How to Write a Perfect UC Essay for Every Prompt

How to Write a Perfect UC Essay for Every Prompt SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you're applying to any University of California campus as an incoming freshman, then you have a special challenge ahead of you. Applicants need to answer four UC personal insight questions, chosen from a pool of eight unique prompts different from those on the Common App. But not to worry! This article is here to help. In this article, I'll dissectthe eight UC essay promptsin detail. What are they asking you for? What do they want to know about you? What do UC admissions officers really care about? How do you avoid boring or repulsing them with your essay? I'll breakdownall of these important questions for each prompt and discuss how to pick the four prompts that are perfect for you. I'll also give you examples of how to make sure your essay fully answers the question. Finally, I'll offer step-by-step instructions on how to come up with the best ideas for your UC personal statements. What Are the UC Personal Insight Questions? If you think about it, your college application is mostly made up of numbers: your GPA, your SAT scores, the number of AP classes you took, how many years you spent playing volleyball. These numbers only reveal so much. The job of admissions officers is to put together a class of interesting, compelling individuals- but a cut and dried achievement list makes it very hard to assess whether someone is interesting or compelling. This is where the personal insight questions come in. The UC application essays are your way to give colleges a sense of your personality, your perspective on the world, and some of the experiences that have made you into who you are. The idea is to share the kinds of things that don’t end up on your transcript. It's helpful to remember that you are not writing this for you. You're writing for an audience of people who do not know you, but are interested to learn about you. The essay is meant to be a revealing look inside your thoughts and feelings. These short essays- with a 350 word limit- are different from the essays you write in school, which tend to focus on analyzing someone else’s work. Really, the application essays are much closer to a short story. They rely heavily on narratives of events from your life, and on your descriptions of people, places, and feelings. If you’d like more background on college essays, check out our explainer for a very detailed breakdown of exactly how personal statements work in an application. Now, let’s dive into the eight University of California essay questions. First I’ll compare and contrast these prompts. Then I’ll dig deep into each UC personal statement question individually, exploring what it’s really trying to find out and how you can give the admissions officers what they’re looking for. Once upon a time, there was a mouse who really, really wanted to get into your college. Comparing the UC Essay Prompts Before we can pull these prompts apart, let's first compare and contrast them with each other. Clearly, UC wants you to write four different essays, and they're asking you eight different questions. But what are the differences? And are there any similarities? The Actual UC Essay Prompts #1: Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time. #2: Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side. #3: What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time? #4: Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced. #5: Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement? #6: Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom. #7: What have you done to make your school or your community a better place? #8: Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California? How to Tell the UC Essay Prompts Apart To help tell the UC personal statement prompts apart, sort them into big-picture categories, so when you’re brainstorming ideas you can see where your event or life experience would fit: Topics 1 and 7 are about your engagement with the people, things, and ideas around you. Consider the impact of the outside world on you and how you handled that impact. Topics 2 and 6 are about your inner self, what defines you, and what makes you the person that you are. Consider your interior makeup, the characteristics of the inner you Topics 3, 4, 5, and 8 are about your achievements. Consider what you’ve accomplished in life and what you are proud of doing These very broad categories will help when you’re brainstorming ideas and life experiences to write about for your essay. Of course, it's true that many of the stories you think of can be shaped to fit each of these prompts. Still, think about what the experience most reveals about you. If it’s an experience that shows how you have handled the people and places around you, it’ll work better for questions in the first group. If it’s a description of how you express yourself, it’s a good match for questions in group two. If it’s an experience that tells how you acted or what you did, it’s probably a better fit for questions in group three. For more help, check out our article on coming up with great ideas for your essay topic. "And that's the last time I went to a psychic." Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar. Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges. Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now: How Is This Guide Organized? We analyze all eight UC prompts in this guide, and for each one we give the following information: The prompt itself and any accompanying instructions What each part of the prompt is asking for Why UC is using this prompt and what they hope to learn from you All the key points you should cover in your response so you answer the complete prompt and give UC insight into who you are Dissecting Personal Insight Question 1 The Prompt and Its Instructions Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time. Things to consider: A leadership role can mean more than just a title. It can mean being a mentor to others, acting as the person in charge of a specific task, or taking a lead role in organizing an event or project. Think about your accomplishments and what you learned from the experience. What were your responsibilities? Did you lead a team? How did your experience change your perspective on leading others? Did you help to resolve an important dispute at your school, church in your community or an organization? And your leadership role doesn’t necessarily have to be limited to school activities. For example, do you help out or take care of your family? What’s the Question Asking? The prompt wants you to describe how you handled a specific kind of relationship with a group of people- a time when you took the reigns and the initiative. Your answer to this prompt will consist of two parts: Part 1: Explain the Dilemma Before you can tell your story of leading, brokering peace, or having a lasting impact on other people, you have to give your reader a frame of reference and a context for your actions. First, describe the group of people you interacted with. Who were and what was their relationship to you? How long were you in each others’ lives? Second, explain the issue you eventually solved. What was going on before you stepped in? What was the immediate problem? Were there potential long-term repercussions? "We couldn't decide between butter and cream cheese frosting in the final round of the baking competition!" Part 2: Describe Your Solution This is where your essay will have to explicitly talk about your own actions. Discuss what thought process led you to your course of action. Was it a last-ditch effort or a long-planned strategy? Did you think about what might happen if you didn’t step in? Did you have to choose between several courses of action? Explain how you took the bull by the horns. Did you step into the lead role willingly or were you pushed despite some doubts? Did you replace or supercede a more obvious leader? Describe your solution to the problem, or your contribution to resolving the ongoing issue. What did you do? How did you do it? Did your plan succeed immediately or did it take some time? Consider how this experience has shaped the person you have now become. Do you think back on this time fondly as being the origin of some personal quality or skill? Did it make you more likely to lead in other situations? What’s UC Hoping to Learn about You? College will be an environment unlike any of the ones you’ve found yourself in up to now. Sure, you will have a framework for your curriculum, and you will have advisers available to help- but for the most part, you will be on your own to deal with the situations that will inevitably arise when you mix with your diverse peers. UC wants to make sure: That you have the maturity to deal with groups of people That you can solve problems with your own ingenuity and resourcefulness That you don’t lose your head and panic at problems "And that's how I saved Christmas with a single crushed can!" How Can You Give Them What They Want? So how can you make sure those qualities come through in your essay? Pick Your Group The prompt very specifically wants you to talk about an interaction with a group of people. Let’s say a group has to be at least three people. Raise the Stakes Think of the way movies ratchet up the tension of the impending catastrophe before the hero swoops in and saves the day. Keeping an audience on tenterhooks is important- and makes the hero look awesome for the inevitable job well done. Similarly, in your essay the reader has to fundamentally understand exactly what you and the group you ended up leading were facing. Why was this an important problem to solve? Balance You vs. Them Personal statements need to showcase you above all things. Because this essay will necessarily have to spend some time on other people, you need to find a good proportion of them-time and me-time. In general, the first, setup, section of the essay should be shorter, since it will not be focused on what you were doing. The second section should take the rest of the space. So, in a 350 word essay, maybe 100-125 words go to setup, while 225-250 words to your leadership and solution. Find Your Arc Not only do you need to show how your leadership met the challenge you faced, but you also have to show how the experience changed you. In other words, the outcome was double-sided: you affected the world, and the world affected you right back. Make your arc as lovely and compelling as a rainbow. Dissecting Personal Insight Question 2 The Prompt and Its Instructions Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side. Things to consider: What does creativity mean to you? Do you have a creative skill that is important to you? What have you been able to do with that skill? If you used creativity to solve a problem, what was your solution? What are the steps you took to solve the problem? How does your creativity influence your decisions inside or outside the classroom? Does your creativity relate to your major or a future career? What’s the Question Asking? This question is trying to probe the way you express yourself. Its broad description of â€Å"creativity† gives you the opportunity to make almost anything you make that didn’t exist before fit the topic. What this essay question is really asking you to do is to examine the role your brand of creativity plays in your sense of yourself. The essay will have three parts. Part 1: Define Your Creativity What exactly do you produce, make, craft, create, or generate? Of course, the most obvious answer would be a visual art, a performance art, or music. But in reality, there is creativity in all fields. Any time you come up with an idea, thought, concept, or theory that didn’t exist before, you are being creative. So, your job is to explain what you spend time creating. Part 2: Connect Your Creative Drive to Your Overall Self Why do you do what you do? Are you doing it for external reasons- to perform for others, to demonstrate your skill, to fulfill some need in the world? Or is your creativity private and for your own use- to unwind, to distract yourself from other parts of your life, to have personal satisfaction in learning a skill? Are you good at your creative thing or do you struggle with it? If you struggle with it, why is it important to you to keep doing it? Part 3: Connect Your Creative Drive With Your Future The most basic way to do this is if you envision yourself actually doing your creative pursuit professionally. But this doesn’t have to be the only way you draw this link. What have you learned from what you’ve made? How has it changed how you interact with other objects or with people? Does it change your appreciation for the work of others or motivate you to improve upon it? "As the sole living practitioner of the ancient art of rock bodybuilding..." What’s UC Hoping to Learn about You? Nothing characterizes higher education like the need for creative thinking, unorthodox ideas to old topics, and the ability to synthesize something new. That is what you are going to college to learn how to do better. This essay wants to know whether this mindset of out-of-the-box-ness is something you are already comfortable with. They want to see: That you have actually created something in your life or academic career That you consider this an important quality within yourself, and that you have cultivated your skills That you can see and have considered the impact of what you’ve done on yourself or on the world around you Think outside the box- unless there are donuts in the box. How Can You Give Them What They Want? How can you really show that you are committed to being a creative person? Be Specific and Descriptive It’s not enough to vaguely gesture at your creative field. Instead, give a detailed and lively description of a specific thing or idea that you have created. For example, I could describe a Turner painting as â€Å"a seascape† or I could call it â€Å"an attempt to capture the breathtaking power and violence of an ocean storm as it overwhelms a ship.† Which painting would you rather look at? Give a Sense of History The question wants a little narrative of your relationship to your creative outlet. How long have you been doing it? Did someone teach you or mentor you? Have you taught it to others? Where and when do you create? Hit a Snag and Find the Success Anything worth doing is worth doing despite setbacks, this question argues- and it wants you to narrate one such setback. So first, figure out something that interfered with your creative expression. A lack of skill, time, or resources? Too much or not enough ambition in a project? Then, make sure this story has a happy ending that shows you off as the solver of your own problems. What did you do to fix the situation? How did you do it? Show Insight Your essay should include some thoughtful consideration of how this creative pursuit has shaped you, your thoughts, your opinions, your relationships with others, your understanding of creativity in general, or your dreams about your future. (Notice I said â€Å"or† not â€Å"and†- 350 words is not enough to cover all of those things!) "And that's when I knew I was destined to become a master confectioner!" Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Dissecting Personal Insight Question 3 The Prompt and Its Instructions What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time? Things to consider: If there’s a talent or skill that you’re proud of, this is the time to share it. You don’t necessarily have to be recognized or have received awards for your talent (although if you did and you want to talk about, feel free to do so). Why is this talent or skill meaningful to you? Does the talent come naturally or have you worked hard to develop this skill or talent? Does your talent or skill allow you opportunities in or outside the classroom? If so, what are they and how do they fit into your schedule? What's the Question Asking? Basically, what’s being asked for here is a beaming rave. Whatever you write about, picture yourself talking about it with a glowing smile on your face. Part 1: Narrative The first part of the question really comes down to this: tell us a story about what's amazing about you. Have you done an outstanding thing? Do you have a mindblowing ability? Describe a place, a time, or a situation in which you were a star. A close reading of this first case of the prompt reveals that you don’t need to stress if you don’t have an obvious answer. Sure, if you’re playing first chair violin in the Symphony Orchestra, that qualifies as both a â€Å"talent† and an â€Å"accomplishment.