Taking a few days off… both laptop and yours truly are ill …

Version A – download here or at Scribd

Version B – download here or at Scribd

Continuing with our notebooking adventure… here is the second set of notebooking papers in the Lives of the Prophets series :) This is for the story of Prophet Idris `alayhis salaam. His story is a little short, but I’ve included different papers that you can use depending on how you want to write out the lessons.

Mars liked the font that I used in the Prophet Adam papers and wanted her notebook to have a uniform look. I like trying out different fonts. So there are two versions for you to download.

Here’s Set A, which you can download here or at Scribd.

And here’s Set B that you can download here or at Scribd.

I hope you find them useful!

The kids are more keen about writing and researching these days, so I’ve been trying to churn out more noteboooking pages. I hope that this time, I will be more consistent about monitoring their penmanship.

Here are a few more pages for recording quick facts about the Prophets of Allah (`alayhimus salaam), and the Companions of Rasulullah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam (radhiallahu `anhum). I hope you find them useful :)

You can download the pages at Scribd or here.

In shaa Allah I will upload a few templates in MS Word for those of you would like to give making your own notebooking papers a shot.

I’m not one for busywork, but I would like the kids to write a little more. I’ve asked Mars to keep a special journal for the presentations she has done at the homeschoolers’ club meetings. After a break, she has gone back to copywork again and this time, we’ve set more stringent standards as she herself has expressed a desire to have better handwriting.

Bear has been composing poems – some sound like cute little haikus and all have a touch of drama to them! I’ll have to ask her permission before I reproduce them here. She is quite a shy little girl still and sometimes objects to having attention drawn to her. (I’ve tried to respect her need for privacy and this is why I don’t blog about her as much.)

We’ve been revising the Stories of the Prophets. We’ve studied them before and loved them to bits. It seems that every time we read, we learn something new and find nuggets of wisdom that we can apply to our daily lives. We are thus revisiting these stories, but in greater depth this time.

I’ve made some notebooking papers for documenting our learning points. Of course, any regular notebook or paper will do for journalling, but we have a boatload of paper from the Dad Man’s office that he no longer has use for – they are used on one side, so we are printing on the other. A bit of green living and an excuse to pretty up our papers :)

Here are some notebooking sheets for The Story of Prophet Adam `alayhis salaam. You can download them at Scribd if you have an account or you can just download them here. I’ve kept them pretty simple – not a lot of clipart or anything of the sort. I thought that the kids could draw their own pictures if they wanted. There are extra sheets for fillers and also a few for younger writers, with primary lines.

Please let me know if you have any issues with the document… I hope you like it!

*Edit: I’ve corrected a couple of mistakes and amended the primary lines, so please download the latest version!

Narrated `Aisha radhiallahu `anha: In the lifetime of Allah’s Messenger sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, the sun eclipsed, so he led the people in prayer, and stood up and performed a long Qiyam, then bowed for a long while. He stood up again and performed a long Qiyam but this time the period of standing was shorter than the first. He bowed again for a long time but shorter than the first one, then he prostrated and prolonged the prostration. He did the same in the second rak`a as he did in the first and then finished the prayer; by then the sun (eclipse) had cleared. He delivered the Khutba (sermon) and after praising and glorifying Allah he said, “The sun and the moon are two signs against the signs of Allah; they do not eclipse on the death or life of anyone. So when you see the eclipse, remember Allah and say Takbir, pray and give Sadaqa.” The Prophet then said, “O followers of Muhammad! By Allah! There is none who has more ghaira (self- respect) than Allah as He has forbidden that His slaves, male or female commit adultery (illegal sexual intercourse). O followers of Muhammad! By Allah! If you knew that which I know you would laugh little and weep much. [Bukhari]

