In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
USOOL AD-DEEN
(ROOTS OF RELIGION)
FOR CHILDREN
The "Usool ad-Deen" course has been put together by volunteer experts and teachers in the Mohammad (PBUH) Scientific and Cultural Foundation Center for Kids and Teens (Khaane Koodak va Nojavan in Farsi). This course is appropriate for children between the ages of 8 to 12. It aims to make students familiar with the basics of Shia Islam, including beliefs and doctrine...
Lesson 10: God’s Messengers
(Nubuwwah – Part 1)
Written by: Zahra Moradi
Translated by: Ali Mansouri
Edited by: Marzie Salehi
Note to Instructor: Whenever we hear the name of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), we should recite a Salawat to be thankful for all the efforts he put for our guidance.
Content:
In the recent sessions, we discussed the Usool ad-Deen (Roots of Religion). How many roots of religion are there?
Good job! There are five: Tawhid, Adalah, Nubuwwah, Imamah, Qiyamah
What does “Usool ad-Deen” mean?
Correct! They are principles and roots of religion.
Why do we call them roots of the religion?
Yes, good job! Because they are very important. If we consider the religion of Islam as a tree that has roots, branches, and fruits, those principles would be roots of that tree. A lack of belief in or misconceptions about any of them will dry out the roots of the tree of one’s religion. Consequently, the branches and fruits of that tree will soon wither away.
How many of these five principles have we discussed?
Two of them: Tawhid and Adalah.
Tawhid means that our Creator is One and there is no person or thing that is like Him.
Adalah means that God does not oppress anyone.
In this session, we want to talk about the third principle of religion; that is Nubuwwah. Nubuwwah means believing that God, the Most Kind, has sent His best and most compassionate servants as prophets to guide humanity. Muslims accept and respect all of the God’s prophets.
Remember the session in which we described God as very kind? Do you remember how we learned that God wants nothing but goodness for us? He has prepared a roadmap for us to guide our lives with out of His Kindness, to help us reach true happiness.
Children, do you agree that no one knows better than God what is good and what is bad for us, or what benefits or harms us? Of course, the God who has created us knows better! Thus, there is no way and plan better for us than what God has shown us.
The plan and roadmap of life which God has prepared for humanity is known as religion.
Religion, or the roadmap of living, deals with many different aspects of life. It contains many should and should nots, must and must nots, and has ideas for various topics and numerous matters which a person may face to during their life journey. It is not limited to only major subjects, but rather covers all aspects of life to protect human from missteps and slips. For example, Islam gives an opinion on proper eating behavior and what is good or bad for us. It even tells us how to sleep. For example, we should not go to sleep with a full stomach and we generally should not sleep on our stomach. It advises us what to do before sleeping and after waking up. It tells us how to talk and what we should and should not say. It teaches us how to behave with our friends, elders, and neighbors. Religion goes as far as covering our behavior with animals and plants. It looks at many other subjects and has opinion for every matter.
One of the prophets’ jobs was to, on behalf of God, introduce people to that roadmap of life known as religion.
Now, which one of you knows the name of the first prophet?
Good job! Prophet Adam (AS).
The people of every era had their own prophet. God, the Most Kind, sent 124,000 compassionate prophets for the guidance and happiness of humanity. They came one after another and brought God’s message to the people.
How could people be sure that somebody who has claimed to be a prophet, has really been sent by God? There are a few different ways.
First, people need to pay attention to what that person says and invites to. If that claimant to Prophethood encourages unreasonable things and falsehood, people will know that person could not be selected by God as a prophet and his claim is not true. Another key is prophets did not ask the people for any cost in return of their Prophethood. If someone asked people to do something for their own benefit, such as giving them money or doing their personal errands, this would reveal that they are an imposter who aims to deceive the people.
The other way to recognize real prophets, is that they can, by God’s power, do special things as a sign which are impossible for other people to do. These include bringing the dead back to life or splitting the sea open to reveal a dry pathway. These things are called miracles. Miracles are signs of God’s power and the prophets’ truthfulness. The prophets were all outstanding people known for their honesty even before being given their missions. God granted the prophets miracles to remove any doubts from people’s heart indicating they were sent by God to deliver God’s messages.
Can you say the names of a few of God’s prophets?
Good job! Excellent!
Now, who knows what the name of the last prophet is?
Very good! Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
{At this point the teacher will recite a Salawat so that the children join them.}
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was the last prophet sent by God. With his Prophethood, God’s religion became complete. This means the details of the roadmap for humanity that God laid out were completely delivered to the people. All Muslims love the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and are thankful to him for his hard work to guide humanity to the right path. The Prophet worked hard to show people the right path of life despite facing difficult circumstances.
He and his followers were persecuted in many ways such as sanctions and death threats. Despite these difficult conditions, he always invited the people to do good deeds and avoid bad actions with a smile and kind voice. He taught the people to worship the God Who is One, rather than worshipping materials such as stones and wood and believing in multiple gods. He urged the people to be truthful, helpful, and well-behaved, be nice to children, respect their parents, be kind to women, take care of nature, and follow hygiene. He strongly advised the people to avoid annoying and harming each other, calling each other bad words, and telling lies.
However, some people did not like his way. They had oppressed the people and wanted to continue to bully and deceive others, ignore other people’s right to live well, harm whoever they did not like, and steal whatever they desired from others. But Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) opposed them.
The Prophet dedicated his entire life, wealth, belongings, and even his loved ones for humanity. This is why whenever we hear his name, we send a Salawat in order to show how much we love him and are thankful for his hard work. A Salawat mean that we ask God to advance the Prophet’s status in heaven greater and greater.
Now my dear children, let thank our dear Prophet for all his efforts for us by sending a loud Salawat: Allahumma salli ’ala Muhammadin wa aali Muhammad
Good job!
Let’s remember that from now on, whenever we hear the name of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), we should send a Salawat.
Main Source: Mohammad Foundation
