1. Birth of the Prophet Muhammad http://amirenglishclub.synthasite.com/ When was he born?Where was he born? What would you like to know about his birth?

2. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was born in 570 A.D., in a barren valley called Makkah, in the land of Arabia. In those days Makkah was at the junction of many trading routes. It was even (more / most) important as the home of the Kabah, where people came from far and wide to worship. Prophet Muhammad’s father, Abdullah, (die / died) two months before his birth, and his mother, Aminah, was naturally very sad. But still, she (feel / felt) strong and well as she waited for her baby to be born. When he came into the world, Aminah sent word to her father-in-law Abd Al Muttalib, who (sat / was sitting) near the Kabah as he was the guardian and protector of the pilgrims who visited the holy place. Abd Al Muttalib was very happy to hear the news of the birth of his grandson and (began / begins) to think of a name for the baby boy. Finally he decided upon Muhammad, an unusual name at that time, which means ‘often praised’ or ‘worthy of praise.’ For some time before his birth, believers (were praying / had prayed) for a prophet to come and Jewish scriptures told of such a prophet. On the night of the Prophet’s birth a learned Jew in Yathrib, a large oasis now called Madinah, saw a brilliant star he had never seen before. He called people together around him and, pointing to the star, told them that a prophet must have been born. The word (had spread / spread) quickly. http://amirenglishclub.synthasite.com/

3. True / False? If False, Explain Why! 1.Makkah was a green valley. 2.The Prophet’s father died two months after his birth. 3.Aminah chose Prophet Muhammad’s name. 4.A knowledgeable man spread the word of a new prophet. 5.Muhammad means praiseworthy. http://amirenglishclub.synthasite.com/

4. Comprehension Check 1.Why was Makkah an important place when the prophet was born? 2.Why do you think Abd Al Muttalib was sitting beside the Kabah when he heard his grandson was born? 3.Why do you think the believers of the one God (Allah) had prayed for a prophet to come, before the birth of Muhammad? 4.What did the learned Jew use as a sign for the birth of the Prophet? http://amirenglishclub.synthasite.com/

5. Vocabulary Match a word on the left with an appropriate definition on the right. Pilgrim Barren Valley Brilliant (star) Junction Father-in-law Guardian Scripture From far and wide Oasis Unable to produce plants or fruit An area of low land between hills and mountains A place where roads come together From a large number of places The father of the person you are married to Protector A person who makes a journey to a special place for religious reasons The holy writings of a religion A place in a desert where there is water and therefore plants and trees and sometimes a village or town Full of light and shining http://amirenglishclub.synthasite.com/

6. Grammar Focus Read the text again and choose the correct form of the verbs in the brackets. Give reasons for your choice. 1.(more / most) 2.(die / died) 3.(feel / felt) 4.(sat / was sitting) 5.(began / begins) 6.(were praying / had prayed) 7.(had spread / spread) http://amirenglishclub.synthasite.com/

7. Pronunciation Practice Compare the underlined letters in the words facing each other. Do they sound the same? Prophet Barren Junction Trade Strong Guardian Naturally Worship Far Born Valley Unusual Pray Word Unusual Scripture Worthy Father http://amirenglishclub.synthasite.com/

8. Pronunciation Practice Spot the schwa! Barren Brilliant Together Junction Important Guardian Unusual Scripture Spot the stressed syllable! Oasis Worship Naturally Baby Jewish People Around Protector http://amirenglishclub.synthasite.com/

9. Writing Read the passage as many times as you can in 5 minutes, and then retell/rewrite it in your own words. You can use the following prompts. 570 A.D. Barren valley Junction Worship Abdullah Felt strong Guardian Pilgrims Name Believers Jewish scriptures Brilliant star http://amirenglishclub.synthasite.com/

10. Resources: SANIYASNAIN KHAN, Tell Me About THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD