Senior Jeopardy for Ages 10 and up (MAP)
MAP Sunday School students aged 10 and up will be responsible from the following topics:
Study materials for these topics are given below. Please go over these materials with your child.
- Stories from Seerah
- Scholars of Fiqh
- Surah and Its Meaning
- Golden Age Facts
Study materials for these topics are given below. Please go over these materials with your child.
STORIES FROM SEERAH
SURAQA BIN MALIK
Suraqah bin Malik tells this story himself, which was later narrated by his nephew. He was from Banu Mudlaj, who were affiliates of the Quraysh. He was considered a leader among his people.
One day, Suraqah was sitting with other Quraysh leaders, some people of the Quraysh went up to them and offered the leaders the equivalent of blood money (100 camels each) for both Abu Bakr & the Prophet (S). These people wanted Abu Bakr and the Prophet (S) either killed or captured, and the reward would be 100 camels. One man said, “Ya Suraqah, along the sea, I saw a small group of people traveling. I’m almost certain that it is Muhammad (S) and his travel companions.” Suraqah immediately understood, “Yes, that’s got to be them. If you wanted to travel and didn’t want to get caught and wanted to keep a low profile, that would be the way to go. That had to be Muhammad (S) and Abu Bakr.”
Suraqah said to the other Quraysh leaders, “That can’t be them. The people that you saw can’t be Muhammad (S) and his travel companions. That must have been someone else. You know such-and-such from this neighborhood and so-and-so from that neighborhood just left Makkah. They told me they were going to go by the shore. That’s them. You got them mixed up.”
Suraqah made up a story to throw off the other bounty hunters so that he can get the reward himself. Suraqah waited for a little while, sitting there with the other leaders, conversing while keeping an eye on the man who gave this information, from the corner of his eye. When the man went about his business, Suraqah went home and told his maid to prepare his horse and to take his horse outside of the village and wait for Suraqah. Then Suraqah grabbed his spear and snuck out the back of his house. He held his spear in such a way that the pointy end of the spear would touch the ground (he’d be dragging it on the ground). As Suraqah was leaving his footsteps, the spear would be cutting through the earth, distorting his footsteps, so that no one would be able to follow him. Suraqah met up with his maid, got on his horse, and followed the route that the man said he saw the Prophet (S) on.
After traveling a while, Suraqah saw the Prophet (S) and got closer. When Suraqah got close enough to the Prophet (S) and his travel companions, he drew his spear and aimed it at the Prophet. Right when he was thinking of throwing the spear, Suraqah got close enough to hear the Prophet (S) reciting the Qur’an. Abu Bakr was looking around in all directions, while the Prophet (S) wasn’t looking left or right; he was just riding straight ahead while reciting the Book of Allah without a worry in the world. Both men are representative of high Imaan. The Prophet was on this journey for Allah, reciting the Book of Allah, nothing can trouble him in the least bit. Abu Bakr has such profound and deep love for the Prophet that he can’t rest for a moment because of his need to protect and guard his best friend. In this situation, you see both Imaan and faith in Allah and dedication to the Prophet.
When Suraqah got close enough to hear the Prophet (S) reciting the Qur’an, the front legs of Suraqah’s horse suddenly sunk into the ground up to its knees. Suraqah freaked out and immediately backed up the horse while yelling at it. The legs of the horse wouldn’t come out for a long time, until it finally did. This happened 4 times. As soon as the horse’s legs would come out of the ground, Suraqah would direct the horse toward the Prophet, but every time he came close to the Prophet (S), the horse's legs would sink into the ground; Suraqah would back his horse again until its legs came out of the ground. Finally, after the 4th time, a smoky cloud appeared and started to cover the sky. When the smoke started to descend upon Suraqah, he screamed at the Prophet (S): “Let me go! Let me go! Please, save me, save me!”. Abu Bakr and the Prophet (S) stopped, and the legs of Suraqah’s horse got released. Suraqah then rode his horse up to the Prophet (S) and Abu Bakr.
As he was approaching them, Suraqah couldn’t stop thinking about what just happened to him. Every time he got close to the Prophet (S) with a bad intention, his horse’s legs would sink in the sand. Suraqah was still thinking of this frightening experience. That is when Suraqah realized that Muhammad (S) is indeed the Messenger of Allah and no force on earth can stop the Prophet’s mission. He is divinely protected. Suraqah said to the Prophet (S) and Abu Bakr “Your people have fixed a price on your head.” He then told the Prophet (S) everything about who was looking for him and where they were looking.
Suraqah then offered the Prophet (S) and Abu Bakr whatever provisions he had on him, but they neither took nor asked for a single thing from Suraqah. They simply said, “Keep our information private.” Suraqah asked them, “Could you write down something for me, like a note saying that I have your protection?”. The Prophet (S) then commanded either Abu Bakr or the guide to write down the note on a patch of leather. They then went their separate paths.
After Suraqah received the note of protection from the Prophet (S), he went on his way back to Makkah. As he was traveling back to Makkah, whenever he would meet another search party or bounty hunters who were looking for the Prophet (S), Suraqah would mislead them. He would say, “I have already checked out this place. There’s nothing over there.” Everyone knew Suraqah and knew he was a smart man and a respectable leader, so they would believe him. Suraqah went back to his tribe Banu Mudlaj and didn’t say a word until a few days later, when he heard the news that the Prophet (S) was safely in Medina
That is when Suraqah started to tell stories about what he experienced with the Prophet, about the horse’s legs sinking and how he found the Prophet (S) to be a kind and generous man. Eventually, Suraqah’s story started to spread.
People started talking amongst each other, “Did you hear what Suraqah said about Muhammad?” Other leaders of Quraysh were worried that Suraqah’s story will attract members of his tribe to Islam. Abu Jahl then wrote a poem to the other leaders of Suraqah’s tribe: “O Banu Mudlaj, I’m afraid that this foolish man from amongst you, Suraqah, is going to lead people astray and take people to the help of Muhammad against you. He is going to end up dividing you, so be careful and deal with him now. Before you know it, your people will become divided. So deal with him now.”
Suraqah found out that Abu Jahl had sent this message, so he responded, “I swear by Allah, Abul Hakam, if you were there and you saw what happened with my horse, you would have been so amazed and you would have no doubt left about the fact that Muhammad is indeed the Messenger and that he comes with solid proof. You need to leave him alone and you need to tell your people to leave the Prophet alone. I will join the Prophet once his teachings become well known. I will help him and everyone else will join to help the Prophet.
Suraqah met the Prophet SAW much later on, at the Fathul Makkah (Victory of Makkah). Suraqah was captured as a prisoner of war, along with other non-believing Makkans. He was brought to the Prophet (S) and reminded the Prophet (S) of his promise of protection, and showed the Prophet (S) the patch of leather that Abu Bakr had written on. The Prophet said, “This is the day of fulfilling promises. Bring him close.” Suraqah came close to the Prophet and he accepted Islam.
Suraqah ibn Malik's role in helping the Prophet was a unique one, especially if we realize that he started off in pursuit of the reward offered by Quraish for anyone who would bring Muhammad SAW back to Makkah alive or dead.
STORY OF UMAR's MIGRATION
— Hijra was very difficult, challenging, & life-threatening.
Going from Makkah to Medina wasn’t just about escaping persecution & torture. There were many people who were hiding their Islam (living underground).In order to practice their Islam properly, they had to make the sacrifice of giving up their homes, family, & friends & undertake this very dangerous journey with the threat of being followed & even killed along the way, & show up in an unknown place with nothing in hand & no relationships
This sacrifice was what people were willing to commit to practice their deen to the fullest.
