Introduction

Praise and thanks are due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. We ask Allah to raise the rank of our master Muhammad, the Prophet who did not learn to read or write, his Al, and Companions, and to protect his nation from whatever he feared for it.

Allah revealed in the Qur’an:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ عَلَيْهَا مَلائِكَةٌ غِلاظٌ شِدَادٌ لا يَعْصُونَ اللَّهَ مَا أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ

Which means: “O you who believed, protect yourselves and families from fire, the fuel of which will be people and stones. In charge of this fire are stern and rough angels who do not disobey Allah and who carry out what they are ordered.” (Suratut-Tahrim, Ayah 6)

Our Prophet, may peace be upon him, said:

طَلَبُ الْعِلْمِ فَرِيضَةٌ عَلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِم

Which means: “Seeking the [obligatory] knowledge is an obligation upon every [accountable] Muslim.” (Related by al-Bayhaqiyy.)

Protecting one’s self and family from the unbearable fire is achieved by one learning the religious knowledge that Allah made obligatory upon every accountable person to acquire, and then by one teaching it to the family. One cannot be a pious Muslim when one does not fulfill the religious obligations and does not avoid the matters that Allah made forbidden.

The way to knowing the obligations and prohibitions is by acquiring the religious knowledge from those who have it. Hence, the guardian of the children must teach them the belief that Allah is clear of having any similarity to the creations. Moreover, the guardian must teach to the children the obligatory and forbidden matters, such as the essential parts of taharah (purification) and salah (prayer).

In the present time of social decay, the religious education and raising of the children is not an easy matter, especially because most schools do not place such education as their top priority. There is no doubt that such education improves the welfare of the children and results in their well being in this life and the life after.

As a result, the Islamic Studies and Research Division (ISRD) at the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects (A.I.C.P.) embarked on preparing “The Islamic Education Series” (T.I.E.S.) for our children at the elementary level and for those who are at the beginner level in their Islamic education.

Each of the five (5) books in this Series consists of three (3) chapters that deal with: the Belief, the Acts of Worship, and the Islamic Manners. In addition to this Series, Qur’anic Recitation (Tajwid) and Prophetic Biography (As-Siratun-Nabawiyyah) are needed. The A.I.C.P. has its series of Islamic History for children and beginners. Tajwid is taught at the Islamic Education Schools (T.I.E.S.) of the A.I.C.P.

“The Islamic Education Series” (T.I.E.S.) is meant to prepare the beginners for the Islamic material that makes them successful servants of Allah. God willing, this knowledge will help them contribute to building communities based on sound values and will make them safe in the Hereafter.