good tree academy

Ustadh Michael speaks about how the Muslims historically brought people together of different religions to build secure, thriving communities.

Whatever is best doesn’t come easy. It takes work.

For those who love, study and learn the Qur’an, upon entering paradise, angels will don these believers with garments and crowns, including their parents who fostered the best learning.

Allah has given us some illustrations of the rewards He has prepared in paradise, and they are like nothing we’ve seen. Paradise will have mansions which will look like stars they are so high. 

And who will these mansions be for? Principal Wadud Hassan explains it is for those who will be told to recite Qur’an. The more you recite, the higher and higher levels the reciter will rise. When the reciter stops determines the level of his or her home in paradise. 

Heaven will contain tents like hollowed pearls 60 miles from each side. 

These rewards are especially for the believers who apply the perfume of Qur’an to your soul. It’s a smell palpable to angels. 

Earning paradise means hard work, worship and deeds like fasting, reading Qur’an and exhibiting good character. The next time you face a challenge, like waking up on time for Fajr prayer, think of the treasure Allah has waiting for you and work hard in this short life for that eternal happiness. 

In Surah At Tariq, Allah prompts us to consider our origin: “Let people then consider what they were created from!” (At-Tariq 86:5 The Nightcomer) 

Ustadh Michael Wolfender uses this ayat along with examples like IKEA furniture, cow stomachs, birds’ eyes and stomachs to consider advanced design and our purpose.

Our purpose is to learn about and worship Allah, as we will return to Him. This life is a test of patience and gratitude for the bounties Allah provides and withholds. 

In the second half of Surah At-Tariq, Allah advises of the guidance He has sent in His Book: “Surely this ˹Quran˺ is a decisive word and is not to be taken lightly.” (86:13 - 14) The Qur’an advises us of our purpose, in our faith and path in this life with guidance for earning eternal happiness.

If you saw a treasure chest wide open permitted for you, would you not take? Ustadh Michael Wolfender presents the reality of the best night of the year with a wild example worth paying attention to.

In Surat Al-Qadr (97 The Night of Power), Allah repeats three times which He doesn’t do anywhere else in the Qur’an in this manner. Allah reveals He sent the Qur’an on a night in Ramadan called Laylatul Qadr - the Night of Power. 

Then Allah asks the reader to consider what exactly is this night that has so much power. This is where Ustadh Michael uses his outrageous analogy to help us understand the rewards for worship being accepted on this night.

Laylatul Qadr includes a special visitor who only comes to earth once a year now. Angel Gabriel brought Allah’s Message to prophets, concluding with Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.  In the fourth verse of Al Qadr, Allah describes the earth filling with angels on this special night.

How can you take advantage? We don’t know which of the last ten nights of Ramadan exactly is Laylatul Qadr. Instead, we search for it. It might be one of the odd nights, particularly the 27th of Ramadan. The best way is to worship each of these nights, give charity, pray, read Qur’an and make dua, asking of Allah. He is The Most Generous. He is The Creator. He is All Powerful. He can grant us everything we wish for and it would not decrease Him in any way.

The treasure and reward is available one night a year. It’s up to us to avail ourselves of Allah’s Bounty.

Sr Noor Saadeh tells us how she sees the word hope from an Islamic perspective.  Listen to a khutba about the power of prayer given by Good Tree Academy's head of Quranic Studies Brother Michael Wolfender. Hear a talk show Principal Wadud Hassan and his students held on the night of their annual Iftar fundraising dinner called Loving and Living the Quran. Hear Hamza talk sports on Sports Talk. 

Principal Wadud Hassan shares some of the rewards from fasting, including: 

• Allah has created a special gate in paradise called Al Rayyan for those who fast
• Fasting is a shield which will protect you from hellfire on the Day of Judgment
• Charity and night prayer extinguishes fire
• Fasting and the Qur’an will intercede for believers on the Day of Judgment
• Fasting one day removes a believer seventy years away from hellfire
• When those fasting are in the company of those who are eating, angels send blessings for those sacrificing for Allah’s Sake

There are levels of fasting beyond abstaining from food and drink, such as staying away from what’s forbidden in bad behavior. Those fasting can then focus on good values like cleansing your heart by forgiving others and seeking forgiveness.