— Nearly every single person who was making Hijra at that time was doing so quietly because of the danger at hand. They would sneak out in small groups at night, except for Umar al-Khattab
When he made the intention for Hijra, Umar hung his sword around his neck, put his bow on his shoulder, pulled out a bunch of arrows from his quiver & held them in his hand. He looked like Rambo; he was armed to the teeth & marched toward the Ka’bah
The entire leadership of Quraysh was there at the Haram
Umar made tawaaf & prayed 2 rakaat at the Ka’bah
Umar didn’t actually tell any of the Quraysh that he was going to make Hijra. He just went there to put these people back on their heels, & no doubt that he was frustrated with the fact that the Quraysh were chasing after the people making Hijra, so he went there to put people in their place
— No one followed Umar out. Some of the weak Muslims who were there at the Haram went with Umar.He told them, “Go on your way. Make Hijra. These people will not do anything to you.”
Umar did this to make it a little easier for people making Hijra
— Umar ibn al-Khattab, Ayyash bin Abi Ra’bia, Hisham ibn al-A’as decided they would do Hijra together
At-tanadub was where a specific type of plant used to grow outside of Makkah, where Banu Ghifar lived.
The 3 men agreed to leave Makkah & meet up individually at At-tanadub.
They agreed that if two people made it there & one didn’t show up, the two people there would wait for a bit, but then they would leave if the 3rd person didn’t show up.
— Umar then reached At-Tanadub, & found Ayyash waiting there, but Hisham was not there. Umar & Ayyash figured that Hisham had been kept back & restricted from leaving.
Umar & Ayyash then went on their way to Medina.
— Abu Jahl & Hadith bin Hisham heard about Umar & Ayyash leaving for Medina, so they went after the Umar & Ayyash.
Umar ibn al-Khattab was the nephew of Abu Jahl. Hadith bin Hisham & Ayyash bin Hisham were related.
When Abu Jahl & Hadith ibn Hisham caught up with Umar & Ayyash, they tried to talk to the Muslims.
Umar told them, “I don’t want to hear anything you have to say. I have no interest in talking to you. You are wasting your time. It’s best if you go back.”
Hadith turned to Ayyash & said, “Do you know what happened to your mother after you left? Your mother has sworn that she will never comb or brush her hair until she sees you (expression meaning that she will not take of herself). She will sit out in the sun & not seek any shade in the sun until she sees you.”
This was Ayyash’s mother, so he felt really guilty.
Umar said to Ayyash, “I swear to you, these people are just trying to take you away from your deen, so be careful and don't trust them.
Umar was letting Ayyash know that it doesn’t sound right, it doesn’t sound like Ayyash’s mother.
Still, Ayyash said, “I have to go check on my mother. I have to go find out. This kind of works out, because I left in such a hurry. I have a lot of money in Makkah, so I’ll go & get my money. That way I’ll actually have something to start my life with in Medina; I won’t be empty-handed.”
Umar said, “You know how wealthy I am. I will give you half my money. Please don’t go. Don’t do this.”
He was basically royalty. He came from a rich family & had a lot of money from being a diplomat.
Ayyash insisted, “I have to go.”
Umar said, “At the very least, take my camel. My camel is obedient & swift. If you feel that these people have bad intentions, then you can get away from there quickly.”
— Ayyash ended up going with Abu Jahl & Hadith bin Hashim back to Makkah.
A little while later, Abu Jahl said, “My camel is starting to slow down. It’s very uncomfortable to sit on. Can we switch for just a little bit? I just need some rest from my camel.”
Ayyash said, “Sure, no problem.”
As soon as they got down from the camel, Abu Jahl & Hadith jumped on Ayyash, pinned him down, tied him to a camel, & took him back to Makkah as a prisoner
— Umar narrated, “Making Hijra was mandatory for the Sahaba. People who were not willing to make because of financial reasons or they were afraid, had fitna in their imaan. These people were of weak faith.”
Ayyash & other Sahaba who were kept back in Makkah started to think amongst themselves, “Allah will not accept our repentance. Allah will not forgive us for not making Hijra.”
The other Sahaba who were able to make Hijra also started thinking along these lines
When the Prophet himself finally reached Medina, Allah revealed the ayah from Surat Az-Zamur:
“Say, ‘O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” [39:53].
This ayah specifically talks about the mercy of Allah, not the forgiveness of Allah. The mercy of Allah is representative & the means of forgiveness, but it also speaks of not “despairing/not to lose hope in the mercy of Allah,” because His mercy might still come to your aid & rescue, & you might still be given a way to still make the migration. Not only will Allah forgive you, but Allah will grant you the ability to recognize your deen.
When the Prophet recited the above ayah, Umar ibn al-Khattab wrote it down with his own hands & he sent it to his Hijra travel partner, Hisham ibn al-A’as, who had been held back & not allowed to make the Hijra.
— Even though Hisham was being kept a prisoner, he was allowed to move about in a certain area under watchful eyes.
Every day, he would climb a hill & reflect on his situation. then he would climb down from the hill in the evening time
All day long, Hisham would sit at the hill & read the ayah over & over again, but by the end of the day, he still wouldn’t understand why Umar sent this particular ayah to him.
Hisham narrated, “My heart wasn’t just embracing this ayah, until I made dua. I said, ‘Allah, please give me the reality & understanding of this.’ I kept making dua until my heart found contentment & peace in the fact that this ayat was about me & about what we were thinking about ourselves & what people were saying about us, that Allah opened His door of mercy on us. I kept reading this ayah & praying & asking for forgiveness until the time finally came when I was finally able to join the Prophet in Medina.”
— When the Prophet reached Medina, Umar told him about Hisham & Ayyash’s situations.
The Prophet said, “Who will help me in regards to Hisham bin al-A’as & Ayyash bin Rabi’a?”
Walid bin Walid, the brother of Khalid bin Walid, said, “I will take care of this, ya Rasulallah.”
— Walid bin Walid snuck in to Makkah.
He saw a woman who was carrying some water & food around the area where they were keeping Hashim & Ayyash
Walid didn’t know exactly where Ayyash & Hisham were being kept, but he had a feeling that the woman, who seemed to be a servant, knew
Walid asked the woman, “Where are you going?”
The woman said, “There are two men who are locked up. I’m just taking this food & water to them.”
Walid said, “Oh, that’s interesting,” pretending to mind his own business
He followed her & checked out where Hashim & Ayyash was
— The woman gave the prisoners food & water and then she left.
The prison had high four walls, but no ceiling/roof, Hashim & Ayyash were inside tied up.
Walid scaled the wall
He first threw rocks into the prison, & yelled to let Hashim & Ayyash know where he was.
Walid then climbed the wall using his sword. He jumped in, & cut up their restraints
Then he stacked up the rocks, & told the two men to climb up the rocks & jump over
Then all 3 of them rode into Medina
— Hisham ibn al’Aas & Ayyash bin Rab’ia were riding on the camel, while Walid was walking forward, holding on to the rope of the camel as they made their way to Medina
Walid bin Walid placed his own life in danger to be able to bring his brothers back.
HOUSE OF ABU AYYUB ANSAARI:
— The Prophet & Abu Bakr traveled from Quba to Madinah on the same camel, named Al-Qaswa.
It wasn’t just the Prophet & Abu Bakr traveling to Madinah, but also the entire community of Quba walking along with them. As the Prophet were riding his camel, hundreds of men surrounded the camel of the Prophet & were walking along with him.
This wasn’t just a journey or traveling from one location to another, but an entire procession was moving.
It was a slow journey from the Masjid of Quba to the place that would eventually be designated as Masjid al-Nabawi As-Sharif in Madinah.
