After the camels had been attended, Muhammad went to greet Khadijah and tell her of the trades he had made; to her surprise she found her commerce had doubled. Khadijah, true to her word kept her promise and gave Muhammad his handsome gift. Later, Khadijah spoke to Maysara about the matter of the clouds and he too confirmed he had seen the same thing throughout the journey. He also related the bewildering conversation and witnessing of the hermit monk, Nastura, and told of the many blessings they encountered upon their journey. Khadijah had been deeply moved and impressed by the things Maysara told her. Her cousin, Warakah, who was well versed in the scriptures, also spoke highly of him and so she sent her friend, Nufaysah, to discreetly inquire why Muhammad had not married. His reply was simple it was because he had very little money to support a wife and family. Nufaysah asked him if he would consider marrying a rich, beautiful lady of noble birth, whereupon Muhammad inquired who the lady might be and was told it was Khadijah. Muhammad was very happy. He respected Khadijah as she was known among the ladies of the Koraysh as the "Mistress of the Koraysh" and "Al Tahirah" meaning "the pure". Muhammad went to Abu Talib to tell of the proposal and they, together with Hamza went to ask Khadijah's uncle for her hand in marriage as her father has passed away. Khadijah's uncle, Amr son of Asad gave his permission and the day of the wedding was set. On the day of their marriage, Muhammad released Barakah, his maid, from service. Shortly after, Barakah married a man from Yathrib and later gave birth to a son named Ayman. However, in the years to come Barakah was to return to the Prophet's household. When Khadijah became pregnant, Saffiyah, who was Muhammad's aunt although she was only a few years older than him, offered the services of her maid Salma to assist with the birth. Khadijah gratefully accepted and so Salma became the midwife to all of the children born to them. The names of Khadijah and Muhammad's two sons were Kasim and Abdullah – who was also known as Al Tahir or Al Tayyib – and their daughters were named Zaynab, Rukiyah, Umm Kulthum and Fatima. However, their sons were not destined to live long. Kasim died shortly before his second birthday, and Abdullah died during infancy shortly after his father became the Seal of the Prophets of Allah, praise and peace be upon him. Khadijah was generous and had a very kind heart and always gave to the poor, one day Halima who had nursed and taken care of Muhammad when he was a very young came to visit her, such occasions always brought joy to the family and Khadijah was very happy to see her and welcomed her. However, this time it was obvious something was troubling Halima. A severe drought had caused Halima to loose almost all her livestock and when Khadijah learned of her plight she, without a moment’s hesitation gave her forty sheep as well as a healthy, strong camel to ease her situation. Just outside Mecca lies a mountain called Mount Hira and it was there that Muhammad would often retreat to one of its caves to contemplate and worship Allah alone through the means of meditation. The formal way in which his ancestors, Prophets Abraham and Ishmael, had worshipped were long forgotten and he knew no other way of worship. During the month of Ramadan, it had become his custom to make a special retreat to the cave taking with him some water and dates for his provision. When Khadijah thought his provisions might be getting low, she would climb the mountain to bring him fresh supplies. The affairs Muhammad observed in Mecca troubled him deeply, but most of all he abhorred the increased worship of the idols placed in and around Ka'ba, for he had never been an idolater. He directed his worship to the One and only God, Allah, who created and creates all things. Muhammad was now forty years old and the month of Ramadan had come around again, so he made his way once more up to the cave. And it was there during his retreat, on the 27th day of Ramadan, that Allah sent the Arch Angel Gabriel to him. Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him, was deeply disturbed when Gabriel appeared, and tried to look away, but no matter which direction he turned his face, the angel filled the horizon. Then the angel spoke, commanding him to read. Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him, had never learned to read and respectfully replied, "I cannot read" whereupon Gabriel took him, pressed him firmly to himself, and commanded him again to read. Once again the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, respectfully replied saying, "I cannot read." Gabriel took the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, yet again and pressed him firmly to himself but this time when he released him, he commanded him saying, "Read in the Name of your Lord who created, created the human from a (blood) clot. Read! Your Lord is the Most Generous, who taught by the pen, taught the human what he did not know." Koran Chapter 96 verses 1-5 and so the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, recited the words exactly as the angel had taught