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INTRODUCTION
In the current education curriculum of Kenya, there are various subjects being taught in schools. One of them is Islamic Religious
Education (I.R.E)

Reasons for studying I.R.E.

The following are some of the justifications as to why I.R.E is being studied in schools:
1. To acquire knowledge, values and principles of the true religion of Allah (S.W.T), Islam.
2. To enable the learner emulate and practically manifest the teachings of the prophet (P.B.U.H), hence follow his way of life as the
right code of life recommended by Allah (S.W.T).
3. To appreciate and observe the fundamental beliefs and practices of Islam without omission or innovation
4. As a servant of Allah (S.W.T), one must discharge his or her role, service and fulfill the prescribed responsibility effectively as
Allah’s deputy on Earth.
5. To appreciate the wonders of Allah’s creation and develop a sense of accountability in managing the environment.
6. To acquire relevant skills and values to cope with various issues and challenges.
7. To develop respect for and foster harmonious co-existences with other people through tolerance and adoption of dialogue.
8. To develop international consciousness through an understanding of the universality of Allah (S.W.T) and equality of mankind.
9. To appreciate the role of Islamic history in the development of human culture, thought and civilization.

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CHAPTER ONE: QURAN

Meaning of the Quran
The word Qur’an comes from an Arabic root qara'a which means "to read, or to recite.” Quran in Arabic is a verbal noun, therefore
literally means something that is continuously recited. Technically, Quran is the divine speech of Allah (S.W.T) in its exact meaning
and wording, sent down upon the last Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H), through the agency of Angel Jibril (A.S) for guidance to
human kind, transmitted from one generation to another by means of tawattur (numerous people).

The purposes for reading Quran/ Reasons why Muslims recite Quran constantly
Muslims read the Holy Quran for various purposes such as:
 To win and earn the pleasures (ridhaa) of Allah (S.W.T).
 To preserve and protect the Holy Quran from interpolation.
 To earn relief, healing and set oneself from anger since Quran soothes its reader.
 To learn Allah’s commands explained in the Quran since it provides social guidance.
 To follow the commandments of Allah (S.W.T) by implementing the teaching of Quran.
 Quran is a source of knowledge, reference and research to all mankind.
 To promote memorization of the Holy Quran.
 To prepare themselves for this world and hereafter since Quran is a constant reminder.

Etiquettes that one should observe when reading the Quran

The following are some of the manners that should be observed when handling or reading the Holy Quran:
1. One should keep the Quran in clean place and on top of all the books.
2. A Muslim should concentrate fully on the Quran as if the Quran addresses him or her directly.
3. An individual should be ritually clean free from janaba, nifaas and heidh and sit on a clean place.
4. One should face Qibla when reading the Holy Quran.
5. One should observe self-respect, dignity, self-esteem and humility when reading the Quran.
6. One should start with audhu-billahi and followed with bismillah.
7. One should read the Quran with his or her best voice.
8. One should cover his or her private part (‘aura) as appropriate as possible.
9. One should ask for Allah’s forgiveness when reading a verse containing a promise.
10. One should request for Allah’s mercy when reading a verse containing a threat or punishment.
11. One should end with supplication for Allah (S.W.T) to accept his or her recitation.
12. One should consider sijidtatul-tilaawah where appropriate.

Ways through which Muslims can fully understand (grasp) the message of Quran
The following are ways through which Muslims can fully understand the message of the Holy Quran:
 By reciting the Holy Quran frequently while concentrating fully on its meaning.
 Through reflecting on the meaning of Quran deeply.
 By learning Arabic language that which will improve personal understanding of the language of Quran.
 By learning the translated and exegesis copies of Quran to enhance understanding of it.
 Through practicing and implementing the Quran teachings.
 Preaching and teaching the Quran to other people.
 By attending rallies and Islamic conferences to listen and learn the Quran.

Reasons why some Muslims find it difficult to read the Holy Quran regularly
The following are reasons why some Muslims find it difficult to read the Holy Quran regularly:
a) Secularization: Some Muslims give more important to learn worldly literature and book and forsake the Quran.
b) Ignorance: Some Muslims don’t understand or know how to recite Quran so they find it difficult to read it regularly.
c) Technological innovations: Some Muslims are always engaged into social Medias such as facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp,
Twitter, among others. They do not spare sometimes to read Quran.
d) Negative peer influence: Some Muslims have befriended with bad companies who keep them busy with non-beneficial activities
such as attending parties, sports, gambling and spending time for vain talks.
e) Negative socio-cultural environment: In some communities, it looked as backward and uncivilized to read Quran regularly.

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f) Negative Media influence: Some TV channels do broad programs, movies and series which keep some Muslims busy watching
and thus forsaking Quran.
g) Materialism: Some Muslims are busy working obsessively to gain wealth. They lack time to spend for their religion.
h) Decay of faith: Some Muslims do not believe that reading Quran earn them Allah’s pleasure.

Other Names of the Quran

Some of the names of the Quran have been referred to in the Quran itself while others are derived from the functions of the Quran.
Among these names are as follows:
a) a). Al-Furqaan (The Distinguisher) g). Al-Nadhir (The Clear Warner)
b) c). Al-Rahma (The Mercy) h). Al-Tanzil (The Revelation)
c) Al-Dhikr (The Reminder) i). Al-Kitab (The book)
d) Al-Hudaa (The Guidance) j). Al-Nur (The Light)
e) Al-Shifaa (The Cure) k). Al-Majid (The Glorious)
f) Al-Karim (The Noble) l). Al-Mubarak (Blessed)

Ulumul-Quran
Ulumul-Quran is a scientific study of the Quran including all the branches of knowledge related to its understanding. Such
knowledge includes the following:
 Revelation of the Holy Qur’an.
 Collection and compilation of the Holy Qur’an.
 Order and arrangement of verses and chapters of the Qur’an.
 Translation and Interpretation of the Quran (Tafsir wa-tahweelul Quran).
 Information about Reasons for and occasions of revelation of the verses and chapters of the Qur’an (Asbaabu Nnuzul)
 Characteristics and nature of language of Quran.
 About Abrogating and abrogates verses of Qur’an (Al-Nasikh wal-Mansukh)
 Style of writing and Themes of the Quran
 Recitation of Qur’an (Tajweed li-Qiraatul Qur’an)
 About the clear and unclear verses (Muhkamaat and Mutashaabihaat)

Importance of studying Ulumul-Quran (science of the Quran)

The following are the significance of studying the science of the Holy Quran:
a) It enables the reader to realize the wealth of knowledge and insight that exist with the regard to the book of Allah.
b) It provides the students with better understanding of the Quran by being familiar with history of its revelation.
c) It increases the persons faith by realizing the beauty of the Quran and the great blessing granted through its revelation.
d) It enables Muslims to defend the Quran against interpolation since he/ she will be equipped with the true and pristine knowledge
of the Quran.
e) It aids the learners to comprehend various aspects of Quran, such as learning tafseer, which open to understand religion broadly.

Importance of abrogating and abrogated verses in the Holy Quran

The following are significance of the abrogated and abrogating verses in the Holy Quran:
a) To replace hard rules with easy and simple rules. For example, replacing the eddat of one year with 4 months 10 days.
b) To know the order of revelation of verses and chapters. The abrogating verses were revealed later after the abrogated ones.
c) For graduation implementation of sharia laws. For example, the prohibition of alcohol.
d) They show historical development of Islam. When the sharia laws of earlier generations were replaced with recurrent ones.
e) To cope with situations and circumstances to make the sharia application to all people regardless of time, place and people.
f) They provide clear proof that Quran was revealed in portion.
g) To test the faith of true believers and hypocrites. The believers do trust both verses are from Allah and they do not contradict each
other, but hypocrites do keep on questioning about the verses and sometimes they fail to believe.

Need for the revelation of the Quran

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Some of the reasons as to why mankind and jinns needed revelation are as follows:
• The earlier scriptures were tempered by the man to suit their needs thus losing their authenticity. Hence the revelation of the
Quran was to correct the wrong message.
• The Quran was meant to provide a universal message unlike the other books which were sent to particular nations at specific time
and people.
• To fulfill Allah’s promise of the other earlier revealed scriptures on the coming of the Quran and that of the last prophet
Muhammad (P.B.U.H).
• To narrate and summarize stories and events of the earlier generation in order to offer teachings, lessons, warnings and guidance
to shape community.
• To promote the believe in True God so as to re-affirm tawheed in the society and reject all false gods
• To remind all people and jinns about the Day of Judgment to make us remember both death and accountability and thus
encourage us to be righteous.
• To give man the intended Islamic code of life of worshipping Allah as prescribed by Allah (S.W.T) in the Holy Quran.

Themes of the Quran

Quran has discussed many themes and several topics. Some of them include the following:
a) Doctrine of Tawheed and shirk g) Battles (Holy wars)
b) Day of Judgment h) Islamic Morality and its basic principles
c) Honesty and truthfulness i) Patience and tranquility
d) Commercial ethics j) Stories of prophets and their generations
e) Paradise and Hellfire k) Islamic penal code (Crimes and Punishments)
f) Pillars of Islam: shahada, swala, swaum, zakat and hajj. l) Family and social relations

Importance of Qur’an
The following are some of the importance of the Holy Qur’an to Muslim community:
1. It is an eternal miracle of Islam because no society can produce its similitude.
2. Quran is the first source of Islamic sharia (law) that touches all the human aspects of life.
3. It purifies individuals’ moral and conduct for the betterment of the society.
4. Muslims get rewards by reading and conducting themselves as per teachings of Quran.
5. Quran is a source of spiritual satisfaction and thus way It guides the believers on how to worship appropriately.
6. It is superior to what was revealed to the former messengers of Allah. It contains all their teachings.
7. Muslims solve their problems through the Quran either directly or indirectly.
8. It is the best guide for seeking Allah’s pleasure and obtaining a perfect moral code.
9. It guides us to all aspects of life i.e. socially, politically and spiritually, thus enabling people to live in peace and harmony.
10. Our supplications get answered if we were to pray after reading the Qur’an, thus it also helps in strengthening our faith.
11. Students get wise when they start reading the Qur’an in their childhood. It is the best intellectual treasure a student can have
12. Quran recitation inculcates love and fear of Allah. This is because some verses of the Quran contain soothing effect while others
contain harsh tone to the disbelievers and the evil doers.
13. Inculcates love and respect for the Prophet (SAW) to whom the Qur’an was revealed.
14. It also contains narratives of peoples and nations of the past and prophets.
15. Quran helps to improve Arabic and services as an incentive for the study of Arabic.

Importance of Quran on Social life

Quran guides one on many issues in life of social value:
 It spells out how to relate with the family that is duties of a man, wife, children and relatives.
 It explains in detail on how Muslims should relate to their neighbors.
 It spells how to relate to the poor, needy, orphaned, widow, sick and other vulnerable people.
 Quran condemns abortion, jealousy, envy, backbiting, slander, intoxicants and other social evils.
 Quran condemns all sexual lust such as fornication, incest and other sexual perversions.
 It enhances brotherhood, equality and unity among people.

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Importance of Quran on Economic Life

Quran guides Muslims on many issues in Economic life:
 Quran spells out on how to earn and possess wealth on halal trade.
 It assists in categorizing unlawful earnings such as hoarding, pigs business, ribaa and Ghush
 It explains on how to use the earned wealth lawfully, such as to help the needy, paying religious debts and avoid israf.

Importance of Quran on Political life

Quran guides Muslims on many issues in Political life:
 It gives direction to the leaders on how to practice fairness and sincere justice.
 It guides the leaders to refer to the book of Allah and sunnah of the prophet on every affair they handle.
 It spells out the qualities that one should possess to be a good leader.
 It directs Muslims to respect and obey their leaders and warns them against disobey them.

The role of Angel Jibril (A.S) in the revelation of Qur’an

The following are the duties played by Angel Jibril (A.S) in the revelation of the Holy Qur’an:
1. He lowered Quran from Lauhil Mahfudh (well preserved tablet) to Baitul– Izza (lowest heaven) in the night of power.
2. He revealed Quran in portions to the prophet Mohammed throughout his 23 years of prophet hood.
3. He taught the prophet Mohammed how to recite the Holy Quran correctly.
4. He assisted the prophet (p.b.u.h) in the order and arrangement of the Quran.
5. He acted as a link between Allah (S.W.T) and Prophet (p.b.u.h) carrying across them the Quran.
6. He assisted the prophet (p.b.u.h) in memorizing the Quran during its revelation.
7. Angel Jibril (A.S) assisted the prophet in interpreting and understanding the Quran.
8. He listened prophet’s Quran recitation from time to time and in his last year he went through with him the Qur’an twice.

The roles played by Angel Jibril in the perfection of Islamic religion

The following are the roles that Angel Jibril (A.S) played in the perfection of Islamic religion:
a) He used to bring down the Quran from lauhul mahfudh to baitul izza then down to the prophet
b) Angel Jibril taught the prophet how to recite the Holy Quran
c) There were times when Angel Jibril would descend in human form to teach the prophet (p.b.u.h) different aspects of religion on
behalf of the prophet’s companions (swahabas)
d) Angel Jibril used to give comfort and spiritual support to the prophet (p.b.u.h) in times of hardship.
e) Angel Jibril accompanied the prophet (p.b.u.h) during the journey of Isra-wal-Miraaj.
f) Angel Jibril would also accompany the prophet (p.b.u.h) during battles where himself actively fought to protect the prophet.
g) He would also come to go through the Holy Quran and its order with the prophet (p.b.u.h) for its proper preservation.
h) Angel Jibril was a true friend in need and indeed who consoled the prophet (p.b.u.h) whenever he experienced emotional and
psychological stresses.
i) He used to listen the prophet Muhammad’s recitation of the Quran from time to time and in his last year he went through with him
the Qur’an twice.

The role of the prophet Mohammed (p.b.u.h) in the revelation of Qur’an

The following are roles of the prophet Mohammed (p.b.u.h) in the revelation of Qur’an:
1) He was first receiver of the message hence enabled the Quran to be revealed.
2) He facilitated the preservation of the Quran by memorization the text.
3) He asked the scribers to write it down so as to be used as a reference.
4) He used to listen to the scribers reciting it after recording to ensure that the message was captured correctly to avoid sending of
wrong message
5) He taught the companions the intended message of the revolution thus facilitating the following of its teachings
6) He interpreted the Quranic verses by use of hadith and sunnah to make the message clear to the companions
7) There are times which circumstances required his response and where he was unable answer Allah (SWT) revealed specific
verses to give the responses.
8) Some verses were revealed to correct mistakes that he made. For example, during the incident of lady Aisha when she was
slandered and when he ignored Abdullah ibn Ummu Makthum

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9) He used to send teachers to various places to teach the Quran. For instance, he sent Musab ibn Umair to Madinah.

The reasons why the Qur’an was revealed in portions (piecemeal)

The following are some of the reasons as to why the Quran was revealed bit by bit:
1. To address the prophet (p.b.u.h) continuously to strengthen his heart.
2. The process of revelation was a difficult experience considering human ability and limitations; therefore, it was revealed in
portions to ease the task.
3. To provide room for spiritual growth and development for the prophet (p.b.u.h) and his companions.
4. To progressively implement the sharia (laws) of Allah (S.W.T) that is providing continuous guidance.
5. To make it easy for the believers to understand and apply the rules of the Quran.
6. To make its memorization easier because the Arabs chiefly relied on memory to preserve information.
7. To respond to the events and incidences. And thus, to Deal with problems as they arise whenever a new happening emerges the
Quran was there to provide the necessary solutions and answer.
8. To show that Qur’an is the real speech of Allah (S.W.T). An indication of the true source of the Quran as it was revealed in a
period of 23 years without any contradictions.

Proofs/ Evidence that Holy Quran was revealed in portion

The following are proofs that the Quran was revealed in portion:
a) There were sometimes when there was no revelation came to the prophet Muhammed (p.b.u.h)
b) The revelation of Quran started when prophet (p.b.u.h) was at the age of 40 years and ended when he was 63 years old.
c) Some verses and chapters coped and matched with circumstances and events that took place at different times.
d) The memorization and understanding of Quran was easy to most of those who had sharp and retentive memories.
e) The sharia laws were implemented gradually to make Muslims adopt them easy.
f) The prophet (p.b.u.h) withstood the process of revelation yet it was a difficult experience due to human limitations.
g) In the Holy Quran there are abrogated and abrogating verses which were revealed at different times.
h) There are some verses that were revealed in Makkan and some in Madinah.

The translation of Surah Fatihah

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. All the praises be to Allah, The cherisher of the world. Most Merciful, Most
Gracious. Master of the Day of Judgment. You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help. Guide us to the straight path. The
path of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, and not of those who earned Your anger, or of those who went astray.

Commentary of Surah Fatihah

Surah Al-Fatiha is the first chapter of the Quran. The word ‘Fatiha’ means an opening or beginning. It was revealed as a complete
chapter in the fourth year since the prophet Mohammed (P.B.U.H) began his mission in the Holy city of Mecca. It was revealed to
offer a way through which believers can communicate with Allah (S.W.T) during prayers. It has seven verses, BISMILLAH being the
first one of them. It is concluded by the word AMEEN, this simply means LORD ACCEPT IT.

Circumstances that led to the revelation of Surah Al-Fatiha

The following are circumstances that led to the revelation of Surah Al-Fatiha:
 Allah wanted to inform the Meccans the coming of congregational prayers, as the chapter collectively speaks in plurality.
 Allah wanted to give to all Muslims one common Dua (Supplication)
 It forms the summary of all Muslim thoughts and hopes about his creator, Allah.
 It was revealed to ask Allah for his mercy, blessings, and guidance by all Muslims in daily acts of worship.
 It was a great gift to the Holy prophet (p.b.u.h), that no other prophet received from Him.

Parts of Surah Fatiha

The chapter has three distinctive parts basing on its themes. Such parts are as follows:
1. The praises of Allah (S.W.T) through His beautiful names and attributes such as Allah being is the Most Gracious, Most Merciful,

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The Cherisher of the universe and the King of the Day of Judgement.
2. The declaration and loyalty pledge of the believers that they would worship and depend on Allah alone.
3. The supplication of guidance of the believers to be directed on the righteous path.

Attributes of Allah mentioned in Surah Al-Faatihah

The following are the attributes of Allah mentioned in Surah Al-Fatihah:
 Allah: He is the only one God worth to be worshiped without being associated with any being.
 Ar-Rahman: The Most merciful to his creatures and all beings.
 Ar-Rahim: The Most Gracious to the righteous beings.
 Ar-Rabb: The Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds.
 Al-Malik: The King
Themes of Surah Al-Faatiha
The following are the four major principles of Surah Al-Fatiha basing on its themes:
• The principle of tawheed (oneness of Allah).
• The principle of Akherah (life after death).
• The principle of Hudaa (Guidance).
• The principle of falaahu-din (continuation of religion).
Other names of Surah Al-Fatiha
The following are the other names of Surah Al-Fatihah:
a) Suratul swalaat- The chapter of prayer f) Faatihalul kitaab- The opening chapter.
b) Ummul-kitaab- The mother of the book. g) Ummul-Quran- The mother of Holy Quran.
c) Assabaul-mathaani- The seven repeatedly verse. h) Al-kaafiyah- The sufficient.
d) Ashifaa- The cure. i) Arruqyah- The incarnation.
e) Al-assaas- The foundation. j) Al-waafiyah- The complete.

The supplication (dua) as stated in Surah Al-Fatiha

You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help. Guide us to the straight path. The path of those on whom you have bestowed
your Grace, and not the path of those who earned your anger, or of those who went astray.

Teachings of Surah Fatihah

The following are the lessons that Muslims can derive from Surah Al-Fatihah:
1. Allah is the most Gracious and most Merciful.
2. We should praise and appreciate Allah for all the favors He has bestowed upon us.
3. Allah is the controller and overall judge of everything during the Day of Judgment.
4. Allah is the only one worth of our devotion so all our prayers should be directed to Him.
5. Whoever needs any help should seek divine intervention of Allah.
6. Man should ask for Allah’s guidance to the path of righteousness.
7. The path of righteousness is a favor from Allah (S.W.T).
8. Man should shun all evils to avoid the wrath of Allah.
9. Mankind should follow the teachings of Allah (S.W.T) in order to avoid His anger.
10. The recognition of the oneness of Allah brings us closer to Allah and keeps us far from satan.

Teachings of Surah Al-Fatiha on the relationship between man and Allah

The following are teachings on the relationship between man and Allah:
 Man should love, praise and glorify Allah.
 Allah is the nourisher and sustainer of man.
 Allah is the Supreme Judge of man.
 Allah provides guidance to the right path.
 Allah is Merciful and Gracious towards man.
 Man should worship Allah alone.

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 Man is passive, dependent and limited before Allah.

Importance of the Surah Al-Fatihah

Surah Al-Fatiha has the following significances:
1. Surah Fatiha brings us closer to Allah through the words of praise contained in it.
2. It is a supplication that the prophet (p.b.u.h) recommended to be used often.
3. It is the opening chapter of the Holy Quran.
4. It is the foundation of faith since it contains all the aspects of tawheed and articles of faith.
5. It is the mother of the Quran.
6. It is one of the pillars of prayers, therefore it is to be recited in every prayer for it to be valid.
7. It is one among the surahs that no other prophet was given except prophet Muhammad only.
8. It is a mean by which Muslims communicate with Allah in a dialogue form.
9. It is a loyalty pledge of Muslims to Allah at least 17 times daily during prayer.
10. It psychologically makes a Muslim calm, patient and confident in his or her religion.

Ways through which Surah Al-Fatihah guides a Muslim on the right path
The following are ways through which Surah Al-Fatiha guides a Muslim on to the right path:
a) Through continuous recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha in prayers enables Muslims to be granted the divine guidance of Allah by
frequently sending their supplication to be guided.
b) By reminding Muslims about the Day of Judgment makes them to be righteous to have clean records on that day.
c) By recognizing that Allah is the only one rightful for devotion and worship makes Muslims to refrain from shirk and affirms
one’s faith to one God.
d) By reading Surah Fatihah Muslims learn that only Allah deserves to be thanked for all favors and that they have to take care of all
the bounties to please Allah.
e) Through knowing that Allah is the most Merciful, Muslims do their best to enjoin good and ask for forgiveness whenever they
error to avoid the punishment of Allah.
f) Surah Fatiha teaches that Allah is the begging of all goodness thus makes Muslims to lead a life of recognizing that Allah is the
true owner of everything.
g) It helps to develops in Muslims a sense of tawakul (dependence) upon Allah only and that nothing can harm or benefits them
without the will of Allah.

Circumstances/ Historical background to the revelation of Surah Fiil

The word Fiil means elephant which is mentioned in the first verse of this Surah. It was revealed when the Quraish intensified their
persecutions to Muslims. The Quraish were plotting to kill the prophet (p.b.u.h). They thought themselves as superior because they
had tools to finish Islam and Muslims who were few. They were envious of the progress of Muslims just like Abraha was envious of
the Kaabah and wanted to destroy it. Therefore, they wanted to stop the spread of Islam by all means necessary.
Then Allah revealed surah Al-Fiil to describe the incidence of the elephants which happened during the period of the birth of the
Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H). These elephants were used in the army of Abraha Al-Ashram who was governor of Yemen on behalf
of the King of Ethiopia. He was sent to go and destroy the Al-Kaaba.
It is said that even before the coming of true religion, Islam, the Arabs used to perform pilgrimage at the Kaaba. This allowed trade
and eventually growth and popularity of Mecca. Abraham envied this and built a shrine/temple (Al-Qulais) at a place called Sanaa
and had wanted the Arabs to perform Pilgrimage at the shrine instead of the Kaaba which they refused.
A man from Qureysh tribe happened to be in Al-Qulais, he was infuriated by it. So, he went inside and relieved himself by the call of
nature. He later soiled its walls with the stool and went away.
Abraha became furious and decided to send an army to go and destroy the Kaaba. He therefore, assembled a large army of about
60000 soldiers which comprised of 13 elephants and among them was the biggest one called Mahmood mounted by Abraha himself.
Allah (S.W.T) sent small birds (abaabil) hitting them with pebbles baked clay from Hellfire. Most of them died instantly. The few
who remained suffer from incurable diseases which led to their eventual deaths.

Translation of Surah Fiil

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

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Have you (O Muhammad) not seen how your Lord dealt with the companions of the Elephant? Did He not make their treacherous
plan into misguidance? And He sent against them birds in flocks, Striking them with stones of baked clay. He made them like an
empty field of stalks and straw, (of which the corn) has been eaten.

Teachings of Surah Fiil

There are several lessons that can be learnt from this surah as follows:
• Al-Kaaba is the first ancient house of the divine worship and it is protected by Allah.
• Allah is in position to destroy the plans of anybody who intends to harm others.
• Allah is very powerful and sees everything. That’s nothing can happen without his knowledge.
• No creature can fight the might of Allah, but rather frustrate them in many ways.
• Material possession of a man cannot defeat the mighty Allah’s property.
• Mankind should rely on Allah for anything because Allah can offer divine protection over everything.
• Allah does not allow evil to flourish and dominate for long but rather brings it to a miserable end in a blink of an eye.
• Allah gives protection to the righteous servants and innocent creatures.
• The wrong doers will always be punished by Allah.
• No one can prevail against Allah. He is the most powerful of the so-called powerful.
• Allah has the ability to end a person’s pride and arrogance as to bring the powerful one down to the lowest position.
• Allah wanted to honor the birth of the prophet (p.b.u.h) and make Mecca a safe place for his birth.

Historical Background of Surah Asr

The Surah is referred to as Surah Al-Asr (Chapter of declining time of the day). It is the first term appearing in the first verse. It was
revealed in the Makkan at the early stages of Islam where the Muslim population was small.
It is 13th in the order of revelation. The surah consists of three verses, making it the shortest chapter in the Quran but summarizes all
the teachings of Islam because of its vast meaning. It affirms great loss for those who reject Allah’s message after it reached them
correctly, and for those who accepted it but failed to live according to its teachings. Imam Shafi commended that Surah Asr would
have sufficed all the other Surahs of the Quran if they had not been revealed.

Translation of Surah-Asr
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
By Asr time. Verily! Man is in loss, except those who believe (in tawheed) and do righteous good deeds, and enjoin one another to
the truth, and recommend one another to patience.

Themes of Surah-Asr
The following are the important aspects discussed in Surah Al-Asr:
 The sole right of Allah to swear by anything because everything belongs to Him.
 The importance of time management
 Significance of prayers especially the Asr prayers
 Merit of having a complete faith in Islamic monotheism
 It emphasizes the doing of righteous deeds and living according to Islamic teachings
 Virtue of advising each other on speaking of truth and giving an honest witness
 The importance of enjoining each other on holding our patience during difficulties
 The importance of believing in Allah and doing of good deeds

Teachings of the Surah Al-Asr

The following are some of the teachings of Surah Al-Asr:
1. Allah (S.W.T) has the sole right to swear by anything such as Time, because everything belongs to Him.
2. It affirms great loss for those who reject Allah’s message or failed to live according to it.
3. Man is encouraged to have a complete faith in oneness of Allah
4. The salvation of man lies in one leading a virtuous life and abiding to the accepted Islamic laws

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5. Believers are encouraged to recommend each other to follow the truth and testify their testimonial honestly
6. Believers should enjoin one another to be patient in times of natural calamities and difficulties.
7. Muslims are also encouraged to be committed, honest and devoted to the truth of Islam for them to attain success.
The four articles of success mentioned in Surah Al-Asr
The four groups of people who are not in a loss according to surah asr include:
1) Muslims should have a complete faith, free from doubtful things.
2) Individuals should strive to do the righteous deeds as much as possible.
3) Individual is expected to be truthful, honest and of high integrity and hence fight for the truth at any cost.
4) Enjoining one another to be patient in times of natural calamities and difficulties is a duty of every Muslim.

Historical Background of Surah Nasr

The Surah is called Surah Nasr because it is a word that appears in the first verse of the chapter. It literally means help. And here it
refers to Allah’s help that caused the conquest of Makkah. This Surah was revealed after the conquest of Makkah. It was the time
when many people were embracing Islam, thus the Surah was to remind the Prophet and the Muslims believers at large to consider
the victory was from Allah only. The victory in which multitudes of people from different tribes embraced Islam was the victory from
Allah (S.W.T) this is believed to be the last surah given to Prophet Muhammad and a sign to his approaching death.

Translation of Surah An-Nasr

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
When the victory of Allah has come and the conquest. And you see the people entering into the religion of Allah in multitudes. Then
glorify your Lord by praising Him and ask forgiveness of Him. Indeed, He is ever accepting of repentance.

Teachings of Surah Nasr

This surah has the following teachings:
 It recognizes Allah as the only source of help and victory.
 It is a sign of victory when people are seen accepting Islam in multitudes.
 It encourages people to thank and glorify the praises of Allah for any victory (help), assistance and favors.
 People should glorify Allah’s name and ask for forgiveness confidently that Allah accepts people’s repentance.
 It foretells the prophet Mohammad’s (P.B.U.H) death.
 It concludes the message of the Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H), that it was a success.
 It tells us that it is our duty to endeavor in preaching and propagating Islam despite of any difficulties.

Places of revelation of the surahs

The following are places where the following surahs were revealed:
Name of the surah Places where were revealed Number of verses found in the surah
Surah Al-Fatiha Makkah Seven
Surah Al-Fill Makkah Five
Surah Al-Asr Makkah Three
Surah An-Nasr Madinah Three

Differences between Surah Al-Fatiha and Surah An-Nasr

The following are differences between Surah Al-Fatiha and Surah An-Nasr:
Surah Al-Fatiha Surah An-Nasr
The surah is revealed in Makkah (before Hijra). The surah is revealed in Madinah (after Hijra).
The surah has seven verses (ayat). The surah has three verses (ayat).
It is the first chapter in the arrangement of chapters in the It is the 110th chapter in the arrangement of chapters in the

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Quran Quran
It is found in the first juz. It is found in the 30th juz.
It is compulsory to be recited in every prayer. It is optional to be recited in prayer.
Bismillah is a verse of surah Al-Fatiha. Bismillah is optional when reciting surah Al-Nasr.
It is in Dua form (supplication for guidance). It is in prophecy form (prophesizing the death of prophet
(p.b.u.h) and future of Islam).
Its main themes are Attributes of Allah. Its main theme is about help and Victory from Allah.

Differences between Surah Al-Fiil and Surah Al-Nasr

The following are differences between Surah Al-Asr and Surah Al-Nasr:
Surah Al-Fiil Surah Al-Nasr
The surah is revealed in Makkah (before Hijra). The surah is revealed in Madinah (after Hijra).
The surah contains five verses. The surah contains three verses.
Its main theme is to describe the unsuccessful attack of Its main theme is about help and Victory from Allah.
Kaabah by Abraha Al-Ashram.
It is the 105th chapter in the arrangement of chapters in the It is the 110th chapter in the arrangement of chapters in the
Quran Quran
The surah has twenty three Arabic words. The surah has nineteen Arabic words.

Differences between Surah Al-Asr and Surah Al-Nasr

The following are differences between Surah Al-Asr and Surah Al-Nasr:
Surah Al-Asr Surah Al-Nasr
The surah is revealed in Makkah (before Hijra). The surah is revealed in Madinah (after Hijra).
It was revealed at the early stages of Islam where the Muslim It was revealed when the Muslim population is large because of
population was small. the conquest of Makkah by the Muslims.
Its main theme are the four articles of success. Its main theme is about help and Victory from Allah.
It is the 103 chapter in the arrangement of chapters in the It is the 110th chapter in the arrangement of chapters in the
rd

Quran Quran
The surah has sixteen Arabic words. The surah has nineteen Arabic words.
The surah is 13th in the order of revelation. The surah is 114th in the order of revelation.
It summarized all the teachings of Islam because of its vast It concluded the message of the prophet because it prophesized
meaning. the death of the prophet (p.b.u.h).

Similarities between Surah Al-Asr and Surah Al-Nasr

The following are similarities between Surah Al-Asr and Surah Al-Nasr:
a) Both Surahs contain three verses (ayats).
b) Both Surahs are found in the thirtieth juz.
c) Both surahs are named after the terms found in their first verse.
d) Both surahs are considered to be the shortest surahs in the Holy Quran.

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CHAPTER TWO: HADITH

Meaning of the term hadith and sunnah

The word hadith literally comes from the Arabic word haddatha which means to give a story, report, narration, piece of information
or an account by a person. Technically, the term hadith refers to the prophetic sayings, actions and silent approvals of the Prophet
Mohammed that bearing to any Islamic code of life.

Sunnah: literally means path or way. In broad sense is an action done, commanded, or approved by the prophet (p.b.u.h). Simply
means it is the lifestyle of the prophet.

Differences between Hadith and Sunna

The term hadith is used interchangeably to refer to Sunnah although there are differences between the two as follows:
Hadith Sunnah
This is what the prophet (p.b.u.h) said or what he taught. This refers to what the prophet (p.b.u.h) did or his actions.
It is what the prophet (p.b.u.h) kept quiet about or approved. It is the way in which the prophet (p.b.u.h) conducted the affairs of
the society. That is, the doing of religious act himself.
It is the prophet’s interpretation of the Quran. It is the prophet’s (p.b.u.h) actual reading of the Quran.

This is the prophet’s (p.b.u.h) treaties and declaration. It is the prophet’s implementation of those treaties and declarations
It is the prophet’s guidance on how to behave towards others. It is how the prophet (p.b.u.h) related to other people
This is the prophet’s instruction on how to worship Refers to the demonstrations and how the prophet Mohammed
(p.b.u.h) conducted the religious acts.

Meaning of the concept of evolution of hadith

The term evolution has been used to refer to the origin or emergence. Therefore, evolution of Hadith traces the origin and gradual
development of hadith. It can best be investigated by studying the drivers of evolution.

Ways through which hadith evolved

These are the factors that made the Prophet to come up with the volumes of hadith and sunnah which Muslims today rely on as a
significant code of reference after the Quran. There are four ways in which contributed to the evolution of hadith:
1. The hadith through the prophet’s initiative: The prophet was devoted to teaching the Muslims about the right way. He would
come up with an issue of which he felt that there was need for the Muslims to know about. For example, the hadith about bankruptcy
on the day of Judgement.
2. The hadith as a response to questions asked by his companions: People would approach him with questions on religion,
social, political and any other issues affecting them. Hence, his suggested solutions became part of hadith. For example, the hadith
about whom to do better between a father and a mother.
3. The hadith as a demand of circumstances: Situations would arise and the companions would demand the prophet’s suggestions
and solutions as their leader, hence his address became Hadith. For instance, hadith about intention was due to Muslims migration
from Makkah to Madinah.
4. Hadith as an interpretation of the Quran: The verses of the Qura’n were revealed to the prophet (p.b.u.h). It was the duty of
the prophet to explain the meaning and application of those verses to his companions. Therefore, his explanations and commentaries
became Hadith. For example, hadith on how to pray as elaboration of Allah command to pray.

Development of hadith through prophet’s own initiative

The following is how Hadith developed through prophet’s own initiative:
a) Through practically demonstrating to his swahaba such as how to pray, wudhu, hajj.
b) Trained his wives and swahaba how to answer questions on his behalf.
c) Through public addresses. For example, the last farewell speech.
d) After teaching his companions, the Prophet (p.b.u.h) used to listened to what they learnt from him.
e) Through silently approving the action of his companion.
f) He sent his companions to outlying areas to go and teach such as Musab bin Umayr sent to Madinah.
g) He encouraged those whom he taught to teach others. He said ‘convey my message even if it be a single ayah’

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h) He used to answer questions directed to him by swahabas.

i) He used to send letters and treaties to various rulers explaining fundamental aspect of Islam and inviting them
j) He discouraged ignorance and warned dire consequences of forgetting or not learning Hadith/ punishment.
k) Offering incentives/reward to teachers and students which motivated them to learn and practice his sunnah.
l) He accommodated people from far away places and educated them Hadith.
m) Solving problem facing the ummah at a particular situation.

Forms of hadith
Hadith are in four forms as determined by the way they were presented by the prophet. These forms are:
i. Qaul: This is a statement given out from the mouth of Prophet Mohammed (p.b.u.h) concerning Islamic matters.
ii. Fiil: This is any virtuous action performed by Prophet Mohammed (p.b.u.h) concerning the Islamic code of life.
iii. Iqraar/ Taqrir: It refers the deeds done by the Swahabas when the prophet kept quiet about them instead of disapproving them,
he silently approved them. His silent approval was like giving them a go ahead to continue with the deeds.
iv. Sifat: This refers to general appearance, qualities and attributes that the prophet displayed in his life. The Swahabas were able to
observe his general conduct and follow them.