On the way, it was time for Dhur. The Prophet stopped in the neighborhood of Banu Salem, a spot between some of the mountains in the outskirts of Madinah
Madinah was made up of 9 neighborhoods/subdivisions which belonged to different tribes & different families within those tribes.
Several neighborhoods belonged to Jewish tribes, specifically Banu Qaynuqa, which resided within Madinah. The other Jewish tribes were Banu Nadir, which was a couple of miles north of Madinah & Banu Qurayzah, which was a couple of miles south of Madinah
— The Prophet led the Jumu’ah Dhur in the neighborhood of Banu Salem. This was the first Jumu’ah that was led & concocted by the Prophet.
Musa’ab bin Umair & As’ad bin Zurara (one of the leaders of the Ansar) were sent by the Prophet to institute the Friday prayer after the Prophet’s second meeting with the Ansar, so Salah al Jumu’ah had been going on for some time now. After the prayer the Prophet SAW gave the Khutbah.
Majority of the scholars of Seerah don’t mention the khutbah because it’s not authentically narrated.
The weak narrations state the Prophet’s khutbah was over dunya & akhira. He talked about prioritizing the life of the Hereafter over the life of this world.The Prophet emphasized to his companions to prioritize the akhira over the dunya. It was a very short & brief khutbah (about 10 minutes).
— After the Prophet concluded with the khutbah & got on his camel, he was surrounded by some of the men of Banu Salem who were holding the rope of the she-camel of the Prophet.
The men of Banu Salem told the Prophet, “Stay with us, ya Rasulallah. We have numbers. We are ready, & we will protect you.”
The Prophet SAW showed appreciation for their offer & said, “Leave the rope of the she-camel. She is under the command of Allah. The she-camel will stop where Allah has decreed for me to take up residence.
— The Prophet continued on his journey within in Madinah until he came upon the neighborhood of Banu Malik bin Najjar.
One narration states that the she-camel of the Prophet SAW came & stopped right there in the neighborhood.
Another narration states the she-camel sat down, then stood back up, & then walked forward, made a U-turn, came back & sat down on the same exact spot where it sat down the first time.
This was to make it very clear that its stopping point was not coincidental or accidental, that she didn’t need any rest, but this is it, this is the location where the Prophet is to stop as well.
— The she-camel sat down on a road where on one side was an empty piece of land, which was used as a place where bunches of dates would be laid out in the sun to dry.
The Prophet asked, “Who does this belong to?”
Mua’dh bin Afra stepped up & said, “This belongs to two boys, Sahal & Suhail, the sons of Amr. They are orphans. Their father has passed & I am their guardian. This plot of land belongs to them.”
The Prophet said, “Allah has commanded the she-camel to stop here. This is where the masjid will be established. Some apartments will be built next to it & that is where I will reside with my family.”
The two boys, Sahal & Suhail stepped up & said, “Ya Rasulallah, this land is a gift from us to you.”
The Prophet refused, “Absolutely, no.”
— Due to his position of leadership, the Prophet never took advantage of anyone else in the least bit.
Even if the Prophet SAW would have requested the land without any payment, he wouldn’t have been taking it for personal use. It would be communal property; after all, it’s a masjid.
The Prophet taught us that just because something is for the cause of Islam & the sake of the community, it’s still not okay to use that as justification to take advantage of someone. Someone can volunteer or donate, but we cannot take someone’s wealth or possessions & justify it by saying that this is for the community.
Prophet (SAW) asked for the cost of that land and finally, someone else stepped in & told the Prophet how much this type of property would normally sell for, and the Prophet told Abu Bakr to hand that amount of money to the orphans.
The Prophet said, “Now we will build the masjid.”
Now that they designated the piece of land to build the masjid upon, the Prophet now has to figure out where he will be staying.
— Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari’s home was directly across from this land.
He came to the Prophet & said, “Ya Rasulallah, my home is closest to this area.”
The Prophet said, “Fine, I will go ahead & stay with you until the facilities are ready.”
Abu Ayyub took the Prophet’s luggage & ran into his home, just so excited that the Prophet would be staying with his family
The Prophet joined Abu Ayyub’s 2-story house & said, “If it’s okay with you, I’ll stay downstairs, and you & your family can stay upstairs. This will be easier for me & easier for the people that will visit us. We’re going to be visited by a lot of people. It will be easier for me to stay downstairs, because then the visitors won’t have to pass through your residence to get all the way upstairs. Your family can stay upstairs undisturbed when these visitors come.”
— Later on in his life, Abu Ayyub moved from Madinah to Basra, & eventually died in modern-day Istanbul.
Abu Ayyub requested Abdullah bin Abbas to take care of his house while Abu Ayyub was gone in Basra.
Abdullah bin Abbas took over the house, & eventually bought Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari’s house. Abdullah moved into his new house specifically saying, “This is the home where the Prophet lived.”
Eventually, some other Sahahbi purchased the house from Abdullah bin Abbas, & he made the house into a Waqf.
The former house of Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari eventually became a place where the masakeen & the fuqarah were given a place to stay (like a homeless shelter).
SCHOLARS OF FIQH
Imam Abu Hanifa
First of the four great imams of fiqh, Nu`man ibn Thabit, Imam Abu Hanifa was born in 80 A.H. in Kufa, 69 years after the demise of the Holy Prophet (saw). He travelled extensively and was of a Persian origin He is known as imâm al-a`zam (the greatest imam) and called “The Imam” by Abu Daud. He was the only tâbi`i (who met with the companions of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him) out of the four luminaries. Abu Hanifah's father, Thabit, had met in Kufa, `Ali Ibn Abi Talib (ra) who made dua for him and his progeny, and some say that Abu Hanifah was a result of this dua.
Kufa at the time of the Imam's birth was a great center of knowledge and learning, with many of the noble Prophet's (saw) Companions (ra) having taken residence there.
Imam Abu Hanifa spent 20 years working in the market as a silk trader. He acquired customer service skills and interacted with all sorts of people because the market was the centre point of society. Once Imam Abu Hanifa was walking through the Market place and was stopped by Amir As Shabi (one of the teachers of Hammad). Amir As Shabi asked Imam Abu Hanifa “Where do you go?” Imam Abu Hanifa misunderstood what Amir As Shabi meant and told him “I go to the market” Amir As Shabi told him that he had meant “Who is your Shiekh?” Imam Abu Hanifa told him that he has no Sheikh. Amir As Shabi told Imam Abu Hanifa “Do not be heedless, I see potential/alertness in you-Seek knowledge”.
At the age of 20, Imam Abu Hanifah turned his attention towards the pursuit of advancing his Islamic knowledge, but didn’t know where to begin. He went through a period of uncertainty and considered being a Mufassir (teach Quran), a Muhadith (teach Hadith) but finally decided to take up Fiqh because it involved solving the problems of people.
Imam Abu Hanifah benefited from nearly 4,000 Sheikhs. Among his 1st and the most important tutors was Imam Hammad (Died 120 A.H.) whose educational lineage is linked with Hadhrat Abdullah Ibn Mas’ood (R.A.).
Imam Abu Hanifah was also keenly interested in education. He established a school at Kufa, which later became a famous College of Theology. Here he delivered lectures on Islamic Law and related subjects.
His most important work is the Kitab-ul-Aasaar which was compiled by his students – Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad. Imam Abu Hanifah was the first to analyze Islamic jurisprudence, divide it into subjects, distinguish its issues and determine the range and criteria for analytical reasoning (qiyas)." One of the biggest contributions of Imam Abu Hanifa is that he organized fiqhinto functional sub categories starting with tahara (purification).