Brother Wadud Hassan, principal of Good Tree Academy, speaks to his students and us about good habits we can develop in Ramadan. Good Tree Senior Abdelrahman shares with us his beautiful recitation of Surah Maryam.

Once a year, the earth is crowded with angels. Allah announces: “That night the angels and the ˹holy˺ spirit descend, by the permission of their Lord, for every ˹decreed˺ matter.” (Al Qadr 97:4 The Power) This night is in the last ten nights of Ramadan and it’s among the ways Ustadh Michael Wolfender shares how we can get close to angels and earn Allah’s Pleasure. 

Jummuah means congregation in Arabic and Fridays are when Muslims meet together for the congregational prayer in the middle of the day. Muslims attending jummuah can earn the rewards of a mountain of gold in blessings as angels take attendance of who comes to jummuah and pay attention to the weekly reminder. 

Angels are made of light and they look for where believers are worshiping so they can join. But if you get distracted, they’ll leave. We can’t see or hear angels here, but everyone entering paradise will. In Surah Ghafir, Allah shows how angels supplicate for believers saying: “Our Lord! Admit them into the Gardens of Eternity which You have promised them, along with the righteous among their parents, spouses, and descendants. You ˹alone˺ are truly the Almighty, All-Wise.” (Al Ghafir 40:8 The Forgiver)

When you make dua or ask of Allah on behalf of others, angels make the same request for you. They listen to our duas and report to Allah all of our actions. 

Back to that one night when Allah crowds the earth with angels. It’s called Laylatul-Qadr or the “Night of Power.” Allah sends a special visitor: the archangel Gabriel, the angel who brought revelation of the Holy Qur’an. Knowing how humans would question how or whether one of their own could see or meet an angel, Allah sent revelation affirming how Prophet Muhammad ﷺ did see Jibreel, declaring in Surah Takwir: “I do swear by the receding stars which travel and hide and the night as it falls and the day as it breaks! Indeed, this ˹Quran˺ is the Word of ˹Allah delivered by Gabriel,˺ a noble messenger-angel, full of power, held in honor by the Lord of the Throne, obeyed there ˹in heaven˺, and trustworthy. And your fellow man is not insane. And he did see that ˹angel˺ on the clear horizon” (At-Takwir 81:15 - 23 The Overthrowing) 

Since revelation completed with Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Jibreel only visits once a year. Search for Laylatul Qadr in the last ten nights of Ramadan to be in the company of angels worshiping with you. 

All of His books Allah revealed in the month of Ramadan, while most Muslims may only consider the Qur’an’s revelation to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ  in the cave of Mount Hira. This is among the reasons Ramadan is a special month with increased blessings. Allah closes the doors to the hellfire and opens the doors to paradise. Prayers increase in reward 70-fold. Optional prayers are elevated to the reward of obligatory prayers. Beyond rewards as an incentive, Ramadan is a month to develop and build your relationship with Allah, remembering Him in your heart. Build good values, like patience. 

Principal Wadud Hassan shares the origin story of an early scholar of Islam, his beginnings as a sinner, the death of his daughter and a dream where she helped bring him towards Allah. It’s guidance like this which can help us chart a straight path to understand the value of our short lifetime compared to the Day of Judgment which will last 50,000 years. 

This Ramadan, add to your good deeds by supporting Good Tree Academy to continue our mission of cultivating the next generation of Muslim scholars and leaders. 

Taking care of your soul is as important, if not even more, than taking care of your body. Emotions come from and impact your soul. How do you feel when you're angry? A purpose of anger is protection, not to adversely impact others.
So, as Principal Wadud Hassan advises, the best way to respond to anger is with patience, compassion, and forgiveness. He shares the example of how our prophet Muhammad ﷺ respnded to a bedouin who grabbed the prophet ﷺ by his collar as a means of introduction and attention. Our prophet’s ﷺ response was to turn with a smile to then understand what the bedouin’s need concerned.
We often think of our soul as if it’s within our heart, in our chest. It’s not really an incorrect way of thinking as how you view your heart and your chest is a physical manifestation of your emotional state. Principal Wadud gives the example of the famous dua of Moses (as) which Allah shares in Surah Taha 20:25 - 28 as his prophet asked of Him: “O my Lord! Open for me my chest (grant me self-confidence, contentment, and boldness.) And ease my task for me. And untie the knot (the defect) from my tongue (i.e. remove the incorrectness from my speech). That they understand my speech.”

