STR Tactics Book Club: Ask the Author

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1. I have a small selection of books that I keep in a certain place that I have told my eldest grandson who at the moment is only eight he must read. This is one of them. I have told him he and his little brother must read it, digest it ,understand it & practice it. It will help them through life enormously.

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2. This is what the Qur'an says about the birth of Mary and Jesus and what the Children of Israel did

   ﴿إِذ قالَتِ امرَأَتُ عِمرانَ رَبِّ إِنّي نَذَرتُ لَكَ ما في بَطني مُحَرَّرًا فَتَقَبَّل مِنّي إِنَّكَ أَنتَ السَّميعُ العَليمُ﴾ [آل عمران: ٣٥]
   [Mention, O Muḥammad], when the wife of ʿImrān said, "My Lord, indeed I have pledged to You what is in my womb, consecrated [for Your service], so accept this from me. Indeed, You are the Hearing, the Knowing."
   – Saheeh International

   ﴿فَلَمّا وَضَعَتها قالَت رَبِّ إِنّي وَضَعتُها أُنثى وَاللَّهُ أَعلَمُ بِما وَضَعَت وَلَيسَ الذَّكَرُ كَالأُنثى وَإِنّي سَمَّيتُها مَريَمَ وَإِنّي أُعيذُها بِكَ وَذُرِّيَّتَها مِنَ الشَّيطانِ الرَّجيمِ﴾ [آل عمران: ٣٦]
   But when she delivered her, she said, "My Lord, I have delivered a female." And Allāh was most knowing of what she delivered, and the male is not like the female. "And I have named her Mary, and I seek refuge for her in You and [for] her descendants from Satan, the expelled [from the mercy of Allāh]."
   – Saheeh International

   ﴿فَتَقَبَّلَها رَبُّها بِقَبولٍ حَسَنٍ وَأَنبَتَها نَباتًا حَسَنًا وَكَفَّلَها زَكَرِيّا كُلَّما دَخَلَ عَلَيها زَكَرِيَّا المِحرابَ وَجَدَ عِندَها رِزقًا قالَ يا مَريَمُ أَنّى لَكِ هذا قالَت هُوَ مِن عِندِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَرزُقُ مَن يَشاءُ بِغَيرِ حِسابٍ﴾ [آل عمران: ٣٧]
   So her Lord accepted her with good acceptance and caused her to grow in a good manner and put her in the care of Zechariah. Every time Zechariah entered upon her in the prayer chamber, he found with her provision. He said, "O Mary, from where is this [coming] to you?" She said, "It is from Allāh. Indeed, Allāh provides for whom He wills without account."
   – Saheeh International

   ﴿هُنالِكَ دَعا زَكَرِيّا رَبَّهُ قالَ رَبِّ هَب لي مِن لَدُنكَ ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً إِنَّكَ سَميعُ الدُّعاءِ﴾ [آل عمران: ٣٨]
   At that, Zechariah called upon his Lord, saying, "My Lord, grant me from Yourself a good offspring. Indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication."
   – Saheeh International

   ﴿فَنادَتهُ المَلائِكَةُ وَهُوَ قائِمٌ يُصَلّي فِي المِحرابِ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكَ بِيَحيى مُصَدِّقًا بِكَلِمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَسَيِّدًا وَحَصورًا وَنَبِيًّا مِنَ الصّالِحينَ﴾ [آل عمران: ٣٩]
   So the angels called him while he was standing in prayer in the chamber, "Indeed, Allāh gives you good tidings of John, confirming a word from Allāh and [who will be] honorable, abstaining [from women], and a prophet from among the righteous."
   – Saheeh International

   ﴿قالَ رَبِّ أَنّى يَكونُ لي غُلامٌ وَقَد بَلَغَنِيَ الكِبَرُ وَامرَأَتي عاقِرٌ قالَ كَذلِكَ اللَّهُ يَفعَلُ ما يَشاءُ﴾ [آل عمران: ٤٠]
   He said, "My Lord, how will I have a boy when I have reached old age and my wife is barren?" He [the angel] said, "Such is Allāh; He does what He wills."
   – Saheeh International

   ﴿قالَ رَبِّ اجعَل لي آيَةً قالَ آيَتُكَ أَلّا تُكَلِّمَ النّاسَ ثَلاثَةَ أَيّامٍ إِلّا رَمزًا وَاذكُر رَبَّكَ كَثيرًا وَسَبِّح بِالعَشِيِّ وَالإِبكارِ﴾ [آل عمران: ٤١]
   He said, "My Lord, make for me a sign." He said, "Your sign is that you will not [be able to] speak to the people for three days except by gesture. And remember your Lord much and exalt [Him with praise] in the evening and the morning."
   – Saheeh International

