The Greatest Prophet- Prophet Muhammad ( peace and blessings be upon him)
Prophet Muhammad’s Last Sermon
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) A-Z plus 2 the facts by Yusuf Estes
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The Life of The Prophet Muhammad
by Leila Azzam and Aisha Gouverneur
© Islamic Texts Society http://www.its.org.uk
Chapter 1
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
Nearly four thousand years ago, in the Sumerian town of Ur in the valley of the river Euphrates, lived a young man named Abraham. The people of Ur had once worshipped Allah but as time passed they forgot the true religion and started praying to idols, statues made of wood or clay and sometimes even of precious stones.
Even as a small child Abraham could not understand how his people, and especially his father, could make these images with their own hands, call them gods, and then worship them. He had always refused to join his people when they paid respect to these statues. Instead he would leave the town and sit alone, thinking about the heavens and the world about him. He was sure his people were doing wrong and so alone he searched for the right way.
One clear night as he sat staring at the sky he saw a beautiful shining star, so beautiful that he cried out: ‘This must be Allah!’ He looked at it in awe for some time, until suddenly it began to fade and then it disappeared. He turned away in disappointment saying:
I love not things that set. (Koran vi.77)
On another night Abraham was again looking at the sky and he saw the rising moon, so big and bright that he felt he could almost touch it. He thought to himself:
This is my Lord. (Koran vi.78)
But it was not long before the moon set as well. Then he said,
Unless my Lord guide me, I surely shall become one of the folk who are astray. (Koran vi.78)
Abraham then saw the beauty and splendor of the sunrise and decided that the sun must be the biggest and most powerful thing in the universe. But for the third time he was wrong, for the sun set at the end of the day. It was then that he realized that Allah is the Most Powerful, the Creator of the stars, the moon, the sun, the earth and of all living things. Suddenly he felt himself totally at peace, because he knew that he had found the Truth. When he said unto his father and his folk:
What do you worship? They said: We worship idols, and are ever devoted to them. He said: Do they hear you when you cry? Or do they benefit or harm you? They said: Nay, but we found our fathers acting in this manner. He said: See now that which you worship, you and your forefathers! Lo! They are (all) an enemy to me, except the Lord of the Worlds. Who created me, and He guides me, And Who feeds me and waters me. And when I sicken, then He heals me. And Who causes me to die, then gives me life (again) And Who, I ardently hope, will forgive me my sin on the Day of Judgment. (Koran xxvi.70-82)
One day, while all the townspeople were out, Abraham angrily smashed all the idols with his right hand except for one, which was very large. When the people returned they were furious. They remembered the things Abraham had said about the idols. They had him brought forth before everyone and demanded, ‘Is it you who did this to our gods, O Abraham?’ Abraham replied, ‘But this their chief did it. Ask them, if they are able to speak ‘ The people exclaimed, ‘You know they do not speak.’ ‘Do you worship what you yourselves have carved when Allah created you and what you make?’ Abraham continued, ‘Do you worship instead of Allah that which cannot profit you at all, nor harm you?’ (Koran xxxvii.9S–6) (Koran xxi.66)
Finally, Abraham warned them,
Serve Allah, and keep your duty unto Him; that is better for you if you did but know. You serve instead of Allah only idols, and you only invent a lie. Lo! Those whom you serve instead of Allah own no provision for you. So seek your provision from Allah, and serve Him, and give thanks unto Him, (for) unto Him you will be brought back. (Koran xxix. 16-17)
The people of Ur decided to give Abraham the worst punishment they could find: he was to be burnt to death. On the chosen day all the people gathered in’ the centre of the city and even the King of Ur was there. Abraham was then placed inside a special building filled with wood. The wood was lit. Soon the fire became so strong that the people were pushed back by the flames. But Allah said:
O fire, be coolness and peace for Abraham. (Koran xxi.69)
The people waited until the fire had completely died down, and it was then that they saw Abraham still sitting there as though nothing had happened! At that moment they were utterly confused. They were not, however, moved by the miracle that had just happened before their very eyes. Still Abraham tried to persuade his own dear father, who was named Azar, not to worship powerless, un-seeing, un-hearing statues. Abraham explained that special knowledge had come to him and implored his father, ‘So follow me and I will lead you on the right path. O my father! Don’t serve the Devil.’ But Azar would not listen. He threatened his son with stoning if he continued to reject the gods of Ur. He ordered Abraham to leave the city with these words: ‘Depart from me a long while.’ Abraham said, ‘Peace be upon you! I shall ask my Lord’s forgiveness for you. Surely He was ever gracious to me.’ ( Koran xix.43-7)
Imagine how terrible it must have been for him to leave his home, his family and all that he knew, and set out across the wilderness into the unknown. But at the same time, how could he have remained among people who did not believe in Allah and who worshipped statues? Abraham always had a sense that Allah cared for him and he felt Allah near him as he traveled.
At last, after a long hard journey, he arrived at a place by the Mediterranean Sea, not far from Egypt. There he married a noble woman by the name of Sarah and settled in the land of Palestine.
Many years passed but Abraham and his wife were not blessed with any children. In the hope that there would be a child, and in keeping with tradition, Sarah suggested that Abraham should marry Hagar, her Egyptian handmaid. Soon after this took place, Hagar had a little boy named Ishmael.
Some time later Allah promised Abraham another son, but this time the mother of the child would be his first wife, Sarah. This second son would be called lsaac. Allah also told Abraham that from his two sons-lshmael and lsaac-two nations and three religions would be founded and because of this he must take Hagar and lshmael away from Palestine to a new land. These events were an important part of Allah’s plan, for the descendants of lshmael would form a nation from which would come a great Prophet, who would guide the people in the way of Allah. This was to be Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, p.b.u.h. From the descendants of Sarah’s child, lsaac, would come Moses and Jesus.
So it was that Abraham, Hagar, and lshmael left Palestine. They traveled for many days until finally they reached the arid valley of Bacca (later to be called Mecca), which was on one of the great caravan routes. There was no water in the valley and although Hagar and lshmael only had a small supply of water left, Abraham left them there knowing Allah would take care of them.
Soon all the water was gone. The child began to grow weak from thirst. There were two hills nearby, one called Safa and the other Marwah. Hagar went up one hill and looked into the distance to see if she could find any water, but found none. So she went to the other hill and did the same. She did this seven times. Then sadly she returned to her son, and to her great surprise and joy she found a spring of water bubbling out of the earth near him. This spring, near which the mother and child settled, was later called Zamzam. The area around it became a place of rest for the caravans traveling across the desert and in time grew into the famous trading city of Mecca.