Contributions of hadith to Islamic thought and culture

Hadith and Sunnah play a great role in the life of the Muslims. Some of such roles include the following:
1) Hadith provides explanation of the verses of Quran thus enhancing its understanding and application of its teachings. For
example, Quran gives a ruling that Muslims should pay Zakat. While hadith outlines details of how much, on which items or
when to give the Zakat.
2) Hadith is the second source of Islamic sharia. Muslim jurists like the four imams of the schools of thought studied the sciences of
hadith and simplified its understanding and application.
3) Hadith have provided a clear guidance on the code of conduct expected from the Muslims. Muslims should adhere to specific
mannerisms of walking, sleeping eating among others as taught by our prophet (p.b.u.h)
4) Hadith have summarized the prophet’s exemplary life and thus giving the true picture of the prophet Mohammed (p.b.u.h) to
uphold the status of the prophet and preserve his traditions.
5) Muslims emulate the virtuous actions of the prophet Mohammed (p.b.u.h) and thus helps them to mold their character.
6) Great scholars who mastered science of hadith have developed and contributed to other fields of studies such as theology,
history, sociology, medicine, mathematics, anatomy and among others.
7) Hadith is a religious and unifying factor. All Muslims are abiding together because they are following one leader—the prophet
Mohammed (p.b.u.h)

Contributions of Hadith to the development of Islamic culture

The following are contributions of hadith to the development of Islamic culture:
 Contributed to the development of Arabic language, especially new vocabularies of religious significance such as sunnah, qaul,
takriir, sifaat among others.
 It contributed to the development of Islamic law as it forms the most authoritative source of law after the Quran.
 Led to the emergence of ulumul-hadith (science of hadith) and Muhadetheen as specialist of this branch of knowledge.
 It led to the emergence of new ways of observing ceremonies and festivals such as Nikaah, aqeeqah among others.
 In influenced muslims code of behaviours by emulating the model of the prophet Muhammed such as being kind, polite, saluting
each other among others.
 Hadith has influenced the development of centers of learning where hadith and other Islamic sciences are taught.
 Hadith has redefined the concept of aura (private parts) personal hygiene, ritual purity and dietary regulations. Most of these
regulations were contrary to the prevailing cultures of that time.
 It led to the development of press, publication and writing of books on hadith such as sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim etc.
 Acceptance of the genuine sayings and practices of the prophet Muhammed has become part of the requirements of faith.

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Importance of hadith and sunnah of the Prophet Mohammed (p.b.u.h)

The following are some of the merits (significance, importance, advantages) of hadith and sunnah:
i. It is the second source of Islamic sharia after the Holy Quran.
ii. It interprets and simplifies the Quran by explaining further the facts and messages where necessary.
iii. It guides the Muslims on all the aspects of life including religious, spiritual, domestic, political, and economic affairs.
iv. It is rewarding for anyone who conduct himself/herself as per the hadith and sunnah.
v. Its recitation and study are considered as an act of worship hence strengthening one’s spirit and gives one total submission to
Allah (S.W.T) and His Prophet Mohammed (p.b.u.h).
vi. It gives the true picture of our Prophet Mohammed (p.b.u.h).
vii. Hadith act as character builder thus regulates the behaviors of the Muslims.

How hadith regulates the behavior of a Muslim

The following are the ways in which Hadith help Muslims regulate their behavior:
a) Muslims are supposed to get their ways of behavior from the Prophet (p.b.u.h)
b) The Prophet’s whole life was exemplary for Muslims to emulate.
c) Hadith give guidance on how to behave in daily life and under different situations and circumstances.
d) Hadith give guidance on how people in society should relate e.g. members of the family, neighbors, relatives, Muslims and non-
Muslims, rich and poor etc.
e) Give guidance on how Muslims should treat those who need help e.g. widows, orphans, travelers
f) Spell out the etiquettes to be observed by Muslims e.g. manners of eating, sleeping, toileting greetings.
g) Spell out how Muslims should relate to their leaders.
h) Spell out the values and virtues that Muslims should keep e.g. humility, respect, honesty, cleanliness, patience, tolerance,
simplicity.
i) Illustrate moral ideals e.g. relationship between men and women.
j) When Muslims are faced with a moral decision or dilemma they turn to Hadith for guidance.
k) Spell out how Muslims should relate to their creator.

The role of hadith in understanding the Holy Qur’an

The following are the roles that hadith helps Muslims to understand the Holy Quran:
1) In issues where the Quran was silent or is too general, hadith was there to give further explanation.
2) The prophet himself lived by the Quran in all his was of living.
3) Now that the Quran was revealed in Arabic, it was necessary for the prophet to explain Quran better for he was an Arab.
4) The companions used to ask questions where could not understand from the Quran, so the prophet could turn to Allah to provide
him with explanation in form of hadith.
5) Allah himself emphasized the role of the prophet was to expound and explain the ummah for the Quran.
6) The prophet used to provide solutions to problems which were later would be confirmed by Allah through Quran.

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CHAPTER THREE: PILLARS OF IMAAN

Meaning of the term imaan

The literal meaning of the term Imaan is to belief in or to have faith in something. In Islamic theology the term imaan denotes a
believer’s faith in the metaphysical aspects of the six articles of faith.

The Islamic articles of faith

There are six pillars of Imaan and they are as follows:
1. Believe in Allah (S.W.T).
2. Believe Angels of Allah.
3. Believe the revealed Scriptures (books).
4. Believe Allah’s Apostles (Prophets and Messengers).
5. Believe in the last day
6. Believe in the Divine Destiny (pre- measurement of good and evil)

Meaning of tawheed (monotheism)

Literally Tawheed comes from the word Wah-hada, which means to make something one or consolidate. Technically Tawheed
means attributing oneness and uniqueness to Allah in His Lordship, worship as well as His names and attributes.

Categories of tawheed
The following are three main ways through which we can understand the oneness of Allah (S.W.T):
1. Tawheed Ar-rubabiyah: This is believing in oneness of Allah (SWT) as the sovereign Lord (Rabbi). And that He is the sole
Lord of the universe who creates, plans, protects and maintains all creation with any need as expected.
2. Tawheedal-Uluhiyah/ Tawheedul-Ibaadah: This is believing that Allah (SWT) is the only one worth of true worship.
Therefore, all acts of worship like Salat, working, fasting, among others should be dedicated to Allah alone.
3. Tawheed Al-asma wasifat: This is believing in uniqueness of Allah’s names and qualities through which we know that Allah
(SWT) is beyond our imagination and bears no resemblance.

Relevance/ Significance of Tawheed (Islamic monotheism)

The following importance and relevance in the life of a Muslim:
a) It is the first fundamental principal of the Islamic Faith.
b) It assures the creatures that the creator is near them and ready to answer their request.
c) It distances mankind from worshipping other than Allah and thus refrain from any form of shirk.
d) It increases Taqwa since one is aware that Allah sees him wherever he may be and is aware of even what is hidden.
e) It leads one to ensure his Self-respect, self-esteem and maintain his dignity as a respect to his Creator.
f) It gives an attitude of peace and contentment in a person since he knows that Allah will take care of his needs if he is truly
obedient and hardworking.
g) It leads to unity and brotherhood amongst human beings.
h) It makes a believer to be dutiful and upright since he knows that Allah will ask everybody of his responsibility on the Last Day.
i) It removes the fear of people since one strongly believes that not only his life, but everything is in the hands of Allah.
j) It removes greedy and jealously and the desire to achieve success through evil means as one believes in the powers of Allah and
not one’s endeavor.
k) It promotes humility and modesty thus keeping away pride and arrogance among believers.
l) It encourages the acceptance of Allah’s order and commands without questioning, and therefore promotes obedience and
submission to the will of Allah (S.W.T).
m) It makes a believer brave and courageous.
n) It makes a believer to be patient for he will know that whatever the problem Allah (S.W.T) will have to solve it.

Ways through which Muslims can practice their belief in Tawheed (Oneness of Allah)
The following are ways through which Muslims can practice their belief in Oneness of Allah (S.W.T):
1. Through seeking Allah’s intervention hoping that He will surely answer their request.
2. By worshipping Allah alone and refraining from any form of shirk.

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3. By refraining from all sorts of sins bearing in mind that Allah sees everything and everyone at all time.
4. By having self-respect, self-esteem and maintain personal dignity.
5. Through having contentment with what Allah has provided for them.
6. By believing in the six articles of faith.
7. Through following the commandments of Allah without questioning.
8. By observing patience whenever a misfortune befalls on them hoping that Allah (S.W.T) will have to solve it.

Differences between Dhat and Sifaat of Allah

The following table shows differences between Dhat and Sifat of Allah
Dhat of Allah Sifaat of Allah
Dhat can only be comprehended through Allah Himself Allah’s sifat are mentioned in the Quran
Dhat is for Allah only, it is not possessed by anyone else and Sifat are the attributes of Allah can be possessed by human beings
cannot be compared to anything else. but to a limited extent e.g. human being can see but his sight is to
a lower extent as compared to Allah.
The Dhat of Allah is one Allah’s sifat are many (99attributes)
Dhat is the essence Sifat are Allah’s attributes
Allah’s Dhat cannot be understood by human beings. Mankind can easily understand the sifats of Allah
The Dhat of Allah is abstract sifats of Allah are tangible

Names and Attributes of Allah

The below table shows the ninety-nine names of Allah:
Ar-rahman Ar-rahim Al-malik Al-qudus As-salaam Al-muumin Al-muhaymin Al-aziz Al-jabbar
The Gracious. The Merciful The King of kings The Holy one The Source of The Giver of The Helper in The Al-Mighty The
peace. peace peril Compelling
Al-mutakabbir Al-khaliq Al-baariu Al-musawir Al-ghaffar Al-qahhar Al-wahhaab Al-razaaq Al-fattaah
The Majestic The Creator The Maker out of The Fashioner The Forgiver The Irresistable The Bestower The Provider The Opener
nothing
Al-aleem Al-qaabidh Al-baaswit Al-khafidh Ar-raafi’ Al-muizz Al-mudhil As-samii’ Al-baasir
The All-knowing The Withhoder The Enlarger The Abaser The Exalter The Honorer The Humiliator The All-hearing The All-Seeing
Al-hakiim Al-adl Al-latif Al-khabir Al-haleem Al-adhiim Al-ghafur As-shakur Al-‘aliy
The Wise The Just The Subtle The Aware The The The Forgiving The Appreciative The Exalted
Forbearing Magnificent
Al-kabir Al-hafidh Al-muqeet Al-haseeb Al-jaleel Al-karim Ar-raqiib Al-mujeeb Al-waasi’
The Great The Preserver The Maintainer The Reckoner The Supreme The Generous The Watchful The Hearer of The Vast
prayer
Al-hakam Al-waduud Al-majid Al-baaith As-shaheed Al-haq Al-wakiil Al-qawiy al-matin
The Judge of all The Loving The Compassionate The Riser from The Witness The Truth The Advocate The Strong The Firm
death
Al-Walii Al-hameed Al-muhsy Al-mubdiu Al-mu’id Al-muhyi Al-mumeet Al-Hayyi Al-Qayum
The Guide The Praiseworthy The Accountant The Originator The Producer The Giver of The Bringer of The Ever-living The self-
life death sufficient
Al-Wajeed Al-maajid Al-waahid As-samad Al-qadir Al-muqtadir Al-muqaddim Al-muakhir Al-awwal
The Bestower The Noble/ The The Unique The The Capable The Dominant The Promoter The Postponer The First
Glorious Independent of
all.
Al-aakhir Adh-dhaahir Al-baatin Al-waali Al-muta’al Al-barr At-tawwaab Al-muntaqim Al-‘afuww
The Last The Manifest The Hidden The All- The Most The Righteous The Relenting The Avenger The Pardoner
Governing High
Ar-rauf Maalikul-mulk Dhul-jalaal Wal-ikram Al-muqswit Al-jaami Al-ghaniyyu Al-mughni Al-maani’
The Ever The King of the The Lord of The Lord of The Equitable The Gatherer The Rich The Enricher The
Indulgent Kingdom Majesty Beauty Withholder
Adh-dhaar An-naafi’ An-nuur Al-haadi Al-badi’ Al-waarith Al-rasheed As-sabuur Allah
The Distresser The Profitor The Light The Guide The Producer The Heir The Director to The Patient
the right path

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Reasons why the belief in one God (Tawheed) promotes piety (Taqwa)
The following are reasons why the belief in one God promotes piety:
1. Muslims trust in the mercy and grace of Allah and thus seek for Allah’s assistance whenever they are in problems.
2. Believers strictly follow Allah’s commandments and thus refrain from all sinful acts.
3. Muslims associate no other partners with Allah in worship and avoid all misleading traditions.
4. Tawheed makes Muslims to believe in Qadar and Qadha and thus surrender into the will of Allah.
5. Muslims seek Allah’s guidance and pleasure through establishing regular prayers.
6. Muslims believe and prepare for the inevitability of death hence they strive for good deeds.
7. Believers seek repentance from Allah for the sinful acts they have committed.

Meaning of the term shirk (polytheism)

The term shirk comes from the Arabic word sharaka which means to associate, sharing or form partners with. In the Islamic context
shirk means ascribing a partner to Allah (S.W.T) in His Lordship, worship and His names and attributes.

Forms of shirk.
There are three forms of shirk as discussed below:
1. Shirk Al-Akbar (major shirk): This is the major and most serious form of shirk. It involves the act of worshiping other deities
apart from Allah, fearing and loving other beings more than Allah.
2. Shirk Al-Asghar (minor shirk): It is the minor type of associating Allah with other beings. It includes the performing of Ibaadah
to show off (ar-riyaa) for example performing swalat to be seen and receive praise, fame or any other worldly gain.
3. Shirk Al-khafi (Inconspicuous Shirk): It is hard to be seen and recognized. It involves having a feeling of dissatisfaction over
something making someone to wish that he or she had better things than what Allah (S.W.T) has provided him/her with and
conscientiously lamenting over unapproachable status.

Manifestations of major shirk

Shirk-Al-akbar is manifested in the following examples:
1. Shirkul-dua: It implies invoking supplication or praying to other deities besides Allah (S.W.T) such as to supplicate to the dead
in the grave or worship via the ancestors.
2. Shirka-niyaah wal-iraada wal-qasdi: It is to direct intention or purpose in acts of worship not for Allah but to other beings.
3. Shirkal-Taah: This is rendering obedience to any other authorities against the will Allah.
4. Shirk al-Mahaba: This is showing much more love that is due to Allah to others other than Him.
5. Shirkul-khauf: This is fearing other beings (objects) more than fearing Allah.
6. Shirkul-isti’anah: This is depending on other beings instead of Allah.
7. Believing in witchcraft, magicians, and seer and future tellers.

Reasons why Muslims should avoid shirk (Effects of shirk/ Qura’nic condemnation of Shirk)
The effects of shirk are clearly mentioned and discussed in the Holy Quran as discussed below:
1. Shirk is the highest of the wrongdoing according to the instructions given by Luqman to his son. “Behold, Luqman said to his
son by way of instructions: ‘o my son join not in worship (others) with Allah: for false worship is indeed the highest
wrongdoing.” [Q: 31:13]
2. When one attaches Allah’s attributes to any of his creations, he or she undermines Allah’s sovereignty, yet Allah is supposed to
sovereign in everything and each aspect.
3. It is of all the sins, Allah (S.W.T) vows not to forgive anyone who commits it knowingly. Allah (S.W.T) says , “Allah forgive
not that partners should set up with Him; but He forgives anything else to whom he pleases; to set up partners with god is to
devise a sin most heinous indeed.” [ Q: 4:48]
4. Belief in Shirk creates enmity in the society, since people will always be suspicious of each other and they will divot themselves
with the belief in Allah as one who predetermines people’s destiny.
5. Shirk makes man to have little or no confidence in Allah but in other things most especially in times of danger which defames
the status of man as Allah’s vicegerent as the best of his creation.
6. Shirk makes a person to distance him or herself from Allah (S.W.T) yet man is supposed to always be nearest to Allah praying to
Him whenever he or she has a problem.

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7. Shirk makes an individual not to be dutiful and upright, one who performs shirk does not carry out his or her duties whole
heartedly and this makes her or him near to sinking all the time.
8. Shirk makes a person behave like a coward as he or she will always be thinking that even objects which have no life can protect
her or him from any danger or misfortune e.g. wearing of amulets and charms.
9. Supplications of a person who practice shirks are not answered by Allah. He or she always lives in disgraceful life.
10. The Divine Destiny is doomed and lost for good. A person performing shirk never believe in the power of Allah and never
depend on Him for anything, but rather depend on other objects.
11. It is costly and brings financial constrains to the individual performing shirk particularly and to the entire society at large.

Characteristics of Angels (Malaaikatul-Rahmaan)

The Angels are characterized by the following main features:
i. They are creatures of Allah that He created from Noor (light).
ii. Allah created them outside blood relationship, hence unlike human beings; they are not associated with having such relations as
parental, fraternal, or any other blood relation.
iii. They lack gender like the human beings. Therefore, they are neither male nor female.
iv. They are free from humanitarian aspects like feelings of hunger, thirst, slumbering, sleeping or such related desires.
v. They were relieved by the divine powers of Allah from fatigue, monotony and the desire to either relax or sleep.
vi. They lack definite body shape to be identified with, but Allah has bestowed them with the ability to be in any form that is relevant
with the prevailing circumstance.
vii. Allah has prepared their abode (the place of their convergence) in heaven.
viii. Their main duty is to diligently praise Allah and glorify Him in deeds and articulation.
ix. They are totally obedient and submissive to perform their duties and executing what they have been commanded.
x. Their total is unknown to anybody except Allah (S.W.T).
xi. They are maasumeen (sinless).
xii. They are invisible (that is they cannot be seen neither touched).

Differences between Angels, Jinns and human beings

The following table shows some differences between Angels, jinns and Human beings:
Angels Jinns Human beings
They have been created from light They have been created from Fire They have been created from clay
They can change and take any form, They can change and take any form, but They cannot change their form
but the shapes do not Govern them the shapes Govern them
Have been created much earlier than The have been created much earlier than Have been created much later than Angels
mankind mankind and jiins.
They are neither male nor female They are male and female They are male and female
They are always obedient to Allah They have liberty to obey or disobey Allah. They have liberty to obey or disobey Allah.
They never procreate and lack sexual They have sexual feelings and ability to They have sexual feelings and ability to
desires. reproduce children. reproduce children.

How the belief in angles affects the life of a Muslim

The following are ways in which the belief in angels affects the life of a Muslim:
1) Help them to strive to have clean records.
2) It includes the fear of Allah.
3) The Muslim appreciated that he/she is a worthy being, who is being taken care of.
4) The Muslim should always be aware of the happening around him/her.
5) The Muslim should account themselves on the earth before the final day.
6) They take care not to found on the wrong on the day of judgement.
7) They strive to lead a good and perfect life.
8) It instills the sense of responsibility in the Muslims.
9) Good actions are recorded immediately by the recording angel while bad actions are delayed.

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Angels and their Duties

The following table shows some Angeles and their respective duties.
Name of the Angel Duty performed by the Angel
Jibril (Gabriel/Ruh) (A.S) In charge of deliverance of revelation (wahyi) to the chosen person
Mikail (A.S) In charge of weather (rain) and growth as well as fertility of plants
Israfiil (A.S) In charge of blowing the trumpet to call everyone to account for his deeds
Malakul-Maut/Izrael(A.S) In charge of removing souls at the time of death.
Kiraman Katibun (A.S) In charge of keeping the records of the deeds of human beings. That is:
Atid: In charge of recording of bad deeds of human being.
Raqeeb: In charge of recording of good deeds of human being.
Malik (A.S) In charge of the gates of Hellfire.
Ridhwan (A.S) In charge of the gates of paradise.
Munkar and Nakeer (A.S) In charge of Questioning the Dead in the grave and severe punishment to the dead people who had
committed sin.
Hamalatul-arshy (A.S) In charge of carrying the sacred throne of Allah (S.W.T)

Ways in which the belief in Examining and Recording Angels affects the life of a Muslim
The following are significance of belief in examining angels (Mumkar and Nakir) and Recording Angels (Raqib and Atid):
i. By making Muslims strive to lead a good and perfect life since they become vigilant of the deeds, statements and gestures.
ii. By enhancing the sense of Taqwa (fearing Allah (S.W.T) in Muslims, thus making them be righteous.
iii. It makes Muslims to believe in the day of reckoning and therefore, strive to have clean records.
iv. Muslims become more observant and hence, take care so as not to be found on the wrong doers on the Day of Judgment.
v. It instills a sense of responsibility and punctuality in Muslims. They become dutiful in fulfilling the religious obligations.
vi. Muslims account themselves on earth and make tawba (repentance) before the Day of Judgment.
vii. It promotes the believing in the other metaphorical articles of faith such as the existence of paradise and hellfire, barzakh, miizan
and among others.

CHAPTER FOUR: DEVOTIONAL ACTS

Pillars of Islam
There are five pillars of Islam which are the framework of a Muslim life. They are as follows:

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1. Shahada/ kalima (declaration/decree)

2. Swalaat (prayers)
3. Zakat (prescribe alms)
4. Swaum (fasting)
5. Hajj (pilgrimage)

Meaning of Shahada
The word Shahada is an Arabic term which literally means to testify or to bear witness. Islam has a special sentence of shahada, that
is La illaha ila Allah, Muhammadun rasoolollah. “There is no deity except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”.
Therefore, technically shahada means declaring the absolute unity of Allah, His oneness as the only one who deserves to be
worshipped and affirming the universal and final Prophethood of Mohammed (P.B.U.H).

Conditions of Islamic Shahadah

The following are conditions of Islamic Shahadah:
 Must have knowledge (Ilm) of its meaning with both negative and affirmative aspect (Quran 47:19).
 Certitude (Al-Yaqeen) which negates all doubts and suspicions replacing with certainty. (Quran 49:15).
 Sincerity (Ikhlas) of intention in comparison to shirk and performing all acts that are purely devoted to Allah.
 Truthfulness (Sidq) which negates the falsehood and prohibits hypocrisy. (Quran 2:8-10).
 Love (Mahaba) of faith and its requirements. That loving Allah and his messengers deeply. (Quran 2:165).
 Submission (Al-inqiad) to its obligatory and optional acts of worship without questioning. (Quran 39:54).
 Acceptance (Al-Qubool) which in comparison to rejection or denial of the shahada. (Quran 43:23-25).

Significance of Shahada in the life of a Muslim

The Islamic decree of monotheism has the following relevance in a life of a Muslim:
1. It is the first pillar of Islam. Without which one’s faith is incomplete.
2. It is the key to embrace Islam for whoever wants to revert to the True religion of Islam.
3. Shahada makes a believer to surrender all his/her life to Allah (S.W.T). This makes a believer to fulfill Allah’s command without
questioning while expecting Allah’s good pleasure.
4. It produces in a believer a high degree of confidence and respect towards His creator.
5. Shahada must be said in swalaat in both the first and the second tashahud (sittings)
6. It instills in a believer feeling of contentment for he/she will know that Allah (S.W.T) will take care of all his needs.
7. It makes a believer to be brave and courageous as he will know that it is Allah who owns his life, and nothing can either benefits
or harms without Allah’s Will.
8. It recognizes and re-affirms that prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H) is the chosen messenger of Allah (S.W.T)
9. It makes believers develop trust follow the teachings of the prophet Mohammed as the leader of all the people.
10. Kalima must be pronounced in both Adhaan and Iqaama of swaalat for them to be valid.
11. It gives an opportunity to the believers to know how Allah (S.W.T) has honored Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H).
12. Gives Allah the absolute right to be worshipped alone without partnership.
13. When uttered by a Muslim on his death will lead one to enter paradise.

Effects of shahada on the life of a Muslim

The believing of Islamic kalima has the following imparts on the life of a Muslim:
1. It helps a Muslim to observe his religious duties constantly without missing because he or she has a complete hope that he be
rewarded by Allah.
2. It instills a sense of contentment in a Muslim, thankful for whatever comes to him or her having in mind that it from Allah.
3. Shahada makes a Muslim realizes that Allah is the absolute Master and Cherisher of the universe and thus have tawakul.
4. Through the shahada, a Muslim can easily affirm the prophethood and messenger ship of Muhammed.
5. Through the believing of the prophethood of Muhammed, a Muslim willingly follows and emulates the prophet (p.b.u.h).
6. It promotes taqwa of Muslim that becoming more righteous and thus refrains from sinful acts.
7. It fosters in a believer a sense of bravery as he will know that it is Allah who owns his life and nothing can either benefits or
harms without Allah’s Will.

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Circumstances under which shahada is recited

Situations or times when shahada is pronounced include the following:
a) On embracing Islam, the revert should recite the shahada.
b) During adhan (the call for swalat) the shahada must be pronounced.
c) During the iqama for swalat, one should recite the shahada.
d) At one’s death time a believer can proclaim the shahada by the Will of Allah.
e) It is a normal adhkar, so can be pronounced for remembrance of Allah at any time.

How the shahada acts as a salvation to the new converts

The following are they ways through which shahada acts as a salvation to the new converts:
 It is the one that qualifiers the person to be a Muslim.
 It makes the believers to adhere all commands of Allah mentioned in the Islamic principles.
 It instills in the heart of the converts the sense of contentment for they shall know that Allah will care for all their needs.
 It makes the new converts to be confident and steadfast in his faith as he testified that it is Only Allah to be worshipped and
Muhammed is an apostle sent by Allah.
 It is due to his proclamation of shahada that his bad and past sins were being forgiven.
 It is the shahada that makes the new convert to enter paradise if he died at that moment.

Differences between Shahadah and Tashahud

The following are the differences between Shahadah and Tashahud:
Shahadah Tashahud
It is the most fundamental article of faith It is what is said in prayer
It is a pillar of Islam It is a pillar of prayer
It differentiate a Muslim from non-Muslim It confirms one‘s belief in Allah in practicing prayer
It can be said any where It must be said in prayer only
It must be recited by new converts when embracing Islam It is recited by a person performing prayer when he or she is at the
sitting position
It must be said from time to time to reinforce (strength) one‘s It is not said from time to time unless in teaching or learning
faith e.g. to bed to die.
It is complete in it self It must be included in prayer
Meaning of the term twahara and hadath
The term twahara is Arabic word which means cleanliness. It is used in Islam to imply a state of ritual purity that enables one to
observe acts of worship. On the other hand, Hadath is a state of being unable to perform certain religious duties due to existence of
impurity.

Kinds of Hadath
There are two kinds of hadath which include:
Hadathul-asqar: This is the minor kinds of hadath which include things such as urine, stool, blood, vomit, pus and among others.
They invalidate ablution. Hence, the Muhdith should remove them, then performs wudhu to attain purity.
Hadathul-akbar: It comprises things like having sexual intercourse, nifaas (birth bleeding), heidh (menstruation bleeding), and
ejaculation of sperms. It can be removed by taking a complete ritual bathe (ghusl).

Types of Najasaat (impurities)

There are three types of impurities as per the Islamic teachings. They include the following:
1) Najaasatul-mukhaffafa: This is the light impurity and involves the urine of a baby boy who is below two years of age and
nourished on milk only. Sprinkling of water over the place is sufficient to make the place clean.
2) Najaasatul-mutawassita: This is a medium type of impurity. For instance, blood, urine, pus, vomit, stool and dead bodies of
animals. To make the place clean, one must wash the place until there is neither color, smell nor taste of the impurity.
3) Najaasatul-mughaladhwa: This is the heavy type of impurity. It is impurity of Pig and dog. To make the place clean, one must

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wash the place seven times, one of them in which soil is used.

Types of water
There are three types of water. They include the following:
a) Twahoor: This is pure water in itself and that which can be used for purification. Examples of such water include rainwater, well-
water, river water, lake water, sea water, spring water, limestone water, water from melting-ice as well as water as a result of
condensation.
b) Twaahir: This is type of water which it is pure in itself but cannot be used for purification purposes. Examples of such water
include juice, water mixed with milk, mau-mushammas (water heated by sun) as well.
c) Najis: This is impure in itself because an impurity has entered in it and the water is small in itself.

Methods of purification
Ritual purity is attained through the following ways:
1. Istinjaa: The removal and cleansing of any impurity from the genital parts by using clean and pure water.
2. Istijmaar: The cleansing of genital area by using clean stones, toilet papers or anything else that is pure without water.
3. Ghusl: It is a form of a ritual bath which involves the washing of a whole body aiming to remove the major impurities except of
that of pig and dog which are to be washed seven times.
4. Wudhu: It is Arabic word which means ablution. Technically it is an act of using pure water to wash one’s face, hands, head and
feet aiming at attaining purity in order to perform the acts of ibaadah.
5. Tayammum: Literally, it means an aim or a purpose, in this context it refers to dry ablution where one uses pure and clean sand
(dust) for purpose of purification through wiping of the face and the limbs in preparation for swalat.

Islamic manners of Istinjaa

The following are some of the Islamic etiquettes to be observed during Istinjaa:
a) One should enter washroom with left leg and come out with right leg.
b) One should say dua before entering and after coming out of the washroom.
c) One should face any other direction apart from facing the Qibla neither turning back to it.
d) One should use the left hand to wash the genital parts.
e) One should avoid carrying anything that contains Dhikr and asmau-llah (names of Allah).
f) One should avoid talking or respond to greetings unless it is necessary.
g) One should avoid relieving of herself or himself under trees that provide fruits.
h) One should avoid any trees that provide shade and peaceful breeze where people generally rest.
i) One should avoid urinating in holes to protect him/herself from harmful animals.
j) One should avoid facing a blowing wind as the impurity can easily blow back onto the clothes and body.
k) One should squat (crouch) and avoid urinating while standing up unless there is a valid reason.

Conditions for using stones for purification (istijmaar)

Condition for using stones for cleaning private parts
a) Three stone should be used, when is sufficient to remove impurities (use odd number of the stones).
b) The stones should be pure and free from impurities (najasat).
c) The impurity to be cleaned should not be completely dry.
d) The impurity to be cleaned should not have spread out.
e) The impurity should not go beyond the inner buttocks and the head of penis.
f) The stones should be dry, and water should not splash onto the stone.

Conditions make it compulsory for a Muslim to perform Ghusl

The following are the conditions that can necessitate taking of a complete ritual bath:
i. After sexual intercourse.
ii. After completing menstruation (Heidh).
iii. Immediately after giving birth.
iv. When a person dies it is the duty of the Muslims to wash the body.
v. After completing the post birth bleeding (Nifas).

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vi. After ejaculation of sperms when one is asleep or awake.

Conditions recommended for a Muslim to perform Optional bath

The following are instances when ritual Baath becomes optional for a Muslim to perform:
a) Before going for Friday prayers.
b) Before going for the two Idd prayers (Iddul-adha and Iddul-Fitr)
c) After washing a dead body.
d) When a non-Muslim reverts to Islam.
e) Before performing swalatul-istisqai (prayers for the rain).
f) Before praying in the holy city of Makka.
g) Before standing at Arafat during Hajj (pilgrimage).
h) Before performing tawaf (act of going round the Kaaba seven times).
i) Before performing sa’yi (bristle walking between swafa and marwa seven times).
j) Before entering the Holy city of Madina.
k) Before performing jamaraat (throwing pebbles at Mina during ayyaamu-tashriq).

Fardh/ Integral Steps of performing ghusl

The obligatory steps in the performance of Ghusl include the following:
1) One must declare his or her intention of cleansing to seek Allah’s pleasure and to perform the acts of worship.
2) One must remove all the impurities and all the substances that block the penetration of water into the skin.
3) One must ensure that water reaches all the parts of the body from the head to the toe.

Sunna/ optional acts of Ghusl

The sunnah or optional acts of ghusl include the following:
 Starting with the basmallah
 Performing wudhu.
 Washing the whole body three times.
 Passing of the hands all over the body.
 Starting from the right side then left side.
 Reciting a dua after Ghusl.

Description of performance of Ghusl (complete ritual bath)

The following is a description of the performance of Ghusl (complete ritual bath):
 The intention (niyyah): One must intend in his heart that is performing ghusl to remove himself from the major state of impurity;
whether janabah, menstruation or postnatal bleeding.
 Saying bismillah: Mentioning the name of Allah.
 He should wash his hands three times and then was his private parts to remove the filth.
 Next, he should perform a complete ablution (wudhu) as he would for the prayer. He may delay washing his feet until the end of
his ghusl.
 He should pour at least three handfuls of water on his head, running his fingers through his hair and beard so that water reaches
the roots of his hair and scalp.
 Then he should pour water over the rest of his body, rubbing it, beginning with the right side and then left. He should take care
that water reaches his armpits, ears, navel and in between the folds of the skin if he/ she is fat.

Acts forbidden while one is in the state of janaba (impurity)

Even though the performance of the acts of Ibaadah earns a Muslim reward, in the state of ritual impurity, it is forbidden for a
Muslim to indulge in the following acts of ibaadah:
1. Recitation of Quran
2. Performing of prayers
3. Entering the mosque
4. Performing Tawaff during .

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5. Holding or touching Quran.

6. Performing swalat (prayers)

Things forbidden to be done by a woman while in state of heidh (menstruation)

The following are things which are unlawful to be done by a woman while in state of heidh:
a) To hold or touch the Holy Qur’an.
b) To read or recite Qur’an.
c) To perform prayers.
d) To perform tawaafa.
e) To be divorced.
f) To enter the mosque.
g) Having sexual intercourse
h) Observing any type of fast whether Fardh or Sunnah.

Importance of taking ritual Bath (Ghusl)

The following are significance of ghusl:
a) To obtain purity after sexual intercourse, ejection of sperms, menses, nifas, death etc.
b) To please Allah and deserve His approval
c) To clean the body from dirt and dust or relief from heat.
d) It ensures an overall healthy body
e) It is an act of personal hygiene

Conditions for wudhu (shurutul al-Wudhu)

The following are conditions for wudhu (ablution):
1. He/she must be a Muslim
2. He/she must be sane
3. He/she must make an intention in his/her heart without uttering.
4. He/she must be in conscious state.
5. He/she must purify his/herself from all kind of impurities ie urine, excrement etc.
6. He/she must use clean water.

Fardh/ integral/ obligatory steps of wudhu

They are must be observed when performing wudhu. Failure to observe any of them will render the process incomplete:
a) Making the intention to perform wudhu’.
b) Washing the face from the top of the forehead to the chin and between the two earlobes.
c) Washing both arms up to and including the elbows.
d) Wiping a part of the head with wet hands.
e) Washing both feet up to and including the ankles.
f) Following the prescribed sequence without inter-changing any step.

Sunnah/ Optional steps of performing wudhu

The sunnah acts of wudhu include the following:
 Reciting of Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim before one start taking wudhu.
 Brushing of the teeth before taking ablution.
 Washing the palms up to the wrists three times, including the parts between the fingers.
 Cleaning the mouth with water and gargling three times.
 Rinsing the nostrils three times.
 Passing one’s wet fingers through the beards.
 To run water through one’s fingers and toes.
 Performing each act three times.
 Starting with the right-hand side before the left.

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 Wiping the whole head and the back of the neck

 Wiping the ears in and out.
 Taking the entire wudhu at once without breaking.
 Reciting dua during and after Wudhu.
 Performing the acts systematically.
 Washing the parts one after the other without pausing, so that no part dries up before completion of wudhu.
 Facing the direction of Qibla during the performance of wudhu.

Recommended acts (mustahab) of wudhu

These are acts which are highly recommended:
 Reciting the kalima (shahada) after ablution.
 Avoiding worldly talk during the time for wudhu.
 Avoiding extravagance (wasting water) during ablution.
 Choosing a clean place for the performance of wudhu.

Undesirable (makruhat) acts of Wudhu

The following are the disliked acts in the performance of ablution:
1. Sitting in a dirty place for wudhu
2. Draining the water used in wudhu in a dirty place
3. Splashing water onto the face.
4. Blowing onto the water while pouring over the face.
5. Using water in excess or using such little water that the sunnah cannot be fulfilled.
6. Cleaning the nose with the right hand.
7. Using hot water heated by sunbeams.
8. Closing the eyes and lips tightly at an extent they remain unwashed.
9. To discuss worldly affairs with others while performing wudhu.

