Academy for Learning Islam

Figs and Honey . The news spread fast in Kufa. Imam Ali had received large amounts of figs and honey from the people of Hamadan as a gift. People knew he never kept anything for himself. They came out from their homes, bringing their cups, and pots, and bags, and whatever they had. They wanted a share of the delicious stuff from Hamadan. . Imam came towards the group of people that had gathered. ‘I will give you what you want’ he said. ‘But you must wait’.... He turned to his friends. 'Call the children' he told them. People looked at each other. What was Imam doing? ‘Call all the needy children of Kufa’ he said again. . Soon groups of children came running. The jumped and they hopped. They skipped towards the Imam. His smiling face showed love and happiness at seeing them. He pointed toward the bags of figs and containers of honey. 'Take and eat as much as you want' he told them. Imam sat with them, helping them to eat. . The children were delighted. Sounds of laughter filled the streets as the children ate from the figs and honey and took some aside for themselves. The figs were so soft and ripe. Purple juice stained their hands and mouths. They loved the golden honey of Hamadan that had such a special taste. It was such a treat. . The adults looked on waiting for their turn. When the children were done eating Imam divided the remaining figs and honey between the people. One of them objected; ' Why were the children able to get all they wanted, and you even fed them figs and honey yourself, but when it is our turn you decide to divide equally?' . Imam looked at him. 'An Imam' he said gently ' is the father of all needy children who do not have a guardian. A father does this for his children. I wanted to satisfy and please the children'. . Biharul Anwar, Vol. 41, page 123 See more

NEW PUBLICATION ALERT . ALI Academy is excited to present two new publications, "40 Hadith Rajab and Shaban" & "Devotions for Rajab and Shaban." . Take advantage of these beautiful digital books during the spiritual months of Rajab and Shaban.... . Price: $1.39 & $2.99 for a digital copy . For more information and to purchase a digital copy visit: www.academyofislam.com/publications See more

Two New Shirts . Imam Ali (a) and his servant Qambar went to the market. ‘We need to buy two shirts’ said the Imam. ‘One for you and another one for myself.’ They looked around. There were many shops selling clothes. Each seller tried to attract people to his shop. ‘Come, I have good quality shirts’ shouted one seller. Another was excitedly waving some clothes in the air for people to see. Yet another had put on a display of all the new clothes he had. People seemed busy shop...ping for what they needed. . Imam stopped at one of the shops. The shirts seemed good and he picked up one. The shopkeeper saw and recognized him right away. ‘O Imam’ he said. ‘Please take whichever one you want. I don’t want any money for it.’ . Imam looked away. He did not like to take anything for free. He knew the man could not afford it. He smiled at him and moved on. They went to another shop and found two shirts which Imam and Qambar both liked. They asked the young man in the shop how much the shirts would cost. One was for three dirhams and the other simpler one was priced at two dirhams. Imam gave him the money and he put the two shirts in a bag for them. . The Imam and Qambar walked back home. Their shopping was done. When they went inside Imam took out the shirt that was for three dirhams and gave it to Qambar. ‘This is yours’ he said, smiling at the young man who was like a son to him. ‘No, no’ said Qambar. He was embarrassed and looked down. ‘No my Imam, that shirt would be better on you. You go to the minbar and people see you. I am a servant and work at home. I can take the simpler shirt.’ . ‘Of course not’ said the Imam. He pushed the shirt towards Qambar. ‘Take it Qambar’ he said. ‘You are young and I am old. And a good quality shirt looks better on a young man. I will be pleased if you take it and I will wear the other one.’ See more

Wiladat of Imam Ali (as) . Born: 13th Rajab, 30th Amulfeel, inside the holy Kaaba in Makkah . Father's name: Abu Talib (as)... Mother's name: Fatima bint e Asad (as) . The famous French historian and Orientalist Gabriel Enkiri writes in his famous book ‘Le chevalier de Islam’, In the extremely superfine, grand and noble character of ‘Ali, there were two traits which, it is difficult to believe that can be united in one man. . Besides ‘Ali, history cannot show any other man who has displayed these two qualities at one and the same time, and each one, in such a marked way that none can surpass him. . 1. He was the greatest marshal of his time (even of all time) 2. He was the wisest man who could explain and expound religion, philosophy, science, sociology and ethics, in a style which was not and which cannot be improved; what is more, he was such a great speaker that his speeches enchant you even fourteen centuries after his death . al-islam.org/story-of-the-holy/first-imam-ali-ibn-abu-talib See more

Remembering Bibi Zainab (as) . Death: 15th Rajab 62 AH Buried: Damascus, Syria .... Bibi Zainab (as) was from the most noble and honorable family. One of the traits she inherited was the great level knowledge she had. Bibi Zainab (as) was known to be extremely knowledgeable. Imam Zainul Abideen (as) referred to her as "Aalima ghairi muallima." Meaning she was learned without being taught. She was also well versed and had extensive knowledge of the Holy Quran and its verses, and she eloquently made reference to these verses in her sermon in the court of Yazid, following the tragedy of Karbala: . "Let the faithless not suppose that the respite that we grant them is good for their souls: We give them respite only that they may increase in sin and eventually there is a humiliating punishment for them." 3:178 . It is here that Bibi Zainab (as) tells Yazid that he should not consider that this apparent victory is a sign that Allah is pleased with his actions. There may be a delay in reprisal, but it will come eventually. . "And do not consider those who are killed in the way of Allah as dead, rather they are alive with their Lord, being sustained; they are pleased with what Allah has given to them out of His grace." 3:169-170 . Through this verse, Bibi Zainab (as) is reminding Yazid that do not think that by killing my brother and family that you have eliminated them. In fact, they are martyrs, who live not only in the other world, sustained by Allah's grace, but they will continue to live on, in the hearts of the believers. . Bibi Zainab demonstrated great courage and it was through her great determination and persistence that she was able to tell people about the evil acts committed against Imam Husayn (as), their family members and companions. Had it not been for the bravery of Bibi Zainab (as), the message of Kabala may have faded in history and been forgotten. . Sources: https://al-m.ca//bibi-zaynabs-sermon-its-historical-backg/ See more