From time to time Abraham traveled from Palestine to visit his family and he saw Ishmael grow into a strong young man. It was during one of these visits that Allah commanded them to rebuild the Ka’bah-the very first place where people had worshipped Allah.
They were told exactly where and how to build it. It was to be erected by the well of Zamzam and built in the shape of a cube. In its eastern corner was to be placed a black stone that had fallen to earth from heaven. An angel brought the stone to them from the nearby hill of Abu Qubays.
Abraham and Ishmael worked hard to rebuild the Ka’bah and as they did so they prayed to Allah to send a Prophet from among their descendants.
And when Abraham and Ishmael were raising the foundations of the House, (Abraham prayed): ‘Our Lord! Receive this from us; Thou, only Thou, art the All-hearing, the All-knowing; Our Lord! And make us submissive unto Thee and of our seed a nation submissive unto Thee, and show us our ways of worship, and turn toward us. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Relenting, the Merciful. Our Lord! And raise up in their midst a messenger from among them who shall recite unto them Thy revelations, and shall instruct them in the Scripture and in wisdom and shall make them grow. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Mighty, Wise.
(Koran ii. 127-9)
When the Ka’bah was completed, Allah commanded Abraham to call mankind to pilgrimage to His Holy House. Abraham wondered how anyone could hear his call. Allah said, ‘You call and I will bring them.’ This was how the pilgrimage to the Ka ‘bah in Mecca was established and when Muslims make the pilgrimage today they continue to answer the age-old call of Abraham.
THE CHILDREN OF ISHMAEL
OVER the years Ishmael’s children themselves had children. His descendants increased and formed tribes which spread out all over Arabia. One of these tribes was called Quraysh. Its people never moved away from Mecca and always lived near the Ka’bah.
One of the duties of the leader of Quraysh was to look after those who came on pilgrimage to the Ka’bah. The pilgrims would come from all over Arabia and it was a great honor to provide them with food and water.
As time passed, however, the Arabs stopped worshipping Allah directly and started bringing idols back with them from the different countries they visited. These idols were placed at the Ka ‘bah, which was no longer regarded as the Sanctuary of Allah, as Abraham had intended it. It was, however, still respected by the Arabs. Around this time the well of Zamzam disappeared beneath the sand.
Also at this time, Qusayy, one of the leaders of Quraysh, became ruler over Mecca. He held the keys of the temple and had the right to give water to the pilgrims, to feed them, to take charge of meetings, and to hand out war banners before battle. It was also in his house that Quraysh settled their affairs.
After Qusayy’s death, his son ‘Abdu Manaf, who had become famous during his father’s lifetime, took over the leadership of Quraysh. After him came his son Hashim. It is said that Hashim was the first to begin the two great caravan journeys of Quraysh, one in the summer to Syria and the north, and one in the winter to Yemen and the south. As a result, Mecca grew rich and became a large and important centre of trade.
One summer Hashim went north to buy goods to sell in Yemen. On his way he stopped in Yathrib to trade in the market and there he saw a beautiful woman. She was Salma, the daughter of ‘Amr ibn Zeid, who was from a much respected family. Hashim proposed marriage to her and was accepted because he was an honorable and distinguished man. In time, Salma gave birth to a beautiful son and as some of his hair was white they called him Shaybah, which in Arabic means ‘grey-haired’. Mother and son stayed in the cooler, healthier climate of Yathrib, while Hashim returned to Mecca, but he would visit them each time he took his caravan to the north. During one of these journeys, however, Hashim became ill and died.
Shaybah, a handsome, intelligent boy, grew up in his uncle’s house in Yathrib. He was proud of being the son of Hashim ibn ‘Abdi Manaf, the head of Quraysh, guardian of the Ka’bah and protector of the pilgrims, even though he had not known his father, who had died while Shaybah was very young.
At Hashim’s death his brother al-Muttalib took over his duties and responsibilities. He traveled to Yathrib to see his nephew, Shaybah, and decided that as the boy would one day inherit his father’s place, the time had come for him to live in Mecca.
It was hard for Salma, Shaybah’s mother, to let her son go with his uncle but she finally realized that it was for the best. Al-Muttalib returned to Mecca, entering the city at noon on his camel with Shaybah behind him. When the people of Mecca saw the boy they thought he was a slave and, pointing at him, called out’ ‘Abd al-Muttalib’, ‘Abd’ being the Arabic for ‘slave’. Al-Muttalib told them that Shaybah was not a slave but his nephew who had come to live with them. From that day on, however, Shaybah was always affectionately called ‘Abd al-Muttalib.
On the death of al-Muttalib, who died in Yemen where he had gone to trade, ‘Abd al-Muttalib took his place. He became the most respected member of his family, loved and admired by all. He was, however, unlike those Arabs who had given up the teachings of Abraham.
THE PROMISE AT ZAMZAM
The well of Zamzam, which disappeared when the Arabs placed idols at the Ka’bah, remained buried under the sand. Thus, for many years the people of Quraysh had to fetch their water from far away. One day ‘Abd al-Muttalib was very tired from doing this and fell asleep next to the Ka ‘bah. He had a dream in which he was told to dig up Zamzam. When he woke up he was puzzled because he did not know what Zamzam was, the well having disappeared many years before he was born. The next day he had the same dream, but this time he was told where to find the well.
‘Abd al-Muttalib had one son at that time, and together they began to dig. The work was so difficult that ‘Abd al-Muttalib made an oath to Allah that if one day he were to have ten sons to help him and stand by him; in return he would sacrifice one of them in Allah’s honor. After working for three days they finally found the well of Zamzam. Pilgrims have been drinking from it ever since.
The years passed by and ‘Abd al-Muttalib did have ten sons. They grew into fine, strong men and the time came for him to keep his promise to Allah. He told his sons about the promise and they agreed that he had to sacrifice one of them. To see which one it would be, they decided to draw lots, which was the custom of Quraysh when deciding important matters. ‘Abd al-Muttalib told each son to get an arrow and write his own name upon it and then to bring it to him. This they did, after which he took them to the Ka ‘bah where there was a man whose special task it was to cast arrows and pick one from among them. This man solemnly proceeded to do this. On the arrow he chose was written the name of ‘Abd Allah, the youngest and favorite son of ‘Abd al-Muttalib. Even so, the father took his son near the Ka’bah and prepared to sacrifice him.
Many of the Quraysh leaders were present and they became very angry because ‘Abd Allah was very young and much loved by everyone. They tried to think of a way to save his life. Someone suggested that the advice of a wise old woman who lived in Yathrib should be sought, and so ‘Abd al-Muttalib took his son and went to see if she could decide what to do. Some of the Meccans went with them and when they got there the woman asked, ‘What is the price of a man’s life?’
