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FIQH-US-SEERAH
UNDERSTANDING THE LIFE OF
PROPHET
Muhammad Al-Ghazali
International Islamic Federation of Student Organizations
IIFSO
Distribution By
International Islamic Publishing House
# k>H ipi\jll Jit
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IN THE NAME OF ALLAH
ALL
COMPASSIONATE
ALL
MERCIFUL
Copyright
(1 420 AH/1999 CE) by IIPH
International Islamic Publishing House
P.O. Box 55195 Riyadh II 534, Saudi Arabia
Tel: (966-1) 4650818
-
4647213
Fax: (966-1) 4633489
E.Mail: iiphl@hotmail.coii]
First Edition (1419 AH/1998 CE) ISBN: 9960-672-71-9
Revised Second Edition (1420 AH/1999 CE)
ISBN 9960860 37 4
All rights reserved. No part ofthis book may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying
?
recording, or by any
information storage and retrieval system, without written
permission from the Publisher.
jsi
i:
Please take part in this noble wort by conveying your
comments to IIPH througn E.Mail, Fax or Mail add]iress,
Contents
Preface 11
The HadTths of this book
17
HadTth Terminology
21
Chapter One
23
A Message and a Leader 23
Paganism Ruled the Ancient Civilizations 23
The Nature of the Final Message 27
The Arabs at the Advent of Islam
3
1
A Teacher Messenger 34
Status of the Sunnah in Relation to the Quran
45
The Prophet
(^g)
and his Miracles 57
Chapter Two
69
From Birth to Prophethood 69
The Opening of the Prophet's
(&)
Chest 75
Bahlra, the Monk
80
A life ofToil 83
The Sacrilegious War 87
The Alliance of the Virtuous 88
Strength and Activity 90
Khadljah
92
The Ka
4
bah 95
Seekers of truth 99
IntheCaveofHira
102
Waraqah i bn Naufal
1 04
Chapter Three
jq*7
The Mission's Struggle
107
What is the Call? 109
The First Group 1 12
Announcement of the Call 1 14
AbuTalib
117
Persecution 120
'Ammar ibn Yasir
(4*)
121
Bilal(^)
122
Khabbab
(&)
123
Negotiations 125
The Migration to Abyssinia 130
Hamzah
(4)
and *Umar (4^)Accept Islam
136
The General Boycott 138
The Year of Sorrow 144
InTalf
1^7
The Isra ' and Mi 'r%
1 50
The Wisdom ofthe Isra'
155
The Completion of the Building
157
The Pure Nature 158
The Institution of Prayer 159
The Quraish Tribe and the Isra*
160
Chapter Four
163
The Mass Hijrah: Its Causes and Effects 163
Differences Between the Two Towns 164
The Jews' Handiwork 166
The First Pledge of 'Aqabah 168
The Second Pledge of 'Aqabah 170
The Beginning of the Hijrah 176
In the Council Chamber 180
The Hijrah ofthe Prophet
($&)
182
A Lesson in Diplomacy 184
In the Cave 185
On the Way to Madlnah
188
Supplication 189
Arrival at Madlnah
192
Settling Down in MadTnah
194
Chapter Five
199
The Foundation of the New Society 199
The Mosque 200
The Brotherhood 202
The Non-Muslims 207
The Chosen Ones 212
The Meaning of Worship 217
A Leadership Which Attracts the Hearts 225
Chapter Six
233
The Bloody Struggle 233
Flying Columns 237
The Expedition of Abdullah ibn Jahsh
240
The Battle of Badr 242
Assessment and Scolding
260
Aftermath of Badr 265
The Beginning of the conflict Between the Jews and
the Muslims
267
Skirmishes with the Quraish 275
The Battle of Uhud
279
Lessons from the Test
289
The Martyrs of Uhud
298
The Effects ofUhud
301
The Exile ofthe Banu al Nadir
308
The Second Badr 311
Dumat al Jandal 312
The Story of the Slander 3 1
7
The Battle ofthe Ditch / Confederates 322
With the Quraydhah 340
Chapter Seven
353
A New Phase 353
The Umrah ofHudaybiyah
3
53
With the Jews Once Again 372
Return ofthe Emigrants from Abyssinia 383
Harnessing of the Bedouin 3 85
Letters to the Kings and Rulers 387
'Umrat al Qada'
397
The Mu'tah Expedition 399
Dhat al Salasil
404
The Conquest of Makkah
406
The Battle of Hunayn
421
Defeat
422
Rally and Victory
424
Booty
426
The Wisdom of the Distribution
428
Return of the Hawazin Delegation
430
The Siege of I a if 431
To the Land of the Hijrah
432
The Attitude of the Hypocrites
434
Tabuk 435
Those Who Were Left Behind
443
The Mosque of Dissent (dirar)
448
The Beginning ofthe Deputations
450
The Pilgrimage of Aba Bakr
(&>)
453
A Deputation of the Pagans and a Deputation of the
People of the Book 456
Chapter Eight
457
The Mothers of the Believers
467
Settling Down 485
The Farewell Pilgrimage
486
To Madman
491
Chapter Nine
493
The Companion on High 493
Epilogue
502
Symbols used in this book
505
Transliteration Chart
506
Glossary
509
PREFACE
There are many great personalities whose biographies people
have read to savour the strokes of genius in them and to follow
in admiration their ways of life and their attitudes towards the
difficulties and problems which confronted them. The mere act
of reading might be only link between these great personalities
and those who know them and it might develop into a deep
study or a strong human bond.
I must hasten to say that I did not write about the greatest of
all the personalities, Muhammad
(^),
'Blessings and Peace be
upon him' son of 'Abdullah, with this limited concept in mind. I
am a Muslim through knowledge: 1 know why I believe in Allah
($g)
"The Exalted', (Lord) ofthe Worlds, and in the prophethood
of Muhammad
(g&),
and why I follow the Book he brought to
us. Indeed, I know why I call others to believe in all this which
has
brought tranquillity to my heart.
Q I happen to have previously published a number oftreatises on
the life ofMuhammad (=S&).
Did I ever digress from it in anything
which I wrote? All the treatises in which I discussed faith, morals,
social behaviour and government, I depended heavily on the life of
Muhammad
(^)
for their material. Thus I can truthfully say that
this book is not a sudden link with the Prophet of Islam
($&),
nor
is it a collection of proofs for his truthfulness, nor ideas which
occurred to me about his genius. All that has been analysed at
length elsewhere. In producing this book I had a specific objective
in mind and I hope it has been achieved.
The Muslims oftoday know only the surface layer ofthe life of
Muhammad
(^^),
which neither arouses emotions nor evokes
resolutions. They extol the Prophet (3fc)
and his Companions
from inherited tradition and little knowledge, and think that verbal
praise or some small act is sufficient.
Q Such shallow knowledge of Muhammad
(^fKs)
is equivalent to
ignorance of him. It is unjust to the great reality that it should be
turned into a legend. It will be injustice to that period ofhistory,
12 Preface
which was pulsating with energy and strength, to be presented in
the shrouds of the dead. The life of Muhammad
(^b)
is not for
Muslims, the entertainment of an idle person nor the study of a
neutral critic. It is the most excellent example for them to
follow, and the source of the laws by which they are governed.
So any shortcomings in the presentation ofthis biography or any
confusion in its sequence of events will be a terrible injury to the
reality of faith itself
Q Thus I have done my utmost to give readers a true picture of
the life of the Prophet
(^s)
and I have made every effort to give
the reasons and explanations for whatever took place during his
life time. Then I have allowed the plain facts and their effects on
minds without any bias or subterfuge. I have made good use of
the biographies written by both ancient and modern scholars.
The modern historians lean towards analysis, comparison, and
the tying up of various events into a systematic whole. Thai is
the best part of their method. However, the ancient historians
rely on the collection ofdetails, sifting of sources, and recording
of small and big events. These numerous archives contain gems
of importance if only proper use is made ofthem.
Perhaps here I have blended the two methods in a new way
which extracts the best from them both. From the details of the
biography I have compiled a cohesive topic, all of whose parts
are bound by one spirit. Then I arranged the texts and narrations
in such a way as to conform with the unity of the topic and help
to complete the whole picture. My aim was to make the
biography into something which nurtures faith, purifies
characters and fans the struggle, which encourages one to
embrace the truth and be faithful to it and which contains a
wealth of relevant examples.
I wrote about the life of Muhammad
(^feg) as soldiers would
write about their general or employees about their employer or
pupils about their teacher. I am not, as I have said, a neutral
historian unrelated to whom I write about. Moreover, I wrote
with the scenes of Muslim backwardness right in front of my
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad
J
3
eyes. So do not be surprised if I relate the events of the life of
Muhammad
(s)
in a manner which hints at our sorrowful
state. Whenever 1 present a story I include in it references to the
true sentiments, sound thoughts and noble actions of a Muslim
to correct this terrible degradation.
Q Muhammad
(^fe)
is not a story to be read on his birthday
as many people do now, nor is he to be extolled in fabricated
prayers added to the words ofthe Adhrn (prayer call), nor can
love for him be expressed in poems of praise which may
make his admirers sigh when they hear them. The ties that
Muslims have with the noble Prophet
($&)
are stronger and
deeper than these deviations which have been thrust into the
faith. The Muslims have indulged in these acts to express
their relationship with their Prophet
($&)
only when they
have neglected the essentials of their faith and contented
themselves with outward manifestations and formalism.
However, since these formalisms are limited in Islam they
have resorted to inventing new forms.
They should not innovate. To turn away from inventing
formalities does not require much efforts. The effort that does
require determination is to hold fast to the essence which has
been neglected and return to the true faith. So instead of
listening to the story ofthe Prophet's (&&) birth being recited in
a pleasant voice, one should get up and reform oneself in order
to draw nearer to the Prophet's
($g)
practices in his worldly
and spiritual life, in his likes and dislikes, in his knowledge and
action, in his habits and forms of worship and in matters relating
to war and peace. The Muslims in whose hearts the Prophet does
not live and whose insight does not follow them in their actions
and thoughts will never benefit by merely sending SalMi and
Salwn to him a thousand times a day.
1 should like to emphasize here the necessity of separating
seriousness from fun in our lives. It would be nice to fix a time
for fun and relaxation and not exceed it and a time for
seriousness and work and not fall short of it.
14 Preface
If people want to sing or listen to a song, let them do so.
However turning IslSm itself into a song, making the Qur'an into
beautiful tunes and the sn-ah (life) (biography) into qasjdahs
(poems) praising the Prophet and chants, have no justification and
can be acceptable only to those who are negligent. This
turnaround has been to the detriment of Islam since it was taken
out of the tleld of behaviour and understanding into the field of
play and entertainment. Those who do this are just the people
described by the Qur'anic Ayah (verse):
(And forsake those who take their religion for a pastime and a jest,
and whom the life of the world beguiles,) (Qur'an 6:
70)
The transformation of the Qur'an into mere melodious chanting
to which music lovers listen to is like the one what made the Jews
and Christians broadcast it everywhere, confident that it would not
revive the dead. The transformation of the Prophet's
(^fc$)
life into
stories, qasidahs and unintelligible prayers has made listening to it
a form ofmental imbalance and eccentricity, which in my opinion
stems from a perversion of the instincts, and a corruption of
society. It would be much better for music lovers to listen to pure
music. If they wish for serious work, they should seek it from pure
sources, whether it be the Qur'an which commands and prohibits,
or the Sunnah which clarifies and explains so that it may be
followed, or the Srah which gives the fragrance ofpure literature,
sound principles and upright politics. And that is Islam.
I began writing these pages while I was in MadTnah in the
holy precinct, which brought me good fortune for a while and
assisted me in completing some useful studies on the Sunnah
and the life of Muhammad
($&).
To Allah (jjg) belongs the
Grace for whatever bounties He ($) has bestowed on me and
perhaps He
(Si) will make me of those who love Him and His
Messenger (s^s). Now, since I can speak and act only with
frankness, I must point out that the distance between the
Muslims and their Prophet
($jg)
is wide indeed, no matter what
love for him they have in their hearts and what prayers they
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad ]
5
offer for him. I saw them visiting his grave with zeal and
yearning before returning to their homelands to find those who
envy them for their good fortune and long for the same chance.
No believer would dispute the fact that love for the Prophet
(^jfe)
is compulsory and that love for him will vanish only from
the heart of a stubborn hypocrite. How should one make this
feeling expressed and show its allegiance to him. This is the
question that needs explanation and clarification.
Yathrib, from the point of view of general economics, is
smaller than it was under the Aus and Khazraj in the pre-
Islamic days. The proportion of its land planted and
cultivated today is one-tenth of what the Arabs used to plant
and cultivate in the old days, the majority of the inhabitants
today are those pilgrims and visitors who remained behind
after the pilgrimage. They preferred to be near the Prophet
(%&)
and unemployed rather than to go home and work! And
they call this Hijrah!
Q Is this Islam or love for the Prophet
(^g)?
I remember meeting a
group of Moroccans who claimed that they came to Madman to
escape persecution for their faith. I explained to them that they
were fleeing from the battlefront because their brothers were
righting the French invaders, and they were committing a crime in
leaving them to bear the brunt ofthe struggle all by themselves.
Such a love for the Prophet
{'3s)
is incomprehensible and such a
Hijrah to his Madman is unacceptable. The bond between the
Prophet of Allah
(^s)
and the slaves of Allah (**) is stronger and
firmer than finding expression in such crooked, devious paths.
Q The enemies of Islam were able to demolish the structure of
Islam and turn it into ruins as a result of the negligence ofthe
Muslims. How could the heritage of Muhammad
{$&)
be left
open to the vicissitudes of time? How could the early days of
Jahiljyah be allowed to return? How could such a dangerous
transformation be allowed to occur in silence? How could such a
The first Arabic edition of this book was published at a time when the French had
occupied three regions of Morocco along with other Islamic lands.
16 Preface
dangerous transformation
be allowed
to occur in the expressions
of love for the Messenger of Allah
(^)?
Let the Muslims
therefore understand fully the life of their great Prophet
(&).
This would never occur if the Message itself were clearly
understood and the life ofthe one who conveyed it is studied and
his teaching strictly followed. How cheap is the love when it is
only a talk! And how dear it is when it is ideal, safe and assured!
I apologize for my inability to do proper justice to the
subject. The Prophet's (sgg)
importance is great, and
explaining his life needs a sensitive
mind and a sharp
intellect. Let it suffice to know that this is my effort.
O Allah
(MY.
bless Muhammad
(^5)
and the family of
Muhammad (s&S) just as you blessed Ibrahim
(Abraham)
(*$)
and the family of Ibrahim (Abraham)
(HS&), and be
bountiful to Muhammad
(^5)
and the family of Muhammad
(&)
just as you were bountiful to Ibrahim (Abraham)
(3KB)
and the family of Ibrahim (Abraham)
(*#). Verily You are
the Praiseworthy,
All-Glorious.
Muhammad Al Ghazatr
The Hadlths of this Book
I was glad that this new edition was published after being
reviewed by the great scholar of HadTth, Sheikh Muhammad
NasiruddTn Al-AibanI, who commented on the hadTthsofthis
book. I hope that I may be able to help in bringing to light the
scientific truth and a sifting of historical events by way ofthis
criticism. My thanks to him who volunteered.
The problem with the historians who document the life of
Muhammad (^NiO
and other events is their lack of verification
and authentication. Many ancient as well as modern scholars fell
into this trap, though there arc some differences in their level of
precision and observation. When I started to write the life of the
Prophet
{&$)
1 strove to follow a sound method and rely only
on trustworthy sources. I think I have achieved this aim and
have gathered such material that would satisfy a keen
researcher. However readers will see that Sheikh Nasiruddln's
comments suggest that he doubts this is so. Thus I find myself
compelled to clarify the method which I followed.
The scholars of the Sunnah may differ in the authentication or
rejection of a HadTth. Sheikh NasiruddTn may argue that a
HadTth is weak, and he has the right to do so since he has a firm
grounding in the knowledge of the Sunnah, The majority of
HadTth scholars may think that a HadTth is weak However I may
look at its wording and find that it is in total agreement with a
ayah (verse) of the Qur'an or an authentic HadTth and thereby
find no harm in relating or w
r
riting it. As I see it, the HadTth
brings nothing new into the field of law or good deeds; it only
explains what has already been fixed in the authentic sources.
Take, for example, the first HadTth which Sheikh NasiruddTn
Judged to be weak: "Love Allah (tfe)
for the bounties He
(3$)
bestows upon you and love me for the love of Allah
(%$\
He
may reject the authentication of this HadTth by Al-TirmidhJ and
Al-Hakim and he has the right to do so. However I found nothing
in its meaning to prevent me from accepting it without hesitation.
18
The Hadnhs
ofthis Book
On the other hand, I hesitated to record the HadTth of Muslim
and Bukhan in the way in which the Battle of the Bani Mustaliq
took place. Their narrations of the HadTth suggest that the
Prophet (gig) suddenly attacked that tribe without first offering
them the Dowoh or without any breaking of a treaty on their part
or anything to rise suspicion occurring on their part or
knowledge of any suspicious activities from their side,
J A battle began by the Muslims in such a manner finds
disapproval in the logic of Islam, and is far removed from the
character of the Prophet (s&g).
Thus I refused to accept that the
battle began and ended in this way. However, I was satisfied with
the circumstances as narrated by Ibn JarTr, who, in spite ofthe
weakness of his narration as disclosed by Sheikh Nasiruddln,
conforms to the assured principle of Islam of "no aggression
except to the wrongdoers." As for those who are peaceful and
unaware, there is no justification for attacking them.
Q The HadTth as narrated by Bukhan and Muslim can have no
other explanation than its being the description of the second
phase of the incident. In other words, taking them by surprise
came only after hostilities had begun between that tribe and the
Muslims, and each one was lying in wait for the other. Thus it
was the Muslims who saw the opportunity and attacked their
enemy, and
4
war is deception' in this case there must be some
preface to Bukharfs and Muslim's narration similar to what Ibn
Jarlr reported and was criticized by Sheikh NasiruddTn.
I am not the first to adopt such a line of approach. It is the
approach adopted by most ofthe scholars when confronted by
both weak and strong narrations. They agree that a weak HadTth
may be accepted so long as it is in conformity with the basic
general principles, which are of course, derived from the Qur'an
and the Sunnah. It was in the light of this balanced view that I
related the Prophet's
($&)
consultation with AI Habbab on the
occasion of the Battle of Badr, even though the HadTth scholars
declared its chain of narrators to be weak, because it comes
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad } 9
within the scope of the good deeds which Allah
($)
and His
Messenger
(^&)
enjoined and there is no harm in relating it.
This is so far as the weak hadlths are concerned.
G As for the authentic hadlths Sheikhs Nasiruddln knows quite
well that there is wide scope in their diverse meanings to accept
or reject them. There is no scholar who has not rejected some
authentic hadlths in preference to what appears to be more
authentic. May Allah (Ss) prevent us from provoking
controversy over the Sunnah, which is undoubtedly the second
source of Islam,
Nevertheless, if I study hadlths and find that, as a whole, they
agree with the Qur*an in principle that there was no war until
after the Da'wah had been clearly conveyed, then how could I
accept what suggests otherwise? Allah (M) orders His Prophet
($M)
in the Qur'an to say:
(Say: it is only inspired in me that your God is One God. Will you
then surrender [to Him]? "But if they are averse then say: I have
warned you all alike, although ) know not whether near or far is that
which you are promised,
">
(Qur'an 21 : 108-109)
After this announcement, which is directed to both the callers and
the called, and after the wars ofthe Prophet
(^g)
and the righteous
caliphs, in which they adopted this method of explaining the
Message and allowing the people the opportunity of accepting or
rejecting it, I do not think that anyone could force me to accept what
the two Sheikhs (Bukhan and Muslim) reported on the authority of
'Abdullah ibn
*
Aun. He said:
I wrote to N5fi\ May Allah
(M)
bless him, asking him about
the supplication before fighting. He replied that, that was in the
early days of Islam, when the Prophet
(gg)
attacked the Banu
Mustaliq unawares and killed their fighters and took their
women captive, and it was then that he took Juwairiyyah as
wife. He said that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar
($>),
who was in the
army, told him about it.
20
The MSdShs
of
this Book
Just as I bypassed this Hadlth, I also bypassed another, which
stated that the Prophet
(^)
addressed his Companions and
informed them ofthe persecutions which would take place until
the Day of Judgement and those who would be responsible for
them. It has been proved from the Qur'Sn and the Sunnah that
the Prophet
($&),
did not know the unseen in this strange,
detailed and comprehensive manner.
Q I preferred this method of writing the biography so I accepted
the narrations whose wordings conformed to the fixed principles
and laws, even if their chains of narrators were not sound, I
rejected those hadTths which were described as authentic,
because they did not conform to the fixed principles and laws
according to my understanding of Allah's religion and the
methodology ofthe Da 'wah.
_l There is no space to comment on all my reasons for differing
with Sheikh NasiruddTn over certain things. Nevertheless, there
is space to record all of his comments on the sources I have
used, since I very much appreciate his profound scholarship, and
he represents a well stet founded point ofview, in the sifting of
religious matters. I also think that it is the readers' right to know
the opinion of one of the meticulous researchers on the
narrations which I have utilized here. It does not matter whether
I disagree with him or not. May Allah
($)
reward him for his
efforts to protect the heritage of the Prophet (s^g)
and May He
<W)
guide us all to the straight path.
Hadlth Terminology
The two Sheikhs
hnad or Sctnad
Main
Sahlh
Hasan
Wf
Mursal
Munqati
'
Mu 'addal
Tadlls or Mudallas
Mu 'allai
Shadh
: BukharT and Muslim.
: The chain of narrators.
: The actual text of the Hadlth.
: An authentic HadTth whose hnad is
complete without any deficiency and
whose narrators are absolutely
trustworthy and accurate.
: A good HadTth whose hnad is
complete without any deficiency and
whose narrators are absolutely
trustworthy but may not be very
accurate.
: Weak. There are different categories
of weak Hadlth, of which all those
listed below are examples.
: The name of the ahabTwho heard it
from the Prophet is omitted.
: A name in the hnad is omitted or an
unknown name is mentioned.
: Two or more names are omitted from
the hnad,
: (1)
The narrator gives the impression
that he/she heard it directly from one of
his/her contemporaries, although that is
not so.
(2)
The narrator ascribes qualities to the
person from whom he/she heard it
which that person does not possess,
: Apparently sound, but there is a hidden
weakness in it
: A single trustworthy person narrates it,
contrary to what other authentic
sources have narrated,
22 HadJth Terminology
Munkar
Gharlh
Hasan Gharib
Maw0
: An untrustworthy person narrates it,
contrary to what conies from authentic
sources.
: At one point in its chain there is a
single narrator.
: A HadTth which has the attributes of
both Hasan and Gharib,
: A fabrication by liars who ascribe it to
the Prophet
(^),
This is, strictly
speaking, not a HadTth.
Note: Pickthall's translation has been used for all the
quotations from the Qur'Sn except in a few cases where the
context required a different translation.
Chapter One
A Message and a Leader
Paganism Ruled the Ancient Civilizations
The history of the mankind is sorrowful. Ever since Adam
(4Q, May Peace be upon him, and his children descended on
earth, as time went by and civilizations flourished and
generations rose on the remains of others, humans have been a
motley mixture. If one day they are on the right track, they are
lost for days soon after, and if they seethe light of truth once,
then the darkness of falsehood engulfs them many times
(thereafter). If we were to scrutinize the history of the mankind
in the fight of belief in Allah
(3)
and preparation for the
Hereafter, we should find the world closely resembling a
drunkard whose periods ofdrunkenness exceed his sobriety, or a
sick man who is delirious and does not know what he says*
Although in experiences with themselves and their world,
there are men's many deterrents from committing evil and
many incentives to do good, but overwhelming passion
cannot be subdued by knowledge alone.
How much of the world's life expired before the
appearance of Muhammad
fc-^i)?
Many centuries brought a
wealth of experience and knowledge and encouraged the
growth of the arts and sciences, philosophies and ideas. In
spite of that, however, frivolity became the rule and many
nations fell without achieving the status to which they
aspired.
Look at the fate of the civilizations of Egypt and Greece,
India and China, Persia and Rome. I do not mean their fate from
the political point of view, but from the aspect of feelings and
reason. Contemptible paganism destroyed them and made them
fall into this miserable pit. And the human being, whom Allah
(%)
appointed as His superior vicegerent in the heavens and on
the earth, became a slave subservient to the lowliest thing in
24 A Message and a Leader
these places. What else could there be after cows and calves are
hallowed, wood and stones are worshipped? Entire nations
became polluted with such perversions. Paganism comes from
within the self and not from the environment. Just as sad people
apply their feelings to their surroundings and frightened people
imagine objects to be ghosts, similarly deformed personalities
will apply their stupidity and sterility to their surroundings, and
deify the stones and the animals.
Only when the small heart widens, the dormant thought
awakens and people return to their lofty ideals, these pagan
impressions will disappear automatically. Thus, the first work
for the faith is within men and women themselves, for it is of
no benefit in the fight against paganism simply to slaughter the
holy cows and smash the proud idols while hearts remain in
their previous darkness. The worshippers will just search for
other gods to bow before and make offerings. There arc many
pagans in this world, though they have never met over an altar,
and how quickly they ignore the real presence of their Lord and
run after some new illusion.
Q Superstition does not follow its course in life by announcing
its falsehood and exposing its nonsense. It conceals its
shamelessness with the clothing of earnestness. It borrows the
accepted wear of truth and may even adopt some of its premises
and conclusions before adorning itself for the gullible. This is
how paganism acts. It attacks the true religion and its plain
realities, not as the bee attacks the flowers of spring, but as the
worms break down and waste a fertile soil. Or locusts attack the
luxurious gardens and turn them into barren wastelands. Now, if
it corrupts what it leaves, then it will not correct what it takes,
and if what it takes was good before it reached it, then it will
become harmful after it has been turned into poison in its
stomach. This is the secret why paganism, which does not know
Allah (S>,
claims to come closer to Him and seek His pleasure
through its idols: a portion of truth in portions of falsehood, in a
context which definitely diverts people from Allah
(:&)
and
removes them from Allah's presence.
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 25
The greatest catastrophe which befell the religions on account
of the pagan attack on them was the terrible changes affecting
the religion of Tsa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), They turned
its day into darkness and its peace into distress; they turned
unity into idolatry, degraded the human race and hung its
upliftment on a sacrifice. They turned the ideology ofJesus into
a hotchpotch of unnatural beliefs, myths and legends, The myth
of the Trinity and redemption was revived after early paganism
succeeded in thrusting it upon the new Christianity. In this way
it gained two victories: it strengthened itself and it led others
astray. Thus when the sixth century of the Christian era arrived,
the lights of guidance throughout the world had gone out and
Satan was traversing the vast expanses of land, admiring the
thorns he had planted and seeing how sturdy they had grown.
Magianism in Persia was stubborn vanguard of the
widespread idolatry in China, India, the Arab countries and all
parts of the ignorant globe. Christianity, which vehemently
opposed it, borrowed most prominent characteristics feature the
myths of the ancient Indians and Egyptians. It ascribed a wife
and a child to Allah
(&)
and seduced its followers in Rome,
Egypt and Constantinople with a kind of polytheism more
advanced than that of the fire-worshippers and the idol-
worshippers: a polytheism mixed with monotheism and fighting
pure polytheism! What is the value of these contradictions
which Christianity collected together?
(They [Jews, Christians and pagans] say: "Allah has begotten a son
[children]." Glory is to Him! He Is Rich [Free of all needs]. His is all
that Is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. No warrant you have
for this* Do you say against Allah what you know not. Say: "Verily,
those who invent a lie against Allah will never be successful" [A brief]
enjoyment in this world! And then unto Us will be their return, then
We shall make them taste the severest torment because they used to
disbelieve [in Allah, belie His Messengers, deny and challenge His Ayst
[proofs, signs, verses, etc].
>
(Qur'an 10; 68-70)
26 A Message and a Leader
It seems that the bond of polytheism which linked the pagan
religions to the distorted heavenly religions is what made them
allies in the bid to destroy the Muslims from the day the latter
began establishing their community on the basis of the worship
of the One True God. Allah
(&)
cautioned this Ummah on the
persecution which would befall them from the idol-worshipers
and from the People of the Book at the same time, and He
advised them to fortify themselves with patience and
steadfastness in the face of this intolerance:
(Assuredly you will be tried fn your property and In your persons,
and you will hear much wrong from those who were given the
Scripture before you, and from the idolaters. But if you persevere
and ward off [evil], then that Is of the steadfast heart of things.)
