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Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (573-634 C.E) Abu Bakr (R.A)’s real name was Abdullah, and he was given the title of “As Siddique” or” Testifier to the Truth.” His father, ‘Uthman, was known as Abu Quhafah and his mother, Salma, was known as Ummul Khair. He was two and a half years younger than prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) and the first among men to enter Islam. Abu Bakr (R.A) was always a very close Companion of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W). He knew him better than any other man.

Umar bin Al-Khattab Al-Faruq (584-644 C.E) He reigns from Quraish, the tribe of Banu Adi. And lived as one of the most powerful and most influential muslim caliphs known in history and succeeded Abu Bakr as the second caliph. This is the man whose name is paired with justice and truth, strength and courage, and asceticism and godliness. His name is linked to piety, observing and fearing Allah, and crying out of fearing Him. This man is known for his intuition and intelligence, his accuracy of vision and insight, of being conscientious, and of conquering the desires of the self. He was nicked “Abu Hafs” by the messenger prophet Muhammad (SAW). He is one of the guided Caliphs and one of the in-laws of the Prophet (SAW). He is also one of the senior scholars and puritan of the companions. His conversion to Islam, was considered the beginning of a new phase of the call.

Uthman bin Affan, Dhun-Nurayn (577-656 C.E) Uthman bin Affan was born in Taif, near Mecca approximately six years after the Year of the Elephant to a wealthy family of Quraish in Mecca. The Omayyads, the most influential, strong and wealthiest clan of the Quraish and Uthman was their “golden child”, the most beloved, due to his good manners and shyness. Throughout his life he was known as a kind, generous man and even before his conversion to Islam he would freely give money to help those in need. It has been said that marriage to two daughters of the Prophet SAW had earned Uthman the nickname Dhun-Noorayn (the one with the two lights).

Ali bin Abi Talib (600-661 C.E) Hazrat Ali was born on the 13th Rajab the month of the Elephant while his mother Fatima was circumventing the Kaaba in Mecca in the year 599 CE. Furthermore, it was said that during his birth he did not cause any pain to mom neither did he cry. Days after his birth his parents had been worried that the baby hasn’t opened his eyes, but when the prophet (pbuh) came to visit and held him one his lap, he opened his eyes and the prophet suggested he be named Ali since he was born in the house of Allah. The love between Ali and the prophet (pbuh) was divine because they had a lot in common; not looks nor attitude but they where both born in the month of the Elephants and both shared a common grand father called Abdul Mutalib.

Talha bin Ubaidullah (596-656 C.E) Talha (R.A) was a member of the esteemed tribe of Abu Bakr (R.A). He was a successful businessman who traveled to the north and south of the Arabian Peninsula and accumulated a lot of profit. The Prophet (SAW) said about Talha (R.A): “He, who desires to see a martyr walking on the ground, let him look at Talha bin Ubaidullah.” [Mishkat, Ibn Hisham] The Messenger of Allah (SAW) once wore two coats of armour and tried to get up on a boulder, but was unable to, so Talha (R.A) squatted under him, lifting the Prophet (SAW) such that he could sit on the boulder. Allah (SWT) was so pleased with Talha’s help and the Prophet (SAW) informed Talha (RA) that Paradise was now obligatory on him. [Ibn Asakir, Tirmidhi] Talha bin Ubaidullah (R.A) came to be known as “Talha the Generous” and “Talha the Good” for his generosity. He was well known for helping those in debt, households experiencing difficult times, and widows.

Zubair bin Al-Awwam (596-656 C.E) (RA) is well known in the books of seerah as “The Disciple” of the Prophet (SAW). This title was given to him by Prophet (SAW) himself. He was also a prominent companion of the prophet and loved Muhammad (pbuh) very much. His love was not merely due to the relationship between Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) and him. It was due to the fact that the love of Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) is a religious duty. And in fact, once when Az Zubair (RA)heard that the Prophet (SAW) was being attacked, he took his sword and ran to the Prophet (SAWS) and the Prophet (SAW) said, “What are you doing?” He said, “oh! My prophet I heard that you were being attacked.” So the Prophet (SAW) asked, “So what were you going to do then? He said, “I was going to strike the one that was attacking you.” So this became, as the scholars said, the first sword drawn solely for the sake of Allah. He had this special quality of courage and bravery in the battle of Badr. He wore a yellow turban and fought so bravely that Allah (SWT) honored him with something that no other man had been honored with. When Allah says that on the day of Badr he sent 3000 of the angels all wearing yellow turban to fight alongside the Muslims, Allah (SWT) sent those angels all imitating and following Az-Zubair (RA), as the Prophet (SAWS) informed us.