him. The verses he had been given were indelibly written deep into his very being and Gabriel departed. The event was of tremendous proportion and consumed his thoughts but at the same time he was a little concerned that perhaps he had been visited by a bad spirit or an evil jinn. In haste, the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, left the cave and made his way hurriedly down the mountainside towards his home when he met Khadijah climbing up the mountain with fresh provisions. As soon as he saw her he exclaimed with respect, "Zammiluni, Zammiluni", meaning “Cover me, cover me!” Khadijah had never seen him like this before and he told her of his experience in the cave and then of his thoughts. Khadijah tried her best to comfort and reassure him telling him that she was certain his concern was unfounded and that the event was nothing other than good tidings from Allah. She reassured him, saying that Allah would never disappoint him because he was not only good to his family, but to those in need, and reminded him that he always spoke the truth and whenever asked he would comfort and help people solve their problems and then furthermore, that he was always hospitable. Lady Khadijah's elderly cousin Warakah, Nawfal's son was knowledgeable of the Scriptures. He had studied both the Torah and the Gospel and became a Nazarene, a follower of Prophet Jesus, many years before, but now his sight had failed and blindness overtook him. So she suggest that they should go to him, tell him exactly what had happened, and ask his authoritative opinion. Warakah, like a handful of other people knowledgeable of the Scriptures, felt sure from his learning that the time was imminent for the coming of the last Prophet of Allah. He remembered the prophecy of Jesus, peace be upon him, to his disciples: "But now I go my way to God who sent me, and none of you asks me, "Where are you going?" But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter (Prophet Muhammad) will not come unto you; but if I depart, he will be sent unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of its lack of righteousness, and judgment. Nevertheless when he, the Spirit of Truth (Gabriel) is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he (Prophet Muhammad) shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come." Bible, New Testament John 58:80-82 Warakah had no doubt whatsoever in his mind that Muhammad had been chosen to be the last Prophet of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, and informed him that the angel that appeared to him was the same one who had visited Prophet Moses and that it was none other than the Arch Angel Gabriel. In the period that followed, Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him, received several more verses from the Koran, but until this time he had not spoken about Islam to anyone. Then, one day he received the instruction to tell of the favors of his Lord, so he spoke to Lady Khadijah in depth about Allah. Lady Khadijah recognized the truth and became the first to embrace Islam. In those early days of Islam, the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, confined his preaching to his immediate family. At the time Lady Khadijah embraced Islam, Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him, had not received instructions as to the manner in which he should offer his prayers. Then, one day on the outskirts of Mecca, Angel Gabriel came to him and struck the ground with his heels. From the indentation, a spring of water began to flow and the Angel showed the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, the ritual cleansing procedure he should make before offering his prayer. Now that the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, had learned how to perform the ritual ablution, Angel Gabriel taught him how to offer his prayers with its postures of standing, bowing, prostrating, and sitting which was the same way in which his great ancestors, Prophets Abraham and Ishmael had offered their prayers so many centuries before. He informed him that he should commence the prayer with the words "Allahu Akbar" – Allah is the Greatest, and to conclude the prayer by turning the head first to the right then saying "As-Salaamu alaykum" – peace be upon you – and then to repeat the same to the left. Thereafter, Gabriel departed and the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, returned home to teach Lady Khadijah and together they offered their prayer. The Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, started to tell others about Islam and told them they should not worship the idols they had placed in and around Ka'ba, rather they should worship Allah alone and not associate anything with Him. He also told them that stealing, cheating, tell lies, treating women, little girls and slaves unfairly was very wrong. The Meccans did not like hearing what he had to say and started to persecute anyone who followed the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him. Abu Lahab, hated the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, most of all, and he and forty chieftains from the tribe of Koraysh decided