Junior Jeopardy for Ages 6 & 7 (MAP)
MAP Sunday School students in Islamic Studies levels 2 & 3 will be responsible from the following topics:
Study materials for these topics are given below. Please go over these materials with your child.
- Prophets of Allah
- Prophet Muhammad (S) Makkan Era
- Qur'an Facts
- Famous Places and Landmarks
Study materials for these topics are given below. Please go over these materials with your child.
Prophets of Allah
PROPHET ADAM
Allah (SWT) created the first man, the Prophet Adam (AS), from clay and gave him knowledge of lot of things. Adam (A) was not like the other creations on Earth. He was a very special creation of Allah (SWT). Allah gave him a mind with which he could think and choose. He gave him a heart in order that he may feel and love. Allah (SWT) "Put onto him His own spirit." (15:29)
The Disobedience of Iblis: Allah’s special gift to Adam (A) was the gift of knowledge. He taught Adam things. He taught (A) many him the names of "all things." He gave Adam (A) a desire to learn. None of Allah’s (SWT) creations knew as much as Adam (A) did, not even His angels. He was very special to Allah (SWT). One day, Allah (SWT) asked the angels and the jinn to come and see Adam (A), His new creation.
Allah (SWT) then asked the angels to bow down to Adam (AS) to show him respect and they all obeyed Allah(SWT)'s command. Iblis, who was a jinn among the angels did not obey Allah (SWT)'s command.He thought he was better than Adam (AS), because he was made out of fire and Adam (AS) was created out of clay. Iblis was too proud of himself and was stubborn. He didn't obey Allah(SWT)'s command.
Allah (SWT) is kind and merciful, but He does not like disobedience. Allah (SWT) was angry at Iblis and made him leave Jannah. Iblis had no choice. He had to leave. Before he left, he told Allah (SWT) that he would make Adam (A) and all his children disobey Allah (SWT). Allah (SWT) said he could try, but the good people of Allah would never listen to him.
Allah (SWT) created all creatures on Earth in pairs. Allah (SWT) created another human being along with Adam (A), a woman named Hawwa. She was a beautiful and noble woman. Adam(A) and Hawwa lived in Jannah. They were both happy there. Allah (SWT) gave them everything that they wanted. Allah (SWT) told Adam (A) and Hawwa to eat any of the fruits and vegetables in Heaven, except for the fruits of one tree. Adam (A) and Hawwa were very careful to keep away from this forbidden tree. They wanted to obey Allah (SWT).
However, Iblis did not like Adam (A) and Hawwa. He thought it was Adam’s (A) fault that Allah had sent him away. He wanted to get Adam (A) and Hawwa kicked out of Heaven just like he had been. So he kept trying to make them disobey Allah (SWT). He told them if they ate the fruit of the forbidden tree, they would live forever. Finally one day, Adam (A) and Hawwa both decided to eat the fruit. They disobeyed Allah’s (SWT) commands. As soon as they tasted it, they both felt very sorry that they had listened to Iblis. They tried to hide in the woods and cover themselves. They felt very ashamed and did not want Allah to see them. But Allah (SWT) sees everything, and He knew what they had done. He ordered them both to leave Jannah. Jannah is only for those who obey’ Allah (SWT). Allah (SWT) sent Adam (A) and Hawwa down to Earth.They prayed to Allah (SWT) to guide them. Allah is All Forgiving and He forgave them and guided them.
From the story of Adam( A), we learned that we should never listen to Shaitan and always follow Allah( SWT)'s teachings.
PROPHET SALIH (AS)
The Prophet Salih(AS) was sent to the tribe of Thamud who were prosperous builders and architects of their time, but without faith in Allah. He asked his people to worship one Allah, but they ignored him.
One day, as a test, he asked them to allow a she-camel, sent by Allah, to graze and drink. But they killed her and were then severely punished by Allah's sending them a terrible earthquake which buried them all in their own fortress like houses. Only Prophet Salih(AS) and his followers were saved.
PROPHET SULAYMAN (AS)
The Prophet Sulayman (AS) ruled over Jerusalem, just like his father, Prophet Dawud (AS).
