BIS Youth Essay Competition Winners and their Essays

Birmingham Islamic Society held an essay competition for students in elementary, middle, and high school and the winners were announced at the annual Family Fun Night Celebration on Tuesday, October, 31.  

The topics for the groups varied with elementary writing about, “Prophet Muhammed, My Role Model,” middle school students addressing, “Our Responsibility as Muslims towards the Environment,” and high schoolers tackling the complex topic of, “What is it like to be a Muslim Youth in Today’s Climate, and How Can You Positively Promote Islam and Islamic Values in America Today.”

The essays were to be submitted electronically by midnight on the 27th and were not to exceed 2.000 words.  Judging criteria was broken down into creativity (30%), structure (20%), adherence to topic (30%), grammar (10%), and length (10%).

The winners were announced after Isha and the recipients received cash awards.

Elementary

Yusuf Nabi 1st

Abdulrahman Asal 2nd

Mirfaizan Iqbal  3rd

Middle

Waasay M Hamid 1st

Aliza Khan 2nd

Ahmad Musaab Khan 3rd

High School

Raafay M Hamid 1st

Rizwan Khan 2nd

Janna Jaber 3rd

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My Role Model, Prophet Muhammad (SAW)

By Yusuf Nabi (age 8)

The reason my role model is prophet Muhammad (saw) is because he is kind and nice.  Also because his nickname is As-Sadiq and Al-Ameen which means the Trustworthy and the Truthful.  He is an example for me to try and always be like him.  

In his hadeeth he says who ever learns Quran and teaches it, is the best among us.  He was a messenger of Allah (swt) and wanted to teach every body it.  As our Prophet and my role model, I look up to him and it makes me want to read more Quran.  

Abdullah Ibn Othman At-Tayiyy was prophet Muhammad's best friend.  He was always there for the Prophet.  Prophet Muhammad went through tough times.  Especially when his uncle and wife passed away. That year was called the year of sadness or sorrow.  It is a reminder how to be a good friend and how to act in tough times.

Allah (swt) gave Muhammad (saw) a gift. It was Al-Israa Wal-miraj.  Its when prophet Muhammad went to Jerusalem to As-Sindratal Muntaha.  As-Sindratal Muntaha is a big tree.  On every leaf there is an angel praising Allah.  It makes me remember that Allah (swt) also gives me gifts after hard times, and that I need to praise him.

After Muhammad (saw) went to Madinah they won the Battle of Badr but lost the battle of Uhud. They lost because the archers didn’t follow instructions. They also won the second Battle of Badr and also won the Battle of the Trench.  If even the Prophet didn’t always win, I too need to remember that sometimes you win and sometimes you don’t.  I also work hard to always follow instructions. 

After Prophet Muhammad (saw) died Abu Bakr As-Sideeq became the muslim khaleefah. Then Omar Bin Al-Khatab became the khaleefah, then Uthman Bin Affan, then finally Ali Ibn Abi Talib was the last khaleefah.  RasullaAllah surrounded himself with good people and I want to do this too.  

InshaAllah I will try, in everything I do, to be like Prophet Muhammad (saw).

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‏Abdulrahman Asal

4th Grade, Bluff Park Elementary School

DOB: 9/3/2007

Essay: Prophet Muhammad (SAW), My Role Model

Muhammad (SAW) is my role model because he showed us the correct Muslim way. He also taught us to worship Allah alone. This is mentioned in Surat 112. He is also my role model because he tells us how we should treat other people, regardless of their race or religion. He taught us about the importance of life, and the way to do many things such as, saying bismillah before we eat, and eating with our right hand.

Muhammad (SAW) was born an orphan. Before the age of 8 both his parents were dead. Even though Muhammad (SAW) lost many beloved people during his young years he still never stopped showing his respect and kindness to the people, no matter what religion.

Muhammad (SAW) was very generous. He donated various amounts of money to anyone who was poor or was in need of something. He was also an advisor about many problems in the pre-Islamic era, such as, who should place the black stone during the rebuilding of the Ka’ba, during the treaty of Hudaibya, and the charter of Madinah.