to boycott the Muslims and wrote a declaration signed by each of the chieftains and hung it inside the Ka'ba. The Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, told them that the declaration would not remain intact and that only the Name of Allah would remain, but they paid no attention to him. The Koraysh made life very difficult for indeed for the Muslims, they refused to sell to them or buy anything from them. The Prophet and Lady Khadijah, may Allah be pleased with them, decided to move to a part of Mecca where other Muslims lived so that they could all be together. Abu Lahab also lived in the same area, but when he learned of their intent to move there, he left his house and moved elsewhere. Lady Khadijah had a nephew called Hakim who belonged to one of the tribes participating in the boycott, but felt the Muslims should not be treated in this way. One day, Hakim and his servant were seen by Abu Jahl taking a bag of flour into the predominately Muslim sector. Abu Jahl accused Hakim of breaking the boycott and a heated argument broke out between them in which Abu Jahl threatened to expose Hakim to the others. During the argument Abdul Bakhtari, from the tribe of Asad, overheard the two arguing and asked what all the fuss was about. When it was explained to him, he sided with Hakim arguing that he could see no harm in what Hakim was doing as he was just returning a bag of flour belonging to his aunt. Abdul Bakhtari told Abu Jahl that there was no need to make such a big issue of the matter and to let Hakim go on his way. A little over two years had now passed. The boycott remained in force and the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, Lady Khadijah and his Companions faced the severe hardship of poverty and deprivation with patience, knowing that Allah would bless them. Even Abu Bakr, who had once been among the wealthiest of Meccans was now reduced to a poor man. With the shortage of food, times were difficult but the light of faith and the much loved companionship of their every caring Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, made the hardship easier to endure The months passed by and some of the tribes of Koraysh thought the boycott had gone on for too long and called for an end to it. They went to the Ka'ba to fetch the declaration and to their amazement nothing remained of the declaration except the Name of Allah, just as the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, said it would. The Koraysh took it to be an omen and so the boycott finally came to an end. Abu Jahl, who also another arch enemy of the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, knew it was pointless to go against the wishes of the crowd so it was with great reluctance that he accepted its termination. News that the boycott had been revoked was delivered to the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, and he, Lady Khadijah, his family and followers rejoiced in thanksgiving to Allah for its lifting. It was now 619 years since Allah took Jesus to the heavens, and ten years after Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him, received the first Revelation. It was a time for happiness but also of great sorrow for it was in that year, during the month of Ramadan, that Lady Khadijah, may Allah be pleased with her, returned to her Creator. Her daughters were very sad, and the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, gently comforted them telling them that many years before, when he had been in retreat in the Cave of Mount Hira, the Angel Gabriel had visited him and had brought good news for their mother from her Lord. Tenderly, the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, told the children that Gabriel had told him that a palace of gold had been prepared especially for her in Paradise, where she would no longer suffer from either noise or tiredness. The children were very happy to know that their beloved mother had been given such a wonderful place in which to live. Although they missed her they were happy for her. Out of all the ladies of the world, Allah selected her to be the wife of His beloved Prophet, praise and peace be upon him. She was indeed, the best wife for the best husband and had been blissfully married for twenty-five years. Her love and devotion to the calling and to him were unquestionable. A cross word was never exchanged between them, they were the perfect couple and loved being in each other’s company. Lady Khadijah had been the first to accept Islam and her faith was like the brilliance of the brightest planet that causes all the planets and stars to appear dim in the darkest hour of the night. Although Lady Khadijah had known excesses of wealth and luxury she never uttered a single word of complaint when the Holy family’s circumstances were reduced to the poverty of this materialistic world. Rather, she was ever thankful to Allah for whatever came her way. She was charitable and considerate, never looked down on anyone, and lovingly treated members of her household in the same way as she did her family. Such was the love and care she gave them that none wished to leave her service even when the Holy