Allah (SWT) gave Sulayman (AS) power over the winds, and the jinn and the ability to understand the language of the birds, beasts and insects. He always thanked Allah (SWT) for these blessings.
PROPHET YUNUS (AS)
The prophet Yunus was sent to Ninevah. He warned the people about their evil ways and told them to follow Allah but they would not listen. Yunus was so angry he left. He sailed away but the ship was so full and heavy, poor Yunus was thrown overboard. He was swallowed by an enormous fish and he lived in its belly for three days. Yunus (AS) prayed to Allah (SWT) from the belly of the fish and Allah( SWT) answered his prayers. The fish spewed him out on a shore.
He was very ill but Allah was protecting him.A gourd plant grew and its leaves protected Yunus (AS) from the sun. A wild goat provided him with milk. When he became better, he went back to Ninevah and gave the people Allah's message once more. This time the people listened and Allah forgave them.
PROPHET HUD (AS)
A long time ago, a great tribe lived in the south of Arabia. They were called Ad. They were very clever and could do many things. They used the mountains for their homes. They carved out great mansions with wonderful pillars. They called their city Iram. It was very famous. As time went on, the people of Ad thought more about themselves and less about Allah. They thought they didn't need Allah, because they had lots of money and power. They thought they were being clever but really they were foolish.Before long they turned to bad ways. Gangs of them used to rob and kill people traveling by. There was still one good man among them. His name was Hud. He did not belong to any of the gangs. He did not agree with the things they did. He tried to tell them to stop their bad ways and told them to follow Allah's ways.
Hud said Allah would punish the bad ones but most of the people still would not listen. They thought they were more clever than the Prophet of Allah. Allah told Hud (AS) to take all the good people into a big cave near the city. The very next day a terrible tornado came and only the good ones, the ones who had listened, were saved.
PROPHET DAWUD (AS)
Dawud (AS) was not born in a king's family. He was a simple boy who worked for a king named Talut.
Once Talut was preparing his army to fight the mighty enemies. Among those enemies was a giant named Jalut or Goliath. Everybody was scared to fight with Jalut because he could kill people with one swing of his sword.King Talut asked his soldiers to challenge Jalut. However, nobody came forward.
Then young Dawud (AS) came forward. Dawud (AS) was aware of Jalut's strength and thus he prayed to Allah to give him patience and make his feet strong.
Dawud (AS) was good at shooting pebbles from his sling. He started shooting pebbles and they shot out at a speed of bullets and hit Jalut all over his face.Jalut fell on the ground and died. The army of Talut chased away the enemies and Dawud (AS) was rewarded by King Talut.
After the death of Talut, Dawud (AS) became the King and Allah (SWT) later made him a Prophet. He was given Zabur, a Book of Allah.
Some of the qualities of Dawud AS were that he knew the language of the birds. He learned melting iron and used iron to build shields for his army.
Prophet Muhammad (s) Makkan Era
BIRTH OF THE PROPHET (S)
Prophet Muhammad (s) was born in Makkah, Arabia, in the month of Rabi ul Awwal. His mother's name was Aminah, and father's name was Abdullah, son of Abdul Muttalib, bin Hashim bin Abd-e-Manaaf of Quraish family. Muhammad (s) belonged to Quraish tribe and Banu Hashim Family.
CHILDHOOD
In those days, people of Makkah sent their babies into the desert to be nursed by foster mothers from shepherds' families, and so little Muhammad (s) spent the first years of his life in the care of Halimah of the Banu Sa'd tribe.
Prophet Muhammad (s) stayed with Halimah for four years.
MOTHER'S DEATH
When Muhammad (s) was six years old, his mother Aminah took him to visit his uncles in Yathrib (Madinah).Young Muhammad (s) enjoyed meeting his cousins and learning to swim. They happily stayed there for a month. But sadly, on their journey back to Makkah, Aminah fell ill and died. Muhammad (s) who was only six years old at that time, returned home with his mother's maid, Umm Ayman.
His grandfather Abdul Muttalib took him in his care. Two years later, his grandfather also passed away, when Prophet Muhammad (s) was eight years old. Now Prophet Muhammad (s) was under the care of his Uncle, Abu Talib.
