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MY DUTY AS A MUSLIM
I am a Muslim.
My Deen is Islam.
I believe that there is no diety but Almighty Allah.
Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is Rasulullah.
"Rasulullah" means "Allah's Prophet" or "Allah's Messenger."
When we hear or see the name Nabi Muhammad, we say, "sallal laahu alaihi wasallam." That means, "Allah's blessings and peace be upon him."
It reminds us to ask Almighty Allah to bless our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). Almighty Allah and His Angels bless us when we ask Almighty Allah to bless Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
Now, we will read about the life of our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
I love my Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
He is our Prophet.
He brought us the Holy Quran.
The Holy Quran is Almighty Allah's last message to the people of the world.
I must love those that love Almighty Allah and our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
I must keep away from those who do not love Almighty Allah and our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
We should try to obey Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
When we obey him, we are obeying Almighty Allah.
Then Almighty Allah will be happy with us.
Almighty Allah will take care of us in this world.
And Almighty Allah will reward us in our next life.
THE PEOPLE OF ARABIA
Makkatul Mukarramah is in Arabia.
The people of Arabia are called Arabs.
Most of the Arabs lived in the cities.
Others lived in tents in the desert.
The Arabs were very cruel people. They cheated. They drank wine and alcohol. They placed bets and gambled. They were not kind to their mothers, daughters and sisters. They even killed their young daughters. They fought wars and killed each other.
The Arabs forgot to pray to Almighty Allah. They changed the Holy Kaaba. They put idols in the Holy Kaaba, the House of Almighty Allah. They prayed to the idols.
OUR NABI MUHAMMAD (SALLAL LAAHU ALAIHI WASALLAM'S) FAMILY
Our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) was born in the city of Makkatul Mukarramah.
He was born on Monday, the 12th of Rabi-ul-Awwal.
Our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) belonged to the Banu Hashim family. He was from the Quraish tribe.
His father's name was Sayyiduna Abdullah (radi Allahu anhu). His father passed away before our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) was born.
His mother, Sayyidah Aamina (radi Allahu anha), passed away when he was six (6) years old.
His grandfather, Sayyiduna Abdul Muttalib (radi Allahu anhu), then took care of him. But his grandfather also passed away.
Our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) was now eight (8) years old.
OUR NABI MUHAMMAD (SALLAL LAAHU ALAIHI WASALLAM) AS A MERCHANT
His uncle, Abu Taalib, now took care of him.
Everybody loved our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). He was a happy, friendly person. He liked to help other people. He did not use bad words. He did not fight with the other children.
Abu Taalib was a merchant. He bought and sold things. Our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) was also a merchant.
Our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) was an honest merchant. People trusted him.
He always told the truth, so people called him As-Saadiq. "As-Saadiq" means truthful.
He was also very honest and people trusted him. They called him Al-Amin. "Al-Amin" means the person we can trust.
OUR NABI MUHAMMAD (SALLAL LAAHU ALAIHI WASALLAM) GETS MARRIED
A lady named Bibi Khadija (Radi Allahu Anha) lived in Makkatul Mukarramah. She was a widow. Her husband passed away. Our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) did some business for her. She liked his honesty.
When our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) was 25 years old, he married Bibi Khadija (radi Allahu anha). She was 40 years old. They loved and cared for each other. They had six (6) children.
Bibi Khadija (radi Allahu anha) was very rich. She gave all her wealth to our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). He helped the poor people. He freed many slaves.
OUR NABI MUHAMMAD (SALLAL LAAHU ALAIHI WASALLAM) IS ALLAH'S MESSENGER
Our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) did not like the evil ways of the Arabs. He wanted the people to know the truth about Almighty Allah. So he started going to a cave to think about things. The cave was called Hira.
It was peaceful and quiet in the cave of Hira. Our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) spent a lot of time in the cave of Hira thinking about Almighty Allah and praying to Almighty Allah.
One day, he was in the cave of Hira. Suddenly, the dark cave became full of light. In the light, our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) saw an Angel. The Angel was Sayyiduna Jibra'el (Alayhis Salaam).