family’s circumstances were reduced. Whenever she had noticed or heard of someone in a distressed state she had always been there to lend a helping hand and like her beloved husband, never turned anyone away. She always looked for the good in people and brushed away anything that might to others have appeared negative. She was pure in heart, mind, body, and soul and was given the title of "Mother of Believers". Lady Khadijah had been an exemplary mother who dearly loved her children and raised them to be the best, most loving, obedient children of their time. Many were the days when she would be found fondly playing with them or, much to their delight, telling them the stories of other prophets that her beloved husband had narrated to her. When her two sons returned to Allah, she had been naturally saddened but she trusted in Allah and never complained, and gently comforted her grieving daughters who missed their little brothers. Lady Khadijah had been the most perfect wife, mother, friend, and neighbor. Those ladies fortunate to know her wished they had her qualities for she set the standard on earth for every woman who longed for Paradise in the life Hereafter. PARENT/TEACHER NOTES The vocabulary in "New Words" section is listed in the order of occurrence in the story. NEW WORDS Refined means being well mannered, and the opposite of rude. Merchandise means something you have to sell. Reputation refers to your character, you can either be known to be good and there for have a good reputation, or bad and have a bad reputation. Morality means having a good standard of behavior. Hermitage means a place where someone lives alone without the luxuries of life. Torah is the Holy Book given to Prophet Moses. Monk is a follower of Prophet Jesus who dedicates his life to studying religion. Scriptures is another name for Holy Books. Discreetly means finding out something without offending people. Infancy means when you were either a baby or a toddler. Retreat has different meanings, in this story it means a place where the Prophet would go to get away from worldly affairs and worship Allah in peace and quiet. Contemplate means to think about something. Meditation is similar to contemplate, in this story it means the Prophet devoted his time to thinking of Allah. Abhorred means to dislike very much. Hospitable means to welcome people and treat them well. Boycott means to avoid. In this story it means having nothing to do, nor offering help to the Prophet and Muslims. Predominately means mainly. Deprivation means to take something necessary away. Reluctance means did not want to do something. Termination means the end of something. Blissfully means very happy indeed. Materialistic means loving everything the world has to offer instead of loving Allah and His Prophet, praise and peace be upon him. QUIZ TIME Questions: 1. What was the name of Lady Khadijah's father? 2. Give two characteristics of Lady Khadijah. 3. Name one of the children of Lady Khadijah's BEFORE she married the Prophet. 4. Who suggested that the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, might go and ask Lady Khadijah if she would like him to trade for her? 5. Was Lady Khadijah the same age as the Prophet, younger or older? 6. What was the name of Lady Khadijah's servant who went with the Prophet to trade? 7. What did Nastura do or say? 8. Did Maysara tell Lady Khadijah about the events of the journey? 9. Who did Lady Khadijah send to inquire the reason why Prophet Muhammad had not married? 10. How many children did they have? 11. Did their sons live to be teenagers? 12. Who brought the Prophet food when he was in the cave? 13. Name two comforting things Lady Khadijah told the Prophet when she met him as he came down from Mount Hira. 14. Who was the first person to embrace Islam? 15. Did Lady Khadijah complain when the Koraysh made their lives difficult? 16. Who brought Lady Khadijah a bag of flour? 17. What was the only remaining word left written on the declaration placed inside the Ka'ba at the end of the boycott? 18. How many years were the Prophet and Lady Khadijah married? 19. Did the Prophet have another wife when he was married to Lady Khadijah? 20. Lady Khadijah was called "Mother of the B – L – - V – R –". Answers: 1. Lady Khadijah was the daughter of Khuwailid Asad. 2. She was a very good, caring, refined, beautiful young lady who did not hesitate to help those less fortunate than herself. 3. You could have said Hind or Harith. 4. Abu Talib 5. She was older than him. 6. His name was Maysara. 7. He rushed out to greet them, and told them "I believe you, and bear witness that you are the one Allah mentioned in the Torah." He turned to Maysara and told him, ""He is the last Prophet, I wish I could be with him when he is called!" 8. Yes. 9. Nufaysah. 10. They had six children. 11. No, they died when they were little. 12. Lady Khadijah. 13. You could have said any two of the following: Allah would never disappoint him because he was not only good to his family, but to those in need. He spoke the truth and whenever asked he would comfort and help people solve their problems and he was always hospitable. 