(Qur'an3:186)
The darkness which engulfed the hearts and minds in the
absence of the lights of tawhMcontained in it also traditions of
society and the systems of government. Thus the earth was a den
haunted by murder and destruction where the weak had no hope
of peace and tranquillity. And what good could be expected
from paganism which rejected reason, forgot Allah
($%) and
yielded to the hands of imposters?
It would not be strange if Allah
(3e) refused to help them, as
the Hadlth says:
"Allah
(t*f)
verily fooked at the people on earth and detested them
all both Arabs and non-Arabs except some remnants of the
Peopfe of the Book
"
(From a long HadTth narrated by Muslim)
It was these remains which were impenetrable
by polytheism
in spite of the tidal wave of unbelief which flooded the hills and
valleys. Before the prophethood of Muhammad
(^g),
the world
was drowned in confusion and misery which weighed heavily on
people's shoulders.
You came, while the people were in chaos: if you had passed
by them you would have seen them worshipping idol upon idol.
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 27
The king of Rome oppressed his people and the king of Persia
was deaf and blind from pride.
Finally Allah
($%)
announced that He (-&) would wipe out
these traces and send His
(M)
choicest guidance to creation. He
(M)
sent Muhammad
($&).
The Nature of the Final Message
The prophethood of Muhammad
(^j&)
had the unique
characteristic of being global and eternal. Allah
($%)
was capable
of sending a warner to every village and a guide in every age.
Now if the towns are always in need of warners and the ages in
need of guides, then why were they substituted by a single man?
The truth is that this substitution resembles the brevity which
contains many meanings in just a few words. The prophethood
of Muhammad
(^s)
was a complete substitution for the sending
of an army of prophets distributed throughout the ages and the
wide world. In fact, it filled the need for sending an angel to
every person who lived and will live on this earth for as long as
people look forward to guidance and salvation.
How is that? On a dangerous ground a sincere adviser may
tell you: "Close your eyes and follow me," or, "Do not ask me
about anything which arouses your attention," Safety may be in
obeying him, thus you would prefer to walk behind him until
you cross into a safe territory. In this case he is your appointed
guide, who thinks and sees for you and who takes you by your
hand. If he dies, so do you. However, if at the beginning a wise
person comes to you, maps the itinerary, warns you of the
dangerous places, shows you in detail what stages and
difficulties you have to pass through and walks with you for a
while in order to give you practical guidance in what you have
learnt, then, in this case, you would be your own guide capable
of relying on your own sight and reasoning. The first case is
suited to children and simple-minded people, but the second
case is to be applied when dealing with people of understanding.
28 A Message and a Leader
When Allah
(S)
sent Muhammad
($&)
to guide the world, He
ensured that the message contained the principles which would
open doors for intelligent people to understand what was and
what would be. The Qur'an which lie (*$)
sent down on the
Prophet's (^)
heart is a Book from the Lord of the Worlds to all
living people to guide them to goodness and inspire them with
uprightness. Muhammad (:<&)
was not a leader of tribes, people
who were good because he was good, and when he died they
faded away. He was a force of goodness which played a role in
the moral world similar to the role played in the material world by
the discovery of steam and electricity. His appointment as
Prophet
(^)
represented a stage in the evolution of the mankind.
Before that, people under the guardianship of their keepers were
like confined children. Then they grew up and became capable of
bearing responsibility themselves. So Allah's message came to
them, through the agency of Muhammad
(&M)t
and explained
how they should live on earth and return to heaven. Thus whether
Muhammad (^gg)
remained or went away, it would not take
anything away from his real Message which opened eyes and ears
and sharpened perceptions and minds, and it was all contained in
his huge legacy ofthe Qur'Sn and Sunnah,
Q He was not sent to collect a set ofpeople around him but to
forge a link between creation and the truth by which their
existence would be meaningful; between them and the light by
which they would see their goal So those who recognize the truth
in their lives and walk among people with a light, have definitely
acknowledged
Muhammad
(^0,
have taken shelter under his
banner, even if they have never seen nor lived with their guide,
<0
mankind! Verily, there has come to you a convincing proof
[Prophet Muhammad] from your Rabbi and We sent down to you a
manifest light [this Qur'an]. So, as for those who believed In Allah
and held fast to Him, He will admit them to His Mercy and Grace
[i.e. Paradise], and guide them to Himself by the Straight Path.
)
(Qur'an 4: 174-175)
The Life ofProphet Muhammad 29
So if you see children ignoring their teacher's lessons or
clinging to his clothes while he is alive or holding onto his
belongings after he is dead, then know that he is unworthy
children. He is not fit to be addressed by the teaching of the
Message, let alone standing firmly on its path.
Q In the Prophet's
(^g)
mosque in MadTnah I saw throngs of
people seeking proximity to his grave and longing to spend their
lives beside it. If the Prophet
(0Sj
came out alive and saw them
he would abhor the sight of them and hate to be near them. Their
shabby appearance, their lack of knowledge, their idleness and
negligence, make their relationship with the Prophet of Islam
(^)
weaker than the web of a spider.
I said to them: "what do you gain from being near the Prophet
(3S)
and what does he gain from you?"
Those who understand his Message and live it beyond the
sands and seas know the secret of the Prophet
($g)
better than
you. It is a spiritual and mental proximity above which forms the
only bond between Muhammad
($g)
and those who arc related
to him. So how could sick spirits and feeble minds be related to
him who came to deposit the good health of religion and the
world in the spirits and minds? Is this proximity the sign of love
and the means of forgiveness? You will never love for Allah's
sake unless you first know Allah
(3g).
The natural sequence is that
before anything else you should know who is your Rabb and what
is your faith. When you know this with a clean mind you will
appreciate with a grateful heart the kindness of the one who
conveyed the Message of Allah
($,)
to you an bore hardships on
your account. That is the meaning of the HadTth: "Love Allah (fe)
for the bounties He (4e)
provides you with and love me for the
love of Allah (&)"; And the meaning of the Qur'anic verse:
<Say [O Muhammad to mankind]: If you [really] love Allah, then
follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you of your sins. Allah
often Is oft-Forgiving, All-Merciful.) (Qur'an 3:31)
30 A Message and a Leader
Then again, the Prophet of Islam
(^)
did not appoint himself
as a "gateway" for forgiveness and blessings. He never did so for
a single day, because he was never implicated in swindling. He
tells you either to go with him or go along with someone else, and
let us all stand before Allah (3s)
and pray to Him
(#$):
{You [Alone] we worship, and you [Alone] we ask for help [for
each and everything]. Show us the straight path; The path of those
whom you have favoured; Not the path of those who deserve your
anger nor of those who go astray.) (Qur'an 1 : 5-7)
So if this Prophet (3&g)
is pleased with you, he will pray to
Allah
(3)
for you: and if you are pleased with him and
acknowledge his great work and status in your heart, then
pray to Allah
(M)
for him likewise. You will be participating
with the angels, who recognize his greatness and pray for his
increased reward;
<Lookl Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet. You
who believe! Ask for blessings on hfm and salute him with a worthy
salutation.) (Qur'an 33: 56)
Q It is not Muhammad's task to drag you to paradise with a rope.
His task is only to implant insight into your heart to see the truth
within. His means of doing that is a Book which falsehood can
never approach either from infront or behind, which is easy to
remember and safe from deviation. That is the secret of the
permanency in his message.
O Let us see, therefore, how the Prophet
(^g)
treated the
environment in which he was born, in the light ofthis essential
nature of his message, and let us before that look at the conditions
ofthis environment itself
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 31
The Arabs at the Advent of Islam
The people of Makkah were weak in thought, and strong in
desire, since there is no relationship between the maturity of
thought and the maturity of instinct, nor between the
backwardness of societies in their intellect and the backwardness
in lust and desire. The viciousness of desire and lust which we
hear about in Paris and Hollywood is not much more than what
was experienced in the past centuries when corruption was
spread over the surface of the globe. The advance of civilization
has had no effect from this point of view except to increase the
means of gratification. The desires themselves remain the same
before and after the flood [of the time ofNooh (Noah)
(%3)].
Selfishness, greed, showing off quarrelling and jealousy, as well
as all the other despicable qualities, filled the world of old, al
though through the ages they appeared in different clothing. You
can see in the primitive village or among members of a simple
tribe rivalry for wealth an status exists as it exists in the most
modem societies* Many people may lack vast reserves of
knowledge and virtue but they never lack vast reserves of
trickery, ambition and intrigue. You may be astonished at people
who do not understand a problem just under their noses whereas
they understand that so-and-so is no better than they.
Q From the time of (Nooh) ($*), life contained a fair amount
of such stupidity and stubbornness. Thus when Nooh' s(>&B)
people were invited to believe in Allah (3e) alone, their
response to Nooh (*B) showed no concern for the subject-
matter of the invitation. All they cared about was the person
who extended the invitation and the high status he would
acquire with this message:
<But the chieftains of his folk, who disbelieved, sard: this is only a
mortal like you who would make himself superior to you. Had Allah
willed, He surely could have sent down angels.) (Qur'aii 23: 24)
32 A Message and a Leader
There are many openings for personal desire to influence
one's actions and the effects of desire on morals are very
complicated. Among the violent waves of desire and sin and
the people living in that environment were
prominent
examples of strong passion and paralysed thought, or
thought which developed under the shadow and in the
service of uncontrolled
passion. Disbelief in Allah
($%)
and
the Last Day, concern for the pleasures of the world and
engrossment in the satisfaction of them, strong desire for
supremacy, grandeur and authority, fickle prejudices which
wage war or make peace for these desires; they are the
inherited traditions which direct the material and moral
activities of the individual in this limited sphere.
It is a mistake to think of Makkah in those days as a village, cut
off from civilization and in a desolate desert, aware of nothing in
the world except the necessities which barely kept the body alive.
On the contrary, it had its fill until it ran wild, disputed its
arrogance until it crushed itself, and ungodliness sank deep into
its being until it became almost impossible to extract it. The
people were either blind to the truth or denied it In this society
which had never any sort of intellectual civilization, the
individual's pride reached such an extent that there could be
found those who vied with Pharaoh in his tyranny and arrogance.
Q
*
Amr ibn Hisham said, justifying his disbelief in the Message
of Muhammad
($fe):
"We rivalled the BanQ *Abd Manaf for honour and prestige
until when we resembled two racehorses, they said; "Among us
there is a Prophet who receives revelations. By God, we shall
not believe in him and we shall never follow him unless we
receive revelations too, just like him."
G It is claimed that Al Walld ibn Al Mughlra said to the
Messenger of Allah
(^): "If prophethood were true then I
should have a priority to it rather than you, since I am older and
have more wealth than you."
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 33
Q Such arrogant stupidity was not displayed by Makkah alone: in
Madlhah, 'Abdullah ibn Ubayy*s disbelief was for similar reasons.
After the Hijrah Allah's Messenger
(^s)
went to visit Sa'd
ibn*Ub8dah during his sickness before the Battle of Badr. He
rode a donkey and had Usamah ibn Zaid behind him. They rode
until they passed by a gathering of people in which was
*
Abdullah ibn Ubayy, The gathering contained a mixture of
Muslims, idolators and Jews, and among the Muslims was
*
Abdullah ibn Rawaha.
When the dust from the animal reached the gathering
4
Abdullah ibn Ubayy covered his nose with his cloak and said:
"Do not throw dust on us."
The Prophet
(#g)
greeted them and then stopped and
dismounted. He called them to Allah
(M)
and recited the Qur'an
to them. "Abdullah ibn Ubayy said: "Hey man, there is nothing
better than what you say. If it is the truth then don't annoy us with
it in our gatherings. Go back to your mount, and whoever comes
to you, tell him about it"
*
Abdullah ibn Rawaha said: "On the contrary O Messenger of
Allah
($^)>
bring it to us in our gatherings. We love that."
Thereupon the Muslims, idolators and Jews began to abuse each
other until they were on the verge of coming to blows. The
Messenger of Allah
(^&)
continued to pacify them until they
calmed down.
Then he mounted and rode off and when he reached Sa'd ibn
Ubadah he said: "Did you hear what Ibn Hibban (that is,
'Abdullah ibn Ubayy) said?"
Sa'd asked what he said and the Prophet
(^g)
told him. Then
Sa*d said: "You must pardon him, Messenger of Allah
(^&),
for
by Him who revealed the Book to you, Allah
{$)
has given you
the truth which He
(ffl)
revealed to you. The people of this lake
(MadTnah) had assembled to crown him and tie a band (of
34 A Message and a Leader
honour) on his head. But when Allah
($)
prevented that with
the truth He gave you, he was outmatched by that. And that is
what made him do what you saw,"
1
Ibn Ubayy was tormented by Islam since he saw it, as a threat
to his leadership, and it was the same with Abu Jahl before. Now,
if these people turned away from the truth after understanding it
clearly, there are thousands of others who, although they do not
understand Islam, hate it and fight against it,
Q Amid these simple or compound forms of ignorance and these
deliberate or misguided hostilities, amid innumerable examples of
misguidance and unawareness, Islam began to spread its rays little
by little until it took a whole nation out ofdarkness into light, in
fact, Islam turned that nation into a brilliant lamp which provided
illumination and guidance. The lessons which caused this amazing
transformation and which raised tribes and nations from the Nadir
to the Zenith were not medicine for a particular time or a specific
set of people. They were essential cures for human nature
whenever it got out of hand, and they shall remain as long as
humans remain, and they shall ennoble them and resuscitate life.
A Teacher Messenger
The news had spread among the followers of the previous
Scriptures that the time for the appearance of a Prophet
(^g)
had drawn near and this had its justifications. The people were
accustomed to receiving one Prophet after another without too
long a wait in between, and it often happened that prophets
existed in the same age and lived in the same or neighbouring
regions. After Jesus, however, the situation had changed. Almost
six centuries had passed since his ministry and a new Prophet
was yet to be seen.
Q When the world became crammed with vice and corruption,
A sound HadTth narrated by BukhfirT with the explanation of Fath al BarL It is also
narrated by Muslim and Ahmad from the Iladnh of Usama Ibn Zayd,
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 35
the eagerness for the awaited reformer increased. There were
men who detested the prevailing ignorance and were looking
forward to this noble position, wishing that they would be
chosen for it. Among them was Umayyah Ibn Al Salt, whose
poetry was full of references to Allah
(W)
and the praise that
was due to Him. So much so that the Prophet (~Jg) said of him:
"Umayyah was about to accept Islam.
2
Q 'Amr Ibn al SharTd reported from Umayyah:
I was riding behind the Messenger of Allah
(^)
one day
and he said:
4L
Do you know any poem of Umayyah ibn al Salt? I Said yes,
so he said recite it. I recited a couplet, and he asked me to
continue reciting until I had recited a hundred couplets."
However, Providence ignored these aspiring poets and
revolutionaries and imposed the great trust on a man who never
aspired for it nor had any thought of it:
<You had no hope that the Scripture would be inspired in you; but It
is a mercy from your Lord, so never be a helper to the disbeliever.)
(Qufan 28:
86)
Selection for the great roles do not come about by aspiration
for them but by the strength to bear them. There are many
people in life who desire but possess only the ability to desire,
and there are many staunch people who remain silent but when
they are given the trust they perform miracles with it.
No one knows the capacities of individuals except their
Creator, and He ($e) who wants to guide the entire world will
choose for this great task a noble soul. The Arabs in their
jahillyah regarded Muhammad
(^&)
with respect, for they saw
in his character the signs of perfect manhood. However, they
never thought for one moment that the future of life would be
tied to his future, and that wisdom would burst forth from that
*A sound HadTth narraied by Muslim and Jbn MajOh from Aba IJurfiira.{4$. They also
narraieU ii from Ibn al Shartd as ihe completion of ihe Ibllou ing 1 ladffli.
36 A Message and a Leader
pure mouth and traverse the deserts and the jungles, the hills and
the plains. They saw of him only what a child sees ofthe surface
of the sea: he is fascinated with the calm surface and knows
nothing of its depths. Allah's selection of Muhammad
(^$$)
was
a surprise, but after the initial shock disappeared he braced his
strong shoulders to bear the burden that was to be thrust on him.
Thereafter, he applied himself to his task with clarity and
Allah's assistance.
For 23 years the Revelation descended upon him, each set of
AvM (verses) being revealed according to circumstances and
events. This long, vibrant period was one oflearning and teaching.
Allah
(M)
taught His Prophet
(0&),
who in turn received these
interesting sciences and turned them over in his mind until they
became a part ofhis being. Then he taught them to the people, and
captivated their souls with the depth and beauty oftheir message.
The Revelation of the Qur'an over this long period was done by
the Creator to provide a cure for ailing souls, to establish His (M)
laws in die hearts and souls ofpeople and to construct a new social
order. The Qur'arfs harmony in it$ goals and meanings over such a
long time is considered to be one ofthe aspects of its miraculous
nature. The last portions to be revealed after almost a quarter of a
century came in total conformity and harmony with its early
portions, one complementing and reinforcing the other as if they
had all been revealed at the same time. The Arabs wondered why
the Qur'an was revealed in that way:
<And those who disbelieve say: "Why is not the Qur'an revealed to
him all at once?" Thus [it is sent down in parts], that We may
strengthen your heart thereby. And We have revealed it to you
gradually, In stages. [It was revealed to the Prophet In 23 years]. And
no example or similitude do they bring [to oppose or to find fault in
you or in this Qur'an], but We reveal to you the truth [against that
similitude or example], and the better explanation thereof.
>
(Our'an 25: 32-33)
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 37
The Qur'ari explains the real nature ofthe faith as Allah
made it and the history of this faith. In its general call it presents
the doubts and answers them. It brings its proofs with clear
understanding of its opponents' views. It follows all the
accusations made against it to the farthest extent and then it
presents its evidence and destroys all the accusations. The
Qur'an began among the people in whose hearts disbelief was
firmly rooted and on whose tongues argument was ready. It was
as if fate had chosen this environment to be the society
representing the lowest level of doubt that could enter the heart
and the most extensive challenge that falsehood could pose.
Thus if Islam succeeded in dispelling these doubts and
overcoming these hurdles, then it would be even more capable
of facing the other challenges which are of a lesser degree.
Those questions which were directed to the Prophet or were
expected to be directed to him in relation to their varying beliefs
and laws found satisfactory answers in the Qur'an, with the
understanding that the question represented not only the need of
the questioner but also the need of the mankind at all times. In
this atmosphere full of questions, requests for clarification, or
challenges. Revelation came to the Prophet
(5KS)
with the words:
"Say this'
1
or "Say that". There are many AyM (verses) which
begin with this command in reply to a question asked or assumed.
When you read these elaborate answers, you feel a wave of
certainty flowing into your heart as if the misgivings you
harboured or were likely to harbour had been swept away. These
strong bonds are what tie the eternal Message to the conscience of
the people. The Qur'an is a living messenger: you ask it and it
answers you; you listen to it and it satisfies you*
Look how it establishes the concept of the resurrection,
reward and punishment; how it stresses the comprehensiveness
of Allah's will and power in the course of an answer to a
question asked. Look how the concepts are interwoven in a give
and take, in an objection and rebuttal as if it were a flowing
discussion which extended farther than the immediate speaker
and affected all the mankind to the end of time.
38 A Message and a Leader
<Does not man see that We have created him from Nutfyh [mixed
male and female sexual discharge
-
semen drops]* Yet behold he
[stands forth] as an open opponent. And he puts forth for Us a
parable. And forgets his own creation. He says "Who will give life to
these bones after they are rotten and have become dust?" Say: [O
Muhammad] "He will give life to them Who created them for the
first time! And He is the All-Knower of every creation!" He Who
produces for you fire out of the green tree, when behold you kindle
therewith. Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth. Able to
create the like of them? Yes, indeed! He is the All-knowing Supreme
Creator. Verity, His Command, when He intends a thing, is only that
He says to it, "Be J- and it is! So glorified is He and exalted above all
that they associate with Him, and in Whose Hands is the dominion of
ail things: and to Him you shall be returned.) (Qur'an 36: 77-83)
This is one example of reasoning based on accurate vision. It
is not specific for one age or one place. It is addressed to the
general intellect in all the mankind and it is an explanation of the
wisdom behind the Revelation of the Qur'an in installments. The
Ayat (verses) came to the Prophet
($g)
with the order "say
such-and-such" in reply to the questions put to him during his
efforts to call mankind to Allah ($s). Then both the question and
the answer are recorded, so that the knowledge thus gained may
benefit mankind till the end of time. The command to "say"
attracted the concern of the scholars: It is an instruction from
Allah ($) to His Messenger
(^)
and an instruction from the
Messenger
{$)
to the people; and after this command came the
statements which contained all that Allah
($6)
wished of advice,
exhortations and regulations.
U When the idolators wanted as was their custom to transfer
the field of dispute from the real nature of the faith to the
person of the Prophet
(2^g)
and his followers, the following
Ayat (verses) were revealed:
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad
JQ
<Say [O Muhammad]:
"Have you thought;
whether Allah causes
me
[Muhammad] and those with me to perish or has mercy on us, still,
who will protect the disbelievers from a painful doom?"
say: "He is the
Beneficent. In Him we believe and in Him we put our trust And you
will soon know who it is that is clearly in error/')
(Qur'an 67: 28-29)
Look how He extracts the marrow from amid the dust of
argument! What good would it do to you if Muhammad
(&)
and all those with him were wiped out? Just think how
superstitions destroyed you and diverted you from the straight
path! It is not the duty ofthe Prophet
(^)'and his Companions
to think about themselves and their good fortune. They are
simply callers to the Beneficent: they believe in Him and put
their trust in Him. So if you want, the way to the Beneficent, it is
prepared and easy!
It is not necessary for a question to be asked for the answer
"Say" to come from Allah
(&).
It may be that the method used to
present the principles and etiquette of the da'wah requires this
kind of opening. Thus the purpose behind it would be to explain
the need for Islam and the Prophet in such a clear and satisfactory
manner that all doubts are uprooted before they are bom.
(Say [O Muhammad]: 'Truly, my Lord has guided me to a Straight
Path, a right religion, the religion of Ibrahim
[Abraham], Hanifa
[i.e. the true Islamic Monotheism -
to believe in One God [Allah
l.e. to worship none but Allah, Alone]and he was not of Ah
Mushrikun
[Polytheists]. Say [O Muhammad]:
"Verily, my $a!at
[prayer], my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the
Lord of the 'afamm [mankind, jinn and all that exists]. "He has no
partner. And of this I have been commanded, and I am the first of
the Muslims." Say: "Shall I seek a lord other than Allah, while He is
the Lord of all things? No person earns and [sins] except against
himself [only], and no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of
another. Then unto your Lord is your return, so He will tell you that
wherein you have been differing.") (Qur'an 6: 161-164)
40 A Message and a Leader
This address to the Prophet
(^g)
implies a command to all
living beings in his era as well as the era of the afterwards to
contemplate with their intellect what is being revealed to him and
judge with their consciences the extent of its accuracy and
sincerity. Thus If one's heart is full of faith, it is faith in the Lord
of everything and the Prophet's (&$) task ends at this point:
when the intellect and heart arrive at their Creator and the
straight path becomes clear to them. After that every man and
women must (themselves) bear the consequences of the good or
evil that they do.
The Prophet
(^^)
is not an intermediary who bears for you
the good you performed, nor a sacrificial victim who bears for
you the punishment you deserve. Herein lies the deep gulf
between Christianity and Islam, Islam rates highly the value of
humans and gives them their appropriate reward according to
their righteousness or depravity. In Christianity, however,
humans are too lowly to have direct access to the Lord of the
Worlds: there must be another whom they can approach and
who accepts their repentance. And who is that other? An
adopted son! If people confess to sins, it is not they who face the
penalty; the sacrifice was offered in a past age for these sins, and
they must believe in that if they want to gain salvation! This
insanity is in need of heavy drag lines to travel through life
opposed to logic and justice.
Q In Islam, Allah (Se)
tells His Prophet (3Ss) something which
opens up the eyes and intellect:
{Say [O Muhammad]: "Who Is the Lord of the heavens and the
earth?" Say; "Allah!" Say: "Do you then take [others] beside Him
for protectors who can neither benefit nor hurt even themselves?"
Say: "is the blind man equal to the sighted man, or is darkness equal
to light?" Or assign they to Allah partners who created the like of
His creation so that creation [which they made and His creation]
seemed alike to them? Say: "Allah is the Creator of all things, and
He is the One, the Almighty.") (Quran 13:16)
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 41
These questions come one after the other like whiplashes
which sting falsehood, awaken the sleeper and spur humankind
to embrace the truth and rise high with it. This is what the
Messenger of Islam
(;$&)
proclaimed and worked for,
Q Islam encountered the strongest opposition from the paganism
of that time. It did not breathe its last after a battle or two;
instead it fought hard for every handful of earth. After the death
of the Prophet
($g)
it was thought that paganism had exhausted
its strength. On the contrary, it grew stronger and the whole
peninsula was in a turmoil during Abu Bakr's(^) reign. The
Muslims were surrounded by a storm of blind apostasy and they
began fighting it once more. However, they were unable to
defeat it until after they sustained losses greater than those they
had experienced in the Prophet's
(^^)
lifetime while fighting
those idolaters. The people who remained steadfast to the truth
after the death of their Prophet were the real Muslims, Islam is a
commitment to principles, not people, Allah
(3c) taught His
Prophet
(s^s)
and the Muslims through him, how to adhere to
the truth they had recognized and to hold fast to it no matter how
much they were attacked and opposed.
The world is overflowing with incentives to deviation, and it
attempts first and foremost not to leave any space in itself for faith.
If faith gains any progress after struggling hard, it will try to make
it forgo a portion and be content with a portion. If it succeeds in
manoeuvring faith into this position, it will then be easy to finish it
off. This is why Allah
(-&)
gives the decisive order in the Qur'an,
decreeing that faith is an integrated whole which cannot be divided
and that this fact must never cease to be impressed upon the
unbelievers. Thus we must hold fast to these interrelated
teachings, love and hate according to their directives and make
peace or war on their behalf. The value of emotion in the service
of Islam is no less than the value of reason relevant. The relevant
Qur'anic AyM (verses) are actually command to the Muslims
which came in the form of an address to the Prophet (i$s^).
42 A Message and a Leader
<0 Prophet! Remember your duty to Allah and do not obey the
disbelievers and the hypocrites. Behold! Allah is knower, Wise. And
follow that which is Inspired in you from your Lord. Behold Allah is
Aware of what you do. And put your trust in Allah, for Allah Is
sufficient as Trustee,) (Qur'an 33: 1-3)
It is not expected that the Prophet
(^^)
would obey the non-
believes and hypocrites for him to be warned of it. It is we who
are meant by this directive. Similarly we find the verse:
i
"Call [the mankind] to your Rabb, and do not be of those who
ascribe partners [to Him]. And do not call any other god along with
Allah") (Qur'an 28: 87-88)
From the very start of his da wah the Prophet
($$g)
waged
war on polytheism and false gods, and it is from him that the
people learned of this battle, thus it is not possible to expect
otherwise from him.
Similarly the Qur'an says:
*
Do not strain your eyes towards that whkh We cause some wedded
pairs among them to enjoy, and do not be grieved on their account, and
lower your wing [in tenderness] for the believers.) (Qur'an 15: 88)
(
And do not obey him whose heart We have made heedless of our
remembrance, who follows his own lust and whose case has been
abandoned Say: [Ft is] the Truth from the Rabbof you [AN].)
(Qur'an 18:28-29)
{And if you [O Muhammad] are in doubt concerning that which We
reveal you, then question those who read the Scripture [that was]
before you. Indeed, the truth from your Lord has come to you. So,
do not be one of the waverers. And do not be one of those who
deny the Revelations of Allah, for then you will be one of the
losers.) (Qur'an 10: 94-95)
The commentators say that the Ummah was addressed by these
Ayat (verses) in the person of its Prophet
(^g),
just as orders are
given to the leader though he is the soldier who execute them*
nfig Life of
Prophet Muhammad 43
Others say that the Prophet
(^&g)
himself was addressed by them in
order to spur him on and make him more determined. It is like the
strong person who is told not to weaken, or the intelligent person
who is told not to be stupid, not because it is feared that they will
be so but to encourage them to maintain these qualities of strength
and wisdom. In a similar manner courageous people will go
forward into the jaws ofdeath if they are told not to be cowardly.