Sayyiduna Jibra'el (Alayhis Salaam) gave him a message from Almighty Allah. Almighty Allah wanted our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) to announce that he is Rasulullah. Almighty Allah wanted him to be His Messenger and invite the people to Islam.
Our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) was forty (40) years old.
FAMILY AND FRIENDS ACCEPT ISLAM
Our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) first talked to his family and friends about Islam.
He told them:
Almighty Allah made me His Rasool, His Prophet.
I will teach you the Deen of Islam.
I will teach you Almighty Allah's Book, the Holy Quran.
I will teach you what is right.
I will tell you what is wrong.
Some of his family and friends believed in him. They became Muslims.
A Muslim who saw Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) and believed in him is called a Sahabi. "Sahabi" means a friend.
When we hear a Sahabi's name, we say, "radi Allahu anhu." It means, "May Allah be pleased with him."
OUR NABI MUHAMMAD (SALLAL LAAHU ALAIHI WASALLAM) WARNS THE PEOPLE
Sayyiduna Jibra'el (Alayhis Salaam) came again.
"Now Allah wants you to teach Islam to everyone in Makkatul Mukarramah," he told our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
Our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) climbed the hill of Safaa. He called all the people.
He told them : O People! If I tell you that behind this mountain there is an army that is going to attack you, will you believe me?
The people said : We will believe you. You are Al Amin and As Saadiq.
He said : Then believe in what I have to say.
Almighty Allah has made me His Rasool.
Almighty Allah has asked me to teach you about Islam.
Do not pray to the idols.
Stop your evil ways or Almighty Allah will punish you.
You must believe in Almighty Allah.
You will die one day.
Allah will judge you.
But many people in Makkatul Mukarramah did not want to believe in Almighty Allah. They liked to pray to their idols. They were angry so they went away.
THE MUSLIMS AND THE KUFFAR
Our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) taught Islam to everyone who would listen.
Many people believed in him. They became Muslims.
They became the Sahaba of our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
Most of the people of Makkatul Mukarramah did not like his teachings.
They did not want to hear about Islam.
They did not want to hear the words of the Holy Quran.
They remained non-believers. The non-believers are called the "Kuffar." The Kuffar are the enemies of Islam. They are the enemies of our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
THE KUFFAR HARM THE MUSLIMS
There were many Kuffar in Makkatul Mukarramah. They told our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) not to teach Islam. He warned them about the Day of Judgement.
He said :
When the heavens will break,
and the stars will fall,
and the earth will shake,
and the mountains will fly into pieces -
on that day everything will end.
The Kuffar did not believe what he said. They laughed at him when he talked. They made fun of him. They threw dirt on him.
They tried to hurt him.
Our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) suffered a lot. But he was patient. He knew he was the Prophet of Allah. He kept on teaching Islam.
Most of the Sahabah were weak and poor.
The Kuffar did not leave the Sahabah.
They put the Muslim slaves in chain.
They dragged them through the streets.
They made them lie on hot sand.
They made them sit on burning coal.
They kept them without food and water.
But the Muslims were patient. They faith remained strong.
Our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) sent some Muslims to another country called Abyssinia. The King of Abyssinia was a Christian. He was a kind man. He protected the Muslims from the Kuffar.
MUSLIMS LIVE IN A VALLEY
The Kuffar were very worried. More and more people were accepting Islam.
The Kuffar asked the people of Makkatul Mukarramah to :
Stop talking to the Muslims,
Stop selling them things,
Stop buying from them and
Stop giving them things to eat and drink.
Our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) took his family and some other Muslims to live in a valley. No one would talk to them. No one would sell them anything. They had almost no food and water. The Muslims suffered a lot. But they remained firm. The Muslims did not give up.
Then at last the Kuffar let the Muslims come out of the valley and go home.
THE PEOPLE OF TA'IF
Our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) went to the city of Ta'if. He wanted to teach Islam to its people.
The people of Ta'if were rich and powerful. They believed in idols and loved their evil ways. They did not like the teachings of Islam.
They laughed at our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). They made fun of him. They threw stones at him and hurt him. They chased him out of the city.
