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Bismillahi ar-rahmani ar-rahim

Al-Baqara 2:2-4

ذَلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَالَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَوَالَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ

This is the Scripture, in which there is no doubt, a guidance for those who ward off. Who believe in the Unseen, and establish worship, and spend from that which we have given them and who believe in that which is revealed to you and that which was revealed before you.

The ayahs above are the opening words of the longest sura. Mark these words carefully.

The blessed month of Ramadan has started. We wish you Ramadan Mubarak and invite you to draw closer to Allah, and also to one another. This is time for prayer and study, and also for fellowship. Wherever you are, let’s keep in touch and encourage each other as brothers and sisters in the ummah of Allah. We will be praying duah for Muslims around the World throughout the month and ask you to remember us in your duah too. We will love to hear what barakah (blessing) and hidayah (guidance) Allah gives you as you approach Him in salat (namaz, prescribed prayer), sawm (fasting), duah (personal prayer) and hamida (praise).

This year, while Muslims all over the World will be entering into the last and most important third of Ramadan, the time when, according to tradition, destiny is being decided, the Western Christian world will celebrate Easter, an event which also commemorates the shaping of destiny of every person who has ever lived, lives, or will live. You have probably heard about this eid (holiday). Maybe you have Christian neighbors, or even live in a Christian country.

This holiday is not remembered by the Muslim ummah. Many Muslims therefore conclude that it has nothing to do with Islam, that the events remembered at Easter belong only to the People of the Book. Yet, this holiday remembers two highly respected prophets of Islam - Musa and Isa (aws).

The Holy Qur’an makes the following strong statement, and Muslims should know it and keep it in their hearts. In the Scripture, the disciples of Isa said:

Ali-Imran 3:52

أَنصَارُ اللَّهِ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَاشْهَدْ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ

We will be Allah’s helpers. We believe in Allah, and bear witness that we are submitted (in Arabicبِأَنَّا  مُسْلِمُونَ = bi anna muslimuna = we are submitted/Muslims).

Why should the People of the Book claim great prophets of Allah only for themselves? Were not these nebiim (prophets) blessed messengers of al-Haqq (the Truth)? Were they not examples for the followers of the Straight path? Yet, many Muslims voluntarily leave the blessings, offered freely by Rab Al-Alameen (the Lord of the Worlds), to the Jews and Christians, by not making an effort to study the lives of the prophets of Allah, truths revealed through them, and their good works.

I want to share some ayahs and short thoughts with you on certain Juma days, starting this blessed Ramazan, and hope to hear back from you in return. Let us remember Allah and His ways every day and every Juma.

Over the coming months, I would like us to look together at questions such as:

How were the people of Musa (aws) saved from the land of Al-Misr (Egypt)? What can Muslims learn from this?

What does the Holy Qur’an say about the prophet Isa (aws), and how has he fulfilled the ayah (sign) of nabi Musa?

What happened to prophet Adam (aws) and his wife, Mother Hawa, and how does it relate to the prophets and events mentioned above?

I welcome you not only to read these Juma readings, but also to answer questions attached to them, and share your own ideas and questions related to the prophets about whom we will be studying.

Peace be with you