2017 Essay by 10 grader
Sunday School Essay
In class on Sunday, January 21st, 2017, We spent the first half of class talking about the upcoming Level 1 Test in February.
“What does the ‘Bridge and Points’ metaphor question refer to?” and “What are the 4 Major Themes of the Quran?” We discussed getting good deeds after death, and consistent with what God said, and being good as well. During lunch, we talked about praying for the right things, having GC, and saying “Bismillah” before eating.
In the second half of class, we worked on our recitations of the Quran and reading through Surah Yasin. We also talked about how to be successful in life in three important steps.
The “Bridge and Points” metaphor refers to the bridge that everyone must cross on the Day of Judgement in order to enter Heaven. If someone cannot cross the bridge, they will fall into Hell. The points affect the bridge because the points are what get the person across the bridge. If the person has a lot of points, they will be able to walk across the bridge. During someone’s life, their good deeds get them points, therefore, someone who has many good deeds will have a lot of points, and will be able to cross the bridge. However, if someone wrongs another person in some way and does not seek or get forgiveness from that person, then they will lose points, and the person they wronged will get their points. Then, the person will be unable to cross the bridge because they lost points and they do not have enough to cross, and will fall into Hell instead.
4 Major Themes of the Quran include the proof of the Quran, and a reminder of everyone’s accountability for their actions.
The first theme is using common sense to realize that the Quran is telling the truth. Logic tells people that because the world is so well organized, there must be someone orchestrating it.
The second theme is that history proves the Quran right. There are many stories in the Quran that people can and should learn from.
The third theme is using science and analysis to determine the truth. The Quran contains many facts that science discovered several years later. This proves that the Quran is supreme.
The last theme is the Day of Judgement. The Quran states many times that everyone will be held accountable for their deeds on the Day of Judgement.
We discussed the 4 Major Themes while reading Surah Yasin. We read the English translations as though it was a drama piece with back and forth conversations, and identified each of these 4 Major Themes throughout the Surah.
Next, we talked about how people can get good deeds after their death, and how that affects someone’s soul while they’re in their grave.
People who have done many good deeds in their life will wait in a grave with a nice temperature after their death. Those who have not done many good deeds will be waiting in a grave with an unpleasant temperature.
However, if that person had long lasting good deeds that continue on after their death, the temperature will get increasingly better. Also, if people pray for that person, then the temperature will improve. Lastly, if that person had taught people to do good things or to be good, every time the person that they taught does something good, the temperature will get better. People can do good deeds in the name of someone who has passed away by dedicating their good deed to them.
They can also dedicate the good deeds of sacrificing an animal on Eid to someone. Many people sacrifice three animals on Eid- one for the Prophet Muhammad(PBUH), one for themselves, and one for their families, teachers, etc.
Many muslims when asked for advice, refer to Hadith only. They forget that all advice must always be consistent with what God said in the Quran. They also forget that “God” is spelled with a silent O. It can also be spelled “Good”. Therefore, if all advice is in compliance with what God said, then the advice must also direct the person asking for it to be good.
Some muslims become confused with their purpose on Earth. They feel that all they must do is pray and read Quran. In other words, they think they simply must perform religious acts of worship.
Actually, people are really on Earth to do three things: make themselves good, make others good, and make their physical environment good. A Khalifa is someone who does all of these things, and all people should strive to be a khalifa. Doing this causes people to become closer with God. They then can achieve the status of a Wali- a friend of God.
During lunch, we discussed what we should be asking for whenever we pray. There are many things, like health and success, but the most important thing to remember is to always ask for something if it is good for you. For example, someone could pray to go to a concert, but only God knows that there will be a shooting at that concert. However, God may still answer the persons’ prayers because they did not ask to go to the concert only if it is good for them. If the person had prayed to go to the concert only if it is good for them, then God could have kept them from the concert, and the person could be kept away from the shooting.
Having GC refers to having God Consciousness. People must always remember God when they do things, and remember that what they are doing is for God. Everything we do should be for God. An example of having GC is saying “Bismillah” before eating something. We are doing it in the name of God.
Saying “Bismillah” before eating pizza, for example, transforms the regular pizza to “S-pizza”. S-pizza nourishes not only your physical body, but your soul as well. Having GC means eating to stay healthy, not eating to feast. It means being selfless in the things you do, and always saying aware that no matter what we do, it should never be for ourselves, and should be for God instead. Even if we become successful, our success is for God, not for ourselves.
There are three major steps to becoming successful.
The first is having a finish line. We have to determine what exactly it is that we want to do.
Next, we have to find a role model, someone who will show what our finish line will look like.
Lastly, we have to create a general goal, which is what we want our final result to be, after crossing the finish line.
For example, my personal goal is to become an OB/GYN. That is my finish line, and my role model could be the one that delivered me. My general goal is to have a nice large house, and a husband with an equally well paying job, and children who I can send to schools with a very good education so they can become successful as well.