Verily Allah (SWT) sent the Messenger Muhammad (saw) as a Rahmah-mercy for Mankind. Through him Allah (SWT) revealed the Qur’an, which contains many lessons for us in the narratives of the previous Messengers. The struggle of Ibraheem (as) against the tyrant of his time, Nimrod, is not dissimilar to the situation in which the Muslims find themselves in after the 11th September 2001. Ibraheem (as)’s life is also significant to this time of year when millions of Muslims make the annual Hajj-pilgrimage to Makkah. We hope to reflect on some of the lessons below insh'Allah.

1. The participation of Prophet Yusuf, upon whom be peace, as a minister in the Government of the King of Egypt

Allah, the Most High, said:

“And the king said: “Bring him to me that I may attach him to my person.” Then, when he spoke to him, he said: “Verily, this day, you are with us high in rank and fully trusted.” [Yusuf] said: “Set me over the storehouses of the land; I will indeed guard them with full knowledge.” Thus did We give full authority to Yusuf in the land, to take possession therein, as when or where he likes.” 20

“…Mothers play a great role in building a generation. The better a mother is at raising her children, the more successfully the Ummah is built and the more successful it is at producing heroes. You hardly ever see a great man except that a great woman is behind him who left some of her traits in his personality by way of the milk from which he was fed and the warm embrace in which he sought refuge.

Most men find it hard to remove these shining images from their minds that they retain of their mothers. These outstanding images that ran through his veins from a young age remain engraved in his mind, and he cannot help but to remember them with veneration and pride. He recalls the simple, clear words that his mother left his spirit with, and these words grow to become milestones on his path and guiding lights on his quest.