{ * Theffiioffubaisr.r.r

$Abrahar'r flvcb tf, *ufarnb of Vr ln Sumq. Jlls famll4wss fifrc rnost

sf $e bar{l fuerawffepAgafis a'rb kcpt A roor+t of ibols lntdlrefuhowte. OnEbaq, Abrah*+r wAt ln the ibol roor,r, yvhen ha accfbcntA$q klrockcb fi,rtoone sf the figures, cavslng;it fo crash to f,te growrb amb break lnto pleces,Wher,r hls f*lher cawre home arnb saw what hab happewei, he was vwrl*ngry a'nb bcnrarrbcb, "f*ow coulb qou bo such a&,fing to a gob?"

Abraha'r+r hab becr wodcb all taq abcut harry hls father woulb rsactarr'rb hab tho*tght lons a.nb harr6 about tfic accibent Fle a'nervarcb hisfaIf,leir,'Tadler, I artr trv!. sorrr,l tfiat I brolce &te lbol. ltwas ar accibortBut, Faf,tcr, I havc bewt thlnkms; all Uaq about &$s, arr,rb I must ask aquesfior.r. Whq, if thfs lbof is a gob, war f , a snalf anb wealt boq, able tobcrfroq |tilrr'?" tlls fs*tey coulb ?rot ar?rslrysr.

Ae Abralr awr gfew, &te arrlsvrer becarae clear to hlrlr'. The ibolt werenot gobs, s*tce thqe vrrar onlq one Gob. AbrahA?+r car?rc to knorry arr,rbfoyc Gob, arflb Gob showeb his love for Abralra?a, ar well. t'lowcver,*ratt9h 6ob hab blcsscb Abrahara ln rlr,anq waqr, Flc hab tlcr.er allowebSarak, Atrraham's wrfe, to bcar chilblren, a*rb rf,ris wAr A soufcc ofsabmess for the cwqsle, But Gob spolc to Abraharr+r a'nb as$ureb hm tllathis bcsccnba'yrts wor.lfb bc as ftratry as *te strrs ln the rkq. Abrahar.r bibnot unberttAilb,lntthe trssteb the Lort a'nb belleveb ){tm,

Whc*l- Abrahe.r,r anb Sarah wsre botlr qulte olb, three angelslisguiecb as travef erl c^rne to thain terrt, The elterlla couple welco?r,reb*tese norr4abs a'nb feb &ts,an welf wlth f,te rtcheet seawr arrb tfie fxtestcalf. Whc*r- f,te angels wsreleavtng, fuey tolO Sarah &tat ln v$ne tnofif,tsshewo*lb bear a ror4. Sarah laugheb, slnce shc bib nxbe$wethat shecoulb conccivc at zuch an olO Age, Wt &te angelt assureb hs f,tat, "Nlthings arc possibl e for f,ie L;oirb.-

Atrb so, whcrr Abr*hara wAr wwlttntreb a'nb Sarah was filnel\, therahab A toll, whow therana*mcb lsaac. Gob salb to AbrahA?rl, *Ar for r4cru,,qou shalf keqt ?n\l coverranL 4ott anb rlour otrsplng, *fter Uoui Evenlmale skAil be yreserfieb to me ln eacrcb tJtr,ral a5 a slgn that qor.r wilfworsl$p oflfq Me." As Gob co nmanrbeb, fsaac wAf, yres*$eb ln thetewqile wlhen he was elgl,fi baqs olb.

Flls bcscarrbAfltr, the lcvvlsh people, ttr lvrtailn to *,$s barl tfic correilAnf$x Gob mabc $'tlth Abrahar,r.r.

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@InspirEd Fducators, Inc.

(Adapted from the Old Testament Bible)

81

6,Ue Wirtlg st {,brigtiunitp

Duting tle timr sttl)e Shomsn @mpfte, bben &ero! bag tbe hing of 3u!es, tbereIfbe! r couple numetr Sosepg en! filsrp, bDo bere engage! to be msrtfeb. Wbilesbstting tbeir msrrfnge, Slsrp bus bfgtte! bp sn ffigel tbet dsi! to ]er, "Doil't beafreib, Slarp. 6ob las tlegseb pou emoilg nll bomen, snt pou biII gite birtb to sdon. Sou bttl n&fie biw Yegud, sn! ht frill be grent ail! bill be rslle! tbe Son of60!."

lasepb bsg up*et sn! felt tbst be coulb not marry e pregnflnt homsn, but snsngel uppenre! to bfm snD explsfne!, "!sg,t4,l), bo not be strsi! to tske ffiary Ed pour.bite. frsr it in hV fi)e Fzoly Spirft tbtt gllt bsd tonceibet," so Sosepb mamie[

Slsrp, s$ tbe sngel bu! fngtrude!.gt tbe time of tbe cbilb's birt!, tbe muple bus in ftetlll$em to be munte[ in tbe

s,omsn cendug. tsigitorS rnrne frorn sfsr snb brougbt gtft$ to $e bs[y infant, but

IA,fng MemI fett tbreetenrb en! orter tbe $it! hilte!. C[o egcs$e tbt brstb of tbe

hing, Tosepll snb filsrp tooh tbe bsbp to @W*t, bbere tbep libeb untfl ffiem! !ie!

sn! nn nngel tot! tbem to So to tbe [cnb of @slilee. Qtrbe familp obefeb sn! ms]e

tlleir bome intbe tobn of ̂ f,slnretb.Tegug greb to msnboo! tu ̂ fr,anretb, bbere be borhe! ss s tntpenter elongst[e

l)ii "tatl)et," lsfiul). At tllt dflnre time snotber mun, fltgrus'r t0udtn lsbn tbe

Wuptifit, bsg ptencbing sroun! @elilet, "@.et resbp for tbe Tf,or!!"

