Englished and Recomposed for 5^th graders by Ehab Shawky

It happened once that while the prophet was in the mosque with his companions, a stranger walked in. That man was so strange. He had extremely black hair and beard. His face was so pure. His clothes were extremely white showing no traces of traveling. The companions wondered who was he and where he came from. The stranger stopped in front of the prophet. He sat down crossing his legs. His knees touched the prophet’s knees. He placed his palms on the prophet’s thighs and said, “O Muhammad, tell me what’s Islam?”

The prophet explained the following:

Islam is to believe that there is only one creator for all that exists and that I am his messenger to mankind. It is to pray solely to this creator. He is the disposer of all affairs. It is to pay alms to the poor and the needy. They have a right to the surplus of your wealth. It is to fast the month of Ramadan. You abstain from eating and drinking from dawn till sunset. Your main concern is to think about the creation, and reach out to the creator. Finally, Islam is to perform pilgrimage to the sacred mosque if you can. It’s a rehabilitation trip for one’s soul. In it, you visit the places where mankind’s faith was tested to the furthest limits. These are the places of mankind’s greatest triumphs against Satan and all self-temptations. These two are mankind’s most dangerous enemies.

The stranger said, “You spoke the truth.” That response was very strange. It implied that the stranger already knew the answer. So, why did he ask the question? The stranger then said, “Tell me, what faith is?”

The prophet explained the following:

Faith is to believe in Allah. He is the sole creator of all that exists. He is the disposer of all affairs. He created this universe, formed the earth amidst it, and prepared it for the dwelling of mankind. He is always maintaining and sustaining the universe and watching over all creatures. There is no one we should invoke for help at times of need but him. His knowledge encompasses the universe. All creatures do not discover from his knowledge except what He wishes them to know. He is eternal, uncreated, and everlasting. He is the first that the universe has realized when it was created. He is the last one to see the universe before it perishes and every soul returns to Him. There is no one comparable unto Him, nor is there anything like Him. For all the previous, He is the only entity worthy of worship.

Faith is to believe in the angels. They are Allah’s servants. He created them as he created us. They were created from a special form of light. This form enables them to fly faster than light. We cannot see them but they see us. They watch over us and protect us from what’s not destined. They record our deeds, the good and the bad.

Faith is to believe in Allah’s holy books. Allah sent these books holding guidance and light for mankind. Among them are the Torah, the Psalms, the Gospel, and the Qur’an. They include knowledge about our creator, ourselves, the universe, and other creatures. They also include the laws by which mankind should abide to prosper.

Faith is to believe in Allah’s messengers. They are the best humans who ever walked the surface of this earth. Allah chose every one of them with his supreme knowledge. Their duty was to deliver to mankind their creator’s teachings. Their lives were rich with incidents and afflictions. That was how they showed mankind how to act uprightly in different situations. The prophets were guides for mankind throughout history.

Faith is to believe in Allah’s destiny. No one can choose his parents. No one can choose his birth place. No one can control his income. No one can choose his children. No one can choose when or where to die. The previous, among many other life incidents, is what we call destiny. Only Allah has control over them. Faithful people accept Allah’s destiny. They never reject any part of Allah’s plan for them. They act according to Allah’s laws and deal with whatever destiny holds. Destiny is one’s life test. His deeds and actions during his life are the answers. If one passes the test, he or she lives happily ever after. If one doesn’t pass, he receives punishment for what he has done equitably.

Finally, faith is to believe in the Judgment Day. It’s the day in which all mankind will be gathered for reckoning. On that day, the dead will be revived. Everyone will receive a record of his deeds. The pious will receive their reward from Allah for their good deeds. Meanwhile, the evildoers will receive their punishments.

The stranger said, “You spoke the truth. Tell me, what is perfection?”

The prophet said, “Perfection is to act sincerely in life as if you can see Allah watching you. If you cannot see him; indeed, He can see you.”

The stranger again said, “You spoke the truth. Tell me, when is the Judgment Day?”

The prophet answered, “My knowledge of its timing is no better than yours.”

The stranger then said, “Then tell me some of its signs.”

The prophet gave the man two of its signs. He said, “Daughters will treat their mothers like servants. And poor destitute shepherds will compete in establishing high-rise buildings.”

On hearing that last answer, the stranger got up and left. The companions went out of the mosque to look where he was headed. To their astonishment, they found no traces of him. He disappeared. When they returned to the prophet, he said, “Do you know who that man was? That was Gabriel the archangel. He assumed a human form and came to help you learn about your religion.”

Dear children, know that what our eyes perceive of Allah’s creation is too little. Nonetheless, it’s enough to help us deduce what’s necessary to have solid faith. The existence of creatures that we cannot see doesn’t mean that they do not exist. Let me give you an example:

In many incidents, people are miraculously saved from certain death or extreme injuries. The Qur’an teaches that for every person, there are angels guarding him. They protect him from whatever dangers which Allah hadn’t decreed upon him. Meanwhile, know that any injury you endure is part of your destiny. You should accept it no matter how grave it is. That is because it’s what Allah has decreed upon you. He is the disposer of all affairs and to him we will return. Believe in the unseen kids. It’s real. May your destinies hold what’s good and beautiful. May you succeed and pass your lives’ tests with honors. Amen.

N.B.: According to the Qur’an and the Prophetic traditions, there are 3 archangels. Allah created them and gave each one a sacred duty. Gabriel is the most honored of them. He was created to bear the responsibility of preparing and educating all prophets and messengers. Allah calls him in the Qur’an, “My created spirit,” [Rouhy, Rouhana, Ar-rouhul-ameen]. He was the one who blew recognition into Adam. He was the one who blew Jesus into Mother Mary’s womb. His descent to Earth ended with Prophet Muhammad’s departure. May Allah reward him for educating all mankind throughout history. The other two are Micha’eel, the archangel responsible for sustenance and rain, and Israfeel, the archangel responsible for ending the universe and resurrection.