† But the word "quality" really gives you the option of writing about any one of your most meaningful traits. And then, the words â€Å"contribution† and â€Å"experience† open up the range of possibilities that you could write about even further. A contribution could be anything from physically helping put something together, to providing moral or emotional support at a critical moment. But the key to the first part is the phrase â€Å"important to you.† Once again, what you write about is not as important as how you write about it. Being able to demonstrate the importance of the event that you’re describing reveals much more about you than the specific talent or characteristic ever could. Part 2: Insight and Personal Development The second part of the last essay asked you to look to the future. The second part of this essay wants you to look at the present instead. The general task is similar, however. Once again you're being asked to make connections- how do you fit this quality you have or this achievement you accomplished into the story of who you are? A close reading of the second part of this prompt lands on the word â€Å"proud.† This is a big clue that the revelation this essay is looking for should be a very positive one. In other words, this is probably not the time to write about getting arrested for vandalism, unless you can spin that experience into a story about how you been on the straight and narrow path ever since. Even if your vandalism was really, really, cool, don't write about it. What's UC Hoping to Learn About You? Admissions officers have a very straightforward interest in learning about your accomplishments. By the end of high school, many of the experiences that you are most proud of don’t tend to be the kind of things that end up on your resume. They want to know what makes you proud of yourself. It is something that relates to performance, to overcoming a difficult obstacle, to keeping a cool head in a crisis, to your ability to help others in need? At the same time, they are looking for a sense of maturity. In order to be proud of an accomplishment, it’s important to be able to understand your own values and ideals. This is your chance to show that you truly get the qualities and experiences that make you into a responsible and grown-up person, someone who will thrive in the independence of college life. In other words, while you might really be proud that you managed to tag 50 highway overpasses with graffiti, that’s probably not the achievement to brag about here. Unless you were hired to paint the overpasses. Then definitely brag about it. How Can You Give Them What They Want? The trick with this prompt is how to show a lot about yourself without listing accomplishments or devolving into cliche platitudes. Let's take it step by step. Step #1: Explain Your Field Make sure that somewhere in your narrative (preferably closer to the beginning) you let the reader know what makes your achievement an achievement. Not all interests are mainstream, so it helps your reader to understand what you’re facing if you give a quick sketch of, for example, why it’s challenging to build a battle bot that can defeat another fighting robot, or how the difficulties of extemporaneous debate compare with debating about a prepared topic. Keep in mind that for some things the explanation might be obvious. For example, do you really need to explain why finishing a marathon is a hard task? Step #2: Zoom in on a Specific Experience Think about your talent/quality/accomplishment in terms of experiences that showcase it. Conversely, think about your experiences in terms of the talent/quality/accomplishment they demonstrate. Since you're once again going to be limited to 350 words, you won’t be able to fit all the ways in which you exhibit your specific piece of awesomeness into this essay. This means that you’ll need to figure out how your ability can best be shown through one event when you displayed it. Or if you’re writing about an experience you had or a contribution you made, you’ll need to also point out what personality trait or characteristic it reveals. Step #3: Find a Conflict or a Transition The first question asked for a description, but this one wants a story- a narrative of how you do your special talent, or how you accomplished the thing you were so great at. The main thing about stories is that they have to have: A beginning: This is the setup, when you weren’t yet the star you are now. An obstacle or a transition: Sometimes a story has a conflict that needs to be resolved: something that stood in your way, a challenge that you had to figure out a way around, a block that you powered through. Other times, a story is about a change or a transformation: you used to believe/think/be one thing and now you are different/better. A resolution: When your full power/self-knowledge/ability/future goal is revealed. "And that's how I negotiated peace with the aliens of Tarkon V." Dissecting Personal Insight Question 4 The Prompt and Its Instructions Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced. Things to consider: An educational opportunity can be anything that has added value to your educational experience and better prepared you for college. For example, participation in an honors or academic enrichment program, or enrollment in an academy that’s geared toward an occupation or a major, or taking advanced courses that interest you - just to name a few. If you choose to write about educational barriers you’ve faced, how did you overcome or strive to overcome them? What personal characteristics or skills did you call on to overcome this challenge? How did overcoming this barrier help shape who are you today? What's the Question Asking? Cue the swelling music, because this essay is going to be all about your inspirational journey. You will either tell your story of overcoming adversity against all (or some) odds, or of pursuing the chance of a lifetime. If you write about triumphing over adversity, your essay will include: A description of the setback that befell you: The prompt wants to know what you consider a challenge in your school life- and definitely note that this challenge should have in some significant way impacted your academics rather than your life overall. The challenge can be a wide-reaching problem in your educational environment or something that happened specifically to you. The word â€Å"barrier† also shows that the challenge should be something that stood in your way: if only that thing weren’t there, then you’d be sure to succeed. An explanation of your success: Here, you’ll talk about what you did when faced with this challenge. Notice that the prompt asks you to describe the â€Å"work† you put in to overcome the problem- so this piece of the essay should focus on your actions, thoughts, ideas, and strategies. Although the essay doesn’t specify it, this section should also at some point turn reflexive. How are you defined by this thing that happened? You could discuss the emotional fallout of having dramatically succeeded, or how your maturity level, concrete skills, or understanding of the situation has increased, now that you have dealt with it personally. Or, you could talk about any beliefs or personal philosophy that you have had to reevaluate as a result of either the challenge itself, or of the way that you had to go about solving it. If you write about an educational opportunity, your essay will include: A short, clear description of exactly what you got the chance to do: In your own words, explain what the opportunity was, and why it’s special. Also explain why you specifically got the chance to do it. Was it the culmination of years of study? An academic contest prize? An unexpected encounter that led to you seizing an unlooked-for opportunity? How you made the best of it: It’s one thing to get the opportunity to do something amazing, but it’s another to really maximize what you get out of this chance for greatness. This is where you show just how much you understand the value of what you did, and how you’ve changed and grown as a result of it. Were you very challenged by this opportunity? Did your skills develop? Did you unearth talents you didn’t know you had? How does this impact your future academic ambitions or interests? Will you study this area further? Does this help you find your academic focus? "When I had a chance to go to Wizarding School..." What's UC Hoping to Learn About You? Of course, whatever you write about in this essay is probably already reflected on your resume or in your transcript in some small way. But UC wants to go deeper, to find out how seriously you take your academic career, and how thoughtfully you’ve approached either its ups or its downs. In college, there will be many amazing opportunities, but they aren’t necessarily simply there for the taking. Instead, you will be responsible for seizing whatever chances will further your studies, interests, or skills. Conversely, college will necessarily be more challenging, harder, and potentially much more full of academic obstacles than your academic experiences so far. UC wants to see that you are up to handling whatever setbacks may come your way with aplomb rather than panic. How Can You Give Them What They Want? Define the Problem/Opportunity Not every challenge is automatically obvious. Sure, everyone can understand the drawbacks of having to miss a significant amount of school due to illness, but what if the obstacle you tackled is something a little more obscure? Likewise, winning the chance travel to Italy to paint landscapes with a master is clearly rare and amazing, but some opportunities are more specialized and less obviously impressive. Make sure your essay explains everything the reader will need to know to understand what you were facing. Watch Your Tone An essay describing problems can easily slip into finger-pointing and self-pity. Make sure to avoid this by speaking positively or at least neutrally about what was wrong and what you faced. This goes double if you decide to explain who or what was at fault for creating this problem. Likewise, an essay describing amazing opportunities can quickly become an exercise in unpleasant bragging and self-centeredness. Make sure you stay grounded- rather than dwelling at length on your accomplishments, describe the specifics of what you learned and how. "But learning to be a wizard wasn't easy..." Dissecting Personal Insight Question 5 The Prompt and Its Instructions Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement? Things to consider: A challenge could be personal, or something you have faced in your community or school. Why was the challenge significant to you? This is a good opportunity to talk about any obstacles you’ve faced and what you’ve learned from the experience. Did you have support from someone else or did you handle it alone? If you’re currently working your way through a challenge, what are you doing now, and does that affect different aspects of your life? For example, ask yourself, â€Å"How has my life changed at home, at my school, with my friends, or with my family?† What's the Question Asking? It’s time to draw back the curtains and expand our field of vision, because this is going to be a two-part story of overcoming adversity against all (or some) odds. Part 1: Facing a Challenge The first part of this essay is about problem-solving. The prompt asks you to point at something that could have derailed you, if not for your strength and skill. Not only will you describe the challenge itself, but you’ll talk about what you did when faced with it. Part 2: Looking in the Mirror The second part of Topic B asks you to consider how this challenge has echoed through your life- and more specifically, how your education has been affected by what happened to you. What's UC Hoping to Learn About You? In life, dealing with setbacks, defeats, barriers, and conflicts is not a bug- it’s a feature. And colleges want to make sure that you can handle these upsetting events without losing your overall sense of self, without being totally demoralized, and without getting completely overwhelmed. In other words, they are looking for someone who is mature enough to do well on a college campus, where disappointing results and hard challenges will be par for the course. They are also looking for your creativity and problem-solving skills. Are you good at tackling something that needs to be fixed? Can you keep a cool head in a crisis? Do you look for solutions outside the box? These are all markers of a successful student, so it’s not surprising that admissions people want you to demonstrate these qualities. "I realized that if I wanted to become the Junior Champion Snake Shifter, I would have to do something drastic." How Can You Give Them What They Want? Let's explore the best ways to show off your problem-solving side. Show Your Work It’s one thing to be able to say what's wrong, but it’s another thing entirely to demonstrate how you figured out how to fix it. Even more than knowing that you were able to fix the problem, colleges want to see how you approached the situation. This is why your essay needs to explain your problem-solving methodology. Basically, we need to see you in action. What did you think would work? What did you think would not work? Did you compare this to other problems you have faced and pass? Did you do research? Describe your process. Make Sure That You Are the Hero This essay is supposed to demonstrate your resourcefulness and creativity. The last thing you want is for you to not actually be the person responsible for overcoming the obstacle. Make sure that your story is clear that without you and your special brand of XYZ, people would still be lamenting the issue today. Don't worry if the resource you used to affect a good fix was the knowledge and know-how that somebody else brought to the table. Just focus on explaining what made you think of this person as the one to go to, how you convinced them to participate, and how you explained to them how they would be helpful. This will shift the attention of the story back to you and your doings. Find the Suspenseful Moment The most exciting part of this essay should be watching you struggle to find a solution just in the nick of time. Think every movie clichà © ever about someone defusing a bomb - even if you know 100% that the guy is going to do it, the movie still ratchets up the tension to make it seem like, well, maybe... You want to do the same thing here. Bring excitement and a feeling of uncertainty to your description of your process to really pull the reader in and make them root for you to succeed. You're the superhero! Dissecting Personal Insight Question 6 The Prompt and Its Instructions Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom. Things to consider: Many students have a passion for one specific academic subject area, something that they just can’t get enough of. If that applies to you, what have you done to further that interest? Discuss how your interest in the subject developed and describe any experience you have had inside and outside the classroom - such as volunteer work, internships, employment, summer programs, participation in student organizations and/or clubs - and what you have gained from your involvement. Has your interest