Procedural way of performing ablution (wudhu)

The following is the procedural way of how ablution (wudhu) is performed:
 Making the intention to perform wudhu as an act of sincere homage and worship for the pleasure of Allah.
 Invoking the name of Allah at the start of performing ablution by saying bismillah.
 Washing the hands up to the wrists three times while rubbing them and letting the water reach between the fingers.
 Rinsing the mouth with water three times, preferably use miswak (brush the teeth)
 Cleaning the nostrils by sniffing water in and out three times.
 Washing the entire face three times using both hands from the top of the forehead down to the bottom of chin and from ear to ear.
 Washing the arms three times up to the upper end of the elbow, preferably from right hand side to left. Both arms should be
rubbed while they are being washed.
 Wetting both hands and passing the same over the head starting from above the forehead down to the back of the neck and from
there, returning them up above the forehead.
 From the head, without wetting the hands again, the person wipes the earlobes, using the fore fingers to wipe the inner part of the
lobes and the thumbs for the outside part.
 Washing both feet up to the ankles three times, beginning with the right foot and then the left. Both feet should be rubbed while
they are being washed and water should freely pass between the toes.

Nullifiers of wudhu
These are certain acts that invalidate wudhu. They include the following:
1. Coming out of either solid, liquid or gas/wind from the two private parts.
2. Emission of blood, pus or yellow matter from a wound, boil or pimple.
3. Vomiting a mouthful of matter.
4. Physical contact for pleasure between men and women without any obstacle (e.g., clothes).
5. Loss of consciousness through sleep or drowsiness.

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6. Temporary insanity, fainting, hysteria, or intoxication.

7. Touching the private parts with bear hands (without any barrier).
8. Denouncing the Islamic faith (ritaad)

Importance of wudhu
Performance of ablution has several numbers of significances. They include the following:
1. It is an indispensable step of worshipping that without which one’s swalaat is invalid.
2. A Muslim prepares himself for worshipping spiritually and bodily when he makes wudhu.
3. It soothes fury, eliminates anger and calms the spirit of the person taking wudhu.
4. One’s sins are washed away as he or she washes an organ.
5. Each organ of wudu will shine brightly on the Day of Resurrection.
6. One can enter Paradise through whichever gate he or she wishes if performs wudhu nicely and then recites the shahada.
7. It cleans the organs that are exposed to dirtiness and that are always in contact with things outside like hands, face, mouth, teeth,
nose, head and feet. The ways through which microbes could penetrate the body are cleaned at least five times a day.

Reasons for performing Tayammum (conditions under which tayammum is allowed)

The following occasions may necessitate the performance of Tayammum:
1. When there is acute shortage of water or the available water is insufficient for performing ablution.
2. If one is injured or ill and fears that use of water will worsen the condition.
3. If the water is too cold and it is likely to cause physical harm to the user.
4. If the process of getting water is dangerous or life threatening.
5. When the available water is reserved for domestic purpose, for example, cooking, drinking.
6. Fear of missing a prayer by the time one gets to the source of water.
7. If the available water is impure and cannot be used to attain purification.
8. If water is too expensive to buy or if there is no money to buy water.

Conditions of Tayammum
The following are conditions of Tayammum:
 The dust to be used must be pure and clean.
 It must be done with sand which should not have been mixed with anything else like flours.
 One should wipe his/ her face and both hands with two strikes of dust.
 One should make tayyamum after the entering of the time of a certain prayer.
 One makes tayyamum for every fardh prayer.

Essential/ Fardh/ integral steps of tayammum

The following are integral and compulsory acts in the performance of tayammum:
1. One must make the intention of performing tayammum.
2. Strike the heap of pure soil lightly with the palms of both hands and passing the palms over the face onetime.
3. Strike the heap of pure soil with the palms and wipe the right and left arms alternately from the fingertips to the elbows.
4. Follow the order above (tarteeb).

Recommended steps in the performance of Tayammum.

In the performance of tayammum, the following are acts which are highly recommended:
a) Make Niyyah to perform Tayammum
b) Make two heaps of clean dust/sand
c) Hit the first heap with the hands and pass the dusty hands over the face once.
d) Hit the second heap and rub the hands up to the elbows starting with the right hand then left.

Optional acts in the performance of Tayammum

The following are the sunnah steps in the performance of Tayammum:
1. Starting with Bismillah

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2. Blowing of the extra dust before wiping the face and arms.
3. Starting from right-side to left side.
4. Performance of dua after Tayammum.

Nullifiers of tayammum
The following are acts that if done would break tayammum:
1. All that nullifies wudhu will also nullify tayammum.
2. As soon as the cause for performing it is removed. For instance, if the sick person recovers or pure water is found.
3. Once the intended fardh prayer is performed. That is one tayammum is for only one fardh prayer.

Ways through which Islam encourages cleanliness

The following are ways through which Islam encourages cleanliness:
 By making ablution compulsory during five times a day before each prayer (swalat).
 By making Ghusl compulsory after its necessities happen to an individual.
 By making ghusl sunnah at certain circumstances such as before Jumaa prayer, before tawaf etc.
 By making brushing of teeth sunnah as the best act of the day.
 Through recommendation of circumcision for boys.
 By recommending cutting of the nails.
 By recommending the removal of hairs of armpits and that pubic hair on weekly basis.

The unique qualities of purification in Islam

The following are unique qualities of purification in Islam:
a) Purification is equal to half of the faith: The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said: “Cleanliness is equal to half the faith…” (Muslim).
b) Purification is one of the ways one can please Allah and earn His love. Allah said: “Indeed Allah loves those who continually seek
repentance and those who purify themselves.” [Quran 2:222].
c) Striving to be in a state of purity by performing ablution, is one of the qualities of believers.
d) Maintaining purification is an act that leads to acceptance of supplication.
e) Purification elevates one’s rank and status. For example, in the case of Bilal (Bukhari).
f) Purification is a remittance of one’s sins. The Prophet said: “If any Muslim performs the ablution, humility and bowing excellently
at the time of a prescribed Prayer, it will be an expiation for all his lesser sins, as long as he has not committed a major sin, and
this applies to all times.” (Muslim).

Meaning of swalaah
As-Salah is Arabic word which means dua (prayer, invocation or supplication). Technically, swalaat is well-known process of
worship with prescribed invocations, glorification of Allah and prostrations that is performed systematically starting with Takbeer
and ending with Tasleem.

Types of Swalaat
The following are types of sawlat:
1. Fardh-ain: These are prayers which are compulsory for each Muslim under the obligation (mukallaf) by the shariah to perform
them. Failure to perform them makes one to get a sin and their performance earns a person reward. For examples, the five daily
prayers.
2. Fardh-kifaya: Obligatory prayers which must be performed by at least a section of Muslims in the community for the obligation
to be lifted from the others. If it is not performed at all, the whole society gets sin. For instance, swalatul Janaza.
3. Sunnatul-muakkadah: These are stressed optional prayers that which the prophet used to perform them as often as possible.
They are highly recommended. For example, two idd prayers, witr, Dhuha, Rawaatib. Their performance earns a Muslim reward
while their negligence earns a Muslim no sin.
4. Sunnatul-ghayru muakkadah: These are unstressed optional prayers that which the prophet recommended without putting more
emphasis. For example, two rakaat before maghreb, four rakaat before Asr. A Muslim is rewarded by performing them and no sin
is written if ignored.

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The Fardh (obligatory) prayers

These are the five obligatory prayers in Islam. They have their appointed times whereby Muslims are ordained to perform them. The
five daily prayers include Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghreb and Isha prayer.
Times of Fardh prayers

Prayer Time Number of Recitation of Quran

Beginning Ending rakaat
Fajr Its time occurs at the dawn, when As soon the edge of the sun appears Quran recitation is loud
a vertical pillar of faint light before the sunrise. 2 for the two rakaats.
appears in the east and spreads on
the horizon, distinct from the
darkness of night.
Dhuhr When the inclination of the sun to When the shadow of things become 4 Quran recitation is silent
the west or just after the noon. equal to their original sizes. for the four rakaats.
Asr When the shadow of things Just before the sunset. Quran recitation is silent
become equal to their original 4 for the four rakaats.
sizes.
Maghreb Just after the sunset. When the twilight disappears. Quran recitation is loud
3 for the first two rakaats
and silent for the third
rakat.
Ishaa When the twilight has Just before fajr prayer. Quran recitation is loud
disappeared. 4 for the first two rakaats,
and silent for the last two
rakaat.

Times in which swalat is forbidden

The following are the disliked times during which a Muslim is encouraged not to offer prayers:
1) After the fajr prayer until the sun has risen.
2) After asr prayer until when the sun has set.
3) When the sun is at the zenith (when the sun is at inclination to west at noon)
4) When fardh prayer in congregation (jamaa) is announced, it is not allowed for one to perform a sunnnah prayer.
5) When one is in a state of janaba, heidh, nifaas or hadath.

Sunnah (optional) prayers

The following are voluntary prayers according to Islamic laws:
Tahhiyatul-Masjid: The prayer of greeting the mosque. It consists of two rakaats and is preformed upon entering the Mosque before
sitting down even though the sunnah is not lifted if one sits first.
Tahajjud: The prayer should be offered after waking up from sleeping. It consists of a minimum of two rakaa and the maximum
number is unlimited. Its time falls between Ishaa and Fajr prayer, especially in the last third of the night.
Witr: The prayer is offered every night before dawn as the last prayer. No prayers are to be made after it until subhi. Normally this
prayer is made up of odd number of rakaat that which are less than eleven.
Swalatul-Dhuhaa: It is the mid-morning Prayer. Its time starts when sun rises to the height of a spear and ends close to midday
(noon). The minimum number of rakaat is two but can be prayed up to eight rakaats.
Qabliyya and Baadiya prayers: These are Rawaatib prayers that which they fall either before or after obligatory prayers. That is:
Qabliyyah are optional prayers performed before fardh prayers while Baadiyyah are optional prayers offered after the Fardh prayers.
The number of rakaats varies from one prayer to another. This can be illustrated by the table below:

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Fardh swalat Number of rakaat before Number of rakaat after

Fajr 2 None
Dhuhr 2 2
Asr None None
Maghrib None 2
Isha 2 2

Swalatu-Istikhara: This swalat is prayed to ask for Allah’s guidance on alternative matters not sure off. After completing the two-
rak’ats, one praises Allah (S.W.T) and sends salutations to the prophet (P.B.U.H) and recites a special dua (supplication).

The performance of salat Al-Istikhara

One can pray swalatul-istikhar as follows:
 One should intend to perform swalatul-Istikhara so as to be guided by Allah on the issues that they are not sure off.
 One should offer two rakaat of salat Al-Istikhara and avoiding forbidden times.
 One should praise Allah and send salutations to prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h).
 One should recite Istikhara supplication as taught by the prophet and at the end should go to sleep while facing Qibla.
 One may observe this prayer seven times then should follow the course towards which he may find oneself certainly inclined and
taking it to be accordance with the will of Allah.
 If a person has no time to offer the prayer or a woman is having menses or post-natal bleeding; he or she may only recite the
supplication and then act the way indicated above.

Conditions for prayers (shurut swalat)

A sane and mature Muslim should observe the following conditions when performing swalat:
1. One should put in niyyah (intention) of performing swalat.
2. One should take ablution (wudhuu) as taught by Quran and manifested in hadith and sunnah.
3. One should cover the parts of the body that known as ‘aurah (private parts)
4. One should ensure tahara (cleanliness) of place, body and clothe.
5. One should know the appointed times of prayers.
6. One should face the Qibla when performing prayers.

Pillars of swalaat (arkanu-swalah)

The following are the pillars of swalah that Muslims should observe during prayers:
1. Having an intention (niyyat) of performing prayer.
2. Standing for one who can do so.
3. Saying of takbiratul-ihraam (Allaahu Akbar).
4. To recite suratul faatiha correctly.
5. Observing of rukuu correctly.
6. To rise up and stand straight from bowing position (‘itidaal).
7. Observing of prostration (sujuud) correctly. (forehead, knees, palms and nose should touch the ground).
8. Sitting after the first sijdah.
9. To perform the second prostration (sijda).
10. Reciting of the last tashahud. This is the sitting before giving salaam.
11. Posing for a while in all acts of prayer.
12. To recite Swalaatu ala-Nabiy (p.b.u.h).

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13. Observance of the first tasleem (salaam).

14. Following of the above sequence (at-tarteeb).

Optional acts of prayers (Sunanu-swalah)

The following are optional acts in the performance of prayer:
a) Recitation of Du’aa Al-Istiftah – the Opening Du’a of prayer.
b) Reciting more than Surah Al-Fatiha from the Qur’an.
c) Putting the right hand over the left hand on the chest while standing
d) Raising the hands and fingers neither spaced apart nor tight together and putting them to the level of one’s shoulders during
Takbeer Al-Awal, upon rukuu, upon I’tidaal and from standing upon the first Tashahhud.
e) Leveling the head and back during ruku’ and having the sight fixed toward the ground.
f) Iftirash – Laying the left foot along the ground while sitting on it relaxed and having the right foot upright toward the direction
of the Qiblah while in the first tashahhud and between the 2 prostrations
g) Tawaruk to be done in the last Tashahhud. Having the left foot under the right thigh and shin while the right foot is directed
upright with the buttocks on the ground.
h) Making sallah and blessings upon the Prophet and his household, upon Ibrahim and his household.
i) Recitation of du’a in the last Tashahhud.
j) Putting the end of the arms upon the thighs during Tashahhud and in the julus between the two prostrations.
k) Placing the palms on the knees with fingers spaced out as if grabbing the knees.
l) To have loud recitation in Sallat Al-Fajr, and in the first two rak’aa of Sallat Al-Maghrib and ‘Isha’.
m) To have secret recitation in Zuhr and ‘Asr, in the 3rd rak’aa of Maghrib and the last 2 of ‘Ishaa’.

Undesirable (Makruhaat) acts of prayer

The following are the disliked acts in the performance of prayer:
1. Having distracted thoughts by holding back urine, wind or defecation.
2. Praying while in a state of hunger or thirst when food which he wishes to eat is present.
3. Praying while one’s mouth has unpleasant smell by eating onions or garlic.
4. Praying while looking sideways with the condition that the body does not turn away from the Qiblah.
5. Praying while one’s eyes are closed or looking at the sky.
6. Praying while the legs are much widespread or closely joined together.
7. Praying while playing with one’s beard, clothes, watch or cracking one’s knuckles.
8. Covering one’s mouth and nose in prayer.
9. Rolling up one’s garment, sleeves or the likes.

Nullifiers of swalat
The things that invalidate the prayer are as follows:
a) Whichever that which invalidates wudhu also nullifies swalat.
b) Failing to observe any of the conditions of prayer. For instance, uncovering the ‘awrah deliberately, turning away from the Qiblah
to a large extent or presence of najaasah (impurity) on one's body or clothes, or in the place where one is praying.
c) Deliberately speaking worldly issues unless one speaks by mistake or out of ignorance of the ruling.
d) Crying or laughing out loud. Merely smiling does not invalidate the prayer.
e) Deliberately eating and drinking something during prayers.
f) Unnecessary excessive and continuous movements during the prayer for no essential reason.
g) Constant sweeping in the sajda position.
h) Deliberately doing an extra pillar, such as bowing.
i) Deliberately doing some pillars before others.
j) Deliberately saying the salaam before completing the prayer.
k) Deliberately changing the meaning while reciting.

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Personal benefits of swalah

The following are personal benefits of swalat:
a) Swalat strengthens one’s faith (imaan)
b) It creates a sense of duty and responsibility in an individual.
c) It is a sign of obedience for all those who perform prayers since it is a command from Allah.
d) Swalaat trains self-discipline, self-respect and self-esteem. Therefore, it helps in character building.
e) Swalaat teaches patience and perseverance.
f) Swalaat teaches humility, kindness and morality due to the existence of sense of khushui during prayers.

Social Benefits of swalat

The following are social benefits of swalat:
a) Swalaat removes evil and shameful deeds in the society. Muslims refrain from lying, backbiting among other social evils.
b) Swalaat promotes equality in Muslim society. Muslims stand side by side during swalat regardless of their differences in status,
race or rank, skin colour and ethnicity.
c) Prayer promotes leadership and nurture role models in the society. For example, the choosing of an Imam among the Muslims
who is given and respect honor by all.
d) It encourages a Muslim to enjoin good and forbid evil. Imam can give sermon before or after prayers.
e) It brings cohesion, solid-Islamic unity, love and affection among Muslims who meet at the mosque frequently thus renewing their
friendship.
f) It encourages Muslims to be time conscious since each prayer is conducted at a prescribed time.
g) It encourages mutual help and cooperation among Muslims. Muslims share the problems and try to sort them out.
h) It makes someone to respect rights of others. Therefore, promote peaceful coexistence among the members of the society.

Spiritual Benefits of swalah

The following are spiritual benefits of swalah:
 It is the second pillar of Islam which therefore must be observed by every Muslim.
 It makes a Muslim realize his duty is to worship Allah (S.W.T) alone and thus safeguard one to commit shirk.
 It is a means through which Muslims communicate directly to Allah thus promoting love between the believer and Allah.
 Prayers distinguish believers from non-believers since they are only performed by those who believe in Allah (S.W.T) and if
performed by the non-believer, then it does not become acceptable.
 Swalaat encourages one to remember Allah (Dhikrullah) from time to time.
 Prayers increase the sense of Taqwa (piety) among the believers.
 It leads someone to paradise if it is perfect. i.e swalaat is the key to Jannah.
 Once one prays, he or she is rewarded, and his/her sins are forgiven by Allah

How can prayers enhance spiritual satisfaction?

The following are ways through which prayers enhance spiritual satisfaction:
1. Through Swalah a person recognizes the power of Allah.
2. A person cultivates clean thoughts and shuns evil thoughts.
3. The relationship between Allah and each individual person is maintained through Swalah.
4. Through prayer a person is able to communicate with God.
5. Prayer directs the soul towards a single goal and to tread one straight path.
6. Through prayer a person experiences the presence of Allah.

Ways through which the performance of swalat shields a Muslim from vices
The following are ways through which the performance of swalat shields a Muslim from vices:
1. Swalat strengthens one’s faith (imaan) by worshiping only one God, thus shielding Muslims against shirk.
2. It is a sign of obedience for all those who perform prayers since it is a command from Allah. Thus shielding Muslims against
disobedience.
3. Swalaat teaches patience when people listen to sermons of Friday prayer, hence Muslims are shielded against impatience and
giving up.

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4. Swalaat teaches humility and kindness especially when performing sijda and rukuu, thus preventing Muslims from pride,
arrogance and cruelty.
5. Swalaat removes evil and shameful deeds in the society. Muslims refrain from lying, backbiting among other social evils as they
engage in doing several acts of worship such as glorification, thanks-giving and reciting Quran.
6. Swalaat promotes equality in Muslim society. Muslims stand side by side during swalat regardless of their differences in status,
race or rank, skin colour and ethnicity, preventing racism, nepotism, tribalism and inconsiderate.
7. It brings cohesion, solid-Islamic unity, love and affection among Muslims who meet at the mosque frequently thus renewing their
friendship, thus fighting against enmity and disunity among Muslims.
8. It encourages Muslims to be time conscious since each prayer is conducted at a prescribed time. This prevents Muslims from
wasting time and postponement.
9. It makes someone to respect rights of others such as avoiding overstepping each other when lining up. This prevents unfairness
and injustice cases in our society.
10. Muslims should observe cleanliness of the body, place, and clothes and perform ablution, hence preventing Muslims from
dirtiness and untidiness.
11. All reliable and knowledgeable people can be appointed to be Imams in prayers thus discouraging envy, jealousy and wishful
thought among Muslims.
12. When Muslims take ablution are moderate in using water thus shielded from extravagance.

Ways through which performance of swalat inculcate discipline among Muslims

The following are ways through which performance of prayers inculcate discipline:
 It makes one become punctuality by performing prayers at their specified appointed times.
 It teaches obedience by following one Imam if conducting a congregational prayer.
 It promotes cleanliness and personal hygiene through observance of twahara and ablution.
 It promotes peaceful co-existence through performance of congregational prayers in one line.
 It promotes patience when Muslims have to spend their time to pray or wait for Jamaa prayers.
 It develops equality among Muslims since they stand shoulder to shoulder regardless of races, status and skin colour.
 It teaches appreciations and gratitude by thanking Allah is Suratul-Fatiha for what has done to us.
 It inculcates respect to each other especially the leaders through listening to one Imam during Jumaa sermon.
 It trains humility and modesty through performance of prostration.

Effects of neglecting prayers

The following are the effects of neglecting prayers:
a) He/ she is not blessed in this world.
b) He/ she is deprived of the light with which the faces of the righteous people are endured.
c) He/ she receives no rewards from Allah for his good practices.
d) He or she has no share in the supplication of the pious people.
e) He/ she is hated by creatures in the world.
f) He or she dies in disgrace.
g) The person dies hungry.
h) The person dies of thirst while the water in the ocean cannot quench him.
i) The person will be squeezed in the Grave so that the ribs of one side go into the other side.
j) Allah will throw him or her into the Hellfire.
k) Allah will look at him angrily at the time of accountability and skin of his face will fall out.

Important sections of the mosque

The following are important sections of the mosque:
 Main prayer hall
 Ladies prayer hall
 Qibla
 Ablution block
 Mimbar (pulpit)

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 Minaret
 Dome and refugee section

Behaviour of a Muslim in the mosque

The following are some of behaviors that Muslims should portray while in the mosque:
 Keep quite especially when the Khutbah is on progress.
 One should listen attentively to the Khutbah
 One should recite Tasbih while in the mosque
 One should avoid being a nuisance to those who are in the Mosque
 One should avoid worldly talks and conversations.
 One should avoid unnecessary sleeping
 One should observe cleanliness of the mosque

The role of the mosque

The following are roles played by the Mosque:
a) The mosque was a place of worship. The Muslims gathered to the mosque to say prayers in congregation.
b) The most was a replica of today's Parliament. The Prophet (p.b.u.h) used to consult his companions in the mosque.
c) The mosque was a refuge and travelers’ shelters.
d) The mosque was used as a learning institution.
e) The mosques were like social societies. They are used to collect and distribute zakat and sadaqah.
f) The mosque used to be Army Barrack and military training camp in all various fields besides preparing ammunitions.
g) The mosque used to be military health centers for those who were injured in the battles as military clinic do today.
h) The mosque used to be a court of prophet (p.b.u.h) where he used to sit, listen and solve Muslims’ cases.
i) The mosque used to be abode for delegates who came to the Prophet (p.b.u.h).
j) The mosque was the home of war captives until such time when their ransom was paid or after converting to Islam.

How to determine Qibla

The following are ways through which Muslims can determine Qibla.
 By use of a map
 By use of a compass.
 By use of the knowledge of stars.
 By use of the sun and shadows.
 Through asking people who are around

Importance of Qibla in a life of a muslim

The following are some the importance of Qibla:
a) Qibla is a symbol of Muslim unity.
b) It is the valid direction where all Muslims should face while performing swalaat.
c) Masjidul-haraam as a Qibla is first house of divine worship built on Earth.
d) Tawaf of Al-kaaba is a rite of both hajj and umra.
e) One’s supplication (dua) is guaranteed if offered at Kaaba.
f) Shadding of blood in and around the sacred Kaaba is prohibited.

People who are exempted from facing Qibla while praying

The following people can face else-where even if it is not Qibla and their prayers will be considered to valid:
 A sick person who want to pray but is unable to face Qibla.
 One who is under compulsion that he or she should offer prayers while not facing Qibla.
 One who is in a sort of fear. For example, one who is in battlefield, fleeing from wild animal or flood.
 A traveler, especially when performing a sunnah prayer.

Meaning of the term Adhaan

Adhaan is a kind of special announcement which is made up of certain prescribed words to call the faithful Muslims to perform a

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congregational prayer.

History of Adhaan
Number of Muslims grew up amazingly fast in Medina. Swahaabas came to ask the prophet Muhammed (P.B.U.H) to look for a way
by which could know the time of jamaa prayers. The prophet asked the swahabas to air out their views on the matter at hand. There
are some who suggested the ringing of a bell, others blowing of a horn, some beating of drums and another group suggested the
burning of fire.
The prophet Muhammad did not like all the above-mentioned ideas. He viewed all the ideas as resembles of nasra wal yaahud
traditions. In the night, Abdallah bin Zeid had a dream as follows:
He saw a man holding a bell. He asked the man to sell him the bell for purpose of using it to call people for swalaat. But the man
refused and told him that he would teach him words which are better to be used instead of a bell. Then the man taught Abdallah the
complete Adhaan.
The next morning, Abdallah informed the prophet about the dream. The prophet was happy with him and later asked him politely to
teach Bilaal bin Rabaah the words of Adhaan. Thus, bilaal became the muadhin of masjidun-nabawi.
Omar ibn Khattaab also dreamt the same words.

Qualities of Muadhin
The following are some of the qualities that a muadhin should have:
1. He should be a Muslim
2. He should be pious (God fearing).
3. He should be sane (mentally fit).
4. He should have a good voice.
5. He should say it in Arabic.
6. He should be able to say the adhaan loudly.
7. He should insert the fingers into the cavities of his ears.
8. He should observe a little pause after each sentence.
9. He should turn his face either towards right or left when says “hayyaa ‘alaa swalaat, hayyaa ‘alal falah”—hasten to prayers,
hasten to success.

Responding of Aadhan
The following are Islamic teachings on how to respond upon hearing the Adhan:
 On hearing Adhan, one should listen to it with greatest respect and repeat the same words after the muadhin.
 But when he says: “Hayya ala swalat, Hayya alal-falah” (Come for prayers, come to success), we should say: “Laa-haula wa
laa-Quwata illa billah” (we are helpless to do goods or abstain from evils without the help of Allah).
 In Fajr prayer when the Muadhin says: “As-swalat khayr mina-naum” (prayer is better than sleep), we respond by saying:
“swaddaqta wa bararta” (you have uttered the truth and counselled a right).
 We should recite the supplication (dua) after the Aadhan.

Importance of Adhan
The following are significance of Adhan:
a) It reminds a busy Muslim time for prayer is at hand.
b) It must be performed before faradh prayer to be made valid.
c) The words of Adhan glorifies Allah.
d) It is a form of prayer by glorifying Allah as great.
e) It shows MusliIIms’ loyalty to Allah
f) It inculcates the sense of monotheism and declaration of oneness of Allah.
g) It makes one have loyalty to the prophet Muhammed (p.b.u.h).
h) The words of Adhan calls people to come for prayers and prosperity thus indicating peace and love of Islam.
i) It acts as Islamic identity and unity of Muslims.

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Meaning of the term Iqaama

Iqaama is the second call to prayers, said by Muqeem aiming at telling Muslims who are around him that they should line-up
immediately behind an imam for a congregational prayer (swalaatul jamaa).

Differences Between Adhan And Iqaama

The following table shows the differences between Adhan and Iqaama:
Adhan Iqaama
 It used to be said outside the mosque at a raised place.  It used to be said inside the mosque.
 It is meant to call people to the mosque for prayers.  It is meant to tell people who are in the mosque to line-up for
 It is said much louder. prayers.
 Muadhin inserts fingers in his ears’ cavities while announcing  It is said in a low voice.
Adhaan.  Inserting of fingers in ears’ cavities of a muqeem is
 It is said much earlier and before prayers. inappropriate.
 The phrases are said little slow.  It is said when people immediately are to line-up for swalaat.
 The phrase qadqaamatu swallat is only part in iqaama. It is not  The phrases are said little faster.
there is adhaan.  The phrase qadqaamatu swalaat is an integral part of iqaama.

Meaning of the concept swalah tul-jama’a

Swalaatul-jamaa are prayers that which are offered in congregation (collectively) such as the five daily prayers, Friday noon prayer,
prayers during eclipse, the two Idd prayers, swalatul Janazaand Al Istisqai. On the other hand , swalaatul-fadhi are the once offered
individually such as tahajud, dhuhaa, qabliyya and baadiya.

Conditions for Jamaa prayer

The following are some of the conditions to be observed so as people can conduct swalaatul-jamaa as often as possible:
 It should be conducted at an open and accessible place where anybody is given an equal chance to attend it.
 The place should be such that people are neither shy nor scared from entering or attending.
 Performing Jamaa with one’s family is highly recommended because it gives a chance to teach the young members how to pray. It
encourages members of the family to perform prayers without laziness and enables the head of the family to monitor the attitudes
of the family members.
 The Imam should understand the steps to be followed and he should follow them.
 Both the imam and the followers must be at the same place. Maamumas in two mosques cannot be led by the same Imam.
 The followers should perform any step after the imam. they should not perform any step before the Imam.
 Only male can be imaam. A female Imam can only be allowed when leading other females otherwise she can neither lead males
nor a congregation of both males and females. Generally, the women are not as compelled to perform Jamaa prayers as males
because of their roles as mothers and caretakers of the family.
 An imam must be a Muslim. A non-Muslim is not allowed to lead a congregation prayer even if he is knowledgeable and there is
no one to lead prayers.
 An imam must be mentally mature and mentally fit. An infant or insane person cannot lead prayers. This is so because he might
not comprehend the pronunciation of words and format of the prayer.
 When leading the prayers, the Imam should pronounce the words clearly without substituting the sounds and syllables.
 The Imam should be more knowledgeable over the rest in Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence) and aspects of swalat, among other
branches of Islamic knowledge. When there is more than one knowledgeable person, other attributes like piety should be
considered. Where all of them are pious, then the oldest can be made the Imam.

Importance of swalatul-jamaa
The following are benefits of Jamaa prayers:
1. Muslims have a chance of converging five times a day to cement their brotherhood when the prayers are performed at the mosque
behind the Imam.
2. One can unite his family members and monitor their performance in ibadah by performing prayers with them in Jamaa.
3. Muslims learn from others how to perform prayers correctly. This is of specific importance to children and new converts who
need to learn religious practices from others who are experienced.
4. It promotes confidence in performance of prayers. People learn their mistakes through observing other worshippers.

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5. It promotes discipline since the maamumat are not supposed to proceed the Imam.
6. Promotes strictness and concentration since worshippers become vigilant not to commit any mistake, especially the imam.
7. Develops and promotes leadership qualities. For example, the selection of one of the members to be an imam shows respect and
honor accorded to him.
8. The reward for Jamaa prayer is twenty-seven times more than praying alone.
9. It promotes equality, since Muslims of different social, political, economic, professional, ethnicity and racial background keep off
their differences and converge together for prayers.
10. It builds a sense of collective responsibility since all the worshippers gather for a common purpose.
11. It makes people to socialize and get to know each other and hence share their experience and knowledge.

Reasons why parents should introduce their children to prayers at an early age
The following are the reasons why parents should introduce their children to prayers at an early age:
a) To make sure that the children get a chance to learn how to pray properly.
b) To imitate the example and teachings of the prophet Muhammed (p.b.u.h).
c) To give a sense of belonging in a Muslim community.
d) To familiarize themselves with the religious practices of Islam.
e) To make the children aware of the presence of Allah, the Creator of the universe who deserves to be worshipped.
f) To inculcate sense of responsibility and obedience in children by fulfilling such a command of Allah.

Ways through which performance of swalat demonstrate unity and equality among the Muslims
The following are some of the ways through which the performance of swalat shows the Islamic unity and equality:
a) All Muslims in the world perform same Adhan and Iqama in the same language as taught by the prophet (p.b.u.h).
b) Every Muslim performs either wudhu or tayammum in the same manner before observing any prayer.
c) Muslims stand shoulder to shoulder in a line of regardless of their races, skin color, financial status and other aspects.
d) Each and every Muslim faces the same Qibla of Masjidul-Haram as commanded by Allah.
e) The performance of the same activities during swalat such as rukuu, sujud, I’tidaal, julus as part of the procedure of swalat.
f) If Muslims are praying in one place such as mosque, all they follow the same imam during congregation prayers.
g) Using of the same language while praying. For instance, the saying of takbiraat, tesbihaat, tasleem and recitation of Qur’an.

How does the performance of Swalat promote punctuality among Muslims

The following are ways through which swalat promotes punctuality among Muslims:
 All the obligatory prayers should be observed at their prescribed appointed times. Muslims should observe these times.
 Muslims observe times of their optional prayers and ensure that they avoid the forbidden times of prayers.
 Imam and Muadhin call the Adhan of a particular prayer when their times are due and ready.
 All the Maamumas respond to Adhan especially the one for Friday and stop their activities and head for prayers.
 All the maamumas respond to the Iqaama for them to perform the congregational prayers without any delay.
 Muslims perform the obligatory prayers accordingly to avoid punishment of those who delay prayers.
 Prayers on special occasions such as taraweh, khusuf, khusuf, eidein, janazah can only be performed when their occasions are due
 Tayammum of any prayer should be performed when the time of that prayer is due. Thus promoting punctuality.

Importance of Friday
Friday has several significances, among them include the following:
 Adam and Hawaa were created by Allah and allowed to enter paradise on Friday.
 Allah sent Adam to the earth as his khalifa (vicegerent) on Friday to look after the universe.
 Adam died on Friday.
 All the creatures stood in front of Allah and testified that He is their Lord and should be worshipped alone.
 Qiyama will take place on Friday and all the creatures will be sent back to their Lord.
 Friday is described as the Idd of the week.
 There is a blessing hour on Friday which a person’s prayer is guaranteed by Allah if offered in this hour.

Etiquettes of attending swalaatul-jumaa (Friday prayer)

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These are the highly recommended acts to be done on Friday as preparation for swalaatul-jumaa.
a) Taking ritual bath.
b) To attend the swalaat incredibly early.
c) Walking to mosque.
d) Put on the best garment (clothes).
e) Applying perfume.
f) Performing of tahiyyatul-masjid.
g) Sit closer to imam and listen to him.

Conditions for Friday prayer

The following are conditions for swalaatul-jumaa:
 One should be a Muslim male.
 Being healthy and well, not sick.
 One should be a freeman not a slave.
 Being a resident and not a traveler.
 One should be mentally sounded (sane).
 One should be an adult, not below the age of puberty.

Individuals whom swalatul jumaa is not compulsory on them

The following is a list of people whom swalatul-jumaa is not compulsory on them:
a) Woman
b) Person looking after a sick person
c) A male person who is sick
d) A male who is insane
e) A male traveler
f) A child who is below the age of puberty
g) One who is distrupted by heavy rain
h) One who is afraid / insecurity.

Pre-requisites of Friday prayer

A pre-requisite is a thing that is required as a prior condition for something else to happen or exist. In Islam, the following are the pre-
requisites of Friday prayer:
1. It must be performed at the time of Dhuhr prayer.
2. There must be two sermons (khutbas) before swalaah.
3. The prayer must be offered on Friday, not any other day.
4. It should be done in a central mosque reachable and accessible by many people.
5. The minimum number of attendants should be fourty free-male-adult, sane, health and resident.

Features of Juma Prayer

The following are features of swalatul-jumaa (Juma prayer):
a) The time for prayers falls at the same as that of the noon prayer (Dhuhr) and it replaces it.
b) The prayer must be performed in congregation led by an Imam.
c) If a person misses the Juma prayer, he cannot make up for it; instead, he has to offer Dhuhr prayer.
d) Two separate Adhans are made. The first one is to call Muslims for prayer, the second to mark the beginning of the sermon.
e) Two Khutbas (sermons) are delivered by Imam.
f) The sermon is delivered in two parts with the Imam sitting in between.
g) Tahiyyatul-Masjid prayer should be offered on entering the mosque.
h) No dhuhr prayer is performed after the Friday sermon and prayer except for those who miss.
i) The prayer consists of two rakaas.
j) The Imam recites the prayer ‘loudly’ unlike in dhuhr prayer.

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k) It should be performed on a Friday and not any other day.

Pillars of Friday khutbas (sermons)

The following are pillars of Friday sermon (khutbatul-jumaa):
1. Both sermons should begin by offering thanks and praises to Allah.
2. They should comprise a verse from Quran.
3. They should offer prayer of the prophet Muhammed (swalaatu alaa nabiy).
4. They should offer prayer of forgiveness for all Muslims.
5. They should admonish all Muslims towards taqwa (God fearing).
6. The khatib should sit (jalsatul-istiraaha) in between the two sermons.