They told her, ‘Ten camels’, for at that time if one man killed another, his family would have to give ten camels to the dead man’s family in order to keep the peace among them. So the woman told them to go back to the Ka’bah and draw lots between ‘Abd Allah and ten camels. If the camels were chosen, they were to be killed and the meat given to the poor. If ‘Abd Allah was picked then ten more camels were to be added and the lots drawn again and again until they finally fell on the camels.
‘Abd al-Muttalib returned to the Ka’bah with his son and the people of Mecca. There they started to draw lots between ‘Abd Allah and the camels, starting with ten camels. ‘Abd al-Muttalib prayed to Allah to spare his son and everyone waited in silence for the result. The choice fell on ‘Abd Allah, so his father added ten more camels. Again the choice fell on ‘Abd Allah, so they did the same thing again and again, adding ten camels each time. Finally they reached one hundred camels, and only then did the lot fall on the camels.
‘Abd Allah was saved and everyone was very happy. ‘Abd al-Muttalib, however, wanted to make sure that this was the true result so he repeated the draw three times and each time it fell on the camels. He then gave thanks to Allah that He had spared ‘Abd Allah’s life. The camels were sacrificed and there was enough food for the entire city, even the animals and birds.
‘Abd Allah grew up to be a handsome young man and his father eventually chose Aminah, the daughter of Wahb, as a wife for him. It was a good match, for she was the finest of Quraysh women and ‘Abd Allah the best of the men. He spent several months with his wife but then he had to leave her and travel with one of the caravans to trade with Syria. On his way back to Mecca from Syria ‘Abd Allah became ill and had to stop off in Yathrib to recover. The caravan, however, continued on its way and arrived back in Mecca without him. On hearing of ‘Abd Allah’s illness, ‘Abd al-Muttalib sent another son, al-Harith, to bring ‘Abd Allah back to Mecca, but he was too late. When he arrived in Yathrib ‘Abd Allah was dead.
Aminah was heart-broken to lose her husband and the father of the child she would soon give birth to. Only Allah knew that this orphan child would one day be a great Prophet.
THE ELEPHANT REFUSES TO MOVE
ABRAHAH, who came from Abyssinia – a country in Africa – conquered Yemen and was made vice-regent there. Later, he noticed that at a certain time of the year large numbers of people would travel from all over Yemen and the rest of Arabia to Mecca. He asked the reason for this and was told that they were going on pilgrimage to the Ka ‘bah.
Abrahah hated the idea of Mecca being more important than his own country, so he decided to build a church of colored marble, with doors of gold and ornaments of silver, and ordered the people to visit it instead of the Ka’bah. But no one obeyed him.
Abrahah became angry and decided to destroy the Ka’bah. He prepared a large army led by an elephant and set off towards Mecca. When the Meccans heard that he was coming they became very frightened. Abrahah’s army was huge and they could not fight it. But how could they let him destroy the Holy Ka’bah? They went to ask the advice of their leader, ‘Abd al-Muttalib.
When Abrahah arrived outside Mecca, ‘Abd al-Muttalib went to meet him. Abrahah said, ‘What do you want?’
Abrahah had taken ‘Abd al-Muttalib’s camels, which he had found grazing as he entered Mecca, so ‘Abd al-Muttalib replied, ‘I want my camels back.’ Abrahah was very surprised and said, ‘I have come to destroy your Holy Ka’bah, the holy place of your fathers, and you ask me about some camels?’
‘Abd al-Muttalib replied calmly, ‘The camels belong to me; the Ka’bah belongs to Allah and He will protect it. ‘Then he left Abrahah and went back to Quraysh and ordered them to leave Mecca and wait for their enemies in the mountains.
In the morning Abrahah prepared to enter the town. He put armor on his elephant and drew up his troops for battle. He intended to destroy the Ka’bah and then return to Yemen. At that moment, however, the elephant knelt down and refused to get up, mo matter how much the soldiers tried to get it to move by beating it. But when they turned its face in the direction of Yemen it immediately got up and started off. In fact, it did the same in any other direction, but as soon as they pointed it towards Mecca it knelt down again.
Suddenly, flocks of birds appeared from over the sea. Each bird carried three stones as small as peas and they dropped them on Abrahah’s army. The soldiers suddenly fell ill. Even Abrahah was hit by the stones and fled in fear with the rest of his army back to Yemen, where he later died. On seeing their enemy flee, the Arabs came down from the mountains to the Ka’bah and gave thanks to Allah.
After this, Quraysh gained great respect and became known as ‘the people of Allah’, and the year in which these events took place, 570 A.D., was named the ‘Year of the Elephant’. In that year Allah had saved the Ka’bah and He would soon bring forth a Prophet from among Quraysh.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Hast thou not seen how thy Lord dealt with the owners of the Elephant?
Did He not bring their stratagem to naught, And. send against them swarms of flying creatures, Which pelted them with stones of baked clay, And made them like green crops devoured (by cattle)? (Koran CV. 1-5
THE PROPHET IS BORN
ONE day, while traveling north, one of the Arab tribes from Mecca met a hermit in the desert. Some of the men stopped to speak with him. Hermits were known to be wise and the Arabs often asked their advice.
The hermit asked where they had come from. When they replied that they were from Mecca, he told them that Allah would soon send a prophet, who would come from their people. They asked the name of this prophet and the hermit answered that his name would be Muhammad and that he would guide them to a new way of life.
Meanwhile in Mecca, Aminah, although saddened by the loss of her husband, felt especially well and strong as she awaited the birth of her baby. During this time she dreamt of many things. On one occasion it was as if a great light were shining out of her, and on another she heard a voice telling her that she would have a boy and that his name would be Muhammad. She never forgot that voice but she told no one about it.
On Monday, the twelfth day of Rabi al-Awwal in the Year of the Elephant, Aminah gave birth to a son. Allah sends man many signs when one of His chosen Prophets is born. And on that twelfth day of Rabi al-Awwal in the year 570 A.D., many such signs were seen. Some were seen by Jewish scholars who had read in their scriptures of a coming Prophet. One of these learned men in Yathrib, for instance, saw a brilliant new star he had never seen before as he studied the heavens that night. He called the people around him and, pointing the star out to them, told them a Prophet must have been born.
That same night another Jew was passing by the meeting place of the leaders of Quraysh in Mecca. He asked them if a baby boy had just been born and told them that if it were true, this would be the Prophet of the Arab nation.