in the subject influenced you in choosing a major and/or career? Have you been able to pursue coursework at a higher level in this subject (honors, AP, IB, college or university work)? Are you inspired to pursue this subject further at UC, and how might you do that? What's the Question Asking? This question is really asking for a glimpse of your imagined possibilities. For some students, this will be an extremely straightforward question. For example, say you’ve always loved science to the point that you’ve spent every summer taking biology and chemistry classes. You can just pick a few of the most gripping moments from these experiences and discuss the overall trajectory of your interests, and your essay will be a winner. But what if you have many academic interests? Or what if you only discovered your academic passion at the very end of high school? Let’s break down what the question is really asking into two parts. Part 1: Picking a Favorite At first glance, it sounds as if what you should write about is the class where you have gotten the best grades, or the class that easily fits into what you see as your future college major or maybe even your eventual career goal. There is nothing wrong with this kind of pick- especially if you really are someone who tends to excel in those classes that are right up your interest alley. But if we look closer, we see that there is nothing in the prompt that specifically demands that you write either about a particular class or an area of study where you perform well. Instead, you could take the phrase â€Å"academic subject† to mean a wide field of study and explore your fascination with the different types of learning to be found there. For example, if your chosen topic is the field of literature, you could discuss your experiences with different genres or with foreign writers. You could also write about a course or area of study that has significantly challenged you, and where you have not been as stellar a student as you want. This could be a way to focus on your personal growth as a result of struggling through a difficult class, or the way you’ve learned to handle or overcome your limitations. Part 2: Relevance The second part of this prompt, like the first, can also be taken in a literal and direct way. There is absolutely nothing wrong with explaining that because you love engineering and want to be an engineer you have pursued all your school’s STEM courses, are also involved in a robotics club, and have taught yourself to code in order to develop apps. On the other hand, you could focus on the more abstract, values-driven goals we just talked about. Then, the way you explain how your academics will help you can be rooted not in the content of what you studied, but in the life lessons you drew from it. In other words, for example, your theater class may not have created a desire to be an actor, but working on plays with your peers may have shown you how highly you value collaboration. And the experience of designing sets was an exercise in problem-solving and ingenuity. These lessons would be useful in any field you pursue and could easily be said to help you achieve your lifetime goals. My favorite subject is underwater basketweaving. What's UC Hoping to Learn About You? If you are on a direct path to a specific field of study or career pursuit, admissions officers definitely want to know that. Having driven, goal oriented, and passionate students is a huge plus for a university. So if this is you, be sure that your essay conveys not just your interest but also your deep and abiding love of the subject, and maybe even includes any related clubs, activities, and hobbies that you’ve done during high school. But of course, more traditionally, college is the place to find yourself and the things that you become passionate about. So if you’re not already committed to a specific course of study, don’t worry. Instead, you have to realize that in this essay, like in all the other essays, the how matters much more than the what. No matter where your eventual academic, career, or other pursuits may lie, every class that you have taken up to now has taught you something. You learned about things like work ethic, mastering a skill, practice, learning from a teacher, interacting with peers, dealing with setbacks, understanding your own learning style, and perseverance. In other words, the admissions office wants to make sure that no matter what you study you will draw meaningful conclusions from your experiences, whether those conclusions are about the content of what you learn or about a deeper understanding of yourself and others. They want to see that you’re not simply floating through life on the surface, but that you are absorbing the qualities, skills, and know-how you will need to succeed in the world- no matter what that success looks like. How Can You Give Them What They Want? Focus on a telling detail. Because personal statements are short, you simply won't have time to explain everything you have loved about a particular subject in enough detail to make it count. Instead, pick one event that crystallized your passion for a subject, or one telling moment that revealed what your working style will be, and go deep into a discussion of what it meant to you in the past and how it will affect your future. Don’t overreach. It’s fine to say that you have loved your German classes so much that you have begun exploring both modern and classic German-language writers, for example, but it’s a little too self-aggrandizing to claim that your 4 years of German have made you basically bilingual and ready to teach the language to others. Make sure that whatever class achievements you describe don’t come off as unnecessary bragging rather than simple pride. Don’t underreach. At the same time, make sure that you have actual accomplishments to describe in whatever subject you pick to write about. If your favorite class turned out to be the one you mostly skipped to hang out in the gym instead, this may not be the place to share that lifetime goal. After all, you always have to remember your audience. In this case, it's college admissions officers who want to find students who are eager to learn and be exposed to new thoughts and ideas. "This is how I realized my passion for horticulture." Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar. Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges. Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now: Dissecting Personal Insight Question 7 The Prompt and Its Instructions What have you done to make your school or your community a better place? Things to consider: Think of community as a term that can encompass a group, team or a place - like your high school, hometown or home. You can define community as you see fit, just make sure you talk about your role in that community. Was there a problem that you wanted to fix in your community? Why were you inspired to act? What did you learn from your effort? How did your actions benefit others, the wider community or both? Did you work alone or with others to initiate change in your community? What's the Question Asking? This topic is trying to get at how you engage with your environment. It’s looking for several things: #1: Your Sense of Place and Connection Because the term â€Å"community† is so broad and ambiguous, this is a good essay for explaining where you feel a sense of belonging and rootedness. What or who constitutes your community? Is your connection to a place, to a group of people, or to an organization? What makes you identify as part of this community- cultural background, a sense of shared purpose, or some other quality? #2: Your Empathy and Ability to Look at the Big Picture Before you can solve a problem, you have to realize that the problem exists. Before you can make your community a better place, you have to find the things that can be ameliorated. No matter what your contribution ended up being, you first have to show how you saw where your skills, talent, intelligence, or hard work could do the most good. Did you put yourself in the shoes of the other people in your community? Understand some fundamental inner working of a system you could fix? Knowingly put yourself in the right place at the right time? #3: Your Problem Solving Skills How did you make the difference in your community? If you resolved a tangible issue, how did you come up with your solution? Did you examine several options or act from the gut? If you made your community better in a less direct way, how did you know where to apply yourself and how to have the most impact possible? "And that's how I saved the children of MiceTown." What's UC Hoping to Learn About You? Community is a very important thing to colleges. You'll be involved with and encounter lots of different communities in college, from the broader student body, to your extracurriculars and classes, to the community outside the University around you. UC wants to make sure that you can engage with the communities around you in a positive and meaningful way. How Can You Give Them What They Want? Make it personal. Before you can explain what you did in your community, you have to define and describe this community itself- and you can necessarily only do that by focusing on what it means to you. Don’t speak in generalities, but instead show the bonds between you and the group you are a part of through colorful, idiosyncratic language. Sure, they might be â€Å"my water polo team,† but maybe they are more specifically â€Å"the twelve people who have seen me at my most exhausted and my most exhilarated.† Feel all the feelings. This is a chance to move your readers. As you delve deep into what makes your community one of your emotional centers, and then as you describe how you were able to improve it in a meaningful and lasting way, you should keep the roller coaster of feelings front and center. Own how you felt at each step of the process: when you found your community, when you saw that you could make a difference, when you realized that your actions have resulted in a change for the better. Did you feel unprepared for the task you undertook? Nervous to potentially let down those around? Thrilled to get a chance to display a hidden or underused talent? "After brokering peace between the two rival cat clans of my neighborhood, I feel like I can do anything!" Dissecting Personal Insight Question 8 The Prompt and Its Instructions Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California? Things to consider: If there’s anything you want us to know about you, but didn’t find a question or place in the application to tell us, now’s your chance. What have you not shared with us that will highlight a skill, talent, challenge or opportunity that you think will help us know you better? From your point of view, what do you feel makes you an excellent choice for UC? Don’t be afraid to brag a little. What's the Question Asking? If your particular experience doesn’t quite fit under the rubrics of the other essay topics, or if there is something the admissions officers need to understand about your background in order to consider your application in the right context, then this is the essay for you. Now, I’m going to say something a little counterintuitive here. The prompt for this essay clarifies that even if you don’t have a â€Å"unique† story to tell, you should still feel free to pick this topic. But, honestly, I think you should only choose this topic if you have an exceptional experience to share, and that any everyday challenges or successes of regular life could easily fit one of the other insight questions instead. What this means is that evaluating whether your experiences qualify for this essay is a matter of degrees. For example, did you manage to thrive academically despite being raised by a hard-working single parent? That’s a hardship that could easily be written about for Questions 1 or 5, depending on how you choose to frame what happened. Did you manage to earn a 3.7 GPA despite living in a succession of foster families only to age out of the system in the middle of your senior year of high school? That’s a narrative of overcoming hardship that easily belongs to Question 8. On the flip side, did you win a state-wide robotics competition? Well done, and feel free to tell your story under Question 4. Were you the youngest person to single-handedly win a season of BattleBots? Then feel free to write about it for Question 8. What's UC Hoping to Learn About You? This is pretty straightforward. They are trying to identify students that have unique and amazing stories to tell about who they are and where they come from. If you’re a student like this, then the admissions people want to know: What happened to you When and where it happened How you participated or were involved in the situation How it affected you as a person How it affected your schoolwork How the experience will be reflected in the point of view you bring to campus The reasons that the university wants this information are: It gives context to applications that otherwise might seem mediocre or even subpar It can help explain times in a transcript where grades significantly drop It creates them the opportunity to build a lot of diversity into the incoming class It’s a way of finding unique talents and abilities that otherwise wouldn’t show up on other application materials How Can You Give Them What They Want? Let's run through a few tricks for making sure your essay makes the most of your particular exceptionalism. Double-Check Your Uniqueness There are many experiences in all of our lives that make us feel elated, accomplished, and extremely competent, that are also near-universal. This essay isn’t trying to take the validity of your strong feelings away from you, but I think it would be best served by for stories that are on a different scale. Wondering whether what you went through counts? This might be a good time to run your idea by a parent, school counselor, or trusted teacher. Do they think your experience is widespread? Or do they agree that you truly lived a life less ordinary? Connect Outward The vast majority of your answer to the prompt should be telling your story and its impact on you and your life. But the essay should also point toward how your particular experiences set you apart from your peers. One of the reasons that the admissions office wants to find out which of the applicants has been through something unlike most other people is that they are hoping to increase the number of points of view in the student body. Think about, and include in your essay, how you will impact campus life. This can be very literal- if you are a jazz singer who has released several acclaimed albums, then maybe you will perform on campus. Or it can be much more oblique- if you are disabled, then you will be able to offer a perspective that differs from the able-bodied majority. Be Direct, Specific, and Honest Nothing will make your voice sound more appealing than writing without embellishment or verbal flourishes. This is the one case where what you’re telling is just as- if not more- important than how you’re telling it. So the best strategy is to be as straightforward in your writing as possible. This means using description to situate your reader in a place/time/experience that they would never get to see firsthand. You can do this by picking a specific moment during your accomplishment to narrate as a small short story, and not shying away from explaining your emotions throughout the experience. Your goal is to make the extraordinary into something at least somewhat relatable- and the way you do that is by making your writing down to earth. "Is it accurate to say that I saved the entire world?" "No." Writing Advice for Making Your UC Personal Statements Shine No matter what personal insight questions you end up choosing to write about, here are two tips for making your writing sparkle: #1: Be Detailed and Descriptive Have you ever heard the