Maryam Masjid: Fajr Club Assignments

1. The assignments are intended for the youth, not the adults (unless specifically stated). However, the adults can help the youth.
2. Each assignment has a specified financial reward that will be given to all who submit the answers by the deadline.
3. The main objective of these assignments is to encourage the youth to engage with the Quran and take advantages of the tools the Quran uses to help them develop their cognitive capacity.   The Quran uses 4 approaches: stories, examples (Amthal), questions and hints to natural sciences.
4. All answers should be submitted as “text file” by the deadline to mamdouh.salama@comcast.net

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This assignment is for the adults of the Fajr Club

In Surat Yunus (10), Allah established two conditions for those who are the Awlia of Allah, they are the believers and the Mutaqeen.  Allah says:

أَلَآ إِنَّ أَوۡلِيَآءَ ٱللَّهِ لَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُونَ (٦٢) ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَڪَانُواْ يَتَّقُونَ (٦٣)

“Indeed, the Awlia of Allah shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve. (62) Those who believe and have Taqwa (fully conscious of Allah)”. (Yunus: 10:62-63)

The assignment is:

1/Study all the Ayat in the Quran that define the traits of those who are believers and those who have taqwa and develop a combined list of the traits without duplication.

2/ For each trait, identify performance metric that involves quality and quantity parameters to establish what would be acceptable performance vs outstanding performance.

 Hint:

1. The traits of those who have Taqwa are given in Ayat 3, 4, 177 and 183 of Surat Al-Baqara (2), and Ayat 16 and 17, and Ayat 133 to 135 of  Surat Al-E-Imran (3).
2. The traits of the Mumenoon are given in: Ayat 2 to4of Surat Al-Anfal (8), Ayat 71 of Surat Al-Tawba (9), Ayat 1 to 8 of Surat Al-Mumenoon (23), and Ayat 36 to 39 of Surat Al-Shura (42)
3. Since performing prayers will be one of the traits, you need to study that ayat that describes those who pray such as Ayat 19 to 33 of Surat Al-Maarij (سُوۡرَةُ المعَارج) (70), and Ayat 45 of Surat Al-Ankaboot (29)
4. Also, since being patient will be one of the attributes, you need to study the Ayat of those who are patience are such as Ayat 155 to 157 of Surat Al-Baqara.

Assignment Date: Sunday March 12, 2023

Deadline:  The last Friday of Ramadan (the likely date of April 21) (Send your “typed” answers as “text file” in English to mamdouh.salama@comcast.net  .

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The assignment:

• Identify 6 things that you are prohibited from doing or saying to your friends and people in general based on Ayat 11 and 12 of Surat Al-Hujurat (49).
• Identify the one thing from the above list that if you do during Ramadan, you will be breaking your fast even if you don’t eat or drink.

Assignment Date: February 26, 2023

Submission Deadline: March 12, 2023 (Send your “typed” answers as “text file” in English to mamdouh.salama@comcast.net .

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The assignment: Identify two traits that are common among the people of Taqwa, the believers and the people with understanding based on the following Ayat:

1. Verse 177 from Surat Al-Baqra (2) describes the traits of those who have Taqwa
2. Verses 2 and 3 from Surat Al-Anfal (8) describe the traits of the believers.
3. Verses 19 to 22 from Surat Al-Rad (13) describe the traits of those who have understanding.

Assignment Date: February 12, 2023

Submission Deadline: February 25, 2023 (Send your “typed” answers as “text file” in English to mamdouh.salama@comcast.net .

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Assignment: Surat Al-Rahman (55) Ayat 46 refers to two gardens and the following Ayat 48, 50, and 52 give 3 descriptions or them.    Ayat 62 refers to two other gardens and the following Ayat 64, 66, and 68 gave 3 descriptions for them.

The assignment is to explain the differences between these three descriptions to justify that one of these two gardens is better than the other.  (The Arabic text for the key verses is below)

وَلِمَنۡ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِۦ جَنَّتَانِ (٤٦) — ذَوَاتَآ أَفۡنَانٍ۬ (٤٨) — فِيہِمَا عَيۡنَانِ تَجۡرِيَانِ (٥٠) —فِيہِمَا مِن كُلِّ فَـٰكِهَةٍ۬ زَوۡجَانِ (٥٢)

وَمِن دُونِہِمَا جَنَّتَانِ (٦٢) — مُدۡهَآمَّتَانِ (٦٤) — فِيہِمَا عَيۡنَانِ نَضَّاخَتَانِ (٦٦) —- فِيہِمَا فَـٰكِهَةٌ۬ وَنَخۡلٌ۬ وَرُمَّانٌ۬ (٦٨)

Assignment Date: January 29, 2023

Submission Deadline: February 12, 2023

Hints:  If you cannot consult the Arabic tafseer, read multiple translations to learn how the translators understood the differences.  Report only on the differences that are convincing to you. You are always free to consult with anyone for additional meanings.