In any case the Prophet
(^^)
is the most excellent example
and from his pattern of behaviour the people take his ideal Both
he as well as ourselves have been ordered to steer clear of the
misguided people and not to adopt their attitudes and actions,
the reason for this being is that on many occasions truth is in a
weak position and hard to follow w
r
hereas falsehood is strong
and has many attractions. An ideology has the right to demand
of its adherents their total support and their rejection of anything
opposed to it. The orders which command these attitudes will
never be short of sternness: what more could there be after Allah
()
says to His Prophet
(^g):
<lf you ascribe a partner of Allah your work will fail and indeed you
will be among the losers. No, it is Allah you must serve, and be
among the thankful,) (Qur'an 39: 65-66)
This mode of address resounds in the ears and it is used for a
purpose. It had the effect of rousing the feelings of the Muslims
against corruption and frightening them against allowing it to
happen, lest they fall into it.
The opinions of the commentators which previously quoted
are also equally applicable to this AySh (verse):
4And if you [Muhammad] are In doubt concerning that which We
reveal to you, then question those who read the Scripture [that was]
before you.) (Qur'an 10:
94)
This is addressed to the reader or the listener or to the
Prophet
(^)
himself by way of exhortation as you already
know
r
,
since the Prophet would never doubt his prophethood.
44 A Message and a Leader
This statement supposes the impossible to happen, for in another
chapter, the Qur'an says:
<Say [O Muhammad]: The Beneficent One has no son. I am first
among the worshippers.) (Qur'an 43: 81)
that is, if He had a son, I should be the first to worship him,
So what is the meaning of asking the People of the Book?
The commentators say, it means the trustworthy and just among
them, for they would not hide the evidence oftruth if they were
asked. However, think that such truthful people among the
People of the Book arc very scarce and one cannot depend on
what they say. I do not think this is the meaning of the verse.
One comes to appreciate the value of what one has, when one
sees the confusion among others. So if you ever have any doubt
about the Quran being from Allah (t&), then search through the
Old and New
r
Testaments and you will quickly return to your
Book and hold fast to it, and praise the Almighty a thousand
times for having guided you to it! I think this is what the verse is
referring to, since the truth in Islam becomes stronger and
clearer when one discovers the corruption that happened to the
earlier religions. This understanding agrees with Allah's saying:
<And if you do follow their desires after the knowledge which has
come to you, then you will have from Allah no protecting friend nor
helper) (Qur'an 2:
120)
Q It is also supported by the saying which BukharT reports from
Ibn 'Abbas, He said:
"O gathering of Muslims, how could you ask the People of the
Book while your Book which was revealed to your Prophet is the
most recent book from Allah
($)? You recite it in its pure form
without any corruption, and Allah
(&)
tells you that the People of
the Book changed and interpolated the Book of Allah (<&). They
wrote the Book with their own hands and said it was from Allah
so that they might sell it for a little price! Does not the
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 45
knowledge which came to you prevent you from asking them?
No, by Allah (<&), we do not see a single one of them ever asking
you about what was revealed to themJ"
Islam from the educational point of view is knowledge of the
truth, and from the emotional point of view love for and support
of it and hatred and open enmity towards falsehood. There are
some people who show
r
calmness in their feelings and with this
they receive an opinion and its opposite. This may be acceptable
in trifling matters. However, if it concerns faith and disbelief,
morality and immorality, then it is not. It is Allah ($>) who taught
His Prophet
(^s)
the Book and faith, and from this recognition of
Allah's bounty to him he held his faith dear and felt proud ofthe
Quran. He lived with them, and for them he waged war and
made peace. Many a time did his enemies long for him to
compromise a little with them, but they were disappointed.
(Who would have had you compromise, that they may
compromise.) (Qufan 68:
9)
Q The nation who is worthy of belonging to his fold is that
nation which struggles for truth and does not allow it to be
disparaged or wronged. One of its characteristics is that, it is a
nation with an ideology and a methodology: its moral and
material existence depend on the energy it expends for this
purpose and the fruits it produces.
Status of the Sunnah in Relation to the Qur'an
It is the duty of Muslim to arrange in order, the sources from
which they take their faith and to know
r
the correct position of
the recorded sayings and actions of the Prophet
(^g)
in relation
to the complete record of divine Revelation with which the final
message was crowned. The Qur'an is the spirit and essence of
Islam, and its conclusive verses its constitution was laid down
and its method explained. Allah
(56) himself undertook to
protect it and in this way the reality of the faith was preserved
46 A Message and a Leader
and everlasting life was decreed for it. The man to whom Allah
(18)
chose to convey His signs and deliver His message was a
"living Quran" who walked among men. He was a perfect
example of faith and humility, striving and struggle, truth and
strength, understanding and expression. It is no wonder,
therefore, that his sayings, actions, tacit agreements, morals and
rules as well as all aspects of his life are counted as the pillars of
faith and legislation for Muslims.
Allah
{%)
chose him to speak in His name and convey His
message: so who is more capable than he of understanding the
meaning of Allah's words? And who is more capable than he of
defining the method which conforms to the Qur'anic references
and suggestions? The application of the law is no less important
than its formulation. The law has its letter and its spirit, and when
efforts arc made to interpret different events according to the law,
one finds juristic opinions and advice being given and
experiences and lessons being recalled, sometimes the application
of the law in these various circumstances seems to be nearer to
the letter, and at other times it seems nearer to the spirit.
The Quran is the law of Islam and the Sunnah its application,
and Muslims are required to respect this application just as much
as they are required to respect the law itself. Allah ($&) Himself
gave His Prophet
(^g)
the right to be followed in all that he
ordered or prohibited, since in these things he did not speak of
his own accord but under guidance from his Lord. Thus
obedience to him is obedience to Allah
($s)
and it is not blind
submission to a human being, Allah
(M)
says:
^Those who obey the Messenger obey Allah, and those who turn
away, We have not sent you as a warden over them
J (Qur'an 4: 80)
And We have revealed you the Remembrance so that you may
explain to people that which has been revealed for them, and that
perhaps they may reflect.) (Quran 16:
44)
The Life
of
Prophet Muhammad 41
{
And whatsoever the Messenger gfves you, take it. And what-so-ever
he forbids, abstain [from it].) (Qur'an 59:
7)
It must be remembered, however, that divine inspiration does
not paralyse the higher human faculties. It is a mistake to think
that the prophets are puppets whom the angels cause to talk or
keep quiet. Even if they were not prophets, they would have
been respectable men qualified to be in the forefront. Revelation
does not come to people haphazardly. Only those are selected
for it, who are the most perfect of all people in their intellect,
virtue and character. Their way of life is not to be discarded nor
are they to be neglected, above all when all these qualities are
reinforced by infallibility and the sagacity by correct direction.
Q To follow the footsteps of the Prophets
($s)
is total virtue
and, as such, the Sunnah of Muhammad
(^g)
was made a
primary source of law along with the Qur'an by which Allah
($%)
honoured him and all the Muslims. The things that are
reported from him must be adopted, however, be scrutinized
carefully before they arc accepted as genuine, because ofthe
distortions which occurred in the past. Not everything which is
authentically proved to come from him is always understood
correctly or given its rightful position. The Muslims were not
hurt by the fabricated hadrths as much as by the
misinterpretation of genuine hadlths. This reached such a great
extent that finally people began to look at the entire collection of
hadTths with a sceptical eye and wished that the Muslim would
eradicate them.
This is an error on two counts. Firstly, it ignores historical
reality, since the world has never known any man whose every
action was recorded and minutely scrutinized as those of
Muhammad Ibn
4
Abdullah. How could they then be thrown into
the dustbin? Secondly, there are many gems of wisdom in the
Sunnah, and if they were to be ascribed to anybody else, that
person would be considered one of the greatest reformers, so
why allow them to go waste and deprive people of their benefit?
48 A Message and a Leader
When we study the legacy of Muhammad
(~8&)
in morals
and when we review his sayings which run into the thousands on
virtue, we have the impression that if an army of psychologists
and educationists were to come together and try to produce such
advice, they would fail. Yet morality is only one branch of the
Prophet's
(^^)
message. Nevertheless, no-one can be an
authority on the Sunnah unless he or she fulfils all the
requirements necessary to make the study of it beneficial to
Islam and the Muslims.
(1)
No-one can be an authority on the Sunnah unless he or she
studies the Qur'anic sciences in detail. The Qur*an is the sole
constitution of Islam, and it is what defines precisely for
Muslims their duties and rights, it delegates to them all their
responsibilities in order, and it demarcates their acts of devotion,
their lives, so that one act does not cross out another or cause
them to neglect their work and duties in life. Those who fail to
acquire this knowledge from the Qur'an will never be
compensated for its loss by anything else, and any picture which
forms in their minds about Islam from a non-Quranic source is
defective and may be totally contrary to the truth. For this reason
the leading $ahabah were keen to clear the way for the noble
Qur'an to occupy its rightful place in their hearts and they
ensured that nothing vied with it for priority.
Ibn 'Abdul Barr reported in his book Jami
l
Bayan ai 'Jim wa
Fadlih from Jabir Ibn
3
'Abdullah ibn Yasar who said he heard
'Air
(4*)
saying;
I strongly urge all those who have written collections (other
than Qur'an) to go back and destroy them, for the people
perished only because they followed sayings oftheir scholars
and cast aside the Book of their Lord.
This is how it is written in the book "JamTBaym at
l
lim." It is a mistake cither from
the copier or the printer. Originally it should be "from 'Abdullah ibn Yasar". This
Jabir is AI Ja-fi and he is very weak. Al Jauzajani and others called him a liar.
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 49
Q He also reported from Al ZuhrT from 'Urwa
4
that 'Umar ibn
al Khattao
(&)
wanted to write down the Prophetic
(^gi)
sayings and consulted the Companions about it. They agreed,
and 'Umar
(<>)
prayed for one month, asking Allah's guidance
in the matter One day he came, confident of Allah's decision,
and said;
I had wanted to write down the prophetic sayings but I
remembered a people before you, who wrote books and held fast
to them and forgot the Book of Allah
(&). By Allah
(&),
I shall
not mix the Book of Allah
($g)
with anything at all [or in
another version] shall not cause the Book ofAllah
(3)
to be
forgotten,
Also, on the authority of Ibn Sirin who said: 'The children of
Israel went astray because of some books they inherited from
their fathers,
u
Alqama and Al-Aswad visited 'Abdullah ibnMas'Qdand
they had a scroll containing on interesting text. 'Abdullah ibn
Mas'ud then told his servant to bring a bowl of water and with it
he washed out the writing, repeating.
e relate unto you [Muhammad] the best of stories through Our
Revelations unto you, of this Qur'an, And before this [l.e. before the
coming of Divine Revelation to you], you were among those who knew
nothing about it [the Qur'an].) (Qur'an 12:
3)
They said to him, "Look, it contains wonderful sayings."
But he continued to wash it out and said: "These hearts are
vessels, so fill them with the Qur'an and do not fill them with
anything else." The scroll had contained a portion of the
sciences of the People of the Book.
He is "Urwa son ofAlZubayr. He never heard from 'Umar(.) and in fact, never saw
him. This quotation is therefore weak. Il is reported in the same manner by AE-KhatTb with
the exception of the version of Rashid who reported it from At Zuhri and connected it by
mentioning "Abdullah ibn 'Urnar ibn 'Urwa and 'Umar (.$}, Howeverjhis report is rare,
as Al-Khanb himself explained.
50 A Message and a Leader
Q Also, on the authority of Amir al Sha'bT from Quraza ibn
Ka'b
(4&),
who said:
We left the town, heading for Iraq and 'Umar
(4*>) went with
us as far as, Sirar, then he said: "Do you know why I have
walked with you?"
They said: "Yes. We are the Prophet's
(^)
Companions so
you have walked with us in order to see us off and honour us."
Then he said, "You are going to the people of a town who
recite the Quran with a humming sound like that of the bee. Do
not distract them with the HadTth. Recite the Qur'an to the best
of your ability and keep to the minimum your quotations from
the Prophet
(^&),
peace be upon him. Continue and I shall be
your partner/'
When Quraza reached Iraq, the people asked him to narrate
the Prophet's
($&)
sayings and he said, "Umar
(<&) stopped us
from doing that."
*Umar
(&%
'Air
(<&)
and the other leading Companions did
not reject the Sunnah. Nevertheless, they wanted to give the
Qur'Sn the greatest share of reception and appreciation, and this
is the natural sequence. One must fully and correctly understand
the law before delving into the details and explanations which
are given for some parts of it, since the details and explanations
are not needed by everyone. Also people's minds might be
clustered up and no space left in them for the necessary and
important principles.
Care must be taken especially since the way in which the
HadTth are narrated brings together various sayings which the
Prophet
(^^)
made on different occasions and at different times.
4
Urwa ibn al Zubayr reports that 'A'ishah said;
(1)
Are you not surprised at Aba Hurairah
(-&)? He came and sat
next to my room and narrated HadTth from the Messenger ofAllah
(**=-;), wanting me to hear, I was praying and he left before I
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad
5/
finished my prayer If 1 had caught him I should have replied to
him. The Messenger of Allah
(gjg)
did not recite Hadlth as you do.
5
(2) After the understanding of the Quran comes the correct
understanding of the authentic hadlths. It is best for those who
know the Sunnah to refrain from quoting the Prophet
(0g)
if
they do not understand the full implication of the quotation,
though they may understand the literal sense of the words. The
Sunnah suffered greatly in the past from those who memorized
much of it but understood very little. *A'ishah
r
s astonishment at
Abu Hurairah 's
(*&)
quoting of hadtths was not because she was
accusing him of lying. His method of narrating Hadtth neglected
the circumstances under which they had been said and strung
one Hadlth to another. Muslim narrates that 'Umar (*$*) struck
Abu Hurairah (<&) because he heard him quoting the Hadlth of
the Prophet
(&):
"who-ever says 'there is no god but Allah (*g)
will enter paradise." Perhaps 'Umar
(4*)
did so because he
found Abu Hurairah
(4*) mentioning the Hadlth to those who
understood nothing about it except that Islam is a spoken
statement and there is no action behind it.
6
Stopping the HadTth,
even if it be authentic, is better than reporting it in this manner,
surrounded by ignorance.
7
Ibn "Abdul Barr reports that Abu Hurairah (*?-0 himself said: "I
am narrating to you Hadlth which if I had done so during 'Umars
(4)
time, he would have struck me with a cane
"
*Umar s
(*&)
reason for preventing the narration of Hadlth was because he
wanted to build society on the teachings of the Quran, and
encourage people to study the Quran and extract what they
needed from it. If the Sunnah were narrated after this had been
accomplished, it would be absorbed by enlightened minds and
Narrated by Bukharl Muslim and Ibn Abdul Barr.
This explanation is improbable even impossible, since the Hadlth iisctfas narrated
by Muslim says that iJmar {-**) was the first to meet Abo Hurarra (.*-.) arid hear it
from him. May be the author should look at it again.
What l say is correct. Sheikh Nasiruddin has no reasonable objection to my
explanation. (Author).
52 A Message and a Leader
would not be misinterpreted. Abu Hurairah
(*&) might have been
able to quote a hundred hadTths on salah because of his good
memory, and perhaps 'Umar (4b) would have no objection to
them being taught in a specialist school However, disliked the
Muslim masses to be occupied with such things when a few
r
h5dlths were sufficient for them, and then they could devote more
time to what would be beneficial for Islam and all its people. This
is the reason why he objected to those who narrated too many
hadlths. Ibn Hazm reported almost a thousand pages of HadTth on
wudu, for those who were interested in this kind of knowledge,
although to occupy the masses of Muslims with the like would be
sheer stupidity! What time would be left for the Qur'an itself? In
fact, to occupy the Muslims with the Qur'an in this manner is to
trespass on the religion.
The Messenger of Allah
(^g)
said:
"Recite the Qur'an and do not exaggerate in it nor shun it, and
do not eat by it.
1 '
8
If any credit should go to the memorizers, it is because they
conveyed the knowledge to those who could benefit from it. In a
similar vein the Prophet said;
"Perhaps the carrier of knowledge is not knowledgeable.
Perhaps one carries knowledge to a person who is more
knowledgeable than one self"
Q Aba YOsuf said:
AI A'mash asked me about a problem. The two of us were
alone and I answered him. He said:
"Where did you get this from, Ya'qub?" I said: "From the
HadTth which you told mc and I told others!"
Then he said to me: "O Ya'qub, I learnt this HadTth before your
parents were married and I never knew its meaning until now,"
A sound HadTth narrated fay Ahmad and Al-Jahawi in Sharh Ma'anT al Alhar from
Abdul Rahman ibn ShibJ.
g
A sound HadTth narrated by Ibn
+
Abdul Barr as well as olher compilers.
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 53
Aba YQsuf, the scholar, might have seen what Al A
1
mash,
the memorizes did not. It is not forbidden to memorize without
understanding. What is forbidden is that, one should understand
incorrectly.
3 The technical arrangement of the hadTths as they were
recorded and came down to us, places all matters of faith in one
chapter and all matters of law in another, and so on. Now, since
Islam is a collection of all these truths, the Sunnah has come to
resemble a huge clothing store in which different garments are
arranged in different corners. Here you will find the headwear,
across there the trousers, and beyond that the shirts, etc.
Naturally, those who want a complete outfit will go to every
comer and select what suits them. It often happens, however,
that you see someone buying two caps and leaving barefoot, and
another buying a handkerchief but is without a proper shirt! This
is what happened to many groups who studied the Sunnah,
After much speculation, they came out to the people armed
with a toothbrush and turban without a tail. This for them is
Islam. The secret is that they entered this large showroom and
came out thinking that the whole of the religion was contained in
one or two HadTth. Thus they harmed the Qur'an and the Sunnah,
(3) Lack of understanding of the Sunnah, in spite of the
preoccupation with it, has harmed the orientation of the Muslims
and spread among them a set of unsuitable laws and restrictive
traditions. These are rejected by the spirit of the Qur'an and
Sunnah, although they may be based on an authentic HadTth not
properly understood.
Q The cause ofthis is that Islam has presented a set of laws on all
important matters, and they are contained in the Qur'an and
Sunnah; they are all complementary, verified and supported by
one another. Thus if there appears to be something which
contradicts all the others, it is investigated until a rational
explanation is found for it which conforms to all the others, or it
is rejected in favour of those which are more authenticated. Many
of the scholars think that the HadTth narrated by one authentic
54 A Message and a Leader
individual (and these hadlths arc known technically as ahM) must
be rejected if they contradict the evident meaning ofthe Qur'anic
verses or other authentic sources or if they contradict the
reasoning of qiyas (analogy) based on the Qur'an itself. They
differentiate between the hadTths narrated by the jurists and those
narrated by people who are memorizers only. Let me give you an
example of how nations may be exposed to stagnation and loss as
a result oftheir misunderstanding of events.
Many Muslims rule that women should not see any stranger
or be seen by any stranger, and in Madlnah the women walked
in the streets wearing loose garments covering them from head
to toe. There are two slits for them to see through, although
these may be covered by pieces of glass or celluloid. This
widespread tradition is based on a Hadlth which I heard the
Imam of the Prophet's
(^gs) Mosque quoting in the pulpit during
a Friday prayer. The HadTth slates that the Messenger of Allah
($g)
objected to his wives seeing "Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum
and when they pointed out that he was blind, he asked them,
"Are you blind?
10
Q I objected to the preacher's citing of this Hadlth, since the
scholar of the Sunnah had spoken about its meaning. It is sheer
Narrated by Aba Dflwad AI-TirmidhT, Ibn Sa
+
d and AI Baihaqi through Al-Zuhri.
te last said: "Nabhan. slave of Umm Salman, reported from Urnnt Sal&mah that she
1
1
The jasi saw: ".<\aonan. siaveoi ummsaJmah. report
said:
"1
was with the Prophet
(i*&) and so was Maimflna and Ibn Umm Maktam
approached. This was after hijab was instituted, The Prophet
($g)
said: Veil
yourselves from him.
So we said: "O Messenger of Allah
(3jg)s
isn't he blind and cannot sec or recognize
us?
He replied' "Are you blind? Aren't you seeing him?
Al-TirmidhT said it is a good and sound Hadlth, and Ibn Hajar. declared its chain of
narrators to be strong in his Fath at Ban, ITis is doubtful, however, since Nabhan is
accepted as authentic only by Ibn Hibban who is known for his negligence in
authenticating the narrators. This fact is pointed out by Ibn Hajar himself in his
introduction to Lisan al-Mizan. For this reason we see that he did not authenticate
Nabhan in Al Taqrib but said of him: "Acceptable when scrutinized. But no scrutiny was
done of him as regards this Hadnh, This statement can only mean that this Hadlth is
unacceptable. Ibn
l
Abdul Barr says: "He is not of those whose hadrths are authentic and
this Hadnh ofhis is unknown", as quoted by Ibn aJ Turkman! in AUawhar Al NaqL
The Life ofProphet Muhammad 55
ignorance of the Sunnah to cite it when speaking of the duties of
women, their way of life and the principles of their participation
in society in general Why do we not mention the HadTth
reported by BukharT in this connection since they are more
precise and authentic?
Q Under the heading "Women at War and their Fighting with
the Men" BukharT narrates that Anas (4t) said:
"When if was the day of Uhud the people (Muslims) retreated
from around the people. And I saw 'A'ishah, daughter of Abo
Bakr
[&), and Umm Sulaym: their garments were tucked in and I
could see the outline of their legs. They were carrying
waterbags on their backs, pouring the water into the mouths of
the people and returning to fill them and repeat the same
procedure."
He also mentioned under the heading "Women at War at Sea"
that Anas (<&) said:
"The Messenger of Allah
(^*) entered the house of Milhan's
daughter. He lay down and slept. Then he laughed.
She asked: "Why did you laugh, Messenger of Allah
CSS)?
He said:
4
I saw people from my Ummah sailing across blue
sea in the path of Allah
(-M) as if they were kings seated on
thrones.
She said: O Messenger of Allah
0g),
pray to Allah
(3)
to
make me one of them.
He said: "O Allah
(3),
make her one of them."
Then he slept again, and he laughed. She asked him the
reason and he repeated his dream as before.
She said: "Pray to Allah
(M)
to make me one of them/
1
He said:" You are among the first, not among the last."
Q She married *Ubadah Ibn al Samit after that, and she sailed
across sea with Bint Quraza. When they reached shore she
mounted her horse. It stumbled and she fell off and died.
He also mentioned under the heading of "Women's Carrying
of Waterbags to the People in Battle" that
;
Umar ibn AI Khattab
56 A Message and a Leader
(4s) distributed scarves to the women of MadTnah and one
exeel 1 ent scarf remained
.
Some of those with him said:
"0
Commander of the faithful,
give this one to the grand daughter of Allah's Messenger
(;$^)?
who is with you. They meant Umm Kulthum, daughter of "AlT
s
Umar (4ft) Said: "Umm Salit is more deserving of it. She was
one of the Ansar women who took the pledge with Allah's
Messenger (^&)."
'Umar (4*) continued; "She used to sew water bags for us on
thedayofUhud,"
He also mentioned under the heading of "Women's Attendance
to the Wounded in Battle" from Al Rubayyi* bint Mu'awwadh, She
said: "W
r
e were with the Prophet, giving water to drink, attending
the sick and removing the wounded to Madma," etc.
Q Let us suppose that BukharT did not narrate these authentic
hadTths: should the HadTth of the blind man be imposed upon
society? Should women be confined to their homes and never
able to leave this prison? Such *a ruling cannot be seen in the
Qur'an, In fact, the Qur'an makes this ruling the punishment for
women who commit fornication!
tAs for those of your women who are guilty of lewdness, call to
witness four of you against them. And if they testify [to the truth of
the allegation] then confine them to the houses until death take them
or [until] Allah appoint for them a way [through new legislation].)
(Quran 4:
15)
Q However, the Muslims, when they found the civilized ways of
educating men and women too hard because of their deviation
from the Qur'an resorted to prisons and castles, and what
happened is well known. The Muslims abandoned the Qur'an
for the hadlths. Then they abandoned the hadTths for the sayings
of the scholars. Then they abandoned the sayings of the scholars
for the method of the blind followers. Then they abandoned
these blind followers and their sternness for the ignorant people
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 57
and their confusion. The evolution of Islamic thought in this
manner was a disaster for Islam and the Muslims. Ibn
l
Abdul
Barr reports from Al-DahhSk ibn Muzahim:
"There will come a time over people when the Qur'an will be
left on the shelf and spiders will build their webs over it: no use
will be made of what is in it and men's actions will be according
to narrations and hadTths."
Q The path of rectitude in this blind alley is to return to the
Qur'an and make it the main pillar of our intellectual and
spiritual lives. Then when we are fully conversant with it we
should look into the Sunnah and benefit from the Prophet's
(s^g)
wisdom, way of life, worship, character and regulations.
Nobody should be allowed to speak on the Sunnah who has little
understanding of the Qur'an, or little understanding of the
variety of narrations, or is unaware of the occasions and
circumstances under which they were said.
The Prophet
(^g)
and his Miracles
The life of the Prophet
($&\
both public as well as private,
went according to the customary laws of nature and, as a whole,
did not go beyond them. As a human being, he felt hunger and
satisfaction, he had his periods of health and sickness, he
became tired, he rested, he felt sad and glad. However, humans
in these things are of various categories and they are not all
bound by a general law. There arc those who are passionate
about their necessities, and if they diminish just a little their
hearts palpitate and their energies are drained. And there are
others who are sturdy and content with their small share. They
march towards their goal with high head and firm footsteps. The
machines which run on oil are ofdifferent categories. There is
the bad kind which consumes much fuel and gives little benefit,
and there is the good kind which produces much with a small
fuel consumption. Human beings are just like that with their
bodies, necessities and luxuries.
58 A Message and a Leader
Anyone who pursues the SIrah of Muhammad
(s&&)
Tbn
'Abdullah will see from his private life the sturdiness of the
material which moulded his body in such a manner that giants
could not compete with him. He was able to bear the burdens of
life and the difficulties of the struggle with complete bravery and
rectitude. Yes there are geniuses who are blind or deaf, who have
stomachache or pains in their chest, but genius is not
prophcthood,
1
'
Allah's perfect favour to anybody is that He
(3g)
should grant him freedom from all these diseases so that all the
elements may be complete which would rectify his vision of life
and his behaviour in it. From this point ofview Muhammad
(s&i)
was a perfect human being and his life was in total accordance
with Allah's universal laws concerning outstanding heroes.
As for his public life, as a Messenger (ss)
conveying the
Message from Allah
($%),
training the believers, resisting the
unbelievers and persisting in the spread of his da'wah until it
bore fruit in all corners ofthe globe.
There is no doubt that, the Qur'an is a miraculous book, it
awakens the higher faculties in the human race. It is somewhat
similar to the great events which happen to people and cause
them to think deeply and with insight. It is therefore a human
book which assists the general awareness to be more mature and
accurate.
* Behold! We have appointed it a lecture [Qur'an] In Arabic that
perhaps you might understand.) (Qur'an 43:
3)
A Scripture whereof the Ay&t (verses) are expounded, a
lecture (Qur'an) in Arabic for people who have knowledge.
(Good tidings and a warning.) (Quran 41:4)
The difference between the education of the Arabs by the
Qur'an and the education of the Jews by the Torah is like the
difference between the voice of guidance which shows the
intelligent person the way and the whip of punishment which
Sec my book The Ideology of the Muslim,
The Life
of
Prophet Muhammad 59
stings the back of the stupid beast to make it move forward, but
it takes one step forward and then jibs. 'Abdullah ibn Rawaha
used to chant:
"Among us is the Messenger ofAllah
(^)
reciting His
(S)
Book.
When a hidden ray of sunlight splits the dawn. He showed us
guidance after blindness.
So our hearts have faith in him, that what he says is true. At
night he forsakes his bed.
When beds make the idolaters heavy with sleep."