The Great Imam died in Baghdad in 150 A.H at the age of seventy. May Allah (swt) be pleased with him.
Imam Malik Bin Anas
Imam Malik ibn Anas was the second of the four great imams of fiqh. He was born in 93 A.H. in Madinah.
Born into a well-to-do family, Maalik did not need to work for a living. He was highly attracted to the study of Islam, and ended up devoting his entire life to the study of Fiqh. He is the author of al-Muwatta’ (“The Approved”), formed of the sound narration’s from the Prophet together with the sayings of the companions, their followers, and those after them. Maalik said, “I showed my book to seventy scholars of Madinah, and every single one of them approved it for me (kulluhum wata-ani alayh), so I named it ‘The Approved.’” His chain of narration (from Malik from Nafi’ from Ibn Umar) was called “the golden chain of narrators” by Imam Bukhari.
After a brief illness he passed away on the 11th of Rabi-ul-Awwal in the year 179 A.H. and was buried in Janatul Baqi in Madinah.
Imam Shafi`i
Imaam Muhammad bin Idris Shafi`i was one of the greatest imams of fiqh. He was born in 150 A.H. in Palestine, the same year as Imam Abu Hanifa died. He shared the lineage with Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Al-Shafi'i belonged to the Qurayshi clan Banu Muttalib which was the sister clan of the Banu Hashim to which Muhammad and the Abbasid caliphs belonged. Hence he had connections in the highest social circles, but he grew up in poverty.When he was two year old his mother took him to a tribe in al-Hijaz who were dwellers of the country of Yemen. His mother kept him there until he reached the age of ten years. A time came when she felt that the family was in jeopardy of being forgotten and wasted so she took her son (Imam Shafi’i) to Makkah. He was a skillful archer, then he took to learning language and poetry until he gave himself to fiqh, beginning with hadith. He memorized the Qur’an at age seven, then Malik’s Muwatta’ at age ten, at which time his teacher would deputize him to teach in his absence. At age thirteen he went to see Malik, who was impressed by his memory and intelligence.
Malik ibn Anas and Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani were among his most prominent teachers and he took position against both of them in fiqh
The Imam became very sick at the end of his life and passed away in Egypt on the last day of Rajab. He was buried in cairo,Egypt.
He authored more than 100 books.
He is known for his mastery of the Arabic language, eloquence, humility, and knowledge of hadith.
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal also referred as “Sheikh ul-Islam” was born in Baghdad in 164 A.H.
He started his career by learning jurisprudence (Fiqh) under the celebrated Hanafi judge, Abu Yusuf, the renowned student and companion of Imam Abu Hanifah. He then discontinued his studies with Abu Yusuf, in the pursuit of Hadith, travelling around the Islamic Khilafa, at the tender age of 16.
The Imam spent 40 years of his life in the pursuit of knowledge, and only thereafter did he assume the position of a Mufti. By this time, Imam Ahmad had become a leading authority in six or seven Islamic disciplines, according to al-Shafi'i.
Among Imam ibn Hanbal’s works is the great encyclopedia of Traditions called Musnad, collected by his son from his lectures and amplified by supplements - containing over twenty eight thousand traditions. Other works include Kitab-us-Salat, on the Discipline of Prayer and Kitab-us-Sunnah, on the Traditions of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).
Imam Ahmad became a principal specialist in jurisprudence, since he had the advantage of benefiting from some of the famous early jurists and their heritage, such as Abu Hanifah, Malik, al-Shafi'i and many others.
After Imam Ahmad turned 77, he was struck with severe illness and fever, and became very weak, yet never complaining about his infirmity and pain until he died. On Friday, the 12 of Rabi' al-Awwal 241 AH, the legendary Imam breathed his last in Baghdad. Over 800,000 people attended his funeral.
NAMES OF SURAH AND THEIR MEANINGS
GOLDEN AGE FACTS: INVENTIONS AND FACTS FROM MUSLIM CIVILIZATION
FATIMA AL FIHRI: Founded the world's first university. She financed and supervised the building of the Al Qarawiyin Mosque, in Fez, Morocco about 1,150 years ago. It is now the world's oldest active university.
JABIR IBN HAYYAN: Perfected the distillation process which is still used in the creation of perfume, gasoline, and more. He is also famous for discovering Sulfuric acid and Hydrochloric acid.
MIMAR SINAN: Born in Turkey, he was a famous architect and designed and built more than 477 mosques, schools and structures throughout the Muslim world. He was the chief architect for the Ottoman Sultans. Two of his most famous mosques are Selimiye in Edirne, Turkey and Suleymaniye in Istanbul, Turkey.
AL KHWARIZMI: He was the "Father Of Algebra" who introduced new concepts in Math in Baghdad around 830. His book Al Jabr Wa l Muqabala introduced basics of Algebra, that we study today. Al khwarizmi in Latin is known as ALGORITMI, the source of the term, ALGORITHM.
AL IDRISI: In 1154, the Muslim geographer, Al Idrisi finished the first atlas, which showed most of North Africa, Asia and Europe.This was about 100 years before Marco Polo wrote about his travels to China and back.
MUHAMMAD AL KARAJI: An 11th century mathematician and engineer from Persia, he described a network of underground tunnels called QANATS, that could carry water over long distances without evaporation. QANATS are still used in some areas in Iran and other Middle East countries.
AL JAZARI: Made the first machine that combined a crank and connecting rod to convert circular motion to linear motion.
Today crank-rod system is used in everything from car engines to toys.
IBN BATTUTA: In 1324, a 21 year old Moroccan, named Ibn BATTUTA set out for Mecca on a journey that would last 29 years and take him to he four corners of the world. He travelled more than 75,000 miles and 44 countries. He called CHINA the safest and best country for travelers. He is often called the Muslim Marco Polo.
TURKISH KIOSKS OR KOSHKS: A domed hall with open, arched sides. In Muslim civilizations, KOSHKS were usually attached to a mosque and often over looked gardens. "Glass Rooms" or "Conservatories" evolved from koshks. One of the most famous Kiosk or koshk, CINILI KOSHK, was built in 1473 at Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, Turkey.
An Abyssinian goat herder, about 1200 years ago discovered coffee, when his goats got an energy boost after eating some red berries.People soon began boiling berries to make coffee.
MOCHA is both the name of a kind of coffee bean and the name of the port in Yemen, that was the center of coffee trade from 15th to 17th centuries.
COTTON: From India was imported to Sicily and Spain by Muslims and became a major crop. The cotton plant is called ALGODON in Spanish, from the Arabic word AL QUTN.
SUGAR CANE: Found its way to Zanzibar, Ethiopia and Spain, thanks to Muslim traders. Today some of the best sugar comes from Zanzibar, now part of Tanzania in East Africa.
The word CHECK MATE comes from the Persian word "Shahmat" which means the king is dead.
9th century philosopher and scientist AL KINDI was the first to lay down the foundations of modern day optics, by questioning earlier theories of vision. He has been called one of the "12 GIANT MINDS of history."
SURAQA BIN MALIK
Suraqah bin Malik tells this story himself, which was later narrated by his nephew. He was from Banu Mudlaj, who were affiliates of the Quraysh. He was considered a leader among his people.
One day, Suraqah was sitting with other Quraysh leaders, some people of the Quraysh went up to them and offered the leaders the equivalent of blood money (100 camels each) for both Abu Bakr & the Prophet (S). These people wanted Abu Bakr and the Prophet (S) either killed or captured, and the reward would be 100 camels. One man said, “Ya Suraqah, along the sea, I saw a small group of people traveling. I’m almost certain that it is Muhammad (S) and his travel companions.” Suraqah immediately understood, “Yes, that’s got to be them. If you wanted to travel and didn’t want to get caught and wanted to keep a low profile, that would be the way to go. That had to be Muhammad (S) and Abu Bakr.”