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Assignment: Allah informs us in Surat Al-Mudather (74) Ayat 30 that Hell is surrounded by 19 angles and informs us that the number is important to the believers and the people of the book:

وَمَآ أَدۡرَٮٰكَ مَا سَقَرُ (٢٧) لَا تُبۡقِى وَلَا تَذَرُ (٢٨) لَوَّاحَةٌ۬ لِّلۡبَشَرِ (٢٩) عَلَيۡہَا تِسۡعَةَ عَشَرَ (٣٠)

“And what will make you know what exactly Hell Fire is? (27) It neither spares (any disbeliever) nor does it leave (anything unburnt). (28) Burning the skins. (29) Appointed on it are nineteen (wardens). (Al-Muddathir 74:27-30)

In Surat Al-Hijr (15) Ayat 44, Allah informs us that Hell has 7 gates

وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمَوۡعِدُهُمۡ أَجۡمَعِينَ (٤٣) لَهَا سَبۡعَةُ أَبۡوَٲبٍ۬ (٤٤)

And Hell is the promised abode for them all! (43) It has seven Gates: (Al-Hijr 15:43-44)

The assignment is what is the name and some of the applications of the number you derive by divining the number angels by the number of gates, i.e., 19 divided by 7.

Assignment Date: January 15, 2023

Submission Deadline: January 28, 2023

(Hint:  The ratio is related to the mathematical branch that was developed by the Muslim Scientist al-Khwarizmi whose name gave rise to the terms algorism and algorithm.  Also check the contribution of the Swiss scientist Euler and examine his Euler identity.)

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Assignment: Allah informs us in many verses as the following ones that He knows every minute thing that happens in the universe. The assignment is to give an example demonstrating that minor things that happen in earth are important because they can result in major effects.

۞ وَعِندَهُ ۥ مَفَاتِحُ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ لَا يَعۡلَمُهَآ إِلَّا هُوَ‌ۚ وَيَعۡلَمُ مَا فِى ٱلۡبَرِّ وَٱلۡبَحۡرِ‌ۚ وَمَا تَسۡقُطُ مِن وَرَقَةٍ إِلَّا يَعۡلَمُهَا وَلَا حَبَّةٍ۬ فِى ظُلُمَـٰتِ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَا رَطۡبٍ۬ وَلَا يَابِسٍ إِلَّا فِى كِتَـٰبٍ۬ مُّبِينٍ۬ (٥٩)

“And with Him are the keys of the Unseen. No One knows them but He.  He knows what is in the land and the sea. No leaf ever falls but that He knows about it, and there is no grain in the darkness of the earth, or anything fresh or dry that is not in a clear record.” (Al-Anaam 6:59)

لَا يَعۡزُبُ عَنۡهُ مِثۡقَالُ ذَرَّةٍ۬ فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَلَا فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَآ أَصۡغَرُ مِن ذَٲلِكَ وَلَآ أَڪۡبَرُ

“Not an atom or less or greater than that whether in the heavens or in the earth escapes Him.” (Saba 34:3)

Assignment Date: January 15, 2023

Submission Deadline: January 28, 2023

(Hint:  For elementary and middle school students, they can read with their parents about the “Butterfly effect”.

For high school students and beyond they need to read about the Chaos theory.  A good paper to read the 1963 paper on “Deterministic Nonperiodic Flow’ by Edward Lorenz, a meteorologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

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Assignment: In Surat Al-Hajj (22), Allah challenges the disbelievers by saying:

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ضُرِبَ مَثَلٌ۬ فَٱسۡتَمِعُواْ لَهُ ۥۤ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ تَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ لَن يَخۡلُقُواْ ذُبَابً۬ا وَلَوِ ٱجۡتَمَعُواْ لَهُ ۥ‌ۖ وَإِن يَسۡلُبۡہُمُ ٱلذُّبَابُ شَيۡـًٔ۬ا لَّا يَسۡتَنقِذُوهُ مِنۡهُ‌ۚ

“O mankind! Here is a parable set forth for you, so listen to it carefully.  All those whom you invoke besides Allah, cannot create (even) a fly, even though they get together for the purpose. And if the fly snatches away something from them, they cannot release it from it”. (A-Hajj 22:73)

The assignment is to identify the unique traits of the fly that when it takes something from the food no one can take it back from it.