expression â€Å"show, don’t tell†? It’s usually given as creative writing advice, and it will be your best friend when you're writing college essays. It means that any time you want to describe a person or thing as having a particular quality, it’s better to illustrate with an example than to just use vague adjectives. If you stick to giving examples that paint a picture, your focus will also become narrower and more specific. You’ll end up focusing on details and concrete events, rather than not particularly telling generalizations. Let’s say, for instance, Adnan is writing about the house that he’s been helping his dad fix up. Which of these do you think gives the reader a better sense of place? Version 1 My family bought an old house that was kind of rundown. My dad likes fixing it up on the weekends and I like helping him. Now the house is much nicer than when we bought it and I can see all our hard work when I look at it. Version 2 My dad grinned when he saw my shocked face. Our â€Å"new† house looked like a completely rundown shed: peeling paint, rust-covered railings, shutters that looked like the crooked teeth of a jack-o-lantern. I was still staring at the spider web crack in one broken window when my dad handed me a pair of brand new work gloves and a paint scraper. â€Å"Today, let’s just do what we can with the front wall,† he said, and then I smiled too, knowing that many of my weekends would be spent here with him, working side by side. Both versions of this story focus on the fact that the house was dilapidated and that Adnan enjoyed helping his dad do repairs. But the second does this by: Painting a picture of what the house actually looked like by adding visual details ("peeling paint," "rust-covered railings," "broken window"), and through comparisons ("shutters like a jack-o-lantern," "spider web window crack") Showing emotions by describing facial expressions ("my dad grinned," "my shocked face," "I smiled") Using specific and descriptive action verbs ("grinned," "shocked," "staring," "handed") The essay would probably go on to describe one day of working with his dad, or a time when a repair went horribly awry. Adnan would make sure to keep adding sensory details (what things looked, sounded, smelled, tasted like), using active verbs, and illustrating feelings with spoken speech and facial expressions. If you're having trouble checking whether your description is detailed enough, read your work to someone else. Then, ask that person to describe the scene back to you. Are they able to conjure up a picture from your words? If not, you need to beef up your details. It's a bit of a fixer-upper, but it'll make a great college essay! #2: Show Your Feelings All good personal essays deal with emotions. And what marks great personal essays is the author’s willingness to really dig into negative feelings as well as positive ones. As you write your UC application essays, keep asking yourself questions and probing your memory. How did you feel before it happened? How did you expect to feel after, and then how did you actually feel after? How did the world that you are describing feel about what happened? How do you know how your world felt? Then write about your feelings using mostly emotion words ("I was thrilled/disappointed/proud/scared"), some comparisons ("I felt like I'd never run again/like I'd just bitten into a sour apple/like the world's greatest explorer"), and a few bits of direct speech ("'How are we going to get away with this?' my brother asked.") Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. There's "it was exciting." And then there's "I felt at once exhilarated and terrified, as if I had just jumped out of an airplane for the first time." What’s Next? This should give you a great starting point to attack the UC essay prompts and consider how you'll write your own effective UC personal statements. The hard part starts here- work hard, brainstorm broadly, and use all my suggestions above to craft a great UC application essay. Making your way through college applications? We have advice on how to find the right college for you, how to write about your extracurricular activities, and how to ask teachers for recommendations. Interested in taking the SAT one more time? Check out our highly detailed explainer on studying for the SAT to learn how to prepare best. Worried about how to pay for college after you get in? Read our description of how much college really costs, our comparison of subsidized and unsubsidized loans, and our lists of the top scholarships for high school seniors and juniors. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Regional Dialect - Definition and Examples

Regional Dialect s A regional dialect is a distinct form of a language spoken in a particular geographical area. It is also known as a  regiolect or topolect. If the form of speech transmitted from a parent to a child is a distinct regional dialect, that dialect is said to be the childs vernacular. Examples and Observations As opposed to a national dialect, a regional dialect is spoken in one particular area of a country. In the USA, regional dialects include Appalachian, New Jersey and Southern English, and in Britain, Cockney, Liverpool English and Geordie (Newcastle English). . . .In contrast to a regional dialect, a social dialect is a variety of a language spoken by a particular group based on social characteristics other than geography.(Jeff Siegel, Second Dialect Acquisition. Cambridge University Press, 2010)[L]inguists refer to so-called Standard English as a dialect of English, which from a linguistic point of view, is no more correct than any other form of English. From this point of view, the monarchs of England and teenagers in Los Angeles and New York all speak dialects of English, (Adrian Akmajian, Linguistics: An Introduction to Language and Communication, 5th ed. The MIT Press, 2001) Studies of the Regional Dialects in North America The investigation of the regional dialects of American English has been a major concern for dialectologists and sociolinguists since at least the early part of the twentieth century when The Linguistic Atlas of the United States and Canada was launched and dialectologists began conducting large-scale surveys of regional dialect forms. Although the traditional focus on regional variation took a back seat to concerns for social and ethnic dialect diversity for a couple of decades, there has been a resurgent interest in the regional dimension of American dialects. This revitalization was buoyed by the publication of different volumes of the Dictionary of American Regional English (Cassidy 1985; Cassidy and Hall 1991, 1996; Hall 2002), and more recently, by the publication of The Atlas of North American English (Labov, Ash, and Boberg 2005). (Walt Wolfram and Natalie Schilling-Estes, ​American English: Dialects and Variation, 2nd ed. Blackwell, 2006) Varieties of Regional Dialects in the U.S. Some differences in U.S. regional dialects may be traced to the dialects spoken by colonial settlers from England. Those from southern England spoke one dialect and those from the north spoke another. In addition, the colonists who maintained close contact with England reflected the changes occurring in British English, while earlier forms were preserved among Americans who spread westward and broke communication with the Atlantic coast. The study of regional dialects has produced dialect atlases, with dialect maps showing the areas where specific dialect characteristics occur in the speech of the region. A boundary line called an isogloss delineates each area. (Victoria Fromkin, Robert Rodman, and Nina Hyams, An Introduction to Language, 9th ed. Wadsworth, 2011) Regional Dialects in England and Australia The fact that English has been spoken in England for 1,500 years but in Australia for only 200 explains why we have a great wealth of regional dialects in England that is more or less totally lacking in Australia. It is often possible to tell where an English person comes from to within about 15 miles or less. In Australia, where there has not been enough time for changes to bring about much regional variation, it is almost impossible to tell where someone comes from at all, although very small differences are now beginning to appear. (Peter Trudgill, The Dialects of England, 2nd ed. Blackwell, 1999) Dialect Leveling [T]he frequent complaint today that dialects are dying out reflects the fact that the basis for dialects has shifted. Nowadays, people travel hundreds of miles and think nothing of it. People commute to work in London from as far afield as Birmingham. Such mobility would explain, for example, why 150 years ago there was a traditional Kentish dialect, while today it barely survives, such is the close and regular contact with London. ... [I]nstead of small relatively isolated communities where each person mingles with more or less the same people for a lifetime, we have vast human melting-pots where people have diffuse social networks- mingling regularly with different people, adopting new speech forms and losing the old rural forms. Both developments in communication and the effects of urbanization have contributed to dialect leveling, a term referring to the loss of original traditional dialectal distinctions. (Jonathan Culpeper, History of English, 2nd ed. Routledge, 2005)

Reflective Portfolio 05205 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Reflective Portfolio 05205 - Essay Example However the participation of the company in the global market also depends on the comparative advantage of the firms that is the firms can export goods in which the firm specialises as well it needs to consider the cultural as well as the political issues of the trading partners. The entrepreneurs within a market focus on technological progress. Through internalisation a new product can be known that the firm may produce and then export the goods to other countries. (Ethier, 2005; Hoekstra and Hung, 2005). The products produced by the firms also depend on the demands of the customers and the entrepreneurs apply various strategies related to internalisation in order to increase the production capacity of the firms. International trade links the home and the host countries through the export and the import of goods that take place. The main factors that play a key role in promoting the globalisation within the economy are the technological innovation that brings in a change within the economy, economic and political changes that take place. The technological innovation within the economy enhances the transportation and communication process at low costs. A large investment in the road infrastructure allowed greater share of trade to be conducted by trucks movi ng between North America and Western Europe (Lane and Milesi-Ferretti, 2008). The shifting of the coal miners towards oil and gas industry is also considered as an important element of Globalisation. The currencies were convertible and the balance of payment restrictions was eliminated. The birth of the Euro Dollar market in the global economy was a move towards the availability of the international liquidity and the cross border trade relations that was set up in Western Europe (Chen, 2006). The organizations are expected to carry out the exchange of goods so as to promote

American Theme Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

American Theme - Essay Example These writers, while not as formally educated as the Brahmins, were taught by the twists and turns of real life experiences and drew their sustenance from the soil and the air of the country. The desire for freedom, both social and intellectual, seemed to be the most abiding passion for this intrepid tribe of realists. Though Philip Freneau had a fine education and was well versed in European romanticism, he willingly embraced democratic ideals and espoused liberal thoughts. He was against the imperialist designs of the British and fought against them in the Revolutionary War. He was captured in 1780 and almost died before being rescued by his family. As it is he was a bitter critic of the British and on top of it the torture he faced during imprisonment made him one of the most vociferous antagonists of the British Empire. His pen started spewing fire and brimstone and the fiery poem â€Å"The British Prison Ship† became his first condemnation of the British who were, he thought, out "to stain the world with gore." But this was just the beginning as "American Liberty", "A Political Litany" and "George the Thirds Soliloquy†, among several other such feisty outpourings, quickly cemented his place as the foremost poet of American Revolution and a diehard bearer of the flag of liberty an d independence. (Elliot 1982) With the help of Thomas Jefferson he established â€Å"National Gazette† in 1791 and became America’s one of the first crusading newspaper editors – an ideal that later day stalwarts like William Cullen Bryant, William Lloyd Garrison, and H.L. Mencken would emulate. Freneau was equally fluent in colloquial as well as pedantic styles and could evoke refined neoclassical lyricism with consummate ease. His collection of poems "The Wild Honeysuckle" is still considered one of the finest examples of neoclassical subtleties which could

American Secularism: Intent Analysis Essay -- Politics, The Separation

Dwight Eisenhower once wrote that, â€Å"Without God, there could be no American form of government† (Forbes, 2009: 1). Decades later, in a speech in Turkey, President Barack Obama claimed that America does not consider itself a Judeo-Christian nation. Modern arguments about the separation of church and state tend to seize upon such statements. But neither opinion can truly elucidate the true nature of American secularism (or lack thereof). Instead of criticizing Eisenhower for breaching that fabled wall of separation, or President Obama for conducting an arbitrary public opinion poll during a speech, focus must shift to the Founders. Specifically, the words of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, those men most widely documented on this issue, must be examined. From the synthesis of these men’s views, the documents they had a leading role in crafting, and historical perspective, a vision of American religious freedom is apparent. With the Constitution, the Framers inst ituted bold, practical boundaries for the interaction of organized religion and the federal government (Jefferson’s â€Å"wall†). But they did not envision the federally mandated â€Å"walls† that currently stand between the (local) public square and basic religious manifestations or practices. A narrower interpretation of the Establishment clause is closer to what was instituted by the Framers. This paper will argue that a wall of separation between church and (the federal) state was erected only insofar as the Constitution dictates it in the religion clauses. It will also posit that the present interpretation of that separation is a thoroughly modern construct built by modern society and actions of the federal government. This will focus around two main arguments: that federal... .... This divergence is the result of an effort to enlist the Framers in a defense of certain positions; positions based in legal frameworks never enacted by those men. If these arguments are accepted, a reevaluation of federal attitudes is in order. Rolling back a century of incorporation doctrine would be both impossible and foolish. But the executive can refrain from prosecuting states who institute laws that appear within the realm of state sovereignty in the area of secularism. Ultimately, of course, the decision will rest with the courts. If the arguments presented here (and similarly elsewhere) are accepted, an overhaul in judicial interpretation of the Establishment Clause should be undertaken by the judicial branch. Thus a legitimate debate over secularism can begin that does not inaccurately shroud modern constructs of secularism in the aura of the Framers.

