The Good Nation Course
The International Academy Institute for Training, in partnership with the Social Development Center in Medina, presented a course titled "Nation of Goodness" This took place on Saturday, the 19th of Ramadan in the year 1442 AH at exactly 11 PM and lasted for an hour and a half. The course was given by Dr. Hind Mustafa Sharifi, a professor of Da'wah in the Department of Islamic Studies at the College of Arts and Humanities at Taibah University, and the course was presented by the media figure Ms. Hattaf Tarabishi via Zoom (zoom) and live broadcast on YouTube by the ACADEMION International Training Institute.
Dr. Sharifi began the course by reminding the importance and virtue of the month of Ramadan and the last ten days of Ramadan, emphasizing the importance of utilizing these blessed days for acts of worship and obedience, and making up for what was missed in the month of Ramadan. The last ten days are blessed days in which the Quran was revealed, as Allah says: (إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ مُّبَارَكَةٍ ۚ إِنَّا كُنَّا مُنذِرِينَ) Moreover, the last ten days include the Night of Decree, which is better than a thousand months, and worship during it is among the best acts of worship. The month of Ramadan is a month of worship where good deeds are multiplied, and people draw closer to Allah through fasting and night prayers, as well as by avoiding sins and transgressions. Those who miss some days and get preoccupied with matters that prevent them from offering these acts of worship, Allah compensates them in the last ten days. Whoever makes good use of the days of Ramadan at the beginning of the month will increase in closeness and in offering acts of obedience to Allah, and whoever misses that can make up for it in the last days and seize the ten days to draw closer to Allah and compensate for what was missed at the beginning.
Dr. Sharifi also referred at the beginning of the course to the saying of Allah: (كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّه) and called for reflection on the virtue of the Nation of Goodness by comparing the Muslim Ummah with other nations in their celebration of significant religious occasions and in the way they celebrate and rejoice in them. Muslims celebrate the month of Ramadan by drawing closer to Allah through fasting, night prayers, good deeds such as reading the Quran, acts of charity, and avoiding sins and wrongdoings, as well as through charity, kindness, prayer, and night prayers. They also celebrate Eid by praying and asking Allah for acceptance, reward, and recompense, then they connect with their families and relatives, while non-Muslims such as Christians and others celebrate New Year's and Christmas in a different manner, where their celebrations involve sins and indecency that are not befitting of a rational person.
Dr. Sharifi clarified Allah's selection and choice of nations, as it is a divine tradition in His creation. Allah favored the children of Adam over others and honored them, and He chose from among the angels and the messengers. Likewise, Allah, the Almighty, chose the Ummah of Islam from among the nations, and He granted our Prophet, peace be upon him, what He did not grant to other prophets. Dr. Sharifi also explained the difference between the virtue of previous nations and the virtue of the Ummah of Islam, where Allah guided it to carry and convey the message, and multiplied its reward. She explained the characteristics of the Nation of Goodness, which lie in Allah's honor to it, some aspects of this honor, and the continuity of its goodness through its steadfastness on its true religion, its completeness and perfection, its uniqueness in its creed, values, and conduct, and the moderation that Allah has distinguished it with in its creed, legislation, and ethics.
Additionally, Dr. Sharifi presented how to achieve our belonging to the Nation of Goodness, which can be done through several matters, including achieving servitude to Allah in its comprehensive and correct concept, fulfilling the condition of this goodness by enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, being aware of and enlightening others about the characteristics of this nation in faith, worldly, and afterlife matters, and the necessity of following the Prophet, peace be upon him, while fostering a spirit of pride in belonging to Islam. She highlighted the importance of building generations capable of meeting the civilizational needs of the Nation of Goodness.
At the end of the course, the ACADEMION International Training Institute presented a certificate of appreciation to Dr. Hind Sharifi for her efforts, contributions, and excellence in delivering the course "Nation of Goodness," asking Allah for her success and guidance.