Assignment Date: January 1, 2023

Submission Deadline: January 14, 2023

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Assignment: In verses 67 to 73 of Surat Al-Baqara (2:67-73), Allah informs us of the account of Bani Israel with Prophet Moses regarding a cow.  The assignment is to identify 5 “practical” lessons that you have learned from the story to apply in your life.

Assignment Date: December 18, 2022

Submission Deadline: January 1, 2023

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Assignment: The impact of prayers on a Muslim should be demonstrated by his/her character. In Surat Al-Maarij (سُوۡرَةُ المعَارج) (70), Allah provides several characters of those who pray. The assignment is to identify 10 of these characters.

Assignment Date: December 4, 2022

Submission Deadline: December 24, 2022

Note: All rituals in Islam such prayers are intended to improve the character of the Muslim as Allah says regarding prayers: (إِنَّ الصَّلاةَ تَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ [العنكبوت].) “Indeed, the Prayer restrains from shameful and evil deeds.” (Al-Ankaboot 29:45).  Ibn Masoud said: “Whoever his prayers do not inhibit him from shameful and evil deeds, he has offered no prayers at all.” (من لم تنهه صلاته عن الفحشاء والمنكر؛ فلا صلاة له).

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Assignment: In Surat Al-Shuara (سُوۡرَةُ الشُّعَرَاء) (26), Allah provides the stories of 6 nations who rejected their prophets and Allah destroyed them.

The assignment is to answer the following questions:

1. Who were those people and Who were their prophets?
2. What were the special transgressions that they committed in addition to rejecting the Prophet and made them deserve Allah’s interference to destroy them.
3. What was the form of their destruction?
4. Do some of these transgressions exist today and if yes, what are they?

Assignment Date: November 20, 2022

Submission Deadline: December 3, 2022

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Assignment:  Identify from the Quran ten characters of people whom Allah said that He loves (don’t name prophets) and identify ten character of people whom Allah said that He does not love.

Assignment Date: Sunday November 7, 2022

Submission Deadline: Saturday November 19, 2022

Hint: Search the Quran for ‘Allah loves” (الله يحب)  and for “Allah does not love” (الله لا يحب)

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Assignment:  Interpretation of the meaning Verse 72 of Surat Al-Ahzab

Assignment Date: Sunday November 6, 2022

Submission Deadline: Saturday November 19, 2022

Allah says in the end of Surat Al-Ahzab (33:72):

إِنَّا عَرَضۡنَا ٱلۡأَمَانَةَ عَلَى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱلۡجِبَالِ فَأَبَيۡنَ أَن يَحۡمِلۡنَہَا وَأَشۡفَقۡنَ مِنۡہَا وَحَمَلَهَا ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنُۖ إِنَّهُ ۥ كَانَ ظَلُومً۬ا جَهُولاً۬  Al-Ahzab 33:72))

I am not providing the English translation because the assignment is to come with an English translation of the meaning of this verse that makes sense to you. The translation needs to reflect the understanding of the youth (with the help of the parents) to the verse.  The meaning of the verse needs to consider the following hints:

1. The verse mentions “the Amanah” which is the translated as “the Trust” but the verse does not say what is it. Can you speculate what is this trust based on other verses form the Quran.
2. Does the verse imply that Allah offered this Amanah to the heavens, the earth and the mountains and they decided not to accept it? Do the heavens and the Earth and the Mountains have free will to accept and reject?
3. Was this Amanah offered to man?
4. Did Allah create man unjust and ignorant and then allowed him to foolishly accept this Amanah?
5. Knowing that Allah is Just, Wise, Knowledgeable, and Merciful, it makes no sense that your interpretation would suggest that Allah asks man to carry this Amanah when He knew that man is unjust and foolish and thus fails.
6. Allah has selected people to serve as His prophets and Messengers, obviously those select group cannot be unjust and ignorant.
7. You may also consider verse 73 and suggest what is the linkage between being and unjust and foolish and the punishment and forgiveness.