14. Lady Khadijah 15. No. 16. Hakim, her nephew. 17. Allah. 18. Twenty-five years. 19. No. 20. Mother of Believers. SCORE TIME If you remembered to say, "praise and peace be upon him" when you mentioned the Prophet, add another mark to your score, but if you said it in Arabic, add two marks to your score. If you were clever and got all the questions right then your score will be more than 20! 1-5 questions right? You tried hard, how about asking your parents to read the story again to you, or reading the story yourself so you can get a better score? 6 – 10 good, well done! 11 - 15 very good indeed! 16 - 19 E X C E L L E N T, you did very well, we are proud of you! 20 or more C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S!!! You are an honor student of Allah.com and Muhammad.com BISMILLAH IR RAHMAN IR RAHEEM THE SULTAN AND THE MINISTER Copyrighted 2006 www. Allah.com and www.Muhammad.com All rights reserved Adapted for children from a traditional Arabic story by Khadijah Stephens Darwish There was once a Sultan called Khaled who lived in a very grand palace with beautiful gardens. He was loved by everyone and he did his best to help those in need. Now as you know, a Sultan has many ministers to advise him. This Sultan was no exception, but there was one minister he liked and was advised by most of all and his name was Omar. Omar was wise and always looked for the good in everything, no matter if things looked very bad and would always said, "Maybe some good will come of it." One day the Sultan was busy sharpening his arrows to go hunting and accidentally the knife slipped and he cut his finger off. He was in a lot of pain and very sad indeed that he had lost his finger. When the kind minister Omar saw what had happened tried to cheer him up and said, "Maybe some good will come of it." The Sultan was in no mood to hear such a comment, he was very upset and became very angry, how could anyone say cutting his finger off could ever have any good in it! He was so angry with Omar that he had him put in prison, and as the guards took him away the Sultan heard him say, "Maybe something good will come out if it" and there he remained for many years. Several years later, the Sultan decided to travel to far off lands. He took with him his ministers and caravans full of supplies. After many weeks of travel he came to a jungle and did not think anyone would live in such a place. But he was wrong, there were people and those people did not believe in Allah, they were idol worshipers and not very nice people at all. Soon, the idol worshipers learned of their presence and decided to ambush the Sultan's caravan. It was night time and all was quiet, the Sultan and his ministers had said their Isha prayer and had gone to sleep under the starlight not suspecting danger was just around the corner. Suddenly, they were awakened by a very loud shriek and the idol worships swooped down upon the unsuspecting travelers and capture them all. The idol worshipers bound their captives tightly and led them deeper into the jungle. As they approached their village much to the horror of the Sultan and his ministers they saw large bonfires with flames leaping into the sky and huge idols decorated with flowers with pots of incense being burned as offerings. Men and women fell prostrate the idols and they chanted something that did not sound at all friendly. When the idol worshiping villagers saw the captives they rushed up to them and took them to their chieftain. The chieftain ordered that all of the captives should be sacrificed to their idols in thanksgiving for the caravan with all its treasures. One by one the ministers were sacrificed and now it was time for the Sultan. They were just about to sacrifice him when they noticed one of his fingers was missing, and the rules of the tribe were that nothing imperfect should be sacrificed to their gods, and so the Sultan was set free. It was then that the Sultan realized what his minister had told him was in fact true some good had come from his loosing his finger! All the way home the Sultan praised and thanked Allah for saving him on account of his missing finger, he felt that he had been ungrateful to Allah all these years and also felt very sorry for sending Omar to prison. But one thing still puzzled him, it was that he had heard Omar say as the guards took him away to prison, "Maybe something good will come out of it." At last the Sultan reached his palace, and the first thing he did was to go to the palace mosque and make two units of prayer in thanksgiving for his safe return. Then he asked to be taken to Omar. Omar was happy to see him once again and to hear how the Sultan's severed finger had saved him from being sacrificed. The Sultan immediately ordered Omar's release and said, "I can now understand the good that came to me on account of my severed finger, but what good has come to you for being in prison all these years." Omar smiled and said, "If you had not put me in prison I would have gone with you on your travels, and I too would have been sacrificed with the others. Al Hamdulillah, Allah spared me and you!" Copyrighted 2006 www. Allah.com and www.Muhammad.com All rights reserved 1