July 2019

Inside this issue...

The

B.I.G.S. Bulletin

MS SABA

ANNUAL AWARDS CEREMONY

UMM SULAYM

BUTTERFLIES

SAYING SALAM / BISMILLAH WHEN ENTERING THE HOUSE

Jabir (R.A) heard the Prophet (S.A.W) say: “If a person mentions the Name of Allah upon entering his

house or eating, Shaytan says, addressing his followers: ‘You will find nowhere to spend the night and no dinner.’ But if he enters (the house) without mentioning the Name of Allah,

Shaytan says (to his followers); ‘You have found (a place) to spend the night in’, and if he does not mention the Name of Allah at the time of eating, Shaytan says: ‘You have found (a

place) to spend the night in as well as food’.” [Muslim]

NONE OF US WANTS SHAYTAN TO ENTER OUR HOMES; WE ARE AWARE OF THE DISTRACTIONS HE CREATES TO LEAD US TO OUR DESTRUCTION. CONSEQUENTLY, IT IS FUNDAMENTALLY IMPORTANT TO SEEK REFUGE FROM HIS EVIL WAYS. UPON ENTERING OUR HOMES, IT IS CRUCIAL TO UTTER THE NAME OF ALLAH TO PREVENT OUR DOORS FROM BEING OPEN

TO OUR ENEMY. SHAYTAN DISLIKES PRODUCTIVITY AND SUCCESS; HIS ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO SEE US FAIL IN OUR JOURNEY WITH ALLAH. TAKE THE MEASURES, AS GIVEN IN THE SUNNAH, AGAINST HIM BECAUSE HE WILL SQUEEZE INTO WHATEVER GAP IS VISIBLE TO HIM. NEVER LET THE ENEMY WIN!

THIS NEWSLETTER IS PRODUCED BY BIRCHFIELD INDEPENDENT GIRLS SCHOOL, BIRMINGHAM, B6 6JU (TEL: 0121 327 7707)

السالم عليكم و رمحة اهلل و بركاتهIt has been a busy term for all of us but there have been many successes. Year 11 have taken their GCSE exams and we look forward to their results. Well done to those students who attended their exams throughout Ramadhan in the hot weather - alongside having two exams on Eid day too! Our pupils have been taking part in several visits and activities this term. School is always busy and I am delighted that students are given so many opportunities to develop their learning outside of the classroom, thanks to the commitment of our staff. The opportunities allow the girls to develop skills such as: leadership, organisation, economical skills, creativity, team work and much more. Furthermore, I would like to thank you as parents and carers for your ongoing support in sending your daughters to school on time, with the correct uniform and ready for learning. It is the little things that make a big difference. It’s also always a great pleasure to meet parents when you attend our school events, such as the Community Iftar. Similarly, I would like to thank those of you that joined us in celebrating the successes of our pupils on the Year 11 Graduation and Awards Ceremony to give them a very special send off. A special message to Year 11 - You are at the start of a journey that is as yet undefined. Grab that precious opportunity with both hands and be bold. Get the little things right: be on time, treat others kindly and work hard. May Allah (S.W.T) bless your efforts and keep you rightly guided. Fi amaanillah. Ameen. With the month of Dhul Hijjah nearby, I pray that Allah SWT accepts our worship and sacrifice (Udhiyyah) and grants all those embarking on the blessed journey of Hajj a ‘Hajj Mabroor.’ Ameen. I wish you all a very restful, peaceful break with family and friends. R Mogra (Head teacher)

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Hadith of the Day

Available on Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.HOTD.HadithoftheDay&hl=en_GB Available on iTunes: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/hadith-of-the-day/id480437544

HOTD brings you beautiful ḥadīths, inspirational āyahs and heart-warming ḍuʿās at your fingertips… carefully selected and categorised for your own personal situations. Do you or someone you know have

a need that can only be fulfilled by Allah? Feeling like life has come to a standstill? Whether you are feeling on top of the world, blessed and thankful, need some patience, or facing temptations, HOTD has just the key for you: an āyah, a ḥadīth, a ḍuʿā - to inspire, guide and comfort you, or send to a loved one. Google Play iTunes

AUGUST

22 GCSE results day

SEPTEMBER

4 Term 1 begins for

Years 8-11

5 Term 1 begins for

Year 7

9 Áshurá (10th

Muharram)