He was trusted by the people in the pre-Islamic era, because he never told lies. He was called Al-Amin (the trustworthy) and As-Sadiq (the truthful). Also during prophet Muhammad (SAW)'s young life, a rich woman named Khadijah hired Muhammad (S) to go to do business in Syria and bring her the money. She also sent one of her slaves to go with him to Syria. When they came back, her slave told her how Muhammad (SAW) was a very honest and trustworthy man, and how he brought her all the money without taking any of it. When she heard this she was deeply impressed, and she decided to marry Muhammad (SAW)He was 25, and she was 40.

Muhammad (SAW) was a model of modesty. He never embarrassed anyone and was only angry when Allah’s laws were violated. He never swore at anyone. He also had a sense of humor that was not vulgar. He never spoke loudly or in a bad manner. He was also the messenger of Allah. He never gave up trying to spread the message of Islam, no matter what it cost him.

Muhammad (SAW) was considerate because in one of his salahs, he intended to prolong the salah, but then he heard a baby crying and the longer the salah continued the longer the baby would cry and distract it’s mother from salah. So the Prophet (SAW) shortened the salah.

Also, Prophet Muhammed was brave, and he fought in the cause of Allah to defend Islam along with Muslims. He fought some battles, like the battle of Badr, and the battle of Uhud and the battle of the Trench.

He was always modest and shy. He was kindhearted and never acted harsh or threatening to anyone. He accompanied children in their play and give gifts to the child who arrived at him first. Even In the most angering situations he kept calm and dealt with it with respect. He never cheated anyone. He instructed people to leave gambling and people from each drinking alcohol, beer, and wine. Though most of the people he tried to teach about Islam were ignorant, he kept on teaching them, with the fear of them going to hellfire. Muhammad (SAW) was compassionate, kind, loyal, generous. Today we should follow Muhammad (SAW)'s teachings in our daily life. All of them benefit us in a unique way.

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BISMILLAH IR-RAHMAN IR-RAHEEM

10/20/2017

ASSSLAMUALAIKUM

Name: Mirfaizan Iqbal

Age: 9

Title: Prophet Muhammad, my role model

Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) is my role model, because he set the best example in

leadership. He was very kind, humble ,and  did a lot of sacrifices for his people. He is also my role model

because he was close to Allah and never disobeyed .Everything he did was according to Quran, his daily

life and everything he did was according to the teaching of Quran. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was full

of countless examples, good habits, gentle and rich with heart. He loved children, especially orphan kids.

When Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) used to pass by young children, they would gather round to greet

Him. The prophet would pass his hand over the cheek of every child making sure not to exclude any of

them.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was a truthful man; even his enemies knew he was an

honest man, He was a humble man, he never differentiated between people, and He went   through so

many difficultiesBut he never gave up, his use to thank Allah for everything that happened either good or

bad.The prophet acquired great wealth but did not hold on to if for himself, instead he gave it to the poor ,

needy. He always visited sick, even if they were his enemies. Prophet Muhammad ate with his people

shared the same bread and drank from the same flask, and when his people went hungry, he starved too.

The prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was sent as a teacher and role model for all of the mankind, he had the

best personality, characteristics, and morals. I really want to be like him..INSHALLAH.

We should say that prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is the best ever role model in the the whole world.

We should also pray to Allah (swt) to make us like him and grant us to paradise. AMEEN.

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Waasay M Hamid

Middle School

12 years

Our Responsibility, As Muslims Towards Environment

Islam is not a religion to be preached but rather a way of life. Allah (SWT) has put us on this earth to not only to worship Him but also to live and enjoy his creations. Our environment is an essential part of our lives and thus it is important to understand and realize our responsibility both as humans on this planet and more importantly as Muslims. An essential requirement of being a Muslim in addition to all other things is being respectful and considerate of his surroundings. Muslims believe that Allah is the source of all their provisions and at the day of judgement they will be answerable to how they they used these provisions such as air, water, livestock and plants.