Our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) was hurt by the stones. He was bleeding and in pain.
But, he was not angry with the people of Taif. He prayed to Almighty Allah to guide the people of Taif to Islam and make them good Muslims.
JOURNEY TO THE HEAVENS - MEE'RAJ
Almighty Allah invited our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) to Heaven. Almighty Allah wanted our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) to reach places where nobody has or will ever reach.
Allah sent the Angel, Sayyiduna Jibra'el (Alayhis Salaam), to bring our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) to Heaven. The journey of our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) to Heaven is called "MEE'RAJ."
Our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) rode on Buraaq. The Buraaq was a creature of Heaven. It was like a horse with wings.
Our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) reached Heaven. He saw how beautiful Heaven was. He saw the terrible fire of Hell.
He spoke to Almighty Allah. Almighty Allah said :
Heaven is for good Muslims.
Hell is for the wicked Kuffar.
I will give a gift to the Muslims.
My gift is Salaah.
Through Salaah Muslims can meet me.
Then Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) went back home. He told the Muslims about his Mee'raj. They were very happy. The Kuffar did not believe him.
THE PEOPLE OF MADINATUL MUNAWWARAH ACCEPT ISLAM
For ten years, our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) invited the people of Makkatul Mukarramah to Islam.
Madinatul Munawwarah was another city in Arabia. Some of the people from Madinatul Munawwarah came to Makkatul Mukarramah. They listened to our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) and accepted Islam.
He told them :
Almighty Allah loves you.
You are Allah's Ansaar, the helpers.
The people of Madinatul Munawwarah were very happy to hear this. They said:
We believe in Almighty Allah. We believe in His Rasool.
We are Muslims. We will be Almighty Allah's Ansaar.
You are our Prophet. We will help our Muslim brothers.
We will work for Islam.
They then went back to Madinatul Munawwarah. They told everyone about our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) and about Islam.
PLANS TO KILL OUR NABI MUHAMMAD (SALLAL LAAHU ALAIHI WASALLAM)
Our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) saw the sufferings of the Muslims of Makkatul Mukarramah. He told them: "Go to Madinatul Munawwarah. Live there with your Muslim brothers."
Most of the Muslims went to Madinatul Munawwarah.
When the Kuffar found out that the Muslims had gone, they became angry. They wanted to kill our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
They began making plans. Almighty Allah told our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) about the plans of the Kuffar. Our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) escaped and went to Madinatul Munawwarah.
THE ISLAMIC CITY OF MADINATUL MUNAWWARAH
The people of Madinatul Munawwarah were very happy to see our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). They came out to welcome him.
The little boys and girls wore colourful clothes. They sang beautiful songs for him.
Our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) asked the children: "Do you love me."
The children were excited. They said: "Yes, we love you, O Rasulullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam)!"
He said: "And I love you, too."
It was the happiest day in their lives!
MUSJID-UN-NABAWI
Our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) was now the leader in Madinatul Munawwarah. He made this blessed city into an Islamic City.
Here he built a mosque. It was a very simple mosque. This mosque was made of mud and clay. The pillars were made from the trunks of palm trees. The roof of the mosque was made from the leaves of the palm trees.
This Musjid was called "Musjid-un-Nabawi" or "The Mosque of the Prophet."
THE BATTLE OF BADR
The Kuffar in Makkatul Mukarramah were very angry. The leaders of the Kuffar got together. They said: "We have to stop Islam. Let us go to war with the Muslims. We will show the Muslims how strong we are."
The first battle with the Kuffar was at a place called Badr. The Muslims were small in number. There were more Kuffar than Muslims.
The Muslims were very brave. They were not afraid to fight. The Muslims won the battle. Almighty Allah had helped the Muslims to win the battle. They had trust in Almighty Allah. Many of the Kuffar were killed. Many were caught by the Muslims.
THE BATTLE OF UHUD
A year later, the Kuffar attacked the Muslims again. This time they had a very big army. This battle was at a place called Uhud, near Madinatul Munawwarah.