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Assignment to Fajr Club as gtoup

I gave an assignment to the youth who attend the Fajr Club to identify five attributes of the Prophet (PBUH) from the Quran and identify form the hadith the demonstration by the Prophet (PBUH) of each attribute.  The award was $50, now I want to give the same assignment to the Fajr club as a group. The assignment is to identify 100 specific attributes of the Prophet (PBUH) from the Quran by providing the verse based on which the attribute is identified and identify from the book of hadith the demonstration by the Prophet (PBUH) of each attribute.  For each attribute the following must be submitted:

1. The reference for each verse and hadith.
2. Both the Arabic and the English texts.
3. The attributes must be specific and not general. General attributes that are not acceptable are like: role model, good character.  Specific attributes can be trustworthy, merciful, humble, patient, etc.

The award for the club will be $5000.

The deadline: January 29, 2023 (about 100 days)

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Assignment: When the Prophet’s wife Sayeda Aisha (RA) was asked about the character of the Prophet (PBUH) she said: (كان خلقه القرآن) “His character was the Quran”.    Your assignment is to identify from the Quran 5 characters of the Prophet (PBUH) and submit the following for each character:

1. The character
2. The verse from the Quran that identified the character
3. An account from the hadith or Seerah in which the Prophet (PBUH) demonstrated the character.

Assignment Date: Sunday October 9, 2022

Submission Deadline: Saturday October 22, 2022

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Assignment:  Allah commands to us to response to greetings by saying:

وَإِذَا حُيِّيتُم بِتَحِيَّةٍ۬ فَحَيُّواْ بِأَحۡسَنَ مِنۡہَآ أَوۡ رُدُّوهَآ‌ۗٓ

“When you are greeted with a greeting, greet in return with one better than it, or return the same.” (Al-Nisa 4:86)

When the angels visited Prophet Ibrahim, they greeted him, and he responded to their greeting as follows:

إِذۡ دَخَلُواْ عَلَيۡهِ فَقَالُواْ سَلَـٰمً۬ا‌ۖ قَالَ سَلَـٰمٌ۬ قَوۡمٌ۬ مُّنكَرُونَ (الذّاریَات )

“When they (the angels) entered unto him and they said: Peace! he answered, Peace! (He said to himself): They are unknown people.” (Al-Dhariat 51:25)

The assignment is to answer whether Prophet Ibrahim responded with an equal greeting or better greeting.  Explain the basis for your response.

Assignment Date: Sunday September 18, 2022

Deadline: Saturday October 2, 2022

Hint:  Look at the marking on the two Arabic greetings.

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Assignment: Write short story based on the elements of the best story that you have identified by studying Surat Yusuf.  Your story cannot exceed 5 typed pages.

Sunday September 18, 2022

Deadline: Saturday October 10, 2022

Submission: submit your short story by the deadline

Note:  Based on Surat Yusuf, elements of a good story may include: 1) Main character who is the hero.  2) Powerful enemies, 3) An event that sets the actions in motion. 4) Conflicts.  5) A natural arc that connects the beginning of the story to its end. 6)  A hook. 7) Transformation of the main character. 8) Visual scenes. 9)  Climax resolution.

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Assignment: Allah describes the story of Prophet Yusuf in surat Yusuf (12) as being “The Best Stories” ( احسن القصص) The assignment is to identify from the story at least 5 elements that are part of a good story.  Justify your answer from the story.

Assignment Date: Sunday August 28

Deadline: Sunday September 11, 2022

Example of an element: A hook (in the story, it was the shirt that was key in three events: the return of the brothers without Yusuf, the justification for the innocence of Yusuf from the false accusation, and the sign to his father).

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Assignment: What is the speed of mountains which was related verse 88 from Surat Al-Naml?

وَتَرَى ٱلۡجِبَالَ تَحۡسَبُہَا جَامِدَةً۬ وَهِىَ تَمُرُّ مَرَّ ٱلسَّحَابِ‌ۚ صُنۡعَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَتۡقَنَ كُلَّ شَىۡءٍ‌ۚ إِنَّهُ ۥ خَبِيرُۢ بِمَا تَفۡعَلُونَ

“You see the mountains and think that they are stationary, but they travel as the clouds travel: (such is) the creation of Allah, Who perfected everything. He is All-Aware of what you do. (Al-Naml 27:88)

Assignment Data: August 28, 2022

Deadline: Sunday September 11, 2022