Start feeding your soul by remembering Allah, ask of Him and know that Allah is with those who are patient and mindful of Him. Remembering Allah is actually a form of positive self-talk. Indeed, Allah has built a home for every human in paradise. This life is a test to earn this eternal reward, in part by developing ourselves and our souls with these habits: 

Make wudu - cleaning yourself and asking Allah to wash away your sins and have the body parts you’ve washed shine with light to guide you on the Day of Judgment 
Frequently say “In the Name of Allah, The Most Beneficient, The Most Merciful.” Such as when you start, are in the midst of and when you end anything. 
Pray. Worship is our conversation with Our Creator with the effect of calming us from daily distractions. 
Ask of Allah by making lots of dua. Allah loves when His servants ask of him. 
Don’t not talk with someone for three days when you are experiencing conflict with them. Do greet them and resolve to end the issue before 72 hours have passed. 
Shake hands, of course, while observing hygienic protocols. Humans benefit from touch.
Greet others with a greeting of peace. 
End your day ensuring you are not harboring grudges; it’s easiest to do this by forgiving others. 
Read. The first command Allah sent in the revelation of the Qur’an is “Read.” Build a connection with Allah’s Book by starting with a translation of the Qur’an and you will begin to understand the value of learning to understand its Arabic.
Write, whether it’s an email, post, journal or letter. Writing is cognitive and cathartic.

As Muslims, sometimes we have to go on a journey to get closer to Allah by visiting the houses of Allah SWT in Mecca and Madina. When you visit Masjid al Nabawi in Madina, the prayer of one rakaa is equivalent to 50,000 rakaa and when you pray one rakaa at Masjid al-Haram, it is equivalent to one hundred thousand rakaa. According to several historians, the earth was all water and the first piece of land started at the Kaaba where today, Muslims circle around to bring themselves closer to Allah SWT. Seven heavens above the Kaaba, there is a house of Allah called Bait al Mamoor where 70,000 angels do tawaaf from sunrise to sunset and when those angels complete tawaaf, another 70,000 angels come and do tawaaf and will not come back to do tawaaf until the day of judgement. 

The Kaaba is where the Prophet prayed and was harassed, attacked, and endured the dumping of animal feces on him as he prayed. This is also where Muslims freed the house of Allah from idols. Sometimes we must take certain journeys and face difficult obstacles in order to bring ourselves closer to Allah. Allah tells us to visit the houses of Allah and make provisions before making that journey. The main provision we should be making is Takwa. Takwa is having the mindfulness of Allah, being deeply aware and conscious of Allah, and strengthening that connection to Allah. 

When Prophet Abraham left his wife Hajar with Ismail in Mecca, there was no Kaaba, food, or water present. Hajar had takwa and had six qualities in her heart that brought her closer to Allah. 

1. Silence: One of the first qualities that Hajar had to get used to was her heart. She had to learn how to be alone with Allah with no one around her but Allah. We can understand the revelations of Allah better when we tune out everything else and be alone with Allah. 

2. Attachment: Hajar had to sacrifice her attachment with everything and everyone other than Allah. This included her husband, her neighborhood, food she loved, and everything she was attached to so she could attach her heart to Allah.  

3. Reliance: Her heart relied heavily on Allah when she was left alone and dealing with difficulties. 

4. Hope: Hajar never gave up hope on Allah even during these difficult times. Her hope was bigger than her fears. 

5. Action: She actively tried to bring herself closer to Allah by seeking Allah. She would walk on rocks between Safa and Marwa to bring herself closer. She did not give up and worked hard to seek Allah’s bounty and with that movement, Allah gave her an opening when the Angel Jibril came and struck the ground that so much water came out she had to say zam zam (stop stop). Today, that water nourishes the souls of pilgrims until the day of judgement. 

6. Gratitude: She was soaked in gratitude for the water and was grateful for what Allah had given her that time instead of asking for more. 

When we are going through a difficult time, it is important to have takwa, put in the effort and seek Allah. May Allah grant us the tawfik to continue to strive towards these qualities that Hajar possessed. May Allah grant us tawfik to have a beautiful heart.