Suraqah said to the other Quraysh leaders, “That can’t be them. The people that you saw can’t be Muhammad (S) and his travel companions. That must have been someone else. You know such-and-such from this neighborhood and so-and-so from that neighborhood just left Makkah. They told me they were going to go by the shore. That’s them. You got them mixed up.”
Suraqah made up a story to throw off the other bounty hunters so that he can get the reward himself. Suraqah waited for a little while, sitting there with the other leaders, conversing while keeping an eye on the man who gave this information, from the corner of his eye. When the man went about his business, Suraqah went home and told his maid to prepare his horse and to take his horse outside of the village and wait for Suraqah. Then Suraqah grabbed his spear and snuck out the back of his house. He held his spear in such a way that the pointy end of the spear would touch the ground (he’d be dragging it on the ground). As Suraqah was leaving his footsteps, the spear would be cutting through the earth, distorting his footsteps, so that no one would be able to follow him. Suraqah met up with his maid, got on his horse, and followed the route that the man said he saw the Prophet (S) on.
After traveling a while, Suraqah saw the Prophet (S) and got closer. When Suraqah got close enough to the Prophet (S) and his travel companions, he drew his spear and aimed it at the Prophet. Right when he was thinking of throwing the spear, Suraqah got close enough to hear the Prophet (S) reciting the Qur’an. Abu Bakr was looking around in all directions, while the Prophet (S) wasn’t looking left or right; he was just riding straight ahead while reciting the Book of Allah without a worry in the world. Both men are representative of high Imaan. The Prophet was on this journey for Allah, reciting the Book of Allah, nothing can trouble him in the least bit. Abu Bakr has such profound and deep love for the Prophet that he can’t rest for a moment because of his need to protect and guard his best friend. In this situation, you see both Imaan and faith in Allah and dedication to the Prophet.
When Suraqah got close enough to hear the Prophet (S) reciting the Qur’an, the front legs of Suraqah’s horse suddenly sunk into the ground up to its knees. Suraqah freaked out and immediately backed up the horse while yelling at it. The legs of the horse wouldn’t come out for a long time, until it finally did. This happened 4 times. As soon as the horse’s legs would come out of the ground, Suraqah would direct the horse toward the Prophet, but every time he came close to the Prophet (S), the horse's legs would sink into the ground; Suraqah would back his horse again until its legs came out of the ground. Finally, after the 4th time, a smoky cloud appeared and started to cover the sky. When the smoke started to descend upon Suraqah, he screamed at the Prophet (S): “Let me go! Let me go! Please, save me, save me!”. Abu Bakr and the Prophet (S) stopped, and the legs of Suraqah’s horse got released. Suraqah then rode his horse up to the Prophet (S) and Abu Bakr.
As he was approaching them, Suraqah couldn’t stop thinking about what just happened to him. Every time he got close to the Prophet (S) with a bad intention, his horse’s legs would sink in the sand. Suraqah was still thinking of this frightening experience. That is when Suraqah realized that Muhammad (S) is indeed the Messenger of Allah and no force on earth can stop the Prophet’s mission. He is divinely protected. Suraqah said to the Prophet (S) and Abu Bakr “Your people have fixed a price on your head.” He then told the Prophet (S) everything about who was looking for him and where they were looking.
Suraqah then offered the Prophet (S) and Abu Bakr whatever provisions he had on him, but they neither took nor asked for a single thing from Suraqah. They simply said, “Keep our information private.” Suraqah asked them, “Could you write down something for me, like a note saying that I have your protection?”. The Prophet (S) then commanded either Abu Bakr or the guide to write down the note on a patch of leather. They then went their separate paths.
After Suraqah received the note of protection from the Prophet (S), he went on his way back to Makkah. As he was traveling back to Makkah, whenever he would meet another search party or bounty hunters who were looking for the Prophet (S), Suraqah would mislead them. He would say, “I have already checked out this place. There’s nothing over there.” Everyone knew Suraqah and knew he was a smart man and a respectable leader, so they would believe him. Suraqah went back to his tribe Banu Mudlaj and didn’t say a word until a few days later, when he heard the news that the Prophet (S) was safely in Medina
That is when Suraqah started to tell stories about what he experienced with the Prophet, about the horse’s legs sinking and how he found the Prophet (S) to be a kind and generous man. Eventually, Suraqah’s story started to spread.
People started talking amongst each other, “Did you hear what Suraqah said about Muhammad?” Other leaders of Quraysh were worried that Suraqah’s story will attract members of his tribe to Islam. Abu Jahl then wrote a poem to the other leaders of Suraqah’s tribe: “O Banu Mudlaj, I’m afraid that this foolish man from amongst you, Suraqah, is going to lead people astray and take people to the help of Muhammad against you. He is going to end up dividing you, so be careful and deal with him now. Before you know it, your people will become divided. So deal with him now.”
Suraqah found out that Abu Jahl had sent this message, so he responded, “I swear by Allah, Abul Hakam, if you were there and you saw what happened with my horse, you would have been so amazed and you would have no doubt left about the fact that Muhammad is indeed the Messenger and that he comes with solid proof. You need to leave him alone and you need to tell your people to leave the Prophet alone. I will join the Prophet once his teachings become well known. I will help him and everyone else will join to help the Prophet.
Suraqah met the Prophet SAW much later on, at the Fathul Makkah (Victory of Makkah). Suraqah was captured as a prisoner of war, along with other non-believing Makkans. He was brought to the Prophet (S) and reminded the Prophet (S) of his promise of protection, and showed the Prophet (S) the patch of leather that Abu Bakr had written on. The Prophet said, “This is the day of fulfilling promises. Bring him close.” Suraqah came close to the Prophet and he accepted Islam.
Suraqah ibn Malik's role in helping the Prophet was a unique one, especially if we realize that he started off in pursuit of the reward offered by Quraish for anyone who would bring Muhammad SAW back to Makkah alive or dead.
STORY OF UMAR's MIGRATION
— Hijra was very difficult, challenging, & life-threatening.
Going from Makkah to Medina wasn’t just about escaping persecution & torture. There were many people who were hiding their Islam (living underground).In order to practice their Islam properly, they had to make the sacrifice of giving up their homes, family, & friends & undertake this very dangerous journey with the threat of being followed & even killed along the way, & show up in an unknown place with nothing in hand & no relationships
This sacrifice was what people were willing to commit to practice their deen to the fullest.
— Nearly every single person who was making Hijra at that time was doing so quietly because of the danger at hand. They would sneak out in small groups at night, except for Umar al-Khattab
When he made the intention for Hijra, Umar hung his sword around his neck, put his bow on his shoulder, pulled out a bunch of arrows from his quiver & held them in his hand. He looked like Rambo; he was armed to the teeth & marched toward the Ka’bah
The entire leadership of Quraysh was there at the Haram
Umar made tawaaf & prayed 2 rakaat at the Ka’bah
Umar didn’t actually tell any of the Quraysh that he was going to make Hijra. He just went there to put these people back on their heels, & no doubt that he was frustrated with the fact that the Quraysh were chasing after the people making Hijra, so he went there to put people in their place
— No one followed Umar out. Some of the weak Muslims who were there at the Haram went with Umar.He told them, “Go on your way. Make Hijra. These people will not do anything to you.”