Aminah sent news of the birth to her father-in-law, ‘Abd al-Muttalib, who was sitting near the Ka’bah at the time. He was very happy and began at once to think of a name for the boy. An ordinary name would not do. Six days came and went and still he had not decided. But on the seventh day, as he lay asleep near the Ka’bah, ‘Abd al-Muttalib dreamt that he should give the baby the unusual name of Muhammad, just as Aminah herself had dreamt. And so the child was called Muhammad (p.b.u.h.), which means ‘the Praised One’.
When ‘Abd al-Muttalib told the leaders of Quraysh what he had named his grandson, many of them asked, ‘Why did you not choose the sort of name that is used by our people?’
At once he replied, ‘I want him to be praised by Allah in the heavens and praised by men on earth.’
A TIME WITH HALIMAH
LIKE many other women in Mecca, Aminah decided to send her son away from the city for his early years to the desert where it was more healthy. Women from the desert used to come to Mecca to collect the new babies and they would then keep them until they developed into strong children, for which they were well paid by the parents.
Among the women who traveled to Mecca to fetch a new baby at the time Aminah’s son was born, was a Bedouin woman called HaIimah. With her was her husband and baby son. They had always been very poor, but this year things were harder than ever because there had been famine. The donkey that carried Halimah on the journey was so weak from hunger that he often stumbled. Halimah’s own baby son cried all the time because his mother could not feed him properly. Even their she-camel did not give them one drop of milk. Halimah did not know what to do. She thought to herself, ‘How can I possibly feed another baby when I haven’t got enough milk even for my own son?’
At last they reached Mecca. All the other women of the tribe to which Halimah belonged, the Bani Sa’d, found a child to take back with them, but not Halimah. The only baby left was Muhammad (p.b.u.h.). Usually the father paid the wet-nurse but Muhammad’s father was dead. So no one wanted to take him, even though he was from one of the noblest families of Quraysh. Halimah did not want to take him either, but she did not want to be the only woman to go back to her tribe without a baby to bring up. She asked her husband whether she should take Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) or not. He advised her to do so, adding, ‘Perhaps Allah will bless us because of him.’
They started on the return journey and as soon as Halimah began to feed Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) her milk suddenly increased and she had enough for him as well as her baby son. When they were back home, everything began to change. The land became green, and the date trees, one of their main sources of food, gave lots of fruit. Even the sheep and their old she-camel began to give plenty of milk. Halimah and her husband knew that this good fortune had come because they had the new baby, Muhammad (p.b.u.h.), whom they had come to love as if he were their own son.
When Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) was two years old, Halimah took him back to his mother. She pleaded with Aminah, however, to let her keep him for a little longer and to her great joy the mother agreed.
During his time with Halimah’s family in the desert, Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) played with her children and together they would take the sheep out to graze. At other times, however, Halimah would often find him sitting alone.
It is said that on one occasion, two angels came to Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) and washed his heart with snow. In this way Allah made his heart pure for He intended Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) to be greater than any man ever born and to become the Seal of the Prophets.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Did We not expand thy breast for thee And eased thee of thy burden Which weighed down thy back; And exalted thy fame? So truly with hardship comes ease, Truly with hardship comes ease. So when thou art relieved, still toil And strive to please thy Lord. (Koran xciv. 1-8)
When Halimah finally took Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) back to Aminah, he was a healthy, strong boy. Later he would look back with joy on the time he had spent with Halimah, and he always thought of himself as one of the Bani Sa’d.
THE ORPHAN’S CHILDHOOD
You can read more about the Life of Prophet Muhammad pbuh directly from the source:
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PROPHET MUHAMMAD’S SAW LAST SERMON
This Sermon was delivered on the Ninth day of Dhul Hijjah 10 A.H in the ” Uranah of Mount Arafat”
- Mount Arafat (flickr)
After praising and thanking Allah he said:
” O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether, after this year, I shall be ever amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and TAKE THESE WORDS TO THOSE WHO COULD NOT BE PRESENT HERE TODAY.
O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. ALLAH has forbidden you to take usury(interest), therefore all interest obligations shall henceforth be waived. Your capital, however is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer inequity. Allah has Judged that shall be no interest and that the interest due to Abbas ibn’ Abd Muttalib shall therefore be waived…
Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware following him in small things.
O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have certain rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under Allah’s trust and with His Permission. If they abide by your rights then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and commitetd helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with any of whom you do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste.
- Holy Qur’an (flickr)
O People listen to me in earnest, worship ALLAH, say your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your
- Mount Arafat during Hajj (flickr)
wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to.
All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor does a non-Arab has superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor does black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not ,therefore do injustice to yourselves.
Remember one day you will appear before Allah and answer for your deeds. So beware do not stray from the path of righteousness when I am gone.
O People, NO PROPHET OR APOSTLE WILL COME AFTER ME AND NO NEW FAITH WILL BE BORN. Reason well , therefore, O People, and understand the words which I convey to you, I leave behind me two things, THE QUR’AN and my example, the SUNNAH and if you follow these you will never go astray.
All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness O ALLAH , that I conveyed your message to your people.”
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1. Introduction to the Life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
Asslamu alaykum! Welcome to ‘the introduction to the life of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).’ There has never been a human being so well-respected, loved and followed as Muhammad (pbuh), the final messenger of Allah. There has never been a person who has changed world history so dramatically as Muhammad (pbuh) and his message. The Prophet (pbuh) was the single most important person in the history of the world.
The reason for Muhammad’s (pbuh) success was that he was sent with a pure message from Allah, the creator of all mankind. This message would help us understand how to live our lives. It would tell us about good and bad and about wrong and right. This message would tell us about mankind (about you and me), the universe and the rest of creation around us. This message would tell us about Allah and about our relationship with Allah. The message also told us about the Hereafter, the Day of Judgment, Heaven and Hell.
The Qu’ran is this pure message that was revealed to Muhammad 1400 years ago. These are the words of Allah that were sent to the prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Allah has guarded it and kept it pure from changes and errors. The purpose or mission of the prophet (pbuh) was to deliver this message to Mankind and to follow its teachings.
There is no other message that has such an impact on mankind as the Qu’ran. There are no other revealed books that have been kept pure from changes like the Qu’ran has. The Qu’ran has changed the lives of billions of people in the world. It has helped them become better people and live according to the will of Allah.
There were many prophets that came before prophet Muhammad (pbuh) – 124,000 we are told from Hadith. The Qu’ran tells us that every nation was sent a prophet. The mission of the prophets was to tell their people about Allah and invite them to live their lives according to Allah’s command. This helped them be good and generous people who looked after and cared for each other. The good people would be rewarded with heaven and the people that rebelled and refused the prophet would be punished with hellfire.