Muslims have to treat the environment with care and respect. When Khalid ibn Walid was about to go to war, Abu Bakr (RA), the caliph at that time gave him some explicit instructions. He told him to not hurt a single tree or animal, but only the enemies of Islam. By this, we can infer that the muslim society really cared about the environment. Abu Bakr wanted to protect the earth and all it contained that Allah had provided to humans. Planting trees for shade and fruits is always equated with a significant good deed that keeps giving even after the person who planted them is living no more.

The prophet had a high regard for the environment. He said,  “The world is beautiful and verdant, and verily God, be He exalted, has made you His stewards in it, and He sees how you acquit yourselves.” (Muslim). Environment is an important part of a muslim’s life. One of the most important things concerning environment is cleanliness. The prophet says “Cleanliness is half of Muslim belief”. Muslims should always try to avoid polluting or dirty a city in order to get wordley benefits. The quran also says that we must keep everything we have clean, neat, and organized. Infact, we must pray in a clean place, and make sure that we ourselves are clean, or else our prayer won’t count. Although cleanliness is an important aspect of every Muslim act, excessive use of water is considered a grave sin in Islam. Muslims must practice being conserving when it comes to use of water. Some of the other examples of clear Islamic directives in being resourceful is the concept of reuse and recycle to have as little an impact of environment as possible. This concept is now widely used around the world to reduce waste.

Taking care of animals is also exemplified in Islam. There is a Hadith about a woman who was not pious but ended in going to jannah merely by providing water to a thirsty dog. Importance to animals is islam is also evident by the fact that a number of surahs in quran are named after insects and birds.

Unfortunately, Islamic education for us American youth is mostly focussed on getting us to memorize verses of the quran, learning about  our islamic history, memorizing hadiths and so on. Very little emphasis is actually put on how we can implement the islamic values in our day to day lives. Our environment is something that is a part and parcel of our lives and thus it is important that we understand there are a lot of ways we can take care of the environment around us.

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Aliza Khan
8th grade
25/17

What is our responsibility, as Muslim Towards the Environment?


    We as muslims have many responsibilities towards environment. The Holy Quran, in many verses addresses that people are responsible for their own deeds and will be credited for what they did. To establish a good society begins with an individual. Some of our responsibilities as Muslim towards the environment are to keep the Earth clean, pick up trash, and plant for future generations. We could plant trees for future generations because it will take the trees so long to grow and we might not be able to see it.  The Prophet Muhammad said that if one plants a tree then whatever is eaten from it by humans or animals counts as a act of charity for the planter.   Some of these responsibilities are things we should do daily for example pick up trash, water the plants, help our neighbors and other good deeds. If we all did at least one of these things we could keep the Earth so much cleaner. Allah tells us in the Quran that not only do we have responsibilities to take care of the Earth but we have to take care of everything he has created. We have responsibilities towards other creations like humans and animals. Allah (SWT) says "And do not insult one another nor call each other by offensive names" 49:11, which means do not insult other people or call them names. Anything and everything Allah has created is our responsibility and it is our job to make sure that we put a good example of muslims out there and do not make our religion or Allah's creations look bad. We could help keep the Masjids clean, donate money, help homeless people get shelter so there is less homeless people on the streets and make the world a cleaner place. If we all did at least one small act of kindness everyday and made efforts to stop littering, throwing cigarettes on the floor, driving by homeless people and not doing anything for them, letting plants die, not feed the birds or take care of our animals, keep public areas clean and pick up trash from everywhere we would have such a better environment. Not only are these nice things to do but it is our job to keep the Earth clean. Allah has created all this for us so we can be thankful for it and we can show him we are thankful for it by keeping his creations clean and doing our good deeds. These are some of the things that I think we can do to show that we as muslims have responsibilities that we have to do to have a good environment for us and the future generations.

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Our Responsibility as Muslim toward Environment

Ahmad Musaab Khan                                                                                                          

8th Grade, Age:14

Muslim means one who surrender his life to almighty Allah by the way of Prophet Muhammad. It’s based on firm faith on One God and hereafter. The environment of the earth and universe has given us by the almighty to testify us. Our father Adam PBUH was in heaven and sent down to the earth to see how he behaves in the earth and to get back to the heaven.