Some scholars say that the Qur
1
an is the only miracle of the
Prophet. Here they are looking only at the literal sense of the
word miracle (Arabic mu'jiza), which is a supernatural
occurrence combined with a challenge, and such a challenge was
offered only by the Quran. I have accepted a similar meaning
12
,
not because of the literal definition of miracle, but in
consideration of the intrinsic value of other miracles in relation
to the noble goals Islam brought by,
There is, however, no relationship between belief or action
and these studies; wicked people will not be forgiven their
wickedness because oftheir belief that the Prophet was sheltered
by a cloud or addressed by a rock, nor will righteous people lose
their status if they deny such miracles. Such studies go back to
the scientific assessment of the evidence for and against such
occurences and the evaluation of their significance. Accuracy or
inaccuracy in this matter will not take away from one's faith.
Q A terrible craze took over the Muslims in the ascribing of
miracles to righteous people. The majority of them went to the
extent of linking miracles to the level of faith, and one writer
on
tawhici even said in verse: "Affirm the ability of saints to
perform miracles, And who denies it, reject whatever he says."
The relationship of this to tawhsd is like its relationship to
grammar or astronomy! In other words the essence of the
religion is far removed from these studies whether they conclude
"
See m\ book The Ideology ot the Muslim
60 A Message and a Leader
in the affirmative or negative. The miracles which are attributed
to the saints by their admirers are evil expressions ofthe vices of
laziness and stupidity which are hidden within them, just as the
nightmares of a sleeper are the expressions of their disturbed
minds and frayed nerves. This saint opened a locked door
without key; that saint flew in the air without wings; that other
one urinated on a rock and it turned into gold; and that other one
had knowledge ofthe unseen!
There is much nonsense of this sort, reflecting ignorance of
the real nature of the religion (Islam) and of the world. It also
shows that its promoters are too deviant in their minds and
hearts to understand fully the lives of the Prophet
($&)
and his
Companions. Muhammad
($gg)
was not a man of fanciful
imagination who built his life and mission on fictitious tales. He
was a man of reality who perceived from near and afar, and if he
wanted anything he would take the necessary steps to achieve it.
In taking these steps, as can be seen in the light of bitter reality,
he took the utmost precautions and expended his utmost
energies. Neither he nor his Companions ever thought that
heaven would strive for him if he relaxed, act for him if he was
lazy, or look after him if he was negligent. Never were miracles
or supernatural occurrences the foundations or girders in the
building ofa great man or a great nation.
Muhammad
(^jfe)
and his Companions learnt and taught,
fought and made peace, defeated and were defeated. They
spread their call throughout the horizons and they struggled on a
handful of earth. No earthly law was ever broken for them and
no universal law was ever bent for them. In fact, they sweated
more than their enemies did and bore heavy losses in the path of
their Lord, and thus in the struggle for survival they had the
priority of steadfastness and victory. Allah
(3)
taught them
harsh lessons so that they might not expect any favouritism from
Providence in any clash, although they were too sharp-witted to
expect such favouritism. Allah
(3c) says to His Prophet
(^g):
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 6
1
(And when you [Muhammad] are among them and arrange [their]
worship for them, let only a party of them stand with you [to worship]
and let them take their arms. Then when they have performed their
prostration, let them fall to the rear, and let another party come that
has not worshipped, and let them worship with you, and let them take
precautions and their arms. Those who disbelieve long for you to
neglect your arms and your baggage that they may attack you once for
all. It is no sin for you to lay aside your arms if rain impedes you or
you are sick. But take precautions. Behold! Allah prepares for the
disbelievers a shameful punishment-) (Qufan 4: 102)
Look how they are ordered, while standing in prayer before
Allah
($)
to be extremely cautious and attentive, Allah (3c)
did
not allow any hope to them into thinking that the angels would
descend and assist them. If they did not protect themselves, then
no-one would protect them. That is what Allah (tfe)
said to
Muhammad (-$2&) and his Companions.
When the Muslims failed to heed this lesson in the Battle of
Uhud, they were dealt a painful blow, which felled seventy of
their heroes and made them taste bitter defeat. On that day the
leader of the unbelievers, Abu Sufyan, stood up and shouted
"Long live Hubal!" (Their chief god). The Prophet (3Kg) was
severely tested in his ability to save the situation: he fought and
killed and was wounded.
Abu Hurairah (4&)
narrates that the Messenger of Allah
($&)
said on the day of Uhud:
"May Allah's anger be severe on the people who do this to their
Prophet, [Pointing to his teeth]. "May Allah's anger be severe on a
man who is killed by Allah's Messenger in the path of Allah (fc)."
13
Anas (<&)
said that the Prophet's
(^)
front teeth were
broken on the day of Uhud and his head was gashed. He began
wiping away the blood from his face, saying: "How could a
people be successful who gashed their Prophet's
(^g)
head and
IJ
A sound MadTth narrated by BukharT and Muslim,
62 A Message and a Leader
broke his teeth while he was calling them to Allah ($)?
"
Upon
this Allah
(#e)
revealed:
* It Is no concern at all of yours [Muhammad] whether He relents
toward them or punish them; for they are evildoers.) (Quran 3:
128)
14
Do you think that negligence of the steps toward victory
brought anything other than defeat? Even though those who
were defeated were representatives of true tawhuf} Even though
those who gained victory were upholders of pure paganism?
Whenever the Prophet (^Sss) wanted to attack, he feigned
otherwise, saying: "War is Deception',
15
In spite of his taking
precautions according to Allah's order, and his respect for the
natural laws which regulate human life, some ofthe Arab tribes
were able to trick him. They persuaded him to send a group of
Qurra* of the Holy Qur'an who were some of the choicest
Scihabah, and they killed them all to the last man at Bfr
Ma"una. Only the birds discovered their place of death and
hovered in the air above the bodies of these martyrs. These men
who fell victims to treachery were some of the best-loved of
Allah's creation to Him, yet He did not give permission to any
of them to fly without wings or escape his inevitable fate, is to
be thought by the backward Muslims oftoday.
If precaution and care were the Prophet's
(^^)
practice, then
even more so were preparation and exhaustion of energy. How
do you think Muhammad
(^g)
gained victory over the
mankind? He brought his men to maturity with faith just as the
summer ripens its sweetest fruits with its slow heat. Thus when
he dispatched them to all corners of the earth, they went with a
roar like that of a violent storm, Islam from the day it started
was a battle Jed by Revelation, thus its first flowing impressions
were like a storm with lightning and thunder:
14
A sound JfadTlh narrated by Bukharl and Muslim in the same chaptcr.
A sound HadFth narrated by Aba Oflwod from Ka'b ibn Malik (&). Bukh&rr and
Muslim narrated something similar.
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 63
(Or like a rainstorm from the sky, wherein in darkness, thunder and
the flash of lightning. They thrust their fingers in their ears by reason
of the thunderclaps, for fear of death. Allah encompasses the
disbelievers [in His guidance].) (Quran 2:
19)
Do you think that relaxation and negligence would have left
any opening in these crowded ranks? Shame on the Muslims of
today for expecting miracles in a world which has bared its
fangs to annihilate them from the roots.
Q I do not deny that miracles happen to people. However, they
happen to the believer and the unbeliever, the righteous person
as well as the sinner. If a man walks on water without his feet
getting wet, this does not prove he is righteous since
righteousness can be determined only by one's faith and action
as Allah (M)
prescribed. Stories that certain people performed
miracles is a purely historical matter for whoever feels so
inclined, and it has nothing to do with faith or responsibilities.
This is, of course, not speaking of the miracles of the prophets,
which emphasized the truth of what they conveyed from AllSh
(0).
Nevertheless* even those miracles which came with
prophethood are a thing of the past and there is no benefit in
arguing over them. We also learn that the miracle of Muhammad
($jg)
was not like those which preceded his era. It was a human,
rational and perpetual miracle, around which Allah (Jj)
organized his life and mission according to the law of cause and
effect, as you have seen.
G Muhammad
(^^)
did not know the unseen. He was like any
other human being not knowing what he would earn the next
day.
Nothing of the sort should be expected of him after the
clear command of Allah
(IB)
came to him;
<Say: "For myself I have no power to benefit, nor power to hurt,
save that which Allah will so. Had I knowledge of the unseen, I
should have abundance of wealth, and adversity would not touch me.
I am but a wamer, and a bearer of good tidings to folk who believe.)
(Qur'an 7: 188)
64 A. Message and a Leader
He might be approached by someone who intended evil but
expressed love, and he knew nothing of that until the man was
exposed by his actions:
And among the town people of Al Madman [there are some who]
persist in hypocrisy whom you [O Muhammadl do not know. We
know them.> (Qur'an 9: 101)
On the Day of Judgement he will be confronted by men
whom he left thinking that they were staunch believers but were
later exposed as to their black hearts and evil intentions. He will
then say, as Jesus said;'
6
*'l was a witness over them while I dwelt amongst them, but when
you took me up you were the Watcher over them,* (Qur'an 5; 120)
Allah (&) might have given him knowledge of some unseen
things for specific reasons, like the prophesy in the Qur'an of the
Romans defeating the Persians, after the victory that the latter
had gained over them. This gladdened the pagans and saddened
the Muslims for they supported the People of the Book.
There are many authentic hadlths which apparently suggest
that the Prophet
(
J
J&i)
was aware of the future. For example,
there is the Hadith of 'AdT ibn Hatim, in which he said:
"While I was with the Prophet
(^)
mere came to him a man
complaining of famine. Then came another complaining of
highway robbers. Upon this he said: "AdX, have you seen Hirah?"
I said: "No. But I have been told of it"
He said: "If your life is prolonged, you will see women on
camels travelling from Hirah to the Ka'bah, not fearing anyone
but Allah ($)."
1 said to myself: "So where will be the homes of (the tribe of)
Tayy who have become high ranking in the land?"
He said: "And if your life is prolonged, you will see the
treasures of Khosrau being opened up."
10
The meaning ofihis is in a Hadlth of Ibn 'Abbas as narrated by BukharT in the chapter
on Tafsr.
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 65
Q I said to myself: "Khosrau son of Hurmuz?
He said: "Khosrau son of Hurmuz, And I saw the women on
camels travelling Hirah and circumambulating the Ka'bah
fearing none but Allah
(3c), and I was among those who
conquered the treasures of Chosroes."
17
In truth these hadTths and others like them were not
information of the unseen.
18
They were a testament to the truth
of Allah's promise that the future belonged to Islam and that this
religion would become supreme in all corners of the globe. They
were thus an explanation by the Prophet of Allah's
($*g)
words:
I He It is who has sent His messenger with the guidance and the
religion of truth, that He may cause ft to prevail over all religions.
And Allah suffices as a witness.) (Quran 48:
28)
i.AHah has promised those of you who believe and do good works
that He will surely make them to succeed [the present rulers] in the
earth, even as He caused those who were before them to succeed
[others]; and that he will surely establish for them their religion
which He approved for them and will give them in exchange safety
after thefr fear./* (Qufan 24: 55)
Q Similar to that are the hadTths which warn of persecution, A
person who knows the market forces will not hesitate, after a
brief examination ofthe prevailing conditions, to issue a correct
judgement of them. Someone who intimately understands
psychology will, after a quick glance, fathom what lies beneath
the surface. It is like the poet's couplet: "Al Alma' I who is
suspicious of you as if he actually saw and heard!"
17
A sound HadRh narrated bv BukhSrT and others.
Indeed, they were information of the Unseen, by the knowledge that AHah {-&)
gave him. The above-mentioned explanation has no support for il as long as the
author, May Allah
(M) protect him, accepts the possibility of Allah's informing him.
The HadTth itself contains the proof of this: the Prophet
(#B) said: "Ifyour life ts
prolonged .^
Could this precise temporal definition be known by any experf if Allah
(&) did not grant him that information?
66 A Message anda Leader
Muhammad
(^*)
had a deep knowledge of people and their
qualities, of the world and its stages, oftime and its vicissitudes,
of the earlier religions and what they and their adherents
suffered in blazing their trail through life. The minds of the
prophets were unblemished and sharpened and they had clear
inspiration. So imagine what the highest of all prophets was like:
Providence took care of him from birth and brought him up, so
that he might bear the message whose miracle lay in its method
and whose method was to purify the natures of people and
sharpen their intellects.
Q This made him the best person to evaluate the conditions of
the time and expect what the future would hold. Is it possible for
a traveller in the northern regions to expect the sky to be clear of
heavy fog, or is it possible for a traveller in the equatorial
regions to expect a hailstorm? How then is it worthy of the
Prophet of a great religion to forget the persecution which
affected his teachings and his followers, whether it was in the
near or distant future, and whether it was blatant or hidden.
Q Thus the Prophet
(^)
talked much about persecution, and
his aim was not to prophesy it but to caution against it, suffering
will affect people because of their different ways of thinking and
their different personalities; suffering will occur because
worldly pleasures will attract people who will rival one another
for them; and suffering will affect the Ummah after unbelief
regains its strength. He cautioned his Companions about all of
these in hadlths too numerous to quote here.
Q The gravest of all these sufferings is the decay which will set
into the Islamic teachings themselves.
Salak will lose its spirit which is humility then its body will
be eroded and it wilt become absurd.
Jihmi will lose its spirit, which is sincerity and will become a fight
for boot}' and slaves; then it will lose its sharpness and be shelved.
The Life
ofProphet Muhammad
<J7
Fasting wilt cease
to be
perseverance
in a time of privation
and self-control,
and will
become a time of feasting and double
expenditure.
Government will change
from being
service to the people
with their consent into making
oneself their god by suppression
and force. Then it will fall and both the ruler and the ruled will
be destroyed.
Even the Muslims' love for their Prophet will become, after
his death, a market place around his grave, full ofawe-inspiring
clamouring and droning.
When I visited MadTnah 1 went to the Prophet's
(^^)
grave. The
feelings were flowing from my heart and ringing in my ears. As I
caught sight ofthe grave I headed for it, feeling very humble as if I
was a bull being rolled under the feet of some giant. I paid my
respects in the prescribed manner and did not say anything else
except one verse of poetry. I did not know how it came to me
because of the emotional state 1 was in. My lips
murmured it but
my ears did not hear:
(i
O you, best ofall creation, whose bones are
buried in the earth, the fragrance ofwhich has caused the hills and
plains to be fragrant." Then I went away.
I saw, however, waves ofpeople coming in and shouting long
phrases. Someone was reading from a book, and another listening
to someone who had memorized much; this one was disturbing that
one, and everybody was disturbing
the people at prayer. These
waves were coming constantly and were never-ending,
Was it not that which the Prophet
(&)
meant when he said:
"O Allah
\m)t
do not make my grave after me an idol to be
worshipped.""
As soon as I became aware of the condition
ofthe visitors and
residents in the Mosque, I almost stopped
praying in it, for I
A sound Hadnh narrated by Ahmad and Jbn Sa'd in his Tabaqat on the authority of
Aba Hurairah
(4*).
68 A Message and a Leader
detest most vehemently innovations, chaos and ignorance, I
remembered the story of
4
Urwah ibn Al Zubair:
When he built a castle in the vale of
'Afiq
and kept away
from MadTnah, the people said to him: "You have forsaken the
mosque of the Prophet ($^)!"
He replied: "I saw your mosques being neglected, your
markets overcrowded and lewdness wide spread in your streets.
In the vale is a security from what you are involved in. It is said
that when he was scolded about this, he replied: "What is left?
All that is left are those who rejoice at the misfortune of others
and who are jealous of the good fortune of others."
Q We ask Allah's pardon and refuge.
Chapter Two
From Birth to Prophethood
Muhammad
(^g)
was born of a family ofpure lineage and
noble ancestry which combined all the good qualities of the
Arabs and which held itself aloof from their evil tendencies. The
Messenger of Allan
(^)
said about himself:
"Surefy Allah
(*)
purified the Kinanah from the children of Ismail
(*), purified the Quraish from among the Kinanah, purified fhe
Bano Hashim from among the Quraish and purified me from
among the BanQ Hashim."'
Noble ancestry does not grant status to those who are failures.
It is like steel: when it is left to rust no benefit can be derived
from it, but when crafts people utilize it they make it do
wonders. Thus when the Prophet
(^s) was asked who was the
noblest ofpeople he replied:
"You ask me about the qualities ofthe Arabs?" They replied
yes, so he said: "The best of them in (the days of)jahiliyah are
the best of them in Islam if they acquire knowledge."
2
The Prophet's
($g)
birth in such a distinguished family was
one of the means to success which Allah
(3&)
prepared for His
Messenger. Early Arab society was based on keen tribalism
which led a tribe to extinction in defence of its own honour and
the honour of anyone allied to it. For a time Islam remained
under the protection of these
long-observed
traditions until it
was able to stand on its own feet, just as a plant is no longer in
need of the pot when grows sturdy and tall. Even Lat (m) had
wished that such traditions were in existence when he felt the
danger to his guests and could find no clan to extend protection
to them. At that point he said to his people:
A sound HadTth narrated by Muslim on the authority ofWa
T
ila ibn Al AsqaMt is
aJ so declared sound by Al Tirmidhr.
A sound HadTth namued by Bukharr and Muslim on the authority ofAbfl Hurairah (4t).
70 From Birth to Prophethood
(And his people came rushing towards him, and since aforetime they
used to commit crimes [sodomy], he said: "O my people! Here are
my daughters [i.e. the women of the nation], they are purer for you
[if you marry them lawfully]* So fear Allah and degrace me not with
regard to my guest! is there not among you a single right-minded
man?"
>
(Qur'an 11:78)
Thereafter he said:
<
Would that I had strength to resist you or had some strong support
[among you] J) (Qur'Bn 1 1 : 80)
In spite of his noble lineage, however, Muhammad
(^^)
did
not have great wealth. It was this lack of wealth combined with
his nobility which enabled him to acquire the best traits of all
classes of people. The sons of noble families arc led by their
wealth to become haughty. If they lose this weapon, though they
will still have their noble traditions and status which they will
sacrifice their utmost to maintain.
One of them says: "Because of the vicissitudes of time which
affect us, we resist any calamities for fear of being disgraced.
Some of them may find nothing shameful in announcing their
poverty or letting their circumstances be known. Nevertheless,
there are others who keep their grief to themselves and show a
determined face to the world. Such a one was
4
Abdul Muftalib.
'Abdul Muttalib was the chief of Makkah. However, this
chiefdom which he inherited ended with him and was not passed
on to his descendants. Their rivals for the leadership of Makkah
vied fiercely with them and it seemed as if they would take it
over entirely. In a few years 'Abd Shams came to power. Yet no
sooner had another few years passed than the leadership fell into
the hands of AbQ Sufyan and remained out of the control of
Banu Hashim.
Q 'Abdullah was the youngest of 'Abdul Muttalib's sons and
was greatly loved by him. He married him to Amman bint Wahb
and then left him to make his own way in life. After only a few
The Life
of
Prophet Muhammad 71
months of marriage 'Abdullah left on a trading journey, and as it
was summer, he went with a caravan to Syria. He never
returned. The caravan came back with the news of his sickness
and soon after came the news of his death, Aminah was awaiting
her strong, youthful husband to tell him the news of her
pregnancy and the joy they would soon have oftheir first child.
However, fate for a higher purpose ended these sweet dreams.
The wife who was once envied now became a widow, and she
began counting the days when her only child, an orphan, would
be born into this unpredictable life.
Al Zuhri reports that 'Abdul Muttalib sent his son 'Abdullah to
Yathrib to buy their ration ofdates and he died there. Others say
he was in Syria from where he travelled to Yathrib with the
caravan of the Quraish. In MadTnah he fell sick and died and was
buried in the precinct of al Nabigha Al Ja'di. He died at the age of
25 years and before the Messenger of Allah
(ggii)
was born.
Muhammad's
(0gg)
birth at Makkah was ordinary. There was
nothing in it to attract attention or cause astonishment. The
historians have not been able to pinpoint precisely the day,
month or year of his birth. However, most sources are inclined
to the year when Makkah was attacked by the Abyssinians,
which corresponded to 570 ofthe Christian Era, The date of his
birth is set at 12 Rabi'i al Awwal 53 BH, that is, before the
Hijra.
The exact date of the Prophet's
(^)
birth has no religious
significance in Islam, and the celebrations held on this occasion
are a worldly tradition which has nothing to do with the Short
'ah. Some sources report that premonitions of his prophethood
occurred when he was born; fourteen balconies of Khosrau's
palace collapsed; the fire worshipped by the Zoroastrians went
out; and the churches around Lake Sawah crumbled after the
lake dried up. Al Busiri says:'
A pcei famous tor his Qasidtir al Bitrda in praise
of the Prophet {&) (Translator).
72 From Birth to Prophethood
The event of his birth disclosed the purity of his origin
O What a good beginning and a good end!
That day when the Persians perceived
The premonition of disaster and destruction.
And there appeared cracks in the palace of Khosrau,
Disunited just like the henchmen of Khosrau,
And the fire went out in regret for it,
And the river dried up,
And Sawah became sad at the drying up of its lake,
And everyone coming to it for a drink felt angry with thirst.
These words are the wrong expression of a correct idea. The
birth of Muhammad
(^)
was truly a proclamation of the fall of
tyranny and the end of its reign. So also was the birth of Moses
(&&). Do you not see that when Allah
($g)
described Pharaoh's
tyranny over his people and announced His intention of freeing
the slaves and the oppressed^ He unfolded to us the story of the
hero who would undertake this task? Allah
(ifc) says:
<And We Inspired the mother of Moses.) (Qur'an 28:
7)
Muhammad's
{^^)
mission was the most momentous ofall
revolutions known to the world, which undertook a mental and
physical liberation of mankind. The Qur'an recruited the most
upright of men ever known in history and directed their efforts
towards disposing of all the dictators one by one. After this
liberation from the yokes of dictatorship, when the people wished
to outline what actually happened, they imagined the occurrence
of these premonitions and invented tales to fit them. Muhammad
(^^)
is not in need ofany of this, the great role that he plays now
in our present age makes us think little of such tales.
Q 'Abdul Mutjalib received the news of his grandson's birth
with exuberance and joy. Maybe it compensated him for his son
who had died in the prime of life and so he turned his affection
from the past to the newcomer and showed pride and concern in
him. it was amazing that he should be inspired to name his
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 73
grandson Muhammad
(^&V
a name probably inspired by a
noble angel! The Arabs heard this name for the first time and
they asked the grandfather why he did not choose the name of
one of his ancestors.
He replied:
"1
wanted Allah
(m) to praise him in the heavens
and mankind to praise him on earth. This wish was a perception
of the future, for no one ofAllah's
(M) creation is so deserving
of the sentiments ofthanks and praise for what he accomplished
as much as that Arab Prophet, Muhammad
(^fcg).
Q Abu Hurairah (#>) narrated that the Prophet
(^^)
said:
"Do you not wonder at how Allah
(fc)
diverts from me the curses
and abuses of the Quraish? They abuse Mudhammam and I am
Muhammad
($fe)!"
5
However, the harsh reality still remained in spite of the loving
grandfather's attention. Muhammad
(^g)
was an orphan, born
after his father had left this world. So be it! If we supposed that
'Abdullah had remained alive, then what would he have done
for his son? Could he have trained him to become a Prophet? Of
course not: the father is only one of a number of factors which
determine the future of a child. Even if prophethood could be
acquired through effort, his father's being alive would not make
it more achievable, so what about when it is in fact a selection
[made by Allah
(&)]?
While Ya
+
qub was alive he was provided for. He reached old
age and acquired experience and wisdom. In fact, he was
granted prophethood. One day he looked round and did not see
Yusuf (#) next to him: he had lost him in the most crucial
period of his life. YQsuf (3s)
was a young lad full of zeal and
energy, and in spite of the corruption which prevailed in those
4
He gave him this name on the seventh day after his birth after circumcising him.
A sound Hadtth reported by BukharT. The Qtiraish used to say Mudhammam (the
blameworthy) instead of Muhammad
(314)
(the praiseworthy) when referring to the
Prophet (^Sfcs)
(Translator),
14 From Birth to Prophethood
societies through which he passed, his inner being still
overflowed with piety and chastity. He was like a bright lamp on
a dark night. When father and son met again, Ya'qub saw his
son as a staunch prophet.
*
Abdullah passed away, leaving his son an orphan.
Nevertheless, this orphan was being prepared from the first
moment for a noble task. He was being prepared as the leader of
all the righteous people chosen by Allah
($%),
Father and
grandfather, relatives and friends, heavens and earth were nothing
but means which Allah (<&;) utilized to accomplish His decree and
to shower His bounty on the one whom He himself fashioned.
Q Amman showered her affection on her son, patiently awaiting
the best nurses who would come from the desert, seeking to be
the guardians of the children of the nobility. These bedouin
women who went to Makkah for this purpose were looking for
sustenance and good pay. Muhammad
(^jg)
however, had no
father from whom gifts could be expected, nor did he have
wealth to attract them. So it is no wonder that these went nurses
turned away from him and sought other children. HalTmah,
daughter of Abu Dhifaib of the tribe of the Banu Sa
4
d, was one
of those who came to Makkah, wishing to return with an infant
who would be her means of sustenance. At first she was not
pleased to take the orphan, although when she could not find
any other child she felt ashamed of returning home empty-
handed. So she went back to Amina and took Muhammad
(&)
from her.
There was untold blessing in his coming with her. Before that,
her life had been one of hunger and hardship. Now Allah (&)
showered His mercy on her and bestowed on her many benefits:
the animals started giving plenty of milk after they had been dry,
and her life became one of ease and fertility. HalTmah, her
husband and her son felt that their return from Makkah was one
of the blessings and gain, not poverty and orphanhood. They
thus became very attached to the child and were proud of him.
The Life ofProphet Muhammad 75
The upbringing of children in the desert, where they can play
in the pastures of nature and enjoy its pure air, is best for the
natural development of their bodies and minds, and the freeing
of their thoughts and feelings from prejudices, ft is unfortunate
that Saudi children should live in suffocating
apartments in
buildings all crammed together as boxes, sealing in their
inhabitants
and preventing them from enjoying and breathing
the refreshing air. There is no doubt that one of the causes of the
neurosis which has affected modern
civilization is its being so
unnatural and steeped in artificiality.
We therefore appreciate
the tendency of the people of Makkah to make the desert and its
wide expanses the nursery for their children. Many educational
psychologists would like to see nature as the first cradle for
children so that their faculties may develop in with the realities
of creation in which they find themselves. However, (his seems
to be a dream hard to realize.
The Opening of the Prophet's
($S)
Chest
Muhammad
($&)
spent five years with the Banu Sa'd during
which time he developed a healthy body and grew fast. These
were the first five years of his life so it is not expected that
anything strange should occur in that time. The authentic
accounts of his life, however, do record an incident which came
to be known as the opening of his chest. Anas (*#>) reports:
"Jibrtl (&") came to Muhammad
(?m)
while he was playing
with other boys. JibrTl
(*?) held him, threw him down, opened
his chest, took out his heart and removed a lump from it.
He said: "This is Satan's portion of you."
Then he washed him in a basin made of gold with the water
of Zamzam, Then he sealed his chest and returned him to where
he was. The boys ran to his mother (meaning his nurse) and
shouted that Muhammad
(^g)
had been killed. They came to
76 From Birth to Prophetkood
him and found him pale.
6
This incident, which scared HalTmah and her husband, we
find recurring when Muhammad
(^s)
had become a Prophet
and was over 50 years old, Malik ibn Sa'sa'ah reports that the
Prophet (^fe)
told them about the night ofthe Isra', saying:
"While I was in Al Hatim perhaps he said in Al Hajr
reclining between sleep and wakefulness, someone came to me
and split me from here to here (meaning from the hollow of his
neck to his stomach) and extracted my heart, I was brought a
basin of gold filled with faith, my heart was washed, then filled
with it, then it was returned to its position,"
7
If evil were the secretions of a gland in the body and could be
prevented by stopping the secretions, or if good were a
substance which could be poured into the heart as fuel is poured
into an aeroplane to make it fly, then I should say the literal
sense of the words should be taken. Evil and good arc beyond
the physical, however, and in fact it is obvious that it has more
to do with the spiritual side of people. If it is a matter
concerning the limits within which the soul has to operate or, in
other words, if the study takes us to the point where we must
discover the means by which the soul motivates its outer
covering of flesh and blood, then it is no use pursuing it since
this is beyond our capacity of discovery.