When the prophet died, the people would forget part of the message and then add bits to the original message. Eventually, the messages became completely different and the people went astray again. Allah would send another messenger to guide them back to the right path.
This cycle of prophets coming and the people going astray continued for a long time. When Muhammad (pbuh) came, the cycle was broken. The big difference was that the message of Muhammad (pbuh) was for everyone and would never change. If the people went astray, they could turn back to the original message (the Qu’ran) and be guided again. If they did not understand things they could look into the Sunnah which is a practical guide of how the Qu’ran is followed.
Allah said that he would guard the message (the Holy Qu’ran) from any changes. We find that the Qu’ran we have today is the same Qu’ran that was revealed to Muhammad (pbuh) through Angel Jibrael. There is not a word or letter difference between the original and today’s Qu’ran. If anyone goes on the wrong path or gets mixed up, they can read the Qu’ran and receive guidance.
There are no more messengers to come after Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). He was the seal of the prophets. The prophet (pbuh) told us on his last sermon – ‘I have left nothing but two things – the Qu’ran and the Sunnah – follow these and you will never go astray.’
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was born in Makkah to Amina and Abdullah. Abdullah passed away before Muhammad (pbuh) was born and was brought up by Amina, his mother. When he was six, his mother passed away and then he was looked after by his loving grandfather Abdul Mutallib. Two years later, Abdul Mutallib also passed away and Muhammad (pbuh) was brought up by his uncle Abu Talib.
Muhammad (pbuh) lived a simple life, marrying Khadija when he was twenty five years old. At the age of forty, the first verses came from Allah in the month of Ramadan. The Angel Jibrael brought these first five verses to Muhammad (pbuh). These words were written down by the scribes and memorised by the Muslims. This message continued for twenty three years and is known as the Qu’ran – the word of Allah.
The people originally refused to follow Muhammad (pbuh) and persecuted him. There were only a handful of people who followed Muhammad (pbuh) and his teachings. The Prophet (pbuh) and his followers suffered many hardships in Makkah. After thirteen years, they left Makkah and migrated to Yathrib (Madina) where many people accepted Islam and the teachings spread very quickly.
The Makkans were not happy; they tried to attack the Muslims on many occasions. These were times of trial for the Muslims. There were times when the Muslims faced many problems and hardships but they continued to struggle on. The Muslims were eventually successful and managed to secure peace in the whole region. Many people began to accept Islam in Arabia but the Makkans continued to plot against the Muslims.
Muhammad (pbuh) and his companions returned to Makkah and the House of Allah. The Muslims then removed all the idols from the Ka’bahand Muhammad (pbuh) forgave these people who had persecuted and harmed him for so many years. There was great happiness and rejoicing in Makkah.
Islam continued to spread and reform the Arabs. After the prophet (pbuh) passed away Islam continued to spread all over the world. The rightly guided Khalifas that came after Muhammad ruled justly and cared for the people. There was justice throughout the lands as more and more people, tribes and countries accepted the teachings of Islam.
The Sahabah, the companions of the prophet Muhammad (pbuh), worked hard to practice the ideals of Islam and teach it to the people. Through the efforts of the Sahabah and the early Muslims we are Muslims today, Alhamdu-lillah.
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was kind and honest. He looked after his family and friends. He had good character and respected the elders. He looked after the orphans and the poor. He was concerned for the wellbeing of all people. He never stole or swore at anyone. He was loved and respected by everyone – the Muslims and the non-Muslims.
The prophet’s character and actions are also recorded in the Hadith books which give us an insight into this great man. Many people try and follow the example of the prophet (pbuh), indeed he is a role model for all Muslims. We should also be kind and good – following the example of the prophet (pbuh) throughout our lives.
Source:musalla.org
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Prophet Ibrahim AS
Every great story starts with a great person and surely one of the greatest of people was Prophet Ibrahim (as). He was given the title Khalil-ullah, which means ‘the friend of Allah’. Ibrahim (as) was the forefather of many great prophets and is held in high esteem by all the major revealed religions. These great prophets include Suliman, Musa, Dawud, Yahya, Isa and Muhammad, Peace be upon them all. They are all from the offspring of Ibrahim (as).
Ibrahim (as) lived in a time, long before the time of prophet Muhammad (pbuh). As a boy he used to watch his father make idols. These Idols were sold in the markets as gods for people to worship. Ibrahim (as) could not believe that anyone could consider these idols, made of stone and wood, to be their gods! How could people pray to these idols and ask from them? How could they give these idols offering such as food? How could these idols bring good fortune and look over them? Ibrahim (as) was confused.
Ibrahim (as) watched the idols as a fly came and sat on it. The idol was powerless to even move the fly from its body so how could it have the power to do anything! Ibrahim (as) knew in his heart that the people of his community were deeply misguided but he didn’t know any better himself.
Ibrahim (as) often thought about his people and their worship. He thought about the world around him and how it came into being. He thought about how and why he was created. He thought about why he was here, living on this wonderful planet. He would spend some time thinking about these things and admiring the world around him.
One day he was admiring the beauty of the stars in the night sky. He thought to himself, I will worship these stars as my god they are so beautiful and bright. Then the moon came out and again he admired the beauty of the moon. The moon was shining brighter that the stars so he thought to himself, why don’t I make the moon my god instead of the stars. In the morning the sun came out and the moon and stars could no longer be seen. He thought to himself, why don’t I make the sun my god and worship the sun instead? It is beautiful and much brighter than the moon and stars.
After much reflection he decided that he would not worship the stars, the moon or the sun but instead would worship the maker of all these things. He decided there was one creator, his god, who created him and everything around him. Through this Ibrahim (as) became guided to the right path.
One day the people of his community were out celebrating. Ibrahim (as) went to the place where the idols were kept and broke them up, apart from the big one. He hung the axe around the neck of the big idol and then went away. When the people returned they were shocked, “What happened to our Idols!” they remarked. They discussed it for a while and thought that Ibrahim (as) would know because Ibrahim (as) was known to speaking out against their idols.
They decided to call Ibrahim (as) and question him about the damage done to the idols. Ibrahim (as) was brought before the community and they asked him who broke our idols. Ibrahim (as) replied, “The big idol must have done this, he has the axe around the neck, why don’t you ask it?
The people grew angry; they knew that Ibrahim (as) was being silly. The big idol doesn’t have the power to move so how can it break the other idols? The big idol doesn’t have the power to talk so how can it tell us about the broken idols? Ibrahim (as) explained to them that if these idols are powerless and cant do anything, then why do you pray to them? Why do you ask help from them when they cant even help themselves! Deep down they knew that Ibrahim (as) was correct and that they indeed were wrong by praying to these stone idols.
