Social and Religious Studies

  

Key unit competence: Be able to only pray to Allah, to respect other beliefs, to trust in Allah in all situations and to

  keep him/her away from heavy punishments from Allah to the disobedient persons.

                                                                    Learning objectives

At the end of this unit, you should be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

•     Read and recite correctly the Surat about trusting in Allah, about punishments and awards from God at the end of age.
•     List the actions that will be heavily punished by Allah.
•     List the attitudes that help to be prevented from heavy punishment that God will deliver to the disobedient persons.

Skills

• Analyse the Surat Al-Kaafiroona
•  Interpret the Surat Al-Quraysh.
•  Explain Surat Al-Humazat.
•  Distinguish wrong from right actions in his/her life.

Attitudes and values

•  Respect the diversity but keep the own faith.
•  Appreciating the importance of security in Islam.
•  Always trust in God especially in trials.
•  Have fear of God. (Observe the commandments of Allah).

Introductory activity

Look at the picture below and answer the questions.

    1. What is the book in the picture below?

    2. Why is this book important?

    3. Who uses this book?

    4. Do you know if it was written before or after the Bible?

2.1 The Qur’an

The Qur’an is the holy book of Islam. Muslims believe the Qur’an was revealed by Allah to the 

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) through the Angel Gabriel over a period of approximately 23 years, 

starting on 22 December 609 CE, when the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was 40, and finishing in 632, 

the year of his death. The Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to correct any errors in

previous holy books such as the Old and New Testaments.

The Qur’an was written in Arabic. It contains 30 chapters and 114 suras and each sura consists of a number of ayat or verses. 

The lines of each ayat are numbered. In this unit we will learn about five of the suras.

All the chapters except one begin with the sentence Bismillahir rahmanir raheem.

This means ‘In the name of Allah the most merciful and the most kind’. 

This is the thought with which Muslims should start every action.

Children often go to Madrassah, which is a kind of school attached to a mosque. At Madrassah they are

taught about the Qur’an.

Children learn to read

the Qur’an at an early age.

Activity

Examine a copy of the Qur’an. Point out the suras and the ayat.

2.2 Surat Al-Kafirun

Surat Al-Kafirun is the 109th chapter of the Holy Qur’an and is also known as Al Kafirun.

 The word Kafirun is an Arabic word meaning disbelievers.

Activity

Human rights

Freedom to practise one’s own religion is a basic human right. 

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed by the United Nations in 1948 to promote world peace and tolerance. 

In Rwanda the Constitution and other laws and policies protect religious freedom.

2.3 Surat Al-Quraish

The tribe of Quraish worshipped Allah and He protected them on their trading journeys. 

Quraish was the name of the Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) tribe. 

This sura describes the favour with which Allah blessed the Quraish. 

For a people to flourish and thrive, two things are necessary: 

a stable society, and trade and commerce. For this to happen, there must be enough food and there must be peace.

Allah protected the Quraish on their trading journeys.
Exercise
   1. What has God done for the Quraish?
   2. What does this sura say about trusting in Allah?
   3. What does this sura tell us about national security and its importance in Rwanda?
2.4 Surat Al-Humazah
The Surat Al-Humazah condemns those who slander others, whether by speech or ction.
It also warns those who think that being wealthy will keep them immune from death,
and it describes the punishments of Hell that await them.


Activity

Recite the following lines of the Surat Al-Humazah.

Woe to him who mocks other people by his actions or by his words

Who has gathered wealth and counted it

He thinks that his wealth will make him last forever.

Nay! Verily, he will be thrown into Al-Hutama

And how could you know what Al-Hutama is?

The Fire of Allah that is kindled.

Which penetrates up to the hearts

It is locked encompassing them in it.

In pillars stretched forth

Do a role-play about the consequences of mocking other people.

Exercise

    1. What will happen to people who mock other people?

    2. What does this sura tell us about people who think their wealth will last forever?

    3. What punishments will these people receive?

2.5 Surat Al-Fil

The Surat Al-Fil reminds us that we have no power to stand in the way of the power of Allah. 

The sura tells of how Allah destroyed a great army of elephants using tiny birds who pelted them with 

small stones of petrified clay.

Activity

Recite the following five lines of the Surat Al-Fil.

Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the people who had the Elephant?

Did He not make their plot go astray?

And He sent against them birds, in flocks.

Striking them with stones of backed clay.

And He made them like eaten straw.

2.6 Surat Al-Ma‘un

End unit assessment

Do the following:

1. Match the sura with the correct description.

2. Complete the sentences.

      a) The Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon

              him) over _____ years.

      b) The Qur’an is made up of ______ and _______ .

3. What is the thought with which every Muslim should commence their actions?