Feel up to the Task? Letters of the Prophet, Top 5 Skills to Learn This Summer
Issue 278 » June 11, 2004 - Rabi-al-Thani 23, 1425
General
| Living the Quran |
Fatir
(The Creator)
Several communities had been charged with carrying God's message, the Israelites being the last of them immediately to precede the Arabs. The Israelites, however, proved unworthy of that trust. They were forever to forfeit that honour, which the Arabs then came to inherit. The verse points out that the Arabs themselves had divided into three categories: those who rejected God's revelation, those who accepted it but did not fully observe its teachings, and those who adopted Islam and totally dedicated themselves to it. Future generations will be judged according to which of these three groups is the dominant one. If either of the first two prevails in a society, the omens for its salvation would not be very good. The whole of the community might, in such a case, incur God's displeasure or punishment. We must fully credit the earlier generations of Islam for their sincere effort towards the establishment and propagation of Islam all over the world. However, we must also recognize that the Arabs were soon to relapse and revert to their old habits, deviating from God's true path and neglecting their obligations towards Islam. More recently, some Arabs have replaced Islam with Arab nationalism, abandoning their loyalty to God. The verse poses a challenge for Muslims today. Would they, as they read these words, really feel up to the task? Will the Muslims then take heed? Source: |
| Understanding the Prophet's Life |
Style of Letter Writing Introduction The letters of the Prophet, upon whom be peace, began with Bism Allah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim. Ash-Shabi reports that writing the words "Bism Allah" at the beginning of the letters underwent several alterations. Heading The secretaries of the Prophet used to give his esteemed name precedence over the name of the addressee. It was an ancient custom, except in rare cases, to start the letter with the name of the greater and nobler person; therefore, when the companions wrote to the Prophet they started first with his name: "To Muhammad, the Messenger of God." Separation Between Contents Abu Usamah narrated to us on the authority of Hisham Ibn Urwah who said: "I saw some letter of the Prophet, upon whom be peace, Whenever a story (theme) was over, he said amma bad (ie. now to our topic)." Name of the Secretary The secretary often used to mention his name at the end of the letter. Sometimes he also mentioned the names of the witnesses. Seal Imprint of the Letter The Prophet began using a seal when he wanted to write to some non-Arabs. He was informed that the Persians do not read an unsealed letter. Thereupon, the Prophet made for himself a silver signet ring with the engraving "Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah." As the signet ring was a seal of the state, the Messenger of God allowed no one to make another signet similar to it. Sometimes when he did not have the signet ring with him, he stamped (the letter) with his fingernail. Dating the Letters There is no doubt that his letters generally were not dated, though there were a few documents in which only the year was mentioned. In the Prophet's treaty with the people of Miqna in document 33 of The Political Documents by Muhammad Hamidullah, the words "... and Ali the son of Abu Talib wrote in the year 9 A.H." were used. As-Suyuti said: "In one of the al-Imad's collections, I saw in his handwriting that Ibn as-Salah said: 'I was acquainted with a book of Abu Tahir Muhammad Ibn Mahmash az-Ziyadi in which he mentioned that Allah's Messenger, upon whom be peace, dated his letter a Hijri date to the Christians of Najran and ordered Ali to write (the date) in the fifth year after Hijrah. So the one who started dating with the Hijrah was Allah's Messenger, upon whom be peace, and Umar followed him in this (matter).' " Enveloping Letters It appears that the Prophet had sent some letters in envelopes or that he had put his seal on the back of the letter in such a manner that it became covered. Source: |
| Winning Both Worlds |
Top 5 skills to learn this summer While we want to relax after a grueling school year, it's important that our brains don't turn to mush while school's out. There are many productive things we can do, but here is a list of top five skills we should learn to succeed in school and beyond. 1. Better Time management How and what we spend our time on determines our success and failure in this life and the Next. This is why time management is such an essential skill for everyone. There are great resources online, in books, and through ecourses that can help. An internet search under "time management" provides many resources and ideas. 2. Writing a letter to the editor This teaches assertiveness, clarity in thought, and basic writing skills all in one. All it requires is being able to write simple English. Find an article that you feel strongly about in the local newspaper. Discuss it first, then put your thoughts down on paper. Then compose a letter to the editor and send it off. If it gets published, post it up on the fridge! 3. Managing money Avoid problems like debt, impulsive shopping, and overspending by learning money management skills this summer. Draft a budget of how to spend and save. Also, make sure you give to charity. 4. Keeping house This means overseeing the efficient functioning of your home. Be in charge of managing meals, getting laundry done, mowing the lawn, and keeping your place clean for one week. Parents and other siblings are helpers. This will give you an appreciation of how hard it is to run a household, as well as training for the job in the future. It will also teach you valuable leadership skills, as well as the importance of teamwork. 5. Volunteering for a cause Giving and not receiving any monetary return is a skill critical in our increasingly materialistic culture. Assess your skills, talents, and interests, and find a volunteer opportunity for this summer. Some ideas include: helping peace and justice groups; helping younger kids learn English; making and delivering meals to an elderly person who cannot get out much; writing articles for a non-profit organization's website or helping with its technical aspects; answering phone calls, etc. Source: |