The people of Mecca knew who Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him was, what he was like, his kind character, how he was well-trusted and loved, and how he interacted with people. However, when he came with the message of Allah and truth, they rejected him and what he was preaching. This was a test for the people of Mecca because they were used to worshipping idols. 

Allah SWT tells us about the struggle of the people of Mecca in Surah Al-Qalam (68 The Pen) which was one of the first surahs that the prophet ﷺ received. The pen was the first thing that Allah created and Allah told the pen to write and the pen wrote everything, including all events to occur throughout time. 

Allah SWT gave Prophet Muhammad ﷺ three characteristics as described in this surah; his sound intellect, his devotion to his faith which will result in great reward, and the best behavior in his interactions with others. The prophet ﷺ was very well-trusted by the people around him. When everyone in Mecca was fighting over placement of the black stone in the Ka’ba, Muhammad ﷺ was chosen to settle the argument. 

In this surah, Allah SWT lists the characteristics we should avoid. You should not give your attention to someone who spends their time swearing by Allah whether it’s true or not, talks down to people, puts people down, hears something from someone and passes it to another person while exaggerating what is said, tries to prevent people from doing good things, and someone who takes away people’s rights and sins all the time. On the day of judgement, these people will try to make sujood in prostration and they will not be able to because when they were able to, they chose not to. 

However, as perfect as Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was with his endowed three good characteristics, the people of Mecca still did not want to accept him and the message he was preaching. Allah gave Prophet Muhammad ﷺ an example to help him with the people of Mecca. In Surah Al-Qalam, Allah recounts the story of brothers who were in charge of a garden that was rich with many fruits which they inherited from their father. Their father used to let poor people pick from the garden as they pleased and they knew of their father’s generosity. Even though they knew it was the right thing to do, the brothers decided they were not going to let the poor take from their garden because they were worried about losing money. Due to these actions, their behavior began to change. They would whisper to each other, give bad looks to people, walk around like a gang, and intimidate people. So Allah destroyed their garden. That is when the brothers realized that everything had been taken away from them due to their actions, and they turned back to Allah. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ told the people of Mecca this story to guide them to do good before it is too late. 

May Allah make our behavior and manners nice and guide us to follow the Prophet’s good behavior characteristics.

There is no one else that deserves our unconditional obedience but Allah SWT and on the day of judgement, when we meet our Creator, our wealth, children, and things of this world will not be with us. Therefore, we should not forget the real purpose of being in this life and in this world is to worship Allah and focus on our hearts for the sake of reaching our best selves. 

On the day of judgement, we want to come before Allah SWT with a heart that is pure and peaceful. Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him expressed that if you are able to in the morning and evening make the state of your heart where there is no ill will towards anyone then do so and this is considered his way or sunnah. Those who practice this sunnah truly love the prophet ﷺ and purifying our hearts brings us closer to the prophet. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ also explained that whoever defends the reputation of his brother, Allah SWT will defend his face from the fire on the day of judgement. 

Principal Wadud Hassan presents the idea of psychological safety and how, for instance, Google found that this made their teams work effectively. Psychological safety ensures safety for risk-taking in the face of being seen as incompetent, negative, and disruptive. In the face of adversity, the team can safely take risks and work together on a problem without incurring backlash. Psychological safety is the environment that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ created for his sahaba. His companions were able to come to him and ask permission or guidance on anything and it was a safe space for them with no judgement or repercussions. He would ask Allah SWT to purify their hearts and provide them with guidance. This shows how the prophet ﷺ believed in everyone’s potential. 

Principal Wadud shares a story about Sheikh Ali, also known as Hakeem al Ummah or the Grand Mufti of Hind and his encounter with another sheikh during a gathering of sheikhs. That sheikh told Sheikh Ali that he feels he is the worst among these scholars and that everyone around him was better than him. Sheikh Ali points to a Hindu man passing by and says what if Allah gives that man guidance tomorrow and he dies with faith in his heart, questioning if he would have such purity of faith as well. This is the level of clarity and cleanliness that was in the heart of these scholars which provides us guidance. 

May Allah grant us Tawfik to build this quality of keeping our hearts pure to have the best for our brothers and sisters and ourselves. 