Narrated `Aisha radhiallahu `anha: In the lifetime of the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam the sun eclipsed and he went to the Mosque and the people aligned behind him. He said the Takbir (starting the prayer) and prolonged the recitation (from the Qur’an) and then said Takbir and performed a prolonged bowing; then he (lifted his head and) said, “Sami allahu liman hamidah” (Allah heard him who sent his praises to Him). He then did not prostrate but stood up and recited a prolonged recitation which was shorter than the first recitation. He again said Takbir and then bowed a prolonged bowing but shorter than the first one and then said, “Sami`a l-lahu Lyman hamidah Rabbana walak-lhamd, (Allah heard him who sent his praises to Him. O our Sustainer! All the praises are for You)” and then prostrated and did the same in the second rak`a; thus he completed four bowing and four prostrations. The sun (eclipse) had cleared before he finished the prayer. (After the prayer) he stood up, glorified and praised Allah as He deserved and then said, “The sun and the moon are two of the signs of Allah. They do not eclipse because of the death or the life (i.e. birth) of someone. When you see them make haste for the prayer.” Narrated Az-Zuhri: I said to ‘Ursa, “When the sun eclipsed at Medina your brother (`Abdullah bin Az-Zubair) offered only a two-rak`at prayer like that of the morning (Fajr) prayer.” ‘Ursa replied, “Yes, for he missed the Prophet’s tradition (concerning this matter).” [Bukhari]

Narrated `Abdullah bin `Amr radhiallahu `anhu: When the sun eclipsed in the lifetime of Allah’s Apostle and an announcement was made that the prayer was to be held in congregation. The Prophet performed two bowing in one rak`a. Then he stood up and performed two bowing in one rak`a. Then he sat down and finished the prayer; and by then the (eclipse) had cleared `Aisha said, “I had never performed such a long prostration.” [Bukhari]

Narrated `Abdullah bin `Amr radhiallahu `anhu : “When the sun eclipsed in the lifetime of Allah’s Apostle an announcement was made that a prayer was to be offered in congregation.” [Bukhari]

Narrated Abu Bakr radhiallahu `anhu: We were with Allah’s Apostle when the sun eclipsed. Allah’s Apostle stood up dragging his cloak til he entered the Mosque. He led us in a two-rak`at prayer till the sun (eclipse) had cleared. Then the Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, “The sun and the moon do not eclipse because of someone’s death. So whenever you see these eclipses pray and invoke (Allah) till the eclipse is over.” [Bukhari]

Narrated Al-Mughira bin Shu`ba: The sun eclipsed in the lifetime of Allah’s Apostle on the day when (his son) Ibrahim died. So the people said that the sun had eclipsed because of the death of Ibrahim. Allah’s Apostle said, “The sun and the moon do not eclipse because of the death or life (i.e. birth) of someone. When you see the eclipse pray and invoke Allah.” [Bukhari, 2.153]

We are witnessing a lunar eclipse here in Pakistan tonight. Allahu Akbar! For those experiencing this here or in other parts of the world, don’t forget to perform Salaat ul Khusoof!

I was born and bred in Singapore and I am pretty much a tropical weather sort of person. I like bright sunny days, balmy breezes and the occasional rain. I am accustomed to comfortable, light clothing and being able to eat ice-cream any time I want.

When I was growing up as a child, I was curious about other seasons, particularly winter. I’d seen pictures and movies showing how beautiful – and fun! – snow can be, so I was quite pleased when I finally had my chance to experience it for myself. I moved to the USA shortly after my wedding with my husband, who was completing his studies. I remember it was early January when we landed in Chicago in 2001. My brother-in-law was there to meet us and his first words to me were, “As salaamu `alaykum … Welcome to America.” He then promptly handed his brother and me mufflers to wear. I thought then, how odd of him, but within minutes, I could feel the wind, so cold that it felt like angry little pin pricks all over my skin. Needless to say, I felt a great deal of trepidation.