Abdur-Rahman bin Awf (580-652 C.E.) He was one of the first eight persons to accept Islam. He was one of the ten persons who were assured of entering Paradise. He was one of the six persons chosen by Umar to form the council of shura to choose the Khalifah after his death. He accepted Islam only two days after Abu Bakr as-Siddiq did. Abdur-Rahman distinguished himself in both the battles of Badr and Uhud. At Uhud he remained firm throughout and suffered more than twenty wounds. Even so, his physical jihad was matched by his jihad with his wealth. Abdur-Rahman was blessed with an honor which was not conferred on anyone till then. The time of Salat came and the Prophet, peace be on him, was not there at the time. The Muslims chose Abdur-Rahman as their imam. The first rakat of the Salat was almost completed when the Prophet (SAW), joined the worshippers and performed the Salat behind Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf. Could there be a greater honor conferred on anyone than to have been the imam of the most honored of God’s creation, the imam of the Prophets, the imam of Muhammad, the Messenger of God!

Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas (600-675 C.E) Sa’d was born in mecca, 595. His father was Abu Waqqas Malik ibn Uhayb ibn Abd Manaf ibn Zuhrah from the Banu Zuhrah clan of Quraish. Sa’d’s mother was Hamnah bint Sufyan ibn umayya ibn Abd shams ibn Abd Manaf. He was seventeen years old when he embraced Islam. His son was Amar ibn Sa’ad who played an active and important role in Battle of ka’aba. Sa’d was the seventeenth person to embrace Islam. He is mainly known for his commandership in the conquest of Persia in 636, governorship over it, and diplomatic visit to China in 616 and 651.

Sa’id ibn Zayd (593-673 C.E) Sa’id bin Zaid RA was born in Makkah in the year 22BH (Before Hijrah) (600 CE). He inherited his father’s religious beliefs of Islamic Monotheism, and accepted Islam at an early age. Sa’id bin Zaid RA with his wife accepted Islam when only a handful where muslims. They went through all sorts of abuse, ridicule and torture because of their decision. Sa’id bin Zaid RA and his wife Fatimah binti Khattab (RA) were instrumental in the conversion of Saidina Umar bin Khattab (RA) who became one of the greatest followers of Islam. Sa’id bin Zaid RA briefly served as the ‘Amil (Governor) of Damishaq (Damascus), but voluntarily resigned so as to participate in Jihad (Striving for the Cause of Allah) for Sham (Syria). Sa’id bin Zaid RA served in the Islamic army of conquest for a long time and played an important role in making the region of Iraq and Syria become part of the Islamic land.

Abu Ubaidah Aamir bin Abdullah bin Al-Jarrah (583-638 C.E) He was described as the “Amin” or Custodian of Muhammad’s community with dignity and grace, a handsome, pleasant, well spoken man with a tall, slim physique and bright sharp eyes. These were the physical good looks of a man whom the Prophet said: ‘Every Ummah (nation) has a trustee: the trustee of my Ummah (nation) is Abu Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah.’ By character and nature, he was very humble and modest. Amongst his friends, he was gentle and soft as silk. When it came to war, he was as hard as iron. During the battle of Uhud, he lost his two front teeth. It was within this battle that two of the iron links of the Prophet’s helmet pierced his blessed head. Hazrat Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah pulled them out with his teeth. His integrity and honesty was unparalleled even amongst the companions of the Holy Prophet.

Education

The Prophet Mohammed SAW stated clearly that seeking knowledge was obligatory upon every Muslim-male or female. Clearly debunking the misconception that Islam does not encourage female education. Indeed one of the greatest scholars of Islam was the wife of the Prophet SAW, Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her). After the death of Prophet Mohammed SAW, people would travel from far and wide to come seek knowledge from her as she was a well revered scholar. Indeed Islam has advocated for the recognition of female scholarship and contribution to academia throughout history. A great example of this is the al-Qarawiyin Mosque and University, the oldest running University and it was funded by a woman, Fatima al-Fihri, in Morocco in 859 C.E.

Motherhood

Islam gives high status and reverence to motherhood and emphasizes their importance in society. Allah SWT mentioned in the Quran the hardships that women go through during pregnancy and hence orders people to treat their mothers with love, care and respect. The Prophet SAW was also heard saying that “Heaven lies under the feet of your mother.” And on another occasion a man repeatedly asked Muhammad (SAW), “Who amongst the people is the most worthy of my good companionship?” Each time, the Prophet (SAW) replied, “Your mother.” When the man asked for the fourth time, he replied, “Your father.”