Importance of Friday prayer

The following are the significance of swalatul-jumaa:
 It is an occasion marked by God for the Muslims to express their collective devotion to him.
 Muslims gather to renew their religious bonds and social solidarity and thus promoting Islamic unity and brotherhood.
 It shows the devotion of Muslims to their God as they leave all what they were doing to the call of God.
 It is a meeting in which the spiritual, social as well as political accounts of the week are recounted.
 Helps an individual acquire rewards of Juma prayer as described in the Sharia.
 Trains individuals to be obedient to the leaders, as they follow the commands of the Imam and listen khutba silently.
 Juma prayer helps people from being over-powered by Satan as the congregation acts as a veil against Satan.
 The day of Jumuah includes an hour during which all supplications of a Muslim are answered.
 Muslims would have all their sins between that Friday and the next forgiven.
 Muslims benefit from the two khutbas by imam. There are different topics touching Islamic concepts on different issues. People
get chances to learn them. In addition, their taqwa is refreshed and strengthened.
 Muslims get a chance to befriend fourty renew friends every Friday and thefore, enable them to know those who are sick or
having problems.

Differences between juma’a and jamaa prayer

The following are differences between swalatul-jumaa and swalatul-jamaa:
Swalatul-Juma’a (jumaa prayer) Swalatul-jamaa (congregational prayer)
It has two proceedings Khubas Having khutba before them is not a must.
It is performed on Friday only It is prayed everyday
It is prayed at Dhuhr time (afternoon) They are prayed at their appointed times accordingly.
It is haram to conduct anything after the first Adhan of juma’a One can continue with his or her business but should respond to the
prayer. call of the prayer.
The number of attendants should be fourty male. Has to be performed in groups of two and above.
It should be performed in one of the central mosques. Can be conducted in any mosque and anywhere
It has two adhaan. Apart from fajr prayer, the rest have only one adhaan.
It is haram to talk when the khubta is being read. No restriction of talkin since there is no khutba.
Taking of optional bathe is recommende before the swalaat. One has freedom of either taking bath or not before them.
Failure to perform it in congregation makes one totally miss should be performed in congregation but one can still rewarded if
it. performed it alone.

Differences between swalatul-jumaa and swalatul eid

The following are the differences between swalatul-jumaa and swalatul eid:
 Swalatul jumaa is prayed every Friday while swalatul eid is prayed only twice a year when the day of eid falls on that day.
 Swalatul-jumaa is fardh ain (individual obligatory prayer) while swalatul eid is sunnatul-muakkada (stressed optional prayer)
 Swalatul-jumaa has two sermons said before the prayers while swalatul eid has two khutbas said after the prayers.
 Swalatul-jumaa is advisable to be prayed in a central mosque while swalatul eid is advisable to be prayed in an open ground.
 Jumaa prayer has only one takbira at the beginning of every rakaah while swalatul eid has seven and five takbiras in the first and

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second rakaah respectively alongside with Takbiratul-Ihram.

 Swalatul-Jumaa has two adhans and Iqaamah. On the other hand, swalatul-eid is preceeded by series of Takbiraat and has no
Adhan neither Iqaamah.
 For eid prayer is a sunnah that even the women who are in their menses are to come in the eid grounds while in swalatul-jumaa
the women who are in menses are prohibited to come to the mosque.

Prayers for special occasions

Islam gives room for certain prayers to be offered during special occasions and situation. They are as follows:
 Swalatul Musafir: A special prayer that a Muslim traveler performs. A musafir is a Muslim who sets out intending to travel for
halaal reason and cover more than 81 kilometers regardless of the mode of transport.
 Kusuf wal Khusuf: Kusuf is the prayer for the solar eclipse, while Khusuf is the prayer for lunar eclipse. They are both two
rakaat prayers that comprise of two rukuu and two sujud each with long recitations. They do not have adhan and iqaamah.
 Swalatul Istisqa’a: A prayer performed to ask for rain in the events of a drought and famine. It is a two rakaat congregational
prayer with loud recitation being offered in an open place.
 Swalatul Eid: They are prayed on the two Islamic festivals namely Eidul-Fitr and Eidul-Adhaa. Idd-ul Fitr is a two rakaat prayer
performed to mark the end of the month of Ramadhan. This feast of breaking the fast is offered on the first day of Shawaal. Idd-ul
Adha is a feast of great sacrifice that consists of two rakaat prayer which performed on the tenth of Dhul-Hijja to mark the end of
the activities of Hajj. Both are performed on the respective eid day between sunrise and noon. It is sunnah to offer them in
congregation. They have no adhaan neither iqaama. There should be two sermons after the prayer, offered like those of jumaa-
prayer. No prayer of any kind is to be performed before or after them. Alongside the takbiratul-ihraam, seven other takbiras are
said in the first rakaat and other five in the second rakaah.
 Swalatul Janaiza: it is a Fardh Kifayah prayer performed for the dead. When a Muslim pass on, it is the responsibility of those
who are around him during the time of his or her death to wash the body and pray for it.
 Tarawih: Tarawih is an optional prayer that follows Ishaa prayer, in that can be done only during the month of Ramadhan. This
prayer can be done alone, in a group, at home, or in a mosque or other public meeting area. The minimum number of raka'ah of
Tarawih is eight with a maximum of twenty offered two by two units with a short break between each four units.

Ways of praying swalatul-musaafir

This prayer can be performed in three ways as explained below:
1. Jamu’ Taqdim: This is to bring forward a prayer.
2. Jamu’ Taakhir: This is delaying (postponing) of one prayer and performing it at the time of the next prayer.
3. Qasr: It is the shortening of the 4 rakaats prayers to perform them as two rakats prayers. For example, Dhuhr, Asr and Isha can all
be shortened to two rakaats. But fajr and maghreb should be performed as complete usual.

Ways in which a person can combine prayers

The following are ways in which a person can combine prayers:
1. Jamu Taqdim– This is to bring forward a later prayer and performing it with the present prayer at the present time. For Example,
one can bring forward Asr prayer and combine it with Dhuhr prayer in advance at Dhuhr time.
2. Jamu Taakhir – This is delaying a present prayer and performing it with a later prayer at the time of the later. Example, one can
delay Dhuhr prayer and combine it with Asr prayer and perform them at Asr time.

Condition of jamu’ta’khir
The following are conditions to be fulfilled for valid jamu-taakhir:
a) To have an intention to of delaying a prayer up-to after its time and to have this intention in its proper times.
b) The remaining of the excuse until the completion of the second prayer.

Conditions of Qasr (Shortening of prayers)

The following are conditions of performing Qasr:
1. His journey should be at least two marhalahs [approximately 81km]
2. The journey should be a permission one in shariah.
3. having intention of performing Qasr.
4. The salah should be a four rakah.

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Privileges accorded to a traveler by Islamic law

The following are privileges given to a traveler as per the Islamic sharia.
a) One is allowed to perform jamu’tadeem.
b) One is allowed to perform jamu’taakhir.
c) A traveler is allowed to shorten prayers (qasr).
d) A traveler is excused from Friday prayer.
e) A traveler is allowed to Miss jamaa prayer.
f) Other Muslims are encouraged to host a traveler.
g) A traveler is allowed to perform tayammum instead of wudhu.
h) Rewarded for Sunnah acts observed during travelling
i) Exempted from observing fast so long as the journey is within the distance permitted by Shariah.
j) A traveler is entitled to Zakat in case he/she is stranded so long as the journey is Halal.
k) Permitted to eat food which is not Halal if he/she is going through hardships because of not getting food.

Conditions of Salatul kusuf and khusuf (the eclipse of the moon and the sun)
The following are conditions of prayer of lunar and solar eclipse
 The solar eclipse (kusuf) prayer should be performed during solar eclipse.
 The lunar eclipse (khusuf) prayer should be performed during the moon eclipse.
 The prayer has two standings with long and louder recitations.
 Each rakat has two Rukuu which should be long enough.
 The sujood (prostrations) should be long enough.
 The imam should not bother about the Followers as their dislikes in making the prayer longer.
 There should be two sermons after the swalah as it is done in eid prayer but istighfar replace takbir.
 The eclipse of the moon prayer (khusuf) is the same as that of the Sun prayer (kusuf) except that lunar prayer can be prayed
individually but not solar prayer which must be prayed in congregation.
 The solar prayer comes to an end when the sun set but the case is not the same with the lunar prayer.

The performance of Salatul kusuf and khusuf (the eclipse of the moon and the sun)
The following is the performance of prayer of lunar and solar eclipse
 After reciting Al-Faatihah the imam would recite a long passage from the Holy Quran with the congregation listening attentively
to the recitation.
 Upon completing the recitation, the imam should perform rukuu position and as usual, the congregation should follow him
accordingly.
 The imam thereafter, raises up from the rukuu, but instead of continuing on to the prostration, he once again resumes the
recitation of some passages from Quran after reciting surah Al-Faatihah.
 After the above recitation, the imam comes up with another rukuu.
 The imam then raises from ruku position, performs itidal, and proceeds to sujud (prostration).
 The imam has therefore, completed the first rakaat and from the sujud position, he would resume the standing position to begin
the second rakaat which would be performed exactly as the first rakaat in the manner described above.
 Upon raising from the second prostration of the second rakaat, the imam would sit for attashahud and would then then conclude
the prayer as usual with tasleem.

Optional acts of eidain

The following are sunnah acts that Muslims observe during iddul-fitr and iddul-adha:
 Taking a ritual bathe.
 Putting on the best garment.
 Apply perfume.
 Performing the prayer collectively in an open place.
 Eating something before eidul-fitr prayer.
 Avoiding eating anything until after eidul-adha prayer is performed.

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Differences between swalatul-eid and normal swalat

The following are differences between swalaatul-Idd and normal swalat:
 Swalatul idd is sunnah (optional) while normal swalat is obligatory (faradh).
 There is no pronunciation of Adhan before swalatul-idd while adhan is made for normal swalat.
 There is no pronunciation of Iqaama to make people line behind Imam before swalatul-idd while Iqaamah is made for normal
swalat to commence a congregational prayer.
 Swalatul-Idd has two sermons after the prayers while normal prayers apart from Friday prayer which has two khutba before the
prayer, the rest have no sermons.
 Swalatul-Idd is performed twice a year marking the completion of Hajj (swalatul-Iddul-Haajj) and completion of fasting in the
month of Ramadha (Swalatul-Idd Fitr) while the normal swalat is performed five times a day.
 Swalatul-Idd is recommended to be performed in an open place while the normal swalat is performed in the mosque or at home.
 Swalatul-Idd is performed after sunrise and before noon while normal prayers are performed at their five appointed different times
of the day and night.
 Alongside the takbiratul-ihram there are seven or five takbiraat in the first and second rakaat of idd prayers respectively while
there is only takbiratul-ihram in normal prayers.
 There is no Qabliyyah nor Baadiya prayers following swalatul-idd while there are superogatory prayers of Qabliyyah and
Baadiyya for normal prayers.

The rites of a dead person

The following are the collective obligatory rites that are to be carried out on a dead person:
 Ghusl (washing)
 Kafan (shrouding)
 Swalat (prayer)
 Hamlu (carrying)
 Dafan (burying)

Conditions for swalatul-janaaza

The following are some of the conditions to be fulfilled when observing swalatul-janaaza:
a) It should be performed by a Muslim, matured and sane.
b) One must put on clean clothes that which are free from impurities.
c) One must be free from any najis from his body.
d) One must take wudhu before performing swalatul janaaza.
e) One must face Qibla when offering the swalat.
f) While praying one should stand if capable.
g) It can be prayed anywhere as long as the place of worship is clean free from impurities.
h) One should know how to perform the swalat.
i) There must be a Muslim deceased person either in absentia or presence.

How to perform swalatul Janaza

It is performed in the following sequence:
1. Niyyat: The performer should make the intention.
2. Takbiratul-Ihram: The perfumers should raise their hands to their ears and fold their hands underneath the navel as usual while
saying Allahu Akbar and read suratul-faatiha.
3. Then raise the hands, say Allahu Akbar and read the swalaatu ‘alaa nabiyy
4. Then raise the hands, say Allahu Akbar and read for the dead.
5. After the duaa, say Allahu Akbar, drop the hands and then turn the head both sides for salaam.

Significance of swalatul-janaza

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The following are the importance of swalatul-janaza:

a) It creates a sense of responsibility on the Muslims as they fulfill the rites of the deceased.
b) It is a collective obligatory hence rewardable to the performer and punishable if none performs it.
c) It creates unity among Muslims as they realize upon death the right must be fulfilled by the fellow Muslims.
d) It is a humbling experience as it reminds Muslims about death and to realize that Allah is the True Owner of life.
e) It is a chance given to Muslims to pray for the forgiveness of the departed Muslim.
f) It helps in consoling the family of the deceased witnessing that Muslims prayed for their beloved one.

Optional acts when seeing a janazah

The following are sunnah acts to be observed when a person sees a janazah (Muslim coffin):
 When seeing a janazah, if a Muslim is not wishing to follow it then should stand still until it disappears or laid down.
 On seeing a janazah a Muslim should follow it quietly from behind and not in front.
 It is strongly recommended to remember the dead and death.

Meaning of the term sijda

Sijda is an act of worship which involves prostration and glorification whereby someone’s forehead, palms and the knees firmly
touch the ground facing the direction of the Qibla.

Types of Sijdats (prostrations)

The following are the types of sajdas:
a). Sijdatul-Tilawa: This is a prostration that whoever reads or hears a Qur’anic verse that contains a sijda should stop and perform
one sijda. For example, the last verse of Surah Al-alaq (Q96:19).
b). Sijdatul Shukr: This type of prostration is performed for the purposes of showing one’s gratefulness towards Allah after attaining
any good thing. For example, getting promotion, getting better profit, passing of examinations, getting a newborn baby as well as
getting better after a serious illness.
c). Sijdatul Sahw: This prostration is performed to compensate for a mistake committed while praying. It is performed because of
doing something extra in swalaat, for example having an extra standing, doing extra rukuu or extra sujuud. It can be necessitated
by subtracting something in swalaat, such as omitting of essential acts of prayer, like not sitting for tashahud after two rakaat in a
four rakat prayer. It can also because of uncertainty. This is when a person is not sure of something while praying, for example
being uncertain of how many rakaat he has prayed.
d). Sijdatul-swalat: These are normal prostrations that Muslims perform when observing prayers. There are two sijdas in every
rakaah performed in normal prayer.

Differences between sijdatul shukr and the sijda performed in swalat

The following are differences between sijdatul shukr and sijdatul swalat:
1) Sijdatul shukr has no defined dua, one can say any form of dua that expresses gratitude to Allah, while in sijdatul swalat there is a
well-defined dua ‘subhana rabial A’alaa wabihamdihi’ (praise be to the Lord, the Most High).
2) In the performance of sijdatul swalat, one is required to prostrate twice, while sijdatul shukr prostration can be done once.
3) Sijdatul shukr is performed anywhere where necessary while sijdatul swalat is exclusively performed during swalat.
4) Sijdatul swalat is obligatory and an integral part of swalat while sijdatul shukr is sunnah (optional)
5) Sijdatul swalat is performed at specific times of swalat while sijdatul shukr is performed any time the need arises, has no specific
time.
6) It is a must to be in a state of ritual purity when performing sijdatul swalat while in the performing of sijdatul shukr the
observance of ritual purity is voluntary.
7) For sijdatul shukr one may face any direction while for sijdatul swalat one must face Qibla.

Meaning of the term zakat

Literally the term Zakat is Arabic word which is derived from zakaa which means both to increase and to become pure. Technically,
zakat is the pure-due to which a person gives from his possessions (wealth) in form of alms in order to purify his or her property and

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cause that property to increase by obtaining Allah’s blessings on it.

Types of zakaat
There are three types of Zakat as discussed below:
a). Zakatul-maal: It is the obligatory alms paid annually by an individual to the needy from the property which he/she possesses that
equals to or exceeding the prescribed amount of Nisab. If one fails to carry out this obligation, he is a sinner, consequently
incurring Allah's displeasure and His punishment in the hereafter.
b). Zakat-ul-fitr: It is a special charity paid by any person who possesses more than enough for iddul-fitr, given to the needy in the
month of Ramadhan or on the day of iddul-fitr before going to swalatul-idd. It is paid as atonement for any shortcomings in the
worship of Fasting during the month of Ramadan. The quantity of Zakat-ul-Fitr traditionally amounts to one Saa`, which is
equivalent to 21/2 kilograms of staple foods of the respective place (i.e equivalent to four mudd).
c). Sadaqa: It comprises of all kinds of voluntary charity that given out to help the poor, needy and other welfare people in the
society.
Forms of sadaqa
The following are some forms of sadaqa:
 Doing justice between two people, group or even states.
 Helping a person loading and offloading goods.
 Saying good words.
 Every step taken while going for a good deed, such as swalaat.
 Removing of harmful things that may injure a passer-by from the road.
 Making someone to smile.
 Avoiding others from committing a bad deed.
Significance of sadaqah
The following are significance of sadaqah:
1. It develops love, peace, unity and eradicates hatred among Muslims.
2. It helps the needy among Muslims and makes him or her feel comforted.
3. It encourages sharing of what we have and therefore removes greedy and corruption among people.
4. It helps an individual to train him or herself to sacrifice for others to benefit.
5. It makes those who offer any form of sadaqa to be rewarded by Allah.
6. It helps in character building and nurturing of good behavior.
7. Sadaqah creates a sense of satisfaction in the giver and gives hope to the receiver.
8. Helps in poverty alleviation. Help to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor / the haves and have-nots.
9. Helps in over-coming misery and thus puts a smile on other faces.
Conditions for zakat payment
The following are conditions for zakat payment:
i. One paying it must be a Muslim.
ii. One must be a free man and not a slave.
iii. One must be of sound mind (sane.)
iv. The giver of Zakat must have attained maturity.
v. The wealth to be paid should have reached nisab.
vi. The wealth or property must have been in one’s possession for a full year.
vii. Zakat-ul- Fitr should be paid before one goes for the Eid prayers.
viii. Zatat-ul-maal should be paid once every year.
Conditions (manners) for distribution (giving) of zakat
During the distribution of Zakat, the following conditions should be considered:
1. The intention (Niyyat) should be for the sake of fulfilling Allah’s command and not for any other reasons such as gaining fame or
showing off.
2. It should be given to the recipients prescribed by the Quran.
3. It should be given promptly when it is due, and the financial year has elapsed.
4. Zakat of one place should not be transferred to another place.

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5. The item payable for Zakat should not be exchanged for another item. For example, it is permissible to use the nisab for animals
when you are supposed to pay zakat for minerals but one can convert the cows into currency and then a rate of the currency is
given out for Zakat.

Differences between Zakat and Sadaqah

The following table shows the differences between zakat and sadaqah:
Zakat Sadaqa
Zakat is a pillar of Islam Sadaqah is an act of charity.
Zakat has a nisab- (the minimum amount one must have before Sadaqah has no minimum amount.
it becomes compulsory.)
There is a fixed amount to be paid on the saved money or Any amount can be given as sadaqa.
property.
Zakat is paid on specific items. Sadaqah is paid on anything one wishes to give from.
There is a fixed period within which one must pay Zakat. Sadaqah can be paid at any time.
Zakat is payable to specific recipients mentioned in the Quran. Sadaqah can be given to any person in need whether a Muslim or
a non-Muslim.
Zakat is compulsory to the Muslims who qualify to pay it. Sadaqah is voluntary to whoever wishes to give it.

Differences between Zakat-ul-Fitr and Zakat-ul-Maal

The following table shows the differences between zakat-ul-fitr and zakat-ul-maal:
Zakaat-ul –Maal Zakaat-ul- Fitr
The wealth must have been in Possession for one year. It should be given in the month of Ramadhan before one goes for
Idd Prayers.
The rate should be calculated according to the property to be It should be given on 21/2 kg of the staple food
given out.
It should be given to recipient prescribed in the Quran. It can be given to any needy or destitute Muslim
The nisab depends on the amount of wealth. The value is determined by the number of dependents in the
family.
It purifies wealth It purifies saum
It is given at any time of the year when it is due. Given only in the month of Ramadhan
Paid by the rich people only. Paid by anyone who has more than enough for the eid day.
One may also give in the form of cash, agricultural produce, This must represent the exact equivalent of the market value of
silver, gold and from other items of zakat payment. the kind and quality of the staple food which would have
otherwise been offered such s cash, animals, fruits etc.

Recipients of Zakat
These are those people whom the Quran has singled them out to be the rightful beneficiaries of Zakat. The Quran has identified a list
of deserving persons to whom Zakat should be given and they include the following:
1. The poor (Al-Fuqara): These are the Muslims who do not have any means of livelihood and material possession to support
themselves and their families. They cannot even raise 50% of their basic needs.
2. The needy (Al-Masaakin): These are the Muslims who lack sufficient means of livelihood to meet their basic requirements. They
can at least raise 50% only of their basic needs and owing to calamity, sickness or age cannot earn a living.
3. Zakat collectors (Al- ‘Aamil): They are the Muslims who have been entrusted with the responsibility of collecting and
distributing Zakat. They receive it as their source of income (salaries).
4. The new converts (Al-Mualafatul-quluub): They are also referred to as sympathizers. They are the people who have just
embraced Islam and need help to settle down and strengthen their faith.
5. The captives (Al-Riqab): These are prisoners of war or hostages who need to be ransomed to secure their freedom.
6. The Debtors (Al-Gharimin): These are Muslims who have incurred debts through lawful transactions. Zakat can be used to pay
off their debts which they incurred to meet their basic needs.

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7. Those on the course of Allah (Fisabillillah): Zakat can be used to finance any form of struggle or course for the love of Allah
(S.W. T) such as Daa’wa, sponsoring students’ educational expense among others.
8. The wayfarers (Ibnu-Sabil): These are stranded travelers on lawful journey who are in difficulty and may need assistance to cater
for their travel and basic needs.

Non-recipients of zakat
These are people to whom zakat should not be given at all. They include the following:
1) Close family members such as parents, husband or wife.
2) Aalu-beyt rasuulillah: A member of the prophet’s family should not receive zakat.
3) A non-Muslim: Zakat should be given only to Muslim.
4) Rich people and their dependents: Zakat should be taken from the rich and given to the poor and the needy.

Items on which zakat is payable

The following are list of items that can be given out as alms:
1. Domestic animals such as camels, sheep, oxen which are not kept as articles of trade.
2. Agricultural produce such crops and fruits of the field like wheat, barley, dates, raisins, rice, maize and vegetables.
3. Production of manufacture goods in an industry will be liable for zakat.
4. Zakat can be payable on money.
5. Gold, silver, and other mineral products.
6. Dug out treasures whose ownership has not been identified for one year will attract zakat of value of 20%.
7. Trade and merchandise (goods for trade) that have been in store for a year.
8. Savings from the sale of goods should be paid for Zakat after a year.
9. Savings from the house rent and land rates.
10. Personal income of goods is liable for zakat after one year.

Meaning of the term Nisab

In Islamic Law, the term niṣāb refers to the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to zakat. Several hadith
have formulas for calculating niṣāb, the most prominent of which declares that No Zakāt is due on wealth until one-year passes.
The table below shows the rates and nisab of different properties that are liable for zakat.
Property Item Nisab Rate to be Given
Livestock Sheep 40 sheep 1 female sheep
Goats 40 goats 1 female goat
Sheep and goats 40 1 female sheep/goat
mixed
Cattle/buffaloes 30 cows/bulls One, 1-year old cow/bull
40 cows/bulls One, 2-years old cow/bull
Camels 5 camels One female sheep/goat
20 camels One, 1-year old camel
36 camels One, 2-year old camel
46 camels One, 3-year old camel
61 camels One, 4-year old camel
76 camels Two, 2-year old camel
91 camels Two, 3-year old camel
Agricultural Harvest on cereals and Nisab is 50 waqs 5% of total harvest if artificial irrigation is
produce fruits (1 waq is about 240kg) used.
10% of total harvest for natural irrigated
produce.
Money Hard cash Equivalent to the price of either 21/2% of the value
gold or silver according to open
market.

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Mineral Gold Approximately 85 gms. 21/2% of the value

Silver Approximately 595 gms.
Items on which Zakat is not payable
Even though Zakat is an obligatory Pillar in Islam and that one should pay, there are certain items which are exempted from zakat and
that a Muslim is not compelled to give. These items include the following:
 Residential houses—Private houses in which the owner dwells in.
 Animals or vehicles used for transportation.
 Books which are not for sale.
 Jewelry or ornaments which are personally used by a woman.
 Machinery or engine used for manufacture of goods.
 Recurring business capital.
 House items such as furniture, utensils, fridge, Television, clothing, weapons or tools for daily use.

Spiritual Importance of Zakat

The following are spiritual importance of zakat:
1. It is a form of ibaada and thus a believer gets rewards by fulfilling this obligation.
2. It is the third pillar of Islam.
3. It is a commandment of Allah (S.W.T) and therefore must be observed by every Muslim who qualifies to give it.
4. Giving of Zakat purifies the wealth of the giver.
5. Zakat blesses the wealth of the giver and causes it to increase.
6. The institution of Zakat enables one to fulfill his religious obligation.
7. The institution of zakat Develops spiritual growth and piety.

Social Importance of zakat

The following are social importance of zakat:
1. Zakat Creates good relationship between the giver and receiver.
2. It helps to remove jealously/ mistrust of the rich.
3. Restores hope, dignity and worthiness of the poor.
4. Reduces the gap between the rich and poor
5. Develops and fosters a healthy social relationship among members of the community.
6. Removes pride, selfishness or greed among rich.
7. Job creation for the Zakat collectors who secure employment.
8. Zakat helps in fighting corruption and greediness.
9. Zakat helps in clearing debts of citizens when is used to pay off for the debtors (al-gharimiin)
10. It helps foster equality among the Muslims.
11. Promotes unity and brotherhood among the Muslim Ummah.
12. It fosters love among the Muslims through sharing

Economic importance of zakat/ National development

The following are economic importance of zakat:
 Zakat Helps raise living standards of the poor, less fortunate and the marginalized communities.
 It helps the poor and needy by relieving their hardships and troubles.
 It helps create a self-supporting community which does not require financial or economic assistance in form of food or material.
This enables the Muslim community to be self-reliant and independent.
 Zakat contributes to the national budget as it is a form of tax.
 It helps in the creation of job and employment opportunities for the zakat collectors.
 Those in debt are able to settle them from the payment of Zakat.

Importance of Zakatul-Fitr
The following are some of the benefits of zakatul-fitr:

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 The prophet (p.b.u.h) said that zakatul-fitr cleanses the fasts of the believers and thus are acceptable by Allah (S.W.T).
 It teaches a sense of responsibility since the head of the family is in charge with the responsibility of paying for each member of
his family.
 It enables the poor and the needy to join in the celebration of eidul-fitr while are incredibly happy.
 It brings love and affection to both the receiver and the giver.

How does payment of zakat promote unity among Muslims

The following are ways through which payment of zakat promotes unity among Muslims:
a) Zakat purifies and blesses the wealth of the giver and causes it to increase thus inculcating satisfaction among the rich who will
not exploit the poor.
b) It helps to remove jealously and envy among Muslims especially the receivers who later love the giver.
c) Restores hope, dignity and worthiness of the poor who later see themselves valued by the rich.
d) It promotes fair distribution of resources among the members of the society and thus reduces the gap between the rich and poor.
e) Zakat removes pride, selfishness or greed among rich thus making the poor love their humbleness and concern.
f) Job creation for the Zakat collectors who secure employment reduces idleness and number of the unemployed members of the
society. This prevents theft and corruption.
g) Zakat helps create a self-supporting community which does not require financial or economic assistance in form of food or
material. This enables the Muslim community to be self-reliant and independent.

Differences between Zakat and Tax

The following table shows the Differences that are there between the concept of Zakat and Tax:
Zakat Tax
It is the third pillar of Islam It is a law of the government or rather the policies of state.
It is only paid annually It can be paid monthly, weekly, daily or even hourly.
The rate of Zakat is fixed till the day of judgment. Its rate keeps fluctuating or rather it is determined by the amount
of income one earns.
It is a commandment of Allah (S.W.T) It is authorized by the government, King or the ruler of the state.
It is payable on one’s saving It is calculated from the gross salary or net profit.
It is an act of worship and therefore, rewarded by Allah and It is rewarded by the state, ruler or government hence one is fined
hence brings satisfaction and cannot be evaded. for not giving it out and thus brings dissatisfaction.
Zakat is given to the eight prescribed recipients Tax is given to the state, ruler or government.
It is taken from the rich and distributed to the poor and the Both the rich, poor and the needy must pay tax.
needy.
It must be from a lawfully acquired wealth Can be from any sort of money or property either acquired
lawfully or unlawfully.
It is paid only by the Muslims All citizens must pay tax either a Muslim or non-Muslim.

The role played by Zakat in promoting integrity

The institution of zakat plays an important role in the promotion of integrity in the Muslim society through the following ways:
1) It enhances the sense of responsibility in that the giver feels obliged to perform the acts as an obligatory duty upon him.
2) It makes the believers who are rich to understand that the wealth that is given to them is a bounty and a trust from Allah.
3) The giver shows loyalty to Allah who has commanded those with wealth to give it in charity to the rightful recipients.
4) It assists in curbing vices such as theft, by regulating the owning of resources in the society and creating a balance.
5) Zakat helps to safeguard the rich from committing extravagance (israf), which is haram (unlawful).
6) It teaches Muslims that zakat is given out to please Allah and not people. Hence, they give out zakat willingly without force
7) Giving of Zakat helps in minimizing vices such as jealousy and envy in that the receiver feels satisfied when he is given the share
from it. And to the giver it reduces extravagance and greed for wealth.
8) It encourages hard work because every Muslim has an incentive to work since he is expected to give something to the needy and
earn thawab.

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9) Zakat reduces injustices such as unfair distribution of wealth in that only the rightful recipients are given and thus promoting a
comfort stay between the poor and the rich.
10) Zakat promotes unity in the society by bringing together both the rich and the poor.

Values of observing integrity

The following are values of observing integrity:
 Responsibility: People with integrity tend to be accountable and answerable when managing their duties.
 Trust, honest and trustworthiness: They confidently and reliably keep other peoples’ properties as expected.
 Loyalty: People fulfill their commitments and obligations for the benefits of other people.
 Hard-working: Muslims work with energy tirelessly and leave no work unattended to improve accomplish their goals.
 Fairness and Justice: They treat other people without favouritism or discrimination when distributing resources, settling
conflicts and administering punishments.
 Unity and integration: They always maintain cohesion and togetherness among their people. They avoid disintegrating them in
the lines of tribes, races, languages, financial status, religions, political alliances, gender and ethnicity.

Problems of zakat collection in Kenya

The following are problems facing zakat collection in Kenya:
1. Muslims are still generally ignorant concerning the zakat payment, thus ending up not giving out zakat or giving it in wrong
measurements.
2. Some of the Muslim rich men still have weak faith that hinders them to see zakat as an obligatory act to them, but rather take it as
a voluntary act and exceptionally light.
3. In Kenya, the majority of Muslims are poor.
4. Disunity among Muslims due to miscellaneous issues concerning Islam. Therefore, making it difficult to share what they have as
zakat.
5. Corruption and embezzlement are on their rampant rate. They are considered as the routine of the day, but they have resulted into
mistrust among many Muslims.
6. Language barrier between the collectors and the rich people. Thus, bringing misunderstanding among Muslims.
7. Poor transport system. Most of the zakat collection is concentrated in the cities, hence there is a gap between the collection and
the people supposed to given zakat.

Problems facing the zakat distribution process in Kenya

The following are problems facing the zakat distribution process in Kenya:
1. Lack of Muslims statistics makes its distribution difficult in sense that there is no equitable and fairness means to estimate the rate
of zakat to be given to a certain region.
2. Those who distribute zakat have inadequate knowledge of zakat distribution and therefore, sometimes the zakat is given to the
wrong people or wrongly calculated.
3. Some of the leaders who distribute zakat are equally poor, and therefore, end up distributing the whole zaakat to themselves and
relatives.
4. Nepotism, tribalism and racism have made their way to an extend of affecting zakat in Kenya.
5. Poor transport and communication network. In Kenya, the roads are in poor conditions and some areas have inadequate roads thus
making the process of distributing zakat from place to place to be difficult.
6. Inadequate resources for carrying the items of zakat so as they can be transported from place to place. Sometimes, also they items
can be stolen along their way before they reach to their expected destination.

Ways to improve the process of collection and distribution of zakat

The following are ways to improve the process of collection and distribution of zakat in Kenya:
a) People should be educated on zakat through giving darsa in mosques, creating awareness through mass media, seminars, training

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and among other means.

b) Establishment of zakat office which will collect zakat, calculate it appropriately and conduct Muslims census through reliable
people.
c) Establishment of agencies or organizations specifically charged with the responsibility of collecting and distributing zakat.
d) Employment of competent and qualified personnel to run zakat organizations.
e) Introduction of Islamic auditing in zakat collection and distribution so as to eliminate inefficiency, corruption and embezzlement.
f) Promoting the construction of means of transport such as roads so as to ease and secure the distribution of zakat
g) Fostering Islamic unity and brotherhood so as to eradicate discrimination basing on tribe, ethnicity, family background, and skin
color.
h) Exchanging experiences with similar bodies in the Muslim world with the view of adopting good zakat practices.
i) Identify priority areas in distribution of zakat, for example the recipients and the areas that are more entitled for zakat. This can
be done through carrying out periodic assessment in the muslim community to identify those who should pay zakat and those
deserving to receive zakat.
j) Enforcing and implementation of Islamic laws so as to boost peoples’ faith.
k) Putting up rules and advocating for heavy punishment for whoever practicing corruption and embezzelement especially on
matters concerning zakat.

CHAPTER FIVE: AKHLAQ (MORALITY)

Meaning of the term Akhlaq
Akhlaq is the plural of the word khuluq, which means behavior whether good or bad. Technically, akhlaq refers to the standard
behavior or code of conduct which an individual is expected to uphold or observe according to his or her society.

Dynamics of Khuluq
There are two dynamics of Khuluq as explained below:
 Husnul-khul means good behavior that earns a person rewards if performed. For example, helping the needy, visiting the sick,
reciting Quran among others.
 Suul-khuluq means bad behavior that can earn a person a sin if committed. For example, telling lies, backbiting, calling others
offensive nicknames among others.

Essentials, Principles and the basic component of Islamic Morality

Morality in Islam centers on certain basic beliefs and principles as follows:
a) Allah (S.W.T) is the creator and source of all goodness, truth and beauty.
b) Man is a responsible, dignified and honorable agent of Allah (S.W.T).
c) Allah (S.W.T) has put everything in the heavens and the earth in the service of mankind.
d) By His Mercy and Wisdom, Allah (S.W.T) does not expect the impossible from man or hold him accountable for anything
beyond his power.
e) Moderation, practicality and balance are guarantees of high integrity and sound morality.
f) All things are permissible in principle except what is singled out as obligatory, which must be observed, and what is singled out
as forbidden, which must be avoided.
g) Man’s ultimate responsibility is to worship Allah (S.W.T) and his highest goal is to earn the pleasure of his Creator.
h) Islam abolishes all inequalities based on race, color of skin, ethnicity, language and place of birth.
i) Islam encourages good relationship with neighbors as weapon of maintaining peace, justice and tranquility.
j) Man must acquire the highest degree of patience, truthfulness and forgiveness to be successful both on Earth and Hereafter.

Dimensions of Islamic morality

Islamic morality is measured in two ways as discussed below:
 Maaroofaat: These are virtues including good habits, decent deeds and righteous practices which Islam acknowledges them as
good and therefore, are permitted in Islam. They can be categorized into obligatory (Faradh and wajib), recommended (mandhub)
and permissible (Mubah).

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 Munkaraat: These are vices including all kinds of bad habits, practices or deeds that are prohibited in Islam. They can be
categorized into forbidden (Haram) and undesirable (Makruh) acts.

Examples of maaroofat
The following are Examples of Maarufat:
a) Visiting the sick.
b) Escorting the deceased to the grave.
c) Assisting the needy, orphan and the poor, for example feeding them.
d) Honoring the aged members of the society regardless of their religion.
e) Having trustworthiness (Al-amaana)
f) Having contentment (Al-Qanaa)
g) Having self-control, self-esteem and self-discipline whether in public or privacy.
h) Talking only when it is necessary, and it should be truth and words of decency.
i) Having modesty in committing indecent acts (Al-Hayaa).
j) Having patience (Al-Sabr).
k) Having tranquility (Al-Sakina)
l) Muslims are to be kind, humble and polite to everything and everyone (Al-Hilmy).
m) Muslims must observe cleanliness of body, clothes and place at all times (An-Nadhafa).
n) Muslims should take care and be kind to their parents (Birul-waalideyn).
Examples of Munkaraat
The following are Examples of Munkaraat:
 Al-Kibr-wa-Tafaakhur: Arrogance and pride.
 An-Nameema: Backbiting, Slander and gossips.
 Al-Kidhbu: Telling lies.
 Suul-Laqab: Calling one another by offensive nicknames.
 Al-Khiyaana: Not appreciating and having a sense of Dissatisfaction and lack of contentment.
 Al-Sukhriyat: Looking down upon others because of tribe, class or wealth, race etc.
 Being tarthar: Being talkative.
 Al-Tajassus: Spying on others’ affairs.
 Adh-Dhani: Wishful thinking.
 Ghamz wal-Ramz: Using signs in talking about people.
 Qat-ul-Rahimi: Disintegration with one’s family members.
 Al-Khamru: Consumption of alcohol as well as Drug and substance abuse
 Al-Maisir: Gambling and games of chances.