There is one thing which we can extract from these hadTths:
that the Providence does not leave an outstanding human being
like Muhammad
(#&)
to be the target of subtle whisperings
which cause confusion among other people. If there are waves of
evil filling the atmosphere and if there are hearts quick to absorb
them or are swayed by them, despite this, however, the hearts of
the Prophets (0J&) by Allah's care of them will not receive or be
A sound HadTth narrated by MiLslim and Ahmad, who has the addition: Anas (<&)
said: "I used to see the mark of the needle in his chest. The Hadith is reported from
many authentic sources.
A sound Hadrth narrated by BukharT, Muslim and Al Nasa't.
The Life ofProphet Muhammad 77
affected by these currents. Thus the efforts of the prophets will be
directed towards constant progress and not resistance to evil;
towards purifying the people from evil, not self-purification, since
Allah
(5c) has already cleansed them of pollution.
'AbdullSh ibn Mas*ad reports that the Prophet
(jg)
said:
"There is nobody at all who has not been assigned a
Companion from the Jinn and Companion from the angels.
They asked: "And you too. Messenger of Allah (?&)?"
He replied, "And me too. But Allah
(&) has helped me to
overcome him and he has submitted. Now he orders me to only
good things.
1 '
8
In another HadTth 'A'ishah reports that the Prophet
(^)
asked her:
"Were you jealous?"
And she replied: "Why shouldn't someone like me be jealous of
someone like you?"
The Prophet
(M)
then said to her: "Your devil has come to
you."
She said: "Is there a devil within me?"
He replied: "Everyone has a devil within him."
She said: "And you?"
He said: "Yes. But Allah
(W) has helped me to overcome him
and he has surrendered."
9
Perhaps the significance of the HadTth which tells of the
incident of the opening of the Prophet's
(^&)
chest is that they
highlight the care with which Allah
(M) nurtured His Prophet
(?&)
and made him from childhood free from the defects of
human nature and worldly temptations.
Al Khazin quoted the first-mentioned incident, that is, the
opening of the Prophet's (^ttg) chest during childhood, in his
commentary on Chapter 94 of the Qur'an:
A sound Hadrth narrated by Muslim.
A sound HadTth narrated by Muslim,
78 From Birth to Prophethood
<Have We not caused your chest to dilate) (Qur'an 94:
1)
The dilation of the chest to which these ayat (verses) refer
are not the result of a surgical operation carried out by an angel
or a doctor. The metaphorical expressions in the Sunnah deserve
some attention at this point. 'A'ishah reports that some of the
Prophet's (3ttsg) wives said:
Messenger of Allah
($&),
which of us will be the quickest
to catch up with you (that is, die after you)?"
Q He replied: 'That one among you who has the longest hand."
So they took a reed to measure their hands and it was Saudah
who had the longest hand. Afterwards we learnt that a long hand
meant the charity which she gave out. She loved to give charity
and she was the quickest of us to catch up with him.
10
Q Muhammad
(^s)
returned to Makkah after spending some
wonderful years in the desert. He returned to find a loving
mother who dedicated herself to him and an aged grandfather
who sought consolation in him for his son who had passed away
in the prime of life. However, days refused to allow him
tranquillity among these tender hearts and one by one deprived
him of them. Aminan thought of visiting her husband's grave in
Yathrib in faithfulness to his memory, and so she left Makkah
on this journey of 500 kilometres, taking with her son
Muhammad
(^&)
and her maid Umm Aiman. 'Abdullah did not
die in a strange land but it was the land of his maternal uncles,
the Banu Najjar. Ibn Athir reports,
Hashim went on a trading trip to Syria. On his way he
An authentic Hadllh narrated by BukhaiT through MasrQq from 'A* tshah. His version,
however, reads: "She was the quickest of us lo catch up with him and she loved to give
charity, Muslim also narrated this Hadlth through 'A'ishah bint Talha, and A! Hakim
through 'Amrah, both of whom reported it from 'A'ishah In their narration, though, they
say: "the one with the longest hand among us was Zainab because she used to work with
her hands and give charity. This contradicts Bukharfs report, from which we gather that
Saudah was the first to die after the Prophet (^f). But this is a clear mistake lor Ibn
Hajar's investigation shows thai Muslim's narration is the authentic one. Who ever wishes
to see the fit J I investigation can refer to Ibn Hajar's Fathal Bari. The Zainab referred to
here is Bint Jahsh, not Bint Khuzaima as some people have misunderstood.
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 79
stopped in Madrnah and stayed with 'Amr ibn Lubaid of the
Khazraj tribe. There he saw Salma, daughter of
;
Amr and fell in
love with her. He married her under a stipulation made by her
father; that she should give birth to her children only in the
home of her relatives. Hashim went on his way, and on his
return he consummated the marriage with her, then took her to
Makkah where she conceived a child. When
the time for her
delivery approached, he took her back to her relatives and went
to Syria. He died in Ghaza and Sal ma gave birth to
*
Abdul
Muttalib, who remained for seven years in Madlnah.
Muhammad
(^gg)
spent about one month among his mother's
relatives near his father's grave, and then he set out to return to
Makkah. From the start of the journey, however, his mother
became seriously ill. She died at Abwa\ leaving him alone with
the bereaved maid. He was then 5 years of age. This new
misfortune caused old scars to reopen and sharpened the feelings
of tenderness which
4
Abdul Muttalib had for the young boy.
From then on he never left him alone, but took him along to all
his public gatherings. When he sat on his mat beside the Kaba
he held the boy close while all the elders sat around him. Abdul
Muttalib lived a long time, and it is said that he died at the age
of 120 years. Nevertheless, when he died, Muhammad (sjyg)
was
only nearing his eighth year. Before he died, 'Abdul Muttalib
thought it best to entrust the boy's uncle Abu Talib with the care
of the boy.
Abu Talib carried out his duty toward his nephew to the best
of his ability. He included him among his sons and even
preferred him to them. For over forty years he continued to
support and protect him and to befriend or oppose on his behalf.
Muhammad
(*$s)
grew up in Abu Talib's home and acquired a
deep understanding of his environment. He insisted on sharing
the burdens of life with his uncle since Abu Talib was not
wealthy and had many children. When Aba Talib decided to
travel to Syria for trade, Muhammad
($gs) insisted on going
with him although he was only about 1 3 years old.
80 From Birth to Prophethood
Bahira, the Monk
There are no authentic accounts ofthe details of this journey.
Travelling is one ofthe most fertile gateways to knowledge and
has the deepest effects. The lessons would not have escaped a
person like Muhammad
(^gg)
with his keen mind and pure heart
in all that he saw at home or on his travels. It is certain,
however, that he did not go out to study religion or philosophy
nor did he meet anyone with whom he could discuss these
matters. The history books relate some strange occurrences
which happened to him, such as his encounter with the monk
Bahira. This man saw in his face and on his back the signs of
prophethood.
He asked Abu Talib, "What is this boy to you?"
Abu Talib replied, "my son."
He said, "His father should not be alive!"
Abtl Talib then said, "Infact he is the son of my brother who
died when the child's mother was still pregnant with him.
The monk said: "Now you have spoken the truth. Take him
back to your country and be careful ofthe Jews over him."
Q This story may be authentic since the news of a Prophet after
Jesus is to be found in the Bible of the Christians. Ever since
they rejected Muhammad's
(^5)
message they have been
awaiting the expected prophet but he will never come because
he has already come. Whether this story of Bahira is authentic or
not," the fact is that it left no after-effects, for neither did
Muhammad
(^)
start to aspire to or prepare for prophethood
after hearing the monk nor did the travellers in the caravan
spread this news. It was forgotten as if it never happened, and
this makes it more likely to be unauthentic.
1
It is indeed authentic because AlTirmidhT narrated it on the authority of AbaMosa
Al Ash'art and he certified it as a good HadTth. Furthermore, I say it has a sound chain
as Al Jazari said. The latter also said "The mention ofAbO Bakr (-*) and BilaJ (4fe) in it
is not recorded (i.e, not authentic)." I also add that Al Bazzar narrated it with the
following words: **His uncle sent a man with him/'
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 81
Q It is also reported that a party of Roman horsemen came to
BahTra as if they were searching for something.
When he asked them what they came for, they said, "We have
come because a prophet will appear this month and men have
been sent in all directions to arrest him, BahTra argued with them
until he was able to convince them that their search was futile.
The investigators! Who are these investigators? And where
did the fabrication come from? This account is in the above-
mentioned HadTth narrated by Abu MOsS
(40
and you have seen
that this is authentic. What is wrong in this similarity to the
Christians if it is proved to be authentic? Does not the story of
Pharaoh's search for Moses in order to kill him, which comes in
the Qur'an, resemble what the Bible-writers say? Should we
then reject this story because of this resemblance?
No. Although I appreciate Sheikh Na^iruddTn's comments, I
shall quote here what some ofthe scholars and investigators say
about this story:
Al Jazari states, as already quoted by Sheikh NSsiruddTn: "Its
chain is sound and its narrators are those of the authentic
tradition or one ofthem. But the mention of Abu Bakr
(40
and
Bilal
(40
in it is not authentic according to our imans^ and this
is true. The Prophet's
(^^)
age at that time was 12 years and
Abu Bakr
(40
was younger than he by two years, and perhaps
Bilal
(40
was not born yet!"
Al Dhahabi says in Mizanul I tidal: "It is said that one ofthe
proofs that this HadTth is not authentic is the statement "And
Abu Bakr
(40
sent Bilal
(40
with him
1
Bilal
(40
was not yet
created and Aba Bakr
(40
was only a young boy."
The author of TuhfatuI Ahwadhi says: "Al Dhahabi
considered this HadTth to be weak because of the statement:
'And AbQ Bakr
(40
sent Bilal (4b) with him/ since Aba Bakr
(40
had not at that time purchased Bilal
(40
.
Q Ibn Hajar says in his Al Isabah: "Its narrators are trustworthy
and it contains nothing questionable except this point. It is
82 From Birth to Prophethood
possible that this piece was taken from another Hadlth and
inserted here by one of its narrators unintentionally."
There is a similar statement to this in Al Mawahib Al
Ladunnivah.
r
Ibn al Qayyim says in Zadul Ma'ad:
ll
In Al Tirmidhfs book
as well as others it is stated that Abu Bakr
(4*) sent Bilal
(4&)
with him. This is clear mistake, Bilal
(*&) was probably not in
existence and even if he was, he certainly was not with the
Prophet's
(^g)
uncle or with Abu Bakr (<&)." See Tuhfatul
Ahwadhi.
Now, Ibn KathTr says in his sirah: 'This Hadlth is narrated by
Al TirmidhT, Al Hakim, Al Baihaqi and Ibn 'Asakir, I say, (i.e.
Ibn KathTr says) this Hadlth is unusual: it is mursal{ie. the
$ahabT who narrates it does not say it comes from the Prophet
(^)
but this may be understood). Abu MusS Al Asha'ari only
came to MadTnah in the year when Khaybar was conquered
(7
AH), so in any case it is mursaL
Q Therefore the Hadlth is mu'allal (contains a weak point
according to the principles of the Hadlth scholars) asserts that
this Hadlth is fabricated, similar to what the gospel-writers say
about some people who were looking for Jesus soon after his
birth in order to kill him. The Christians took this from the
Buddhists who say that the Buddha, when his virgin mother
gave birth to him, was sought by his enemies who wanted to kill
him!
The scholars of the Sunnah investigate all statements from both
the point of view of their meaning as well as their chain of
narrators, and if they are unable to verify their authenticity they set
them aside. Many myths have become attached to the biographies
of the prophets and if they were to be scrutinized according to the
rules laid down in the Hadlth sciences, they would be proved
unauthentic and they could be justifiably discarded.
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 83
A Life of Toil
Muhammad
(^i)
returned from this trip to resume his life of
toil with his uncle, for it was not the habit of men to sit idle. The
prophets before him used to eat from the labour oftheir own
hands and they did different crafts to earn their living. It is correct
that Muhammad
(gg)
worked as a shepherd in his early life.
Of this he said:
"1
used to graze sheep for the people of
Makkah in return for a few carats. It is also true that a number of
prophets used to graze sheep,
u
Perhaps this was what
accustomed them to leadership of the people: gentleness to the
weak and wakefulness for their protection.
Perhaps this was what accustomed them to leadership ofthe
people: gentleness to the weak and wakefulness for their protection.
You may wonder if all the realities ofthe universe and what is
beyond it and knowledge of the mankind and all that they are
concerned with were suddenly poured into the hearts of the
prophet without prior and systematic preparation? The answer
is, of course not. Even though the prophets did not acquire
knowledge by the same means and laws as we do, they had a
sound ability to think and reason, and this put them in the
forefront of all educated people. What is the knowledge that
elevates one's soul? Is it the memorization of lessons and the
absorption of principles and laws? There are many parrots who
repeat all they hear without understanding. At times we witness
small children who memorize perfectly and are able to recite the
speeches of the most famous politicians and leaders. Neither do
the children become great men because of what they memorize
nor do the parrots become human beings.
BukharT narrates on the authority of Abfl Hurairah (*&) that the Prophet i^ts) said:
"There is no Prophet sent by Allah (-k) who did not tend sheep."
His Companions asked: "And did you?"
He replied: "Yes. 1 used to graze them for the people of Makkah in return for a
few carats,"
84 From Birth to Prophethood
You may find someone who learns and understands, argues
and wins. Even so, knowledge in itself is like the veins of gold
in a neglected piece of rock. It neither promotes good nor
prevents evil. The Qur'an likened to donkeys the Jewish rabbis
who carry the Torah and do not discipline themselves by it:
<The likeness of those who are entrusted with the Law of Moses, yet
do not apply it, is as the likeness of the donkey carrying books.)
(Qur'an 62:
5)
Those people who have knowledge but do not reform
themselves by it are actually doing it an injustice. Thus it is
good to withhold it from such people. A HadTth says:
'The one who gives knowledge to those who do not deserve
it is like the person who adorns pigs with jewels, pearls and
gold."
13
G Then there are those people who believe in fables and reject
realities. Their brains are like a pair of scales, one side of which
is heavy for no reason and thus cannot weigh correctly. They
freely accept the impossibilities and attack the realities, I have
seen people who have studied continually, but when they are
confronted with problems they grope around blindly. On the
other hand, when these same problems are presented to people
in the street who remain unblemished in their nature and
reasoning, they immediately hit the nail on the head. The
significance of this is that there are people who spend twenty
years trying to straighten their intellect, study and research, yet
they are unable to reach the status of someone who was granted
uprightness in thought by mother nature.
I am convinced, by my readings ofthe life of Muhammad
(^&),
that he was of a special category ofpeople w
r
ho are clear-
A very weak HadTth. Ibn 'Abdul Ban- left it undecided in his JSmi 'bay&i al-'ilm, and
also Ibn Majah. In its chain of narrators is Hafs ibn Sulatman al Asadi, about whom Jbn
Kharrash says: "He is a liar who invents HadTth. Others declare him to be weak. Aba
Haiim says he is rejected, and a similar statement is made in Al Taqrfa by Ibn Hajar.
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 85
thinking and of keen perception. He was living with an open and
wakeful heart in the depths of the desert; sober among drunkards
and negligent people, before and after tending sheep, and before
and after going into trade.
The atmosphere of the Arabian peninsula was such that it
nurtured the lethargy of the lethargic and the keenness ofthe
keen, just as the sun's rays nurture the thorns side by side with
the roses, Muhammad
(^^)
sought the assistance of its long
silence which stretched across the days and nights and across the
sands and oases to think long and deep and seek out the truth
where it lay. The degree of mental development which one
reaches from constant observation is undoubtedly much higher
than that of memorization without understanding
or
understanding without discipline. Moreover, someone like the
Prophet
($&),
who respects the natural laws of life and the
universe, is more worthy of being selected than any ofthose
who believe in superstition and live by it.
Q There is no doubt that Providence surrounded him with
protection so that he might keep to this unique orientation.
Whenever he inclined towards some worldly enjoyment, which
was really no serious crime, Providence came between him and the
fulfilment of it. Ibn AthTr narrates that the Prophet (s&g)
said:
"Only twice did I ever attempt to do something which the
people of johiftyoh used to do, and on both occasions Allah
[&)
prevented me from doing it. Thereafter I never attempted such
things until Allah
(*)
blessed me with the role of His Messenger
f^Us). One night I said to the boy who was grazing sheep with
me in upper Makkah:
"
Wifl you watch my sheep for me so that I
can go into MaJckah and spend the night a% the youths do."
He agreed and I went off. When I reached the first house in
Makkah I heard some music, and I
asked; "What is this?" They
said, "So-and-so's wedding with so-and-so."
86 From Birth to Prophethood
I sat down to listen but Allah (&) sealed my hearing and I fell
asleep. It was only the heat of the sun which woke me. I went to
my companion and he asked me (about the night) and I told
him. Another night I did the same and went into Makkah but the
same thing happened to me as on the previous night. After that
I never attempted to do anything wrong/
114
The various levels of education are stages in a continual struggle
to discipline one's mind and strengthen its faculties and to correct
one's outlook on the universe, life and living things. Thus every
educational system which fails to take its students to this peak is
not worthy of attention in spite ofits beautiful certificates. What is
much more worthy of being honoured and much nearer to the
ultimate goal is that people should attain a high level of
intelligence, and the capacity to think deeply, and have a clear
vision of means and ends. The Qur'an referred to Prophet
Ibrahim's (Abraham) (W) abundance of these qualities when it
said:
(And indeed We gave Abraham of old his proper course, and We
were Aware of him, When he said to his father and his people: what
are these images to which you devote yourselves?)
(QufSn 21: 51-52)
In this respect Muhammad
(^s)
was like his forefather
Ibrahim (Abraham), He did not acquire knowledge from any
monk or sorcerer or philosopher of his age. Instead he
scrutinized the pages of life and the condition of people and
groups with his fertile intellect and pure nature, rejected all
superstition and evil things and associated with people on the
basis of understanding. Whatever he found good, he participated
in it to some extent, otherwise he would withdraw into his
accustomed seclusion and resume his constant contemplation of
the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. This was better for
u
A weak I tadTth narrated by A I Hakim through Ibn Is-hEq.
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 87
him than those kinds of knowledge
which may be termed as
compound ignorance, and better than a society which had had no
guide for centuries and every day was thus adding a new form of
corruption to the old ones. He saw nothing wrong in taking part
in the general affairs of his people, such as the Sacrilegious War
in which he assisted his uncles and the Alliance of the Virtuous
which came in its aftermath.
The Sacrilegious War
As far as the Quraish were concerned, this war was in
defence of the sanctity of the sacred months and the Holy Land.
These symbols were the remains of the religion of Ibrahim
(Abraham), which the Arabs still respected. The respect shown
to these sanctuaries was the source of great benefit for them, and
a guarantee for the protection of their interests and the settling of
their disputes, A man would meet his father's murderer in the
sacred month and his consciousness of this sanctity would
restrain him from seeking revenge. When Islam came, it
approved of these heritages of the religion of Ibrahim
(Abraham) (>feSi):
* Behold! The number of months with Allah is twelve months by
Allah's ordinance on the day that He created the heavens and the
earth. Four of them are sacred: that Is the right religion. So do not
indulge In wrong doing during that time.)
(Qur'an 9; 36)
However, the people of Jahilfyah soon encountered
those
people who violated the sanctities and indulged in wrong doing.
The Sacrilegious War was one of the consequences of this
blatant violation. There are no details about this war except that
it lasted four years. Muhammad's
(%&) age at that time was
between
15 and 19 years. Some sources claim that he himself
fought, and others claim that he only assisted the fighters.
88 From Birth to Prophethood
The Alliance of the Virtuous
This alliance is proof that no matter how dismal the pages of
life become and how widespread the evils, it will never be devoid
of those noble souls who arouse the sympathy arid kindness of
society. In that sterile jahiliyak there arose some promoters of
good, and they made a pact among themselves to establish justice,
fight oppression and revive the virtuous qualities which had been
obliterated in the Holy Land, Ibn Athlr said:
"Thereafter some of the clans of the Quraish called for this
alliance, and they all swore to it in the house of 'Abdullah ibn
J ad'an because of his virtue and age. They were: the BanQ
Hashim, Banu Muttalib, Banu Asad ibn 'Abdul 'Uzza, Zuhrah
ibn Kilab and Taym ibn Murrah. They formed the alliance and
pledged to one another that if ever they found a wTonged person
in Makkah, whether from their own people or from any other
tribe, they would stand by his side and defend him so that the
wrong done to him might be redressed. This pact was called the
Alliance of the Virtuous by the Quraish, and was witnessed by
the Messenger of Allah (^)."
After Allah
(3$)
chose him as Prophet, he said: "I witnessed
an alliance with my uncles in the home of 'Abdullah ibn Jad'an
and I should not like to exchange it for the choicest luxuries. If I
were called in Islam to participate in it, I should respond.
15
Q One can see clearly in these words of the Prophet
(^g)
his
approval of this alliance. Vehemence against any oppressor, no
matter how powerful he or she may be, and sympathy for any
oppressed person, no matter how insignificant he or she may be,
are the spirit of Islam. Islam enjoins good and forbids evil, and
Narrated by Fbn Is-haq and Ibn Hisham in their biographies of the Prophet (fc).
Their chains of narrators are sound except thai they are mursal [i.e. the SahabT who
reported it did not say he heard It from the Prophet
(&)].
However, comes from
other sources too which strengthen its authenticity. Ahmad narrated it from 'Abdul
Rahman ibn 'Auf
t
who said he heard it from the Prophet (^fcs), although it does not
contain the statement " If I were called in Islam to participate in it, F should respond".
Its chain is authentic,
77ie Life of
Prophet Muhammad 89
confines itself to the limits set by Allah
(3s). It is Islam's duty to
fight injustice in the politics of nations and the relationships
between human beings with the same fervour.
It is said of the cause of this alliance that a man from Zubayd,
who came with some merchandise and sold it to A
I
'AsT ibn
Wall al Sahmi, but the latter refused to pay for them. Although
the man pleaded with the clans of the Quraish and their allies to
help him, no one paid him any attention. So the wronged
stranger stood in front of the Ka'bah and repeated some couplets
of poetry bewailing his misfortune,
Q On hearing this, Al Zubayr ibn 'Abdul Muttalib got up and
said; "Is there nobody to assist him?" He gathered together those
whom Ibn Athlr mentioned above, and after concluding the
Alliance of the Virtuous, they went to Al Asl ibn Wa'il and
demanded the man's due from him. Al AsT seems to have been
an unsavoury, evasive fellow for he had also made a deal with
Khabbab ibn-ul Aratt. Khabbab was a blacksmith who had made
a sword for Al AsT.
When he went to him and asked for payment for it, Al AsT said:
"I shall not pay you until you disbelieve in Muhammad
($g).
G Khabbab replied: "I shall not disbelieve until Allah
@fe)
causes you to die and resurrects you,"
Al As! said: "Am I going to die and be resurrected?."
Khabbab replied yes. So Al AsT said: "Let me die and be
resurrected, then I shall have great wealth and many children
and I shall pay you for the sword."
The following ayat (verses) were then revealed:
(Have you seen him who disbelieves in Our Revelation and says:
Assuredly I shall be given wealth and children? Has he perused the
Unseen, or has he made a pact with the Beneficent? No, but We
shall record what he says and prolong for him a span of torment
And We shall Inherit from him that of which he spoke, and he shad
come to Us atone [Without his wealth and children].)
(Qur'ari 19: 77-80)
90 From Birth to Prophethood
There were many like Al AsT in trade and politics, and
Muhammad (;&&)
was the best man to oppose and confront
them, and the best men to be were Muhammad's
(^s)
Companions, those who helped him against such people and
pledged with him to fight them.
Strength and Activity
1
When the Sacrilegious War ended and the Alliance of the
Virtuous was concluded. Muhammad
{^g)
was entering the
third stage of his life. This was the period of zealous
youthfulness, active instincts and far-reaching ambitions.
Muhammad
(^s)
was a man with a strong body, tall stature and
determination. His amazing strength was noticed even forty
years afterwards, Abu 1 lurairah (*&)
said:
l
l never saw anybody more handsome than the Messenger ot
Allah (5gU). It was as if the sun was shining in his face! And I never
saw anyone wafk more quickly than the Messenger of Allah
[$*;). It was as if the earth tolded itself up for him!
Whenever we walked with him, we would exert ourselves while
he stayed cool."
16
Such a man attracts life to himself even if he is not attracted
to life. Beside him who should attract life? Should life be
attracted to dreamers, introverts and pessimists? Muhammad
(#),
however, in spite of the means at his disposal to enjoy
life, was not swayed by fleeting lusts or burning desires, and it
was never recorded of him that he made any attempt to attain
position or wealth. On the contrary, his life began by
illuminating Makkah with the qualities which distinguished him
over his contemporaries: a sweet disposition, a noble character,
deep thought, sound reasoning and a trustworthy attitude.
This lladlth lias a weak chain. It is narrated by Al TirmidhT in his Sunan and
ShamS'if. He declared il to be weak because one of its narrators was Ibn Lullai* ah,
who is weak because his memory was bad and his books were burnt
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 91
It is not nobility that human desires for the goodness in life
should be non existent, or existent without the means to satisfy
it. Nobility means that the power of chastity should be stronger
than the power of desire. Thus if one's soul remains in a state of
tranquillity, it means that the internal negative and positive
forces have balanced each other. We may see flighty people who
can never keep their desires or instincts in check, yet if they are
compared with the controlled desires ofothers, they would not
reach one-tenth of their strength. The fact is that the latter have
found the strength of character to control their desires, whereas
the former have no intelligence to warn them nor the strength of
character to stay away, so their desires rebel and overrule them.
Q Although Muhammad*s
($^)
manhood was of the highest
perfection, his moral and spiritual purity endowed it with the
good qualities of discipline, uprightness and contentment.
Moreover, he was free from those hateful psychological
complications which affect the youth: they love greatness with
pomp and show and they seek leadership with flattery and the
purchasing of sentiments. If we add to that his fierce dislike for
the idols which were worshipped by his people, his contempt for
the myths and superstitions which prevailed throughout and
beyond the Arabian peninsula, and his awareness that truth was
something totally different from all that, it becomes clear to us
why he preferred the mountains and the open air, why he felt
comfort in grazing sheep in these far-off places and was content
with the little earnings he gained from them.
Is this abstention from wealth and worldly life? Ofcourse not.
It is engrossment with the higher realities with which worldly
life is reformed and to which wealth is subjugated. Great men
are not satisfied with treasures of gold and silver when they are
thirsty for the truth. They do not feel any profit in being kings
over their people when they see evil dragging everyone's life
into an abyss and stripping them of ail goodness and
uprightness.
92 From Birth to Prophethood
Q In this manner Muhammad
(^g)
entered the third phase of
his life. It was the phase in which he became acquainted with his
first wife, KhadTjah bint Khuwaylid.
KhadTjah
KhadTjah was an excellent example of a woman who
completes the life of a great man. Those men with great roles to
play are endowed with extremely sensitive hearts and they
encounter terrible stupidity from the environment they wish to
change, and undergo a tremendous struggle on behalf of the
good they wish to establish. They are the people most in need of
someone to shower their private lives with love and comfort, as
well as understanding and assistance. KhadTjah was foremost in
these attributes and she had a positive effect on Muhammad's
(2^)
life. Ibn Athlr said:
"KhadTjah was merchant woman of nobility and wealth. She
used to employ men to run her business and she would agree on
their portion of the profit. When she heard of the Prophet's
(^gg)
truthftilness, trustworthiness and noble character, she sent for
him, asking him to go as a trader for her to Syria. She gave him
better wages than she used to give others, and he had with him
her slave Maysarah.
Muhammad
(sSfe)
accepted this offer and travelled to Syria as
a trader for the mistress who had selected him. It appears that he
was more successful on this trip than on his previous one with
his uncle Abu Talib. Khadljah's profit was greater and she was
pleased with his performance. However, her admiration for the
man whom she tested was much deeper.
Q She was a woman of noble lineage and vast wealth, and she
was known for her determination and intelligence. Although she
was desired by the leaders ofthe Quraish, what she despised in
most men was that they were seeking her wealth and not herself
When she saw Muhammad
(^),
however, she learnt of another
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 93
brand of men. She had found a man who was not swayed by
want. Perhaps when she settled her trading accounts with other
men she found greed and trickery. In Muhammad
(^g),
she saw
a man whose character was spotless and who did not desire her
wealth or beauty. He handed over all that he had for her and
went away well
-
pleased and pleasing.
