The Journey Of The Prophets

CHAPTER 1

Allah’s Creation

It’s been a very exciting time for Layla and her siblings. In fact, the excitement is oozing out of all the Yates children. Yes!!! All thirteen of them.

It was the time of the Covid-19 virus. Layla couldn’t understand why all the adults are so sad. The kids are having such a wonderful time. Everyone is being home schooled. Hooray!

Every day the children are doing such exciting things. The mummies and daddies are staying home. The children are enjoying the sleeping ins. They plan the day together and do things that they want to do and that’s why they feel that they are gaining so much knowledge. Staying at home is so much better than going to school.

They all cook their meals together, dine together, read salah and Quran together.

They felt that it was the best times of their lives.

But today is going to be extra special. All thirteen of the children are going to Nani’s Serena’s house. You see Nani Serena is not only an excellent storyteller but also a good cook and always have a good supply of treats.

When Layla and her brothers Musa and Aaron arrived, the other cousins were already there. They were all sitting some distance from each other.

Don’t give hugs and kisses kids, Nani Serena reminded. But all the children already knew what to do to stop the virus from spreading.

Asalam Alaikum

Layla and her brothers greeted Nani Serena and the ten cousins. Its always a happy time when all the cousins meet up.

Walaikum Asalam

Responded Keyaan, Leyah, Jasmine, Tariq, Eva, Amelia, Omari, Siyana, Zayn and Seth.

People are getting sick, people are dying. Everyone is saying to have faith in Allah. The grandchildren posed so many questions to Nani Serena.

Who is Allah?

Who made us?

Why are we here?

What happens to us when we die?

Okay children, Nani Serena replied with great enthusiasm, I will tell you a very long story. I will start right from the beginning.

Children, I now want you to think back how it was when there was nothing on this earth. Can you imagine that?

Kids, l have a great idea, shouted Keyaan excitedly. We can close our eyes and think hard. So, all the children closed their eyes. Nani gave them a few minutes and then told them to open their eyes.

They were all very eager to discuss their imagination. They share their thoughts of this journey they had just went on.

Leyah summarised all the children’s notions when she said:

Yes Nani I went back in time. It was so strange. There were no trees, no animals, no mountains, no rivers and NO PEOPLE.

Musa then put his very serious, pensive face on and asked:

Well, where was everyone?

So Nani Serena began her story.

In the beginning there was just Allah. He sat on his throne, which was above water.

Allah then created the heaven and the earth and told the pen which he created, to write everything that will happen on earth until the end of the world.

And where is that Book now Nani, curiously asked Jasmine.

Nani Serena informed everyone that special book is kept in heaven.

And when did God created us Aaron asked?

What about the Angels and Jinns Eva and Tariq added?

Nani Serena was very happy with all the questions the children were asking.

Allah created the angels from light and the Jinns from fire. The Jinns live on earth and the angels live in heaven.

The Angels can only do what Allah commands them to do. But the Jinns can choose between right and wrong.

The Jinns and the Angels are invisible. That means we cannot see them.

Nani Serena was then interrupted by a very worried Omari.

Nani, you haven’t old us who Allah is.

Okay, Omari, Nani Serena said calmly. Let me tell you who Allah is and then l will continue with the story of how Allah created the first human.

Allah is the one who created everything. Allah loves us more than our mummies and daddies. Allah hasn’t got a mummy or daddy or a wife and no children. We are all Allah’s children.

Allah does not sleep, and he hears and knows everything. He doesn’t even need food. Allah is not like us. Allah can do everything.

Now children, who can remember Allah’s other creations?

All hands went up.

Yes Amelia, you tell us said Nani Serena

Jinns, said Amelia gleefully!!

And Siyana, what will you like to say?

"Angels nani, replied Siyana.

Nani Serena told the children about a special Jinn who was living in the heavens with Allah and the Angels. He was a good Jinn and so Allah called him to live in the heavens.

And who can tell me what Allah created the Jinns from.

Up goes Zayn’s hand.

Allah made the Jinns from fire Zayn told everyone.

Seth was looking rather sad by now.

Why are you sad Seth, asked Nani Serena sympathetically.

Before Seth could even answer, his siblings Layla, Musa and Aaron sternly told Nani Serena that he didn’t answer any questions.

Oh, but l am not finished with my questions yet, Nani Serena said with a twinkle in her eyes.

Ok Seth. What are the Angels made off?

Light!!! Light. Seth was so pleased with his answer. Nani and all the children praised him. You see Seth is the youngest of Nani Serena’s grandkids. Seth is the baby of the Yates Family. And all the children are very fond of him.

ALLAH CREATED ADAM (PBUH)

The children now settled down and Nani has their sole attention as she tells the story of Adam.

Adam was not only the first man Allah created but he was also the first prophet. He was neither created from light or fire, but from soil.