However, the people became very angry and decided to punish Ibrahim (as). They would punish him by lighting a huge fire and throwing him into it. They thought this was a befitting punishment for some one who disrespected their religion and broke their gods. They collected firewood from all over the county and began to prepare the bonfire. They wanted to create such a fierce and hot fire, like no one had seen before. They collected together all the material then lit it and made a huge fire. It became so hot that the birds overhead could not fly over it because of the intense heat. The people themselves could not get near the fire to throw Ibrahim (as) into it.
The Idol worshippers decided that they would build a catapult to throw Ibrahim (as) into the middle of the fire, where he would burn in the fierce heat. Ibrahim (as) remained quiet and was confident that Allah would save him. They loaded Ibrahim (as) into the catapult and pelted him into the fire. Allah commanded the fire to remain cool for Ibrahim (as) and not to harm him with its flames and heat.
This was a test for Ibrahim (as) and he remained steadfast to his faith in Allah. Allah continued to guide Ibrahim (as) throughout the rest of his life. After this incident, Ibrahim (as) moved away and got married to a lady by the name of Sarah. They lived happily for a long time. However, there was some heartache in Ibrahim (as) and Sarah’s life. They had been happily married for so long and Allah had not granted them any children. They prayed to Allah so much asking for a child.
Sarah knew that her husband, Ibrahim (as), was longing for a child. She also knew that she was getting old and may not be able to provide him with a child. She suggested to Ibrahim (as) that he should marry Hajar, their slave girl, and maybe Allah would bless them with a child through her.
Ibrahim (as) accepted the advise of his beloved wife Sarah and married Hajar. It wasn’t long before Ibrahim (as) and Hajar were blessed with a baby boy whom they named Ismael. Ibrahim (as) was overjoyed with happiness at the birth of his first son. They all celebrated and thanked Allah for such a great and beautiful blessing.
However, as they celebrated they did not know that things would change dramatically very soon. They would change so much that Ibrahim (as) would need to make a tough choice about the future of his family. What was this decision and how would it affect this innocent baby in the arms of his loving mother, Hajar….
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IBRAHIM (AS) AND THE STORY OF HAJJ
Ibrahim (as) had been married to Sarah for a while but they did not have any children. As time went on, they prayed much to Allah to grant them some off spring. Sarah felt that she was getting too old and may not be able to bear children. She told Ibrahim (as) to take her slave girl, Hajar, as his wife and maybe Allah would bless them with a child through her.
Hajar had a beautiful baby boy and they named him Ismael. However, after a short while, Sarah became jealous of Hajar and Ismael. She told Ibrahim (as) to take the child and mother to a land far away from them. Ibrahim (as) decided to take them to a place in Hijaz, which was a dry, mountainous and barren land. Here Ibrahim (as) left Hajar and Ismael under the shade of a lofty tree, near the hills of Safa and Marwa. This place had very little vegetation and had no water. Ibrahim (as) left some food with Hajar and a pouch of water.
After some time both the food and water ran short and Ismael began to cry. Hajar was panicking, she ran between the hills of Safah and Marwah looking for food or water but could not find anything. She ran between the two hillocks seven times. After the frantic search, she returned and found a spring had appeared where Ismael was kicking the sand with his feet. This spring, called ZamZam, was producing clean water and Hajar and Ismael drank from it. The ZamZam spring is still with us today producing the same sweet and pure water.
After a short time, people began to move to this valley. By the permission of Hajar, a few tribes settled and it gradually became a small town. This town was near a busy trade route and many merchants began to pass through bringing in wealth. This town grew to become the city of Makkah, which is still a busy city in Arabia today.
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When Ismael was still a small boy, Ibrahim (as) had a dream or vision. In this dream he was commanded by Allah to sacrifice his son. When a prophet has a dream it is always true. In fact, a prophet’s dream is actually a form of revelation. This dream occurred several times and Ibrahim (as) decided that he would take his beloved son, Ismael and would sacrifice him to Allah. as the Qu’ran narrates, Ismael agreed that Ibrahim (as) should carry out the command of Allah.
The Qu’ran states: Then, when (the son) reached (the age of) (serious) work with him, he said: “O my son! I have seen in a vision that I offer you in sacrifice: what is your view!” (The son) said: “O my father! Do as you are commanded: you will find me, if Allah so wills, one practising patience and constancy!”
Both Ibrahim (as) and Ismael travelled to the place of sacrifice. However, on the way, the shaytan appeared three times and tried to persuade Ibrahim (as) not to carry out the command of Allah. The shaytan tried to deceive Ibrahim (as) by reminding him how much he loved his son. Ibrahim (as) was a prophet and he knew that the love of Allah comes before the love of his son. Ibrahim (as) also knew that this was the command of Allah so he must carry it out. Each time the Shaytan came to him, Ibrahim (as) threw stones at him and continued with this journey.
Traditions tell us that Ibrahim (as) could not bear to look at his son so he blindfolded himself and carried out the sacrifice. When Ibrahim (as) removed the blindfold, a sheep or ram was in place of his son and Ibrahim (as) knew that the sacrifice had been accepted. On this occasion, Ibrahim (as) had proven himself and passed this great trial from Allah (Alhamdulilla).
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Later on, Allah blessed Ibrahim (as) with another son, whom they named Ishaq. This time he was born from Sarah, Prophet Ibrahim (as)’s first wife. Historic sources tell us Ishaq was born 13 years after the birth of his brother Ismael. There was much happiness in the household of Ibrahim (as) after the birth of another beautiful baby boy.
From the descendents of Ishaq, there were many great tribes and the Jews are traced through Ishaq to Ibrahim (as). From Ishaq’s descendents there were many great prophets including Yusuf, Yaqoob, Isa, Musa, Dawood and Yahya. Similarly, through Ismael, there were many great tribes, the most famous being the Quraish. Prophet Muhammad is a descendent of Ibrahim (as) through Ismael. Therefore, the Jews and the Arabs are actually cousins or brethren of each other.
Ismael was respected and loved by the people of Hijaz. The main tribe that settled was the tribe of Jurhum. They married one of their daughters to Ismael and Ismael settled down. On one occasion, Ibrahim (as) went to visit his son but Ismael was not at home. Ibrahim (as) asked Ismael’s wife about their household. She complained of poverty to Ibrahim (as). When Ibrahim (as) was ready to leave, he asked her to give Ismael the message that the doorstep of his house was crooked and to change it. When Ismael got the message he divorced his wife and later married another woman from Jurhum.