OCTOBER

1 Black History Month

11 International day of

the Girl Child

16 World Food Day

21 Charity Week

26 Term Break begins

NOVEMBER

3 Term Break ends

4 Mid-term 1 begins

11 Anti-bullying week /

Interfaith week

13 World Kindness Day

DECEMBER

3 Disability Day

18 World Arabic

Language Day

21 Winter Break begins

Dates for your Diary

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ئن كفرتم إن م ول ئن شكرتم لزيدن ك م ل وإذ تأذ ن رب ك لشديد عذاب

AND [REMEMBER] WHEN YOUR LORD PROCLAIMED, 'IF YOU ARE GRATEFUL, I WILL SURELY INCREASE YOU [IN FAVOUR];

BUT IF YOU DENY, INDEED, MY PUNISHMENT IS SEVERE.' (QUR’AN 14:7)

OUR PARENTS RAISE US AND OUR TEACHERS EDUCATE US. BUT DO WE EVER SHOW OUR APPRECIATION? MOTHERS FEED US AND CLOTHE US BUT DO WE SHOW OUR LOVE? TEACHERS SPEND THEIR TIME TO PLAN LESSONS FOR OUR EDUCATION BUT DO WE EVER GIVE OUR THANKS? THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO SHOW OUR APPRECIATION, SUCH AS HELPING OUR PARENTS AND PAYING ATTENTION IN LESSONS. BY GIVING THANKS, WE SHOW THAT WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR ALLAH (S.W.T)’S BLESSINGS AND UNDERSTAND HOW FORTUNATE WE ARE TO HAVE THIS LIFE. REMEMBER: IF YOU APPRECIATE ALLAH'S FAVOURS, HE HAS PROMISED INCREASED RAHMAH (MERCY) FOR YOU. ALLAH'S REWARD FOR YOUR GRATITUDE IS UNLIMITED AND UNCONDITIONAL.

- SUBMITTED BY SOFINA [YEAR 9]

If you were to ask your average Muslim kid off the street, ‘Who would you like to be like?’, they would most probably exclaim, 'So and so singer!’ or ‘So and so footballer!'.

Yet they wouldn’t even realise that this singer or footballer does not even know they exist. And that this celebrity probably wouldn’t even give them the time of the day if they walked past.

In reality, the definition of a true role model is not that person who encourages you to like or do bad things, but it is he or she who inspires you to do good deeds.

Our main role model should be the Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص

who cried for us before we even existed, and who worried about us even on his deathbed. Next, we

should look at the Sahabah (may Allah be

pleased with them all) who were described by the Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص as being like stars; he ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص said,

‘Whichever one of them you follow, you will be rightly guided.’ And finally, look for inspiration from any pious people you come across in your life or in the pages of history.

I will enlighten you with a story of a sahabiyyah who was truly admirable. Her patience and courage was incomparable. She is none other than Umm

Sulaym . Umm Sulaym had two sons from

her second marriage with Abu Talha . One of

her sons was Abu Amir ; he was her most

beloved child. When Abu Amir passed away in

his childhood, Umm Sulaym showed

remarkable patience and fortitude.

Abu Amir was sick, and whilst Abu Talha had gone out, the child passed away. Umm

Sulaym told her family that, ‘Do not inform

Abu Talha about his son until I speak to him’.

When Abu Talha returned, he asked, ‘How is

my son?’ She replied, ‘He is as peaceful as ever’. She then gave him his evening meal and entertained him for the rest of the evening.

When they both retired to bed, Umm Sulaym asked her husband, ‘If someone entrusted you with something and they then wanted to take it back,

would you refuse them?’ Abu Talha replied,

‘Never!’. Then, Umm Sulaym said, ‘So now be

patient about your son’. From this, Abu Talha knew she meant that their son had passed away. He became angry and said, ‘Why did you not tell me before?!’

The following morning, Abu Talha approached the Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص and told him about

what had happened the night before. On hearing this, the Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص said, ‘May Allah bless you for

last night.’ The Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص’s prayer was accepted

and she became pregnant with another child given to her by Allah in place of the one she had lost. This child, Abdullah, had nine sons, each of whom was well-versed in the Qur’an.

Look at the bravery of Umm Sulaym ! No

mother in this era would be able to endure the strain of bereavement in such a dignified manner. She truly is a role model for every Muslim woman.

And observe the fruits of her patience! In place of her lost child, Allah gave her nine grandsons, each blessed by the du’a of the Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص himself.