Umar did this to make it a little easier for people making Hijra
— Umar ibn al-Khattab, Ayyash bin Abi Ra’bia, Hisham ibn al-A’as decided they would do Hijra together
At-tanadub was where a specific type of plant used to grow outside of Makkah, where Banu Ghifar lived.
The 3 men agreed to leave Makkah & meet up individually at At-tanadub.
They agreed that if two people made it there & one didn’t show up, the two people there would wait for a bit, but then they would leave if the 3rd person didn’t show up.
— Umar then reached At-Tanadub, & found Ayyash waiting there, but Hisham was not there. Umar & Ayyash figured that Hisham had been kept back & restricted from leaving.
Umar & Ayyash then went on their way to Medina.
— Abu Jahl & Hadith bin Hisham heard about Umar & Ayyash leaving for Medina, so they went after the Umar & Ayyash.
Umar ibn al-Khattab was the nephew of Abu Jahl. Hadith bin Hisham & Ayyash bin Hisham were related.
When Abu Jahl & Hadith ibn Hisham caught up with Umar & Ayyash, they tried to talk to the Muslims.
Umar told them, “I don’t want to hear anything you have to say. I have no interest in talking to you. You are wasting your time. It’s best if you go back.”
Hadith turned to Ayyash & said, “Do you know what happened to your mother after you left? Your mother has sworn that she will never comb or brush her hair until she sees you (expression meaning that she will not take of herself). She will sit out in the sun & not seek any shade in the sun until she sees you.”
This was Ayyash’s mother, so he felt really guilty.
Umar said to Ayyash, “I swear to you, these people are just trying to take you away from your deen, so be careful and don't trust them.
Umar was letting Ayyash know that it doesn’t sound right, it doesn’t sound like Ayyash’s mother.
Still, Ayyash said, “I have to go check on my mother. I have to go find out. This kind of works out, because I left in such a hurry. I have a lot of money in Makkah, so I’ll go & get my money. That way I’ll actually have something to start my life with in Medina; I won’t be empty-handed.”
Umar said, “You know how wealthy I am. I will give you half my money. Please don’t go. Don’t do this.”
He was basically royalty. He came from a rich family & had a lot of money from being a diplomat.
Ayyash insisted, “I have to go.”
Umar said, “At the very least, take my camel. My camel is obedient & swift. If you feel that these people have bad intentions, then you can get away from there quickly.”
— Ayyash ended up going with Abu Jahl & Hadith bin Hashim back to Makkah.
A little while later, Abu Jahl said, “My camel is starting to slow down. It’s very uncomfortable to sit on. Can we switch for just a little bit? I just need some rest from my camel.”
Ayyash said, “Sure, no problem.”
As soon as they got down from the camel, Abu Jahl & Hadith jumped on Ayyash, pinned him down, tied him to a camel, & took him back to Makkah as a prisoner
— Umar narrated, “Making Hijra was mandatory for the Sahaba. People who were not willing to make because of financial reasons or they were afraid, had fitna in their imaan. These people were of weak faith.”
Ayyash & other Sahaba who were kept back in Makkah started to think amongst themselves, “Allah will not accept our repentance. Allah will not forgive us for not making Hijra.”
The other Sahaba who were able to make Hijra also started thinking along these lines
When the Prophet himself finally reached Medina, Allah revealed the ayah from Surat Az-Zamur:
“Say, ‘O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” [39:53].
This ayah specifically talks about the mercy of Allah, not the forgiveness of Allah. The mercy of Allah is representative & the means of forgiveness, but it also speaks of not “despairing/not to lose hope in the mercy of Allah,” because His mercy might still come to your aid & rescue, & you might still be given a way to still make the migration. Not only will Allah forgive you, but Allah will grant you the ability to recognize your deen.
When the Prophet recited the above ayah, Umar ibn al-Khattab wrote it down with his own hands & he sent it to his Hijra travel partner, Hisham ibn al-A’as, who had been held back & not allowed to make the Hijra.
— Even though Hisham was being kept a prisoner, he was allowed to move about in a certain area under watchful eyes.
Every day, he would climb a hill & reflect on his situation. then he would climb down from the hill in the evening time
All day long, Hisham would sit at the hill & read the ayah over & over again, but by the end of the day, he still wouldn’t understand why Umar sent this particular ayah to him.
Hisham narrated, “My heart wasn’t just embracing this ayah, until I made dua. I said, ‘Allah, please give me the reality & understanding of this.’ I kept making dua until my heart found contentment & peace in the fact that this ayat was about me & about what we were thinking about ourselves & what people were saying about us, that Allah opened His door of mercy on us. I kept reading this ayah & praying & asking for forgiveness until the time finally came when I was finally able to join the Prophet in Medina.”
— When the Prophet reached Medina, Umar told him about Hisham & Ayyash’s situations.
The Prophet said, “Who will help me in regards to Hisham bin al-A’as & Ayyash bin Rabi’a?”
Walid bin Walid, the brother of Khalid bin Walid, said, “I will take care of this, ya Rasulallah.”
— Walid bin Walid snuck in to Makkah.
He saw a woman who was carrying some water & food around the area where they were keeping Hashim & Ayyash
Walid didn’t know exactly where Ayyash & Hisham were being kept, but he had a feeling that the woman, who seemed to be a servant, knew
Walid asked the woman, “Where are you going?”
The woman said, “There are two men who are locked up. I’m just taking this food & water to them.”
Walid said, “Oh, that’s interesting,” pretending to mind his own business
He followed her & checked out where Hashim & Ayyash was
— The woman gave the prisoners food & water and then she left.
The prison had high four walls, but no ceiling/roof, Hashim & Ayyash were inside tied up.
Walid scaled the wall
He first threw rocks into the prison, & yelled to let Hashim & Ayyash know where he was.
Walid then climbed the wall using his sword. He jumped in, & cut up their restraints
Then he stacked up the rocks, & told the two men to climb up the rocks & jump over
Then all 3 of them rode into Medina
— Hisham ibn al’Aas & Ayyash bin Rab’ia were riding on the camel, while Walid was walking forward, holding on to the rope of the camel as they made their way to Medina
Walid bin Walid placed his own life in danger to be able to bring his brothers back.
HOUSE OF ABU AYYUB ANSAARI:
— The Prophet & Abu Bakr traveled from Quba to Madinah on the same camel, named Al-Qaswa.
It wasn’t just the Prophet & Abu Bakr traveling to Madinah, but also the entire community of Quba walking along with them. As the Prophet were riding his camel, hundreds of men surrounded the camel of the Prophet & were walking along with him.
This wasn’t just a journey or traveling from one location to another, but an entire procession was moving.
It was a slow journey from the Masjid of Quba to the place that would eventually be designated as Masjid al-Nabawi As-Sharif in Madinah.
On the way, it was time for Dhur. The Prophet stopped in the neighborhood of Banu Salem, a spot between some of the mountains in the outskirts of Madinah
Madinah was made up of 9 neighborhoods/subdivisions which belonged to different tribes & different families within those tribes.
Several neighborhoods belonged to Jewish tribes, specifically Banu Qaynuqa, which resided within Madinah. The other Jewish tribes were Banu Nadir, which was a couple of miles north of Madinah & Banu Qurayzah, which was a couple of miles south of Madinah
— The Prophet led the Jumu’ah Dhur in the neighborhood of Banu Salem. This was the first Jumu’ah that was led & concocted by the Prophet.
Musa’ab bin Umair & As’ad bin Zurara (one of the leaders of the Ansar) were sent by the Prophet to institute the Friday prayer after the Prophet’s second meeting with the Ansar, so Salah al Jumu’ah had been going on for some time now. After the prayer the Prophet SAW gave the Khutbah.