Sociopolitical roles

Indeed women were active in social and political activities since the advent of Islam. They took part in the day to day activities of society and openly voiced their opinions and their advice were sought. The nursed the wounded in battles and some even participated on the battlefield. They also took part economic activities like trade and business to the extent that Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) the second caliph appointed a won Shaffabint Abdullah as the supervisor of the bazaar (market).

Inheritance

Before the advent of Islam, women weren’t allowed to inherit and were instead viewed as property to be inherited. Islam abolished this injustice and gave women the right to inherit their dead relative’s property and to also own property of their own, this was revolutionary in the 7th century as no other religion or race gave women this right. Their share of the inheritance depends on how closely related they are to the deceased relative and the number of relatives.

Financial responsibility

Women are under no obligation whatsoever to spend money on their basic necessities in Islam. If they are married that burden falls on their husband and if they are single the burden falls on the closest male relative (father, brother, uncle, cousin etc.). Even if the woman has some source of earning she is not obligated to share that money with anyone, it is her money and she can do what she pleases with it (within the laws of Islam). She could however spend on her relatives if she wishes out of goodwill. A good example is Khadija (may Allah be pleased with her) the first wife of the Prophet SAW, who was a wealthy business woman, she aided the Prophet SAW financially and also in the cause of Islam.

Marriage

A woman has the right to choose whom she wants to get married to and should not be forced in any way to accept a marriage proposal she doesn’t want. She also has the right to reject a marriage proposal in the same vain. She has the right to seek for a divorce if she is dissatisfied with the marriage. Marriage in Islam embodies love, compassion and respect as Allah SWT said in the Quran “And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy…” (Quran 30:21). Prophet Mohammed was the best to his wives and he ordered us to do the same by saying “The best of you are those who are best to their wives.”

Dignity and protection from harm

Islam is a religion that strongly prohibits any form of violence and abuse and women are no exception. Islam is a religion that honors a woman and treats her with the utmost care and respect.

Modesty

In a generation were women are only portrayed as icons of beauty and appeal, Islam guards the modesty and integrity of women. Women are ordered by Allah SWT to cover themselves in veil to guard their modesty and protect their chastity. Some view the veil as somewhat oppressive but the veil only liberates the woman from the prying eyes of men and highlights her personality not her shape or figure. The detractors of Islam would like to make you believe that this is an oppressive religion that doesn’t respect women’s right. But they couldn’t be more wrong and ignorant and Islam is really the complete way of life and it a divine religion that is not lacking in any sense, let alone upholding women’s right

#1. The first rule of spread is that:

The product must actually be good

If the product is not good, regardless of how many people hear about it, the conversion will be minimum. One true test of an amazing product is the conversion rate after exposure. Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world, once people give it a fair chance, most of them end up adopting it. If the product was not good, there is no way it would work.

It must be easy to use

Any viral product that spreads must be good to begin with, but the big second is that it must be easy to use. If the usage and adoption of it is not easy, the conversion will be a lot less

#2. This is how easy it is to become a Muslim:

To become a Muslim one must simply pronounce the Shahadah (Declaration of Faith) with sincerity and conviction. The Shahadah is the following: “Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illaallaah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan-ar-rasool ullaah” (In Arabic) “I bear witness that there is no God worthy to be worshiped but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (PBUH) is the Messenger of Allah.” (Translation in English) Pronouncing the testimony of faith is sufficient to convert to Islam. That’s it. This is literally how easy it is and mainly depends on your intention.

#3. You must figure out your market fit

Market fit in Islam is composed of two main things:

1- Quran: The Quran is the central religious text of Islam comprising of revelations from God.

2- Sunnah: Practices, customs and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that are considered to be perfect examples. They are found in Hadith and other texts.

#4. What really makes things grow?

Look around and you will see examples everywhere. Every startup worth its salt sets out to become the next big thing, especially in this day and age when some startups are being acquired for Billions. YouTube was acquired for $1.6 billion by Google in what now seems like a steal, while Instagram was acquired and hired by Facebook for $1 billion and most recently WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook too, for $19 billion. Similarly, startups like Twitter, Pinterest, Airbnb, WhatsApp and Uber are all well-known privately held companies with valuations over a billion. What have these companies done to reach this prestigious and lucrative club? The answer is actually rather simple. When they all started growing, they were able to achieve a rate of growth that is exponentially faster than the norm. How did they achieve such fast growth, you ask? [This is very interesting and by the time you finish “you will look at the spread of Islam in a very different way but if you don’t have the time right now, you can read the short version by going here or please bookmark it for a later read. To bookmark this post now (Ctrl+D or cmd+D)] Did they advertise a lot using PPC, as well as TV and radio advertisements? Do they happen to have amazing social media strategies or grow due to strategically fruitful joint ventures? The answers to all of the above questions is… “NO”. They did not do any of that, in fact all of these companies grew based on viral spread from one user to the next. People shared them among their contacts openly and freely, promoting, endorsing, and encouraging adoption. That is exactly how Islam grew – promoting, endorsing, and encouraging adoption from one person to the next. Viral growth is one of the most important aspects of growing your startup and if you ever want to enter the Billion Dollar Club, your users must spread the word both freely and willingly. Since Muslims are actually proud of being Muslims, they do spread the word both Freely and Willingly. Islam is said to be the fastest growing religion with the world’s population of 1.6 billion Muslims, predicted to expand to 2.3 billion by 2050, according to the Pew Research Centre. Islam is also the fastest religion to reach the Billion people mark.