Subhanallah!!

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10/04/19 - Cardinal Wiseman visit BIGS Students from Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School took part in activities

with our Year 8 pupils as part of The Faith and Belief Forum’s ‘School Linking Programme.’ The School Linking Programme matches students and classes from different cultural or faith backgrounds to explore issues of identity, community and belief. It enables them to participate in a variety of activities together through the year to deepen knowledge and understanding of different beliefs by engaging directly with students from different backgrounds, and to develop skills of communication, empathy and reflection.

14/04/19 - Annual School Fundraiser Our fundraiser organised by Friends of BIGS was open to the public. We are grateful to our students for helping out a lot on the day and also for the food contributions they made. Parents and members of the community also helped in the kitchen and at the food/BBQ stalls. May Allah reward them well! There was a positive team spirit and fun atmosphere, and we managed to raise a whopping £2,600 Alhamdulillah!

03/05/19 - Getting Ready for Ramadhan Our pupils had a constructive talk in which they discussed the benefits of Ramadhan and the advantages to those students who were to conduct GCSE exams during this beloved month. They also discussed the three S's of eating: 1) Eat SIMPLE 2) Eat SMART 3) Eat SUNNAH

24/05/19 - Community Iftar Our school hosted an open Iftar dinner for the local community. Jazakumullah Khayran to our students who helped out in the kitchen very eagerly and learnt lots of new skills. There was a lovely atmosphere, and guests were happy and gave a lot of positive feedback. Around 270 people attended the dinner. May Allah accept everyone’s contributions and reward you all with the best of rewards. Ameen! Also, a big thank you to the chicken chef! It seemed everyone enjoyed it immensely.

02/05/19 - Macbeth performance at JCC Joseph Chamberlain Sixth Form College students performed the ‘Macbeth’ play for 80 students from local schools. A huge thank you to them from our Year 7 and 8 pupils, who greatly enjoyed the performance! Macbeth in JC College was amazing! The cast were professional and brilliant! Their display work was outstanding. They asked us questions at the end and discussed the interpretation of Macbeth in detail. - Anayah The Macbeth play was amazing and I think the cast did an amazing job. The teachers took good care of us. - Fatima

18/06/19 - Eid al-Fitr Party Our Year 10 students organised an Eid party for the whole s c h o o l . T h e atmosphere was very festive and enjoyable. As well as dining on some delicious food, our staff and students had great fun on the bouncy castle too!

20/06/19 - Visit to Sandwell College Our Year 10 students visited Sandwell College as part of their careers education. We had a tour around the college. We were introduced to every career path there is. In-depth detail was provided on the levels needed to enter that career path. - Suad We had a tour around the college and people spoke to us about possible career opportunities. The staff were friendly and welcoming. - Navaira

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27/06/19 - Visit from ‘Umbrella’

We would like to thank Umbrella and Birmingham City Council Youth Service for spending time with our pupils to discuss the important issues surrounding healthy and unhealthy relationships that young people face today.

21/06/19 - Alton Towers All our students were taken on an end of year trip to Alton Towers. We learnt independence and bravery as we were on our own and took responsibility of ourselves. We wish to go again and participate in more amazing activities. - Zainab and Suwaiba The rides were very enjoyable, and some were very scary but they were mostly fun. I overcame my fear of heights on one of the rides. In my opinion, I would love to go again to Alton Towers! - Aysha

04/07/19 - Year 10 Work Experience Some of our Year 10 students decided to experience what it’s like to work at BIGS as part of their careers education. They prepared a PE lesson for the Year 8 students, which they enjoyed very much. Well done for your efforts!

Mac & Cheese and Nachos made by our Year 7 students

BIGS Graduation & Awards Ceremony 2019 10/07/19

Alhamdulillah 17 students of ours graduated this year

from BIGS. We pray Allah keeps them guided and grants

them all success in their future endeavours. Ameen.

Alongside the Year 11 graduation ceremony, awards were

given out to students who did well this year in school.

Awards for: attendance, attainment and progress in each

subject, manners and etiquette, school council, star

student and role model of the year. Well done to all those

who tried their best and achieved their goals this year!

We would like to thank all the individuals who

participated in the ceremony with their inspiring talks and

mesmerising Nasheed performances. Also, a special

mention of our guest speaker Apa Abeda, who discussed

mental health and how to overcome depression.