Forty Hadith Imam Nawawi

[email  protected] com Commentaries on Imam Nawawi's Forty Hadith The collection of Forty Hadith by al-Imam al-Nawawi (or Imam Nawawi) has been known, accepted and appreciated by Muslim scholars for the last seven centuries. Its significance lay in the fact that these selected forty hadiths comprise the main essential and fundamental concepts of Islam which, in turn, construct the minimum level of required revealed knowledge for every single Muslim.Since having good knowledge of the various fundamental aspects of the religion is key to a Muslim's practice and application of Islam, this web site attempts to provide simple and practical commentaries to the collection of Imam Nawawi's Forty Hadith. Various principles are contained in these hadiths, such as belief, Muslim ethics and fiqh. As such, it is very important to have a good understanding of these hadiths based on scholarly interpretations. In addition, these commentaries also try to offer discussions on related contemporary is sues pertaining to certain concepts mentioned in these hadiths. p: //fo tyhadi th. iiu e m r . du. y h p: //f o tyhadi th. iiu e m /hadi ths . h m r . du. y t PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version http://www. pdffactory. com [email  protected] com 1. Actions are judged by intentions It is narrated on the authority of Amirul Mu'minin, Abu Hafs ‘Umar bin al-Khattab, radiyallahu ‘anhu, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, say: â€Å"Actions are (judged) by motives (niyyah), so each man will have what he intended.Thus, he whose migration (hijrah) was to Allah and His Messenger, his migration is to Allah and His Messenger; but he whose migration was for some worldly thing he might gain, or for a wife he might marry, his migration is to that for which he migrated. † [Al-Bukhari & Muslim] background This hadith was said by the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, at the time when a man emigrated from Makk ah to Madinah during the Hijrah for the sake of marrying someone and not for the sake of Islam. It is considered to be one of the greatest hadiths in Islam.Al-Imam al-Shafie said: This Hadith is one third of the knowledge of Islam; related to about 70 topics of Fiqh. Al-Imam Ahmad (with reference to al-Imam al-Shafie's statement) said: Islam is based on three fundamentals (all are among the 40 hadiths ): i. Hadith 1: which is stated above. h p: //fo tyhadi th. iiu e m r . du. y h p: //f o tyhadi th. iiu e m /hadi ths . h m r . du. y t PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version http://www. pdffactory. com [email  protected] com ii. iii. Hadith 5: â€Å"Whosoever introduces into this affair of ours (i. . Islam) something that does not belong to it, it is to be rejected. † Hadith 6: â€Å"Truly, what is lawful is evident, and what is unlawful is evident, and in between the two are matters which are doubtful which many people do not know†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬  These three hadiths are agreed upon by Al-Bukhari and Muslim. These hadiths can be seen as three criteria to help Muslims evaluate and judge what they do and say â€Å"as an ibadah† in their daily life: i. ii. Hadith 1 – To evaluate and judge our internal actions (actions of the heart).Hadith 5 – To evaluate and judge our external actions (actions of the limbs). Hadith 6 – To evaluate and judge our dealings â€Å"mu'amalat† (interaction between people). iii. Niyyah (intention) has two meanings: i. The intention before an ibadah (e. g. prayer) The willingness ii. The second meaning (ii. ) is what is meant in this hadith. lessons The Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, starts the hadith with the principle (â€Å"Actions are judged by intentions†) and then gives three examples. This is the methodology of the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam.The examples help illustrate the principle so that it is easier for people to understand and they can apply the principle to other similar situations. The three examples consist of one of good intention (migration for the sake of Allah and His Messenger) and two of bad intentions (migration for the sake of worldly gains or for marriage). This hadith emphasises ikhlas (sincerity – to be truthful and honest to Allah alone, performing an act solely for Allah's sake whereby no other witness except Allah is sought). Ikhlas is one of the conditions of accepting good deeds.The other condition is that the actions must be done in accordance with the Shariah as it will be explained in the fifth hadith. This can be seen in the shahadah : †¢ †¢ â€Å"I bear witness that there is no god but Allah† is the ikhlas – ensuring that we do things for the sake of Allah and Allah alone. â€Å"I bear witness that Mohammed is the Messenger of Allah† – the Sunnah is the manifestation of the Quran – the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, is our example, our best model to follow. Following his Sunnah in our ibadah, Akhlaq (ethics), and Muamalat (dealings) nsures that we are acting in accordance with the Shariah. Thus, the shahadah shows us the conditions for accepting a deed or performing an action: (a) it should be for the sake of Allah because He is the only One we worship, and (b) it should be in accordance with the Shariah. h p: //fo tyhadi th. iiu e m r . du. y h p: //f o tyhadi th. iiu e m /hadi ths . h m r . du. y t PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version http://www. pdffactory. com [email  protected] com To achieve ikhlas, we have to avoid shirk (associating others with Allah, which causes insincerity).AlImam al-Harawi said the root cause for insincerity (or shirk) is self-desire (al-hawa). Therefore no action should be done because of self-desire. Imam al-Harawi states that there are 7 types of self-desires:i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. To make oneself appear good in the hearts of others To seek t he praises of others To avoid being blamed by others To seek the glorification of others To seek the wealth/money of others To seek the services or love of others To seek the help of others for oneself vii. Ways to obtain ikhlas: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Do righteous deeds – the more good deeds we do and hence get closer to Allah, the more sincere we will be.Before we do any deed we should firstly seek knowledge (ilm) – our actions/deeds should be guided by knowledge so that we do them in accordance to the Shariah. Do not give false impressions – do not make others believe that an action we did was good when it was not. Al-Imam Ahmad said: Before you do anything, check your intention (niyyah) – ask yourself before performing an action: â€Å"Is it for the sake of Allah? † Ibnu al-Qayyim says: Any action we do is subject to three defects: i. ii. Being conscious that others are observing our actions Seeking a return (benefit/reward) for the ac tion Being satisfied with the action ii. Examples: †¢ If we go to the masjid for the salah and we are early, arriving before the Imam and finding a place in the first saff, we should not be proud of ourselves and think of ourselves being better than others. We should praise Allah for enabling us to go to the masjid and for being able to perform the salah without any difficulties. After every salah, we should tell ourselves that we could have performed it better and try to improve in our next salah. †¢ What happens if we were to change our niyyah while performing an action?Ibn Rajab says according to the ulama' if the niyyah at the end of the action matches the beginning (i. e. doing the action for the sake of Allah), then any changes in the middle of the action will be forgiven or does not matter, insha Allah. However, if the niyyah at the end does not match the beginning, i. e. we do the action for other than the sake of Allah, then we must repent (taubah). There are four things that contradict ikhlas: i. ii. Ma'siat – committing sins – this will weaken our ikhlas Shirk – associating others with Allah p: //fo tyhadi th. iiu e m r . du. y h p: //f o tyhadi th. iiu e m /hadi ths . h m r . du. y t PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version http://www. pdffactory. com [email  protected] com iii. iv. Riya' – performing an ibadah with the intention of showing off to others Nifaq – hypocrisy Even though we must always make sure that our actions do not deviate from ikhlas, there are actions, which are automatically considered that of good intentions. For example, seeking knowledge in Islam, helping the community, doing da'wah, etc.Some rulings (ahkam) which scholars derived from this hadith: †¢ †¢ †¢ When people ‘swear by Allah' by saying â€Å"Wallahi† every now and then, their intention is not that they actually swear by Allah. They say it simply out of habit – it readily rolls off their tongue. Hence, it is harmless. However a Muslim should do his/her best to minimize it. When someone is asked to give an oath, what is judged is his intention when he gives the oath. There can be a combination of intentions between performing an ibadah and teaching others we perform an ibadah for the sake of Allah, but we also do it with the intention of teaching others. . g. when the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, performed the Hajj, he did it for the sake of Allah as well as for teaching the Sahabah (his companions, may Allah be pleased with them all). A man may go through the process of divorcing his wife, verbally or in court, but it is his intention which counts. What could be seen as ghibah (backbiting – talking bad, but true, things about a person behind his back) could simply be a joke or a dua. If someone talks bad about someone else, it is his intentions, which determines whether it is ghibah or not. †¢ †¢ conclusionOur actions are undermined by our intentions – whether they are good intentions or bad intentions. Therefore we should always check our intentions before we do or say anything. We must make sure that the action is for the sake of Allah so that it is accepted by Allah and that we will be rewarded for it, insha Allah. h p: //fo tyhadi th. iiu e m r . du. y h p: //f o tyhadi th. iiu e m /hadi ths . h m r . du. y t PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version http://www. pdffactory. com [email  protected] com 2. Islam, Iman, Ihsan, Qadar Also on the authority of ‘Umar, radiyallahu ‘anhu, who said: p: //fo tyhadi th. iiu e m r . du. y h p: //f o tyhadi th. iiu e m /hadi ths . h m r . du. y t PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version http://www. pdffactory. com [email  protected] com â€Å"While we were one day sitting with the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, there appeared before us a man dressed in extremely white clothes and with very black hair. No traces of journeying were visible on him, and none of us knew him. He sat down close by the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, rested his knee against his thighs, and said, O Muhammad! Inform me about Islam. Said the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, â€Å"Islam is that you should testify that there is no deity save Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger, that you should perform salah (ritual prayer), pay the zakah, fast during Ramadan, and perform Hajj (pilgrimage) to the House (the Ka'bah at Makkah), if you can find a way to it (or find the means for making the journey to it). † Said he (the man), â€Å"You have spoken truly. † We were astonished at his thus questioning him and telling him that he was right, but he went on to say, â€Å"Inform me about iman (faith). He (the Messenger of Allah) answered, â€Å"It is that you believe in Allah and His angels and His Books and His Messengers and in the Last Day, and in fate (qadar), both in its good and in its evil aspects. † He said, â€Å"You have spoken truly. † Then he (the man) said, â€Å"Inform me about Ihsan. † He (the Messenger of Allah) answered, † It is that you should serve Allah as though you could see Him, for though you cannot see Him yet He sees you. † He said, â€Å"Inform me about the Hour. † He (the Messenger of Allah) said, â€Å"About that the one questioned knows no more than the questioner. So he said, â€Å"Well, inform me about the signs thereof (i. e. of its coming). † Said he, â€Å"They are that the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress, that you will see the barefooted ones, the naked, the destitute, the herdsmen of the sheep (competing with each other) in raising lofty buildings. † Thereupon the man went off. I waited a while, and then he (the Messenger of Allah) said, â€Å"O ‘Umar, do you know who that questioner was? † I replied, â€Å" Allah and His Messenger know better. † He said, â€Å"That was Jibril. He came to teach you your religion. † [Muslim] background Al-Imam Muslim says: Towards the end of his life, Abdullah bin ‘Umar (the son of ‘Umar bin alKhattab) was told by two people that a new Islamic sect had emerged from Iraq. They were called AlQadariah and they denied al-qadar (fate). Thus Abdullah bin ‘Umar narrated this hadith which mentions qadar as one of the pillars of Iman to refute the misconception of this sect. lessons This hadith teaches the adab (ethics) of seeking knowledge: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ We should be clean and wear clean clothes. We should sit properly and closer to the speaker.Asking questions for better understanding. Seek knowledge from the right source/authority. The method of seeking knowledge is through asking questions: †¢ The type of questions we ask should be meaningful – questions that will lead to valuable knowledge and good action. h p: //fo tyhadi th. iiu e m r . du. y h p: //f o tyhadi th. iiu e m /hadi ths . h m r . du. y t PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version http://www. pdffactory. com †¢ †¢ †¢ [email  protected] com Asking good questions will result in better learning as well as teaching.Those who are present when the questions are asked will also learn from the answers – thus, the questioner is teaching the others. When Ibn Abbas, one of the greatest Scholars among the Sahabahs, was asked how he obtained all his knowledge, he replied: â€Å"with an inquisitive tongue (i. e. he always asked questions) and a contemplating heart†. In many hadiths the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, himself will start by asking questions before he imparts with knowledge. Asking questions will prepare the mind/heart so that it will be ready for the answers/knowledge – ready to absorb and learn.In this hadith he calls Jibril â€Å"the questionerâ⠂¬  which implies full appreciation and encouragement of asking questions specially the ones that will lead to gaining more knowledge. In the Quran itself there are more than 1,200 questions – to serve different purposes – to provoke the mind of the reader and force it to indulge in thinking about what he/she reads. †¢ Scholars say that qadar can be seen at two levels: i. We believe that Allah knew, with His ultimate knowledge, what all His creations will do, even before the creations took place. Allah recorded all this knowledge inAl-Lauhulmahfudz – the preserved tablet. We believe that it is the will of Allah that these things will take place, whether they are good or bad. ii. Allah created our willingness and our ability of doing things – we can only do something if we are willing and able to do it. However, we are responsible for the choices we make. Misconceptions about Qadar Many Muslims believe that what they are going to do is caused by what has already been written in Al-Lauhulmahfudz – they confuse ‘causation' with ‘association'. In truth what we have is association, not causation.What we do is not caused by what is written by Allah. Allah with His ultimate knowledge knew what we are going to do. He could easily have put the good-doers into Jannah and the evil-doers into the