Another time Ibrahim (as) came to meet Ismael and again Ismael was not at home. He asked Ismael’s wife about them and about their life together. She said Alhamdulilla, everything was well and thanked Allah for whatever little they had been blessed with. On leaving Ibrahim (as) left a message that the doorstep of his house was fine. Through this wife, all the descendents of Ismael are traced.
On a third occasion, Ibrahim (as) went and visited his son, Ismael. He found him in the valley of Makkah. After a happy reunion they both, by the command of Allah, built the Ka’bah. This was the first house built for the worship of the one and only true god of all mankind. He then asked the tribes to make pilgrimage to this house of Allah.
A long time ago, Ibrahim (as) started this pilgrimage and he commanded the people to perform this pilgrimage. From then until now, many millions of Muslims still visit the Ka’bahand perform the Hajj. The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and all Muslims must carry out the Hajj, at least once in their lifetime.
The people after Ismael became misguided and gradually began to worship stone idols. What was worse was that they began to fill this holy sanctuary in Makkah with Idols. What Ibrahim (as) had advised and fought against was happening even in this holiest of holy places. The people still believed in Allah but also had faith in these idols. Allah took away the blessing of Zamzam from the people and left them in a state of misguidance.
The society had become astray from the truth. The misguidance continued for hundreds of years until prophet Muhammad was sent as a messenger to the people. By this time, the society had become engrossed in many forms of evil and had completely strayed from all that was good. The prophet came and cleansed this holy place from all the evil and forms of shirk.
However, just before the prophet’s time, one noble person from the tribe of Quraysh was going to restore some of these blessing. This person was Abdul Muttalib, the Prophet’s grandfather. But that is another story for another day, inshallah.
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ABDUL MUTALLIB
After the time of Prophet Ibrahim (as) and Ismael, the people gradually began to worship and pray to Idols. They began to believe in many gods, who they said were partners with Allah. This is the worst sin called shirk and led to the downfall of this once healthy and prosperous society.
as time went on, things became so bad that the house of Allah, the Ka’bah, was filled and surrounded by 360 idols. Allah made the people hard-hearted and they fought over the smallest thing. Much hatred and bloodshed existed within this community and evil was rampant. This period is known as Jahaliat, the times of ignorance.
The period before Islam is described in this poem:
Arabia is the location of this rhyme,
long ago, before our prophets time.
It was a very harsh and barren land,
surrounded by vast oceans of sand.
The Arab society, lacked law and order
and was infested with chaos and disorder.
All the Arabs did was quarrel and fight.
Few were educated, a handful could write.
The strong and ruthless ruled the tribes,
consisting mainly of corruption and bribes.
Much blood was spilt in many a feud,
and their fighting was unjust and crude.
They fought over the smallest thing
and death and mourning, this would bring.
These tribal feuds, for years would last
and deep into misery, the society was cast.
Every vice and evil, they staunchly followed
In their depravity, like animals they wallowed
Chasing every desire, alcohol they drank.
To the depth of corruption, they now sank.
Rights and dignity they didn’t respect,
to call them barbaric would be correct.
Their treatment of orphans was inhumane,
cause them suffering and so much pain.
The women’s status was considered low.
Not a shred of respect, did they ever show.
It is evident enough that evil did thrive,
when newborn daughters were buried alive.
They worshipped gods made of stone
Others made of wood, feathers or bone
Some worshiped trees, stars or the sun
And the belief in one god, they did shun
Every civilization had passed them by
To conquer them, no nation would try
To them the Arabs were a lost cause
A society riddled with evil and flaws
In total ignorance, the Arabs thus dwelled
and against Allah, they continually rebelled
To truth and knowledge, they were blind
and this rang true, for the rest of mankind
It was from Arabia, the truth shone bright
The words of Allah, an illuminating light
It came in the form of the Holy Qu’ran.
Guidance from Allah – the Lord of man.
There were a few significant people that came before the prophet, which are worth mentioning. Qusay was one of the main chiefs of Makkah, who was from the tribe of Quraish. He was a handsome fellow and the leadership of Makkah fell to him after a bitter war. War was common amongst the Arabs. The Quraish were considered amongst the noblest tribes because they were direct descendents of Ismael.
Qusay ruled Makkah like a king. He would collect the taxes from the people, to provide for the pilgrims who still visited Makkah and performed the Hajj. Qusay built himself a big spacious house close to the sanctuary. He also encouraged his tribesmen to build themselves houses. Previously the people had lived in tents, camping close to the Ka’bah.
Qusay had many sons, the most prominent and famous was Hashim. He was very gifted and provided water and food for the pilgrims, when they came to Makkah. He was a great merchant and established the two great trade routes through Makkah. Both the trade routes passed through Yathrib, which was a small oasis town which lay on the ancient incense route. The winter trade route was between Makkah and Yemen whilst the summer trade route went into northern Arabia going into Palestine and Syria.
Through this trade, Makkah began to prosper and became a major city which attracted much wealth. Hashim married Salma, the daughter of Amr, from the clan of Khazraj. Salma and Hashim had one son whom they named Shaybah. Both Salma and Shaybah remained in Yathrib and were often visited by Hashim on his trade journeys. However, Hashim wasn’t granted a long life and he passed away in the Gaza in Palestine. Shaybah remained with Salma in Yathrib, until Shaybah was about 14 years of age.
Muttalib, the brother of Hashim took over the role of looking after the affairs of the pilgrims. However, he had great love for his brother, Hashim, who had passed away at such a young age. He also heard a lot of good things said about Hashim’s son, Shaybah. Shaybah had continued to live in Yathrib with his mother Salma after his father had passed away. He was growing into a pleasant youngster with a kind nature.
Mutallib decided to visit Salma and Shaybah in Yathrib. On reaching Yathrib he spoke to his nephew and Salma. He explained to them that since Shaybah was a son of Hashim, he should come and live in Makkah. Makkah was a great city and had a lot more to offer than Yathrib. This was especially true because Shaybah was from the tribe of Quraish, the most respected and honoured tribe in Arabia. He also had the possibility of taking over the sacred and noble duties at Hajj, which his father fulfilled so well.
Salma, reluctantly at first, decided to let Shaybah travel to and live in Makkah with his uncle Muttalib. Both Uncle and nephew set off for Makkah, leaving behind Yathrib. When they reached Makkah, the people were amused at the sight of seeing Muttalib and this young boy, whom they assumed to be the slave of Muttalib. They referred to him as Abdul Muttalib, which means the slave of Muttalib. After Muttalib corrected them and told them that he was his nephew, they lovingly continued to call Shaybah by the name of Abdul Muttalib.