Ever had difficulty dealing with those around you? Allah sent us His messenger, Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, as the best example for us to learn how to be kind, courteous, respectful, understanding and merciful to those around us. 

Ustadh Michael Wolfender asks students to think of a time when you felt special because someone did something special for you. Naturally, you would love that person and be appreciative of the things they do for you. This is one of the reasons why we love our parents. 

Those that met Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him felt very special and there are many instances where the love he shared with others impacted them greatly. Amr ibn al-As felt that the prophet ﷺ loved him so much that he went to the prophet to ask him who he loved the most. The prophet said Aisha, his wife. To which Amr asked who the prophet ﷺ loved among the men. Prophet Muhammad responded with Abu Bakr. Amr realized he was not on the top of the prophet’s list but that he loved the prophet so much because he hadn’t experienced such love before.

Zayd Ibn Al Haritha was kidnapped as a child and sold in Mecca, where he became a freed slave under Khadeja, the prophet’s first wife. When Zayd’s father traveled from Yemen to find his son, he offered the prophet ﷺ money in return for Zayd. The prophet told Zayd’s father to keep the money and suggested that Zayd decide what he would like to do. Zayd wanted to stay with the prophet ﷺ because he had never met someone who treated him so well. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ treated Zayd like his own son and Zayd’s father understood and respected that love.

During the Battle of Badr, the Messenger of Allah would use a stick to line everyone up for prayer and while everyone was dressed for battle, one man, Suad Ibn Azeyah was not wearing a top. He claimed to the prophet ﷺ that he poked him with the stick and insisted he get to poke the prophet back. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ gave Suad the stick to poke him back but instead Suad got on his knees and hugged the prophet. When asked why he did that, Suad told the prophet that it was a trick to hug the prophet before going into battle.

Prophet Muhammad’s love and kindness was also shown through his marriages. He would kneel down and wipe the floor, stitch his own clothes, and treat women so well that all the women who knew him said they have never seen a man like this. His wife Aisha loved him so much, she never remarried. 

Everyone felt so special around Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and he never failed to show everyone the strongest love. May Allah inspire us to do as best as we can to follow in the footsteps of the prophet through his special love and kindness.

Principal Wadud Hasan explains the importance of our love for Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him and how following the ways of the Prophet, allows us to love Allah SWT. In Surah Tawbah (The Repentance) 9:128 of the Quran, Allah says that He has sent a prophet that loves us so much, our suffering distresses him. Our prophet loves his believers so much that when we are not happy, he is not happy. 

Through prayer and thikr, we are able to love the prophet and feel his love in our hearts. If we want to see how much Allah SWT loves us, then we have to see how much we love the messenger of Allah. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ told his wife Aisha that he makes duaa and remembers his ummah five times a day, after every prayer. How can we not pray for our prophet ﷺ when he thinks of us so often and shows so much love for us?

Last week, Ustadh Michael Wolfender discussed how the prophet ﷺ showed mercy for the people who tortured him because one day their children and future generations could be Muslims. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ cared about us so much that he showed mercy to our past generations. His mercy to the people of Mecca led Muhammed bin Qasem to conquer Sindh in South Asia which brought Islam to the South Asian subcontinent. His companions were able to conquer other areas of the world and spread Islam through that moment of mercy for the benefit of future generations of Muslims. Our prophet ﷺ loved us and cared about us so much that he showed that mercy.

Here’s a way to connect with our prophet ﷺ: close your eyes and imagine going to the masjid of the prophet in Madina and meeting him. How would you feel if you entered the masjid and you see Prophet Muhammad ﷺ there, welcoming you? Instead of resting, the prophet ﷺ has decided to respond to your salaam and welcome you because he would embrace even the worst of us. Now imagine how would it feel in the hereafter, when we are finally seeing our prophet, the one that loved us even more than our parents?

It is important to remember that we will be in paradise with those who we love and by loving the prophet ﷺ through prayer, thikr, and following his ways, insh’Allah we will be reunited with our prophet ﷺ in the hereafter. We must always feel the love of Prophet Muhammed ﷺ in our hearts and that will bring us closer to Allah inshAllah.

Are you ready to show Allah your steadfast belief in Him in what He calls the best ten days? Ustadh Michael Wolfender explains why Allah selects the beginning of Hajj for such a precious time.