Khadljah found in him what she was looking for She spoke her
mind to her friend Naftsah bint Munabbah, who went to
Muhammad
(^)
and spoke to him about marrying Khadljah. He
did not delay in announcing his approval, then he consulted his
uncles about it, and Abu Talib, I lamzah and others went to
KhadTjah's uncle *Amr ibn Asad since her father had died in the
Sacrilegious War and sought her hand in marriage on behalf of
their nephew. They presented her with the dowry of twenty camels,
AbQ Tslib stood up and spoke at the wedding ceremony. He
said: "If Muhammad (^)w
r
ere weighed with any youth ofthe
Quraish, he would outweigh him in lineage, nobility, virtue and
intelligence. If he has little wealth then (let it be known that)
wealth is a fleeting shadow and a borrowed thing which must be
returned. He desires KhadTjah bint Khuwaylid and she has the
same feeling for him."
KhadTjah'
s uncle, 'Amr replied: "He is the stallion whose
nose cannot be ringed." And the marriage ceremony was
concluded.
It is said that this last statement was made by Aba Sufyan
when Muhammad
(^^)
married his daughter Umm Habibah, At
that time the war between them was at its fiercest. Abu Sufyan
made an excuse for that, saying that Muhammad's
(^)
status
was such that to become his father-in-law was a great honour!
The enmity between them did not detract in anyway from
Muhammad's
(^gg)
status, and his marriage with AbQ Sufyan'
s
daughter did not disgrace AbQ
Sufyan at all, even though he was
at that time his most ardent enemy!
94 From Birth to Prophethood
Muhammad
($&)
was 25 years old when he married
KhadTjah and her age was then about 40 years. This marriage
lasted until KhadTjah died at the age of 65 years. Throughout
this time she was the source of honour and respect and she bore
all the Prophet's children for him except Ibrahim. First she gave
birth to Al Qasim, and this is the Kunniya by which he was
known in the era ofprophethood. Then came Zaynab, Ruqayya,
Umm Kulthum, Fatimah and Abdullah, who is also known as
Tahir. Al Qasim died when he was old enough to ride animals,
'Abdullah died as a baby, and all daughters of Muhammad
(^g)
died during his lifetime with the exception of Fatimah, who died
six months after him. Muhammad's
(^^) union with KhadTjah
was a blessing for both of them, and there is no doubt that, that
house was touched by the spirit of its master; the spirit of
purification from the filth of Jahilfyah and contempt for the
worship of idols.
After marriage Muhammad
(^s) resumed the life of
contemplation and seclusion w
r
hich he had known before. He
kept away from all that in which the Arabs indulged during their
boisterous parties such as alcohol, showing off, gambling,
rivalry etc. However, this did not prevent him from conducting
his trade, earning his living, travelling in the land or w
r
alking in
the market-places. An intelligent man living among a frivolous
group of people is required to exercise great care and
consideration, especially if he has the tendency to be softhearted
and pleasant,
Q There was nothing in this successful marriage to raise
concern, except the fact that KhadTjah was grieved at the death
of all her sons in that society where sons were given a high
status, and daughters were buried alive and the fathers* faces
were dark with anger and gloomy on receiving news of the birth
of a daughter. It was strange that the Arabs, after the Prophet's
ministry, would jeer him for this and announce expectantly that
his progeny would be cut off and he would have none to
remember him. Ibn
4
AbbSs reported that the Quraish pledged
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 95
among themselves to persist in disbelief.
They said: 'What we are doing is more lasting than what the
amputated Sunbur is doing," The Sunbur is a date palm whose
roots are broken. By this they meant that when he died,
Muhammad
(^^)
would have no progeny to inherit him or carry
on his mission,
<Or they say: is he a poet, lone] for whom we may expect the
accident of time? Say [them]: "Expect [your fill]! Behold! I am with
you among the expectant.) (Qur'an 52: 30-31)
Muhammad
(^)
and his mission were above these petty
desires. Nevertheless, as a father, his heart grieved when he lost
his sons and the old pains of his orphanhood were revived by
this loss. He was able to survive and grow up in spite of his
parents dying while he was a baby. Now, however, he was
seeing those flowers withering which he and his wife had longed
to see in full bloom. It was as if Allah
(M)
wanted sad
tenderness to be a part of his being! The men who rule nation
adopt haughtiness only when their hearts are nurtured on
harshness and egotism, and when they live in happiness without
a touch of sadness. On the other hand, those who have
experienced pain will be the quickest to sympathize with those
who are sad and grief-stricken.
The
Kabbah
The Ka'bah was one of the vestiges of Ibrahim's (8S@l)
religion which the Arabs mjahillyah still respected. It resembles
a large room built heavy of stones and its ceiling is supported by
expensive wooden pillars. It was first erected by the father of
prophets, Ibrahim ($*&), and his son Isma'il Q&&). The purpose
of building was that, it should be a place for the worship of
Allah
(3c)
and a mosque in which only His name would be
mentioned. Ibrahim (>&&>) underwent a painful struggle to
destroy the idols of his people and the temples in which they
96 From Birth to Prophethood
were worshipped. Then Allah (M)
revealed to him that he
should build this house to be a piliar and cornerstone of tawhid
and a place of refuge and security for everyone. Ofcourse, since
not all the pilgrims could fit inside, the land surrounding it was
annexed and considered a sanctuary for them.
The implication of this is that the Ka'bah itself is a piece of
stone which can neither benefit nor harm. The sanctity which it
acquired was on account ofthe associations and aims which lay
behind it, For this reason the Prophet
(&)
emphasized that
people's honour,
wealth and blood were holier in the sight of
Allah (i$)
than the Kab
4
ah and more worthy of respect. To think
that the Kab'ah or a piece of it has the power to harm or benefit
is idolatry which Islam will oppose till the end of time.
You are well aware that when the rulers, leaders and soldiers
salute the flag of their country and struggle for it, they are not in
fact worshipping a piece of cloth. It is actually a show of respect
and veneration for the deeper meanings that lie behind it. It is
easy to understand that the first mosque ever to be built on the
face of this earth should have a special historical status and be
the qiblah (direction faced) of the mosques which were built
later. Nevertheless, the real goal of any prayer or show of
humility is Allah
(M)
alone. Abu Dharr
(&)
said:
"I asked the Prophet
($fe)
which was the first mosque to be
built on the earth?"
He replied: "The Sacred Mosque" (that is, Al MasjidAl HarSm).
Then I asked: "and what next?"
He said: "the Furthest Mosque" (that is, Al Masjid Al Aqsa).
I asked: "How long was it between the two?"
He said: "Forty years, and furthermore, the earth is a mosque
for you. So wherever the time for prayers catches you, then offer
prayers, for there is virtue in it."
17
17
A sound HadTth narrated by BukharT. Muslim, Al Nasa'T, Ibn M&jah, Al BayhaqT,
Al Tayalisi and Ahmad,
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 97
The Ka'bah, being an ancient monument, was exposed to the
vicissitudes of time, which weakened its structure and cracked its
walls. A few years before the Prophet's
(3S&)
ministry a heavy
flood swept through Makkah and the Ka'bah was almost
destroyed. The Quraish felt that they must renovate its structure to
protect its sanctity. The leaders and great personalities of the
Quraish all took part in the renovation. They pulled down the weak
portions that remained and erected a new structure in their place.
A structure whose foundations were laid by Ibrahim (3$9) and
IsmaTl (*a) in the distant past could not be entrusted to ordinary
labourers. So it is not surprising that the leaders and Sheikhs of
the tribe should take part in this activity, and among them were
Muhammad
(#^)
and his uncles.
*Amr ibn Dinar reports that he heard Jabir ibn
*
Abdullah
(>&)
saying:
"When the Ka'bah was being rebuilt the Messenger of Allah
(31*)
and Abbas went to carry stones.
'Abbas (4fe) said to the Prophet
f^fe):
"Lift your Izar {bin clothe) over
your shoulder and it will protect you from the stones. He did so this
was before prophethood and he fell to the ground in a faint.
His eyes ffashed towards the heavens and he said: "My /ia/!
My fzart" It was fastened back in place and after that he was
never again seen naked.
1
'
'*
Li The clans vied with each other in rebuilding the Kab'ah, each
of them wanting to be foremost and gain the prestige from it
This contest almost turned into a bloody war in the holy
sanctuary. Enmity spread among the builders when they
prepared to replace the black stone in the side of the Kab*ah.
Aba Umayyah ibn AI Mughirah of the MakhzCmi clan saved the
situation by suggesting that they should settle the matter by
asking the first person to enter through the gate of Safe to decide
between them. Allah (i&) willed that Muhammad
(^g)
should
IE
A sound l.ladTlh narrated by Bukharr, Muslim and others.
98 From Birth to Prophethood
be that person, and when they saw him they shouted: "Here is Al
AmTn (the trustworthy)! We accept him as arbitrator!"
Muhammad
(t^g)
called for a cloth and he placed the black
stone in the middle of it Then he called the heads of the
disputing clans and all of them held on to an edge of the cloth.
They lifted it and took it to the Ka'bah and Muhammad
(^g)
himself put it in its rightful place.
l9
This was the solution offered by someone endowed with
sound judgement, at whose sight the people were filled with
optimism and ease and whom they willingly accepted as
arbitrator. This shows the high status which he had attained in
their eyes.
In spite of the effort made by the Quraish to rebuild the
Ka'bah, they fell short of the foundations laid by IbrahTm (W).
Nevertheless, after the Prophet
(^)
had gained supremacy in
the Arabian peninsula he did not see any need to adjust the
building but chose to leave it as it was.
A'ishah 'May Allah be pleased with her, reported that the
Prophet
(^g)
told her:
'Don't you see that when your people built the Kab'ah they fell
short of the foundations laid by Ibrahim (fcS)?"
She Said: Messenger of Allah
($g),
will you not have it
extended to the foundations of Ibrahim (^fcS)?"
He said: "If it were not for the fact that your people were
recently unbelievers, I should have done so/*
Ibn *Umar (4*) said: "If
l
A'ishah 'May Allah be pleased
with her, heard this from the Messenger of Allah
(^),
then I do
not think that he ignored greeting the two corners next to the
black stone except for the reason that they were not completed
on the foundations of Ibrahim (&&)."
The scholars say that the Prophet's
(iSg) statement mentioned
A good tladTth narrated by Ahmad. It would have been bcuer for the author to
quote the texl of lite Hadnh itself rather than use the words of the book ut's/rah,
which have no support.
The Life of Prophet Muhammad 99
above meant that the people had just come out ofjahilfyah and
faith had not yet taken a complete hold of them, which made the
Arabs averse to demolishing the Ka'bah and redesigning it. If it
was compulsory to rebuild the Ka'bah as Ibrahim
(*&) had built
it, the Prophet
(^|g)
would never have left it as it was.
Nevertheless, the matter was not so important as to provoke
complications.
Seekers of truth
We have said that paganism adorns its falsehood with veneer
of truth to make it easy for people to swallow its bitterness. It
claims to believe in a God who created the heavens and earth
but at the same time it associates with Him other gods who are
the means and intermediaries to approach Him. Now, since the
creation of the heavens and the earth was far removed from our
sight, the stubborn idolaters take comfort in the gods, that are
close at hand. They visit them day and night until their
relationship with these gods becomes much stronger than their
relationship
with the True God, and mention of Him to Whom
they appeal through the agency of others is made only when
arguing or apologizing.
(And If you ask them who created thern, they will surely say: Allah
why then do they turn away? And he said "my Rab&, Look Those
are people who do not believe." Then bear with them [Muhammad]
and say; Peace! But they will come to know.) (Qur'an 43: 87-89)
Q Persistence in such nonsense, however, went beyond its limits
and the masses became totally absorbed in what they had
inherited. They lost the blessing of a free mind even a perceptive
mind and lived in praise of that of which they had no
knowledge. As for those who were endowed with the ability to
think, their thinking collided with the boundaries
of their
inclinations and desires, and maybe they concealed what they
knew or even fought it. Only a few people dared to oppose the
100 From Birth to Prophethood
traditions which had taken root in society and voice the truth,
and even fewer lived for it or sacrificed themselves on its behalf.
Before the Prophet's ministry there were those who looked at
the paganism of the Arabs with scorn, and those who knew that
their people were indulging in superstitious beliefs but could not
find the means to prevent them. Bukharl
20
narrated from Ibn
'Umar
(40
that the Prophet
(^g)
said. He met Zayd ibn
*
Amr
ibn Nufayl in lower Baldah before he became a prophet and
offered him some food containing meat. Zayd (-$*) refused to eat
it. Saying:
"I do not eat from what you sacrifice on your altars;
21
I eat only that one on which Allah's
($%)
name has been
mentioned." He used to condemn the way, the Quraish
slaughtered their animals by saying: "The sheep was created by
Allah ($%)
and it is He who caused the water to descend for it
from the sky and who caused the pasture to grow for it from the
earth. But you slaughter in someone*s name other than Allah's!
In another narration it is said of Zayd ibn
;
Amr(4i)that he
went to Syria and asked about religion in order to follow it.
He met a Jewish scholar and asked him about his religion,
saying: "Perhaps Til follow your religion!"
The Jew said "You will not follow our religion unless you
take your share of God's anger."
Zayd (4b) said: 'i am fleeing only from God's anger, and I
shall not bear any of God's anger at all while I am able. Will
you show me something else?"
The Jew said: "I know of nothing else except that you should
bea/fcw^"
Also narrated by Ahmad on the authority of Ibn 'Umar(-). The HadTth comes
from another source loo with an addition that contradicts the author's explanation
below. This addition is not authentic, however.
31
Zayd (.&) thought that the meat offered to him was of the kind prohibited by Allah
(&}, Nevertheless, it is certain that the Prophet's (3HE0 house never ate the sacrifices
made to idols. Zayd 0*)
wanted to be sure of himself and so declared his religion. The
Prophet
(^S)
remembered this and was pleased with it.
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 1 01
Zayd
(40
said: "And what is a Hanlfl
The Jew replied: "Abraham's
{&&) religion. He was neither a
Jew nor a Christian and he worshipped none beside God,"
Zayd
(4)
left and he met a Christian scholar and asked him
the same.
The Christian replied: "You will not follow our religion
unless you take your share of God's curse."
Zayd (^e) said: "I shall always flee from God's curse while 1
am able, so will you show me something else?
The Christian replied: "I know of nothing else except that
you should be a Hanlf."
Zaid (4b) asked: "And what is a Hanlf?"
The Christian replied: "Abraham's
(%*) religion. He was
neither a Jew nor a Christian and he worshipped none beside
God."
When Zayd
(40
heard this about IbrahTm (M), he left, and
when he was outside he raised his hands and said: "O God, I call
You to witness that I have adopted the religion of Ibrahim
(Abraham)
$&y
These narrations show the great amount of confusion which
had spread throughout the world and observed the prevailing
religions. The Jews felt that they were being persecuted in the
land and were rejected in every region, and so anyone who
accepted their religion had to bear the burden of God's anger
against them. The Christians disputed among themselves
the
nature of Christ and his mother's relationship to the Supreme
God. These disputes led them into violent wars among
themselves and divided them into sects, each of them cursing the
others. The Christians of Syria whom Zayd
(40
asked were the
Jacobites and they differed with the official creed of the Roman
Catholic Church, Thus it was not strange that they should inform
Zayd
(4&)
of the curses that would be heaped upon him if he
entered their religion. Or perhaps this curse was the
consequence of the sin committed by Adam (SfiSS) and passed on
102 From Birth to Prophethood
to all his progeny, as claimed by the Christians, who justify
Jesus' s crucifixion because of this. It was Zayd's (*&)
right to
abandon all of them and return to the religion of Ibrahim (*a)
to
look for his roots.
BukharT narrates from Asma' bint Aba Bakr (4b):
"I saw Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl (4.)
standing with his back
leaning against the Ka'bah and he was saying: "O assembly of
Guraish, by God, none of you is foflowing the religion of Ibrahim
{*&)
but myself." He used to rescue the buried baby girls and
say to their fathers when they wanted to kill their baby
daughters: "I shall take care of her for you." He would take the
girl and when she was big enough he would say to her father: *lf
you wish I shall give her back to you, or if not, I shall continue
bringing her up.
22
Zayd (4-i) was one of those rare thinkers who despised the
wrongs of jahtIryah, were thankful for their ability to see the
truth and did not underestimate their value in their society. Fate,
however, had selected a man who perceived the truth and
possessed the ability to disseminate it throughout all parts of the
globe in spite of the efforts to preserve falsehood at the cost of
lives and possessions. Fate was in the process of preparing that
towering personality to fulfil this tremendous role, and great
tasks are equalled only by great personalities.
In the Cave of Hira
Muhammad
(i&)
was nearing his forties. His previous
dedication to contemplation had widened the mental gulf
between himself and his people. His opinion of them had come
to resemble the opinion of scientist of a modern world towards
those who believe that the earth is balanced on the horns of a
bull, or that of an atomicist towards those who pelt one another
with stones when they fight and travel on horseback.
"
A sound Hadlth.
The Life ofProphet Muhammad
/03
That was as far as the mental side was concerned. As for the
spiritual side, scepticism had spread among the people of
jahilfyah and it caused them to swear their utmost by God that
He would not resurrect the dead. This deep-rooted and obtrusive
scepticism had caused the best people to be confused and
question the fate of this world. If existence was firstly and lastly
of this fleeting life span on earth then extinction was far better!
Was there no glimpse of light in this pervading darkness?
Every year Muhammad
(^)
used to leave Makkah to spend
the month of Ramadan in the cave of Hira, situated a few miles
from the population in the heart of one of the hills overlooking
the city, and which was free from the people's vanities and
aimless talk. In this secluded mountain Muhammad
(ggg)
took
provisions to last those long nights. There he would detach
himself from the world and turn towards the Lord of the World
with his eager heart. From that covered cave a lone soul could
look down upon the world which was heaving with troubles,
rivalries and disappointments. Then it would withdraw into
itself, full of sorrow and helplessness because it did not know of
any way out of all that nor did it know ofany cure! In that far-
off cave a penetrating eye observed the legacy ofthe previous
prophets sent by Allah
(M)
and found it to be like a deep mine
from which the precious metal could be extracted only by
tremendous effort, and even then the ore would be mixed with
the earth and no human being could separate them.
In the cave of Hira Muhammad
(gig) used to meditate and
worship; his heart shone; his soul was purified; he approached
the truth with all his energy and kept away from falsehood as
much as he could. Finally he reached such a high state of purity
that the rays of the Unseen began to reflect from his heart. There
was no dream that he saw without it being realized like the dawn
of the morn. In this cave Muhammad
(^^)
met with the
heavenly hosts.
104 From Birth to Prophethood
Before him the desert had witnessed a brother of his who
came in flight from Egypt, and traversed the dry, barren lands,
seeking peace, security and guidance for himself and his people.
He was attracted by the sight of a burning bush on the right hand
side of the valley, and when he went toward it, his hearing and
senses were filled with the holy call:
(Behold! I, even I, am Allah. There is no Cod save me* So worship
Me and establish worship for My remembrance.) (Qur'an 20: 14)
One flame ofthis fire reached across the centuries to flare up
once more in the depths ofthe cave wherein was a man devoted
to worship and self-purification, who kept his body and soul
away from the filth and evils ofjahiliyah. However, this flame
was not a fire to attract the onlooker: it was a light which shone
with inspiration and guidance on the startled heart and brought
stability and consolation to it. Muhammed
(^s)
listened in
amazement to the voice ofthe angel telling him: "Read."
He replied in wonder: "I cannot read."
The question and reply were repeated and thereafter flowed
the first ayat (verses) of the noble Qur'an:
<Read: In the name of your Lord Who creates, Creates man from a
dot Read: and your Rabb is the Most Bounteous, Who teaches by
the pen, Teaches man that which he knew not") (Qur'an 96: 1-5)
23
Waraqah ibn Naufal
Muhammad
(#g)
was a human being like ourselves.
However creation does not know such great disparity among the
members of a single species as that existing among the mankind:
some of them are higher than the resplendent stars whereas
others are not worth the droppings of a goat. Nevertheless, all of
them are human beings. This disparity occurs among people
who have not had the support of revelation, so when a human
11
An authentic HadTth.
The Life ofProphet Muhammad 1
05
being has been selected, he is enlightened with the rays of divine
guidance and support, what will he be like?
<He sends down the angels with the Spirit of His command whom
He will of His servants [saying]: warn mankind that there is no god
save Me, so fulfil your duty to me.) (Qur'an 16:2)
Q
When the soul is breathed into the embryo Allah
(M) makes
him a new creation different from what he was in his first six
stages of being: a type of mud, then a sperm, then a clot, then a
morsel of flesh, then bones, then a body clothed in flesh.
Similarly, when the Prophets receive revelation and its new
spirit runs in them, they become new human beings and no-one
is able to match them at all in excellence and enlightenment.
This crucial change is the reason for Allah's reminding
Muhammad
(^teg) ofthe Power which created man from a clot:
The power which created this wonderful human being from a
parasital clot will, by Allah's Bounty, make Muhammad
(^)
a
human prophet, able to read after his illiteracy.
(And thus have We inspired in you [Muhammad]
a spirit of Our
command. You did not know what the Scripture was, nor what the
faith was. But We have made It a light with which We guide whom
We wish of Our servants. And behofd indeed you guide a right path.
The path of Allah, Whom belongs whatsoever is In the heavens and
whatsoever is in the earth.) (Qur'an 42: 52-53)
It was as if the previous forty years were only a day, and the
morning of the next day began the Revelation. That searching,
yearning mind could now expect the light oftruth, and that troubled
heart could now feel the coolness of certainty and the expanse of
hope. That far-reaching change had occurred it was prophethood!
How wonderful was the coming blessing and how great were the
anxieties Muhammad
(^g)
would have to face on its behalf.
Thus he quickly regained his composure, and his wife's
reaction to it was one of the noblest reactions to come from a
106 From Birth to Prophethood
woman past or present. She soothed him when he was perturbed,
she made him rest when he was exhausted and she reminded
him of the virtues of his character, emphasizing that righteous
people like himself could never be humiliated, and that when
Allah
(M)
moulded a man with the most excellent traits of
character it was to bestow honour and kindness on him. With
this well-balanced opinion and purity of heart, KhadTjah
deserved the salutations sent to her by the Lord of the Worlds
through the Faithful Spirit [Angel Jibrtl (ifc&a)].
24
14
The author is referring to an authentic HadTth reported by Bukhan and Muslim on
the authority of Aba Hurairah (-**), in which he said:
"Jibrfl (:-m) came to the Prophet
(B)
and said:
"
O Messenger of Allah
(),
here is KhadTjah coming with a pot of soup or food or drink. When she reaches you,
convey salam to her from her Lord and from myself, and give her the good tidings of
a home in Paradise made ofjewel, in which there shall he no Clamour or fatigue.
Chapter Three
The Mission's Struggle
The dark clouds of confusion dispersed and the scenes of
reality took shape. Muhammad
(^^)
knew with certainty that he
had become a Prophet of Allah
(^fe),
The High Exalted, and
that it was the ambassador of Revelation who came to him with
news from the heavens. The awe of contact between angel and
man, however, had left its mark of exhaustion in his being as if
he had undertaken a strenuous task. This is not surprising, since
he remained for a long time feeling the effects of the Revelation.
Allah (M) wished the Revelation to cease after its
commencement, as we have described above, so that the
Prophet's
(s^g)
eagerness and expectancy for it would again
provide him with the strength and stability to bear it when it
returned. In spite of that, however, the human capacity was
tested by its pressure. Jibnl (SSS*) came for the second time.
Jabir ibn 'Abdullah
(40
reported that he heard the Prophet
(^^)
speaking about the cessation of Revelation and saying:
"While I was walking, I heard a voice from the sky, so I looked
up. There was the angel who had come to me in Hira, and he
was seated on a throne between the earth and the sky. I was so
terrified of him that I fell to the ground. Then I went back to my
family and said, Cover me up! And they wrapped me up in a
blanket. Then Alfah
(&)
Revealed:
<0 you enveloped in your cloak, Arise and warn! Your fabb
magnify, Your raiment purify, Pollution shun!) (Qur'an 74:
1-5)'
,i
These decisive, successive orders heralded for the Prophet
(t^s) the end of the past with its dreams, peace and quiet, and
that he was now on the threshold of a new occupation which
required wakefulness and determination, warning and acquittal.
Narrated by BuVh&T and Muslim.
I OS The Mission's Struggle
Let him therefore bear the message, let him guide the people,
and seek support in the Revelation, for it is the source of his
message and the reinforcement of his call.
Q Revelation is the inspiration ofthe heart with what Allah
(M)
wants in a clear manner which contains no possibility of doubt.
It takes various forms, some of which arc easier than others,
4
Umar
{*&)
is reported to have said: Whenever Revelation
descended on the Prophet
(^s), a sound like the buzzing of bees
was heard near his face,
2
Sometime it would come like the
ringing of a bell, and this was the hardest form for him. The
angel would come upon him in such a way that his forehead
would sweat profusely on a cold, wintry day,
3
and his mount
would lie down on the ground if he was riding it.
4
Once
Revelation came to him while his thigh was resting on the thigh
of Zayd ibn Thsbit (*&>), and it became so heavy that Zayd's
(*&)
thigh almost broke.
5
At other times it might come more easily
and lightly than that.
Q One might ask why did the first Revelations come with such
intensity and why did the Qur'an not begin to be Revealed as
inspiration in a dream or inspiration in wakefulness as the
incident described by the Prophet
(^g):
'The Holy Spirit Jfbrrl (<ga) inspired my heart with the fact that no
soul shall die until it has exhausted its sustenance; so fear Allah
[&)
and be restrained in seeking,
6
Is this not less likely to cause
fright and exhaustion?"
A weak HadTth, narrated by Al TirmidhT, who mentioned that there was some dispute
about its chain. The chain has YOnus ibn Saltm in it, and from him 'Abdul Razzaq,
narrated it, Rut Yanus is not known. Abdul Razzaq was asked about him, and he said:
"I don't think he is anything,"
This is the meaning of the HadTth narrated by BukharT on the authority of 'A'ishah.
This is ihc meaning ofthe Hadlth narrated by Ahmad and A!-HaJcim on the authority of
'A'ishah,
This is the meaning of the HadTth narrated by BukharT on the authority ofZayd ibn
Thabit
(*}.
A sound HadTth coming from different sources, each strengthening ihc other.
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad
/ 09
The answer is that the Qur'an first began to be Revealed in this
manner,
7
so that there might be no doubt that the words and the
meaning were from Allah
(S) and that Muhammad
($&)
was
entrusted with it after having been singled out for it. Thus it is not
the fabrication of a recluse who had certain visions, nor the
invention of a philosopher who excelled in logic and beautiful
speeches; it is the word ofAllah
($&)
who is Absolute Truth.
<lt is naught save an inspiration that is inspired, Which one of mighty
powers has taught him, One vigorous; and he grew clear to view,
When he was on the uppermost horizon, Then he drew close and
came down, Till he was [distant] two bows' length or even nearer,
And He revealed to His servant that which he revealed. The heart
did not lie [in seeing] what It saw. Will you then dispute with him
concerning what he sees?) (Qur'an 53: 4-12)
What is the call?
Muhammad
(^)
began telling the people about Islam and
urging them to join the religion with which Allah
($)
had sent
him. The Sflrahs of the Qur'an which were revealed at Makkah
explain the beliefs and actions which Allah
(&)
charged His
servants to uphold, and he commissioned the Prophet
($&)
to
establish and nurture them. The most important are:
1. Absolute Unity. Humans are not servants to any being on
earth or in heaven because all in the heavens and the earth are
servants to Allah
(M): they submit to His Majesty and obey His
Command. There are no partners with Him, nor intercessors, nor
intermediaries. It is every person's right to approach Allah
(&)
directly without going through any other creation, whether big
or small. It is every person's duty to denounce those who
establish themselves or others as intermediaries and bring them
down to their rightful position, whether they happen to be
7
Communication of the physical body with ihc unseen world is strenuous for human
nature. It may be compared to what the mediums experience during hypnosis, though
there ts a great difference.
110 The Mission 's Struggle
human or stone or anything else. All individual
and collective
links ought to be built on the basis that Allah
($0
is Supreme in
His Kingdom with this Perfect Oneness,
Q The consequences ofthis belief were that the stones which the
Arabs worshipped became no better than the stones with which
they used to build their houses or pave the roads, and that the
human beings who were deified in other religions were given
their rightful status. It was made plain that they were servants to
the One who created and fed them, that they would progress or
regress only if they obeyed or disobeyed Him, and that they had
no say in creation or the provision ofsustenance.