Many people were killed in the Battle of Uhud. And many others were hurt. Our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) was also hurt in this battle.
THE BATTLE OF THE TRENCH
Two years later, the Kuffar attacked again. They had an even bigger army. The Muslims dug a big trench around Madinatul Munawwarah. They fought from behind the trench. This war is called the Battle of the Trench.
The battle went on for a month. The Muslims kept the Kuffar from crossing the ditch. But no one was winning.
Then, one night, Almighty Allah sent a wind. The wind was very strong. It blew the Kuffars tents. It blew away their food. It blew away their camels, their horses and their sheep.
The Kuffar were really scared! It was so dark that they could not see. Some of them fought with each other. By morning, they had all run away.
The Muslims won the battle! Almighty Allah had seen that they were patient and brave. He helped them against the enemies of Islam.
The Muslims thanked Almighty Allah, saying :
Almighty Allah is the true Lord,
He gave us victory over the Kuffar.
ISLAM SPREADS TO OTHER PLACES
The Kuffar made peace with our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). There was no more fighting. Some of the Kuffar began to listen to the Message of Islam. More and more people became Muslims.
Our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) sent his Sahaba to many places. He sent them with letters to invite the kings and the tribes to Islam.
The letters said :
Believe in Almighty Allah. Believe in His Prophet.
Accept Islam. Be kind and fair to everyone.
Do good deeds. Do not do evil deeds.
After death, you will return to Almighty Allah.
So fear the Day of Judgement.
More and more people came to our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). They accepted Islam. Islam became stronger day by day.
THE HOLY KAABA FREE FROM IDOLS
The Kuffar were not happy to see Islam become strong. They did not want peace with our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). They wanted to fight again.
Our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) took a big Muslim army and marched towards Makkatul Mukarramah. They stopped outside the city. The Muslims prayed to Almighty Allah to give them victory and bring the Kuffar to Islam.
The Muslims caught the leader of the Kuffar. Our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) forgave him. He became a Muslim.
The Muslim army now entered Makkatul Mukarramah without a fight. They went to the Holy Kaaba with our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). He broke all the idols to pieces. He threw them out of the Holy Kaaba. Once again the Holy Kaaba was the House of Allah.
The Muslims were very happy. With Almighty Allah's help, Islam had become very strong. Islam had won!
THE PEOPLE OF MAKKATUL MUKARRAMAH
The Kuffar came out to see our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
They asked him: "What are you going to do with us?"
He said: "Go, you all are free. I forgive you. May Almighty Allah also forgive you."
The Kuffar could not believe what they heard.
Many of the Kuffar saw how kind and merciful our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) was. They accepted Islam. They asked our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) to forgive them.
Our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said :
You are now Muslims.
You are now brothers.
You are now our family.
You are now my own Ummah.
I forgive you.
Almighty Allah will forgive you.
The Muslims will forgive you.
He won the city of Makkatul Mukarramah. He won the hearts of the people of Makkatul Mukarramah.
LAST HAJJ
More and more people came to Madinatul Munawwarah. They all accepted Islam.
Almighty Allah told our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) that his work was now complete. He had done what Almighty Allah wanted him to do. Now he must return to Almighty Allah.
Our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) went to Makkatul Mukarramah for Hajj. He went with thousands of Muslims.
Our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) spoke to all the Muslims. It was his last big speech. He said:
Almighty Allah has chosen Islam as His religion.
Remember! All human beings are brothers and sisters.
We are all the children of Nabi Adam (alayhis salaam).
All Muslims are brothers.
Be kind to everyone.
Do not kill anyone.
Follow the Holy Quran and my Example.
I have given you the Message of Islam.
Tell everyone about Islam.
The people said:
Insha-Allah, we will.
We will do everything that you have told us.
We are Muslims.
We love Almighty Allah and His Rasool (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
And we will obey Almighty Allah and His Rasool (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
RETURN TO ALMIGHTY ALLAH
After Hajj, our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) went back to Madinatul Munawwarah. He then became very ill.
The time for our Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) to meet Almighty Allah had come. He said: "Allah is the Best Friend. Allah is the only True Friend."
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