Classes follow path of the Prophet Muhammad

The original version of this article contained an error and has been changed. See the bottom of the article for additional information.

“Sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam,” the Arabic phrase for “peace be upon him,” echoed across Fowler Amphitheater Tuesday night as students gathered and listened to stories about the Prophet Muhammad.

The stories were a part of the Muslim Students Association’s weekly sirah classes this quarter, which aim to teach students more about the prophet, a central figure in the Islamic faith. During winter quarter, the student group held similar classes on tajweed, the proper recitation of the Quran. They started sirah classes this quarter to continue to build a deeper Islamic community.

Sirah means “path” in Arabic, but the class specifically refers to the path that follows the lifestyle of the Prophet Muhammad, whom Muslims believe to be the last prophet sent by God, said Neyamatullah Akbar, a fourth-year biology student and president of the Muslim Students Association.

“In life, you should have a role model, and a Muslim’s role model is Prophet Muhammad,” Akbar said.

Different Muslim Students Association alumni teach the class each week. Though the group has hosted sirah classes before, they were not structurally organized and cohesive as they are now, Akbar said.

During Tuesday’s class, UCLA alumnus Abdallah Jadallah, focused on “adab,” the Arabic word for manners and character.

For Jadallah, teaching and sharing stories about the Prophet Muhammad is a way to remind everyone, including himself, how important it is to go back to the basics of Islam and remember how the prophet had perfect mannerisms.

“Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam, treated everyone equally – poor, rich, woman, man, king, slave,” the former Muslim Students Association president said during the class.

Jadallah and other club members said the phrase “sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam” whenever the prophet’s name was spoken as a small prayer to show respect to the Prophet Muhammad.

Noor Zanial, a first-year microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics student, said she enjoys learning more about how the prophet turned his hardships into positive moments.

When Zanial wore the hijab in middle school, she often received unwelcoming stares and whispers from her fellow peers as they assumed her headscarf was a form of oppression. Zanial said the classes offer her and other Muslim women support in a society where Muslim women are sometimes associated with negative stereotypes.

The class draws upon the Quran, the holy book of Islam, and the Sunnah, an extremely detailed account of the prophet’s life written by his fellow companions.

Akbar said he thinks the Prophet Muhammad demonstrates the ideal traits of a leader since he was a father, husband, politician and more. He was a key part of society and lived his life with balance, an important quality in the Islamic faith, he said.

Though most of the people in the class are Muslim, Zanial said everyone is welcome to come learn more about the prophet. She added that the classes are a way to clarify any misconceptions about a man she thinks is often portrayed in the wrong way.

Sarah Abolail, a second-year English and political science student, sees the sirah classes as a way of building a deeper connection with her faith.

She recalls a story about a slave she learned in one of the classes. A master was torturing his slave for being a Muslim, but the slave refused to give up his religion. Instead, he said “one, one,” upholding his belief in one god.

“It teaches me how he made changes and stood up for rights in a society that was oppressive. It inspires me to do the same thing,” Abolail said.

Classes are offered this quarter at different locations every Tuesday at 8 p.m.

Correction: UCLA alumnus Abdallah Jadallah’s name was misspelled.