Hellfire. But Allah is Adil (Just) so He created us in this life as to test us which way to go. What we are going to do will match what has already been written but it's not a matter of causation – what we do is out of our own willingness and ability and we do have full responsibility on whatever choice we make. Looking at guidance and misguidance, guidance (hidayah) is a gift (rahmah) from Allah.It is Allah who created us and gave us the mind so we can distinguish between right and wrong to a certain capacity. It is Allah who equipped us with fitrah to like the truth and good and to dislike the wrong and evil It is Alla h who gave us the ability and power to do things and it is Allah who sent the Messenger with the Message to guide us in things, which are beyond the reach of our conception. So when it comes to guidance it is a bounty from Allah. But when it comes to misguidance, it has to do with us. When we do bad deeds, it is from our own willingness and ability.Those who turn away from guidance do so because they want to turn away, i. e. they choose not to be guided. They have been misguided because they are arrogant – they refuse to listen. And so when they swerved from the right way, Allah let their hearts swerve from the truth. [Surah As-Saff (61): ayat 5] Nevertheless there are people who have not received the Message of Islam/guidance at all or the Message has not reached them in the clearest form, i. e. it is incomplete or distorted. These people are called Ahlul Fatrah and will be excused and not be punished, even though there are misguided. h p: //fo tyhadi th. iu e m r . du. y h p: //f o tyhadi th. iiu e m /hadi ths . h m r . du. y t PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version http://www. pdffactory. com [email  protected] com There are certain situations where we can do something about our qadar. For example: †¢ †¢ Illness/sickness is qadar – but we have been commanded by the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, to look for a cure should we become ill. Finding a cure is also qadar. Thus, a qadar could be dealt with through another qadar. If something unfortunate happens to us, e. g. if we lost our job, we don't just say that it's qadar and do nothing about it.We look for another job, the consequence of which is another qadar. ‘Umar bin al-Khattab was traveling with a group of Sahabahs during his Khilafah (leadership). They were coming to a town when they heard that it had a contagious/infectious disease, i. e. cholera. ‘Umar asked his group whether they should proceed or go back (to Madinah). The majority o f the Sahabahs said they should go back but some said they should proceed. Then one Sahabi said he knew a hadith where the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, said, â€Å"If you hear that this disease exists in a country, don't travel to that country. So ‘Umar decided that they should go back. Another Sahabi (it seems from the second group) asked him whether he was running away from a qadar. ‘Umar replied that they were moving away from one qadar to another qadar. Thus, whenever there is a problem, a challenge or any hardship which we can remove, overcome, solve or minimize, it is a must that we do so. Some scholars like al-Imam al-Jilani use the term: â€Å"overcoming qadar† in this regard. In one hadith, the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, said, â€Å"Be keen for whatever is beneficial for you.Seek the help of Allah. And don't be reckless. † This hadith implies we must make the effort. The right concept of qadar is: we are responsible for whatever we do. For example: If we were to drive recklessly and caused an accident where someone died or was injured, we cannot simply say that it is qadar, abusing the concept to justify our mistakes. It is qadar that the incident took place because it is by the permission of Allah. But we are responsible for the death because it is through our willingness and ability that it happened.That's why in the courts we will be found guilty. If qadar can be used as an excuse, then many crimes will go unpunished – a thief can simply claim that his stealing was qadar! Those who abuse the concept of qadar are those who fail to be responsible. They abuse it to justify their failure. The correct way of using qadar as an excuse is: if someone exerts himself to do his best to fulfil an obligation but due to an unavoidable circumstance, which was out of his control, he could not achieve that obligation – then he might be excused.For example, a student has studied hard for an exa m but on the day of the exam he falls sick and does poorly or cannot even attend the exam, then he can say that it is qadar and that it is the will of Allah. When it comes to religious obligations, the matter is the same. We cannot blame qadar for committing sins or failing to do a wajib as some Muslims might do. We have to know that we are responsible. We might get into a weak status of Iman in doing a sin or delaying a wajib. Islam is such a practical religion that it gives us room for repentance and getting back to the right path.In the above hadith the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, defines Al-Islam, i. e. the five pillars, as the outward actions of the limbs, Al-Iman as being associated with belief – the inner actions of the heart, and Al-Ihsan as the highest level to attain. But the first two definitions can be interchanged with each other – sometimes Islam can be used to describe internal actions and Iman can mean external actions. There are a few h adiths which The Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, mentions that there are more than seventy actions which are considered as Iman.If the term Islam is used on its own, it means the whole thing – Al-Islam, Al-Iman and Al-Ihsan. Similarly, when Iman is used on its own it means Al-Iman, Al-Islam and Al-Ihsan. The Prophet, h p: //fo tyhadi th. iiu e m r . du. y h p: //f o tyhadi th. iiu e m /hadi ths . h m r . du. y t PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version http://www. pdffactory. com [email  protected] com sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, mentions at the end of this hadith that the deen consists of these three things. If the Iman is weak it will affect Al-Islam (good deeds/actions).According to al-Imam Abu Hanifa: Even though Al-Iman and Al-Islam are different, Al-Iman necessitates the actions (Al-Islam). Some Scholars say the Muslims are considered strangers among the Disbelievers; and the Mua'minin are considered strangers among the Muslims; and t he Muhsinin are considered strangers among the Mua'minin. Al-Ihsan (the highest level of Iman where we worship Allah as if we see Him or if we don't see Him we know He sees us) is about fearing Allah and glorifying Him. This will lead us to strive for our best in performing our ibadah – we will be more sincere in our ibadah.Thus Al-Ihsan is also about the best actions of the heart. The actions that will lead to Al-Ihsan: to love Allah the most, to fear Allah the most, to seek the help of Allah, to have hope in Allah that He will give us mercy and guide us, to trust Allah wholly. When Jibril, aliyyhi as-Salam, asks the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, about the Hour (the Day of Judgement), the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, replies that neither he nor Jibril knows the answer. This is an example set by the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, where even someone with vast knowledge like himself does not know everything and admits so.Al-Imam Malik w as asked forty questions by someone and to most of them he answered â€Å"I don't know – Allah knows better†. The man was surprised that the great Imam Malik didn't know the answers. Seeing the man surprised, Imam Malik told him that when he goes back to his town, to tell the people that he met and asked al-Imam Malik questions and Imam Malik said he didn't know the answers. AlImam Malik didn't want to be accountable for giving wrong answers. Thus, if we are to become an educator or a scholar, we should have the courage to admit what we do not know. We should not give an answer which may contain incorrect information.The signs of Akhirah mentioned in this hadith are minor signs, as opposed to major ones. We believe in these signs but we should not worry about them too much – we should not worry about when these signs will occur. We should actually be careful as some of these signs are bad deeds and we must steer away from these bad deeds. conclusion This hadith contains everything about Islam: the five pillars of Islam, the beliefs that make up Iman (including the belief of fate or qadar), the attainment of the highest level of Iman which is Ihsan, the adab of seeking knowledge and of teaching. h p: //fo tyhadi th. iiu e m r . u. y h p: //f o tyhadi th. iiu e m /hadi ths . h m r . du. y t PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version http://www. pdffactory. com [email  protected] com 3. Islam, Iman, Ihsan, Qadar On the authority of Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar bin al-Khattab, radiyallahu ‘anhuma, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, say: â€Å"Islam has been built upon five things – on testifying that there is no god save Allah, and that Muhammad is His Messenger; on performing salah; on giving the zakah; on Hajj to the House; and on fasting during Ramadhan. † [Al-Bukhari & Muslim] backgroundThis hadith is part of the previous Hadith (2). Mo st Scholars say that the reason why al-Imam alNawawi included this hadith in his collection, even though it seems that it repeats some portions of Hadith 2, is because of the importance of the 5 pillars of Islam. This Hadith stresses the fundamental aspects of the outward submission to Allah. This submission is based on some pillars, similar to a structure. If a person fulfills these aspects, he has laid a solid foundation for his deen as a ‘home'. The other acts of Islam, which are not mentioned in this hadith, can be taken as fine touches to complete this structure.If a person fails to fulfill these obligations (building the pillars), then the entire structure of his deen/iman may be threatened. This depends on how much is being violated – e. g. violation of the shahadah is the most dangerous. lessons The use of metaphors and similes h p: //fo tyhadi th. iiu e m r . du. y h p: //f o tyhadi th. iiu e m /hadi ths . h m r . du. y t PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory P ro trial version http://www. pdffactory. com [email  protected] com This hadith uses a metaphor (i. e. the image of the structure of a building) to affirm certain important meanings.This use of metaphors and similes can be found in many Surahs in the Quran and in many other hadiths. For example: †¢ In Surah At-Taubah (9): ayat 109, a similar metaphor is used – the structure of the Mua'min's deen/iman is based on a sound foundation, whereas the structure of the deen of the Munafiq is based on weak ground which may lead to the collapse of the structure, resulting in the Munafik entering the Hellfire. Surah An-Nur (24): ayat 35, uses the metaphor of light as the light of guidance in the heart of the Mua'min. A metaphor used to condemn those who fail to fulfill the amanah (i. . religious obligations) can be found in Surah Al-Jumu'ah (62): ayat 5. The Bani Israel, having failed to obey Allah's commandments in the Taurah, are described as a donkey which is burdened with heav y books on its back but doesn't understand anything from them. Scholars have said that this metaphor also applies to other nations, which fail to fulfill their amanah. In one hadith the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, divided the status of his ummah into three categories: those who benefit from the Message, those who benefit partially and those who fail to benefit at all.He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, used the metaphor of rain (as the Message) falling down on different types of land, producing different results. †¢ †¢ †¢ Using metaphors to convey the Message is a very important ‘tool' and it is the methodology used in the Quran and by the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam. There are many modes of expression used in the Quran and Hadith and they are used for different purposes. E. g. Dealing with the misconceptions and false assumptions of the disbelievers, the Quran and Hadith use rational thinking.When describing Jannah and the Hell fire, the style used by the Quran and Hadith is the visual mode of expression – they are described in such detail that it is like we can actually visualize Jannah or the Hellfire in front of us. One of the Sahabahs said that he had already seen Jannah and the Hellfire. The other Sahabahs were puzzled and asked him how this could be so as nobody is able to see them until the Hereafter. He replied, â€Å"I saw them through the eyes of the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam. If I were to be given the chance to see Jannah and the Hellfire with my own eyes, I would not trust my sight.I trust the eyes of the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, more than I trust my own eyes. † Here we can conclude that if we read and understand the Quran and the Hadiths we too can visualize the paradise and the Hellfire. These modes of expression (thinking styles) used by the Quran and Hadith should be well understood and used by Muslims today to convey the Message of Islam wh en doing da'wah as it is the most effective way. Different styles should be used to reach/convince different people – some people are more emotional, some are more rational, etc. First Pillar : The ShahadahThe first part of the Shahadah is testifying that there is none worthy of worship except Allah. There are seven conditions of the Shahadah: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Knowledge – to understand what it means Certainty – to have no doubt about anything confirmed in the Quran or Sunnah Acceptance – by the tongue and the heart of whatever the Shahadah implies Submission/compliance – the actual physical enactment by deeds Truthfulness – to say the Shahadah sincerely, with honesty, to actually mean it Sincerity – to do it solely for the sake of Allah Love – to love the Shahadah and to love its implications and requirements and what it stands for p: //fo tyhadi th. iiu e m r . du. y h p: //f o tyhadi th. iiu e m /hadi ths . h m r . du. y t PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version http://www. pdffactory. com [email  protected] com The Shahadah is not simply saying it with our tongue. We need to adhere to these conditions. If we say the Shahadah sincerely and with honesty, we will not do anything which contradicts with or violates the Shahadah.The second part of the Shahadah carries the following conditions: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ To believe in the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, and in whatever he told us and conveyed to us To obey him in whatever he commanded us to do To stay away from or avoid whatever he commanded us not to do To follow or emulate him in our ibadah, akhlaq and way of life To love him more than we love ourselves, our family and anything else in this world To understand, practice and promote his Sunnah in the best way possible, without creating any chaos, enmity or harmSecond Pillar : Establishing the Prayers (S alah) Some interpretations of this hadith translate â€Å"iqamatus salah† as ‘performing' the salah. â€Å"Iqamatus salah† is a broader concept than what the term ‘performing' means. The Scholars say â€Å"iqamatus salah† implies: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Doing the wudu in the proper way To do the salah in its time To do it in congregation (jama'ah) – where the reward is 27 times than praying alone To fulfill the six conditions of salah To observe the proper manners (adab) of doing