Jazakallah Khayran for your time and your inspirational

words!

Additionally, we would like to show our gratitude to all

the volunteers, staff members and students who assisted

in organising this event and helped to ensure that things

ran smoothly. Guests were impressed with the decor

arranged by our staff, and the delicious food served.

Jazakumullah Khayran for all your efforts!

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We are impressed by this piece of work by one of our Year 7 students, Mehraz. In order to understand series and parallel circuits, she designed a doll house and added circuits and electrical components to it. It all makes sense to her now. Excellent work!

Special Mentions Star Student of the Year:

Shukri [Year 10]

Role Model of the Year:

Sarah [Year 10]

Etiquette & Manners

Awards:

Year 7: Safia

Year 8: Fatima

Year 9: Umay Rabab

Year 10: Ifrah

Year 11: Sajidah

Student Council Awards:

Year 7: Zamzam & Ishaal

Year 8: Sanhia & Tanzeela

Year 9: Malika & Zoya

Secretary:

Suad [Year 10]

Treasurer:

Shukri [Year 10]

Deputy Head Girl:

Farhiya [Year 11]

Head Girl:

Habeebah [Year 11]

100% Attendance:

Zamzam [Year 7] & Saliha [Year 8]

1. ‘Taqwa’ is the most important thing to bring on your trip. - If there is one thing you can bank on during your trip, it is that you will be tested - over and over. It doesn’t matter if you have a 5-star package and access to amenities that most others don’t, you cannot escape the tests that Allah will place before you. “… And take provisions, but indeed, the best provision is fear of Allah. And fear Me, O people of understanding.” [Qur’an - 2:197] Allah teaches us how we can prepare for those tests. It is taqwa that you should carry with you every step of the

way. Taqwa here means to have an elevated consciousness of Allah , to be constantly aware that He is watching over you at every moment. With this awareness comes a desire to please Allah even in moments of distress. When your buttons are pushed, you control your emotions and act rationally with patience. 2. Internalize your Dua. - What gets neglected often is preparing for the moments in which you have the opportunity to make lots of dua and adhkar. There will be no shortage of these situations, because they will present themselves throughout the trip. For example, in tawaf and sa’ee. There will be idle moments you have in between the fardh (obligatory) prayers and even while traveling between locations. Try to memorize as much of the dua you want to recite as possible and thoroughly understand its meaning, so when you are in front of the Ka’bah doing tawaf, or even in your nawafil prayer, the dua will come from the heart. You won’t get this level of spiritual connection by reading from a book of adhkar that you don’t know the meaning of. However, it’s certainly recommended to repeat the supplications which the Prophet (S.A.W) taught us. (To read more, visit https://productivemuslim.com/how-to-make-the-most-out-of-hajj/)

WALL OF EXCELLENCE

Star Students of the Month

March

KS3 - Umay Rabab [9]

KS4 - Navaira [10]

Alimiyyah - Khadijah [7]

April

KS3 - Suwaiba [7]

KS4 - Rumaisa [10]

Alimiyyah - Fatima [8]

May

KS3 - Sumayyah [8]

KS4 - Hibba [10]

Alimiyyah - Mariam [7]

Best Class Attendance

March - Year 8 - 98.3% April - Year 9 - 96.7% May - Year 8 - 97%

June - Year 8 - 99.2%

House Cup Quiz winners

Term 2 - Marwa

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF HAJJ

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Ms Saba Is there anything you wish you taught, but can't?

I'd like to teach Art. I'm not very good at Art but

everyone seems to enjoy it.

Tell us an embarrassing moment that happened to

you in class.

The most embarrassing thing that's happened to

me is - probably tripping or choking on air in

lesson. I don't have many embarrassing moments

in the classroom. However outside the classroom,

I'm the complete opposite.

What's the hardest thing about being a teacher?

Definitely the marking. I enjoy the other aspects

of teaching; planning, interacting with pupils and

being in a classroom. But marking, for me, is a

tedious job.

What would students be surprised to find out

about you?

I'm quite meticulous. Things need to be done in a

certain order. If not, I will not take part in the

activity or event unless it has been fixed.

If you gave up teaching, what would you want to

do instead?

I would love to travel; go to different places, meet

different people and try different food.

Tell us one of your

hidden talents.

I'm good at

cooking? (When it

turns out right.)

In which other teacher's class would you like to be

a part of, even for a day?