Activities that will lead to maarufat when performed by man

The following are activities that will lead to maarufat when performed by man:
 To educate the public against evils.
 Encouraging people to perform righteous deeds.
 Keeping away from gossiping and backbiting.
 Avoid all activities that are harmful to others.
 Speaking nothing but the truth.
 Assisting the people and the needy.
 Asking for permission when entering other people houses.
 Giving all and every person his or her due right and priviliges.
 Fulfilling promises and commitments.
 Enjoining patience and endurances when encountered with challenges.

Significance of Islamic morality

The following are some of the importance of Islamic morality:

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 Islamic morality is meant to build in the human being a sound mind and body and a peaceful soul.
 It makes a Muslim have a distinctive Islamic personality when interacting with others and thus maintains conditions in which
peace and justice may flourish.
 Islamic moral values are meant to cultivate in a Muslim the best character in the most whole some manner.
 It strengthens the bonds between human beings and Allah thus developing a strong taqwa (piety) that makes a Muslim to strive in
earning Allah’s plea sures.
 Islamic morality guards the Muslims external behaviors and his manifest deeds to be in line with Allah (S.W.T) and the teachings
of Islam and thus eradicate evils and disorder in all their forms.
 It helps to maintain good relations among people in the society as it moulds concern and care among Muslim life style.
 Allah has promised rewards for those who abide by the Islamic morals and avoid evils deeds.

Islamic teachings on Amr bil-Ma’ruf Wa-Nahyi Anil Munkar (Enjoining good and forbidding evil)
Allah says, “Let there arise in you a group of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is
wrong: They are the ones to attain felicity.” [Q: 3:104]
The prophet (P.B.U.H) also emphasize on the importance of morals in a hadith reported by Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri who says that the
messenger of Allah says, “He of you who sees an abomination should change it with his hand; if he could not, then with his tongue;
if he could not, then in his heart; and this is the faintest in faith.” (Muslim).
The following are Islamic teachings on commanding good and avoiding evils:
1. To educate the public against evils is a duty of each and every person.
2. It is important to keep off evils to preserve the purity of the soul and have it more concentrated on performing ibadah.
3. Muslims should keep reminding each other of the good things expected from them for to attain success.
4. Those who commit crimes should be reported to the relevant authority for them to be rehabilitated.
5. Man is the khalif of Allah on Earth and thus is responsible of ensuring that Allah’s commandments are implemented.
6. Performing of a good deed makes one to earn thawab, while a bad deed is a sin and deserves punishment.

Significance of commanding good and forbidding evils in preventing social evils among Muslims
The following are importance of commanding good and forbidding evils in prevention of social evils among Muslims:
 It creates awareness in Muslims of what is good and what is evil.
 It corrects and rectifies weaknesses and mistakes among individuals.
 For those who command goods and forbid evils are reminded of what is good and what is bad.
 It leads to uprightness and good behavior by cultivating in a Muslim the best character in the most whole some manner.
 It acts as a watchdog for individuals by developing a strong taqwa that makes a Muslim to strive in earning Allah’s pleasures.
 It promotes positive thinking by guiding individual Muslims to be occupied with constructive ideas and serious pursuits of how to
lead a positive life on this earth and the hereafter.
 It discourages a Muslim from practicing prohibitions such as use of intoxicants, corruption, immorality and violence.
 It promotes peace and harmony in the society in that the prohibitions discourage vices.
 It is incentives and motivation to do what is good and strives hard to avoid evils.
 It generates affection and respect between the members of the family and the society in general hence promoting brotherhood.
 Allah has promised rewards for those who command good and forbid evils as it is a noble act.

Morality based on iman (faith) and swalihat (righteous deeds)

The following are Islamic teachings pertaining iman and swalihat:
 The good morals of anybody are shaped by the faith that he or she possesses and the dutifulness towards his creator.
 Good deeds that are not accompanied with Iman are known to have no reward before Allah.
 One’s obedience to Allah’s commandments always leads him or her to righteous deeds.
 Morality must be understood as part and parcel of the actual behavior in the practice of daily Islamic worship.
 Iman and Swalihat cannot be separated because they are interdependent in their functioning.
 Morals which are not based in the Quran and Sunnah of the prophet Muhammad are not Islamic values.
 Every Muslim, when considering the principals of morality, the fundamental principal upon which to base his conduct is to follow
the example of the prophet (p.b.u.h)

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CHAPTER SIX: MUAMALAT (RELATIONSHIP)

Kinds of relationship
The following are three kinds of relationships in Islamic society:
 Blood relationship: Kingship and blood ties involve the father /mother- child relations, brother-sister among others these are the
strongest natural ties. It determines how members relate with one a nother thus controlling their behavior.
 Marital relationship: It includes husband-wife relations and the in-laws of either side. This helps to keep the inter-family
alliance strong in that each member has defined roles to play.
 Religious relationship: Faith is the main binding factor which enhances the achievement of family goals and interests. It goes
beyond the close relatives to include all the Muslims who are brothers and sisters.

Qualities of an ideal Muslim home

The following are qualities of an ideal Muslim home:
 Be simple and free from any sort of extravagance.
 Be spacious to allow for privacy of the occupants.
 Be clean to facilitate the performance of acts of worship.
 Be beautiful and free from things such as statues and idols.
 Recitation of Quran takes place therein.
 It should be a cheerful and peaceful place free from quarrels.
 A place bounded with love, happiness, kindness, politeness and compassionate.
 Religious acts such as prayers, welcoming guests should be performed therein.

Why a family is considered as an important unit in Islam?

The family has several Importance in the society; the following are some of them:
a) A family provides a room for legitimate procreation to ensure continuity of the lineage and general growth of the society.
b) It creates the best environment for the upbringing of children by giving them guidance and nurture their habits to fit in the society.
c) A family offers security needs and provides a sense of belonging and identity of the members of the family and society.
d) A family is founded through marriage which promotes interfamily alliance through matrimonial relation. It brings people of
different social status and race together hence removing social prejudice in the society.
e) A family regulates the moral conduct of certain individuals in the society. This contributes to peace and harmonious as it provides
a set of rules to be observed.
f) A family promotes a sense of responsibility in that each member has specific roles to play to achieve the goals of the family to
comfort every member.
g) A family is a source of stability to the society, in that stable families produce members who fit well in the wider society.
h) A family serves as a learning institution where every member learns the right Islamic code of life.

Contribution of family to the society

The following are contributions of family to the society:
 Give out zakat which help the needy people in the society/ bedrock of the society.
 Look after the orphans who were less fortunate member of the society by having a good relationship with their neighbors and
people other faith hence creating peace and harmony in the society.
 Employ various skills which can uplift the economic status and living standard of the society.
 Contributes to establish clean and healthy environment through collective family effort.
 It is the basic unit of the community [Ummah]. Number of families forms a society or community.
 It reflects the values and socio-economic status of the society. Societies that comprise working and responsible families have high
standards of living.

Definition of Marriage (Nikah)

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Literally, Nikah is an Arabic term used for marriage which means a contract. Technically, marriage is an Islamic-legal mutual bond
between a man and a woman, sane and mature who have expressed their willingness to stay as a husband and wife in order to become
a pious family and a society.

Needs/ Reasons/ Justifications/ Purpose of marriage

The basic objectives of marriage in Islam are:
1. To fulfill Allah’s command. Marriage is a commandment from Allah (S.W.T) which must therefore be fulfilled by every Muslim
who is able. It is considered as completing half of one’s religion and we therefore earn Allah’s rewards.
2. Marriage secures a comfortable atmosphere and provides a peace of mind for both the husband and the wife if it based on a
cordial friendship accompanied by mutual understanding.
3. It ensures legitimacy of procreation. Through marriage, a new generation of virtuous children is born in halaal way.
4. It ensures financial competence in the community. A Muslim man must provide means of living to his wife and children, even if
the wife is wealthy or earns a salary.
5. To bring about a mutual companionship. Marriage provides close interaction between the man and the woman in mutual sharing
of responsibilities and ideas thus live together harmoniously.
6. Marriage helps to safeguard one’s Iman (faith). It prevents one from committing immoral acts such as having sexual relations
outside marriage.
7. It promotes inter-family alliance. Through marriage, family ties are strengthened between the families of the couple who become
relatives. This promotes peace, harmony and friendship in the society.
8. Marriage safeguards the legitimacy of children who if begotten through marriage are entitled to inheritance (mirath).
9. Marriage improves the couples’ social status through earning respect and dignity in the society.
10. It is a sunnah of the prophets and stressed much by the prophet Muhammed (PBUH) to be completed by the able ones.
11. It provides a room for satisfaction of natural sexual desires for both man and woman through allowing the fulfillment of the
conjugal rights.

Conditions and regulations of marriage

A marriage is valid only if the following conditions are observed:
1. The formula (Al-Sigha): This is the formula of marriage which includes the offer (Ijab) and the acceptance (Qabul). The offer
may be presented directly or through an agent which then gives room for the acceptance. The process begins with the man’s
proposal which presents his full identification and intention. On the other hand, the woman must state clearly her wishes and has
the liberty to accept or decline the offer. This first stage enhances familiarization to instill confidence.
2. The contracting parties (Al-Aqidaan): This refers to the bride and the groom who must be Muslims, sane, mature and pious.
They must give their consent willingly, able to fulfil the conjugal rights and should not belong to the forbidden degrees of
marriage.
3. Witnesses (As-Shuhud): The marriage should be contracted before two male or four female who must be Muslim, fair, mature,
sane and able to understand the language in which the marriage vows is being conducted.
4. Guardianship (Al-Wilayat): The guardian should give permission for the marriage to proceed. The Shariah gives the father the
first position as the guardian. In the case that the father is absent, then the guardianship transfer to the grandfather, then full
brother, then uncle. In case the guardian declines to give consent for invalid reason according to the Sharia, then the Kadhi acts as
the guardian.
5. Dowry (Al-Mahr): Dowry is the obligatory gift either in form of service, material or property that is given to the bride by the
groom in marriage. It is determined by the bride without being influenced by anybody. Negotiation between the couple is allowed.
It can be paid either in full or partially before, on the day of Nikah or after depending on both parties.

Conditions to be fulfilled by the spouses (Aqeedan)

The following are conditions to be satisfied by the contracting parties:
 Be of sound mind (sane)
 Al-bulugh: Have attained maturity.
 Must give their consent and accept to marry each other willingly.
 They should not belong to the prohibited degrees of marriage.
 They must be able to fulfil the conjugal right.

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 Both must be religious and pious.

Importance of dowry (mahr)

The following are some of the merits of observing the institution of dowry in Islam:
1) It is a condition of marriage in Islam; therefore, it is an obligatory factor in marriage.
2) It symbolizes commitment to the responsibilities attached to the marriage.
3) It is a sign that the bridegroom has proposed, and the bride has accepted.
4) It shows the ability of a man to look after his family. It helps to prepare the man to take care of the wife and children.
5) It discourages divorces through khul’u since the bride will have to repay to the groom before its execution.
6) It prepares the bride psychologically for marriage.
7) It legalizes the sexual intercourse between the marrying couple.
8) It signifies love between the couple.
9) It empowers woman economically.
10) It brings about respecting of women in the society.
11) The acceptance of the dowry by the bride, shows her readiness to live submissively with the man.
12) It is an Islamic culture that practiced by all the prophets.

The Muslim marriage ceremony (Nikaah)

The following is a short description of a Muslim marriage ceremony:
 It is a simple ceremony that is free-from any sort of extravagance (israaf).
 It can be conducted in the bride absentia so long as she sends two witnesses to the drawn-up agreement.
 It may involve reading of the Holy Qur'an.
 Khutbatu-nikaah should be given precisely and briefly.
 There must be an exchange of vows in front of witnesses for both partners.
 Offering of walima should be of moderate level that gives no room for wastage.

The conditions of khutbatu-nikaah

The following are some of the conditions of Khutbah-tun-Nikah:
 It should begin with the praise of Allah and seeking help and guidance from Him.
 It should contain the Islamic shahada.
 It should contain Quranic verse that talks about taqwa and marriage.
 It should contain prophetic traditions (hadith) that talks about taqwa and marriage.
 A dua should be made for the marrying couple and all Muslims.

Process of Islamic marriage

The following is the process of Islamic marriage:
 Islamic marriage ceremony begins by sending of proposal by the groom to the prospective bride.
 The consent of the bride show be soughed out by her guardians. He willingness should be considered.
 The guardians should give their permission once they agree and pleased with the marriage.
 The dowry of the bride should be granted to her by the groom.
 The witnesses should be informed. People should be invited to attend the marriage ceremony to act as witnesses.
 Marriage sermon should be recited by the Qadhi (Imam of the marriage).
 There should be exchange of vows of ijab and Qabul in a language that is understood by the couples and witnesses.
 People should make dua to Allah to bless the newly married couples with a happy and blessed marriage life.
 There should be walima (sadaqa of food given for the purpose of marriage).

People to whom man cannot marry

The following are the categories that a man cannot get marry:
a). Blood relationship: The people to whom man cannot marry basing on their blood relationship include the biological mother,

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paternal and maternal grandmother, sisters, daughter, nephews and nieces of sisters and brothers as well as both paternal and
maternal aunties.
b). Matrimonial relationship: People to whom man cannot marry basing on their matrimonial relationship include step-mother,
step-daughter, mother in-law, daughter in-law, two sisters cannot be married at a time and daughter and her aunt cannot be
married at the same time
c). Suckling mother-relationship: It is forbidden for a man to marry a woman from whom he has sucked. It is also forbidden to
marry any of her relatives just as those of his own biological mother.

Circumstances under which a marriage festival may become invalid in Muslim communities in Kenya
The following are circumstances under which a marriage festival may become invalid in Muslim communities in Kenya:
a) When it is conducted in unlawful place such as bars and night clubs.
b) When there are no witnesses to attend the marriage ceremony.
c) When the marriage is conducted against the consent of the guardians who refused the marriage contract with valid reasons.
d) When the bride or groom is forced to get married against his or her will with valid reason.
e) When the ijab (proposal) and Qabul (acceptance) are omitted or done under compulsion.
f) When the language used is not understood by the couples and witnesses.
g) When it is conducted by unqualified person who is not knowledgeable about marriage.
h) When the married person is among the prohibited degrees of marriages.
i) When there is no payment or communication about mahr (dowry).

Meaning of polygamy
Polygamy comes from two Greek words, namely “poly” meaning many or more than, and “Gamy” which stands for marriage or a
sexual union. Therefore, polygamy means marrying more than one wife. On the other hand, polyandrous (having more than one
husband) is unlawful.

Conditions for polygamy

The shariah has restricted polygamy to the following conditions:
1) The maximum number of wives is limited to four wives at a time.
2) The husband should be equally fair to all his wives in relation to life’s daily needs such as providing them with clothing, feeding,
and housing without favor or discrimination to any one of them.
3) The husband should be able to fulfill his wives’ conjugal rights before he commits himself to another one.
4) The husband should be financially able to sustain and support the wives and the children because it is the man’s responsibility to
provide for the family.

Impediments to polygamy in Islam

The following are conditions under which polygamy is not allowed:
a) If the husband is not capable of treating all the wives equally, he cannot marry more than one wife.
b) If the husband is financially unstable to support the extra wife.
c) If the husband will not be able to satisfy the wives’ conjugal rights that which may lead to zinaa of part of the wives.
d) If the husband is terminally ill with a chronic transmittable disease such as HIV and AIDS and other STD’s.
e) If the law of a certain country has banned polygamy such as Canada.
f) If the number of women is less than that of men is such a country.

Reasons for polygamy

The following are some of the reasons (needs/rationale) for the institution of polygamy:
1. If the wife is unable to bear children after years of marriage and it has been medically proven that the wife is barren and there is
nothing wrong with the husband then the husband is permitted to marry another wife.
2. The population of women is higher than that of men therefore polygamy provides an opportunity to the otherwise would be
unmarried women to get married.
3. If the wife cannot satisfy his conjugal rights, for example if she suffers from contagious or other terminal illness which prevents
her from honoring her conjugal obligation, plurality of wives serves the purpose for the man.

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4. If want to support women to get through hardships. When men die either naturally or in a battle and widows are left behind, it
becomes necessary that they should be taken care of. The sharia therefore provides room for polygamy so that they can be married
and offered support and protection.
5. If one works extremely far from his home or frequently travels far distance and thus, he fears to commit adultery then polygamy
can serve the purpose.
6. If he wishes to fulfill the sunnah of the prophet (P.B.U.H) and his predecessors.
7. To increase the Muslim population through legitimate pro-creation.

Reasons behind the Prophet Mohammad’ marriage

By the time of his death, he had nine wives, however, this should not be perceived as a violation of Allah’s (S.W.T) instructions as he
was the only one who had been permitted to do so by Allah (S.W.T) due to the following reasons:
1). For companionship: The prophet Mohammed (p.b.u.h) married Khadija bint Khuwaylid to get a companion in life. They had to
share whatever they had and more so, they got six children.
2). To fulfill the sunnah of the other earlier prophets: He wanted to continue with the practice that Allah had prescribed to his
predecessors’ like prophet Yakub and Ibrahim who both had 2 wives and Suleiman who had almost 70 wives.
3). For educational purposes: The prophet wanted to teach Islamic knowledge about womanhood and enforce domestic laws. He
married Aisha Bint Abu Bakar (R.A.) and Ummu Salamah (R.A.) who memorized a number of hadith and used to train the other
women on religious and family matters such as issues of heidh, childbirth, janaba and among others.
4). For enforcement of Islamic sharia: Allah ordered the prophet (p.b.u.h) to marry Zainab bint Jaash who had been married by his
adopted son Zayyid bin Harith so as to an end the Arab practice of referring to adopted sons their own.
5). For political and peace-making purpose: To foster good relations between Muslims and non-Muslims. He married Juwayriya
bint Harith who was the daughter of a tribal chief of Banu Mustaliq clan of Arabia, Swafiyyah bint Huyay and Ummu-Habibah.
6). For humanitarian rehabilitation: For protection and security of the widows whose husbands had died in jihad wars. He married
Saudah bint Zamah (widowed by Sakran bin Amro) and Zainab bint Khuzaimah (widow to Abdullah bin Jaash).
7). For social purpose: The prophet married from different ethnic groups, clans and among the Quraish tribe. Before this, the
Quraish used to see themselves as superior beings to other tribes. So married, to bring them closer to him to make them have
affiliation towards him and establish a balance and solid Islamic brotherhood among Muslims.
8). For cementing relationship with his companions: The prophet (p.b.u.h) married Hafswa bint Umar bin Khatab so as to solidify
his friendship with Umar.

The prophet’s (p.b.u.h) wives/ Ummahaatul-Mu’uminiin

The following are the names of prophet Muhammad’s wives:
1). Khadija bint Khuwaylid
2). Saudah bint Zam’aa
3). Aisha bint Abubakar Assiddiq
4). Hafswah bint Umar bin Al-Khattab
5). Zainab Bint Khuzaimah
6). Ummu-Salamah (Hind bint Abi Umayyah bin Mugheerah)
7). Juwairiyyah bint Al-Harith (Barrah)
8). Zainab bint Jahsh
9). Ummu Habibah bint Abu Sufyan
10). Swafiyyah bint Huyay
11). Maimunah bint Al- Harith Al-Khawaziniy
12). Mariyya Al- Qibtwiyyah

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Rights of Muslim parents: Duties of children towards their parents

The following are the rights of Muslim parents:
1. Children should treat their parents with kindness and mercy.
2. Children should take good care of their parents when they get old or need their help.
3. Their children should remember them in the prayers.
4. Children should always be there for their parents and not turn away from them in case they need them.
5. Children should obey their parents in whatever they ask if it is in accordance with Islamic Sharia.
6. Children should pay their parents’ debts when they pass on.
7. Children should show their parents a good send off when they die.
8. Children should perform hajj and umra for their pareants.
9. Children should continue praying for their parents even after they have died.

Rights of Muslim children: Duties of the parents towards their children

The following are rights of Muslim children:
1. An unborn child should never be aborted and if the child is born has a right to life.
2. Adhan and iqama should be proclaimed in the ears of children when are born to make a child listen to Allah’s word first.
3. Tahniq and Aqiqah should be performed on the child.
4. In case of a boy child, then he should be circumcised.
5. Children should be provided with both religious and secular education.
6. Children should be given good names.
7. The parents should provide their children with basic needs like food, shelter and clothing.
8. Children should be given security and protection from external danger, misguidance and physical injury.
9. Children have a right to be loved and shown affection and should never be discriminated.
10. Parents should teach their children good behaviors, morals and proper etiquettes.
11. Children have a right to inherit from their parents after they have passed on.
12. Children have a right to legitimacy and know his rightful father and mother.

Rights of a child at birth

Rituals performed when the baby is born include the following
a) The baby is washed.
b) Adhan is said lightly on the right ear of the baby and iqama on the left.
c) Tahneeq: Placing something sweet e.g. honey, dates on the baby’s tongue.
d) Shaving the baby.
e) Circumcision if the baby is a boy.
f) Naming the baby.
g) Slaughtering an animal. [Aqiqah]

Duties of a husband towards his wife: Rights of a Muslim wife.

The following are duties of a Muslim husband towards his wives:
1. He should protect his wife from any social, physical or psychological harm.
2. He should consult with his wife in kindness in matters relating to the family.
3. He has the full responsibility of financially and materially supporting and maintaining his wife.
4. He must be faithful to his wife and not keep any marital secrets from her.
5. He should respect the feelings of his wife and treat her with love, sympathy and understanding.
6. He should fulfill the wife’s matrimonial needs.
7. He should establish a rich Islamic atmosphere in the home.
8. He should keep the marriage life a secret.
9. He should satisfy his wife’s conjugal rights.

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10. He should teach her the necessities of life and religion.

11. He should ensure that Islamic obligations are observed in the house.

Duties of a wife towards her husband: The rights of a Muslim husband

The following are the duties of a Muslim wife towards her husband:
 She should not observe any Sunnah fast when the husband is present except with his permission.
 She should not allow anybody in the house without his permission.
 She is answerable to her husband in ensuring that duties of worship are observed by all family members in the house.
 She should fulfill the conjugal rights of the husband.
 She should not leave the house for visiting friends and relatives without her husband’s permission.
 She should keep herself neat and clean to guard her husband from external temptations.
 She should not take advantage of her sexual obligation to manipulate her husband.
 She should look after her husband’s properties.
 She should obey, respect and serve him at all times.
 She should not receive gifts or favors from other men without the consent of the husband.

Rights of extended family members

The following are some of the rights of extended family members:
1. They should be assisted when they are in need.
2. Muslims should be kind and treat them with gentleness.
3. We should protect them from external attacks.
4. We should show them love and affection and talk to them nicely.
5. We should freely interact with them so that they can get a sense of belonging.

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CHAPTER SEVEN: HISTORY OF ISLAM

Meaning of the concept of Jahiliya period (Pre-Islamic Arabi)
Pre-Islamic Arabia refers to the period before prophet Muhammed (P.B.U.H) started preaching Islam. This period was characterized
by acts of Jahiliya which means the age in which ignorance and darkness from Allah’s guidance were witnessed in the Arabian
Peninsula before the introduction of Islam.

Religious Conditions
The following religious groups and worship practices prevailed in Arabia during the pre-Islamic era:
 Idolatry (Idol worship): They used to curve idols from wood and stone which they used to worship, offer sacrifices to them and
seek their blessings. There were 360 idols in Makkah alone. The leading idols were Al –Lata, Uzza, Manata and Hubbal.
 Christians: These were the followers of Prophet Issa (A.S) who settled at Najran and followed the teachings of Injeel.
 Magians: These were the people who worshipped fire who originated from Persia.
 Hanifs or Hunafaa: These people worshiped and believed in one God as they embraced the teachings of prophet Ibrahim and
Ismail. Most of them accepted Islam when the prophet started preaching.
 Judaism: These are the Jews who followed the teachings of the Taurat which was revealed to prophet Musa (A.S) They mostly
dwelt in Yathrib and Khaybar.

Social and moral conditions

During pre-Islamic Arabia, the following social conditions were evident:
1. The Arabs engaged in leisure activities such as drinking, intoxication.
2. Gambling was their daily routine. They used to gamble and bet even using their wives.
3. Women were denied their rights such as inheritance from their parents and husbands but instead were inherited as property and
when a man died his son would inherit all his wives except his own mother.
4. The weak people and the orphans denied their rights, they were mistreated. For example, they were beaten without any reason or
denied food and sometimes they lost their inheritance.
5. Fornication and adultery were the order of the day. For example: A visitor may be welcomed and shown respect by given
someone’s wife or daughter to spend a night with, prostitutes used to hang the flags to advertise their business, A winning army
could be offered girls to enjoy with them as well.
6. Women were also forced to marry more than one husband (polyandry).
7. Some women were subjected to rape.
8. Murder and blood avenging were on their rampant rate. There were several civil wars between different clans to avenge for a
murder of one of their clan members.
9. Superstition and believing on bad omen was part and parcel of their lives.
10. Baby girls were buried alive for fear of poverty and humiliation.
11. Women were taken as articles of trade as they could be sold and be exchanged with goods in the market.
12. Arabs organized poetry competitions in open places where poems with vulgar language were recited.
13. The Arabs practiced polygamy without any limits and they would marry and divorce women at will.

Economic conditions
The following are economic conditions that prevailed during Jahiliya period:
a) They practiced Agriculture near the oasis where they used irrigation such as Yathrib, Taif and Southern parts of Arabia.
b) Tourism: Makkah had many historical sites including the Kaaba where people from several parts of the world toured them.
c) Nomadism: Arabs moved in the desert with their animals in search of water and pasture.
d) Barter trade: They used to exchange goods with goods.
e) They were hunters and gatherers. Those were near forests they used to hunt animals and gather the wild fruits.
f) They conducted carving of different items such as stones and wood carving.
g) They practiced blacksmithing as a source of earning a living.
h) They used to take interest over money lending, loans, money banking, money saving, property leasing and renting.
i) The used to practice Ghush in their trade.
j) They used to practice slavery. Human beings were used as commodities of exchange in trade.

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Political Conditions
The following are some of the political conditions that prevailed during pre-Islamic period:
 Existence of decentralized system of government: Arabia did not have a centralized government.
 There was a chieftainship political system where each tribe was led by a tribal chief basing on merits and age.
 The Bedouins who were in the desert led and independent life under tribal leaders.
 In some of the parts, there were Kings who ruled their subjects.

Ways in which Muslim students can help to eradicate aspects of pre-Islamic era in Kenya today
The following are ways in which Muslim students can help to eradicate aspects of pre-Islamic period in Kenya:
1. Create awareness on the need to uphold the teachings of Quran and Sunnah.
2. Seek divine intervention through prayers and supplication.
3. Initiate active campaigns against delinquency and moral decay.
4. Initiate active campaigns against social injustices to advocate for the rights of vulnerable people in the society.
5. Students should seek knowledge with diligence and hard work.
6. They should help each other when in need. For example, provision of basic needs to the needy students.

Birth and childhood life of the prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H)

The following is a brief history of childhood life of prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h):
 Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) was born on 12 th of Rabiul-Awwal in Makkah in the year of elephant. He belonged to the Banu
Hashim clan of the Quraish tribe.
 The prophet’s father is Abdullah Ibn Abdul Mutalib. He died a few days before the prophet’s birth in Madinah while he was
coming from a business journey in Syria.
 His mother is Amina binti Wahab of the Banu Zuhras clan of Madina. She died on the return journey from Madina where they
had gone to visit the grave of the prophet’s father at a place called ‘Abwa’ when he was six years old.
 He was entrusted to a Bedouin woman called Halima Bint Dhuib of Bani-Sa'd, for his upbringing. It was the practice of the Arabs
to send their children to the countryside so that they would grow up strong, healthy and learn the refined language of the Bedouin.
He lived with the Banu Sa’d clan for four years before his mother took him back under her care.
 After the death of his mother, he was raised by his paternal grandfather ‘Abdul Muttalib who died two years later.
 The orphaned Muhammad (P.B.U.H) started to be taken care by his uncle Abu Talib who showed him affection even more than
his own children.
 At the of 12 years, he accompanied his uncle for trade caravan to Syria (Sham). It was during this journey that they met with a
Christian monk by the name Bahira who noticed the seal of prophet hood below the shoulder of Muhammad (P.B.U.H). He
advised his uncle to take great care him and to take him back to Makkah.
 At the age of 25 years, he was employed by Lady Khadija to champion her trade caravan to Syria. He came back with a lot of
profit. Later on, she proposed the prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h). their marriage was solemnized while Khadija was at the age of 40
years.

Muhammad as a young man

The following are some of the qualities and duties that Prophet Mohammed used to do when he was still a teenager:
 As a young man he worked as shepherded by looking after his uncle’s herds.
 He never indulged in bad habits like dancing, drinking alcohol, gambling and other social evils of that time.
 He liked sitting in the circles of the elders and listening to their discussions to gain wisdom.
 Muhammad was popularly known as ‘al-Ameen’ for his unimpeachable character by the Makkans and visitors alike. The title Al-
Ameen means the Honest, the Reliable, and the Trustworthy, and it signified the highest standard of moral and public life.
 He never worshiped idols or any other being saves Allah. He used to worship through the Millatul-ibrahim.
 He was a very professional to trade. He used to join the trade caravans that were planned by his uncle and thus he got experience.
 He fought in protecting the rights of the weak and unfairly oppressed in the society.

The impact of the early life of prophet Mohammed (p.b.u.h) to his mission
The following are impact of the early life of prophet Muhammed to his mission:

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 He lost his parents at early age so that he could have total reliance and love towards Allah.
 He taken to Banu-Sa’d by his foster mother Halim where he learnt refined Arabic and grew up well-mannered and strong.
 At the age of four, he was visited by Angel Jibril and others to remove from him the hard part of his heart. Therefore, he was
made to be kind, mild and polite towards humanity. Hence, he gained supporters.
 As a young man he worked as shepherded by looking after his uncle’s herds. Therefore, he learnt how best he could look after
himself, family and entire Muslim community.
 He never indulged in bad habits like dancing, drinking alcohol, gambling and other social evils of that time. Therefore, he was not
drunk by the jahiliyah and thus he went for meditation.
 He liked sitting in the circles of the elders and listening to their discussions to gain wisdom. This enabled him to have skills of
solving disputes among warring parties.
 Muhammad was popularly known as ‘al-Ameen’ for his unimpeachable character by the Makkans and visitors alike. The title Al-
Ameen means the Honest, the Reliable, and the Trustworthy, and it signified the highest standard of moral and public life.
 He never worshiped idols or any other being saves Allah. He used to worship through the Millatul-ibrahim. This prevented him to
do shirk. He remained pure and clean in faith.
 He was a very professional to trade. He used to join the trade caravans that were planned by his uncle and thus he got experience.
Thus, he was able to earn a living.
 He married lady Khadija and therefore, started his family and made easy to survive his lineage.

Second trip of prophet Muhammed (P.B.U.H) to Syria and his Marriage to lady Khadija binti Khuwaylid
Upon hearing of Muhammad’s good character, Khadija Bint Khuwaylid, a rich merchant widow, asked Muhammad (P.B.U.H) to take
some merchandise for trade to Syria. Mohammed accepted khadija’s request and took the caravan to Syria, being accompanied by the
faithful slave of Khadija-Maisara.
In this trip Khadija realized that Muhammad had brought more profits than she had been getting previously. Lady Khadija sent her
friend Nafisa with a word of marriage to Muhammed who later consulted his uncle Abu Talib on Khadija’s matter.
He accepted the proposal and requested his uncle to discuss the matter with Khadija’s uncle Umar ibn Asad. Then the marriage was
solemnized. At that time, Khadija was twice widowed and forty years old, while he was 25-years old. They got six children: four
daughters and two sons. His first son Qassim died at the age of two. His second son Abdullah died in infancy. The four daughters
were: Zainab, Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthum, and Fatimah (R.A).

Rebuilding of the Kaaba

After the destruction of the Kaaba by floods, the Qureysh decided to renovate it. A dispute of who would have the honor of replacing
the black stone (hajarul-aswad) in its original place in the main corner of the Kaaba occurred. To avoid blood shedding, the Qureysh
leaders agreed that the one who would replace the hajarul aswad would be the first one to manage to enter the Kaaba.
The prophet (p.b.u.h) who was at the age of 35-years old was the one who happened to be the first person to enter the mosque.
They all agreed and say, “we appreciated to find the most trustworthy (al-amin) to be our leader.” The prophet asked them to place
the Blackstone on a piece of cloth, and then instructed that the leaders of each clan should hold its sides and lift it to its place. Then he
took it and placed it to its place by himself. This event made them happy and left them with a great surprise with his most wise
decision.

Muhammed as a prophet (Baath and first revelation)

The prophet Muhammed (p.b.u.h) felt disturbed when he observed his people worshiping objects without souls. Therefore, He used to
go to the cave Hira at Jabal Nur (Mt. Nur) in the outskirts of Makka for meditation. He would stay there for several days before going
home. This practice continued and became part of his program.
One night during the month of Ramadhan, at the age of forty, while in the cave, Jibril (S.A) came in human form and told him, “I am
Jibril, and you are Allah’s messenger …” Then he told the prophet, “Read!” The prophet answered him, “I cannot read,” Jibril
squeezed him hard and repeated the same words three times while the prophet gave the same answer. On the third time the prophet
asked, “What shall I read?” Jibril read him the first five verses of suratul- ‘Alaq. [Q: 96:1-5]

Muhammad repeated the words until they permanently stuck in his memory before the disappearance of Jibril (A.S). These verses
marked the first revelation of the Quran that would continue for the next 23 years of his life.
After the sudden disappearance of Jibril (A.S), he could still re-visualize him and could recall the words. Because of fear and shock,
he could not stay in the cave, so he went back home while still having this vision in his mind.

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At home he related what had happened to Khadija. She had a strong belief that her husband could neither be injured nor harmed by
evils and spirits because of the record of virtues that he practiced. He was quite depressed by the occasion. More often he would see
Jibril in his vision wherever he was, and he would tell Khadija, “dathiruni i.e. cover me up.”
There was a duration in which the revelation paused after the first verses of Surat ul Alaq this period is known as Fatra. After a while
Jibril appeared again, and this time with the first seven verses of Suratul-Mudathir. [Q: 74:1-7]
This was an indicator of a turning point to the life of Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) from an ordinarily viewed Muhammad of the
Banu Hashim clan, to a globally esteemed and divinely distinguished role model and the last prophet in the service of Allah.

The secret preaching and first converts to Islam

After receiving Wahyi, the prophet’s mission was to preach Islam to the entire Ummah. It was his obligation to preach the oneness of
Allah to the Quraish who were unbelievers and practiced polytheism. The prophet started preaching in secret and mostly to his family
members and close friends. He managed to get a few followers who accepted to convert to Islam. Among the very first people to
convert included
1. Khadija Binti Khuwaylid 2. Ali bin Abi-Talib (R.A)
3. Abubakar Assidiq (R.A) 4. Zaid bin Harith (R.A)
5. Uthman Bin Affan (R.A) 6. Sa’ad Bin Abi Waqas (R.A)
7. Zubeir Bin Awwam (R.A) 8. Talha Bin Ubaidullah (R.A)
9. Abdurrahman Bin Auf (R.A) 10. Abu Ubeidah al-jarrah (R.A)

Public Preaching by the prophet Muhammed (P.B.U.H)

After three years of preaching the religion in secrecy nearly forty people had converted to Islam and accepted to follow the Islamic
teachings. Allah (S.W.T) commanded the prophet (P.B.U.H) to preach to the people openly and warn them against polytheism. After
the prophet was commanded to preach openly, he gathered the Makkan people at Mount Safa and addressed them on the Oneness of
Allah (S.W.T). The Prophet thus said, “If I were to tell you that there were some horse men in the valley planning to raid you, will
you believe me?” They said: “Yes, we have only witnessed the truth from you.” He said, “I am a Warner to you before a severe
torment.”
Although the people had known the prophet as a very honest person, they refused to accept him as a prophet. His own uncle called
Abu Lahab cursed the prophet by telling him, “May you Perish this day. Have you called us here for such a thing, that you made us to
gather here?” Allah was angered by Abu Lahab’s remarks on the prophet (P.B.U.H) and He revealed Suratul- Lahab. In this surah,
Allah the Almighty condemned Abu Lahab together with his wife.