   ﴿وَإِذ قالَتِ المَلائِكَةُ يا مَريَمُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصطَفاكِ وَطَهَّرَكِ وَاصطَفاكِ عَلى نِساءِ العالَمينَ﴾ [آل عمران: ٤٢]
   And [mention] when the angels said, "O Mary, indeed Allāh has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the women of the worlds.
   – Saheeh International

   ﴿يا مَريَمُ اقنُتي لِرَبِّكِ وَاسجُدي وَاركَعي مَعَ الرّاكِعينَ﴾ [آل عمران: ٤٣]
   O Mary, be devoutly obedient to your Lord and prostrate and bow with those who bow [in prayer]."
   – Saheeh International

   ﴿ذلِكَ مِن أَنباءِ الغَيبِ نوحيهِ إِلَيكَ وَما كُنتَ لَدَيهِم إِذ يُلقونَ أَقلامَهُم أَيُّهُم يَكفُلُ مَريَمَ وَما كُنتَ لَدَيهِم إِذ يَختَصِمونَ﴾ [آل عمران: ٤٤]
   That is from the news of the unseen which We reveal to you, [O Muḥammad]. And you were not with them when they cast their pens as to which of them should be responsible for Mary. Nor were you with them when they disputed.
   – Saheeh International

   ﴿إِذ قالَتِ المَلائِكَةُ يا مَريَمُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكِ بِكَلِمَةٍ مِنهُ اسمُهُ المَسيحُ عيسَى ابنُ مَريَمَ وَجيهًا فِي الدُّنيا وَالآخِرَةِ وَمِنَ المُقَرَّبينَ﴾ [آل عمران: ٤٥]
   [And mention] when the angels said, "O Mary, indeed Allāh gives you good tidings of a word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary – distinguished in this world and the Hereafter and among those brought near [to Allāh].
   – Saheeh International

   ﴿وَيُكَلِّمُ النّاسَ فِي المَهدِ وَكَهلًا وَمِنَ الصّالِحينَ﴾ [آل عمران: ٤٦]
   He will speak to the people in the cradle and in maturity and will be of the righteous."
   – Saheeh International

   ﴿قالَت رَبِّ أَنّى يَكونُ لي وَلَدٌ وَلَم يَمسَسني بَشَرٌ قالَ كَذلِكِ اللَّهُ يَخلُقُ ما يَشاءُ إِذا قَضى أَمرًا فَإِنَّما يَقولُ لَهُ كُن فَيَكونُ﴾ [آل عمران: ٤٧]
   She said, "My Lord, how will I have a child when no man has touched me?" [The angel] said, "Such is Allāh; He creates what He wills. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, 'Be,' and it is.
   – Saheeh International

   ﴿وَيُعَلِّمُهُ الكِتابَ وَالحِكمَةَ وَالتَّوراةَ وَالإِنجيلَ﴾ [آل عمران: ٤٨]
   And He will teach him writing and wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel
   – Saheeh International

   ﴿وَرَسولًا إِلى بَني إِسرائيلَ أَنّي قَد جِئتُكُم بِآيَةٍ مِن رَبِّكُم أَنّي أَخلُقُ لَكُم مِنَ الطّينِ كَهَيئَةِ الطَّيرِ فَأَنفُخُ فيهِ فَيَكونُ طَيرًا بِإِذنِ اللَّهِ وَأُبرِئُ الأَكمَهَ وَالأَبرَصَ وَأُحيِي المَوتى بِإِذنِ اللَّهِ وَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِما تَأكُلونَ وَما تَدَّخِرونَ في بُيوتِكُم إِنَّ في ذلِكَ لَآيَةً لَكُم إِن كُنتُم مُؤمِنينَ﴾ [آل عمران: ٤٩]
   And [make him] a messenger to the Children of Israel, [who will say], 'Indeed I have come to you with a sign from your Lord in that I design for you from clay [that which is] like the form of a bird, then I breathe into it and it becomes a bird by permission of Allāh. And I cure the blind [from birth] and the leper, and I give life to the dead – by permission of Allāh. And I inform you of what you eat and what you store in your houses. Indeed in that is a sign for you, if you are believers.
   – Saheeh International

   ﴿وَمُصَدِّقًا لِما بَينَ يَدَيَّ مِنَ التَّوراةِ وَلِأُحِلَّ لَكُم بَعضَ الَّذي حُرِّمَ عَلَيكُم وَجِئتُكُم بِآيَةٍ مِن رَبِّكُم فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطيعونِ﴾ [آل عمران: ٥٠]
   And [I have come] confirming what was before me of the Torah and to make lawful for you some of what was forbidden to you. And I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, so fear Allāh and obey me.
   – Saheeh International

   ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ رَبّي وَرَبُّكُم فَاعبُدوهُ هذا صِراطٌ مُستَقيمٌ﴾ [آل عمران: ٥١]
   Indeed, Allāh is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is the straight path.'"
   – Saheeh International

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3. Have you considered doing something similar with a different author, several weeks of study then bring in the author at the end for q+a?

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4. What a great read, Greg! It has helped me so much.

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