Majority of the scholars of Seerah don’t mention the khutbah because it’s not authentically narrated.
The weak narrations state the Prophet’s khutbah was over dunya & akhira. He talked about prioritizing the life of the Hereafter over the life of this world.The Prophet emphasized to his companions to prioritize the akhira over the dunya. It was a very short & brief khutbah (about 10 minutes).
— After the Prophet concluded with the khutbah & got on his camel, he was surrounded by some of the men of Banu Salem who were holding the rope of the she-camel of the Prophet.
The men of Banu Salem told the Prophet, “Stay with us, ya Rasulallah. We have numbers. We are ready, & we will protect you.”
The Prophet SAW showed appreciation for their offer & said, “Leave the rope of the she-camel. She is under the command of Allah. The she-camel will stop where Allah has decreed for me to take up residence.
— The Prophet continued on his journey within in Madinah until he came upon the neighborhood of Banu Malik bin Najjar.
One narration states that the she-camel of the Prophet SAW came & stopped right there in the neighborhood.
Another narration states the she-camel sat down, then stood back up, & then walked forward, made a U-turn, came back & sat down on the same exact spot where it sat down the first time.
This was to make it very clear that its stopping point was not coincidental or accidental, that she didn’t need any rest, but this is it, this is the location where the Prophet is to stop as well.
— The she-camel sat down on a road where on one side was an empty piece of land, which was used as a place where bunches of dates would be laid out in the sun to dry.
The Prophet asked, “Who does this belong to?”
Mua’dh bin Afra stepped up & said, “This belongs to two boys, Sahal & Suhail, the sons of Amr. They are orphans. Their father has passed & I am their guardian. This plot of land belongs to them.”
The Prophet said, “Allah has commanded the she-camel to stop here. This is where the masjid will be established. Some apartments will be built next to it & that is where I will reside with my family.”
The two boys, Sahal & Suhail stepped up & said, “Ya Rasulallah, this land is a gift from us to you.”
The Prophet refused, “Absolutely, no.”
— Due to his position of leadership, the Prophet never took advantage of anyone else in the least bit.
Even if the Prophet SAW would have requested the land without any payment, he wouldn’t have been taking it for personal use. It would be communal property; after all, it’s a masjid.
The Prophet taught us that just because something is for the cause of Islam & the sake of the community, it’s still not okay to use that as justification to take advantage of someone. Someone can volunteer or donate, but we cannot take someone’s wealth or possessions & justify it by saying that this is for the community.
Prophet (SAW) asked for the cost of that land and finally, someone else stepped in & told the Prophet how much this type of property would normally sell for, and the Prophet told Abu Bakr to hand that amount of money to the orphans.
The Prophet said, “Now we will build the masjid.”
Now that they designated the piece of land to build the masjid upon, the Prophet now has to figure out where he will be staying.
— Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari’s home was directly across from this land.
He came to the Prophet & said, “Ya Rasulallah, my home is closest to this area.”
The Prophet said, “Fine, I will go ahead & stay with you until the facilities are ready.”
Abu Ayyub took the Prophet’s luggage & ran into his home, just so excited that the Prophet would be staying with his family
The Prophet joined Abu Ayyub’s 2-story house & said, “If it’s okay with you, I’ll stay downstairs, and you & your family can stay upstairs. This will be easier for me & easier for the people that will visit us. We’re going to be visited by a lot of people. It will be easier for me to stay downstairs, because then the visitors won’t have to pass through your residence to get all the way upstairs. Your family can stay upstairs undisturbed when these visitors come.”
— Later on in his life, Abu Ayyub moved from Madinah to Basra, & eventually died in modern-day Istanbul.
Abu Ayyub requested Abdullah bin Abbas to take care of his house while Abu Ayyub was gone in Basra.
Abdullah bin Abbas took over the house, & eventually bought Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari’s house. Abdullah moved into his new house specifically saying, “This is the home where the Prophet lived.”
Eventually, some other Sahahbi purchased the house from Abdullah bin Abbas, & he made the house into a Waqf.
The former house of Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari eventually became a place where the masakeen & the fuqarah were given a place to stay (like a homeless shelter).
SCHOLARS OF FIQH
Imam Abu Hanifa
First of the four great imams of fiqh, Nu`man ibn Thabit, Imam Abu Hanifa was born in 80 A.H. in Kufa, 69 years after the demise of the Holy Prophet (saw). He travelled extensively and was of a Persian origin He is known as imâm al-a`zam (the greatest imam) and called “The Imam” by Abu Daud. He was the only tâbi`i (who met with the companions of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him) out of the four luminaries. Abu Hanifah's father, Thabit, had met in Kufa, `Ali Ibn Abi Talib (ra) who made dua for him and his progeny, and some say that Abu Hanifah was a result of this dua.
Kufa at the time of the Imam's birth was a great center of knowledge and learning, with many of the noble Prophet's (saw) Companions (ra) having taken residence there.
Imam Abu Hanifa spent 20 years working in the market as a silk trader. He acquired customer service skills and interacted with all sorts of people because the market was the centre point of society. Once Imam Abu Hanifa was walking through the Market place and was stopped by Amir As Shabi (one of the teachers of Hammad). Amir As Shabi asked Imam Abu Hanifa “Where do you go?” Imam Abu Hanifa misunderstood what Amir As Shabi meant and told him “I go to the market” Amir As Shabi told him that he had meant “Who is your Shiekh?” Imam Abu Hanifa told him that he has no Sheikh. Amir As Shabi told Imam Abu Hanifa “Do not be heedless, I see potential/alertness in you-Seek knowledge”.
At the age of 20, Imam Abu Hanifah turned his attention towards the pursuit of advancing his Islamic knowledge, but didn’t know where to begin. He went through a period of uncertainty and considered being a Mufassir (teach Quran), a Muhadith (teach Hadith) but finally decided to take up Fiqh because it involved solving the problems of people.
Imam Abu Hanifah benefited from nearly 4,000 Sheikhs. Among his 1st and the most important tutors was Imam Hammad (Died 120 A.H.) whose educational lineage is linked with Hadhrat Abdullah Ibn Mas’ood (R.A.).
Imam Abu Hanifah was also keenly interested in education. He established a school at Kufa, which later became a famous College of Theology. Here he delivered lectures on Islamic Law and related subjects.
His most important work is the Kitab-ul-Aasaar which was compiled by his students – Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad. Imam Abu Hanifah was the first to analyze Islamic jurisprudence, divide it into subjects, distinguish its issues and determine the range and criteria for analytical reasoning (qiyas)." One of the biggest contributions of Imam Abu Hanifa is that he organized fiqhinto functional sub categories starting with tahara (purification).
The Great Imam died in Baghdad in 150 A.H at the age of seventy. May Allah (swt) be pleased with him.
Imam Malik Bin Anas
Imam Malik ibn Anas was the second of the four great imams of fiqh. He was born in 93 A.H. in Madinah.
Born into a well-to-do family, Maalik did not need to work for a living. He was highly attracted to the study of Islam, and ended up devoting his entire life to the study of Fiqh. He is the author of al-Muwatta’ (“The Approved”), formed of the sound narration’s from the Prophet together with the sayings of the companions, their followers, and those after them. Maalik said, “I showed my book to seventy scholars of Madinah, and every single one of them approved it for me (kulluhum wata-ani alayh), so I named it ‘The Approved.’” His chain of narration (from Malik from Nafi’ from Ibn Umar) was called “the golden chain of narrators” by Imam Bukhari.
After a brief illness he passed away on the 11th of Rabi-ul-Awwal in the year 179 A.H. and was buried in Janatul Baqi in Madinah.