After Abdul Muttalib came to Makkah, he came to be loved by the people, He managed to secure his rights from his family and lived happily in Makkah. After Muttalib passed away, Abdul Muttalib took over in the duties of proving food and water for the pilgrims. He excelled in this, which further enhanced his reputation for leadership and fairness.
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One of the first events which took place at the time of Abdul Muttalib was the rediscovery of the blessing of Zamzam. The Zamzam had been taken away from the people when they had strayed from tawheed. The Zamzam was a great blessing of Allah which had been gifted to the people many hundreds of years earlier. The people had gradually moved away from the truth and became more wicked and unjust. They began to worship idols, which is such a grave sin. Allah took the Zamzam away from the people and this blessing had been lost for many years.
The story begins when Abdul Muttalib was sleeping under the shade of the Ka’bah, at a place near the Hijr Ismael. This was a common occurrence for people to see Abdul Mutallib sleeping there. One time, he had a dream which repeated itself three times and in the last dream, he heard a voice asking him to dig in a certain place near the Ka’bah.
Abdul Muttalib was initially stunned by the dreams but then decided he would listen to this voice in the dream. Abdul Muttalib, in the company of his son Hashim, took two pick axes and began to dig near the Ka’bah. It was at the place where animals were sacrificed, between the two idols. Before long a crowd gathered to see what was happening. He was asked to stop by some of the people but he continued to dig with his son Harith watching over him.
Before long he came to some well stones where he found some treasures the tribe of Juram had buried. This included swords, armours and the two gold statues. He also found the well of Zamzam that had been lost and forgotten about for so many years. When he unearthed it, the water gushed forth and others tried to join Abdul Muttalib in this blessed work. However, he lay claim to the finding and the tradition of providing Zamzam fell exclusively to him.
After this Abdul Muttalib gained lots of respect from the Arabs. He did a prayer that may Allah provide him with ten sons and promised that if they all grew up into young men he would sacrifice one of them. Little did he know that Allah would soon bless him with ten sons and he would need to fulfil this promise.
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Over time he had ten sons and with regret he remembered his promise to sacrifice one of them. For such a long time he dreaded this day but he knew in his heart that he would need to. Abdul Mutallib decided to fulfil his promise but which son would he choose? Abdul Muttalib drew lots and the fate of the sacrifice fell on Abdullah, the youngest and his most beloved son. He was very sad but he knew that he must fulfil this promise.
Abdul Muttalib went to the Ka’bahwith his son Abdullah intending to sacrifice him. When the people saw this they stopped him asking him where he was going with this handsome young boy and the knife. The people learned that he was going to sacrifice him so they told him to sacrifice some camels instead.
After listening to their advice he decided to consult a wise woman from Yathrib. Adbul Mutallib told the whole story to the wise woman and she advised him to sacrifice ten camels at a time until the promise was fulfilled. He would know that the promise was fulfilled when the divining arrow would point at the camels instead of his son. The divining arrows was a way of deciding a matter in the days of ignorance.
He would sacrifice ten camels and the arrow would point towards his son. He would sacrifice another ten camels and would check with the arrow each time. He sacrificed a total of a hundred camels (ten at a time) until he knew that this was acceptable to fulfil his promise.
Abdul Muttalib arranged for his son, Abdullah, to marry a lady by the name of Aminah from a tribe in Yathrib. Abdullah was only a young man of twenty-five, was very handsome and a noor filled his face when he was going to get married. They were a well-matched couple and everyone celebrated with great happiness and joy.
Aminah and Abdullah started their life together and after a few months he was asked to go on a trade journey to Syria. Aminah was upset because they had only been married for a few months and now Abdullah was going to leave. Deep down she knew that they would be together soon when he returned from the journey. Little was she to know that he would not return to her alive.
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A Poem
Bismillah al rahman al rahim “In the name of Allah”
Asalaamu Alaykum, just want to share a poem with you.
What a year was 570 AD
A person was born, a prophet to be
Muhammed (saws) that was his name
People were misguided and that’s when he came
He would go on to leave all the idols behind
He is an example to all of mankind
Rabbi al Awwal the 12th that was the day
He came to this world to show us the way
He was born in Mecca, the holiest place
A life full of challenges he was to face
Abdullah (ra) his father, had by then passed away
Leaving Amina (ra) his mother, in her arms he lay
Haalima Sadia, took over his care
Until he was six, our prophet was there
His mother then died, he was left all alone
Abdul Muttalib (ra) his grand-dad then made him his own
When our prophet was nine, his grandfather died
Abu Talib, his uncle, became his new guide
In his 20′s, a merchant Muhammed (saws) became by trade
Al-Amin, (the trustworthy) became his grade
Hazrat Khadija (ra) aged 40, became his bride
He was 25, with her by his side
To the poor, she gave away all her wealth
A dedicated wife in sickness and health
360 idols in the Kaaba, they were at that time
Our prophet realised that this was a crime
He would go to mount Hira, leaving behind his wife
Reflecting and wondering about the meaning of life
While thinking there in the midst of the night
He heard a loud voice which filled him with fright
It was the angel Gibrail (as) who asked him to read
Our prophet couldn’t and didn’t take heed
The angel embraced him and then asked him later
Read, Read in the name of the Creator
Who created man from a drop of blood
Our prophet couldn’t read but at that time he could
Our prophet rushed to the path straight ahead
He heard a voice from the heavens which said
Muhammed (saws) truly you are the messenger of Allah
Muhammed (saws) was scared and thought this quite odd
‘Praise be to Allah’ his wife said instead
”I know you’ve been chosen as Allah’s messenger’ she said
And thus Khadija (ra) became the first woman of Islam
And over the next 23 years came the revelation, the Quran
He preached to all people, every creed every race
Yet so many hardships he had to face
There were fears for his life, and then the Hijrat took place
He then entered Medina, all by Allah’s grace
He was greeted by the Ansaris who gave their salaam
To him and his companians, the Sahaba ikram
Then came the battles, which were fought face to face
Then the conquest of Mecca, Muhammed (saws)’s birthplace
An Nasr was revealed, its message was clear
Muhammed (saws) knew that his time was near
Everyone gathered to hear his last speech
Little did they know how far Allah’s message would reach
Muhammed (saws) gave us the miracle the Quran
And now a 1/4 of the world follows Islam
He is our role-model, the best of mankind
And has left the Quran and his Sunnah behind
Read the Quran as much as you can
The words of Allah (swt) for the guidance of man
And follow our prophet’s Sunnah, when eating and dressing
And send him salutations and many a blessing
He came to mankind to show us the way
And Insha-Allah, we’ll meet him; we’ll meet him one day.
By Muhammad Usman Farooq
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