The beauty of Imam Ali (a)’s worship . Imam Ali (a) and the Imams after him taught society how to be truly spiritual and how to connect our souls with God. One of the most outstanding qualities of Imam Ali (a) was his extreme love for Allah (swt). This not just an ordinary love, but an adoration for God. A complete immersion of the heart in the love of God. This love of Imam Ali (a) for God can be seen in all his worship. . It is said that when you saw Imam Ali (a) in ...worship, you saw the trembling of a human being who considered himself to be weak. You would see the weeping of a sad person. But, when you saw him in battle, you would see his bravery and cheerfulness. He would be smiling because he would be happy to be there fighting and struggling in the cause of Allah (swt)! He was excited to be a warrior. But in worship, he would be a completely different person. That is when his love for God spilled out and he expressed his grief at separation from God. He would cry and weep from his love for God. . Because of Imam Ali (a)’s intense love of God, everything else was insignificant. Imam Ali yearned to be with God, but this world is a separation from God. That is why there is sadness within the heart of a believer, a yearning to be with God. Until we reunite with God, we can never be completely happy. . We can never be like the masumin. We cannot even be like the scholars who were mystics. But in our own simple way in our everyday world, we can raise our souls to a certain level. Not only that, but the spiritual connection with Allah (swt) also gives us such a better quality of life. It makes us happier, calmer, and so much more at peace. . From ALI archives. To see the quote reference and learn more visit: https://academyofislam.com/ali-586/ See more

Verse of the Week (90:4) Struggles in Life . A certain reality that we all face is that life is full of ups and downs. . No matter where we are or what we do, Allah (swt) has told us clearly in this verse that there is always going to be difficulty in life. Whether it is emotional, physical, psychological, or spiritual distress, we were created to face such trials to become stronger and better human beings. Imam Ali (a) says: The world is a house surrounded by trial (Mz...n al-Hikmah, h 4574). . There are some things to keep in mind that will allow the truth of distress in life to be more palatable. . 1) Understanding that we are not the only ones facing challenges or suffering. Everyone is tested in some form or another, whether the realization of the test is there or not. Knowing that we are not alone gives us some form of comfort. . 2) Knowing that Allah (swt) has promised not to burden us with that which we cannot handle: Allah does not task any soul beyond its capacity. (Q 2:286) Allah knows the potential within us which needs to be brought out. Sometimes we are not aware of the hidden potential within us and thus chafe at the challenges we face. . 3) Allah (swt) is infinitely Merciful, He would not leave us without the tools to overcome the difficulties in life, Have We not made for him two eyes, a tongue, and two lips, and shown him the two paths (of good and evil)? (Q 90: 8 10). In other words, Allah has given us physical as well as spiritual tools to deal with the difficulties we face. . Remember this verse to accept the basic reality of struggle in this world. Imam says in Nahjul Balgha in Sermon 192 which is about the vanity of Shaytn and how the disease can affect everyone: But Allah, the Glorified, tries His creatures by means of those things whose real nature they do not know in order to distinguish good and bad for them through the trial, and to remove vanity from them and keep them and keep them aloof from pride and self-admiration. See more

Quran Appreciation Weekly News feed: This week, we wrapped up our passage on the story of Nabi Sulayman (a) with Sura Saba, Verse 14. This verse highlights the death of N. Sulayman (a) and the extraordinary circumstances surrounding it. It happened on a day when hard work had been assigned to discipline some disobedient Jinn. While they worked intensely, Prophet Sulayman who appeared to be leaning on a stick had his soul taken away. It was only when some tiny creature had gna...wed away at the stick and the prophet's body fell to the ground that the jinns realized he had been dead for a while. Despite all the blessings granted to Nabi Sulayman, he was a man of vision who spent his final years in seclusion to give more time to worship. He delegated kingdom affairs to his minister, preparing his people to continue his work. A good leader thinks of the legacy he leaves behind and how it can continue without him to achieve the same purpose. In studying the death of N. Sulayman, students saw how death can happen to anyone at any time no matter their status. They looked at an excerpt from Khutba #182 of Nahjul Balagha where Imam Ali (a) says: 'If there was anyone who could secure a ladder to everlasting life or a way to avoid death it was Sulaymn ibn Dawud (a)...' but even he had to face death as mentioned in other places in the Quran 'Every soul shall taste death' (21:35) After addressing some fears and apprehensions about death, students looked at the concept of death as a journey to return to Allah. Human beings naturally incline towards good and perfection and traveling towards meeting the Absolute Perfect Being. The circumstances of our end destination will be determined by how much we have prepared for this journey by packing smart for our after life. Activities this week included group discussions and team games using: - quizlet - mentimeter - nearpod - how to pack smart for our after life (packing an imaginary suitcase and maximizing luggage space)

Registration for the Spring 2021 Quran Appreciation program is now open! . Spaces are LIMITED. . Classes start the first week in March & different timings available to accommodate students globally... . For more details and to register please visit academyofislam.com/current-term See more