MARRIAGE AND CHILDREN
Muhammad (s) grew up to be a very kind, honest and a truthful young man. He was given the titles of SADIQ and AL AMIN for his honesty and trustworthiness. When he was 25 years old, a business woman named Khadijah (RA), hired Muhammad (s) to trade her goods in Syria. She sent her servant, Maysarah along with the Prophet (s) on this business trip.
Muhammad (s) did very well earning greater profits than ever before and Maysarah also gave a shining report of our Prophet's superior and excellent character.
Greatly impressed by Muhammad's (s) character, Khadijah (RA) married him. She was 40 years old at that time. They were blessed with six children, two boys and four girls. The boys died in infancy.
Names of his children with Khadijah were: BOYS (Tahir and Qasim); GIRLS (Zaynab, Ruqayya, UmmKulthum and Fatima).
Prophet (s) had another son named Ibrahim with his wife Maria Qibtiyya. He also passed away in infancy.
PROPHETHOOD
Muhammad (s) used to spend a lot of time in Cave Of Hira. Staying alone for days in that cave,he would ponder upon the truth of this life and spend his time in prayers.
One day in the month of Ramadan,Angel Jibril appeared to him, held him and asked him to read and so taught him the first five ayahs of Surat Al Alaq. These were the first revealed verses of Quran.
After sharing the entire incident with Khadijah, she comforted him and took Muhammad (s) to her cousin Warqa bin Nawfil, who reassured the Prophet (SAW) that his experience had been genuine.
Warqa Bin Nawfil who was learned in Christian and Jewish books confirmed, that Muhammad (s) is indeed a Prophet Of Allah.
Prophet (SAW) at this time was forty years old when he was granted Prophethood.
THE FIRST BELIEVERS
The Prophet SAW after his first experience of revelation, came to accept his role as Allah's Messenger with Khadija's help. She was the first person to believe in Allah's message and accept Islam. Next was Ali Ibn Talib, Muhammad's (s) cousin who accepted Islam. Ali at that time was only 10 years old.
Abu Bakar (RA) and Zaid Bin Harith were also among the first people to accept Islam.
At first Prophet Muhammad (s) taught khadija and a small group of friends how to pray, and they would pray together. Prophet (s) would preach Islam secretly and continued teaching it for three years.
PUBLIC CALL TO ISLAM
Three years later, he was commanded to give the message of Islam openly and in public.Prophet Muhammad (s) started teaching Islam to the people of Makkah but with very little success. The Quraysh were not happy with him and tried to stop him several times from spreading the message of Islam.
They treated Muhammad (s) very badly.Also his companions were not treated well. Muhammad (s) permitted his companions to migrate to Habasha (Ethiopia).
THE YEAR OF SORROW
Muhammad's (s) family and people who were accepting his message were suffering great hardships at the hands of Quraysh. During this period, his beloved wife Khadija (RA) and his uncle Abu Talib passed away.Muhammad (s) was very sad, as both of them were very near and dear to him and had supported him in good and bad times. Even though his Uncle Abu Talib did not accept Islam, he had always protected his nephew Muhammad (s) from the people of Quraysh and always stood by his side.
Now with the death of his uncle, the Prophet (s) was without protection and his enemies were happy and redoubled their brutalities.
TAIF
During his tenth year of Prophethood, Muhammad (s) visited a town outside of Makkah called Taif, with Zaid Bin Harith to invite people to Islam and hoping to get protection. But the people of Taif were very cruel to our beloved prophet (s) and threw stones at him and chased him out if town.
Bleeding and tired, he took shelter in the garden of Utbah Bin Rabi'ah.
THE NIGHT JOURNEY (MI'RAAJ)
The journey of Mi'raaj (night journey) took place after the 11th year of Prophethood.
Muhammad (s) was taken by Angel Jibril from Makkah to Masjid-Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem on the Burraaq, a horse like animal with a lightning speed.
From Jerusalem, he went to seven heavens where he met all the previous Prophets and Allah (SWT) gave Muhammad (s) a gift of five daily Prayers (Salaah).
This whole journey of going from Makkah to Jerusalem and then ascending to seven heavens and coming back to Makkah, took place in just one night in the month of Rajab.