Before driving to Indiana, where we were staying, my husband thought it would be nice for me to take a look-see around Chicago. Now, the only images I’d had of winter in the US were of the freshly fallen variety… of breathtaking landscapes and of children delighted at play. Chicago cured me of my fanciful notions :P I saw only grey sludge that day and people looking miserable as walked briskly, hands in pockets, trying to stay warm. Winter in the US was, on the whole, easy to bear though – there was central heating after all… and I did get my fill of pretty winter scenes later on when we moved to Wisconsin :) Still, I would rejoice when warmer weather beckoned.

When we moved to Pakistan, my hatred for winter reached its peak. It had partly to do with my difficulties in leaving my own home country I believe. I would grumble about all the layers of clothes we had to wear and wash (there isn’t central heating here), the dull and dreary days punctuated by heavy rains (forget freshly driven snow!) and the general discomfort that the cold brought.

I’ve begun to soften my stance towards winter though – I admit, I can be a stubborn wretch :) It is peevish and petty to rail against change and to complain about how painful the cold is when I have a more than adequate roof over my head. Others have not and even have to brave the elements to eke out a living. This dry country which is very much dependent on its agriculture also needs the winter rains. “And We send down from the sky rain charted with blessing, and We produce therewith gardens and grain for harvests…” (Surah Qaf 50:9)

I’ve begun to appreciate so much about this season and the blessings it brings. My daughters and I did a lovely lesson about how the salaf viewed winter while were were bundled up under our blankets after Fajr the other day :) It gave us a totally new attitude towards winter alhamdulillah. Al-Hassan Al-Basri for example said: “How good winter is for the believer! Its night is long, so he prays in it; and its day is short, so he observes fasting in it.” Indeed, the the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said: “The cold booty is observing fast in winter.” (at-Tirmidhi) How easy it is to fast in winters because we don’t feel the thirst and lethargy of the hot summers.

I love Ibn Rajab’s words about winter – “Winter is considered the spring of the believer, because he revels in the orchards of obedience and goes in the fields of worship and his heart having the pleasure of strolling in the gardens of deeds which are easy during winter.”

This is the article we read about winter – it is entitled “Winter is the Orchard of Obedience”. You can also download it in PDF or Word format.

I’m going to brew myself a cup of tea and sit by the window now to stitch. I’ll probably put on a lecture to listen to and get some upliftment for my soul in shaa Allah. It is cold but the sky is clear … alhamdulillah. For all my friends out there experiencing winter, I hope you are enjoying it in all its goodness :)

“My parents told me to learn the Qur’an before anything else…” Djamil, 10 of Senegal

“… But if all Muslims understood the Quran, there would be peace on earth…” Master Aboubacar, Djamil’s teacher

One of Islam’s most revered traditions, Koran recitation reaches its pinnacle at the world’s preeminent recitation competition in Cairo, where Muslim children come from across the globe to perform in front of a panel of prominent judges. Contestants as young as seven are ranked against kids more than twice their age for both their comprehensive memorization of the 600-page text as well as their improvised melodies. A diverse spectrum of Muslims competes for top prize: Ten-year-old Senegalese entrant Djamil navigates the competition alone while his community anxiously awaits his results; Rifdha, from a small island in the Maldives, enters as one of the competition’s few female participants; and Nabiollah, from rural Tajikistan, mesmerizes judges with his angelic voice in spite of not speaking Arabic.

Following these talented youngsters from their intense preparation regimes through the rigorous rounds of the tournament, director Greg Barker creates both an inspirational competition film and an engaging survey of the unique experiences of Muslim children throughout the world, using the cultural crossroads of the international competition to examine the issues facing of the next generation of Muslims.

~ Ian Hollander

My children LOVED this film. They were inspired by these extraordinary children. They enthralled by Nabiollah’s perfect memorization and beautiful voice, inspired by Rifdha who had big dreams and cried when confusion and nerves got the better of Djamil. If you have not watched this documentary, then I urge you to.

Check out the movie’s website and it’s Facebook page.

I discovered this link through my friend Raihanah’s Facebook and it is a lovely gem!