Human attitudes towards environment is ignorance. Pollution and global warmings are some of the many things that we should try to change. Earth is a place where we live with trees, rivers, mountains. We should keep this earth free from pollution. Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, encouraged to plant trees. Trees are essential to maintain the echo system making the earth a livable place. Trees provides oxygen, and takes carbon dioxide as its food. If we cut trees, what is going to happen? One effect can be a scarcity of food. Without trees, rivers, mountains, birds and animals the whole ecosystem of the universe would be thrown off balance.

Things that destroying trees are pollution. Pollution is growing and causing harms not only to plants also animals, and human. Pollution changes environment. It can make the necessities for your body harmful. Our life and morals are ruled by the commandments of almighty Allah and the way of the prophet. We are dependent on the treasures of Allah. But we see people are crazy for the easy gain of the worldly affair out of greed especially in the philosophy of capitalism. Greedy peoples are in every corner, sparking signs and streetlights blot out the stars.

To fix the problem, I thought it is the ill behavior of the human activity. We cannot continue with our wrong way of life. All revelations urged to follow the path of the guided personalities. Environment influences the human life, but majority of people don't care about the environment any more. In the era of information technology people are well learned, it has impact on our nature and environment. It’s not that if we go back to our old lifestyle, the earth would be saved, this is not possible anymore. There are ways to make our modern lifestyle coexist with the environment.

All Muslims who have firm faith on Allah and hereafter he never despairs always he’s with hope and aspiration, he sees light in the dark, but he’s strict to follow the way of prophet Muhammad PBUH. Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) PBUH and his companions are conscious about the environment. Prophet Muhammad advised to plant and Abu Baqar forbidden to cut trees.

In conclusion, we as Muslims have to take care of our environment, we have to organize our community as Muslim. We must come forward to save our environment and make it better. Most of the people around the world don’t care about the environment anymore. It is stated by prophet Muhammad that to plant trees, and also it has been forbidden to cut down trees by Aby Baqar.

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Raafay M Hamid

Age: 15

High School

27 October 2017

What Is It Like to Be a Muslim Youth in Today’s Climate, And How Can You Positively Promote Islam and Islamic Values in Today’s America

I am going to start this essay by confessing that the so-called “today’s climate” is probably the best thing that could have happened to Muslims. Let me explain. I deliberately use the word Muslims rather than Islam, to explicitly distinguish the two. Islam is a way of life prescribed by Glorious Allah (SWT) and exemplified and personified in real time by HIS messenger prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Islam governs the entire spectrum of ones being - be it spiritual, political, or socio-economic. On the other hand, a Muslim, irrespective of who he or she is, and where they are from, is someone who adopts this way of life. It is thus very important to understand and acknowledge that Muslims may be wrong but Islam can’t. Indeed, Islam as a religion is the only religion that has withstood the test of time and scrutiny for over 1400 years. Today’s Muslim youth thus carry an immense responsibility of not only exemplifying being a Muslim but also making sure that this legacy keeps being carried forward. To make things even more complex, recent happenings all around the world have not only made this mission difficult but also a matter of identity for today’s youth.

For most of the youth, it may be difficult to be a Muslim in today’s society. Most people in America don’t know what true Muslims are, and the only knowledge of Islam they have is through the news. Also because of recent terrorist acts, a lot of Americans think that Islam is a religion that is all about violent actions and hurting others. As the Muslim youth, we have to convince people that Islam isn’t a violent religion, but a peaceful one. It is our job to change the mindset of many Americans, and enlighten them about Islam. As is mandated by our religion it is the duty of us all to be the ambassadors of our faith. We the youth have an opportunity to change the mindset of people by promoting the concept of love, respect, and service rather than perpetuating the idea of being rigid, fundamentalist, and unjust. This can only be done if we enable out youth with an understanding and love of their own religion in the first place before expecting them to go and change the world. Most of what we know about our religion comes from two main sources, and unfortunately for today’s youth these sources don’t seem to match their culture and way of life. The first source is of course the home; it is a fact that most if not all youth in United States currently are likely either second or third generation Americans. Our parents are trying to raise us as like they were raised according to the culture and traditions of their native places. This is an issue given the fact they these traditions may not be prevalent in America and thus create a conflict in our mind. Given the current climate of hatred and bitterness against Muslims, it thus seems safer to hide our identity rather than go and embrace it. Second source of knowledge is our community, primarily Mosques and Islamic centers. Again the emphasis as is in these places is given more to religious priorities rather than preparing our youth to be ready to represent Islam in true sense. It might not be exaggerated to say that most of us can barely defend our own religion leave alone explaining it to others. Given the current environment of fear and harassment, it thus seems safer to avoid getting noticed. The elders and the leaders of our community need to take a good look at the programs and the activities at these places that will make Islam more attractive and important to youth.