MIGRATION TO MADINAH
The deaths of the Prophet's wife Khadija (RA) and his uncle Abu Talib,encouraged the enemy to oppress and harass Muhammad (s) and stop him from spreading the message of Islam.
Nevertheless, the Prophet (s) continued to successfully convey the message of Islam. A small group of people from the tribes of Yathrib (Madinah), met him at a place called Aqabah and accepted Islam. They also invited the Prophet (SAW) to live in Yathrib (Madinah).
This made Quraysh very angry, for Islam was now also spreading in Yathrib (Madinah).
The people of Quraysh sketched a plan to kill Muhammad (s). But Allah (SWT), had some other plans for our prophet (s).
Allah (SWT) commanded Muhammad (s) to leave for Madinah. The Prophet (s), therefore accompanied by Abu Bakr (RA), left Makkah for Madinah in the 13th year of his prophethood.
They stayed in the Cave Of Thawr for three days,before eventually migrating to Madinah.
The Prophet's (s) journey from Makkah to Madinah is called HIJRA.
This migration was the first real step towards the world wide spread of Islam.
Quran Facts
Famous Places & Landmarks
MOUNT UHUD: It is a volcanic hill in Western outskirts of Madinah. The famous historic Battle of Uhud was fought near this mountain. Prophet(SAW)'s uncle Hamza (RA) was martyred in this battle.
MOUNT SINAI: Located in Egypt, this mount is also known as Jabal Musa, or the Mountain Of Moses. Here Musa (AS) was shown great miracles and was given the Torah.
ARAFAT MOUNTAIN: This mountain is situated in Makkah and is a major meeting point of Hajj. On the 9th of Dhu'l Hajj, pilgrims gather here which is the most important part of Hajj.
SAFA AND MARWAH: These are two hillocks situated near Ka'bah. Those performing Hajj or Umra, walk seven times between them, starting from Safa and ending at Marwah. This walking is called Sa'ee.
CAVE OF HIRA: This is the place where the first revelation of the Quran was made to Prophet Muhammad (SAW). It is situated in Jabal Al Noor( the mountain of light), a few miles away from Makkah.
CAVE OF THAWR: This is the cave where Muhammad (SAW) and his closest companion, Abu Bakr Siddiq (RA), hid for three nights on their migration from Makkah to Madinah.
BABYLON: Babil or Babylon is one of the ancient cities, the ruins of which can be seen today near Iraq. The Quran mentions this city with reference to two angels, Harut and Marut. They were sent by Allah to warn the people of Babylon because of bad practices.
GARDEN OF SALMAN AL FARSI: It is the land on which Prophet (SAW) planted around 300 date palm trees to free Salman Al Farsi from slavery. It is located close to Masjid Quba.
RUKAN YAMANI: This is one of the corners of Ka'bah that faces the land Of Yemen.
MULTAZIM: The area between Hajr Al Aswad (The Black Stone) and the door of the Ka'bah is called Multazim.
THE NILE: The Nile river is believed to be the longest river in the world. According to a Hadith from Sahih Al Bukhari, it is one of the two worldly rivers found in Jannah, the other being the Euphrates.
WAADI MUHASSAR: It is a place between Mina and Muzdalifah. It is here that Allah(SWT) destroyed Abraha and his army of elephants, as they were progressing to attack Ka'bah. This incident is mentioned in Surah Feel.
THE DOME OF THE ROCK: It is located in Jerusalem.The Prophet (SAW) had climbed upon a rock at Bayt Al Maqdis from where he was taken to the heavens during his night journey with angel Jibril. A special structure was later built at this place.It is called the Dome Of The Rock. It was built by Abd Al Malik.
PROPHET ADAM
Allah (SWT) created the first man, the Prophet Adam (AS), from clay and gave him knowledge of lot of things. Adam (A) was not like the other creations on Earth. He was a very special creation of Allah (SWT). Allah gave him a mind with which he could think and choose. He gave him a heart in order that he may feel and love. Allah (SWT) "Put onto him His own spirit." (15:29)
The Disobedience of Iblis: Allah’s special gift to Adam (A) was the gift of knowledge. He taught Adam things. He taught (A) many him the names of "all things." He gave Adam (A) a desire to learn. None of Allah’s (SWT) creations knew as much as Adam (A) did, not even His angels. He was very special to Allah (SWT). One day, Allah (SWT) asked the angels and the jinn to come and see Adam (A), His new creation.