I'd love to be a part of Ms Naz's Science lessons.

She always has amazing activities and experiments

planned.

What current student trends are baffling to you?

Slang words. Whether they are spoken or written, I

recoil every time I come across them.

If you could grow up in any decade, which would

you choose?

I'm not very sure about the past but I'd like to see

what a futuristic, utopian decade has to offer.

Is there a quote or saying that you live your life

by?

'Aim for the Moon. If you miss, you may hit a Star.'

Any words of wisdom you would like to share with

us?

Always be humble and kind to everyone. Don't let

anger get the best of you. If it does, don't be

afraid to apologise.

Coach Details

To book a seat on

the coach leaving

from Masjid-e-

Nimra

(Handsworth) -

contact Zainab on

07826 555749 as

soon as possible.

The coach will set

off at 8:30 AM and

leave from

Kidderminster at

the end of the day

at 8 PM.

About the ‘Reflect & Reconnect’ event

Madinatul Uloom (Kidderminster) is the original 22-acre site of the UK's first ever girls' Darul Uloom (Islamic boarding school). This girls’ Darul Uloom which is now based in Bradford is named Jaamiatul Imaam Muhammad Zakaria. It first opened its doors in Kidderminster in 1988, and then relocated to Bradford 4 years later. It is still running successfully and has around 500 student boarders, with approximately 60 to 80 Alimahs graduating every year. This event is a rare opportunity for you to reunite, spiritually reconnect and also have lots of fun together. More information including the itinerary and guidelines to be followed is available on the registration link: tinyurl.com/jaamia4mtu

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Answers to last issue’s Time Out

Say What You See: eye on the prize, forced

entry, go down in history| Riddle Me This:

Abu Bakr RA, talaq (divorce), hajr aswad

(the black stone)| Disguised: DESTROY

“How old are you, Mulla?”, a boy asked.

Mulla Nasruddin responded, “3 years older than my brother.”

“How do you know that?” the boy asked.

“Reasoning!” said Mulla Nasruddin. “Last year, I heard my

brother tell someone that I was 2 years older than him. A

year has passed. Now, I am older by one year. I shall soon be

old enough to be his grandfather!”

Mulla Nasruddin went into a shop to buy a pair of trousers. Once inside,

he changed his mind and chose a cloak instead, which was at the same

price. Picking up the cloak, he left the shop.

“Wait! You have not paid!” shouted the merchant. The Mulla responded, “I

left you the trousers, which is the same value as the cloak.”

“But you did not pay for the trousers either?!” the confused merchant

said. “Of course not” said Mullah Nasruddin. “Why should I pay for

something that I did not want to buy?”

Guess the Surahs

I AM THE HEART OF THE QUR’AN YET I AM NOT IN THE CENTRE OF THE QUR’AN. WHAT AM I?

WHO WAS THE MESSENGER WHO WAS NEITHER OF THE HUMAN NOR OF THE JINN, WHO WARNED HIS PEOPLE AND IS MENTIONED IN THE QUR’AN?

WHAT IS HARAAM, BUT WHEN SWALLOWED, YOU ARE LOVED BY ALLAH?

I AM A MOTHER WHO WAS NOT BORN, NOT MARRIED AND DID NOT GIVE BIRTH. WHO AM I?

Email your Time Out answers to newsletter@bigs.bham.sch.uk

The first person to email us

the correct solutions wins a

small prize! ANY SUGGESTIONS, COMMENTS

AND FEEDBACK WELCOME!

WRITE TO US VIA EMAIL OR SIMPLY

SCRIBBLE YOUR THOUGHTS ONTO

A PIECE OF PAPER AND HAND IT IN

TO OUR TEAM!

BUTTERFLIES Butterflies have patterns with 2

matching halves. In this puzzle you

must find the matching halves of

words, e.g. BUTTER and FLIES (although

you might have gone down the wrong

route and paired BUTTER with CUP!)

Look at the 23 short words and pair

them up to make 11 longer words.

Clearly there is a short

word left over. What other

short word can you join to

the end of this to make

the 12th longer word?

We have given you a clue

by strategically slotting in

a question mark!

ACRE

HAT

ACTED

ANT

ARM

ATE

BAR

CATER

CHAP

COVE

TICK

EXCEL

IMP

LAIN

LENT

LIPS

MASS

OUR

?

RACKS

RAGE

RED

BUOY

CANDID