it such as submission and humility To follow preferable actions (sunnan) in our salahIt is important that we follow these conditions and not violate them if we want to truly fulfill the second pillar of Islam i. e. â€Å"iqamatus salah†. We should remember that Allah initially commanded us to pray fifty times a day and it was eventually reduced to five times (with the reward of fifty) – the prayer times are very reasonably spread out throughout the day – it can even help us to manage our time – it can help us to manage our affairs, allowing the Muslim community to meet during congregation and care for and help each other which will lead in turn to solidarity.Thus, the prayers should not be seen as a burden as some Muslims might regard them today. Third Pillar : Zakat The giving of Zakat has been pointed out by the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, for certain things and in certain ways or percentages and under certain conditions. The Scholars say that knowing the details of Zakat only becomes an obligation when a person owns the type of property or thing which requires him to give Zakat for. E. g.Farmers or traders or property owners need to know the conditions and percentages of Zakat that they are obligated to give. Fourth Pillar : Hajj Pilgrimage (Hajj) to the House (Kaabah) is an obligation that we need to do only once in our lifetime only if we meet certain conditions, e. g. if we have the financial means, a way of travelling peacefully, etc. If we meet these conditions then we should perform the Hajj as soon as possible and not to delay it. h p: //fo tyhadi th. iiu e m r . du. y h p: //f o tyhadi th. iu e m /hadi ths . h m r . du. y t PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version http://www. pdffactory. com [email  protected] com Some Scholars say that if we have the means to perform the Hajj several times, then it is better to use this money to help others to fulfill their obligations – we will be rewarded for their pilgrimage or to use the money for the betterment of the community. For each of these Pillars there are conditions, sunnan, ethics (adab), etc. , which should be observed when we perform these ibadahs.Why do we always hear that every year hundreds of Muslims lose their lives or get injured during Hajj? Most of these incidents are due to the negligence of the adab or violation of the sunnan. For example, the throwing of ston es at the Jamrat: †¢ †¢ †¢ Even though we are supposed to use small stones, people tend to use big ones and throw recklessly from a far distance, causing injuries to others. People do not follow the specified directions when they move, causing many to get crushed by the ‘human waves' moving in different directions.People insist on going to throw at the peak times, i. e. the busiest part of the day. The elderly, women and handicapped should be reminded to go when it is less crowded. Thus, it is important that we observe the adab. Fifth Pillar : Fasting Ramadhan is a training program for all Muslims to go through, performing good deeds to become better Muslims. However, we should continue with these good deeds outside of Ramadhan – praying in the mosque, Tahajjud, Qiamu alil, reciting the Qur'an, helping and caring for others etc.The Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, when asked what the best way is to finish reading the whole Qur'an, said to do it in one month, i. e. one Juzuk per day. This is something we should practice all the time and not have to wait for Ramadhan to do it. If we cannot achieve this, at least try to read one or two pages a day (a quarter of a hizb). Similarly we should try to do the night prayers (tahajjud), be it only two raka'at and not everyday, outside of Ramadhan. We should not make personal commitments in performing these preferable actions where the Shariah has not made this itself.This might lead us to giving up on our commitment and hence, the good deed. The best way is to do it on ease and convenience aiming at the continuity of these good deeds. conclusion All the Pillars of Islam have rulings, conditions and mannerisms (ahkam wa adab) applied to them. It is important that we know these ahkam and adab and regularly remind ourselves, especially before Ramadan or before performing the Hajj, so that we perform the Pillars properly and according to the Shariah. p: //fo tyhadi th. iiu e m r . du. y h p: //f o tyhadi th. iiu e m /hadi ths . h m r . du. y t PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version http://www. pdffactory. com [email  protected] com 4. Creation of human being; Al-Qadar Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman ‘Abdullah bin Mas'ud, radiyallahu ‘anhu, reported: The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, the most truthful, the most trusted, told us: â€Å"Verily the creation of any one of you takes place hen he is assembled in his mother's womb; for forty days he is as a drop of fluid, then it becomes a clot for a similar period. Thereafter, it is a lump looking like it has been chewed for a similar period. Then an angel is sent to him, who breathes the ruh (spirit) into him. This Angel is commanded to write Four decrees: that he writes down his provision (rizq), his life span, his deeds, and whether he will be among the wretched or the blessed.I swear by Allah – there is no God but He – one of you may perform the deeds of the people of Paradise till there is naught but an arm's length between him and it, when that which has been written will outstrip him so that he performs the deeds of the people of the Hell Fire; one of you may perform the deeds of the people of the Hell Fire, till there is naught but an arm's length between him and it, when that which has been written will overtake him so that he performs the deeds of the people of Paradise and enters therein. † [Al-Bukhari & Muslim] background h p: //fo tyhadi th. iu e m r . du. y h p: //f o tyhadi th. iiu e m /hadi ths . h m r . du. y t PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version http://www. pdffactory. com [email  protected] com This hadith was not only recorded by Al-Bukhari and Muslim but by other Scholars as well. Apart from ‘Abdullah bin Mas'ud, this hadith was also narrated by many other companions (Sahabahs). This narration by ‘Abdullah bin Mas'ud was recorded with different versions where some words/terms conflicted with each other, resulting in different versions having different meanings regarding Creation.The conflicts are as follows: 1. The addition of the word â€Å"nutfah† (the drop of a fluid) This word is not mentioned in Bukhari neither Muslim's narration. However it was added to other narrations including the one chosen by al-Imam al-Nawawi to provide a better interpretation or explanation but instead it gave two conflicting views of the creation of mankind in terms of stages of the fetus: First View: The three stages of the fetus consist of forty days each, equaling to a total of 120 days for the stages to complete.It is only after this 120 days that the ruh (spirit) is breathed into the fetus, as well as the recording of the fetus' provision life span, deeds and destiny. This view, the inclusion of the word â€Å"nuftah†, is the view held by the majority of the Scholars. One problem with this view is that the stages of the fetus as interpreted in this hadit h contradict the facts proven by science today. Another problem concerns the Fatwa on abortion. Scholars say that abortion is allowed (provided there is a very good reason – e. g. the woman's life is in danger) only before the ruh is breathed into the fetus, i. e. efore 120 days – as opposed to 40 days if the second view is to be taken (see below). Second View: The word â€Å"nutfah† does not belong to the text of the hadith. This changes the meaning of the hadith which interprets the three stages of the fetus as taking place in the first forty days. This view correlates with scientific facts. And this means that the ruh is breathed into the fetus after forty days, and not 120 days. Consequently the Fatwa on abortion states that abortion is allowed only before forty days. 2. The authenticity of the last section of the Hadith Some Scholars say that the last section of the hadith (i. . â€Å"By Allah†¦) is not part of the text of the Prophet, sallallahu â₠¬Ëœalayhi wasallam, but the words of ‘Abdullah bin Mas'ud. But since the issue in this hadith is related to matters which we cannot perceive with our limited human perception, this last section is accepted and included here because ‘Abdullah bin Mas'ud may have derived the meaning from another hadith of the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, to explain this hadith better. There are other hadiths collected by Al-Bukhari and Muslim, which touch on the same issue. But there are some differences between the texts of those hadiths and this one.Those hadiths narrate the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, as saying: One of you will perform the acts of the people of the Paradise (Ahlul Jannah) as it appears in the eyes of the people. This is like the Munafiqin or hypocrites – they do the acts of the Mua'minin. They appear, in our eyes, to be doing the acts of the Ahlul Jannah but Allah knows best. Their end will be a disaster – by being Munafiqin they are actually denying the message of God in their deep hearts as Allah mentioned in the Qur'an and their end will be in the Hellfire since they do not submit to Allah in their hearts.This explanation of the other hadiths is important in the understanding of this hadith. h p: //fo tyhadi th. iiu e m r . du. y h p: //f o tyhadi th. iiu e m /hadi ths . h m r . du. y t PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version http://www. pdffactory. com [email  protected] com lessons The Scholars say when we do a research on a concept or an issue mentioned in hadiths, we shouldn't depend on only one hadith – we need to search for other similar hadiths, which deal with the same issue/matter.We must remember that some narrators will narrate a hadith by its meaning, and not exactly as it was said by the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam. This is because being human, some of them may forget some of the exact words/terms used by the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasal lam but they still understand the actual meaning of what was said. Then we need to compare the different texts of hadiths on the same issue with each other in order to have a more complete interpretation and better understanding of the issue/matter at hand.Some people, on hearing this hadith as it is and without further explanation, might feel despair, fearing that they fall into the bad group of people mentioned. This will lead to determination (jabriah) they may think that no matter what they do, if their end has already been written, then why should they bother to do good deeds. This is the wrong attitude to have as it is based on a wrong perception. Allah is Just. We should trust Allah. If we are good to Allah and trust Him, He will be good to us. We should be optimistic and not pessimistic.We follow Allah's commands and make the effort to be good Muslims and we should not despair. During one of the battles, a companion (Sahabi) said to the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasa llam, that he was following him, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, to fight in the hope that an arrow will be shot through his (the Sahabi's) neck, coming in from the front and going out the back. The Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, said, â€Å"If you are honest with Allah, Allah will be honest with you. † The Sahabi died exactly as he hoped to. The Prophet's, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, words here are generic and can be used for all situations.If we are honest with Allah, Allah will not leave us – He will help us – He will guide us, etc. The closer we are to Allah, the more He will help us and guide us. Thus, the last section of this hadith is an exception and applies only to few people such as the Munafiqin. But this, on the other hand, does not mean that we live in hope alone. The Scholars say that we must combine hope with fear – when we worship Allah, we should have hope as well as fear of Him. Fearing Allah is a positive thing. T he more we fear Allah, the closer we get to Him. The more we fear Allah, the more calm and at peace we will be.This is unlike the natural ‘fear' where if we fear something, e. g. a fire or a dangerous animal, we will try to get away from it. Scholars say that we should have an equal amount of hope to the amount of fear. This is so we will have a better status of Iman (faith) – there is no despair and at the same time there is no excessive hope (over-confidence) which could lead to laziness and the non-fulfillment of our obligations. This is why we need to combine hope and fear, as well as love Allah the most and have trust in Him. This above hadith is about Allah's Creation and Qadar.The statement: â€Å"that which has been written will overtake him† should be understood in the positive sense and not negatively. Allah with His ultimate knowledge knows what will happen as it has been explained in the previous hadith. Al-Qadar can be categorized as: 1. Al-Qadar al- Kulli – the general qadar which has been recorded by Allah in Al-Lauhulmahfudz or the Preserved Tablet. 2. Al-Qadar al-Sanawi – the annual qadar which takes place once a year (Lailatul qadar) – where it matchs what has been written in Al-Lauhulmahfudz. h p: //fo tyhadi th. iiu e m r . du. y h p: //f o tyhadi th. iiu e m /hadi ths . m r . du. y t PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version http://www. pdffactory. com [email  protected] com What has been written in Al-Lauhulmahfudz is only known to Allah. It is not revealed to us – we don't know about our destiny, what our rizq is, where we'll end up, etc. To us it is ghaib and unknown. The translation of this hadith using the word â€Å"overtake† may not give the true meaning if it were to be understood that whatever has been recorded by the angels will be â€Å"imposed† on a person's life. We are simply being told about Ilmu Allah or the ultimate knowledge of Allah.What has bee n written does not cause us to do what we do. It is not a cause and affect situation, as believed by many Muslims. Many Muslims believe that as it has already been written, therefore this will cause us to do whatever has been written. The truth is even though it has been written and even though we will do it, we will not do it because it has been written. It is actually an association, or a matching. What we are going to do matches the knowledge of Allah, because Allah's knowledge is ultimate. In other words, what we are going to do matches what has been written.This shows the glory of Allah, the ultimate knowledge of Allah. So we should not have the understanding that things are imposed on us. Otherwise this will nullify the whole concept of iman (faith) and the whole concept of Creation and all other related concepts. We are responsible for what we choose and for what we do. Referring to the last section of this hadith where a person's final destiny changes at the last minute and he ends up not as expected, there are examples in the Sirahs where some people embrace Islam in the last minute – e. g. they embrace Islam and go into battle and die, some of them not having done a single good deed.There are also many examples today where non-practicing Muslims or those doing bad deeds, having reached the last stages of their lives (at the age of 50 or 60), will repent and turn into a good Muslim. The same applies for thousands of new converts every year. These people, according to the will of Allah, will be forgiven and enter Paradise. For the other scenario where a person performs good deeds most of his/her life and at the end of his/her life perform bad deeds deserving to enter the