Allah (SWT) then asked the angels to bow down to Adam (AS) to show him respect and they all obeyed Allah(SWT)'s command. Iblis, who was a jinn among the angels did not obey Allah (SWT)'s command.He thought he was better than Adam (AS), because he was made out of fire and Adam (AS) was created out of clay. Iblis was too proud of himself and was stubborn. He didn't obey Allah(SWT)'s command.
Allah (SWT) is kind and merciful, but He does not like disobedience. Allah (SWT) was angry at Iblis and made him leave Jannah. Iblis had no choice. He had to leave. Before he left, he told Allah (SWT) that he would make Adam (A) and all his children disobey Allah (SWT). Allah (SWT) said he could try, but the good people of Allah would never listen to him.
Allah (SWT) created all creatures on Earth in pairs. Allah (SWT) created another human being along with Adam (A), a woman named Hawwa. She was a beautiful and noble woman. Adam(A) and Hawwa lived in Jannah. They were both happy there. Allah (SWT) gave them everything that they wanted. Allah (SWT) told Adam (A) and Hawwa to eat any of the fruits and vegetables in Heaven, except for the fruits of one tree. Adam (A) and Hawwa were very careful to keep away from this forbidden tree. They wanted to obey Allah (SWT).
However, Iblis did not like Adam (A) and Hawwa. He thought it was Adam’s (A) fault that Allah had sent him away. He wanted to get Adam (A) and Hawwa kicked out of Heaven just like he had been. So he kept trying to make them disobey Allah (SWT). He told them if they ate the fruit of the forbidden tree, they would live forever. Finally one day, Adam (A) and Hawwa both decided to eat the fruit. They disobeyed Allah’s (SWT) commands. As soon as they tasted it, they both felt very sorry that they had listened to Iblis. They tried to hide in the woods and cover themselves. They felt very ashamed and did not want Allah to see them. But Allah (SWT) sees everything, and He knew what they had done. He ordered them both to leave Jannah. Jannah is only for those who obey’ Allah (SWT). Allah (SWT) sent Adam (A) and Hawwa down to Earth.They prayed to Allah (SWT) to guide them. Allah is All Forgiving and He forgave them and guided them.
From the story of Adam( A), we learned that we should never listen to Shaitan and always follow Allah( SWT)'s teachings.
PROPHET SALIH (AS)
The Prophet Salih(AS) was sent to the tribe of Thamud who were prosperous builders and architects of their time, but without faith in Allah. He asked his people to worship one Allah, but they ignored him.
One day, as a test, he asked them to allow a she-camel, sent by Allah, to graze and drink. But they killed her and were then severely punished by Allah's sending them a terrible earthquake which buried them all in their own fortress like houses. Only Prophet Salih(AS) and his followers were saved.
PROPHET SULAYMAN (AS)
The Prophet Sulayman (AS) ruled over Jerusalem, just like his father, Prophet Dawud (AS).
Allah (SWT) gave Sulayman (AS) power over the winds, and the jinn and the ability to understand the language of the birds, beasts and insects. He always thanked Allah (SWT) for these blessings.
PROPHET YUNUS (AS)
The prophet Yunus was sent to Ninevah. He warned the people about their evil ways and told them to follow Allah but they would not listen. Yunus was so angry he left. He sailed away but the ship was so full and heavy, poor Yunus was thrown overboard. He was swallowed by an enormous fish and he lived in its belly for three days. Yunus (AS) prayed to Allah (SWT) from the belly of the fish and Allah( SWT) answered his prayers. The fish spewed him out on a shore.
He was very ill but Allah was protecting him.A gourd plant grew and its leaves protected Yunus (AS) from the sun. A wild goat provided him with milk. When he became better, he went back to Ninevah and gave the people Allah's message once more. This time the people listened and Allah forgave them.
