Muezzin for the Week:

Thank you Hakim from Grade 7 for being our mu’adhhin this week!

Monday Quran Meditation

Muqri‘a Amira from Grade 8 recited from Surat Maryam. Ustadh Roua shared a bit of background on Maryam ‘alayha al-Salam as well as Prophet Zakariyya ‘alayhi al-Salam. She reminded us of the mercy and kindness Allah showed to Prophet Zakariyya when he made dua‘a to Allah for a child. Through Maryam, Allah showed Prophet Zakariyya that He could answer his dua‘a.

Tuesday Teacher Telling

Ustadh Ismail related a story about his move from Florida to Baltimore. He was working and studying during Ramadan and he attended an iftar. At that iftar, he did not know anyone and sat at a table with two other gentlemen. After talking, the brothers asked Ustadh Ismail if he was prepared for the cold weather and had a jacket. Ustadh Ismail explained he only had a simple, thin jacket. Two days later, Ustadh Ismail attended another iftar and those brothers sat with him, and gifted him a brand new jacket! They said they wanted to make sure I had the right clothes for the weather. Ustadh Ismail still uses that jacket, 13 years later! May Allah reward them for their kindness!

Wednesday Wonders

Anas from 8th grade gave a short presentation on the Adhan. He demonstrated how the Adhan is called, and talked through common mistakes and misconceptions about the Adhan. He shared that he took a class on how to call the Adhan and has an ijāza (certification) in calling the Adhan. While he loves the various styles of calling the Adhan, he seems to enjoy the Madinan Adhan most. Thank you Anas for helping us improve how we can call the Adhan!

Thursday Throwback

Ustadha Roua reminded us of the mercy and kindness shown by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ by relating a story from his time in Ta’if. When the Prophet ﷺ had some major difficulties in his life, he went to Ta’if to seek support. Most of the people of Ta’if turned him away and injured him. However, one young boy from Ta’if heard the Prophet ﷺ reciting Sūrat al-Tāriq. He was moved by the recitation, and he later accepted Islam remembering the Prophet’s ﷺ recitation. What’s amazing is that when the Prophet ﷺ left Ta’if, Allah gave him the choice to destroy Ta’if for having mistreated him so terribly, or to forgive them. The Prophet ﷺ chose to forgive them, saying, “perhaps there will be someone from their future children that will be Muslim.” SubhanaAllah, this young boy who heard the Prophet ﷺ reciting Sūrat al-Tariq is a manifestation of that dua‘a of the Prophet ﷺ!

Friday Jumu'ah Mubarak

Ustadh Ismail gave a khutba that introduced the theme for the month of November, Shukr (Gratitude). In the Qur’ān, Allah explains that the opposite of shukr is kufr (ingratitude), which means to “cover.” In Arabic, kāfir is a term for a farmer, someone who buries a seed and covers it with dirt. To be ungrateful is to try and hide the blessings or to pretend to hide them by not recognizing them. Gratitude is to recognize Allah’s blessings and to use those blessings to do good. In Arabic, shukr is related to words for sprouts, shoots, and stems that grow around a large tree trunk. SubhanaAllah, when you implement shukr, your blessing will produce even more blessings - just like the many sprouts that grow around a tree!