October 13th marked the beginning of Sunnah Week in BHA, a celebration of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and an opportunity for students to learn more about his life. Each day saw a different activity that incorporated various aspects of the sunnah, from saying salaam to reciting the Quran with maqamat.
The planning for Sunnah Week started as early as this summer, where STUCO member Osayd Haq began planning the basics. After getting the event approved by the school head, Dr. Leila, he collaborated with juniors Dineer Abdellah and Yahya Aboukhamis to add more activities, like the speeches during assembly and the guest speaker. Osayd Haq spoke about coming up with the idea for the event. “I was thinking, how do we make people proud to be Muslim? I did that by organizing a week of Sunnah activities, because following the Prophet is really important. We’re an Islamic school but we don’t have anything dedicated to the Prophet, so I just thought Sunnah week should do that,” he said. But what exactly took place during this week?
On Monday, the usual blue hijabs and white uniforms seen on every BHA student were replaced with vibrant green shirts, hijabs, and abayas to commemorate the color of the Green Dome, the dome that stands at the burial place of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Trivia questions were also announced every day during assembly, challenging students’ knowledge of the prophet’s seerah. The first trivia question was, “How old was the Prophet when his mother passed away?” Middle schoolers and high schoolers answered the question during lunch, and the winners were picked randomly and announced the next day to receive a $5 Dutch Bros gift card!
On Tuesday, students had to answer the question, “What was the name of the year in which the Prophet was born?” Zeina Elhamadany, one of the trivia winners, spoke about her experience. “I remember hearing my name and thinking ‘alhamdulillah’ because I never really win anything in these kinds of events,” she said. “It made me super excited and made my day!”
The trivia question on Wednesday was, “What tribe and clan was the Prophet from?” Finally, the hardest trivia question was saved for last; on Thursday students were asked, “What was the name of the Prophet’s most beloved camel?” During lunch and recess, high school students also participated in a scavenger hunt around campus, following clues pertaining to the Prophet (SAW)’s life. The winners were Nuaym Zain and Tala Ahmed, who both won a $10 Dutch Bros gift card.
Throughout the week the school held a Secret Salaam competition, appointing one day or the week where the faculty recorded which students greeted their friends and teachers following the sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). One example of this in hadith is when he said, “”By Him in Whose Hand is my life! You will not enter Jannah until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I inform you of something which, if you do, you will love one another? Promote greetings amongst yourselves. (Muslim)”
The winners of the Secret Salaam were announced on Friday: Adnan Alwan, Aiza Zain, Saif Ali, Emily Kotynski, Jawwad Islam, Mia Eljammal, Mazan Elwir, Mrs. Bana Basha, Mrs. Eman Karzoun, and Br. Fauzan. Each of them won a gift bag for their work adhering to this sunnah. Friday was also another opportunity for BHA students to substitute their uniforms with thobes for the boys and abayas for the girls.
To end off the week, the entire high school gathered in the auditorium for a presentation given by Qari Youssef Gibril on how to recite the Quran with qira’at. “I learned a lot about the different types of recitation and the different tones, as well as how people all over the world recite the Quran differently, but it’s the same Quran,” said Eman Hayee, a junior. “It definitely helped me become closer to the sunnah of the Prophet and learn more about the actions he promoted.”
Though the event took a lot of planning and work to bring to BHA, Sunnah Week was ultimately a success among students and staff. “I think it was a good first spirit event to allow students to participate in BHA related activities regarding Islamic themes,” said junior Fatimah Khan. Sunnah Week also serves as a necessary reminder of the importance of the Prophet’s sunnah to our deen and our lives, encouraging us to incorporate his teachings in our daily actions.