PROPHET HUD (AS)
A long time ago, a great tribe lived in the south of Arabia. They were called Ad. They were very clever and could do many things. They used the mountains for their homes. They carved out great mansions with wonderful pillars. They called their city Iram. It was very famous. As time went on, the people of Ad thought more about themselves and less about Allah. They thought they didn't need Allah, because they had lots of money and power. They thought they were being clever but really they were foolish.Before long they turned to bad ways. Gangs of them used to rob and kill people traveling by. There was still one good man among them. His name was Hud. He did not belong to any of the gangs. He did not agree with the things they did. He tried to tell them to stop their bad ways and told them to follow Allah's ways.
Hud said Allah would punish the bad ones but most of the people still would not listen. They thought they were more clever than the Prophet of Allah. Allah told Hud (AS) to take all the good people into a big cave near the city. The very next day a terrible tornado came and only the good ones, the ones who had listened, were saved.
PROPHET DAWUD (AS)
Dawud (AS) was not born in a king's family. He was a simple boy who worked for a king named Talut.
Once Talut was preparing his army to fight the mighty enemies. Among those enemies was a giant named Jalut or Goliath. Everybody was scared to fight with Jalut because he could kill people with one swing of his sword.King Talut asked his soldiers to challenge Jalut. However, nobody came forward.
Then young Dawud (AS) came forward. Dawud (AS) was aware of Jalut's strength and thus he prayed to Allah to give him patience and make his feet strong.
Dawud (AS) was good at shooting pebbles from his sling. He started shooting pebbles and they shot out at a speed of bullets and hit Jalut all over his face.Jalut fell on the ground and died. The army of Talut chased away the enemies and Dawud (AS) was rewarded by King Talut.
After the death of Talut, Dawud (AS) became the King and Allah (SWT) later made him a Prophet. He was given Zabur, a Book of Allah.
Some of the qualities of Dawud AS were that he knew the language of the birds. He learned melting iron and used iron to build shields for his army.
Prophet Muhammad (s) Makkan Era
BIRTH OF THE PROPHET (S)
Prophet Muhammad (s) was born in Makkah, Arabia, in the month of Rabi ul Awwal. His mother's name was Aminah, and father's name was Abdullah, son of Abdul Muttalib, bin Hashim bin Abd-e-Manaaf of Quraish family. Muhammad (s) belonged to Quraish tribe and Banu Hashim Family.
CHILDHOOD
In those days, people of Makkah sent their babies into the desert to be nursed by foster mothers from shepherds' families, and so little Muhammad (s) spent the first years of his life in the care of Halimah of the Banu Sa'd tribe.
Prophet Muhammad (s) stayed with Halimah for four years.
MOTHER'S DEATH
When Muhammad (s) was six years old, his mother Aminah took him to visit his uncles in Yathrib (Madinah).Young Muhammad (s) enjoyed meeting his cousins and learning to swim. They happily stayed there for a month. But sadly, on their journey back to Makkah, Aminah fell ill and died. Muhammad (s) who was only six years old at that time, returned home with his mother's maid, Umm Ayman.
His grandfather Abdul Muttalib took him in his care. Two years later, his grandfather also passed away, when Prophet Muhammad (s) was eight years old. Now Prophet Muhammad (s) was under the care of his Uncle, Abu Talib.
MARRIAGE AND CHILDREN
Muhammad (s) grew up to be a very kind, honest and a truthful young man. He was given the titles of SADIQ and AL AMIN for his honesty and trustworthiness. When he was 25 years old, a business woman named Khadijah (RA), hired Muhammad (s) to trade her goods in Syria. She sent her servant, Maysarah along with the Prophet (s) on this business trip.
Muhammad (s) did very well earning greater profits than ever before and Maysarah also gave a shining report of our Prophet's superior and excellent character.
Greatly impressed by Muhammad's (s) character, Khadijah (RA) married him. She was 40 years old at that time. They were blessed with six children, two boys and four girls. The boys died in infancy.
Names of his children with Khadijah were: BOYS (Tahir and Qasim); GIRLS (Zaynab, Ruqayya, UmmKulthum and Fatima).
Prophet (s) had another son named Ibrahim with his wife Maria Qibtiyya. He also passed away in infancy.