Asharatul-Mubashareen Bil-Jannah
The following are the ten who were given glad tidings of paradise:
1. Abubakar Aswidiq (R.A)
2. Umar Ibn al-Khattab (R.A)
3. Uthman Ibn Affan (R.A)
4. Ali Ibn Abi Twalib (R.A)
5. Zubayr Ibn Al-Awwam (R.A)
6. Adurrahman bin Auf (R.A)
7. Abu Ubayd Amir ibn Jarrah (R.A)
8. Said ibn zaid (R.A)
9. Twalha Ibn Ubaidullah (R.A)
10. Sa’ad Ibn Abi-Waqas (R.A)

Meaning of the term persecution

Persecution refers to the subjection of pain to an individual or group of people to discourage them from carrying out their endeavors.

Reasons why the Quraish persecuted the Early Muslim Community

The following are the reasons why the Quraysh persecuted the early Muslim community:
 Because their own relatives have forfeited their ancestral religion and accepted untrue religion of Islam.
 Muslims worship one God which was against their beliefs. They believed in several gods who performed different duties.

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 Islamic teachings were against idol worshiping, thus made them feel that they were abused.
 Makkans were unhappy with the prophet’s (p.b.u.h) preaching. Thus, they wanted to stop him from preaching against them.
 They were unhappy with the Muslims converting the pagans which increased the number of the Muslims threatening the existence
of their pagan religion.
 Muslims being against the moral and social acts of the Makkans. The Makkans felt that their cultural aspects such as gambling,
usury, disregarding women’ rights were violated.
 They felt that Islam has made them equals with other tribes, yet they considered themselves as superior race.
 They wanted to revert the Muslims back to their traditional religion. In addition, they wanted to instill fear to other and stop them
from embracing Islam.
 They were unhappy with the appointment of Muhammed who was poor, unknown and orphan to be the prophet. They considered
that prophethood was to be given to prominent, notable and rich person in Mecca.
 Allah has not yet commanded the Muslims to fight back. Therefore, Muslims could not react against the Qureysh.

Methods of persecution which were done towards the prophet (P.B.U.H)

The following are methods used by the Quraysh to persecute the prophet (p.b.u.h):
 The prophet was pelted with stones and mud as he walked in the streets of Makka.
 Ummu-Jamil Bint Harb, who was Abu Sufiyan’s sister and the wife of Abu Lahab, used to tie bundles of thorns with ropes and
place them on the prophet’s path.
 Ummu-Jamil recited the following words of disrespect;” We have disobeyed the dispraised one, rejected his call and alienated
ourselves from his religion.”
 Uqbah bin Abi Mu’ait put the intestines of the camel on the shoulders of the prophet (p.b.u.h) while he was in Swalat.
 Qureysh of Makkah used to laugh at the prophet (p.b.u.h) wherever he passed by them.
 They called the prophet (p.b.u.h) a mad-man and the most insane person in the world.
 They called the prophet (p.b.u.h) a cursed man because he could bear a boy child who could survive his infant age.
 They twisted the neck of the prophet with a piece of cloth until he was really strangled.
 They called the prophet witchcraft and attributed him as future teller.

Methods of persecution which were done towards the early Muslims

Each of the leaders among the Quraish began persecuting any one in their clan who was following Islam. They used various methods
among them were the following:
 Abu Lahab forced his two sons who had married Ruqayyah and Ummu-Kulthum (daughters of the prophet) to divorce them.
 The Makkan’s used to rebuke the Muslims and abuse them whenever they saw them.
 The Quraish barred the prophet and the Muslims from offering prayers in the public and in the Kaaba.
 Some companions of the prophet like Bilal bin Rabah and Ammar bin Yassir were tied on donkeys and dragged through the
town in the scorching sand.
 In other cases, iron armors were put on the companions who would then be left in the hot sun to fry. This happened to Bilal bin
Rabah.
 Female slaves like An-Nahdiyah and Zanirah were mistreated by their masters and denied food for embracing Islam until
Abubakar paid for their freedom.
 Khabbab bint Al-Arath, who was a slave would be dragged by her hair, and her neck was twisted then she was thrown into the
fire until her back was burnt.
 Muslims were also killed cruelly. Summaiya was bayoneted with a red-hot iron by Abu Jahal until she died.
 Ammar and his parents were forced to repeatedly lie on burning sand as they were severely beaten mercilessly.
 Bilal bin Rabah was severely beaten by his master Umayyah bin Khalaf. He would be dragged through the streets on bear chest.
A heavy stone was placed on his chest to force him to denounce Islam.
 Uthman bin Affan used to be wrapped in a mat of palm leaves then fire would be set under him.
 Mus’ab bin Umair was denied food and water by her mother and when she saw that he was not ready to denounce Islam, she
expelled him from her house.

Reasons why the Quraysh opposed the teachings of the prophet (P.B.U.H)
The following were the reasons why the Quraysh opposed the teachings of the prophet Muhammed (p.b.u.h):
1. They thought that the prophet (p.b.u.h) was after worldly wealth and glory. Therefore, wanted to offer him a great treasure, to

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make him a king or marry him the most beautiful lady in Makkah.
2. The teachings of the prophet (p.b.u.h) were against their traditions and cultures such as ribaa, gambling, adultery and fornication,
slavery, burying of infant girls and consumption of alcohol.
3. The prophet (p.b.u.h) preached about tawheed (oneness of Allah) which was against their belief of idol worshipping. They felt
that their ancestors were abused and insulted.
4. They considered the prophet as a cursed one because he could bear a male child to survive. They all died at their infant stage.
5. They felt that a new religion (Islam) could be revealed to the most prominent and rich people of Makkah instead of prophet
Muhammed (p.b.u.h) who was unknown, poor and orphan.
6. They felt that the Islam was giving rights to women who they considered as the most inferior people and mere property of the
society.
7. Islam talked about the equality and brotherhood of mankind, yet the Quraysh considered themselves as superior race.
8. They considered the prophet (p.b.u.h) as insane. Therefore, his religion was out of insanity.

Reasons why Abu-Jahal opposed Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h)

The following are reasons why Abu-Jahal opposed the teachings of prophet Muhammed (p.b.u.h):
a) He felt that Islam was a religion of the poor and the less fortunate ones in the society.
b) He was ignorant about the truth and he was not ready to learn about it.
c) He considered himself wiser than the prophet (p.b.u.h) since people used to refer to him as “father of wisdom” before the coming
of Islam.
d) He regarded the prophet (p.b.u.h) to be younger than him. He could not imagine following somebody younger than himself.
e) He did not wish to forfeit his ancestors’ religion.

Reasons why the early Muslims persevered hardships during affirmative period of Islam
The following are reasons why early Muslims persevered hardships during affirmative period of Islam:
a) Encouragements from the prophet (p.b.u.h). The prophet himself remained patient to act as an example.
b) Promise of eternal rewards. They were promised to enter paradise and rewarded by Allah handsomely.
c) Strong conviction on the truth of Islam. They had strong and unshakable belief that Islam is the right and true religion.
d) Encouragements among themselves. All the early Muslims persevered the torture to act as example to each other. The weak and
the slaves witnessed even the most prominent undergoing the same.
e) Out of their faith bravery was instilled and cowardice was not in them.
f) Allah’s help and constant revelation of Quran that encouraged them. Since it mentioned pain, sorrow and self-sacrifice.
g) They believed that Allah would make them victorious over the infidels and the torture will get finish.
h) Their sense of responsibility and commitment was extremely high. They were committed to their religious duties.

Results of persecution during affirmative period of Islam

The following are the results of persecution during affirmative period of Islam:
1. Muslims found life in Makkah to be difficult or too hard.
2. The treatment they received from the enemy became unbearable.
3. They had to look for a peaceful place where they could worship freely and avoid persecution.
4. The prophet advised Muslims to migrate to Abyssinia which was ruled by a Christian king called Negus. Negus was known for
his tolerance and justice.

Problem faced by Muslims in Makkah

The following are problems faced by Muslims in Makkah:
1. Muslims were minority in Mecca. Majority were infidels and polytheists.
2. They were oppressed and persecuted because of their faith by the infidels of Makkah.
3. They lived a life of insecurity, fear and discormfort to an extent of worshipping Allah secretely at Arqama’s house.
4. They were deprived all power and privilege. They were humiliated publically.
5. They suffered social boycott such as the boycott of Banu-Hashim.
6. They were not allowed to say prayers or practice their religion freely.

Description of the event of hijra to Abyssinia (Ethiopia)

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Islam was getting many converts day by day despite the torture they got from the Quraish. When the persecutions became unbearable,
the prophet (p.b.u.h) advised them to migrate to Abyssinia. It was a Christian King called Ashama ibn Abjar Al-Negus who was
known for his tolerance and knowledge about religious issues, justice and was very hospitable.
14 men and 1 woman sneaked through the rough desert and fled to Abyssinia. The prophet (p.b.u.h) was left behind to propagate
Islam. The Makkans were infuriated by the news of the Muslim’s migration to Abyssinia. They sent delegations to the court of King
Negus to ask him to hand the Muslims back to them.
King Negus was a good listener, wise and just. He listened to both parties and disapproved the Quraish allegations against the
Muslims and gave the Muslims freedom of staying in Abyssinia for as long as they would not interfere with the peace.

How did Jaafar convince the King Najash to give the Muslims asylum
As the leader of the Muslims who migrated to Abyssinia, Jaafar bin Abi Talib convinced the king to give them asylum by saying:
“We lived in ignorance and barbarism. We worshipped idols and lived unchastely. We ate bodies of dead animals. We spoke lies and
committed abominations. We disregarded all human feelings. But Allah raised up among us a man who is truthful, honest, well-
nurtured, and well-known to us. He called us to tawheed. He instructed us to offer prayers and give charity. He encouraged us to be
merciful and regard the rights of neighbors, orphans and rights of everyone. For this reason, our people have raised against us. They
have persecuted us to make us leave the true religion.” Thereafter, the Muslims were allowed to stay in Abyssinia.

Reasons why Muslims migrated to Abyssinia instead of other Arab states

The prophet (p.b.u.h) chose Abyssinia for Muslims to migrate instead of other Arab States because of the following reasons:
a) Islam and Christianity are true religions of Allah. Therefore, the Abyssinians would have religious background and manners
readily to accept the Muslims.
b) The two religions, Islam and Christianity have identical teachings such as prophethood, they can co-exist with each other.
c) It is easier for Muslims to be at peace in Christian environment than in country where the idol worship dominates.
d) King Negus was known for tolerance, justice and it was expected that the Muslim will be in safe hands in this country.

Results of the Muslims migration to Abyssinia

The migration was a sigh of relief for the Muslims and the following were the results:
1. Muslims lived peacefully in Abyssinia for many years.
2. There was intermarriage between the local Abyssinians and the Muslims.
3. Many Abyssinians converted to Islam at that time. Therefore, Islam got known outside Arabia.
4. Muslims started to Trade with the people of Abyssinia and thus trade flourished in Abyssinia.
5. Muslims were welcomed and hence were able to practice their faith freely and peacefully.
6. The disappointed Quraish decided to look to intensify their persecutions against the prophet (p.b.u.h) and the Muslims who had
been left in Makkah.

Lessons that Muslims can learn from the migration of Abyssinia

The following are lessons that Muslims can learn from the migration of Muslims to Abyssinia:
a) The great concern of our prophet Muhammed (p.b.u.h) on the well-being of his people. The prophet (p.b.u.h) was not ready to see
the swahabas continue to suffer everyday therefore, he directed them to go to that country.
b) Sacrificing for the sake of religion: The effects of the true faith of earlier Muslims who accepted to leave their wealth and
belongings behind for the sake of safety of their faith.
c) Showing total obedience to prophet’s (p.b.u.h) orders: The swahabas did not hesitate to follow the directives of the Prophet.
d) Having total reliance on Allah’s protection. The swahabas did not fear going across the sea and to a place they hardly Knew.
e) The Muslims should be confident and speak the truth. Jafar ibn Abdul-Mutalib did speak the truth to the king Negus. He did not
fear to say that Jesus was a prophet like any other one, yet he knew he was speaking to a Christian king who believe that Jesus is
the son of God.
f) Muslims should strive to propagate Islam at any cost. Even though Muslims were a few in Abyssinia, but they propagated Islam
and a good number of Abyssinians embraced Islam.
g) Islam allows to pray for a deceased person in his or her absentia. The prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) prayed swalatul-mait for King
Ashama ibn Abjar was he died in his absentia.

Description of the Boycott of Banu-Hashim (617-620 C.E)

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The pagans were not happy to see the Banu Hashim protecting the Prophet (p.b.u.h). In their struggle to get rid of the prophet they
met at a place called Wa’dil-Muhassab, an oath was taken and an agreement written by Bagheed bin Amir bin Hashim was signed.
The agreement was attached at the Kaaba. It contained the following rules:
 The other Arab tribes should not conduct any business dealings with Banu-Hashim.
 No inter-marriage was to take place between them and any other tribe.
 There should be neither social relations nor interactions like visiting them.
 There should be no communication whatsoever.
 The Banu-Hashim should not enter the Kaaba.
 Food and water supply were not allowed to reach them.
Banu-Hashim and the sympathizers of the prophet (p.b.u.h) were confined in a mountainous valley known as Shi’b Abu Talib which
was hostile for human habitation. This lasted for a period of 3 years. As time went by, the Makkans developed mixed feelings and
some started sympathizing with their expelled kinsmen. A special group was formed to campaign for abolishing the agreement. Abu
Jahal was consulted several times, but he refused. The prophet cursed him and his hand got paralyzed.
After a hot argument, it was discovered that the whole piece of paper on which the agreement had been written had been eaten by ants
as predicted earlier by the prophet Mohammed (p.b.u.h).
The boycott was therefore, lifted and the Muslims were allowed to come back to Makkah.

Circumstances that led to the Boycott of the Banu-Hashim

The following are the circumstances that caused for the boycott of Banu-Hashim:
1. Failure of the Makkans to convince the newly converted Muslims to go back to their old religion.
2. Failure by the Makkans to bring back the Muslims from Abyssinia.
3. Islam was against the Makkans religion (idol worshipping).
4. Makkans were alarmed by the increasing number of Muslims.
5. The Makkans failure to stop the prophet (p.b.u.h) from preaching Islam.
6. Failure of the Makkans to persuade Abu Twalib, who had persistently promised to protect the prophet (p.b.u.h), to stop his
nephew from preaching Islam.
7. The Makkans were alarmed by the conversion of Hamza and Umar bin Khattab to Islam.
8. Islam was rapidly spreading beyond Makkah such as Abyssinia.

Effects of Boycott of the Banu-Hashim

The following were some of the effects of the Boycott of Banu-Hashim:
1. It resulted in the death of Khadija and Abu Twalib who were the strong pillars of the prophet (p.b.u.h).
2. Spread of Islam came to a stoppage for some time in Makkah due to lack of communication and interaction between the Muslims
and other members of the community.
3. The Muslims suffered economic hardships. They had no one to exchange commodities and transact business with.
4. It inflicted mental torture to the prophet (p.b.u.h) and the Muslims were psychologically affected.
5. The Muslims became weak due to hunger and starvation.
6. Others became seriously sick while others died.
7. The attention of the prophet (p.b.u.h) was diverted from preaching to attending to the welfare of the Muslims.
8. It restricted the prophet’s (p.b.u.h) audience to outsiders since they would not move outside the cave.
9. It strengthened the prophet’s (p.b.u.h) determination to continue with his mission.

The Year of Sorrow (A’m-ul Huzn)

This is the year when prophet (p.b.u.h) lost two pillars of his support; that is, his dearest wife Khadija who gave him financial and
moral support, and his uncle Abu Twalib who always protected him from the malice of the Quraish.

The role of lady Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (R.A.A) in the prophet Muhammed’s mission
The following are role played by lady Khadija (R.A.A) in the development of prophet’s mission:
a) She embraced Islam as the first among the entire Muslim society.
b) She created employment for the prophet (p.b.u.h) in her business.
c) She assisted the prophet (p.b.u.h) in his basic needs.

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d) She invited people to Islam especially her intimate friends.

e) She financed Islamic mission (dawah) whenever necessary.
f) She consoled and encouraged the prophet (p.b.u.h) whenever he was faced with difficulties in revelation.
g) She defended the prophet (p.b.u.h) from the enemies because of her position in the society.
h) She gave prophet (p.b.u.h) love and comfort that a husband could expect from his wife.
i) She is the mother of the six children of prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h).

Assistance of Abu Talib to the prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h)

The following are ways through which Abu-Talib assisted the prophet Muhammed (p.b.u.h):
a) He protected prophet Muhammed (p.b.u.h) since childhood and stood by him all these years.
b) He provided prophet Muhammed (p.b.u.h) with basic needs.
c) He suffered not only in trade but also bore threats and injustices at the hand of the pagans because of the prophets (p.b.u.h).
d) He defended prophet (p.b.u.h) against the Quraysh and even sworn in to continue protecting him until his last breath.
e) He persistently refused to remove his protection from the prophet (p.b.u.h) despite several threats from the Quraysh.
f) He sided with the prophet (p.b.u.h) and persevered hardships during the boycott of Banu Hashim.

Prophet Muhammad’s (p.b.u.h) trip to Taif

The prophet (p.b.u.h) decided to go to some other places where he might get attention of his audient to listen to his message. He went
to Taif accompanied by Zeid bin Harith. The people of Taif proved to be more hostile than those of Makkah. They sent street boys to
him pelting him with stones and driving him outside Taif.
He was badly mistreated, mocked and injured. But he did not curse the people of Taif. However, he prayed for them to be guided by
the Almighty Allah, hoping that their upcoming generations would believe in Islam.

Meaning of the term Israai and Mi’raaj (620 C.E)

The term israai literally means a night journey. Technically, it is the famous miraculous night journey embarked by the prophet
(p.b.u.h) escorted by Angel Jibril (A.S) from Makkah to Jerusalem in Masjidul-Maqdis. On the other hand, Miiraaj literally means a
ladder and technically, is the Ascension of the Prophet (p.b.u.h) from Jerusalem (Baitul-Maqdis) through the space to the seventh
heaven.

Reasons for Israai wal Mi’raaj

The following are the causes that led to the episode of Israai-wal-Miiraaj:
 Allah wanted to console the Prophet (p.b.u.h) from the hardships he had been experiencing from the Quraish in terms of
persecutions, for instance: Mistreatment of the prophet by the non-believers, the boycott of Banu-Hashim, Death of some
Muslims in persecution, Death of his uncle Abu-Talib and his wife Khadija.
 Allah (S.W.T) wanted to give the prophet (p.b.u.h) an opportunity to experience His great power and Might so as to fill his heart
with full confidence, belief, faith and reliance on Him.
 To prepare the prophet (p.b.u.h) for the great mission that was ahead of him such as migration (Hijra) and the everlasting
confrontation with polytheism (Kufr).
 To give the believers hope and courage to look forward to better days ahead from their noble religion of Islam.

Some events which took place during the night of israi-wal-miiraaj

The following are events which took place during the night of Israi-wal-Miraaj:
 The five daily prayers were commanded and given to the prophet (p.b.u.h).
 The prophet (p.b.u.h) led a congregational prayer of all the prophets in masjidul-aqswa in Jerusalem.
 The prophet (p.b.u.h) was taken from Makkah to Jerusalem (israai).
 The prophet’s (p.b.u.h) ascension to the seventh heavens (miiraj).
 The prophet (p.b.u.h) was shown different types of punishments that are rewarded to various sinners.

Circumstances that led to the episode of Isra-wal- Miraj

The following are circumstances that led to the episode of Isra-wal-Miraaj:

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1. The prophet (p.b.u.h) needed comfort after the death of his wife Khadija bint Khuwaylid and his uncle Abu-Talib.
2. To relieve the prophet Muhammed (p.b.u.h) from the sufferings and torture done to him by the Quraysh.
3. Allah wanted to grant the prophet Muhammed (p.b.u.h) the five daily prayers.
4. The prophet Muhammed (p.b.u.h) was to be shown the signs and powers of Allah.
5. Allah wanted to show love to His beloved prophet Muhammed (p.b.u.h).
6. Mistreatment of the prophet Muhammed (p.b.u.h) by the people of Taif who stoned him and chased him away.
7. The boycott of Banu-Hashim which had adverse effects on the spread of Islam.
8. Allah wanted to show prophet (p.b.u.h) the kinds of punishments and rewards given to different evils and virtues respectively
9. Persecution of the entire Muslim society and death of some Muslims from such brutal persecution such as Sumayyah.

Significance of Israai wal Mi’raaj

The following are importance of Israa-wal-Miraaj:
 It signified that prophet (p.b.u.h) was the leader of the two Qiblas, that is, Baitul-Maqdis and Masjidul-Haraam in Makkah.
 It showed that prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) was a true successor of the messengers before him.
 Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) was declared as the leader (Imam for the generations to come).
 It pre-ordained that Islamic religion was to stay up to the end of time (Yaum-ul-mahshar).
 It clearly indicated the finality of prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h)
 It distinguished between the true believers and false ones. Some Muslims denounced Islam after the episode of Israai & Miiraaj
when Abu Jahal doubted about the journey, the prophet (p.b.u.h) confronted them in the morning with facts about his whole
journey.
 It clearly strengthened the faith of Abu Bakr who was the first to believe in the prophet (p.b.u.h) when he came back. Because of
this unhesitant and unquestioning behavior, he earned the title Assidiq “the testifier”.
 It signified the position and the status of Majid Aqswaa to Muslims and as the gateway to Majid-Haraam.
 It showed the prominence of Swalat and its position in a Muslims life. It was in the journey of Miiraaj that the prophet (p.b.u.h)
was given the five daily prayers.
 The journey highlighted the penalties for certain social evils in the society such as backbiting, fornication (Zinaa), denying
orphans their wealth, those who desist from paying Zakat, among other evils.
 The journey underscored the importance of Masjid Aqswaa as a holy or sacred trust to all Muslims and it is their religious
obligation to guard it from any form of destruction.
 It signified how Allah honored the prophet (p.b.u.h) by bestowing upon him such a miraculous journey.

The first covenant of Al-Aqaba (621 C.E)

Yathrib was inhabited by the Arab tribes of Aws and Khazraj as well as certain Jewish tribes. The two tribes of Aws and Khazraj used
to visit Makkah during the pilgrimage season and to attend to business affairs. The prophet (p.b.u.h) used to preach to every group
that came for pilgrimage or for business in his quest to present Islam to them. It was during these visits that he met with six people
from the tribe of Khazraj who accepted Islam.
The prophet (p.b.u.h) then asked them if they would support him in propagating Islam in Yathrib. Due to the clashes between Aws
and Khazraj, this group agreed with the prophet (p.b.u.h) on people who would go and preach the message of Islam and peace to the
other tribes in Yathrib. They requested the prophet (p.b.u.h) to postpone this request till the following year.
At the end of the year, they returned to Makkah with a group of ten Khazrajites and two Aws. They agreed to meet the prophet
(p.b.u.h) at the valley of Aqaba which is in Mina. The Yathribites then came into an agreement with the prophet, known as the first
covenant of Al-Aqaba.

Terms of the First Covenant of Al-Aqaba (621C.E)

The following are the major terms of the first covenant of Al-Aqaba:
i. They should adhere and worship the absolute One God, Allah.
ii. They should abstain from evils, such as stealing, killing and adultery.
iii. They should not bring any false changes, alter, slander but should fight falsehood.
iv. They should obey the laws of Allah (SWT) and His prophet (p.b.u.h).

After their discussion, the prophet sent Musab bin Umair and Abdullah bin Umm Makhtum with them, to teach the Yathribites more

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about Islam. When these people returned to Yathrib, they propagated Islam to such an extent that Islam was the only topic in every
home.
At the next pilgrimage, Musab returned from Yathrib with a party of 72 people. They met with the prophet (p.b.u.h) and his uncle
Abbas at Aqabah and made the second covenant of Al-Aqabah. That is: They offered protection upon the prophet and invited him
to migrate to their city.

Importance of the two covenants of Al-Aqabah

The following are some of the significance of the two covenants of Al-qabah:
a) They opened the road to Islamic success.
b) They gave the Muslims a city of their own.
c) They made it possible for Muslims to escape the persecutions by the infidels of Makkah.
d) They enabled the Muslims to have a peaceful place where they were able to worship without fear.
e) They offered a grand opportunity of protection for the prophet (p.b.u.h) and gave him a stable and secured shelter.
f) Islamic culture got spread to other parts of the world outside the Arabian Peninsula.
g) The covenant paved a way for the consolidation of Aws and Khazraj to the unbreakable solid Islamic brotherhood.
h) The two pledges have been responsible for ending of the Makkan religion.

Circumstances that led to the migration of Muslims to Yathrib

The following are circumstances that led to the migration of Muslims to Yathrib:
 The persecutions by the Makkans reached an unbearable state. Therefore, Muslims had to flee and look for a secure place.
 The prophet (p.b.u.h) was looking after an area where Islam could get a good reception. Madinah was the correct choice.
 The failure in Makkah and Taif to accept Islam made Muslims to perform Hijra to Madinah.
 The long enmity between Yathribites agitated for the looking for a peacemaker and they considered the prophet to do so.
 Allah commanded the prophet (p.b.u.h) and the Muslims to migrate to Madinah. Therefore, they had to be obedient to Allah.
 The two covenants of Al-Aqaba which assured security to the prophet (p.b.u.h) and Muslims paved the way for migration.

Description of the prophet Mohammed’s (p.b.u.h) migration from Makkah to Madinah

The Quraish sensed more danger when they realized that over one hundred Muslim families had already settled in Madinah. They
were afraid that the Muslims would join forces with the two tribes Aws and Khazraj in Madinah and become enormously powerful.
Therefore, they called for a meeting at Darun-Nadwa to discuss measures that would be taken against the prophet (p.b.u.h). In the
meeting, the following three suggestions were put forward:
i. The prophet (p.b.u.h) should be tied in chains and imprisoned behind strong bars.
ii. The prophet (p.b.u.h) to be banished from Makkah.
iii. The prophet (p.b.u.h) to be eliminated by way of murdering him.
After a long discussion, they all agreed on Abu Jahal’s advice that the prophet should be killed. In order that no single person or clan
could be blamed, they chose one man from each of the twelve tribes to participate in the murder.
However, Allah had already informed the prophet (p.b.u.h) about the evil plan of the pagans and through Angel Jibril, He instructed
him to migrate to Madinah the same night they had plotted to kill him. Therefore, he asked Abubakar to prepare for their departure.
Meanwhile, the prophet’s house had already been surrounded by several youths from the various tribes of the Quraish. The prophet
asked Ali (R.A) to stay behind and lay on the prophet’s bed and in the morning return all the valuables that had been kept under the
custody of the prophet to their owners.
The prophet (p.b.u.h) then emerged from his house and flung a handful of sand in the direction of the pagans while reciting the
opening verses of Surat Yasin. This resulted in them falling asleep. They did not see the prophet leaving for Abubakar’s house.
They then emerged from the backdoor of Abubakar’s house and headed towards the cave Thaur. They entered and hid in the cave.
The prophet immediately fell asleep because of the long journey they had gone through. He was woken up by the tears of the
Abubakar who was feeling pain because he had been stung by a poisonous insect (snake). The prophet then immediately used his
saliva to apply on Abubakar’s foot and the pain stopped immediately.
Quraish leaders were terribly upset upon learning that the prophet had escaped and left Ali on his bed. They dispatched search parties
all around Makkah and promised a hundred-camel reward for whoever would capture the prophet (p.b.u.h) dead or alive.
They even employed a Bedouin fortune teller who had the skills of tracing footsteps. He trailed the Prophet and Abubakar until he
reached the entrance of the cave of Thaur. Abubakar was afraid that they might be caught but the prophet (p.b.u.h) comforted him by

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reminding him that Allah was with them.

Allah hid them from being seen by the pagans when he inspired a spider to weave a web across the entrance of the cave. Furthermore,
a pigeon laid an egg at the entrance by the will of Allah and then a nearby tree bent its branches until they covered the entrance into
the cave.
Finally, the group carrying out the search with the advice of Umayyah bin Khalaf left the place without entering the cave after
arguing that there were no signs of anyone having gone into the cave. This miracle of the cave teaches us that:
 Islam is the true religion chosen by Allah (S.W.T)
 Muslims should always relay on Allah (S.W.T) for their protection.
 All creations obey the command of Allah (S.W.T).
 Allah is always with those who are righteous.
They remained hidden in the cave for three days. During this period Abdullah ibn Abubakar used to update them at night with the
news of Makkah while Asma bint Abubakar brought them food.
By the end of the three days, the Makkan troupes had already given up their search. On the fourth day, the freed slave of Abubakar
(Abdullah bin Ariqeet) brought them the two camels that had been bought by Abubakar. He guided them through a secret route to
Madinah.
Along their way they met with Suraqa ibn Malik who tried to stop them, but he failed after several attempts. The legs of his camel
sunk into the ground. He apologized to the prophet (p.b.u.h) and he was set free. He let them go. The prophet and his friend Abubakar
arrived at Qubaa safe and sound.
The Muslims were eagerly awaiting the prophet’s arrival. Therefore, he was received warmly at Qubaa. The prophet (p.b.u.h) was
then hosted by Banu-Aws. He remained at Quba for a few days in which the Muslims constructed the first mosque called ‘ Masjidu-
Taqwa.’ The prophet participated with other Muslims until the mosque was completed. Ali (RA) joined them while they had camped
at Qubaa.
The prophet and the Muslims set out for Madina on a Friday of Rabiul Awwal 622 C.E. The Muslims woke up early awaiting the
arrival of the prophet (p.b.u.h). As he entered the city his camel was surrounded by excited Ansaar as they called out Takbeer in joy
and happiness.
Each of the families tried to tag at the camel’s reins so that it would stop at their homes. The prophet (p.b.u.h) thus said, ‘ Leave the
camel as it is, for it is guided by Allah.” Finally, the camel sat down in the home of Abu Ayub Khalid Al-Ansaari in an area inhabited
by Banu An-Najjar. He stayed in this home until a house was built for him. The people of Yathrib agreed to change their city name to
Madinatun-Nabi (the city of the prophet) or Madinatul-Munawwara (The city of light).

The miraculous events that took place during the Hijra of Prophet Muhammed (p.b.u.h)
The following are miraculous events that took place during the Hijra of prophet (p.b.u.h) from Makkah to Madinah:
 People who surrounded prophet`s house fall into a deep sleep when prophet (p.b.u.h) passed them.
 The episode of Suraqa ibn Malik who wanted to capture the prophet (p.b.u.h) but his camel’s legs sunk.
 The snake’s bite of Abubakar Assidiq and its Healing by the saliva of the prophet (p.b.u.h).
 The miraculous milk production of the weak goat of Ummu-Maabad.
 The landing of the Camel at Abu-Ayub Khalid Al-Ansar’ house as a guidance from Allah.
 The weaving of a web by the spider at the entrance of Jabal-Thaur.
 The laying of eggs by the pigeon at the entrance of Jabalu-Thaur.
 The bending of tree to cover the entrance of the Jabalu-Thaur.

The measures undertaken by the prophet (p.b.u.h) in preparation for Hijra to Madinah
The following are some of the things that the prophet put them on consideration while preparing for migration to Madinah:
1. He instructed the swahabas to sneak out secretly under the cover of darkness to Madinah.
2. He instructed the swahabas to leave in small groups so as not to be noticed.
3. Instructed Ali ibn Abi-Talib to sleep in his bed so as to confuse the Quraysh and surrender back the peoples’ treasures.
4. He hired Abdullah bin Ariyqat who was well versed with the desert to guide them to Madinah through a secrete way.
5. He prepared Asmaa the daughter of Abubakar to be bringing them food while in the cave.
6. He sent a spy Abdallah bin Abubakar to bring him news of the Quraysh while in the cave.
7. He made plans to hide in a Cave Thaur for three days so as to trick the Quraysh which worked well for him.
8. He planned well on the route to take, distance to be covered by a day before embarked on his journey.
9. Amir ibn Fuheira was to use his cattle to move through the path which the prophet (p.b.u.h) would pass so that their footprints are

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put off and Quraish would not notice them.

10. He signed the two covenants of Al-Aqaba with the yathribites who pledged to offer him a shelter and protect him against the
Quraysh.

Differences between Abyssinia Migration and Madinah Migration

The following are differences between the Hijra to Abyssinia and the Hijra to Madinah:
a) Hijra to Abyssinia was made to a just King Al-Najash who happened to be a non-Muslim while that to Madinah was to join the
other Muslim brothers, Ansar.
b) The prophet (p.b.u.h) joined the Muslims in migrating to Madinah while the hijra to Abyssinia the prophet did not accompany
them but rather were led by Jaffar bin Abi-Talib.
c) The number of the Muslims who migrated to Abyssinia was just around 100 while more than 300 families migrated to Madinah.
d) The hijra to Abyssinia was temporary while that to Madinah was a permanent one.
e) Before the migration to Madinah, emissaries were sent by the prophet (p.b.u.h) while none were sent for the migration to
Abyssinia. Musab ibn Umair was sent by the prophet to Madinah in advance.
f) Muslims travelled in small groups and individually during the hijra to Madinah while they had to travel as one group to Abyssinia.
g) The migration to Abyssinia came much earlier than the migration to Madinah. Hijra to Abyssinia was in the year 615 AD while
the hijra to Madinah was in 622 AD.
h) The security of the Muslims in Abyssinia was secured by the intervention of Jaffar bin Abi Talib while the security of the prophet
(p.b.u.h) and Muslims in Madinah was secured by divine intervention e.g the miracles that happened cave Thaur.
i) Muslims had to ask for asylum to stay when migrated to Abyssinia while they had a prior invitation by the Muslim yathribites to
migrate to their city (Madinah).

The tasks performed by the prophet Muhammed (p.b.u.h) as soon as he arrived in Madinatul-Munawwara
Upon arrival in Madinah, the prophet had the following tasks to perform:
i. Construction of a Mosque: Abubakar purchased a piece of land on which the prophet’s camel had rested when they first arrived
in Madinah. It belonged to two orphans who had decided to give it free of charge, but the prophet insisted that they had to be paid.
The construction of the prophet’s mosque began immediately while Muslims taking up various tasks. The prophet (p.b.u.h)
actively took part by carrying bricks. They recited various verses of the Quran and Dua. The mosque was completed by an
additional two rooms to accommodate his family, and a place was also reserved to cater for the homeless.
ii. Rehabilitation of the Muhajirun from Makkah: It was the main test of the prophet in ensuring that Islamic brotherhood was
going to be established. The Ansar had been taking care of the Muhajirun who left most of their belongings in Makkah. The
prophet (p.b.u.h) united both the Ansar and Muhajirun and they were to continue sharing their wealth. This was a very unique and
historical bond and it came to be referred to as ‘Muwakhaat’.
iii. Fostering Unity among the Tribes of Madinah: The prophet (p.b.u.h) had an important task of regulating the lives of all the
citizen of Madinah who included the Jews, Christians, the pagans, the two Arab tribes of Aws and Khazraj and the Ansar and
Muhajirun in order to foster unity and harmony.
iv. Drafting of constitution of Madinah: He chalked out agreements with all the that is concerned about human rights especially for
the Madinan citizens, and the document came to be known as the Constitution of Medina.

Relationship between the Ansar and Muhajirun

The following are ways through which the ansar and muhajirun interacted to each other:
1. The Ansaar and Muhajirun were united by the bond of Islamic brotherhood.
2. The Ansaar showed charity by sharing their wealth with the Muhajirun.
3. The Ansaar adopted Muhajiru into their homes and provided them with basic needs.
4. The Ansar even built houses for Muhajirun.
5. Some Ansar found jobs for muhajirun to do in the plantations.
6. Other Anasr gave the Muhajirun support in starting their own businesses.
7. Each muhajirun was paired with an Ansar.
8. They prayed and propagated Islam as united front.
9. They formed an alliance and unity of purpose against any external force and aggression.
10. Both accepted the prophet (p.b.u.h) as their spiritual and social leader.