Wbm lesug bsd f,bout tllirty yegrd s[!, Ue begen hig tuarh; teuclinq tbe people

sbout 6oX, Mis fiatber. Me tuugllt manp tbings snb sngbere! manp quegtions. &estso performe! msil? mirscled, inclu[fng beslfng tbe sirh sn! rsiding tbe beriD. &ebsg durrounbeb bf foltobers, but Frig tnefiw upottled bere,clogegt ta &im. @bifperfoU of goo! hothd tsgte! sbout tlltee Veilt*, but in tbut tfmr, Segus slso mnbe

enemfed.Some lebrig,ll [es!er$ redente! losus sn! dome of Mig tenrlingr, io tbty

reporte! bim to tbe l&omsn sutborities. Wetrxpe\ bp 3u!ss, cile of bfs obn spostled,

leiui bsg tsheil irto Jhomfln rudtolp rn! clsrgeb bitb rluimfng to be tbt frlessiab,tbe one foretolb bV tllt letuisll $ropbetg. failing to argue sgefu$t tbe rburyed,

legug bng nsileD to s crodd to !ie. Wbis hcs sslle! crudfixion.

leiui'i boDp bss burie!, but tbree lspg lster F,ig tomb bsd emstP. he bal.risen from tbe besb, bgd redurrecteb, snD ffie begnn npsentfng to lid follobetg. htremsfne! bitb tbem, tescbing, until be bss tshen into beaber. ffiig foltoUeri, tl)efi,

mntinueU FrisWsrhsnb begsn tbe religion of @btfstiunitp.

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I@InspirEd Educators, [nc.

(Adapted from the New Testament Bible)

82

\The Birth of lslam

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Muhammad was born in the town of Makkah in Arlbja on the 116 of the month of Nama!'E.*l (roughly April zot s7il. His father diu.d beforcMqhammad/s birthT and his mothErdied when he was six yearc oldT so Muhamm^i ** raised by his unclel AbuTalibl asheepherdet and tradesman ' Aretbial during M"t"*-"d/s chifdJro od,1 wasin a low statejgambling, siry and idol worship was commonplace. Evan rhe l(aabalthe house that theProphet Abraham had buirt wirh his son lshma "siou""a36o

pagan idots.Mqhamrnad gew m be honesg fairl and iu'lit, so he iooas called,Al-Ameenl TheTrcstworthy.'/ but he did not becom e',rfhe proit "!,

untir 'ar;r.

- iluh"--"d began tote*nive visionsT including one from the angel c"ri"i.

-4. first he was aftaid.lbut he came roundershnd that he was being commanduJ.o

"pr*J.h" -u""""" of Allah{codl. He beganpreaching openly about lslam around 5'l and ;;;;J-""t followerc, particul*ly the powl

"itrf his message was one of charicy and kindne,ss.

f et1 not aII acc.epted,lsram. The

'eaderc of Makkah sought m guiec Mshammad andpercenuted his followers' Muhammad and the'Mqslims, .s hi" followerc were calledl wercsubiected to physical abuse and torture folTu* y:;;;but norhing could turn them from rheFaith' when the torture became unbearablel fi;;;ad aurhori zed hisfollowers to leaveMakkah' Some went to the nearbyciry of Madinahz wherThey began.o

"pr"ra the word ofAllah and the religion of tsram.

'Th, pipt of rut^ainah embrac ed theMusrims and theE"r:\r

1d they longed for rhe amvalof the propheuMuhanrmad and some of his followers had chosen co remain in Mal,J<ah, whereMuhammad continued to rec,eive revelations .rrg

"orrairsed to teach what was twealed tohim. Despite the punishment and torturethe Mqslims endured in Makkah, their nsmberscontinued to inteasel md they conrinued

"-igr*;;; frcm the perswcrtion in Makkah roMadinafu where they werc *"t"o r.d,. .r"yrnltC o"ii l*"1"__;J;;*" of his followerstemained in Mak&ah' The leaderc of the ciry decided-ii,.r .t

" rt;;; ;;e for Muhanunadto die, and they devrseda plot ro kltt him. But C"gri"irri"ited Muhammad and informed himof the plog so Muhammad and his friends fl.a ti" Jtyior Madinah. This flight is called theHejhq and it is qsod to mark dme

Muhammad amve'din Madinah on rhe re'h of safir. He was fifty-rfueeyearcold. peopleclamored onm their rgo{t9ns ro greer, theprophet J"i"" and, crytngl/God is grea4 Codrsmessenget has comel Muhammad has irtivedli- i";;**ty years the Muslims had borneabuse and torture at the hands of thenobfes iniAak*a-h, and the time had come ro reimbursethe Muslims for rhe weakhwhicir hadb*n"#;;;h,r_.[n the second yeat.aftu the Heibaa grear batile took place oumide of the cities. [n theholv boole the eu/an, k. is caried T *,^ ri-i;;* - the Day of Discerning andDexisiveness'tt with che help of Allaht Muh^--.il

-^ryof lrl mery tavohorsesl and.'goenty

camelsl defeated an army of 9oo to rooo men. oth er battles ensued,luntil eight and ahalf yearc afta the Hqital Muhu--"d and his foliowers marched,vicrorious into Makkah.Muharnmad bowed hisheadin bumility as he took consrol of rhe city. Hethen commandedthat all idols and statues be removed from rhe Kaab; ^nd,

d"ruoy"i. F; that time fo',h,*lv Allahwas ro be worshippedl andMakrqh -*

;; il rhe hory ciry.

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