PROPHETHOOD
Muhammad (s) used to spend a lot of time in Cave Of Hira. Staying alone for days in that cave,he would ponder upon the truth of this life and spend his time in prayers.
One day in the month of Ramadan,Angel Jibril appeared to him, held him and asked him to read and so taught him the first five ayahs of Surat Al Alaq. These were the first revealed verses of Quran.
After sharing the entire incident with Khadijah, she comforted him and took Muhammad (s) to her cousin Warqa bin Nawfil, who reassured the Prophet (SAW) that his experience had been genuine.
Warqa Bin Nawfil who was learned in Christian and Jewish books confirmed, that Muhammad (s) is indeed a Prophet Of Allah.
Prophet (SAW) at this time was forty years old when he was granted Prophethood.
THE FIRST BELIEVERS
The Prophet SAW after his first experience of revelation, came to accept his role as Allah's Messenger with Khadija's help. She was the first person to believe in Allah's message and accept Islam. Next was Ali Ibn Talib, Muhammad's (s) cousin who accepted Islam. Ali at that time was only 10 years old.
Abu Bakar (RA) and Zaid Bin Harith were also among the first people to accept Islam.
At first Prophet Muhammad (s) taught khadija and a small group of friends how to pray, and they would pray together. Prophet (s) would preach Islam secretly and continued teaching it for three years.
PUBLIC CALL TO ISLAM
Three years later, he was commanded to give the message of Islam openly and in public.Prophet Muhammad (s) started teaching Islam to the people of Makkah but with very little success. The Quraysh were not happy with him and tried to stop him several times from spreading the message of Islam.
They treated Muhammad (s) very badly.Also his companions were not treated well. Muhammad (s) permitted his companions to migrate to Habasha (Ethiopia).
THE YEAR OF SORROW
Muhammad's (s) family and people who were accepting his message were suffering great hardships at the hands of Quraysh. During this period, his beloved wife Khadija (RA) and his uncle Abu Talib passed away.Muhammad (s) was very sad, as both of them were very near and dear to him and had supported him in good and bad times. Even though his Uncle Abu Talib did not accept Islam, he had always protected his nephew Muhammad (s) from the people of Quraysh and always stood by his side.
Now with the death of his uncle, the Prophet (s) was without protection and his enemies were happy and redoubled their brutalities.
TAIF
During his tenth year of Prophethood, Muhammad (s) visited a town outside of Makkah called Taif, with Zaid Bin Harith to invite people to Islam and hoping to get protection. But the people of Taif were very cruel to our beloved prophet (s) and threw stones at him and chased him out if town.
Bleeding and tired, he took shelter in the garden of Utbah Bin Rabi'ah.
THE NIGHT JOURNEY (MI'RAAJ)
The journey of Mi'raaj (night journey) took place after the 11th year of Prophethood.
Muhammad (s) was taken by Angel Jibril from Makkah to Masjid-Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem on the Burraaq, a horse like animal with a lightning speed.
From Jerusalem, he went to seven heavens where he met all the previous Prophets and Allah (SWT) gave Muhammad (s) a gift of five daily Prayers (Salaah).
This whole journey of going from Makkah to Jerusalem and then ascending to seven heavens and coming back to Makkah, took place in just one night in the month of Rajab.
MIGRATION TO MADINAH
The deaths of the Prophet's wife Khadija (RA) and his uncle Abu Talib,encouraged the enemy to oppress and harass Muhammad (s) and stop him from spreading the message of Islam.
Nevertheless, the Prophet (s) continued to successfully convey the message of Islam. A small group of people from the tribes of Yathrib (Madinah), met him at a place called Aqabah and accepted Islam. They also invited the Prophet (SAW) to live in Yathrib (Madinah).
This made Quraysh very angry, for Islam was now also spreading in Yathrib (Madinah).
The people of Quraysh sketched a plan to kill Muhammad (s). But Allah (SWT), had some other plans for our prophet (s).
Allah (SWT) commanded Muhammad (s) to leave for Madinah. The Prophet (s), therefore accompanied by Abu Bakr (RA), left Makkah for Madinah in the 13th year of his prophethood.