2. The Hereafter:
The day will inevitably come when people will have to face
their Lord and be questioned on every minute detail of their
previous life,
<And whoever does an atom's weight of evil, will see it then.)
(Qur'fin 99: 7-8)
Thereafter will be either eternal bliss for the good people to
enjoy or dreadful punishment in which the evil-doers will
remain miserable.
a Considering the Hereafter in every action that one performs or
avoids is an established principle of behaviour in Islam. Just as
passengers on a train know that they will get off at the next stop,
likewise Muslims know that time will inevitably take them back
to their Creator where they shall harvest the fruits of what they
have planted in this life.
3. Purification of the Self: This is done by adhering to the
prescribed acts of worship and keeping away from other actions
in order to avoid their evil consequences.
<Say: "Come, 1 shall recite to you that which your Rabb has made a
sacred duty for you: that you ascribe nothing as partner to Him; that
The
Life of
Prophet Muhammad / / /
you do good to parents; that you do not kill your children because of
penury* We provide for you and for them and that you avoid
indecency whether open or concealed. And that you do not destroy
the life which AIM has made sacred, save in the course of justice.
This He has commanded you, fn order that you may discern. And do
not touch the wealth of the orphan, except to improve it, till he
reaches maturity. Give full measure and fiiii weight in justice. We do
not test any soul beyond its capacity. And if you give your word, do
lustice to it, even though it may be [against! a kinsman; and fulfil the
Covenant of Allah. This He commands you so that perhaps you may
remember.) (Qur'an 6: 1 5 1
-
1
52)
And He
(M)
commands you, saying:
<This is My straight path, so follow it. Do not follow other ways, lest
you be parted from His Way. This He has ordained for you, that you
may ward off [evil].") (Qur'an 6: 153)
Aktam ibn Sayfr said: "Surely what the Prophet
(3Mi)
brought, if it did not become a full fledged religion, it would
have been good moral teachings for the people."
4, Protection of the well-being of the Muslim community.
The Muslim community must be considered to be a solid unit
based on brotherhood and co-operation. This demands that the
wronged should be championed, the deprived should be assisted
and the weak should be strengthened. In Surah (Chapter) 74,
which is the first Surah in which the Prophet
(^g)
was ordered
to preach openly, we read these ayat (verses):
<Every soul is a pledge for its own deeds; Save those who will
stand on the right hand. In gardens they will ask one another,
Concerning the guilty: What has brought you to this burning? They
will answer; we were not of those who prayed; Nor did we feed
the wretched; We used to take part [In vain dispute] with [all] the
disputes, And we used to deny the Day of Judgement, Till the
112 The Mission's Struggle
Inevitable came to us. The mediation of no mediators will avail
them then.) (Quran 74: 38-48)
Whenever Aba Bakr
(4*0
saw any of the weak and oppressed
Muslims being tortured, he would spend alt his energy and
wealth to free him. This is the individual's right over society.
The First Group
The propagation of Islam began to increase in Makkah. It took
effect in those broad-minded individuals, who quickly abandoned
their former Jahilyah and secretly embraced the new faith. The
ayat (verses) ofthe Qur'an descended on the hearts of those who
had accepted the seeds of faith as rain descends on fertile soil:
*When We send down water on It, it thrills and swells and put forth
every single kind [of growth].) (Qur'an 22:
5)
The believers in this ideology gathered around their leader
with determination, and in love and admiration they listened to
him explaining the principles of their ideology. Faith is a
magical force: once it has taken root in someone's heart it can
make the impossible possible. We have seen old men and youths
meeting over a particular thought and giving it the position of
firm faith in their hearts. Although it is only a materialistic
thought, it makes their lives the fuel for its spreading and it
urges them to bear the worst kinds of suffering on its behalf.
Q In the prisons now are men who graduated from the
universities of the West, They spend a large part of their lives
with murderers and drug traffickers. This is because they see it
as part of the necessary effort they must make to achieve success
for their principles. How much more effective it would have
been if the faith which appeared at that time was faith in Allari
(M)
y
Lord of all the worlds, and faith in the Hereafter, where
people encounter their Lord after they leave this world, and
where they find lush gardens and exquisite palaces under which
rivers flow? The first group was in the process of formation and
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad
I [3
it was increasing daily,
It was natural that the Prophet
(3s) should present Islam first
to those who were closest to him among his household and
friends. These people had never had any doubts about the
greatness of Muhammad (sag)
or his truthfulness,
so it is no
wonder, therefore, that they were the first to support and follow
him.
His wife, KhadTjah, believed in him and so did his slave
freed, Zayd ibn Harithah, and his cousin, 'All ibn AbT Talib,
who was a young boy living under the care of the Prophet
(&g).
His bosom friend, Abu Bakr
(4),
also accepted Islam and was
very active in propagating it and he persuaded those whom he
loved and trusted to accept it too. These were 'UlhmSn ibn
Allan
O),
Talha ibn 'Ubaidullah and Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas,
The Christian scholar, Waraqah ibn Naufal, also believed in
him, and it is reported,
8
that the Prophet
gift]
saw him in a
dream after his death in a state of bliss, which meant that he had
found favour with Allah
($g). AI Zubayr ibn al ' Awwam, Abu
Dharr al Ghifari, Umar ibn
l
Anbasa and Sa'Td ibn al 'As
accepted Islam, and Islam spread in Makkah among those whose
hearts Allah
(5)
enlightened. The propagation of Islam going on
in secret without any open show of zealousness or provocation,
The news filtered down to the Quraish, although they paid no
attention to it. Perhaps they thought that Muhammad
(^yg) was
one of those religious fanatics who would speak of Divinity and
its rights as Umayyah ibn Al Salt used to do, or the Christian
scholar Ibn Sa'idah or 'Amr ibn Nufayl and others like them.
Nevertheless, their fear grew when his fame started to spread and
so they began to observe him and his call. The secret propagation
of the Da'wah continued for three years, then the order was
revealed to the Prophet
($&) to announce it to his people and
openly confront their falsehood and denounce their idols.
This is a good Hadllh, and the words "it is reported** are not appropriate since they
suggest that it is not authentic. The HadTth comes from two sources, both of which
have been authenticated by Ibn KathTr. It is also strengthened by the Prophet's
($&)
saying: "Do not curse Waraqah for I dreamt of a garden or two belonging to him"
J J4 The Mission's Struggle
Announcement of the Call
Ibn
*
Abbas said that when the ayah (verse) "And warn your
tribe of close relatives'* (Qur'an 26;
214), was revealed the
Prophet
(^i)
climbed the hill ofSqfaand started shouting:
w
O
Band Fihr, Banu 'AdT," calling all the clans of the Quraish to
assemble, and those who could not come out sent a messenger to
see what had happened.
When they all had assembled the Prophet (3J&) said:
"What would you say if I told you that there was an army of
horsemen in the valley wanting to attack you, would you believe
me?"
They said: "We have never heard you tell a lie."
He said: "Well I am warning you of terrible punishment!"
Aba Lahab then shouted: "May you be in misery all day long! Is
this what you called us tor? Then Allah
(&]
revealed Surat ul
Lahab (Chapter).
9
Q According to Abu Hurairah
(4*), when this ayah was
revealed, the Prophet
(^g)
stood up and said:
"O assembly of Quraish! Purchase your own (freedom), I shall
not avail you in any way before Allah
(*); O Banu 'Abdul
Muttalib, I will not avail you in any way before Allah
[&); O
"Abbas ibn 'Abdul Muttalib, I will not avail you in any way before
Allah
(itJ; O Safiyyah, aunt of Allah's Messenger
(^*) r
I will not
avail you in any way before Allah {te)."
1Q
This loud call was the final degree of communication. The
Prophet
(^g)
severed relations with his people on account ofhis
call. He explained to those who were closest to himself that
belief in this message is what would keep alive the relationship
between him and them and that the blood kinship which the
9
A Sound Hadlth narrated by BukharTand Muslim.
A sound Hadtth narrated by Bukhart and Muslim with two chains ofnarrators
through Abu Hurairah (-*).
The Life
of
Prophet Muhammad
If 5
Arabs upheld had melted in the heat of this warning coming
from Allah
(my
Muhammad
($&)
had enjoyed a high status in his town and
was the object of confidence and love. Nevertheless,
here he
was confronting
Makkah with what it disliked and exposing
himself to opposition from the foolish
people and the men of
high rank. The first group whose affection he risked losing was
his nearest of kin, although such pain was insignificant
compared with the truth with which Allah
($g) had enlightened
his heart. It was not for him, therefore, to find rest at night while
Makkah was shaking with astonishment and condemnation,
and
was preparing to put an end to this revolution which had
suddenly descended upon it and was about to sweep away its
custom and inherited traditions.
The Quraish continued moving along their path: the path of
obstinacy and avoidance of truth. Likewise Muhammad
($m)
continued moving along his path, calling them to Allah
(*&),
being gentle in his presentation of Islam,
exposing the disgraces
of paganism, listening and answering,
attacking and defending.
His keenness to bring guidance to his close relative, however,
spurred him on to have another try at presenting Islam to them.
Winning them over would have far-reaching
benefits since they
held a position of honour among the Arabs.
Moreover, they
were his close relatives for whom he wished good and whom he
hated to have Allah's anger descend.
Q
Ibn AthTr reports that Ja'fcribn 'Abdullah ibn Abil Hakam
said that when the ay&i "and warn thy tribe of near kindred
1
'
was
revealed, the Prophet
($jg) became very worried and sat at
home like a sick man*
His aunts came to visit him and he said to them: "I do not
have any complaint of sickness. However, Allah
(&)
ordered me
to warn my close relatives,"
They said, "Well, call them, but do not invite AbO Lahab, for
he will not respond to you."
He called them together and they all came, and along with
U6
The Mission's Struggle
them came some from the clan of the Banu Muttalib ibn 'Abd
Manaf. They totalled forty-five men, Abu Lahab was the first to
speak He said: "Here are your uncles and cousins, so speak and
do not act childishly, and know that your people do not have any
power against the entire Arab nation, and I am the most fitting
person to stop you. So let your father's children be enough for
you, and if you remain steadfast in what you are doing, then it is
easier for them than to have the clans ofthe Quraish ambush
with the help ofthe Arabs. I have never seen any man bringing
so much evil on his father's children as you have brought.
1 '
The Prophet
($&)
kept quiet and did not speak in that
gathering. Then he called them on another occasion and said:
"Praise be to Allah
(tfe):
I praise Him and seek His help, and I
believe in Him and place my Trust in Him. And I bear witness
that there is no god but Allan
{$),
Who is Alone and has no
partner." Then he continued, "A leader does not lie to his
family. By Allah
(#6),
besides Whom there is no other god, I am
Allah's Messenger
(^s)
to you in particular and to the mankind
in general. By Allah
($),
you shall die even as you fall asleep;
you shall be resurrected even as you wake up; you shall be
called to account for what you are doing; and then it will be
paradise forever or hell forever.'
11
Q Aba Talib said: "How we would love to assist you! And how
eager we are for your advice! And how sincerely we believe in
what you have said! Here is your clan gathered together and I
am one of them. However, I am the quickest of them to accept
what you say, so proceed to execute the orders that come to you
from Allah
($&\
1 shall continue to protect you although my
heart will not bear to part from the religion of 'Abdul Muttalib,"
I did not find this narrator in the list of narrators. There is Ja'far ibn 'Abdullah ibn
Hakam, who is a Tabfi of the tribe of Dus. He narrated from Anas (#) and the
Tabi'in. if he is this person, then the chain is mursal and therefore weak, I did not
encounter this ascription being made to him. However, if it is someone else, then I
have no knowledge of him.
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 1 17
Then Abu Lahab said: "This, by Allah
(3&),
is a disgrace
!
Take hold of his hands before others take hold of you!**
Abu Talib replied: "By Allah
($g),
we shall protect him as
long as we live."
Abu Talib
In spite of remaining in idolatry and holding fast to the
religion of his forefathers, Aba Talib's affection for his nephew
did not change. He clearly understood the hardships which this
call would bring himself and his family. Nevertheless, his
consideration for Muhammad
(^fcg) and dislike of hurting his
feelings led him to assure the Prophet
(3&g)
of complete
freedom of action. In fact, Abu Talib undertook to protect him
while he was conveying the message of his Lord! AbQ Talib was
one of the few great men of Makkah. He was respected in his
family and among the people, and no-one dared to defy his
authority. His remaining with the people of Makkah in the
worship of their gods was a good reason for his influence to
spread and his rights to be upheld.
On the other hand, AbQ Lahab was the example ofthose family
heads who bent over backwards to protect their own interests and
prestige without any regard for right or wrong. Any action which
exposed his interests to destruction or marred his status would
rouse his anger and impel to do something foolish. In Abu
Lahab's nature was a streak of harshness which led him into self
behaviour. His sons 'Utbah and Utaybah, were married to the
Prophet's
(^g)
daughters, Ruqaiyyah and Umm Kulthum. So he
ordered his sons to divorce them which they did. Perhaps AbQ
Lahab was influenced in his violent hatred for Muhammad
(|g)
by his wife, Umm Jamfl, daughter of Harb and sister ofAbu
Sufyan. She was a domineering woman, incited into hatred for the
Prophet
($&)
and his religion by a variety of reasons. So she let
her loose tongue spread innumerable slanders against him.
Q If the passions ofjahilfyah could incite Muhammad's
($&)
uncle to act so selfishly and harshly towards him, what would be
118
The Mission's Struggle
the behaviour of those who were not related to him and who
would like to see every upright person stumble and every
innocent sentenced? Nevertheless, what was Abu Lahab, what
were the Quraish and the Arabs, what was the entire world
worth compared with a man who bore a message from Allah
(ft}
Sovereign of the heavens and the earth, who wanted restore
rationality to a world which had lost its reason and erase
superstition from a people suffocated by it like a sandstorm?
What could be the effect of the attitude of an ignoramus, or the
indignation of a haughty man? Could they stop this great
message from proceeding towards its distant goal?
Floating seaweed cannot stop an ocean liner If the people of
jahilfyah were angry with the Muslims for abandoning their
people for this call to the extent that they called them apostates,
then the Muslims were even more angry with them because they
made fools ofthemselves and disgraced their intellects: they stuck
stubbornly to superstitious beliefs for which had no authorization
from Allah (3s). The call which Muhammad
(^^)
started in
Makkah was not for the building of a small nation. It was a
complete renaissance for nations and generations which would
continue to inherit the truth and spread it in all comers ofthe
globe until the story of life and living things ended on this earth.
G What, then, could the enmity of an individual or a tribe do to
message which had this role to play in its present and future?
And who were those enemies? Prejudiced people with closed
minds and whose pride and power told them to strike violently
at anyone who opposed them.
(And when Our Revelations are recited to them, you know the
denial in the faces of those who disbelieve; they all but attack those
who recite Our Revelations to them.) (Qur'Sn 22: 72)
Or those in ease and luxury who were in love with falsehood
because it came to them comfortably couched, and who disliked
truth because it was devoid of embellishments:
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad
U9
<And when Our clear Revelations
are recited unto them, those who
disbelieve say to those who believe: which of the two parties [yours
or ours] is better in position, and more imposing
then any army?)
(Qur'an 19: 73)
Or obstinate people who believed that Allah's
guidance was
the joke of youngsters or the fashions ofa pretty girl so that they
could say, leave this and bring that!
<And when Our clear Revelations are recited to them, they who do
not look for the meeting with Us say: Bring a lecture [Qur'an] other
than this or change it.) (Qur'an 10:
15)
Or fools who tried to outdo one another in making the loudest
noise when the Revelations were being recited so that they
might not be heard and understood and so influence pure and
healthy hearts and minds:
<Those who disbelieve say: do not heed this Qur'an and drown its
recitation; perhaps you will be victorious,)
(Qur'an 41 :
26)
If the people Makkah had hesitated in accepting
Muhammad
@V)
until they could study the matter and scrutinize his message
weighing it carefully with what they possessed,
no intelligent
person could have done better than they. Instead, however, they
fled from Islam as a criminal flees from the courtroom after his
crimes have been exposed and his guilt proved.
The Prophet
($&)
was grieved by this rejection coupled with
disbelief and provocation,
and it is the right of any noble,
truthful man to feel sadness and pain when he finds himself
disbelieved and shun. However, Allah
(M) consoled him and
showed him the real nature of those who
disbelieved and
j
oined
forces against him:
<We know well how their talk grieves you, though
in truth they do
not deny you (Muhammad], but evil-doers flout the Revelations of
Allah.) (Quran 6:
33)
120
The Mission's Struggle
Thus Muhammad
(^5)
had to continue preaching and
overcoming all the obstacles that were placed in his way, and
those who believed in his Message had to be firm and steadfast.
Their steadfastness was not to be in their own interests alone,
nor even in fulfilment of the duties of faith, but also in the
interests of the future generations. A skyscraper does not rest on
the surface of the earth but on foundations which go deep into
the earth, and these bear its weight and pillars. The early
Companions of the Prophet
(^)
with their strength of
conviction and sincere loyalty were the pillars of his call and the
roots which extended in later days in all directions of the globe.
Persecution
The idolaters decided that they would spare no efforts to fight
Islam and persecute those who entered it. Ever since the Prophet
(3!)
had proclaimed his mission openly and condemned his
people's deviation, which they had inherited from their
forefather, Makkah erupted in a storm of anger. For years it
remained like that, regarding the Muslims as outlaws and rebels.
The earth shook under their feet and the security of the holy
sanctuary was violated with the spilling of their blood and the
looting of their wealth and honour. No-one in their position
could expect anything but oppression and persecution.
This atmosphere filled with hatred was accompanied by a war
of ridicule and humiliation, the intent behind it being to
demoralize the Muslims. The Prophet (^s)
and his Companions
were accused and abused, and a group was formed to carry out
these campaigns against Islam and its followers. It is a similar
strategy to that used by the newspapers when they publish
satirical reports about their rivals and amusing pictures to lower
the public confidence in them. With this two-pronged attack the
Muslims were caught in a tight spot their Prophet was being
accused of madness:
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 121
<And they say; O you whom the Reminder is revealed, Look! You
are indeed a madman.) (Qur'an 15:
6)
And accused of indulging in magic and telling lies:
<And they marvel that a warner from among
themselves has come
them, and the disbelievers say: this Is a wizard, a charlatan
)
(Qur'an 38:
4)
This spreads and he is met with hostile stares and feelings ofrage:
<And Behold! Those who disbelieve
would like to upset you with
their stares when they hear the Reminder, and they say: Look! he is
indeed mad.) (Qur'an 68:
51)
The lot of the Muslims was no better than this sort of
treatment. Morning and evening they were the objects of
amusement and derision:
iBehold! The guilty used to laugh at those who believed, And wink
one to another when they passed them; And when they returned to
their own folk, they returned jesting; And when they saw them, they
said: "Behold! These have gone astray," Yet they were not sent as
guardians over them.) (Qur'Sn 83: 29-33)
This war turned into torture and bloodshed
as far as the weak
and oppressed believers were concerned.
Those of them who
had no clan to defend them could not be saved from humiliation
and murder by anything. They were held and tortured
painfully
until they disbelieved, died or became
unconscious.
'Ammar ibn Yasir
(&>)
Among
them was
4
Amm5r ibn Yasir, who was one of the
earliest converts to Islam. He was a frecd-slave
of the Band
Makhzum, He, his father and his mother accepted Islam, and
they were dragged by the idolaters into the hot sands of Makkah
in the blazing midday heat and there they were tortured.
122
The Mission's Struggle
One day the Prophet
($R)
passed by them in this state and he
said; "Patience, family of Yasir, for your rendez-vous is
Paradise.
12
Yasir died of the torture. His wife, Sumayyah,
shouted curses at Abu Jahl; he stuck a spear into her heart and
she died. She was the first female in Islam to be martyred.
They redoubled their torturing of
4
Ammar>
sometimes by heat
and at other times by placing a stone on his chest or by ducking
him underwater and saying:
lw
We shall not let you go until you
curse Muhammad (^g)
or say something good about Al LSt and
Al Uzza. Eventually he did so and they let him go. He came to
the Prophet
(^),
weeping, and the Prophet
($&)
asked him
what was the matter. He replied by explaining what had
happened.
Then the Prophet
fc&g)
asked: "How do you find your heart?"
He replied:
i6
1 find it content with faith."
The Prophet
(^s)
then advised him:
*'0
Ammar, if they do it
again then do the same as before." Thereafter Allah
($)
revealed:
<Save him who is forced into it and whose heart is still content with
faith.) (Qur
T
an 16: 106)
13
'Ammar was one of those who accompanied the Prophet
($^)
on all his expeditions.
Bilal
(#)
Among them also was Bilal ibn Rabah, whose master,
Umayyah ibn Khalaf would force him to lie on his back, then
on his stomach on the scorching sands during the midday heat of
Makkah.
12
A good and sound Hadtth. It is narrated from various authentic sources, which
strengthen one another.
IJ
There is some doubt about the authenticity of this narration, since the name of the
Sahabt who heard from the Prophet
(&)
is not mentioned (i.e. it is a mursal Hadfth).
there is no doubt though, that the SySh (verse) of the Quran was revealed about
Ammar (*),
for this is corroborated by various sources. However, Allah {&)
knows
best.
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 123
He would order a huge stone to be placed on his chest and
say: "You will remain like this until you die or disbelieve in
Muhammad
(^)
and worship Al-tat and Al-Uzza."
Nevertheless Bilal
(4^)
would only
continue saying "One,
One", with more vigour.
Khabbab
(4*)
When the Quraish's savagery toward the oppressed Muslims
became unbearable, one of them, Khabbab ibn al Aratt, went to
the Prophet
(3fcg) and sought help. Khabbab
(*&) reports:
,J
We went and complained to the Messenger of Allah
[m}s and
he was at that time lying in the shade of the Ka 'aba using a
cloak as a pillow. We said: "Will you not seek Allah's help for us?
Will you not pray for us?"
He replied: "Before your time a believer would be taken and
a hole dug in the earth and he would be put in it. Then a saw
would be brought and placed on his head and it would be split
into two. Or he would be combed with an iron comb reaching
just short of his flesh and bones. Yet that would not deter him
from his faith,"
'By Allah, surely Allah
(&)
will bring this matter to a conclusion
so that a traveller will be able to travel from San 'a
1
to
Hadramaut, fearing no-one except Allah
(&), and the wolf over
his sheep. However,
you are being too hasty."
What could Muhammad
(g)
have done for these oppressed
people? He could not have extended protection to any-one of
them since he did not possess the power even to protect himself.
While at prayer in the Sacred Mosque, the intestines of a camel
or the uterus of a sheep would be thrown on him, and at other
times filth would be thrown in front ofhis doorstep, and all he
could do was to bear it with patience.
Muhammad
(&)
did not gather his Companions on the basis
of any immediate or future gains. He removed the blind fold and
they were able to see the truth which had been hidden from them
124
The Mission's Struggle
for some time; and he cleaned the rust from their minds and they
became aware of the reality engrained in their natures, but of
which they had been deprived byjahillyah> He united people with
their Lord, thus re-esLablishing their ancient and noble heritage,
whereas before this they were in a state of perplexity and
frustration. He balanced the fleeting and the everlasting for the
people, and they chose the abode of the Hereafter in preference to
this vanishing world. He offered them the choice between lowly
idols and a Great God, and they discarded the idols and turned
towards Him who created the heavens and the earth.
It was enough glory for Muhammad (38fe)
that he should be
the one to offer this limitless good, and it was enough glory for
his
Companions that they should be the ones towards whom
Providence directed it. So if they were molested, they were to be
patient and if the
worshippers of the filthy idols waged war on
them, they were to stick to what they knew. One day the war
between unbelief and faith would come to an end and disclose
the martyrs and the
believers who stood firm to the command of
Allah
(36),
and the idolaters who were routed by the permission
of Allah {U).
<And say those who do not believe: Act according to your power,
look! We [too] are acting. And wait! Look! We [too] are waiting.
And Allah's is the Invisible of the heavens and the earth, and to Him
will the whole matter be returned. So worship Him and put your
trust unto Him. Look your fabb is not unaware of what you
[Mortals] do.) (Qur'an 11: 121-123)
The Messenger of Allah
{$&)
gradually inculcated the
elements of trust in the hearts of his men and instilled in them
what Allah {&) had instilled in his heart; the deep confidence in
the fact that Islam would be victorious; its principles would
spread far and wide; and that the domination of the tyrannical
rulers would crumble at the onslaught of its army at the cast and
the west. The scoffers, however, took this confidence as material
for their taunts and jeering. Al Aswad ibn al Muttalib and his
The Life
of
Prophet Muhammad
J25
associates would, whenever they saw the Prophet's
(s8J)
Companions, wink at each other and say: "Here come the kings
of the earth who will tomorrow conquer the kingdoms of
Khosrau and Caesar;' Then they would whistle and applaud.
Besides throwing obstacles in front of the da'wah in this
manner, the idolaters urged one another to prevent any visitor in
Makkah from listening to it. Al WalTd ibn al MughTrah said to
the men of the Quraish:
The people will come to you during the days of pilgrimage
and ask you about Muhammad
(^),
and then
you will all say
different things. One will say "a poet", and another will say
''possessed by a Jinn" However, he does not resemble any of
those things, you say. The best that could be said of him is that
he is a sorcerer because he causes division between a man and
his brother and his wife.
Q These conspirators stood at the gates of Makkah during the
Hajj season and cautioned the people against that propagandist
who rebelled against his tribe. They accused him of indulging in
sorcery to separate brothers and couples, as they had agreed. The
Messenger of Allah
@J),
nevertheless, went to the pilgrims in
their gatherings and spoke to them of Islam and requested their
support. Jabir ibn
'
Abdullah reported that the Messenger of Allah
($&)
would stand at the Hajj station and say: Isn't there any
man who will take me to his people? The Quraish have
prevented me from conveying the words of my Lord.
11
Negotiations
The idolaters thought that their harsh treatment towards the
weak Muslims would deter others from responding to the caller;
they thought that the various methods of scorn and ridicule
which they employed would demoralize the Muslims so much
that they would hide for shame of their faith and soon return to
14
A sound HadTth narrated by AbQ Dawud, Al TirmtdhTand Ibn Majah. Al TirmidhT
said it was a good and sound Hadlth, Al Hakim also narrated it and said it was
authentic according to the stipulations of Bukharr and Muslim.
126
The Mission's Struggle
the religion of their forefathers. The hopes of the idolaters were
doomed to disappointment, however. Not a single Muslim
forsook the truth with which Allah
($&)
had blessed him; in fact
the Muslims were on the increase. The methods of ridicule did
not succeed in blocking anyone from Allah's path or in
distorting its features; they only strengthened the feeling of the
Muslims that paganism contained nothing but disgrace and
ignominy and that it ought to be rooted out from the society.
What could the ridicule of an ignoramus do to a learned man?
C
.though you mock us, yet we mock at you even as you mock, And
you shall know to whom a punishment that will confound htm comes,
and upon whom a lasting doom will fall.) (Quran 1 1 : 38-39)
The Quraish sought to employ another strategy, which
contained both allurement and threat. They sent to Muhammad
(^Ms),
offering him any worldly thing that he desired, and they
sent to his uncle, who was protecting him, warning him of the
consequences of maintaining such protection and urging him to
silence Muhammad
(^)
so as not to cause any harm to himself
and his family,
LJ The Quraish sent 'Utbah ibn RabT'ah, who was a calm and
composed man. He went to the Prophet
(^g)
and said:
"O nephew, you know the position which you hold among us
because of your ancestry. However you have brought a serious
matter to your people and have broken up their community
with it. So listen to me and I shall offer you some alternatives:
perhaps you may accept one. If by this affair you wish to gain
wealth, we shall collect all we can for you from ourselves so that
you will become the richest of us. If you desire status, we shall
make you our leader and shall never decide any affair without
consulting you. If you desire to be a king, we shall make you
king over us. And if that thing which visits you is an evil spirit
which you cannot eradicate, wc shall look for the best doctor
and spend all we possess to have you cured."