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Description of Madinan Constitution

The Madinan constitution was an agreement between the Muslims and the other Arabian tribes in Madinah, the Jews, Christians and
Polytheists to regulate relations and ensure peace and harmony among all of them. It was a written agreement and the first political
agreement between Muslims and non-Muslims whose principles, laws and regulation were based on Quran and Sunnah. It is the first
constitution and the greatest political document ever known in History.

The major terms of the Madinan Constitution

The Madinan constitution had its own terms as follows:
a) A believer shall not kill another believer; neither supports an unbeliever against a believer.
b) Ansar and muhajirun shall form one group to the exclusion of other groups.
c) Wherever there is a rebellion or spread of enmities the hand of every Muslim shall be against it
d) Any matter that is not agreed upon shall be referred to Allah and His prophet (p.b.u.h).
e) The believers are supported by each other and any Jew who follow the believers shall have aid and protection from enemies.
f) The Jews, Christians, and Muslims would have all the right to profess their religions freely without transgressing the limits of
other members of other religion.
g) None shall go to war without the permission of the prophet (p.b.u.h) but lawful revenge is accepted.
h) The Jews, Christians, and Muslims shall have equal rights of citizenship.
i) Jews and Muslims each shall be responsible for their own expenditure. In case of external attack both shall assist each other.
j) The Jews shall contribute to the war cost if they fight alongside the believers.
k) The muhajirun shall unite among themselves, pay blood money among themselves and shall ransom their prisoner.
l) A criminal shall not be given help or refuge by a believer.
m) Medina shall be sacred, inviolable and peaceful place for all that shall join the treaty.

Human Rights Issues in the Madinan Constitution

Human Rights Issues in the Madinan Constitution that are found in the modern charters and worldly current constitutions:
1) Right to life
2) Right to worship
3) Right to citizenship
4) Right to speech and expression
5) Right to association

Reasons why Madinan Constitution was written

The following are the reasons for the Madinan constitution to be drafted:
1. To ensure that Islam was taught and spread freely in a peaceful environment.
2. To outline principles and ensure establishment of peaceful co-existence between Muslims and non-Muslims in Madinah.
3. To safeguard the right of citizenship and summarize all the rights of the citizens of Madinah.
4. To safeguard freedom of worship and professing of religions freely and peacefully.
5. To safeguard the right to life and property to promote peace and harmony in the society.
6. To safeguard freedom of thought, speech and expression, association to improve understanding among people.
7. To reduce and even stop territorial and religious wars or conflicts while fostering unity among people.
8. To reconcile among different groups and tribes living in Madinah.
9. To prepare Muslims to defend their religion in any case of any attack by providing safe haven for Muslims and non-Muslim
10. To recognize and confirm the Prophet (S.A.W) as Supreme Leader of all issues basing on religion, political, social as well as
ethical and organizer of affairs in Madinah.
11. To ensure tolerance to other people’s religious practices and beliefs.
12. To create a model Muslims state where Muslims can freely implement the Islamic sharia.

Importance of the Madinan Constitution

The Madinah Constitution has the following importance:
 It was an attempt to bring reconciliation of all the tribes and prevent the Madinan tribes from frequent tribal wars.
 It outlined the principles for establishment of good relationship between the Muslims and non-Muslims.

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 The prophet’s (p.b.u.h) position as the supreme leader and controller of all affairs of Madinah as a state and arbitrator of any
dispute to bring peace was declared.
 The constitution summarized the rights of all the Madinah citizens such as freedom of speech, thought and worship.
 It ensured protection of life and property and discouraged all types of crimes like murder, stealing among others.
 The Muslims and Islam were protected against the plots and conspiracies of the Jews and the hypocrites (munafiquun).
 It safeguards Islam from the attacks of Makkans by joining all the available forces of Madinah.
 It proved the Prophet (p.b.u.h) as a great leader. He was able to organize Madinah and free it from tyranny, tribalism, selfishness
as well as dictatorship.
 It turned the city of Madinah to be a peaceful area by maintaining peace, tranquility and justice.

The challenges encountered by prophet Muhammed (p.b.u.h) after Hijra to Madinah

The following are challenges encountered by prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) after Hijra to Madinah:
1. A clan of Khazraj headed by Abdullah ibn Ubayy who had been expecting to take over as a king of Yathrib. He therefore
pretended to revert to Islam together with his supporters (Munafiqun). They had not been happy with the prophet’s (p.b.u.h)
advancement and started causing mischief among the believers. They conspired with Makkans to rebel against the prophet.
2. The Jews staying in Madinah opposed the prophet (p.b.u.h) when the verse came directing Muslims to change the Qibla from
Jerusalem to Makkah. They secretly contacted the Makkan Pagans and started to work against the interest of the Muslims. They
also rejected Prophet Mohammad because the messenger they had expected to come was to be from their tribe.
3. There was a shortage of supply of water and food due to over population of the Muslim society.
4. The Quraish started sending troops to kill the prophet (p.b.u.h) and his companions. Therefore, he had to defend Muslims from
frequent external attacks.
5. Quraysh interfered with business activities of the Muslims by looting the towns and destroyed the Arab trade in the region by
paralyzing all business activities.
6. Problem of accommodating and settling of muhajirun in Madinah. There were shortage of shelter, food and other necessities.
7. There was a shortage of worshipping places for Muslims since the number of Muslims increased rapidly in Madinah.
8. The Quraish went ahead to form alliances with other tribes with the aim of dislodging Islam and the Muslims from Madinah.
9. The Quraish leaders spread negative information about the prophet i.e. they said that he was a seeker chased from his motherland
to discourage people from embracing Islam.

Importance of Hijra in the history of Islam/ Reasons why Hijra is considered as a Turning Point in the History of Islam
The following are reasons why Hijra is considered as a turning point (bedrock) in the History of Islam:
1. The prophet (p.b.u.h) received a warm welcome from the people of Yathrib who were eager to learn Islam as compared to the
Makkan Quarish who used to persecute Muslims.
2. There was rapid spread of Islam after Hijra as opposed to earlier on. The Muslims’ population increased rapidly in Madinah.
3. After Hijra, Islam came to triumph over the pagan religions and was soon the religion for the whole of Arabian Peninsula and
even expanded further. It brought an end of the pagan religion in Makkah.
4. Muslims became free from the torture and persecutions by the infidels of Makkah.
5. The first mosque “Masjidul Quba” was constructed and Muslims could pray freely, and the prophet was able to preach freely.
6. The peaceful and conducive atmosphere of Madinah allowed Muslims to trade and expand their commercial transaction, and thus
boosted and stabilized the Muslims’ economy.
7. Due to the prevailing of peace, Muslims were able organize army to fight in defense of their religion and won in most of the
battles because of the strength they built after travelling to Madinah.
8. The year of Hijra 622A.D marked the beginning of the Islamic Lunar Calendar during Umar bin Khattab (R.A) reign.
9. Muslims got a city of their own and changed the name Yathrib to Madinatul-Munawar (Madinatu-Naby)
10. The prophet got ample time to teach the new Muslim community Islamic laws and regulations to guide the affairs of the Muslim
state.

Effects of hijra of Prophet Muhammed (p.b.u.h) on Mecca

The following are effects of the hijra of Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) on Makkah:
 They lost the opportunity to be the centre of revelation. Prophet’s Hijra marked the end of revelation of Makkan surahs.

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 They lost prominent persons like the prophet Muhammed (p.b.u.h), Abubakar, (R.A), Umar (R.A), among others.
 They lost many battles in the hands of the Muslims since almost all the skilful soldiers were in Muslims army such as Hamza
(R.A), Umar (R.A), Ali (R.A).
 The Kaaba was rid of the idols during the conquest of Makkah. The 360 idols in and around the Kaaba were destroyed.
 Makkah became depopulated since most of the Muslims about 300 families migrated to Madinah.
 The economy of Makkah went down due to the control of the route to enter Makkah by the Muslims.
 Makkah was conquered by the Muslims because they surrendered to Muslims.
 Makkah became the centre of worship and pilgrimage for the Muslims after it was conquered.

Contributions of Ansar towards development of Islam

The following are contributions made by Ansar towards the development of Islam
a) They participated together with muhajirun in the propagation and spreading of Islam.
b) They gave their land Yathrib to the prophet (p.b.u.h) and Muslims to stay peaceful.
c) They helped the muhajirun to start their own businesses so as to earn a living.
d) The Ansar participated in fighting in jihad to protect the prophet (p.b.u.h), Muslims and Madinah at large.
e) They warmly welcomed the prophet (p.b.u.h) in their land where he was able to preach Islam freely.
f) Ansar and muhajirun accepted the prophet (p.b.u.h) as their spiritual and political leader.
g) They even changed the name of yathrib to Madinatul-Nabiy, symbolizing the base and city of the prophet (p.b.u.h).
h) Ansar offered muhajirun and prophet (p.b.u.h) with basic needs including shelter, food, water and clothes.

Contributions of Muhajirun towards development of Islam

The following are contributions made by Ansar towards the development of Islam:
1. The muhajirun willingly converted to Islam and accepted the messenger-ship of prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h).
2. They persevered the persecution and suffering from the Quraysh of Makkah and they never waved in their belief.
3. They greatly sacrificed by leaving their belongings, wealth as well as relatives in Makkah and migrated to Madinah with prophet
Mohammed (p.b.u.h) to ensure the continuity of Islam.
4. They contributed all what they had generously to the cause of Islam. For example, Abubakar used all his wealth for the
preparation of Muslims army.
5. The muhajirun went to great lengths to protect Prophet (p.b.u.h) and Islam. They participated in battles in defense of Islam.
6. The muhajirun established a brotherhood with the Ansar and worked together for the cause of Islam.
7. The muhajirun joined hands with the Ansar to propagate Islam as a united front.
8. Muhajirun supported and accepted the Prophet (p.b.u.h) as their spiritual, social, and political leader thus enabling him to carry on
with his mission.
9. They remained steadfast in their faith and supported the prophet (p.b.u.h) amidst many challenges facing them in Madinah.

Causes/ Reasons that made the Quraish to fight in the Battle of Badr (624 C.E)
The following are the reasons that made the Quraysh to fight in the Battle of Badr:
a) The Quraysh were still displeased because the Muslims had escaped from them.
b) They saw Islam as a threat to their religion and status since it challenged their old religion and it was spreading rapidly.
c) Quraysh lost a number of their relatives who migrated to Madinah and therefore, they wanted them back to their field.
d) The Quraysh feared that Muslims would block their caravans to the North, from Syria.
e) Quraysh had a plan to extinct Islam completely since its flourishment made them uncomfortable.
f) Confrontation between the Makkans and the Muslims who had been sent to defend the caravan.
g) The Makkans were jealousy of the conversion of prominent people like Hamza and Umar bin Khattab to Islam.

Reasons that made Muslims to fight in the Battle of Badr (624 C.E)
The following are the reasons that made the Quraysh to fight in the Battle of Badr:
a) To assert their might and instill fear among the Quraysh who had always seen them as weak. Therefore, Muslims wanted to earn
back their respect and be left in peace in Madinah.
b) To compensate for the loss the Muslims that had gone through while they were in Makkah.
c) To cut off the access of the Quraish traders and the main economic route of Quraysh to Syria.

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Description of the Battle of Badr (17th Ramadhan 2A.H/624 C.E)

In the year 624 C.E the prophet (p.b.u.h) was informed of a large caravan belonging to Quraish led by Abu Sufyan that was travelling
from Sham (Syria) with worthy goods and was to pass through Madinah. The prophet thus attacked the caravan in revenge of what
the Quraish had done to them.
The prophet left Abdullah Ibu Ummi-Makhtum and Lubaba Bin Abdumundhir to take care of the Muslim affairs in Madinah. The
Muslim did not manage to intercept the caravan because the news of the Muslims plan had reached Abu Sufyan who managed to use
a different route. He even informed the Quraish through a letter that he had managed to escape using the sea route, but Abu Jahal
insisted on saying that the Arabs should see, hear and understand that we are powerful people.
The Quraish matched out with 1000 people, whereby 750 people were mounting on camels, 100 horses, 600 of the men were wearing
iron amours. Muslim army had only 313 men armed with swords, 76 camels, and two horses. The tribes of Bani Adiy and Ibn Zuhra
after learning that their trade caravans were safe, they did not participate in this battle. The prophet sent Ali Bin Talib, Zubeir Bin
Awwam and Saad Abi Waqqas to the wells of Badr to find out about the Quraish army.
This was a powerful army but the Muslims had to go for war. Habbab Bin Mundhir suggested that they should camp at the water
source to deny the Quraish access. When the Quraish reached Badr, they rushed for water but the Muslims stopped them. The prophet
(p.b.u.h) allowed them access to the water, a move which touched Hakim Bin Hazath who suggested to Utba Rabin to give up the
battle. However, Abu Jahal opposed him.
Traditionally the Arab battles used to start with a combat between a few pairs appointed from the two armies before the main battle;
this is referred to as a duel. In this battle it involved Hamza ibn Abdul-Muttalib, Ali ibn Abi-Twalib and Ubeid ibn Harith from the
Muslim’s side, against Utba bin Rabia, his brother Shayba bin Rabia and Utba’s son Al-Walid from the Quraish. Shayba was defeated
and killed by Hamza; Walid was also killed by Ali. Ubeid and Utba drew. Ubeid died on the way back while Utba died on the sport.
As the Quraish army was advancing, Prophet raised his hands and prayed to Allah (S.W.T) and said, “O Allah! Should this group of
Muslims be defeated today, you will no longer be worshipped.” As a result of this dua, Allah sent angels to assist the Muslims.
The Quraish saw the number of Muslims increasing and they started retreating. The Muslims fought with courage and emerged
victorious in this battle. The Muslims considered their victory as having come from Allah.
By the end of the battle, 70 enemies were killed and 70 others taken as captives. Only 14 Muslims were killed. The relatives of the 70
captives were told to pay ransom or the captives should each teach Ten Muslim children how to read and write to get their freedom.

Effects of the battle of Badr on the prophet’s mission and development of Islam
The following are some of effect of the Battle the Badr on the Prophet mission as well as towards the development of Islam:
 The defeat of non-Muslims by Muslims strengthened the confidence of Muslims in Muhammad as a prophet of Allah.
 The seeing of the Angels fighting for true religion of Islam strengthened the Muslim’s faith in Allah and in Islam.
 Muslims considered the victory over non-Muslims a victory from as a favour from Allah.
 The death of the strong leaders of Qureysh such as Sheyba, Utba and Walid lowered the Qureysh resistance and thus security of
Muslims was assured.
 The victory was a symbol of defeat of falsehood and victory of truth/ victory of truth over falsehood.
 The victory strengthened the prophet’s position as an efficient and able religious and political leader.
 The Prophet gained more followers from those who were on the periphery as the victory was an assurance that Muhammad was
indeed Allah’s prophet. People embraced Islam.
 The victory of Muslims was very essential to the future of Islam. It raised the status of Islam and made it known.
 The victory limited plots and conspiracies against the Muslims from the internal front. People feared the Muslims.
 It gave the oppressed Muslims in Makkah hope and confidence of freedom.
 The victory gave Muslims confidence and courage to engage in future battles.
 Muslims gathered a lot of war spoils and ransoms from the captives and that their financial and economic status of Muslims.
 Muslims got educated by the captives of war and that boosted their literacy. This helped Muslims to preserve Quran and Hadith
by writing.

Importance of the Battle of Badr

The following are the importance of the Battle of Badr:
1. It dealt a big blow to the dignity and honor of the Quraysh who had considered themselves superior for many years.
2. It is considered as a symbol for success of the power of truth over falsehood.
3. The assistance that Muslims got from Allah (S.W.T) strengthened their faith.

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4. The victory of the Muslims gave assured continuity to Islam which would have come to an end had they been defeated.
5. The love of the Muslims for the prophet (p.b.u.h) increased.
6. The victory-built confidence among Muslims and therefore, become more warriors to defend the religion of Allah.
7. The prophet’s (p.b.u.h) position as a spiritual and a state leader was confirmed by the Muslims victory.
8. It strengthened the spirit and moral of the prophet to continue with his mission of preaching Islam.
Reasons for the Muslims victory in the Battle of Badr
The following are reasons for the Muslims victory in the Battle of Badr:
 They had complete faith and confidence in Allah without looking the number of fighters and the quality of preparations.
 Unity of opinion within them through consultation. The prophet (p.b.u.h) would ask for advice from the Muslim army before they
decided on any matter, and he physically involved himself for fighting.
 They showed obedience, love as well as respect to the Prophet (p.b.u.h) as their leader.
 Muslims love for the hereafter gave them courage to keep fighting, since they knew of Allah (SWT) promise for those who fight
for His course.
 The Muslim army was suited in opinion and ideas in fighting the Quraysh, for example the guarding of water access.
 They were courageous, determined and zealous to win over the Quraish.
 Muslims were fighting for a proper reason and proper principle that to ensure that the truth triumphs over falsehood.

Lessons that Muslims can learn from the Battle of Badr

The following are lessons that Muslims can learn from the Battle of Badr:
 Number of soldiers does not mean anything or guarantee victory: in this battle, a Muslim army of only 313 men defeated an
army of 1000 Quraysh army who were well-equipped and heavily armed soldiers.
 Victory is from Allah: After winning the battle, Allah reminded the Muslims that it was only through his will they were able to
achieve victory.
 Never undermine the power of prayers: prior to the battle, the prophet supplicated that if the Muslims would be defeated, then
none could worship Allah.
 The power of Allah is endless: Allah turned the handful sand of prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) into a very strong storm against
the Quraysh army.
 Islam is the right religion/ importance of tawakul: Allah sent down thousands of angels in succession to assist the Muslim
army and ensure their victory in this battle.
 Strength is through unity: Muslims stood firm, steadfast and united and won against the Quraysh who were dispersed in thought
and fought for different reasons.
 Leaders should consult their followers relating to the affairs of Muslims: The prophet (p.b.u.h) consulted his companions
before the battle and decided to guard the wells of Badr to acts as refreshment for them.
Reasons/ Causes of the battle of Uhud (3A.H/625 C.E)
The Quraish advanced towards the Muslims in this battle due to the following reasons:
1. They wanted to revenge against the Muslims after a humiliating defeat at the battle Badr.
2. The Quraysh wanted to re-establish their supremacy among the Arabs which they had lost during the battle of Badr.
3. They wanted to kill the prophet and bring Islam to an end before it was too late.
4. They wanted to guarantee safety of their caravan route to Syria which had been the main cause for the battle of Uhud.

Description of the Events of the battle of Uhud

Abbas, the prophet’s (p.b.u.h) uncle informed him of the Quraysh’s plan to attack the Muslims. The prophet preferred to remain in
Madinah to wait for the Quraysh to attack. After consultation with the majority, a force of 1000 Muslim men set out for the battle.
The Quraysh had gathered 3000 men, well equipped and better trained than their first army. This army was being led by Abu Sufiyan.
They also brought several women to cheer them as they fought.
Just before the battle began, Abdullah bin Ubayy the leaders of the hypocrites pulled out with an army of 300 men and returned to
Madinah pretending that they wanted to protect Madinah from within. As usual, the battle began with single combats who were
involved then the general attack developed.
The prophet (p.b.u.h) placed 50 archers to protect the entrance into the hill with clear instructions not to leave for whichever the
outcome of the battle would be. When the Quraish were being defeated, they started running away leaving their booty behind, the

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Muslims soldiers became greedy of the booty and they left the entrance unguarded and went for the left booty.
Khalid bin Walid, the commander of the Quraysh army saw the unguarded passage and instructed a section of the enemy to make a
surprise attack from behind the hill of Uhud. This sudden attack caused confusion among the Muslims such that they thought the
prophet (p.b.u.h) had died until when he shouted, “I am Mohammed Bin Abdullah. I am the messenger of Allah. I have come with the
truth.” These words gave courage to the companions who started fighting again. Abubakr and Ali ran to the prophet and protected
him from being killed. He was hit on the face by falling rocks and spears and he lost two teeth.
When the Muslims turned the tide of the battle, the Quraysh started fleeing out of fear of defeat. The Muslims suffered a great loss in
this battle. Seventy Muslims lost their lives among them Hamza the uncle of the prophet. His body was mutilated and Hind the wife
of Abu-Sufiyan ate his liver. Only 22 Quraysh were killed.

Effects (results/impacts) of the battle of Uhud

The following are the effects of the battle of Uhud to the development of Islam:
1. It awakened the believers to their responsibility as protectors of their divine mission
2. It explained the status of the prophet as the messenger of Allah and the love and mercy Allah had towards the Muslims.
3. Ubey bin Khalaf, one of the four people who planned to kill the prophet was eventually killed by the prophet himself.
4. The Muslims collected a lot of war spoils (booty).
5. The Makkans regarded it as their first victory over the Muslims.
6. Some of the prominent Muslims lost their lives. That is 70 Muslims were killed, Hamza being one of them.
7. The body of sayyidna Hamza (R.A) was mutilated by Wahshy under the Hindu’s order.
8. The Makkans failed to achieve their main objective of the war, which was capturing and killing the Prophet (p.b.u.h).
9. The prophet (p.b.u.h) was instructed by Allah not to revenge for the death of his uncle Hamza (R.A)
10. It clearly differentiated the hypocrites like, Abdullah Ibn Ubayy from the true Muslims.

Lessons that Muslims learn from the battle of Uhud

The following are the lessons that Muslims can learn from the battle of Uhud:
a) Muslims learnt that Allah does not grant victory without a proper cause. At the second fighting the Muslims lost to the Quraysh
because they were not organized and left the prophet (p.b.u.h) unguarded.
b) Muslims learnt the importance of consultation. The prophet (p.b.u.h) consulted his companions about the place where they could
attack the Quraysh.
c) It teaches leaders to accept the opinion of the majority. The prophet (p.b.u.h) accepted his companions’ idea of matching out with
1000 Muslim soldiers. But initially he wanted to remain and protect Madinah from within.
d) Women can participate in battles if their presence does not cause an alarm. For instance, fourteen women worked as first aiders,
one of them being Ummu Ammarah who fought and was severely injured while protecting the prophet (p.b.u.h).
e) It showed the significance of the Muslims to be obedient and follow their leaders’ commands i.e. the archers left the entrance
unguarded disregarding the prophet’s not to leave the passage.
f) The Muslims learnt that they should not be greedy for wealth. In the battle of Uhud, Muslims were busy collecting war spoils and
forgot to protect themselves, therefore, were suddenly attacked by the Quraysh.
g) They learnt that victory and defeat are in the hands of Allah. Even though the Muslims were outnumbered by the Quraysh, but
they were able to defeat them.
h) They learnt never to underestimate an enemy. In the battle of Uhud, Muslims archers underestimated their enemy when the
i) Muslims learnt to be patient and a verse was revealed telling the prophet to show patience to the martyrs of his uncle Hamza.
j) It taught Muslims to bear hardships in their mission and be ready to defend Islam at any cost. Even though the Munafiqun left the
Muslim army, but they remained focus to win over the Quraysh.

Quranic observation on the battle of Uhud

The following are Quranic observation on the battle of Uhud:
a) Disobedience – The Muslims disobeyed the command of the prophet by departing centres where they were guarding.
b) Greed for wealth – As the battle was coming to an end, some ran for war booty hence led to their defeat.
c) Respect – Muslims lacked respect to the prophet by disobeying he commands.
d) Observe patience in time of diversity- Munafiqun left the Muslim army, but they remained focus to win over the Quraysh.
e) Reliance on Allah- Muslims should trust in Allah most to gain victory and not to be overconfidence.

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f) Appreciate the power of Allah because he is the most powerful and to whom to depend on.

Reasons/ Causes of the battle of Trench/ Khandaq/ Al-Ahzab (5.A.H/627 C.E)

The following are the causes of the battle of Khandaq:
1. The Jews had expected a prophet who would give them dominion and wealth, not one who would equate them to the Arabs.
2. The failure of the Jews to convince the prophet (p.b.u.h) and his followers to follow them to fulfill their own mission.
3. The defeat of the Muslims at Uhud lowered their status and thus every tribe thought that it was easier to fight them.
4. The Muslims wanted to protect their city thus they had to fight from within and thus they dug the trench.

Description of the Battle of Trench

This battle was planned by the Jewish tribes together with the Makkans. The defeat of the Muslims at Uhud had lowered their
prestige with the Arab tribes. Some tribes which previously supported Muslims had started drifting towards the Quaraysh. They even
started attacking the different small Muslim groups.
The Jews, despite the treaty (Madina Constitution) with the Muslims were still very bitter and showed it openly. They had expected a
prophet who would give them dominion and wealth, not one who would equate them to the Arabs. When they learnt that they could
not use the prophet (p.b.u.h) for their own ends, they tried to shake his mission and seduce his followers. They then joined forces with
the Makkans and broke the treaty. The prophet had thus to act and he expelled the two Jewish tribes; Banu-Nadhir and Banu-Qaynuqa
from Madinah.
A grand plan was now hatched to finish the Muslims. The Jews and Makkans incited all the tribes to raise arms against the Muslims
in Madinah. They also joined forces with the Jews of Oasis Khaybar and Banu Quraizah and had gathered an army of 24,000 men, led
by Abu Sufyan.
The Muslims could not be able to fight such a big army in the open field. The prophet therefore gathered the Madinans to discuss the
best strategy of overcoming the enemy. The out-numbered Muslims opted to engage in a defensive battle by digging deep trenches to
act as a barrier along the northern front. This suggestion was introduced by Salman Al-Farsy, a Persian.
Every capable Muslim in Madinah including the prophet himself contributed to the digging of large and deep trench in six days. It
was dug on the northern side only to obstruct any entry into the city. The other parts of Madinah were surrounded by Rocky
Mountains and trees, impenetrable to large armies. Muslims established their headquarters at the hillock of Sala' a position which
would give them an advantage in case the enemy crossed the trench. The final army that would defend the city from the invasion
consisted of 3,000 men, and included all inhabitants of Madinah over the age of 15, except the Banu-Qurayza who had supplied the
Muslims with some instruments for digging the trench.
When the attacking army reached Madinah, they found the 15-inch ditch obstructing. They made several attempts to cross but they
could not and thus they decided to lay a siege for about 27 days. At last continuous failure and increasing difficulties like lack of
food, created distrust among the allies. On the 27 thday of the siege, a terrible cyclone with heavy rains created havoc in the enemy.
They decided to raise the siege and return to their homes.

Results of the battle of Trench

The following are the effects of the battle of Trench:
1. Muslims became victorious over the Quraish in this battle.
2. Islam established itself as the absolute master of Madinah.
3. Muslims were able to take full control of Madinah without interference from the Makkans.
4. It gave more prestige to the prophet (p.b.u.h) and the Muslims making the Arab tribes to have an admiration of Islam.
5. Swafiyyah, the daughter of the Jewish chief (a tribe which had bitterly opposed the Muslims) was married by the prophet (p.b.u.h)
after this battle thus decreasing the differences between the Jews and the Muslims.
6. It showed that leaders should always be role models as the prophet himself involved in the digging of the trench.
7. The power of Munafiqun was finally broken and the Arabs all over the provinces started admiring the Muslims.
8. It marked the end of the major astute by the Qureysh to the Muslims.

Lessons that Muslims can learn from the battle of Trench

The following are lessons that Muslims can learn from the battle of khandaq:
a) The victory comes from Allah regardless of the number and material strengths of the enemies of the Muslims.
b) Reliance on Allah (tawakul) must be preceded by the necessary human efforts or preparation. E.g the digging of the trench prior

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to the approach of the makkan army.

c) There is no harm for a Muslim leader to accept wise counsel from among the rest of the Muslims. For example, the idea of
digging a trench was initiated by Salman Al-Farsy.
d) Leadership demands that the leader must lead from the front. For instance, the prophet (p.b.u.h) took active role in the preparation
for this battle as he was personally involved in the digging of the trench.
e) Muslims affairs require that they be decided through mutual consultations (shura). The decision not to go for an open battle was
arrived at through mutual consultation among the prophet (p.b.u.h) and his companions.
f) Seeking the pleasure of Allah should be a topmost motivating factor or drive in anything a Muslim undertakes. This is illustrated
in the individual combat between Ali bin Abi-Talib and Amr bin Abdul-Wudd.
g) The leader should motivate his followers using different approaches or methods in the process of accomplishing a task. For
example, the prophet (p.b.u.h) allowed his companions to sing songs/poems as a way of energizing them in this battle.
h) Matters reported to a leader must be investigated first before further action can be taken. For instance, when Banu-Khuraiza
betrayed the alliance they had with the prophet (p.b.u.h), he sent two companions to confirm the validity of the report.
i) Taking necessary precaution by a leader to minimize loss or injury. For example, the prophet (p.b.u.h) instructed women and
children to seek protection in fortified castles and houses so as to prevent the enemy force from capturing them.

Description of the Treaty of Hudaibiyah (6th Dhul-Qadah 6A.H/ 628)

The following year after the battle of Khandaq, the prophet (p.b.u.h) together with 1400 Muslims left Madinah for Makkah to
perform Umrah (lesser pilgrimage). Muslims were instructed by the prophet not to carry any weapons except swords since it was
purely a religious journey.
They camped at the valley of Hudaibiyah, a few miles away from Makkah and sent word to Makkans that they had come for Umrah
and not to wage war. The first messenger Kharash bin Umayya was arrested immediately but later released; his camel’s legs were
chopped off. Uthman was sent as a second emissary, but he was locked up in a room full of smoke for three days. Due to this, a battle
almost started between the two but was suspended when Uthman was released unharmed.
At night, the Makkans used to sneak into the Muslims army to spy but they learnt that the Muslims were carrying out their activities
very peacefully. This finally convinced the Quraish leaders that the Muslims had not come for war and they agreed to send
representative led by Suhali Ibn Amir to sign a truce of Hudaibiyyah with the Muslims.
Most of the terms of the truce were friendly to the Quraysh and there was a general dissatisfaction among the Muslims until when
Allah (S.W.T) revealed Qur’an to please them for the signing of the Manifest Victory of Hudaibiyah Treaty.

Major terms of the treaty of Hudaibiyah

In the truce were the following terms which were agreed upon:
1. Peace between Muslims and Makkans was to last for a period of ten years. That is, there should be no hostilities between the
Muslims and Makkans for ten years.
2. The prophet (p.b.u.h) and the Muslims were to return to Madinah that year without performing pilgrimage. But they would be
allowed to proceed to Makkah in the following year.
3. Makkan Muslims who left their people without permission were to be returned to Makkah and never be allowed to stay in
Madinah while Muslims who escaped from Madinah to Makkah would be welcomed and never returned to the Muslims.
4. No arms apart from swords would be carried by the Muslims when they go to Makkah the following year
5. Any Arab tribe was free to befriend itself with the Muslims or pagan Quraysh.
6. None of the terms would be changed for the next ten years.

The importance of the Treaty of Hudaibiyah

The following are the reasons as to why the Treaty of Hudaibiya is considered as a manifest victory to the Muslims:
1. Muslims got a break of rest from the Makkan attacks.
2. Muslims were able to mix freely with any tribe they wanted.
3. There were many Makkans who got a closer view of Islam through the interaction and were able to embrace Islam e.g. Khalid bin
Walid, Suhail bin Amir, Amr bin Al’Aas.
4. This was an indication that the Quraysh had recognized the Muslims as a community.
5. It showed that the prophet (p.b.u.h) was a great leader.
6. The Prophet (p.b.u.h) was able to send teachers to other parts of Arabia, which facilitated the spread of Islam.

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7. The prophet (p.b.u.h) had enough time to concentrate on his divine mission because there was peace and tranquility.
8. It assured safe access of the Muslims to Makkah their holy city the following year.
9. It made the Makkans recognize Islam as an equal power with them, or they were weaker as they withdrew from the war arena

Lessons from the treaty of Hudaibiyah

The truce of Hudaibiya has the following teachings to the Muslims:
1. Allah (S.W.T) is always on the side of those who are sincere. For example, the Quran verses that were revealed at Hudaibiyah
supported the Muslims’ decision.
2. Muslims should always have faith in Allah (S.W.T). during the Hudaibiyah truce, the Muslims place their hopes unto Allah that
He would fulfil His promise doubtlessly.
3. Victory always comes from Allah (S.W.T) especially to those who are pious and determined. Even though the terms of
Hudaibiyah truce looked unfriendly to Muslims, however, it was a manifest victory to Muslims.
4. Muslims should always aspire to spread peace despite intimidation. During the treaty of Hudaibiyah, Muslims were only carrying
swords for self-defence, and they stayed for several day negotiating with Makkans to allow them to perform Umrah.
5. Muslims should always be patient and in all situations. For example, Kharash bin Umayya and Uthman ibn Affan were captured
and tortured by the Quraysh when were sent as emissaries by Muslims. However, Muslims remained patient.
6. Muslims can enter into agreement with non-Muslims for sake of peace. Through the signing of the treaty of Hudaibiyah, Muslims
were able to spread and maintain peace and harmony between them and Quraysh.
7. The prophet (p.b.u.h) was a recognized, wise and an able leader. The treaty was signed between the leader of the Muslims,
prophet (p.b.u.h) and Quraysh.

Description of the Prophet’s Invitation of Foreign Rulers to Islam

With peace having been established in Arabia after signing the treaty of Hudaibiyya, the prophet (p.b.u.h) had to concentrate more on
his divine mission. He started by sending envoys to the following areas:
 Abyssinia: The prophet sent Amr bin Umayyah Ad-Damri to the Negus of Abyssinia by the name Ashamah ibn Abjar. This
delegation was warmly received and treated well. The king embraced Islam secretly since Abyssinia was a Christian country.
When this Negus later died in Rajab 9 A.H, the prophet (p.b.u.h) announced his death and observed the funeral prayer in absentia
for him. He was succeeded by another King to whom the prophet (p.b.u.h) sent a letter. However, it is not confirmed as to
whether he accepted Islam or not.
 Persia: Abdallah Ibn Hudhaifa was sent with a letter to Perevez the emperor of Persia inviting him to Islam. The king was
arrogant and after reading it he got infuriated and mistreated the envoy. He thought that the language in the letter was too harsh
for an emperor and the prophet’s name should not have appeared above his. Therefore, he tore the letter into pieces. He then sent
his men to arrest the prophet (p.b.u.h) and bring him to his palace. When the envoy reported back to the prophet, he prayed for the
Persian Empire to disintegrate. No sooner had the Persia emperor’s envoy reached Madinah than the Prophet (p.b.u.h) received
divine inspiration that Perevez had died. His successor was unable to maintain the unity in the emperor leading to its complete
disintegration.
 Roman Empire: Dihya bin Khalifa Al-Kalbi was sent to king Heraclius of Byzantine. He welcomed him well, read the letter but
did not embrace Islam, however he sent them with many presents to take to the prophet (p.b.u.h). The tribe of Judham intercepted
the convoy at a place called Husma and robed them. When the prophet heard of this, he dispersed an army and inflicted heavy
losses on those people. He then ordered that all the captives and spoils of war be returned.
 Egypt: Hatiib bin Abi Baltaah was sent to the king of Egypt (Muqawqis) called Juraij bin Matta. He read the letter and accepted
the message though he was disappointed that the prophet (p.b.u.h) did not come from Syria as it was expected. However, he sent
presents two maids from noble Coptic families, Maria, and Syrin; clothing, and stead for riding on but he did not accept Islam.
The prophet married Maria who bore him Ibrahim while Syrin was married to Hassan bin Thabit al-Ansari.

Lessons Muslims learn from the prophet’s invitations of foreign rulers to Islam
The following are the lessons that Muslims can learn from the prophet’s invitations of foreign rulers to Islam:
a) Islam is the right religion and it has been meant for all nations in the universe. Thus, the prophet (p.b.u.h) had to send people too
far as Roman, Egypt, Abyssinia, and Persia to propagate Islam.
b) Muslims must honour the invitations of others, as the way the King of Egypt Muqawqis and Abyssinia Al-Najash did to the
message and emissaries of the prophet (p.b.u.h).