Ten-Minute Tafsir by Quranica.Com is a series aimed at making the Qur’an more accessible in the current day, using the popular short-video format to present a simplified explanation of a few verses at a time. More of an introduction than a commentary, it is based loosely on A Thematic Commentary on the Qur’an by the late Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali, a great Azhari scholar.

I love little nuggets like these that help to recharge one’s spiritual batteries… There are 11 videos to date and you can access them at Ten-Minute Tafseer’s Facebook page or at their Youtube Channel. Other resources are shared at Quranica.Com.

Ramadan TV

We’ve been up to all sorts of things… alhamdulillah, our days have been productive. We’ve kept things simple this year – no crazy crafts, no mega menus… just lots of family time, reading, studies and prayer. For the first time in a long time, I think we are feeling a great deal of hope and serenity, alhamdulillah.

I’ve let the kids watch a bit of Ramadan TV and they love it. Uncle Jawad hosts a Little Explorers show for kids and his energetic antics had them in stitches (but learning a lot!). They also liked the more serious lectures by speakers like Sheikh Yawar Beg, Ustadh Yahya Ibrahim, Dr Tawfique Chowdhury, Sheikh Isam Rajab, Sheikh Bilal Ismail and others.

3 EASY ways to watch:

(1) Watch LIVE stream at Ramadan TV (WORLDWIDE)
(2) Watch LIVE stream at Facebook
(3) Watch on SKY Channel 843 (in some countries only)

Threads of Hope - Sadness and Solution from Surat Yusuf

My kids really loved “Threads of Hope – Sadness and Solution from Surat Yusuf”, a series of 7 videos by Muhammad Alshareef. Each video deals with different problems and gems from Surat Yusuf as to how to overcome them.

You can watch the videos on Muhammad Alshareef’s Facebook or if you want the whole enchilada sign up at Threads of Hope to get a pdf binder with embedded videos and notes.

Ramadan TV

I love Surah Al-Burooj and I especially like this recitation by Sh Ifasy.

More freebies!

Courses on understanding the Quran, Qur’anic dictionaries, Quran translations and transliteration guides are available for download. Check out their videos, PowerPoint presentations and textbooks. Nice, eh?

This is lovely too – lots to download like The Easy Dictionary of the Qur’an, Eighty Percent of Qur’anic Words and verb sheets for those studying Arabic. My printer is going to get a good workout :)

Touched by An Angel – Tafseer of Juz Amma – the audio of the first double-weekend – ACCREDITED – seminar given by AlMaghrib Institute solely dedicated to the explanation of Part 30 of the Qur’an. Download the Study Guide & Personal Notebook Exam – I really love it as an accompaniment to the CD-set.

Umm Maimoonah is a mum home educating her preschool daughter. She is putting together her own Islamic preschool curriculum and has completed Weeks 1 to 12. I love that she has taken pointers from other existing guidelines and resources and made them her own. Her curriculum uses the outline from Talibiddeen Jr, has a weekly theme and incorporates Islamic Studies, English and Arabic literacy, science and art.

Lovely, innit?

You can download the Umm Maimoonah’s Islamic Preschool Curriculum for Weeks 1 to 12 here. Check her blog or better yet, subscribe for updates to join her on her home educating journey.

Tea, my friend, I know you will love this! And for those of you who like a holistic scheme of work – ah! the science of relations! – I know you will love this too :)

Two lovely home-educating sisters from the UK, Umm Raiyaan and Oum Loubabah are working together on a Qur’an curriculum. In this, they will not only go through the tafseer of the chapters of the Qur’an but also study bring in the scientific, historical and geographical aspects that the chapters touch on. There are art and craft ideas as well.

SO! Check out Umm Raiyaan’s blog where she has listed the curriculum and resources for Surah An-Naas. It’s really wonderful ma shaa Allah so go, go, GO!