#5. Leadership: Before a company or a Nation can really grow, it needs a founder/leader with a Vision

Who can be a better leader and have more clearer vision than the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He was born in A.D. 570 in Mecca, Saudi Arabia and is often regarded as the founder of Islam by non-believers and for believers he is the last prophet and messenger of Allah sent for the guidance of all mankind.

#6. The Team: Beside a strong founder, every company or nation needs a strong team which believes in the leader’s vision

Which team can be stronger than:

1- Khalifa Abu Bakr (RA)

2- khalifa Umar bin al-Khattab (RA)

3- khalifa Ali Bin Talib (RA)

4- khalifa Uthman bin Ghani (RA)

Sahaba are the companions of the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him ) who believed in him and did great things to further Islam.

#7. Dedicated users who spread the message

Besides the Sahabas there are other countless Heroes of Islam like Khalid ibn Al-Waleed, Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqas and current day heroes like Muhammad Ali who became inspirations for the ummah

Young Muslim: What do you think your greatest achievement is?

Muhammad Ali:Joining Islam.

Young Muslim:If you could go back and change anything, what would that be?

Muhammad Ali:I would become a Muslim at the age of ten.

What is Ghusl?

In simple terms, Ghusl is a ritual bath. It is done as a form of purification for Muslims after intercourse, menstruation, postpartum bleeding etc. It is compulsory for every Muslim that has reached the age of puberty to perform this ritual bath if he/she becomes unpurified due to the aforementioned conditions

When Should One Perform Ghusl?

There are certain things that should occur before one becomes eligible to perform Ghusl. The following qualifies one to perform Ghusl.

- Ejaculation of semen due to sexual desire, nocturnal emissions etc.

- After a wet dream.

- After sexual intercourse, even without ejaculation.

- After menstruation.

- Post-partum bleeding.

There are certain other situations in which one can perform Ghusl voluntarily

- When going for Friday prayers.

- When going for Hajj or Umrah, before putting on the ihram.

- When going for Eid prayers or any other religious occasion.

Now that we have defined what Ghusl is and when and why it should be performed we are now going to a step by step illustration of how Ghusl should be performed.

#1. Intention

Like all forms of worship in Islam intention is the first and most important step. You have to have the intention that you are coming to purify yourself according to the teachings of Allah and his Prophet SAW because without intention worship would just be a mere movement of limbs lacking any form of soul. Some scholars say if you perform Ghusl without intention you will get purified but you also get rewards (good deeds) for it

#2. Washing the Hands

The person should then wash his hands three times or as much as necessary to clean his/her hands.

#3.Washing the Private Parts

The next thing is for the person to wash his/her private parts, from the belly button to the knee, making sure to thoroughly clean both the front and the back. This should be whether dirt or impurities are visible or not.

#3. Performing Wudu

The person should then commence to performing wudu (ablution) like he/she would normally do. If the person is performing Ghusl in a place where the water does not stagnate and it runs down with all the impurities then the person should perform a complete Wudu but if the person is not sure then he/she should postpone the washing of the feet until after completing the Ghusl.

#4. Pour Water Over The Head Thrice

The person should then pour water over his/her head three times making sure every part of the hair touches water. If at all water doesn’t touch the whole hair then Ghusl is not complete.

#5. Pour Water Over The Right And Left Shoulder

The person should then pour water over his/her right shoulder thrice then do the same to the left also thrice. During this process, the person should make sure he doesn’t touch his private parts lest it renders his wudu null and void.

#6. Pour Water Over The Entire Body

The person should then pour water over the entire body making sure to rub thoroughly to ensure water reaches every part of the body.

#7. Cover Yourself

Now that the process has been completed the person should immediately cover himself with a towel or anything that can cover the private parts.