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c) It is a duty of every Muslim to spread Islam disregarding of all the difficulties as the way the companions of the Prophet Amr bin
Umayyah Ad-Damri, Abdallah Ibn Hudhaifa, Dihya bin Khalifa al-Kalbi and Hatiib bin Abi Baltaah had to travel miles through
the desert.
d) Islam promotes religious tolerance. The King of Egypt sent the prophet Lady Maria Al-Kibtwiya who married him, and Syrin
who married to Hassan bin Thabit Al-Ansari
e) Muslims should listen to their leaders for they shall succeed but ignoring to their orders can lead to miseries to the society. For
instance, Perevez the emperor of Persia died, and his community disintegrated for they disobeyed the prophet (p.b.u.h).

Description of the battle (fall) of Khaybar (7 A.H)

Khaybar was a strong fold of the two Jewish tribes of Banu-Nadhir and Banu-Qainuqa. It is about 200 miles from Madinah. These
Jews with the help of neighboring Arab tribes were planning to attack Madinah. They had joined forces with the Bedouins of
Ghatafah.
The prophet (p.b.u.h) learned of their plot and gathered 1,400 men including 200 horse men. When the Muslims reached Khaybar and
saw their opponents, the prophet prayed, “O Allah, we wish prosperity and we seek your refuge from evils there from.” The Muslims
stopped at place 150 miles in the valley of Al-Raji to prevent the men of Khaybar from reinforcing the Jews. There were eight
fortresses at Khaybar all garrisoned with armed men. They included the fortresses of Na’im, Ubai, An-Nizar, Az-Zubair, As-Sa’b bin
Mu’ath, Al-Watih, As- Sulalim and Al-Qamus.
A fierce fight took place around these fortresses and in a few days the Muslims had captured all of them. This was after a siege of 20
days. The booty was shared among the victorious Muslims. The Jews were however allowed to retain their lands on condition that
they would pay half of the produce to the Islamic state. The prophet then married Swafiyyah a daughter of a leading Jewish chief to
strengthen the friendship with the Jews.

Effects of the campaign against the Jews of Khaybar

The following are the consequences of the battle of Khaybar:
a) It led to the conquest of Khaybar and its eight fortresses, such as fortresses of Na’im, Ubai, An-Nizar and Al- Qamus.
b) There were about 93 Jewish tribesmen who were killed.
c) There were about 18 Muslims who attained martyrdom.
d) The Jews were however allowed to retain their lands on condition that they would pay half of the produce to the Islamic state.
e) Consolidated the prophet Muhammed’s authority as the leader of Madinah.
f) It led to the prophet’s marriage to Safiyya binti Huyay, the daughter of the chief of Banu-Nadhir.

Description of the fath-makkah (conquest of Makkah 630 A.D)

The terms of the treaty of Hudaibiyah had given freedom of association to both Muslims and the Quraish. The Muslims befriended
the Banu-Khuza’ah while the Quraish allied with the Banu-Bakr. These two tribes had been enemy since the Pre-Islamic time but
now they were to respect the terms of the treaty of Hudaibiyah and stop attacking each other.
Banu-Bakr attacked the tribe of Banu-Khuza’ah at a place called Al-Wateer. The Quraish supported the tribe of Banu-Bakr with men
and arms. They attacked the Banu-Khuza’ah at night who had to take refuge in the Holy sanctuary. This event led to the aggrieved
Banu-Khuza’ah to seek for justice from the Muslims. As a result, the prophet (p.b.u.h) laid down three conditions for the Quraish:
1. To pay blood money (dia) for the victims of Banu-Khuza’ah.
2. To end their friendship with Banu-Bakr.
3. To consider the truce of Hudaibiyah to have been nullified.
Out of the three conditions, the Quraish accepted the cancellation of the treaty of Hudaibiyah. The prophet (p.b.u.h) then gathered
10,000 armed men and headed for Makkah. As they were advancing towards Makkah, more tribes joined them on the way. At Juufa,
Al-Abnas bin Abdul Mutwalib came to join them. The army marched and camped at Marr Al-Zahran.
When Makkans heard of the news, they sent Abu-Sufiyan to spy on the Muslim’s camp. He was however detected by Abbas the uncle
of the prophet and Muslim guards presented him to the prophet. The prophet did not punish him but made him stand on a high ground
to see the spectacle of the Muslim army marching towards Makkah.
The prophet (p.b.u.h) divided his forces into different groups with each having its leader. Abu-Ubaidah Amir bin Jarrah led the
Muhajirun accompanied by the prophet himself. Zubair bin Awwam was on the left moving in a parallel column. The western
entrance of the city was controlled by Saad bin Ubaid while Khalid bin Walid with the Bedouin contingent was to circle the whole
city on the west and enter it from the south.

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The uncle of the prophet Abass, who had embraced Islam, was escorting Abu-Sufiyan. He advised him to embrace Islam which he
did. Abu-Sufiyan had wanted negotiations but the Muslim army refused and entered Makkah. The prophet (p.b.u.h) instructed them
not to shed any blood. In order to realize this goal, and conquer Makkah peacefully, he made the following announcement; “ Those
who shelter in the Kaaba are safe, those who shelter in Abu Sufyan’s house are safe and those who stay indoors in their own houses
are safe.”
Despite the peaceful entry of Muslims into Makkah, a group of Makkans rushed and attacked the Muslim group that was under
Khalid bin Walid. As a result, two Muslims and twelve non-believers were killed.
The prophet then entered the Kaaba and cast down all the 360 idols in and around the Kaaba. A green flag was hoisted on the Kaaba
and Bilal bin Rabah then made the Adhan and the prophet led a thanks-giving prayer (Swalatul-Shukr). The prophet then addressed a
huge gathering at the hill of Swafa and gave a sermon to all the Makkans to swear loyalty to Islam. Men and women came to accept
Islam. Hind, the wife of Abu-Jahal was among the women. The prophet forgave her. He also forgave Ikrimah bin Abu-Jahal who also
accepted Islam. The prophet remained in Makkah for 15 days. After the conquest of Makkah, the prophet organized his troupes to go
and attack the Roman Empire at Tabuk and the Banu-Khawazin and Banu-Thaqif.

Circumstances that led to the conquest of Makkah in 630C.E

The following are circumstance that led to the conquest of Makkah 630C.E.
 Failure to respect the treaty of Hudaibiyah by the Meccans who breached it.
 The alliance of Makkans with Banu-Bakr
 Makkah attacked Banu-Khuzaa who allied themselves with the Muslims.
 The refusal of the Quraysh to accept the commands given by prophet after they attacked Banu-Khuzaa. The Makkans refused to
pay Diya (Blood money) to Banu-Khuzza or breaking their friendship with Banu-Bakr.
 Allah wants to fulfill his promise that Muslims would conquer Mecca.
 Allah wants to make His messenger happy by emerging victorious over his enemies.
 The surrender of the Makkans to the army of Muslims led by the prophet Muhammed.

Significance of the conquest of Makkah

The following are the importance of the conquest of Makkah:
1. It showed the purity of the Kaaba as the house of Allah and a place from polytheism.
2. Victory meant the supremacy of the Great Lord rather than ambition for power. Therefore, the prophet first thanked Allah and
then purified the Kaaba.
3. By the Prophet’s act of forgiveness, he was laying emphasis on the noble Islamic principle of brotherhood and peace.
4. Many Makkans embraced Islam and even women pledged to worship non but Allah and to lead a clean life.
5. It singles out the prophet’s unique character of patience and wisdom.

Results of the conquest of Makkah

The results of the conquest of Makkah are as follows:
 The prophet proved his mercy and his unique character through forgiving all people of his audience.
 All the 360 idols that were in and around the Kaaba were crushed and therefore led to the end of polytheism in Mecca.
 The Adhaan was recited in the Kaaba by Bilal as its first time.
 The Muslims got a chance to perform thanks-giving prayers in the Kaaba.
 The prophet (p.b.u.h) was able to raise an army that could fight Hawazin and Thaqif tribe until they join Islam.
 It led to the restoration of peace and security to all people in Makkah and its visitors.

Lessons that Muslims learn from the conquest of Makkah in 630 A.D
The following are some of the Lessons Muslims learn from the conquest of Makkah:
 Muslims should honor agreements and treaties. As a result of Quraish going the treaty of Hudaibiya, the prophet (p.b.u.h)
invaded them and Allah gave him victory over them.
 Good and proper planning in any task which one does. The Prophet (p.b.u.h) planned in detail for the conquest of Makkah.
 Muslims should exercise forgiveness. The Prophets (p.b.u.h) forgave all those who had wronged him during the conquest of
Makkah, the Prophet (p.b.u.h) did not force anyone to convert to Islam.

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 All Muslims are equal regardless of race or background. Bilal could climb over the Kaaba and say the adhan in the presence of
the notable Quraish.
 Muslims should exercise humility. The prophet (p.b.u.h) humbled himself by thanking Allah through prayers attributed the
victory to Allah.
 Muslims should exercise patience because patience pays. The prophet (p.b.u.h) waited for 21 years to conquer Makkah.
 Virtues of honesty and openness are encouraged in Islam because the Prophet (p.b.u.h) borrowed the keys to the Kaaba from
Uthman Ibn Abi-Talha and returned them after performing prayers in the Kaaba yet he cloud have kept them.
 Muslims should stand firm and defend their faith whenever their rights are violated. More than 10,000 Muslims matched out to
conquer Makkah under the leadership of the prophet (p.b.u.h).
 Victory from Allah is for believers and it can come in different ways. Allah made the so then weak Muslims to triumph over the
so-called superior tribe of Quraysh.
 Spread of Islam should be through peaceful means. Violence was not a way of spreading Islam during the prophet’s time, there
was no bloodshed during the conquest of Makkah.

Description of the Battle of Hunain

The conquest of Makkah triggered mass conversion of Arabs to Islam. Although many Makkans and neighboring tribes embraced
Islam, some only accepted Mohammed as a ruler of Arabia but did not believe in his prophet hood. Among these tribes were
Khawazin, Thaqif, Jusham, Saad bin Bakr and Bani-Hilal.
The prophet (p.b.u.h) was informed that the tribes of Khawazin and Thaqif were preparing to fight the Muslims. The prophet at once
proceeded towards them with an army of 12,000 men including recently converted Muslims and about 2000 non-Muslim of Makkah
who had accompanied them as allies. The enemies were 4000. The Muslims were overconfident because this was the biggest army
they had ever raised.
The battle took place in the field of Hunaian on Saturday 19 th of Shawwal about 19 days after the conquest of Makkah. The enemy
marched at night towards the Muslim army under their leader Malik bin Auf and strategically hid in the valley. The next day in the
morning, the prophet was organizing his forces for the battle not knowing that the enemies’ troupes were hiding in the nearby valley.
The enemy then lounged a surprised attack which disorganized the Muslim who scattered in all directions looking for safety passing
the prophet unaware.
Abass ibn Abdul Mutwilib shouted unto the Muslims. “O Ansar, O Muhajirun O men who pledge their allegiance under the tree,
where are you going? The messenger of Allah is here, come back to him. “The Muslims were gripped with shame over their
cowardly conduct since they had always pledged to die with the prophet. They came back shouting “At your command!” They
lounged a counterattack. Soon the enemy realized they would face complete defeat and they started fleeing leaving behind their
children, women and property.
Even though the Muslims were victorious, several Muslims were wounded and twelve killed. The victory however, brought
supremacy to the Muslims. The enemy ran and took refuge at the city of Thaqif. The Muslims decided to lay a siege on the city.
When the Muslims were helped by aws, they bombarded Taif. Their Orchard were destroyed until the enemy sent an appeal to the
prophet (p.b.u.h) to stop the destruction upon which he temporarily withdrew the Muslim army.
The Muslims then went to share the booty of the Khawazin. Some of the enemies surrendered and embraced Islam. Those converts
requested for the release of their women and children a request which was granted by the prophet. This gesture of mercy pleased them
so much that more and more embraced Islam.
The prophet then sent the Khawazin to go and tell Malik bin Auf that if he converts to Islam, his family would be given back to him
and an additional gift of 100 camels. He happily converted and the prophet (p.b.u.h) fulfilled his promise to him.
In this battle, 70 unbelievers were killed, 6000 men were taken as captives and 24,000 camels were captured. It so happened that
Bani-Sa’ad was among the prisoners. This was the tribe which had suckled the prophet, a woman who claimed to be Shima and had
been a foster sister to the prophet 60 year ago reminded the prophet of the scar (white mark) he had caused her when she was carrying
him on the back. This memory touched the prophet (p.b.u.h) and he freed all the prisoners from Banu-Thaqif and Banu-Sa’ad. Later
on, he released all the other prisoners the prophet then went back to Madinah.

Similarities between the battle of Uhud and that of Hunain

The following are similarities between the battle of Uhud and battle of Hunain:
a) In both battles the Muslims faced a period of defeat by a sudden attack by their opponents, before achieving their victory.
b) In both battles there were rumours that the prophet (p.b.u.h) has been martyred and causing chaos among the Muslims.

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c) Both battles were agitated by the eager to revenge by their enemies. That is, in battle of Uhud the Quraysh wanted to revenge due
to their loss during the battle of Badr, while the Banu-Thaqif wanted to revenge after the Muslims have conquered Makkah.
d) In both battles the Muslims were fleeing from the battle fields but were called back by the uncle of the prophet Abbas ibn Abdul-
Mutwalib.
e) In both battles there were seventy unbelievers who were killed and some of them were captured.

Differences between the battle of Badr and the battle of Hunain

The following are differences between the battle of battle of Badr and battle of Hunain:
a) In the battle of Badr the number of Muslims were few (313) while in the battle of Hunain the Muslim forces were many (12,000
men including recently converted Muslims and about 2000 non-Muslim of Makkah who had accompanied them as allies)
b) The battle of Badr took place in 624 A.D while Hunain took place in 630 A.D.
c) The battle of Badr was between the Muslims and Makkan (Qureysh) while the battle of Hunain was between Muslims and
combination of different tribes such as Banu-Thaqif, Banu Jusham, Saad Bin Bakr and Bani-Hilal.
d) The battle of Badr was brought by Makkah bitterness of the Muslims Migration to Madina while the battle of Hunain was brought
by other tribes which felt uncomfortable with conquest of Makkah by the prophet and Muslims.
e) Battle of Badr was fought at the wells of Badr while the battle of Hunain was at the field of Hunain.
f) In the battle of Badr there were only 14 Muslims who martyred and in the battle of Hunain there were 12 Muslims martyrs.
g) In the battle of Badr there were 1000 enemies against the Muslims while in the battle of Hunain there were 4000 enemies against
Muslims.
h) In the battle of Badr the Muslims had a direct victory from the beginning to the end of the battle while in the battle of Hunain the
Muslims faced an initial and sudden defeat before their actual victory at the end of the battle.
i) In the battle of Badr there were 70 Quraysh who were taken as captives of war while in the battle of Hunain there were 6000 men
from the enemies who taken as captives.

Description of the prophet’s farewell pilgrimage

At the age of 63 years, the prophet (p.b.u.h) went to perform pilgrimage in 10 A.H. This is called Hijatul-Widaa (The farewell
pilgrimage). More than 100,000 Muslims came for Hajj on the 9 th of Dhul-Hijja at the valley of Arafat. This was to be the prophet’s
last pilgrimage. It was during this Hajj that Surah Al-Nasr was revealed which was received as an announcement of the prophet’s
approaching death. After the pilgrimage, the prophet then made his farewell address.

The themes of the prophet’s farewell speech

The following are some of the lessons that Muslims learn from the prophet’s farewell speech:
1. The blood, property and honour of a Muslim was made sacred. Therefore, they should be protected.
2. Muslims learn that the property entrusted to them is a trust and should be returned the rightful owner, Allah.
3. Equality of mankind was established. None is better than others because of his tribe, race, language, skin color as well as
ethnicity. But taqwa is the yardstick to measure one’s goodness in front of Allah.
4. Islamic brotherhood was emphasized. That is, a Muslim is a brother to another Muslim.
5. Tawheed is the main theme which was highly stressed. None is expected to associate Allah with partners in His nature, power,
attributes and work.
6. The rights and status of women were well explained and safeguarded.
7. Slaves are to be treated well. For instance, they should eat and clothe as their masters and mistress.
8. He encouraged Muslims to hold firm to the Qur’an and his sunnah, for they shall never go astray.
9. The concept of injustice was clearly put across. For instance, use of ribaa as a source of earning a living was condemned.
10. All the pre-Islamic customs and practices were rebuked and Muslims were warned to practice them once more time.
11. The prophet emphasized the spread of his words and Islamic principles to those absent.
12. The husbands’ rights to their wives, and those of their wives to their husbands were emphasized to be observed for the prosperity
of the Muslim society.
13. Muslims were encouraged to obey and follow their leaders as long as they are on the obedience of their Lord, Allah.
14. The Muslims learn that this is the last ummah since there is no prophet will come after the prophet Muhammed (p.b.u.h).

Significance of the prophet’s farewell speech

The following are the importance of the farewell speech of the prophet (p.b.u.h):

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a) It summarized the entire teachings of Islam

b) It showed the prophet’s concern for the welfare of man and peace of the world.
c) Women got a unique position as well as their rights were emphasized.
d) The illegal sources of earning were prohibited, such as usury was highly condemned.
e) The status of slaves was raised and safeguarded. The slaves were emancipated and their rights were highly emphasized.
f) All the sorts of discrimination basing on lines of race, tribe, socio-economic status, and ethnicity were banned. Taqwa was the
criteria for measuring of righteousness of a person.
g) The need to hold the teachings of the holy Quran and Hadith was emphasized to avoid man from going astray.
h) It pointed out the duties and responsibilities of every Muslim towards another Muslim.

Description of the Last Days (demise) of the prophet Mohammed (p.b.u.h)

After the farewell address, the prophet (p.b.u.h) returned to Madinah at the end of the month of Dhul-Hijja. On Monday 12 th Saffar
the prophet felt a severe headache and his health started deteriorating. During this period of illness, he spent most of his time in the
house of Lady Aisha. Occasionally, he would go out to meet the Muslims, advise them and ask for the congregation’s forgiveness.
When his condition grew worse and he could not lead the Muslims in prayer, he requested Abubakar (R.A) to take charge of the
religious duties. On the last day of his life, the prophet could be heard saying, “With those on whom you have bestowed your grace,
with the prophet and the truthful ones, the martyrs and the good doers. O Allah, forgive me and have mercy upon me and join me to
the most exalted companionship on high.” He repeated the last words three times.
All this time, Aisha (RAA) was sprinkling water on his forehead until when finally, the prophet died at the age of 63, on a Monday of
12th-Rabiul-Awwal, 632A.D. His body was washed and then a grave dug at the very place he had died and the prophet (p.b.u.h) was
buried.

Social Achievement of the Prophet (p.b.u.h)

The following are social achievements that made by the Prophet Mohammed:
a) He established solid brotherhood and equality of mankind: The Islamic brotherhood and equality of mankind is greatly
emphasized by the prophet. All people are from Adam, and he is from sand.
b) He eliminated all sorts of racism: Islam discourages racism in all of its forms. It teaches that people are distinct just for the
purpose of knowing each other, therefore, none is expected to be favored because of his or her origin.
c) He was able to eradicate and emancipate slavery: Islam teaches that slaves should be treated fairly and honored. Their rights
should be observed. More so, Islam discourages slavery but rather encourages that they should be given their freedom.
d) He improved the status of women: Women are given rights to inheritance, education, marry whom they love, work and owning
property and among others. Contrary to what was being done in the pre-Islamic era in Arabia.
e) He promoted religious Tolerance due to his superb character: Islam advocates for freedom of worship and religion. It discourages
any form of religious discrimination. None should be forced to observe any kind of religion unwillingly.
f) He managed to spread of Islam and advocate for the belief in one God: He managed to spread Islam in the Arabian Peninsula and
area beyond such as Abyssinia, Rome and Persia. He built an extraordinarily strong Islamic state.
g) He was able to end the age of ignorance: The prophet was sent during the time when people were living in barbarism. Whereby
the weak were denied their rights, all sorts of evils were, but he enlightened his community and left in as righteous.
h) He was recognized as a peacemaker: He was able to unite different tribes which were enemies to each other, such as khazraj and
Aws of Madinah. He established peace everywhere in Arabian Peninsula and areas beyond. Thus, he advocated and promoted
peaceful co-existence of people of diverse tribes/ clans and nations.

Benefits of Brotherhood in Islam

The following are some of the benefits of brotherhood in Islam:
1. Islamic brotherhood promotes and enhances peace and harmony.
2. It enhances economic development and prosperity as people share what they have to help one another to raise their living.
3. It contributes to religious development and growth. People admire how Muslims carry out their affairs as brothers.
4. Promotes social, political and intellectual tolerance.
5. It promotes and enhances social equality among Muslims and removes all sorts of discrimination basing on race, tribe, ethnicity,
skin color and family background.

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6. Islamic brotherhood gives identity to the Muslims. Thus, making them to refer to each other as brothers and sisters hence
promoting a sense of belonging.
Characteristics of the prophet Mohammed (p.b.u.h)
The following are some importance characteristics of the prophet (p.b.u.h):
 He was patient and did not display any sort of disappointment at any time.
 He always helped the needy, orphan and the weak people in the society.
 He was generous and kept nothing for himself.
 He was a sympathetic friend both indeed and in need.
 He had the best and simple habits. For example, consulting his companions on matters of general concern.
 He assisted his wives in domestic works; therefore, he showed a good example of a leader, a parent, a husband as well.
 He was truthful, trustworthy, frank and honest in all of his dealings.
 He never allowed anybody to carry his belongings for him, but rather he did it himself.
 He loved children and cared for them. For example, one time he performed prayer while carrying a child.

Favors given to the prophet Mohammed (p.b.u.h)

Some of the favors given to the prophet Muhammed (p.b.u.h) are as follows:
1) He was given the gift of the perfect speech. That is Quran, and his natural eloquence.
2) The war spoils (ghaneema) were made lawful to him.
3) The whole world was made a place of worship (masjid) to him and his ummah.
4) He was sent universally. His duty was to carry the divine message to the whole world and not specific society.
5) The line of prophet hood ended with him.
6) He will have a chance to intercede the great shufaa in the Day of Judgment and all people will assemble after him.

CHAPTER EIGHT: MUSLIM SCHOLARS

Brief biography of Sheikh Al-Amin bin Ali Al-Mazrui (1891AD-1974 AD)
The following is a brief biography of Sheik Al-Amin ibn Ali Al-Mazrui:
 His full name is Sheik Al-Amin bin Ali bin Abdallah bin Nafi Al-Mazrui.
 He was born in Mombasa on 15th Jamadu-Thani 1380 A.H (27th January 1891).
 He belongs to Mazrui family. The Mazrui were Omani Arab clan that reigned over some areas of East Africa, especially Kenya,
from the 18th to the 20th century.
 His grandfather, Abdallah Al-Mazrui was an Islamic scholar belonging to the Shafi School of thought.
 His father died when he was four years old and thus his paternal Uncle Sheikh Suleiman bin Ali Al-Mazrui took the responsibility
of raising him who later married him off to his own daughter.
 He started his elementary education under his Uncle Sheikh Suleiman bin Ali who was a great scholar of that time and had
studied various branches of knowledge including Quran, Arabic language, Fiqh among others.
 His great thirst for knowledge made him travel to Zanzibar to further his education under the eminent scholars of Zanzibar like
Sheikh Abdallah Mohammad bin Salim Bakathir and Sayyid Ahmed bin Abubakar bin Sumeyt.
 He later went to Lamu and graduated from Riyadh mosque under the supervision of re-known scholars of that time. He was a
brilliant student and outstanding in all the subjects and he used to emerge top of the class.
 He had several students, key among them are Sheikh Maamun bin Suleiman bin Ali-Al-Mazrui (the former Chief Kadhi of
Kenya), Sheikh Abdallah Saleh Al-Farsy (the former Chief Kadhi of Kenya), Sheikh Athman bin Ibrahim bin Ahmed Kakni),
Sheikh Muhammad Abdallah Al-Ghazali and Sheikh Maalim Said bin Ahmed Al-Qumri (the former famous radio preacher).
 He died on 1st April 1947 (8th Jumadal-Ula 1366) having left behind three children, among them two sons (Harith Al-Amin Al-
Mazrui-former Liwali of Lamu and Professor Ali Mazrui-Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology) and a
daughter.

Educational background of sheikh Al-Amin ibn Ali Al-Mazrui

He started his elementary education under his Uncle Sheikh Suleiman bin Ali who was a great scholar of that time and had studied
various branches of knowledge including Quran, Arabic language, Fiqh among others. His great thirst for knowledge made him travel
to Zanzibar to further his education under the eminent scholars of Zanzibar like Sheikh Abdallah Mohammad bin Salim Bakathir and
Sayyid Ahmed bin Abu Bakar bin Sumeyt. He later went to Lamu and graduated from Riyadh mosque under the supervision of re-

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known scholars of that time. He was a brilliant student and outstanding in all the subjects and he used to emerge top of the class. He
was able to bring reforms in some of the Islamic scholarly works across the world.

Literacy works of Sheikh Al-Amin ibn Ali Al-Mazrui

The following are literacy works of sheikh Al-Amin ibn Ali Al-Mazrui:
1. He wrote Hidaayatul-Atfaal (Guidance of children) which is an introductory book to Islam for the children.
2. He wrote a book entitled ‘Masomo ya dini’ (religious studies) is essential for the Swahili speakers.
3. He also wrote Majmaul Bahrayn (The meeting of two seas) an essential publication in the study of Islamic religion.
4. He wrote a weekly paper known as Al-Islah which constituted both Islamic teachings and political issues in Kiswahili and Arabic
using the Arabic script. The message in this paper was aimed at positively changing the societal way of thinking.
5. He translated part of the Quran into Kiswahili that is Surah Al-Fatiha, Al-Baqara and a few verses of Al-Imran. It was later
completed by his students.

Achievements and Contributions of Al-Amin Ali bin Abdallah al-Mazrui.

The following are achievements and contributions made by Sheikh Al-amin Ali bin Abdallah towards the development of Islam:
a) He authored many publications. Typical among them being, Hidaayatul-Atfaal, Masomo ya dini, Majmaul-Bahrayn as well.
b) He was the first to write books in Kiswahili, e.g Masomo ya Dini to cater for the learning needs of his immediate community.
c) He established Madrasatul Ghazali-Islamiyah, a learning institution in which he taught Islamic studies to students from all over
East Africa.
d) He donated most of his scholarly works to the libraries at the coast.
e) Sheikh Al-amin became the Kadhi of Mombasa in1932 up to 1937.
f) He gave many Islamic lecturers in the mosques other Islamic institutions.
g) He became the Chief Kadhi of Kenya in 1937after the death of his uncle Suleiman bin Ali al-Mazrui.
h) He is known for his efforts in propagating Islam all over East Africa. He used to move all around East Africa giving lectures. He
also used papers such as Sahifa and Islah for the same purpose.
i) He advocated for the rights of women such as education.
j) He pioneered a weekly paper called Al-Islah in Kiswahili to fight against retrogressive ideas, colonialism and negative-western
ideologies.
k) He emphasized the necessity of learning Arabic as it is the key to understand Islam better.
l) He wrote the first Kiswahili translation of Quran but was to be completed by his students later.
m) He was a writer, poet and editor of Kiswahili and Arabic languages.

Contribution of Al-Amin Ali Al-Mazrui in promoting education among Muslims in Kenya

The following are contribution of Al-Amin Ali Al-Mazrui in promoting education among Muslims in Kenya:
 He was one of the first generation of graduates in Islam. He became role model for the younger Muslims to emulate.
 He was one of the pioneer reformers of Islam in East Africa. Believe in way of bringing reform was through education.
 Founded and published newspapers such as Al-Islah through which he advocated education for Muslims.
 He wrote books and articles in which he focused on the importance of education to the Muslims communities.
 He freely shared his knowledge with Muslim ummah and as a result shaped the lives of important local Muslims personalities.
 He donated most of his books to the libraries in the Kenyan coast.

Brief biography of Sheikh Abdullah Swaleh Al-Farsy (1912-1982)

The following is a brief biography of Sheikh Abdullah Swaleh Al-Farsy:
 He was born on 12th of February 1912 at Jongeani village in the Island of Zanzibar.
 He was the first born in his large and well-established family that was being respected for the services they used to provide in
both educational and civil life to the citizens of Zanzibar and Pemba.
 After completing the first phase of Islamic traditional education at Masjid Barza, Sheikh Al-Farsy joined Central Primary School
—the first government school in Zanzibar at the age of ten.
 While he was in the secular school, he always emerged ahead of the other students in every subject. His excellence led him to
completing eight-year primary education in five years. He then joined a Teachers’ Training College from which he graduated
in1932.

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 He became a primary school teacher between 1932 and 1947 and, following a series of promotions for his good work, he was
appointed the Inspector General of primary schools in Zanzibar and Pemba between 1949 and 1952.
 He later became the principal of Muslim Academy between 1952 and 1956, before being appointed the head teacher of the Arabic
Medium School.
 In 1960, he was appointed the chief Kadhi of Zanzibar, a post he held for seven years. It was after the bloody CRUSADE incident
in the name of Zanzibar Revolution in 1964 that he migrated to Kenya. He was hosted by Sheikh Muhammad Kassim Al-Mazrui
his former classmate in the class of Al-Amin Ali Mazrui.
 Since his reputation as a scholar had reached far including Kenya, Sheikh Muhammad Kassim Al-Mazrui recommended him to
the late Jomo Kenyatta for the post of Chief Kadhi of Kenya. He accepted the appointment and served for fourteen years until his
retirement in 1980.
 Sheikh Abdullah Swaleh Al-Farsy died on 9 th November 1982, just eight months after he had left Kenya to join his family in
Muscat, Oman.
Educational background of Sheikh Abdallah Al-Farsy
After completing the first phase of Islamic traditional education at Masjid Barza, Sheikh Al-Farsy joined Central Primary School—
the first government school in Zanzibar at the age of ten. He was so dedicated to attaining religious and secular education and he
made use of both the afternoons and evenings to study. He was always seen engrossed in any new Islamic book and spent most times
in his home library reading.
He learnt from intellectual scholars like Sheikh Abubakar bin Abdullah Bakathir, Sheikh Ahmed bin Muhammad Al-Mlomry who
taught him twenty-five books and Sheikh Sayyid Alawy bin Abdul Wahab who taught him twelve books on Fiqh and Arabic. He then
went to Kenya to seek more knowledge where he studied tafsir under Sheikh Al-Amin bin Ali. He also studied Risalatul Jamiaat, a
book on basic principles of Fiqh from Sayyid Hamid Maasab.
While he was in the secular school, he always emerged ahead of the other students in every subject. His excellence led him to
completing eight-year primary education in five years. He then joined a Teachers’ Training College from which he graduated in1932.
He became a primary school teacher between 1932 and 1947 and, following a series of promotions for his good work, he was
appointed the Inspector General of primary schools in Zanzibar and Pemba between 1949 and 1952. He later became the principal of
Muslim Academy between 1952 and 1956, before being appointed the head teacher of the Arabic Medium School.
In 1960, he went to perform Hajj after which he left the ministry of education in 1967 and became a teacher at the teacher’s training
college.
In 1960, he was appointed the chief Kadhi of Zanzibar, a post he held for seven years. It was after the bloody CRUSADE incident in
the name of Zanzibar Revolution in 1964 that he migrated to Kenya. He was hosted by Sheikh Muhammad Kassim Al-Mazrui his
former classmate in the class of Al-Amin Ali Mazrui.
Since his reputation as a scholar had reached far including Kenya, Sheikh Muhammad Kassim Al-Mazrui recommended him to the
late Jomo Kenyatta for the post of Chief Kadhi of Kenya. He accepted the appointment and served for fourteen years until his
retirement in 1980.

Literacy works of Sheikh Abdullah Swaleh Al-Farsy

The following are the literacy works of Sheikh Abdallah Swaleh Al-Farsy:
1. He translated the Qur’an in Kiswahili i.e. “Qurani Takatifu.” Its first copy was published in 1969.
2. He wrote the biography of the prophet (Seeratul-Nabiy).
3. He also wrote the biography of Imam Shaffi.
4. His Kiswahili publication was sura za swala na tafsir zake.
5. He also authored upotofu wa tafsiri ya Makadiani.
6. He used to write the translation of the Qur’an in the weekly Mwongozo wa Zanzibar Magazine.
7. He wrote a book entitled Bid’a in which he fought against innovations (Bid’a).
8. He wrote a book on mirath (inheritance).

Achievements and contributions of Sheikh Swaleh Abdallah Al-Farsy

The following are achievements and contributions made by Sheikh Abdallah Al-Farsy towards the development of Islam:
1. He served in the field of education as a head teacher in Muslim Academy, Secondary School and Arabic Medium School.
2. He was appointed the Inspector General of primary schools in Zanzibar and Pemba to spearhead the quality of education in these
states.

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3. He proposed that community schools be staffed with Islamic teachers who should be paid by the government.
4. He travelled to Nyasaland (Malawi) and Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) to give lectures on Islamic Religious Education.
5. As a Chief Kadhi of both Zanzibar and Kenya he lodged defense against all accusations directed to Islam and Muslims.
6. He called for the establishment of separate schools for the Muslims.
7. He wrote books strongly supporting provision of education and saw illiteracy as a menace to both the government and its citizen.
8. He urged the East African Muslims to adhere to the teachings of the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet. As a result, several
young men became interested in studying Islam.
9. He used the voice of Kenya radio to air educative programs about Islam.
10. He wrote several religious books in both Arabic and Kiswahili that enlightened Muslims about their religion.
11. He travelled throughout East Africa giving public speeches and lectures about Islam which resulted in many embracing Islam.
12. He volunteered free services to the Radio of Zanzibar to propagate Islam.
13. He started campaigns against Bid’a (innovations) and refused Qadianism.
14. In Kenya, he was exposed to public debate where he criticized some of the traditional beliefs including shirk and traditional
dances.
15. He became a catalyst to the young men by giving mosque seminars.

The Lessons that a Muslim can learn from Sheikh Abdallah Swaleh Al-Farsy
The following are lessons that a Muslim can learn from Sheikh Swaleh Al-Farsy:
1) A Muslim should dedicate his time and energy to the course of Islam. Sheikh Abdallah used whole of his time and energy to learn
Islam and propagate it as if it was his main core reason for his existence.
2) Bad health and old age should not prevent one from serving Allah. Sheikh Abdallah dedicated his whole life to serve Allah even
when old and sick.
3) In order for Muslims to truly worship Allah, they have to obey Him and eradicate innovations. Sheikh Abdallah Al-Farsy fought
against innovations; he also wrote a book called bidaa.
4) With sincerity, Allah will bless one’s work to benefit humanity; he was able to translate the Quran into Kiswahili which benefited
many Muslims, and still in use up to date.
5) Muslims should dedicate their lives in the propagation of Islam. Sheikh Abdallah Al-Fasry visited all parts of east Africa for the
purpose of daawa.
6) The way to reforms is through education, he taught and authored many books, e.g utukufu wa swalah na namna ya kuisali. He
spent most of his life as a teacher.
7) Offering service to Islam is not restricted to one’s place of birth. He served as a chief kadhi of Kenya even though he was a
Zanzibar by origin.
8) Muslims should be firm, steadfast and courageous in promotion of Islamic affairs. He fought bidaa practices and even wrote a
book on the same.
9) Muslims should support women education bearing in mind that his first Quran teacher was a Muslim female educationist, fatma
bint Hamid Said.
10)Muslims should seek both Islamic and secular education. Sheikh Abdallah Al-Farsy undertook the study of religion from many
Muslim ulamas and went up to primary teacher’s training college.

The challenges encountered by the Muslim scholars

The following are some of the problems encountered by the Muslim scholars:
1. Lack of financial support that made them to have no means for some of their duties such as printing of their work, travelling for
lectures and propagating of Islam.
2. Majority of the Muslims scholars were not well acquainted with the modern technological experience.
3. Some people especially leaders and governmental officials go out to speak ill of them because they see them as threat to their
positions. Some of them were harassed and tortured.
4. They faced cultural barriers especially the ones that touching on traditions of the people, yet they are against the Islamic code of
life. For example, FGM, corruption and music. Thus, once they opposed such activities, they lack acceptance by the society.
5. Some have been discriminated on bases of tribe lines, age, family background and even skin color.
6. Poor infrastructures such as roads and limited communication network, making their movement and dissemination of their
knowledge difficult.

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7. Some were forced to work in some difficult areas which are unsuitable for their health and conditions.
8. Their verdicts (fatwa) were often challenged by those whom the fatwa went against them.
9. Some mosques are being run by incompetent committee members whose religious knowledge is limited.

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