The Muslim youth may be embarrassed to have an identity. They are afraid of what will happen if everyone knows that they are Muslim. Instead of being embarrassed, we should take pride in our religion. Instead of trying to hide our identity, we should be trying to help others understand our religion. A duty of all Muslims is to spread the message of Islam to everyone, as Prophet Muhammad did during his time. During Prophet Muhammad’s time (PBUH), he sent missionaries to places to teach the foreigners about Islam. The prophet himself would travel to places to spread the message of Islam. All the prophets put on this earth’s primary duty was to spread Islam, and share the teachings of Islam. After Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) died, it was the responsibility of the Ummah to spread Islam. There are also a lot of hadith and verses in the Quran that talk about spreading the message of Islam. In Surah 16 (An - Nahl), it says, “call to the way of your lord with wisdom and good preaching” (Verse 125). In surah 41 (Al - Fussilat), it says, “Who is better in speech than one who calls to Allah, does righteous deeds and says indeed I am among the Muslims” (Verse 33). There are also some hadith that talk about the importance and significance of dawah. The prophet says, “Whoever directs someone to do good will gain the same reward as the one who does good” Another hadith says, "For Allah to guide someone by your hand is better for you than having red camel” (Camels were very valuable during this time, especially camels with a reddish tint.) All of these quotes talk about the importance of dawah, and why we as Muslims should do dawah. There are many ways a Muslim youth can positively promote Islam and its values. We could write a presentation for school about Islam, talk about what Islam is, and what are some of the things a Muslim should do. We can write a paper, or a part in a newspaper or even a small book about Islam or hand out flyers to people in public that says the important things about Islam. We can even organize a small event for people, and help them understand and learn more about Islam. We could use the internet and create a website talking about Islam and its values and answer questions that people have on the internet by responding to them. Over and above everything the way we act is an important way of doing just this. We essentially are a walking advertisement for Islam. Others will look at us and our actions and see what Islam teaches. It is important to be kind and polite to everyone. If we do this, others will think that Islam teaches about good morals. This is why it’s always important to act good in public. Most people will judge us and our religion based on how we act.

Fortunately, the best outcome that could have resulted from all this negative attention and focus on Islam is that we Muslims are being forced to transform ourselves for good and learn about our religion. It is indeed a high time to involve our youth in this transformation so that they can positively influence humanity for generations to come.

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Rizwan Khan

High School Age: 16

Birmingham Islamic Society

October 26, 2017

Being a Muslim Youth in Today’s Climate

Being a Muslim youth in today’s climate can be difficult at times but usually is not impossible to deal with. I could act in a manner that avoids different types of adversities and allows me to remain on the straight path. A simple action like being kind to someone else reflects Islamic values onto others which helps promote positive values of Islam in general. Overall, life is not difficult as a Muslim teenager and I can positively influence many others using Islamic values.