They stayed in the Cave Of Thawr for three days,before eventually migrating to Madinah.
The Prophet's (s) journey from Makkah to Madinah is called HIJRA.
This migration was the first real step towards the world wide spread of Islam.
Quran Facts
- How many parts of Holy Quran? 30.
- How many Suras start with Besmillah Al-Rahmaan Al-Raheem? 113.
- Which is the longest Sura of Holy Quran? Al-Baqarah.
- Which is the best drink mentioned in Holy Quran? Milk.
- Which is the shortest Sura of Holy Quran? Al-Qausar.
- The longest verse of Holy Quran is in which Sura? Al-Baqarah No.282
- Which is the best night mentioned in Holy Quran? Night of Qadar.
- Which is the best month mentioned in Holy Quran? Ramadan.
- Which is the biggest animal mentioned in Holy Quran? Elephant.
- Which Sura of Holy Quran is called the mother of Quran? Al-Fatiha
- Which sura is named after the tribe of Holy Prophet? Quresh
- Which sura is called the heart of Holy Quran? Yaseen.
- Which sura is named after one Holy war? Sura Ahzaab.
- Which sura is named after one metal? Sura Hadeed
- Which sura does not start with Bismillah? Sura Tauba.
- Which Suras are called Muzetain? Falk & Nas.
- In which sura every verse ends with letter 'Dal '? Ikhlas.
- In which sura the story of the worship of cow of Bani Esra'iel is mentioned? Sura Taha.
- In which sura the Hijra of Holy Prophet is mentioned? Sura Infall.
- In which sura Bismillah came twice? Sura Naml.
Famous Places & Landmarks
MOUNT UHUD: It is a volcanic hill in Western outskirts of Madinah. The famous historic Battle of Uhud was fought near this mountain. Prophet(SAW)'s uncle Hamza (RA) was martyred in this battle.
MOUNT SINAI: Located in Egypt, this mount is also known as Jabal Musa, or the Mountain Of Moses. Here Musa (AS) was shown great miracles and was given the Torah.
ARAFAT MOUNTAIN: This mountain is situated in Makkah and is a major meeting point of Hajj. On the 9th of Dhu'l Hajj, pilgrims gather here which is the most important part of Hajj.
SAFA AND MARWAH: These are two hillocks situated near Ka'bah. Those performing Hajj or Umra, walk seven times between them, starting from Safa and ending at Marwah. This walking is called Sa'ee.
CAVE OF HIRA: This is the place where the first revelation of the Quran was made to Prophet Muhammad (SAW). It is situated in Jabal Al Noor( the mountain of light), a few miles away from Makkah.
CAVE OF THAWR: This is the cave where Muhammad (SAW) and his closest companion, Abu Bakr Siddiq (RA), hid for three nights on their migration from Makkah to Madinah.
BABYLON: Babil or Babylon is one of the ancient cities, the ruins of which can be seen today near Iraq. The Quran mentions this city with reference to two angels, Harut and Marut. They were sent by Allah to warn the people of Babylon because of bad practices.
GARDEN OF SALMAN AL FARSI: It is the land on which Prophet (SAW) planted around 300 date palm trees to free Salman Al Farsi from slavery. It is located close to Masjid Quba.
RUKAN YAMANI: This is one of the corners of Ka'bah that faces the land Of Yemen.
MULTAZIM: The area between Hajr Al Aswad (The Black Stone) and the door of the Ka'bah is called Multazim.
THE NILE: The Nile river is believed to be the longest river in the world. According to a Hadith from Sahih Al Bukhari, it is one of the two worldly rivers found in Jannah, the other being the Euphrates.
WAADI MUHASSAR: It is a place between Mina and Muzdalifah. It is here that Allah(SWT) destroyed Abraha and his army of elephants, as they were progressing to attack Ka'bah. This incident is mentioned in Surah Feel.
THE DOME OF THE ROCK: It is located in Jerusalem.The Prophet (SAW) had climbed upon a rock at Bayt Al Maqdis from where he was taken to the heavens during his night journey with angel Jibril. A special structure was later built at this place.It is called the Dome Of The Rock. It was built by Abd Al Malik.