Imam Shafi`i
Imaam Muhammad bin Idris Shafi`i was one of the greatest imams of fiqh. He was born in 150 A.H. in Palestine, the same year as Imam Abu Hanifa died. He shared the lineage with Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Al-Shafi'i belonged to the Qurayshi clan Banu Muttalib which was the sister clan of the Banu Hashim to which Muhammad and the Abbasid caliphs belonged. Hence he had connections in the highest social circles, but he grew up in poverty.When he was two year old his mother took him to a tribe in al-Hijaz who were dwellers of the country of Yemen. His mother kept him there until he reached the age of ten years. A time came when she felt that the family was in jeopardy of being forgotten and wasted so she took her son (Imam Shafi’i) to Makkah. He was a skillful archer, then he took to learning language and poetry until he gave himself to fiqh, beginning with hadith. He memorized the Qur’an at age seven, then Malik’s Muwatta’ at age ten, at which time his teacher would deputize him to teach in his absence. At age thirteen he went to see Malik, who was impressed by his memory and intelligence.
Malik ibn Anas and Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani were among his most prominent teachers and he took position against both of them in fiqh
The Imam became very sick at the end of his life and passed away in Egypt on the last day of Rajab. He was buried in cairo,Egypt.
He authored more than 100 books.
- Al-Risala — The best known book by al-Shafi'i in which he examined usul al-fiqh (sources of jurisprudence): the Qur'an, the Sunnah, qiyas(analogy), and ijma' (scholarly consensus). There is a good modern translation.
- Kitab al-Umm - his main surviving text on Shafi'i fiqh
- Musnad ash-Shafi'i (on hadith) - it is available with arrangement, Arabic 'Tartib', by Ahmad ibn Abd ar-Rahman al-Banna.
He is known for his mastery of the Arabic language, eloquence, humility, and knowledge of hadith.
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal also referred as “Sheikh ul-Islam” was born in Baghdad in 164 A.H.
He started his career by learning jurisprudence (Fiqh) under the celebrated Hanafi judge, Abu Yusuf, the renowned student and companion of Imam Abu Hanifah. He then discontinued his studies with Abu Yusuf, in the pursuit of Hadith, travelling around the Islamic Khilafa, at the tender age of 16.
The Imam spent 40 years of his life in the pursuit of knowledge, and only thereafter did he assume the position of a Mufti. By this time, Imam Ahmad had become a leading authority in six or seven Islamic disciplines, according to al-Shafi'i.
Among Imam ibn Hanbal’s works is the great encyclopedia of Traditions called Musnad, collected by his son from his lectures and amplified by supplements - containing over twenty eight thousand traditions. Other works include Kitab-us-Salat, on the Discipline of Prayer and Kitab-us-Sunnah, on the Traditions of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).
Imam Ahmad became a principal specialist in jurisprudence, since he had the advantage of benefiting from some of the famous early jurists and their heritage, such as Abu Hanifah, Malik, al-Shafi'i and many others.
After Imam Ahmad turned 77, he was struck with severe illness and fever, and became very weak, yet never complaining about his infirmity and pain until he died. On Friday, the 12 of Rabi' al-Awwal 241 AH, the legendary Imam breathed his last in Baghdad. Over 800,000 people attended his funeral.
NAMES OF SURAH AND THEIR MEANINGS
- Al Fatihah - The Opener
- Al Baqarah - The Cow
- Al' Imran - The Family of Imran
- An Nisa - The Women
- Al Mai'dah - The Table-spread of Food
- Al An'am - The Cattle
- Al A'raaf - The Heights or The Wall of Elevations
- Al Anfaal - The spoils of War
- Ar Ra'ad - The Thunder
- Al Hijr - The Rocky Track
- Aash Shu'araa - The Poets
- Al Qasus - The Narration or Stories
- Az' Zumur - The Groups or Troops
- Fussilaat - Explained in Detail
- Az' Zukhruf - The Ornaments of Gold
- Ad' Dukhaan - The Smoke
- Al Jaa'thiyaa - The Kneeling
- Al Hujura'at - The Rooms or The Dwellings
- At Tahreem - The Prohibition
- Al Ma'arij - The Ways of Ascent
- An Nazia'at - Those Who Pull Out
- Al Bayyinah - The Clear Proof
- Ad Duhaa - The Forenoon or After Sunrise
- Ad'Dhariyaat - The Winds That Scatter
- Al Maa'oon - The Small Kindness
GOLDEN AGE FACTS: INVENTIONS AND FACTS FROM MUSLIM CIVILIZATION
FATIMA AL FIHRI: Founded the world's first university. She financed and supervised the building of the Al Qarawiyin Mosque, in Fez, Morocco about 1,150 years ago. It is now the world's oldest active university.
JABIR IBN HAYYAN: Perfected the distillation process which is still used in the creation of perfume, gasoline, and more. He is also famous for discovering Sulfuric acid and Hydrochloric acid.
MIMAR SINAN: Born in Turkey, he was a famous architect and designed and built more than 477 mosques, schools and structures throughout the Muslim world. He was the chief architect for the Ottoman Sultans. Two of his most famous mosques are Selimiye in Edirne, Turkey and Suleymaniye in Istanbul, Turkey.
AL KHWARIZMI: He was the "Father Of Algebra" who introduced new concepts in Math in Baghdad around 830. His book Al Jabr Wa l Muqabala introduced basics of Algebra, that we study today. Al khwarizmi in Latin is known as ALGORITMI, the source of the term, ALGORITHM.
AL IDRISI: In 1154, the Muslim geographer, Al Idrisi finished the first atlas, which showed most of North Africa, Asia and Europe.This was about 100 years before Marco Polo wrote about his travels to China and back.
MUHAMMAD AL KARAJI: An 11th century mathematician and engineer from Persia, he described a network of underground tunnels called QANATS, that could carry water over long distances without evaporation. QANATS are still used in some areas in Iran and other Middle East countries.
AL JAZARI: Made the first machine that combined a crank and connecting rod to convert circular motion to linear motion.
Today crank-rod system is used in everything from car engines to toys.
IBN BATTUTA: In 1324, a 21 year old Moroccan, named Ibn BATTUTA set out for Mecca on a journey that would last 29 years and take him to he four corners of the world. He travelled more than 75,000 miles and 44 countries. He called CHINA the safest and best country for travelers. He is often called the Muslim Marco Polo.
TURKISH KIOSKS OR KOSHKS: A domed hall with open, arched sides. In Muslim civilizations, KOSHKS were usually attached to a mosque and often over looked gardens. "Glass Rooms" or "Conservatories" evolved from koshks. One of the most famous Kiosk or koshk, CINILI KOSHK, was built in 1473 at Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, Turkey.
An Abyssinian goat herder, about 1200 years ago discovered coffee, when his goats got an energy boost after eating some red berries.People soon began boiling berries to make coffee.
MOCHA is both the name of a kind of coffee bean and the name of the port in Yemen, that was the center of coffee trade from 15th to 17th centuries.
COTTON: From India was imported to Sicily and Spain by Muslims and became a major crop. The cotton plant is called ALGODON in Spanish, from the Arabic word AL QUTN.
SUGAR CANE: Found its way to Zanzibar, Ethiopia and Spain, thanks to Muslim traders. Today some of the best sugar comes from Zanzibar, now part of Tanzania in East Africa.
The word CHECK MATE comes from the Persian word "Shahmat" which means the king is dead.
9th century philosopher and scientist AL KINDI was the first to lay down the foundations of modern day optics, by questioning earlier theories of vision. He has been called one of the "12 GIANT MINDS of history."