Today’s social climate provides many obstacles in attempting to stay on the right path, but Allah (SWT) has given us a lot of opportunities which we can take advantage of to stay away from temptations. Instead of performing an act that would seem unsound, I could reasonably do something else that would take my mind off the other option and keep me on the straight path. For example, I could play Soccer or Basketball with my cousins instead of doing other immoral things. Additionally, another obstacle that teenagers in the past had to deal with includes not knowing whether or not they could do specific actions. With the current climate, I can lookup questions that I have regarding Islam on my smartphone or mobile device which is convenient and reliable with today’s resources. There are a few people in the United States that might impose adversities onto Muslims and Muslim teenagers but all you have to do is ignore them. You can ignore them because what matters most is that you know is right from wrong. Not only that but the current political climate adds to the hatred that Muslim teenagers receive, but once again all that matters is that we know the truth. Life as a Muslim teenager in today’s climate can be difficult but Allah (SWT) has provided us the tools to bypass the temptations and to stay on the right path.

A few in America judge many Muslims and apply false stereotypes, but a simple action can completely change their views of Muslims and Muslim youth. I could cheer up a friend when they are having a bad day or simply donate to the poor to change the views that many have of Muslims for the better. I could pick up trash on the sidewalk and properly dispose of it to clean up the environment. I could volunteer at a library or another organization which would help me contribute to the community as a whole. Islam talks about helping others that need help, and I could perform any action that helps someone else in a positive manner to promote Islamic values. Allah (SWT) has made it that simple. Any action performed that gives off a positive results invokes Islamic values. Another thing that I do to give off positive Islamic values is behave in a respectful and responsible way. A Muslim teenager’s manners contributes a lot to his or her outlook from the community. Not being rowdy plays a huge role in giving off positive Islamic values. All of this is great, but one needs to be a practicing Muslim teenager to gain the respect that he or she deserves in society. Being a practicing Muslim and having good manners makes the perfect combination to positively promote Islamic values.

Life will be difficult at times but the current climate provides tools for me to ease my path as a Muslim youth. I can avoid the obstacles by acting and behaving well which also promotes positive Islamic values in America today. Overall, Allah (SWT) has made it really simple to live life in this current climate and affect others in positive ways.

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Janna Jaber

17 years old

The Impact On The Muslim Youth Today

In today's world, the Muslim youth’s mental and spiritual stability has weakened due to its surroundings such as the never ending impact of social media, new terrorist organizations forming, and the feeling that you need to live up to the standards placed on you by society.

Young muslims are influenced on a daily basis based on some types of social medias like Snapchat, instagram, twitter, and facebook. With all these social media apps, you find yourself intrigued with the newest fashion trends, whether or not the’re modest for Muslim girls, the latest drama in celebrities and idols, and many other types of distractions that are unneeded. This is weakening us mentally by reducing our stability to function without using our digital devices to find out the latest news feed, which is irrelevant compared to using any type of technology to further our knowledge on our religion. Us young muslims are thriving to be part of this world instead of thriving for the after life. We see the riches of society, yet turn a blind eye towards the gifts we would be rewarded after we’re gone.

Another socially and worldly problem that the Muslim Youth faces is the forming of new terrorist organizations. These organizations are disrupting the image of what a true muslim is. They ignite fear in people’s hearts, young and old, and show no mercy like the Prophet (SAW) taught us. They spread a hateful type of religion, and it is not Islam. They have created Islamophobia, which stands for those that have a phobia, to not only the religion Islam, but to all muslims. It can be difficult to fit in if you’re portrayed by extremist groups as a terrorist who terrorizes people due to them not being part of your religion or not following the same principles that you decided were the right to follow.

The last major factor that is affecting the Muslim youth is the need to live up to standards that do not represent who we are. The latest fashion trends for example are not representing hijabi’s as ‘modest’ girls, but as the new trend that everyone should follow to try and fit in. Other standards are being part of social groups such as LGBTQ and PRIDE. These two groups are based Gay organizations, which go against our teachings/religion. We feel the need to be apart if these groups so not to be called a “hater” or an “intolerant”.  We do not want to be seen as terrorists, therefore we join the wrong types of groups to try and fix our image. Yet, we are going about it the wrong way.

Society is disrupting the image of what a Muslim should be and all the factors that make up a Muslim. While we try to live to the standards of society, we are losing who we truly are. Whether it's our fault or someone's else's, Muslims are not the same in today's world like they were years ago due to the negative impact from everything surrounding us.

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