Allah told the angels to gather soil from different parts of the world. This he used with water to create the Adam. He was then shaped into a human form and remained in that state for forty years.

You remember that good Jinn that was living in heaven with the Angels?, Nani Serena tested the children.

All the children remembered him.

Nani explained how that good Jinn used to walk around Adam. He was very curious of this creation.

He wasn’t happy that Allah made another being.

Then one day Allah blew life into Adam. Allah gave him a soul. He came alive. So, Allah told all the Angels and that Jinn to bow down to him. The Angels did but not that Jinn. He disobeyed Allah. He said that he was better than Adam because he was made from soil and him, the jinn, was made from fire.

Allah was very angry with him and told him that he will send him to hell.

On that day he became a Shaitan and his name is now Iblis. He asked if Allah could let him live until the world ends. He also requested Allah to give him special powers to take Adam and his children with him to the hellfire.

Nani, said Keyaan, I need to ask you an important question. I want to know when we were created".

Nani answered Keyaan’s question by explaining that the souls of everyone who has lived and who will live on earth was created and placed in the backbone of Adam. Allah introduced himself to us then but then wiped out that memory. Allah tells us this in Surah Al Araf.

He said he will come from all directions to make the children of Adam disobey Allah’s rules so that he can take them to the hellfire.

In deep thought with his finger on his cheeks Musa said:

Hang on, we are the children of Adam, aren’t we? Is he going to take us to the hellfire if we disobeyed Allah’s rules?.

Keyaan with an extremely worried expression blurted out loudly:

Now l know why all the adults are worried about the virus. Those who haven’t followed Allah’s rules will be thrown into the hellfire.

Now all the children seemed very worried.

Nani Serena told the children that so long as everyone worship Allah they will be safe.

THE CHILDREN OF ADAM AND HAWA

Then Allah created Hawa because Adam will be very lonely on his own. So, now we have Adam and Hawa who are living in Paradise. Allah told them that they can eat the fruits from all the trees except from one tree.

Remember how Shaitaan wants to take Adam and his children to the hellfire if they disobey Allah?

Well Shaitaan although not living in paradise whispered to them to eat the fruits from that tree. They forgot what Allah had told them and ate the fruits.

All the children gasped.

Everything changed that day.

Now you must be thinking that now Adam and Hawa will have to go to the hellfire.

That’s wrong.

They were so sorry for what they had done and begged Allah for forgiveness. Allah forgave them but like Shaitaan they also had to leave paradise.

So now we have Adam, Hawa and Shaitaan and all the jinns living on earth.

As the years go by Hawa gave birth to a set of twins. A boy and a girl.

Then another set of twins were born. One boy and one girl.

They name the boys Habeel and Kabeel.

When Habeel and Kabeel became adults, Allah instructed them to get married. Since there were no other females on earth Habeel was instructed to marry Kabeel’s twin sister and Kabeel to marry Habeel’s twin sister.

Habeel was very pious and was in total agreement, but Kabeel disobeyed Allah declaring that he wanted to marry his own twin.

Adam decided to settle the matter by telling the boys to make a sacrifice, and the one whose sacrifice is accepted will have his wishes granted.

Habeel, who was a shepherd selected his best lamb for the sacrifice whilst Kabeel, a farmer offered his worst crops.

Allah accepted Habeel sacrifice

Arrogance and envy became the downfall of Kabeel. He killed his brother and then later buried him.

Nani, nani, said Layla. How did he know how to bury Habeel?

Nani Serena was very pleased with the question and proceed to give her answer.

Nani Serena explained that Kabeel carried his dead brother on his shoulders for days because he didn’t know what to do with his body. Allah then sent two ravens. These two ravens started fighting. One raven killed the other, scratched the ground with its feet and buried the dead one. When Kabeel saw what the raven did he dug the earth and buried his brother.

Adam and Hawa went on to have many children. Except for one child they were all twins.

Nani Serena looked straight at Seth and asked him if he knew the name of that special child who wasn’t a twin.

He shook his head.

"His name was Seth, like you!!. Allah gave Adam and Hawa Seth as a gift because Kabeel murdered Habeel.

Am l a gift to my mummy and daddy exclaimed Seth.

All the children agreed he was.

When Adam was 960 years old, Allah sent the Angel of death to take his life.

Before Adam died, he reminded all the children that there is only one God and they must only worship that one God. He told them that Allah, who is God, will send many prophets to teach all his children how to live their on earth by following his decree. He also reminded them of Shaitaan.

After the death of Adam, Seth became his successor.

As time goes by, the population on earth grew.

The descendants of Kabeel lived in the valleys and all the other descendants of Adam lived on the mountains.

They lived peacefully in submission to Allah.

Shaitaan was most displeased.

Who can tell me why?

All hands went up.

I will like to said Layla. Because he hasn’t got anyone to take to the hellfire with him.