Hellfire (as mentioned in the hadith), this situation affects only a limited number of people compared to the first one.And it is because of the person himself, such as in the case of hypocrites. To have the correct understanding of the concept of qadar, we need to know more abo ut the creation of the human being. What is mentioned in this Hadith is actually a miracle. It describes the stages of the fetus and the creation of man 1,400 years before science and technology confirm it as fact. (This description of the stages of the fetus can also be found in the Quran but without the mention of the periods of times. In other words, scientists were only able to observe this phenomenon in the last few decades whereas it was already mentioned in the Qur'an and Hadith hundreds of years ago. A conference regarding the Creation was held in Europe several years ago and some Muslim Scholars were invited to attend. When these Scholars gave the Islamic perspective regarding the stages of the fetus, showing that this was documented in the Quran and the Hadith, some of the people who attended the conference embraced Islam – they were convinced that it is a Divine revelation.We also need to understand the components of the human being in order to help us understand q adar in the positive way. The human being consists of the following components: †¢ The intellect (Al-Aql) – this allows us, to a certain extent, to distinguish between good and evil. The intellect is part of us, part of the creation of Allah. Based on this, a person is regarded as mukallaf, responsible to understand and accept the massage of Allah if he is sane. If someone is mentally disturbed or insane, then he is not mukallaf.The natural disposition or innate (Al-Fitrah) – we are created with this innate which enables us to love what is good and what is right and to hate what is evil and what is wrong. It consists of love and hate. Even though we are created with this fitrah, it is subject to change due to the environment, to our parents, upbringing, etc. Therefore there are people who might love what is bad due to a spoiled or a corrupted fitrah. The Scholars say the original fitrah is still there †¢ h p: //fo tyhadi th. iiu e m r . du. y h p: //f o tyhad i th. iiu e m /hadi ths . h m r . du. y t PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version http://www. dffactory. com [email  protected] com †¢ †¢ within these people – if we try to ‘awaken' the fitrah, these people will come back to loving good and hating bad. The commitment that we make, at the time of our pre-creation, to worship only Allah. This is related to the fitrah – it causes us to have this natural disposition or innate towards loving what is good and hating what is bad. The willingness (Al-Iradah) and Power (Qudrah): Allah provided us with willingness and power/ability. An action cannot take place without this willingness and power – we do something only if we are willing and we have the power to do it.But this willingness and power are neutral and can be manipulated and used in either good or bad ways. We have also been created with desires (shahawat) and the existence of these desires within us can manipulate our willingnes s or power towards good or bad. Desires are part of what is known as the internal challenges – things which influence our willingness and ability. The internal challenges consist of: o o Shahawat/Hawa (self desires) Nafs, of which there are three different aspects: i. The nafs which encourages us to do bad deeds ii. The nafs which blames us for our bad deeds or thoughts of bad deeds (if we have iman and knowledge) – e. . our nafs says â€Å"Aren't you ashamed of yourself for thinking about drinking alcohol? † iii. The peaceful nafs (al-Mutma'inah) †¢ We can be dealing with these three different aspects of the nafs in a short period of time, e. g. within less than an hour, where (i) we start in thinking about doing a bad deed, caused by al-nafsu ammarah bi sua' which is the first aspect of nafs, but due to our faith (ii) the blaming self prevents us from performing that bad deed, leading us to (iii) the aspect of the peaceful self. There are also external ch allenges (which attract the internal challenges): o o The existing muharamat (prohibitions) – e. . the first aspect of nafs will activate the hawa and the hawa will push us to think about and do the bad deeds. The insinuation/whispering (waswasa) of Satan. All that Satan can do is to insinuate. He will try to convince us to do bad deeds by promoting evil and making it appear nice and acceptable to us, or convince us to delay doing good deeds. E. g. if we are good Muslims Satan will try to make us delay performing the prayer or giving the sadaqah by making it appear as a bad thing to do because giving sadaqah will result in a financial burden for us. As we can see, both cases are done through coloring our perception.We can see that some of the components of the human being help us while some are challenges. For example, the Fitrah and Aql are strong components which direct us to do good. However there is a limit to our intellect and for this Allah sent us the Messengers with t he revelations to guide us. Allah's Guidance helps us by telling us what is good and what is bad, in what forms the insinuation of Satan can come in, etc. When we recite the Qur'an with contemplation, we will attain the insight (basirah) which will activate the blaming-self and the nafs ul mutma' inah.The Qur'an tells us that we have been created to be tested: (Allah) Who has created death and life that He may test you which of you is best in deed. [Surah Al-Mulk (67): ayat 2] Allah tells us what we are being tested on and the scenarios mentioned above describe the nature of the test. This is the mercy of Allah – He equips us with the power, the will, the fitrah, the aql, the Message/guidance, etc. But He warns us that our will is going to be tested by internal and external challenges. The power and willingness is neutral but it can be influenced/directed to go either way, p: //fo tyhadi th. iiu e m r . du. y h p: //f o tyhadi th. iiu e m /hadi ths . h m r . du. y t PDF creat ed with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version http://www. pdffactory. com [email  protected] com good or bad. If we have the insight (basirah), if we recite the Quran, if we are close to Allah, if we have the wisdom (hikmah), then what will be activated is the sound mind and the shahawat (selfdesires) will be controlled and we will not be misled by them. Satan will not come close to us because he knows that if he does so he will not be able to influence us.If we look at it this way, our life is a challenge – it's a real test that we have to go through. Even with all these components Allah has equipped us with, we still need Tawfiqul Allah (guidance from Allah). Without tawfiq we might be misled by our desires or by the insinuation of Satan. Thus we need to be closer to Allah. We need to do du'a to Allah (calling on Him) all the time and to devote our hearts to Him so that we are constantly seeking His help, His refuge, His Hidayah (guidance). That's why at least 17 times a day we say â€Å"Guide us to the Straight Way† – we need Allah's guidance again and again.The guidance is not only to the path but it is also within the path. These are the two types of guidance (hidayah) – (i) to the path is becoming a Muslim and (ii) within the path is increasing our S. The Scholars say we need guidance within the path every second of the day – we need Allah's guidance more than we need to breathe. It is narrated by the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, in one Hadith that Allah created a man on an island where he was the only person there. Allah gave the man rizq by providing fruits on which he survived. For 70 ears the man lived and worshipped only Allah, as there were no challenges there. When the time came for the man to die, Allah commanded the angel to bring his soul to Him. Allah asked the man, â€Å"O My servant, to Paradise or to Hellfire? † The man replied, â€Å"O Allah, Almighty, to Paradise. † Allah said, â€Å"O My servant, is it because of My Mercy or is it because of your amal (good deeds)? † The man replied, â€Å"O Allah, it is because of my amal. For 70 years I worshipped you. I have done nothing bad, only good deeds worshipping you. † Then Allah commanded his angel to take the bounty of sight and put it on one scale.He then commanded the angel to put the man's 70 years' worth of good deeds on the other scale. The bounty of sight weighed heavier than the deeds of 70 years. In summary, if for 70 years we were to worship Allah and do good deeds and refrain from bad deeds, we will still not be able to repay Allah for one of His bounties. The Scholars say if you want to know Allah's bounty on you, close your eyes. If we close our eyes and imagine that we can no longer see and try to picture how our life would be, only then can we truly appreciate and value the mercy of Allah. onclusion The hadiths are the sources of our iman (faith), knowledge, and guidance as w e are taught by the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam. Studying and understanding the Hadiths will activate our insight (basirah), enlighten our hearts, and uplift our souls. This will by the help of Allah, lead us and keep us on the right path to the end, insha Allah. h p: //fo tyhadi th. iiu e m r . du. y h p: //f o tyhadi th. iiu e m /hadi ths . h m r . du. y t PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version http://www. pdffactory. com [email  protected] com . Ibadah & Bida'ah (Innovation) It is narrated on the authority of the Mother of the Believers, Umm ‘Abdullah ‘Aishah, radiyallahu ‘anha, that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, said: â€Å"Whosoever introduces into this affair of ours (i. e. into Islam) something that does not belong to it, it is to be rejected. † [Al-Bukhari & Muslim] According to the version in Muslim, (it reads): â€Å"Whosoever works a work which has for it no command of ours is to be r ejected. † background Like Hadith 1, this hadith is one of the most important hadiths.Imam Nawawi said it should be memorised by every Muslim. This hadith is used as a criterion for judging external actions or performance of Ibadah. If an action is not done in accordance with the Shariah or the Sunnah of the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, it will be rejected and not accepted by Allah based on text of this hadith. This hadith complements Hadith 1, which was a criterion for judging the intentions or the internal actions of the heart. The Scholars say that the acceptance of actions of Ibadah is based on the above two conditions: i.The intention – the action should be done with sincerity, for the sake of only Allah. It should be done in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam. ii. Apart from Hadith 1 and Hadith 5, the acceptance of actions can also be found in Surah Al-Kahf (18): ayat 110: Whoever looks forward to meeting hi s Sustainer (on Day of Judgement), let him do righteous deeds, and let him not ascribe unto anyone or anything a share in the worship due to his Sustainer. Emulating and following the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, is a Qur'anic obligation.Allah, the Almighty says: h p: //fo tyhadi th. iiu e m r . du. y h p: //f o tyhadi th. iiu e m /hadi ths . h m r . du. y t PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version http://www. pdffactory. com [email  protected] com Verily, in the apostle of God you have the best example to emulate for everyone who looks forward (with hope and awe) to Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah unceasingly. [Surah Al-Ahzab (33): ayat 21]. Say (O Prophet): â€Å"If you love Allah, follow me, (and) Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. lessonsThis hadith is related to a very important concept which is following the Sunnah and violating this concept will lead to bida'ah [which will be discussed in detail, insha Allah, in Hadith 28]. Scholars classify actions of the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, into actions done for the purpose of Ibadah (worshiping Allah) and actions which are not done for that purpose (i. e. customs, actions done haphazardly, etc. ). There are clear indicators for actions done for the purpose of Ibadah such as commands to do or not to do something, warnings for not doing something, etc.Muslims are only obliged to follow the first kind of Sunnah. Looking at it in a positive way, the actions (i. e. forms of ibadah) that we do should be done in accordance with the Shariah or the Sunnah of the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, and to ensure this there is a criterion consisting of five aspects that will keep our actions in check: i. Time Any ibadah that we do has to be done in it's designated or specified time. E. g. There are fixed times in the day for the five prayers. For fasting, the month for fasting is Ramadhan. The period that we can fast is from fajr to sunset. Similarly, there is a specific time in the year when we can perform the Hajj – from the 8 to the 12 Zulhijjah. Place The Shariah has specified that certain ibadahs have to be performed in designated places. E. g. The places for performing the Hajj, I'tikaf, doing Ihram for Hajj have been fixed by the Shariah and this is something which is sometimes violated by Muslims, e. g. doing the Ihram (starting talbiyyah and niyyah for Hajj) in Jeddah is incorrect. Quantity For most of the ibadahs the Shariah has specified a certain number of times that the ibadahs or their components need to be performed.E. g. For prayers, there are specified number of rakaahs and sujud and for Tawaf there is a fixed number of rounds (7), etc. We should not violate these rules intentionally. To violate intentionally may make the ibadah subject to be rejected. Way Every ibadah was described or shown to us by the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam being our best model to follow and emulate. The w ay that the ibadahs are performed by him have to be followed – it should not be violated. E. g. There are different ways of performing different prayers – Salat ul-Janazah has no ruku' or sujud.Even the size of the stones used for throwing at the Jamrat has been specified by the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, as not to be too big. Before we perform any ibadah, we should know and learn the way the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, performed it and we should do it in the right way as he did it. The Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, said, â€Å"Pray as you have seen me praying. † Many Muslims today violate the way ibadahs are performed, because of ignorance or because they do not bother to learn, and they end up doing the ibadah in the wrong way. ii. ii. iv. h p: //fo tyhadi th. iiu e m r . du. y h p: //f o tyhadi th. iiu e m /hadi ths . h m r . du. y t PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version http://www. pdffactory. com [email  protected] com v. Type If the Shariah has specified a type of ibadah, then we should stick to that type. E. g. Al-Udhiah (sacrifice) – the type of animal to be sacrificed has been specified by the Shariah and this should not be violated. Recently a Sheikh in one of the Muslim countries made a fatwa that Muslims can use chicken as sacrifice – this is a violation of the type.If a Muslim cannot afford to offer a sacrifice, then they don't have to do it as it is not a wajib (i. e. an obligation). In certain years, some of the Sahabahs (companions) purposely did not perform the sacrifice so that the people did not think that it was a wajib. A clear distinction should be made about the actions of the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam whether they were done only from time to time or whether they were done continuously on a regular basis. For example, some o