Edit: The blog Ummi Homeschools Me has now been marked private by the owner. You’ll need a WordPress account to request access – I’ve not been successful! :(

We are spending Ramadan and `Eid in Singapore in shaa Allah so I am packing!

1. Qur’an and tafseer books

2. Touched by An Angel CDs and Study Guide

3. Stories of the Prophet by Ibn Kathir

4. The Sealed Nectar by Sheikh Safi ur Rahman Mubarakpuri

5. Words of Remembrance and Words of Reminder by Dr. Saalih ibn Ghaanim al-Sadlaan

6. Recharge Your Faith by Amirah Mauthoor (jazakillah khayran Fruitful Fusion!)

7. Productive Ramadan Webinars‘

8. Ramadan Journal and Copywork for the kids

9. My Islamic audio stash

10. Ramadan recipe book

What are you preparing? :)

Lives of the Prophets – Prophet Ayoub (Job), `alayhis salaam
narrated by Ms M. Kiyani

Once, there was a man named Ayoub. He was a Prophet of Allah and he was a wealthy man. He had many children and a good wife. He had every kind of wealth – he had cattle, land, a big house and a lot of money.

But one day, Allah decided to test him, which meant that all his wealth was taken from him. All his children died and even his health was taken away from him. One by one, his family began to desert him. Finally, the whole town threw him out of the city onto a rubbish heap. Some scholars say that his flesh began to fall off, leaving only muscle and bone behind.

His wife stayed with him, carrying out things he could not do. One by one, the people did not hire her as she was the wife of Ayoub. One day, she became so desperate that she went to the rich people of the town and sold her braid for good food. She brought the food to Ayoub `alayhis salaam and he asked her, “Where did you get this food?”

She gave a very vague answer, saying, “I provided service somewhere.”

The next day, again, she became desperate and she sold her other braid for good food. When she brought it to Ayoub `alayhis salaam, he refused to eat it, saying, “I will not eat this food until you tell me how you got it.” She removed her hijab/scarf and he saw that her hair had been cut. He was very angry and upset and swore that he would beat her a hundred times.

One day, Ayoub `alayhis salaam was instructed by Allah to strike the ground with his foot and from that place, there came a pool of water gushing. He was instructed to bathe in the water and while he bathed, all his sickness was washed away. After he had bathed, Allah sent to him a dress from Paradise. He was told to put this on by Allah and after that, he sat down in a corner.

When his wife came, she did not find Ayoub `alayhis salaam as she had left him and she did not recognise him. She asked the man who was sitting there, “O servant of Allah. Where is the man who was inflicted with disease when I left him? I am afraid that the dogs or wolves have carried him away and eaten him.” She kept talking.

When she stopped talking, Ayoub `alayhis salaam stood up and said, “O my wife. I am Ayoub.”

She said, “Do not mock me!”

He said, “It is me. I am Ayoub.”

Then, she finally recognised him.

All his children were returned to him and the like of them.

All his wealth was returned to him and then more.

On top of all that, Allah rained down golden locusts on top of him. He was catching them in the folds of his clothes and Allah said, “O Ayoub! Have you not enough of my blessings?”

Ayoub `alayhis salaam laughed and said, “O Allah! No one can have enough of your blessings.”

Ayoub had to beat his wife a hundred times because he had promised, remember? He did not really want to beat his wife because she had been a good lady when he was sick and had worked without complaint. He had lost control in the heat of the moment. Allah told him to tie bundle of one hundred reeds together and to tap his wife once.

I learnt from Ayoub `alayhis salaam that you should always be patient. He never complained about his sickness and he was always grateful for what Allah had given him in the past seventy years. We should also follow in his footsteps in being grateful. We should also follow his wife because she was a good woman and never complained about her husband’s disease and having to work hard.

The reward from Allah is great for one who is patient.

My buddy Iram who homeschools her 3 lovely children in California has returned to blogging. About time! She has a million wonderful things to share and her latest post on The Islamic Homeschool is a real gem, ma shaa Allah.