G When he had finished, the Prophet
($&)
recited to him the
The Life ofProphet Muhammad \27
opening SySt (verses) of SQrah Al Sajdah:
{Ha, Mlm. A Revelation from the Beneficent,
the Merciful, A
scripture whose the aval (verses) are expounded, a lecture [Qur'an]
in Arabic for people who have knowledge. Good tidings and a
warning. But most of them turn away so that they do no hear. And
they say: "Our hearts are protected from that to which you
[Muhammad] call us, and in our ears there is a deafness, and
between us and you there Is a veil. Do then [as you whish] We shall
also do [as we wish]." Say [to them, Muhammad]: "I am only a
mortal like you. It is Inspired in me that your God is One God
therefore take the straight path to Him and seek forgiveness of Him.
And shame on the idolaters, Who do not pay the welfare tax and
who are disbelievers in the Hereafter.")
(Qur'an 41: 1-7)
He recited until he reached ayah 13, which says:
<But if they turn away, then say: 'I warn you of a thunderbolt like
the thunderbolt [which fell of upon the old tribes] of 'Ad and
Thamad].
15
)
(Qur'an 41:
13)
The Prophet
(5&g)
chose those ayat (verses) from the blessed
Revelation so that his interlocutor might know the reality of the
message and the messenger.
Muhammad
(^i) brought a Book
from the Creator to His creation, which guided it away from
error and saved it from destruction. He before all others was
responsible for believing in it, acting upon it and submitting to
all its dictates. Thus, when Allah
(3c) demanded of His servants
that they should tread the right path towards Him and seek His
forgiveness it was Muhammad
(?m) who applied himself more
than all the mankind to being upright and seeking forgiveness,
without looking for kingship, wealth or status. Allah
(S) had
already placed all ofthese things before him and he had turned
away from them, disdaining to touch them. Instead, he gave
away freely all the good-things that came his way. He spent a
mountain of wealth in the path ofAllah
($g)
and when he left
This story is transmitted by Ibn Is-haq in At Maghazi. It is also narrated by Jbrt
Kathlr in his Tofsfr and in both cases the chain of narrators is a good one.
128 The Mission's Struggle
this earthly life he had not a dirham to bequeath to his progeny.
'Utbah on behalf of the Quraish wanted Muhammad
(^)
to
give up calling towards Allah (3s)
and establishing justice
among the mankind. What would become of life if a piece of
rock detached itself from the earth and flew through the strata of
space to ask the sun or any other star to stop giving light and
heat to the universe? What a strange request it was! How well it
would be for the person who makes such a request to return
home and stay there. In fact, after hearing these Qur'anic ayat
' Utbah' s dormant thoughts began to stir. He listened to the
threat and he was moved:
<But if they turn away, then say: 'I warn you of a thunderbolt like
the thunderbolt [which fell of upon the old tribes] of 'Ad and
Thamad.)(Qur'an41: 13)
'Utbah put his hands to his side and got up as if the
thunderbolt were going to strike him. He returned speedily to the
Quraish and urged them to leave Muhammad
{^0)
alone.
As for the Quraish's delegation to Abu Talib, they told him:
"O AbQ Talib, your nephew has cursed our gods and
criticized our religion; he has belittled our ideals and accused
our forefathers of having gone astray. Either you keep him away
from us let us deal with him; you are one of us, for you disagree
with his views."
"Ab& Talib spoke nicely to them and rejected their proposal
in a gentie manner. So they went away, and the Prophet (^s)
continued his dctwah. Soon relations between him and them
reached such a low level that he became the center of all the
Quraish's talk and plots. Once more they went to Abu TSlib and said:
"AbU Talib, we respect you because of your age and nobility
among us. We had requested you to restrain your nephew but
you did not. By God, we shall not show tolerance to this cursing
of our gods and forefathers and belittling of our customs. So
either you restrain him from criticizing us or we shall fight him
and you over this matter until one side perishes."
Then they left him.
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 129
Abo Talib felt very worried at the thought of separating from
his people and at their show of enmity toward him.
Nevertheless, he did not feel comfortable at handing over the
Prophet
(^)
to them. So he sent a message to the Prophet
(&),
informing him of what the Quraish had said, and he
urged: "look after yourself and me, and do not burden me with
more than I can bear."
The Prophet
($fe) thought that his uncle had changed his
mind, withdrawn his protection from him and was helpless to
defend him. So he said: "O Uncle, by Allah (<$), if they put the
sun in my right hand and the moon in my left so that I might
give up this matter until Allah
($g) causes it to prevail or I die in
the process, I should not give it up."
16
Q The Prophet
(^&)
then wept and stood up. However, his
uncle called him back and said: Go, nephew of mine, and say
whatever you wish. By God shall never hand you over for
anything." He also recited this couplet of poetry: "By God, they
will never reach you with all their numbers until I am buried and
sealed in the earth." Thus did allurements and threats fail to stop
the da 'wah.
The Quraish realized that their target was far beyond their
reach, so they went back to their old ways, pouring their anger
upon the believers and expending their utmost energy to torture
them and turn them away from their faith. The Prophet
(^g)
became very sad at the misfortunes that befell his Companions
while he was unable to stop them. He intimated to those who
had little support and were fearful of remaining in Makkah that
they should migrate to Abyssinia. This was in the fifth year after
his ministry, or two years after he openly proclaimed his
message.
A weak Hadnh narrated by Ibn Is-haq and Ibn JarTr. The person who reported this Hadnh,
Ya'qub ibn *Utbaih. never met any ofthe Companions. He was thus a disciple ofthe Tabi'in.
The story is also narrated by Al Tabarani on the authority of Aqtl ibn Abi "Talib. and in this
version, instead of "if they put..."
1
it has.
"1
am no more capable ofabandoning that with
which I have been sent than of snatching
anameoffirefrommesun.^Itcontnuics,"And
Abo Talib said. "By God, my nephew has never 1 i ed. Go hack and be ofgood cheer."
/ 30 The Mission's Struggle
The Migration to Abyssinia
The journey to Abyssinia was a secret procedure so as not to
arouse the Quraish, who would try to stop it. Nor did it begin on a
large scale. The first batch was made up of a few families, among
whom were Ruqayyah, daughter ofthe Prophet (A&), her husband,
'Uthman ibn
'
Aflfan (4*),
and a small group of other emigrants not
exceeding sixteen in total. They headed for the sea where Providence
had waiting for them two merchant ships, which took them to
Abyssinia. By the time the Quraish had reached the shore in pursuit
of their trail, they had already set sail. However, it was not long after
they had settled in that land when the news came to them that the
idolaters had concluded a truce with Islam and had agreed to leave
the Muslims free to practise their religion without molestation. Thus
they felt there was no harm in returning to Makkah. This rumour has
its effect on the Muslim emigrants and they decided to return to their
home-town. When they approached Makkah, thought, the woeful
reality became apparent: the idolaters were more bitter than ever in
their enmity towards Allah
(5g),
His Prophet and the believers, and
their aggression had not ceased for one second.
Some simpletons claim that there was actually a truce
between Islam and paganism and it all came about because
Muhammad
(^g)
sought to curry favour with the idolaters by
praising their idols and recognizing their status. They claim that
this truce had brought the Muslims back from Abyssinia, what
Muhammad
(^^)
said in praise of the idols. The simpletons
claim that he said: {Those lofty cranes, And surely their
intercession is to be sought.)
Q Where did he say these words? In Surah Al Najm> between the
Qur'anic
fyM
(verses) which mention these idols. Thus it became
like this:
<Have you thought upon Al Ut and Al Una and Manat, the third,
the other?) (Qur'an 43: 19-20)
Those lofty cranes,
The Life
ofProphet Muhammad
/J /
And surely their intercession
is to be
sought,
<Are yours the males and His the females? That indeed were an
unfair division! They are but names which you have given, you and
your fathers, for which Atfah has revealed no warrant. They
follow
but a guess and that which [they]
themselves
desire. And now the
guidance from their Lord has come to them.)
(Qur'an 43; 21-23)
The meaning ofthis would be:
Tell me of your idols: are they so and so? Their
intercession
is desired. They are only names with no reality behind
them:
myths
invented and followed.
How do you make them feminine
and
ascribe them to Allah
($g) when
you yourselves hate
females (that is, daughters)
to be ascribed to you? That would be
an unfair division!
Can such words come from an intelligent
person?
Not to
speak
of it being Revelation
from the All-knowing.
Yet such
nonsense was actually
written and conveyed
by someone If
Muhammad
(g)
had told a lie on Allah
(&) by inventing some
statement and claiming
that it came from Him, his neck would
surely
have been severed
according to the same
Book which he
brought. Allah
(0)
says:
<And if he had invented false sayings concerning Us, We assuredly had
taken him by the right hand And then severed his Kfe-artery,
and not
one of you could have held Us off from him.)
(Qur'an 69: 44-47)
Q
Nevertheless,
the books of history and
tafsw which allowed
the copyists and freethinkers
to stuff them with falsities,
also
opened their pages to record this ugly calumny. Had the scholars
been fully aware of its spuriousness
it never should
have been
recorded at all. If you open the tafslr ofAl Khazin at Sarah Hud,
you read the following:
"When the droppings of the animals became too much in
Noon's (Noah) (a)
Ark, Allah
(&)
inspired him to squeeze the
elephant's tail He did so and a boar and a rat fell from it and
they rushed to the droppings and devoured them. When the rat
started causing
confusion in the ark by gnawing at its boards and
132
The Mission's Struggle
rope, Allah (3f)
inspired him to strike between the lion's eyes.
He did so and a tom-cat and a she-cat came out of its nostrils;
and they rushed to the rat and devoured it."
What do you think of such trash? What do you think of the
story of the cranes? Quite a few short of these fairy tales exist in
a variety of our literature and I do not know when our literary
heritage will be purified of them. No doubt they were thrown in
during the days of the Muslims' negligence and Jewish
conspiracies against their thoughts and writings,
The authentic version of this story is that the Prophet (^s)
recited Surah Al Najm in a gathering of both Muslims and
idolaters, and the final part of this Surah (chapter) was so striking
that it stirred their hearts. So when the Prophet's ($s)
resounding
voice reached the end ofthe Surah, the awesomeness of the truth
had crushed the stubbornness in the hearts of the haughty and
mocking idolaters and they could not hope but fall in prostration
together with the Muslims. When they checked themselves,
however, and found that they had been overcome by faith, they
felt ashamed of themselves and wanted to make an excuse for
what they did. They felt ashamed of themselves and wanted to
make an excuse for what they did. They claimed that they
prostrated with Muhammad
(&)
only because he had spoken
kindly of their idols. This is not strange, coming from a people
who were always composing satires to ridicule the Muslims, and
one of them was not ashamed to say to the Prophet (^s) and he
was the Prophet's
(^i)
cousin on his mother's side: "Today you
have indeed spoken from heaven, Muhammad ($g)."
There is nothing more disgusting than this excuse offered by
the idolaters for their prostration except the acceptance of this
excuse. The idolaters attempted to spread this calumny of
theirs
17
to confuse the Prophet (3*g),
confound Revelation and
Where is the historical proof of this reasoning that it was the idolaters who
fabricated this charge and attempted to spread it? Such matters must have historical
proof. What is there to rule out that this charge could have been invented afterwards?
}n fact this is more plausible since there is no authentic narration of it from a SababT.
All of its sources Stop short of the Sahabah and none of the narrators was known to
The Life ofProphet Muhammad
JJJ
insinuate that the Prophet
() sometimes had
leanings
towards
them. However, this was far beyond their reach, since the war
which the Prophet
(fe) waged
against
paganism
onlv
increased
in strength
as the days went by.
Those who had migrated
to Abyssinia
returned
to Makkah
to
find that the
persecution
of the
Muslims was fiercer and more
cruel than ever. Some
therefore
entered under
the
protection of
those whom
they knew,
while others
hid
themselves
But the
Quraish insisted
on persecuting
them and
incited other
tribes to
redouble
their
persecution
of the
Muslims.
Thus the Prophet
(&)
saw no
alternative but to advise his
Companions
to
migrate to
Abyssinia once more. The second
migration
was
more difficult than the first since the
Quraish had become aware
of it and were determined
to foil it. The
Muslims were
quicker
however,
and on this
occasion
eighty-three
men and nineteen
women left, Allah
(ft) made the journey a safe one for them
and
they
reached the
Negus of
Abyssinia,
where they
found the
security,
protection
and
welcome
they
were seeking.
It is
apparent that the Negus was an upright
man with a sound mind
and good
knowledge
of Allah
(&), and correctly
believed in
Jesus being a servant and Prophet of Allah
yifc). The
flexibility
01
his thought was the secret
of the good
treatment
which he
accorded these
Muslims
seeking
refuge in his kingdom
to
preserve
their faith from
persecution.
The idolaters felt
terrible
at the
thought that the
emigrants
should find a place of refuge for
themselves
and their faith
I hey were
incited by their hatred
of Islam to send a delegation
to the Negus,
bearing
gifts to dissuade
him from
extending his
protection
and
kindness
to the
refugees.
The
delegation
consisted
of
<Amr ibn ul 'As and
'Abdullah
ibn Abi
Rabi'ah
before they accepted
fslam and they sought
the
assistance
ofthe
Negus s men to approach
him. They offered
them gifts and
supplied them with
reasons for
rejecting
these refugees
They
exist at the lime of the Prophet
(**). I have explained in detail the falseness ofthis
story in my forthcoming
book.
i-iacness
01 mis
134
The Mission's Struggle
said: "Some of our foolish people left the religion of their people
and did not embrace the King's religion. Instead, they invented a
new religion with which neither we nor you are acquainted."
They agreed to advise the Negus to expel the refugees. When
he was confronted with this matter, the Negus thought it best to
examine the case from all angles and listen to both parties
concerned. He sent for the Prophet's
(^^)
Companions and they
came, having agreed to speak the truth to him in everything,
whether it pleased him or not, and they selected Ja'far ibn Abi
Talib
(4*)
to be their spokesman.
U The Negus asked them: "What is this religion because of
which you separated from your people and did not convert to my
religion or anybody else's religion?"
LI Ja'far (*$) replied:
M
King, we were a people living in
ignorance: we worshipped idols, ate carrion, committed all
manner of indecencies, treated our relatives and neighbours
badly, and the strong among us oppressed the weak. Then Allah
(3g)
sent to us a Messenger from among us, whose lineage,
truthfulness, trustworthiness and chastity we knew well. He
invited us to believe in Allah's unity and not to associate partners
with him, and to give up the worship of idols. He ordered us to be
truthful in our speech, to fulfil our trust, to be kind to our kith and
kin, to love our neighbours and keep away from the forbidden
things and bloodshed. He forbade us immorality, lying and
embezzling the orphan's wealth. He ordered us to establish prayer
and fast. He enumerated all the principles of Islam, then
continued: "So we believed in him and put our trust in him: we
forbade what he forbade and we permitted what he permitted.
However our people were aggressive towards us: They tormented
and persecuted us so that we might relinquish our faith and go
back to the worship of idols. So when their oppression became
unbearable and they hindered us from practising our religion, we
came to your country, choosing you above others and hoping that
we should not be wronged in your presence."
L) The Negus said: "Do you remember any of the Revelations
The Life ofProphet Muhammad
135
which he has brought
from Allah (&)?" Ja' far f
replied in the
affirmative and recited to him a portion of Surah Maryam. The
Negus and his bishops wept upon hearing it, and the Neeus,
speaking to 'Amr and Abdullah
ibnAbi
Rabrah said: "Surely
this and what Jesus brought came from the same niche. Go. By
Allah
($e), I shall never
hand them over to you."
So they left the palace and 'Amr said to 'Abdullah;
<l
By God,
tomorrow
I'll return to him with something
that will wither their
greenery."
The next morning, he went
back to the Negus and
said: "These
people are spreading
a great slander
about Jesus,
son of Mary."
So the Negus again sent for the Muslims, asking them for
their opinion of the Messiah,
and Ja
1
far replied:
"We say about
him what our Prophet
(^)
told us: he is Allah's
(M)
servant,
messenger and spirit, and His word which He inspired into the
Virgin Mary."
The Negus then took
up a stick from the ground
18
and said:
"Jesus does not exceed what you have said more than the width
of this stick." At this his bishops objected, and he said, "Your
objection doesn't make any difference."
Then he said to the
Muslims: "Go in peace. I should not like to have a mountain of
gold in return for harming a single
man among you!" He
returned
the Quraysh's gift to them and said:
"Allah
fjV) did not
take any bribe from me so that I might take it from you, and the
people did not submit to me so that I might' obey them
concerning
Him."
19
The Muslims remained in his country,
enjoying the best
reception.
'Amr's plan fell through and the delegation
returned to
Makkah in
disappointment
and failure.
The Quraish realized that
The Christians ofold differed over the nature of Issa
f
Jesus) (as) ajid split into several
sects as a result, There was one sect which considered him to be a human Prophet and noT a
god or partner of God In the Christian West there stiff remain some people who profess
this monotheistic taith. We believe that the Negus of Abyssinia was ofthis creed although
the church h i erarchy totally disagreed \vi th hi m.
This story was narrated by Fbn Is-haq in hisAl klagh&i and Ahmad from him The
chain is good and n was Unwn Salman, wife ofthe Prophet
(gfe), who reported it.
136 The Mission's Struggle
they could never appease their spite against Islam and the Muslims
except within the borders of their jurisdiction. Thus they resolved
to vengeance on any of the Muslims who fell into their hands.
Hamzah
(4*)
and 'Umar
(40
Accept Islam
It is possible that in the dark, heavily clouded sky lightning is
produced which illuminates everything. The lines of the
Muslims in Makkah were overladen for many days with thick
clouds which forced quite a few families to flee to protect their
faith, while others remained and bore the insults, provocations
and machinations of the idolaters. However, some new elements
entered into Islam, which made the Quraish think twice before
executing any of their dastardly plots.
Hamzah, son of 'Abdul Muttalib and uncle of the Prophet
(^g)
as well as his foster brother, was a strong and energetic
man. He accepted Islam because of the anger he felt upon
hearing that Aba Jahl had abused and attacked the Prophet
(^yg).
A slave woman belonging to 'Abdullah ibn Jud'an, saw the
incident and reported it to him, saying:
"0
AbQ *Amarah! You
should have seen what Abul Hakam ibn Hisham did to your
nephew Muhammad
(^g)!
He abused him and insulted him,
and then left, but Muhammad
(^g)
never uttered a word/'
Hamzah became infuriated and he hurried to meet Abu Jahl,
who was sitting with other members of his clan. He stuck him
on the head with his bow, which left a deep gash, and then he
said: "Are you abusing him while I belong to his faith?" as the
saying goes: "We sought knowledge for worldly life but God
insisted that it should be for His faith/
1
Hamzah*s acceptance of Islam was in the first place the
reaction of a man who refused to let his protege be insulted.
Then Allah
(3)
expanded his heart and he took a firm grasp of
that iron handhold, and the Muslims were ever after to feel
unlimited pride in him.
As for 'Umar ibn al Khattab (<4fc), he was one of those who
used to insult and scoff at the Muslims. He was famous for his
The life of
Prophet Muhammad
/J 7
hot temper and tremendous strength, and the Muslims had long
met with all kinds of injuries from him. The wife of 'Amir ibn
Rabi'ah reported:
We were about to set out for Abyssinia, and 'Amir had left to
look for something when 'Umar
(40
appeared. At that time he
was still an idolater and he used to treat us badly.
He approached me and said:
"Are you all leaving, Umm 'Abdullah?"
Q I replied: 'Yes. by Allah
(5g)5
we are definitely going Allah's
land, so that Allah
(9c) may show us a way
out, since your
people have injured and oppressed us.''
Q *Umar
(<&) said: "May God be with you." I saw in hirn
tenderness and sadness. So when
4
Amir returned
I told him what
had happened and said: I wish you had seen 'Ulnar's
O)
tenderness and sadness for us."
He then asked: ''Do you have any hope that he will accept
Islam?" I said yes. But he replied: "He will not accept Islam
until Al KhattaVs donkey accepts Islam! This was as a result of
what he saw of 'Umafs
(*&) harshness and severity towards the
Muslims.
Nevertheless, the woman's heart was truer than the man's
opinion, 'Ulnar's
(&)
harshness was just a thin veneer beneath
which lay hidden springs of tenderness, compassion
and
forbearance.
Apparently there was a conflict going on in
*Umafs
0&)
mind between his respect for the traditions laid
down by his ancestors and his indulgence in drunkenness and
sport on the one hand, and his admiration for the staunchness of
the Muslims and their capacity to bear injuries for the sake of
their ideology on the other. Moreover, he must have reflected
greatly, like any intelligent person, that what Islam was
promoting, was nobler and purer than anything
else he had
known. Thus no sooner had he flared up, than he
cooled down.
He was going to kill Muhammad
(gg)
but was diverted by the
thought that his sister and her husband had accepted Islam. He
confronted them in their home, shouting threateningly.
He
138 The Mission's Struggle
struck his sister and injured her, The sight of flowing blood
brought him to his senses and the feelings of goodness and
virtue within him took over. He picked up a piece of paper on
which a few Qur'Snic ayM were written, and as he read them he
said: "How excellent and noble are these words!" 'Umar(40
bowed to the truth and walked to the Prophet
(^g),
to whom he
declared his conversion.
When his heart was cleansed from all its blemishes and his
Islam w
r
as purified, he became a tremendous help to the army of
Allah (3).
The Muslims felt braver and stronger while the
unbelievers felt more angry and frustrated. The Quraish saw that
Islam was going stronger and that their previous attempts at
resisting it did not stop it from spreading or even deterrits
supporters. They reviewed their entire strategy and planned a
new one, which was tougher, more detailed and more
comprehensive.
The General Boycott
Pagan malice produced an agreement whereby the Muslims
and all those who approved of their religion or sympathized with
them or protected any of them were considered to be outcasts
from the rest of the society. The idolaters agreed not to trade
with the Muslims nor to intermarry with them. They
consequently wrote this agreement on a parchment and hung it
inside the Ka'bah as a sacred pact. There is no doubt that the
hot-tempered extremists among the pagans succeeded in
imposing their views and satisfying their malice. Thus the
Prophet (^Mg)
and his followers were forced into confinement in
the Valley of Banu Hashim and all of the Banu Muttalib went
with them, Muslims as well as unbelievers except Abu Lahab
who supported the Quraish in their enmity toward his clan.
Q This blockade of the Muslims was tightly controlled, and as a
result they were cut off from any assistance. At times their
provisions ran so low that the plaintive cries of the children were
heard outside the valley, and they endured such trying
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad
/Jp
circumstances that eventually their enemy took pity on them. Thus
they really bore immense sufferings for the sake of Allah
08).
Al Suhayli reported:
Whenever a caravan arrived in Makkah, one of the Sahahah
would come to the market to buy food for his family. However,
Abu Lahab would stand up and say: Merchants, raise the prices
of your goods for Muhammad's
(^g)
Companions so that they
cannot make any bargain with you. You are aware ofmy wealth
and loyalty, and I stand surety that there will be no loss for
you!" They would then increase the prices of their various
commodities, and the Companion would return to his children
who w
r
ere writhing with hunger without any food to give them.
The merchants would go to AbQ Lahab the next morning and
make a profit on whatever food or clothing they bought, whereas
the believers were left hungry and ill-clad,
Q YQnus reported from Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas who said:
"I went out one night to pass urine and I heard a crackle
under the urine: it was a piece of dried camel's skim I took it
and washed it, then I roasted it and crushed it in water, and I
gained strength from it for three days."
Look in how serious a condition the blockade placed the
Muslims, and how privation drove them to eat unpalatable stuff!
These sufferings grieved those of the Quraish who had some
feeling of compassion: one of them would load his camel with
provisions, lead it in the direction of the valley, and then leave it
to reach the inhabitants, and this would alleviate their distress to
some extent.
How long did this blockade last? For three long years only the
bond of faith kept the hearts together and gave them strength to
bear the conditions. It was natural that the Muslims would want
to escape from their predicament as quickly as possible. For a
long time they were promised victory and supremacy but they
found only an unfair rest. Here they were being oppressed in a
land which had rejected them. No doubt their hearts were filled
with anger at those idolaters who scoffed at all the high moral
140 The Mission's Struggle
standards, and who were sceptical of their ever becoming and
prevalent as they were sceptical of the Hereafter, Even if those
who were being oppressed did not seek help to save them from
their misery, they could surely have sought it to the unbelievers
ashamed and to instil manners into those who were insolent,
Revelation would, however, descend and demand of the
Muslims that they should remain with certainty and
steadfastness without looking forward to any retribution of that
sort. They ought to praise Allah
(M)
for making aware of the
realities of faith and should derive from that the ability to resist
the pressures which the days brought them.
^Whether We show you [Muhammad] something of that which We
promise them or [whether We] cause you to die, still to Us Is their
return, and Allah, moreover, is witness over what they do. And for
every nation there is a messenger. When their messenger comes [on
the Day of Judgement! it will be judged between them fairly, and
they will not be wronged.) {Qur'an 10: 46-47)
The idolaters too were in hurry to end the struggle between
themselves and the Muslims. They were in a hurry because they
thought it was an easy victory, and because they did not believe
in a resurrection after death or a reward and punishment. It
never occurred to them that one day, sooner or later, a dawn
would break over Makkah emptied of Idols, when the call of
unity would resound in every corner, and when those
imprisoned in the valley would be in control while the rulers
would be prisoners seeking amnesty! Their conviction that today
and tomorrow belonged to them make it easy for them to poke
fun at such threats.
iAnd they say: "When will this promise be fulfilled, if you are
truthful?" Say: "I have no power to hurt or benefit myself save that
which Allah wishes. For every nation there Is an appointed time: When
their time comes, then they cannot put it off an hour, nor hasten it."
Say: "Have you thought: when His doom comes to you as a raid by
night, or in the [busy] day; what is there of it that the guilty ones
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 1 41
desire to hasten? "Is It [only] then when it has happened to you, that
you will beJieve? What! [Believe] now when [until now] you have
been hastening It on [through disbelief]?) (Qur'an 10; 48-51)
Acceptance of Islam and remaining steadfast to it was beyond
any suspicion of ulterior motive. It is possible that a group of
people could embrace a particular ideology with sincerity and
conviction and yet seek personal benefit and advancement by it.
Nevertheless, those early converts to Islam knew that the first
sacrifice ihey would have to make on behalf of their faith was
loss of all personal benefits and interests. I cannot see anything
more capable of nurturing sincerity and dedication to a cause in
any soul than this self-sacrifice for the truth and the truth alone.
Moreover, the Qur' an was very determined in its eradication of
trafficking with faith, enriching oneself at its expense and
elevating oneself in its name.
* Whoever wishes for the life of the world and its pomp, We shall
repay them for their actions In It, and they will not be wronged
thereby. Those are they for whom there is nothing in the Hereafter
save the fire, [All] that they contrive here is vain and [all] that they
are wont to do Is fruitless.) (Qur'an 11: 15-16)
Q The Sahahah benefited tremendously from this training and
perfected their chastity, purity and sincerity to such an extent that
history can find no match for them. Thus when the crowns of the
kings fell at their feet and the wealthy regions surrendered to their
armies, it was the motivation and objective of the faith which
occupied their minds before and after victory. They did not give
any thought to gold or silver. All they were concerned with firstly
and lastly was the establishment ofprayer, the payment ofZakah
and the enjoinment of good and prohibition of evil.
During the days ofthe blockade the Muslims continued to meet
the pilgrims during the season of pilgrimage, and they did not
allow their straitened conditions to stop them from conveying the
message to every delegation. Suppression does not kill a
movement; on the contrary it increases its roots in depth and its
142 The Mission's Struggle
branches in length. The Islamic movement gained many
supporters during this period, and gained, besides that, from the
fact that the idolaters had started to disgrace among themselves*
and were questioning the correctness of what they were doing. In
addition, a group of them had begun working to frustrate the
boycott and cancel the pact written on the parchment.
G The first person to make a successful attempt was Hisharn ibn
'Amr, who was very upset about the terrible plight of the
Muslims. He went to Zuhayr ibn Abi Umayyah, whose mother
was 'Athikah bint 'Abdul Muttalib, and who was very
concerned about the Prophet
(^g)
and the Muslims. He said to
Zuhayr: O Zuhayr, are you content to eat food, wear clothes and
marry women while your (maternal) uncles are in such a state? I
swear by God that if they were the uncles of Abu Hakam (That
is, Abu Jahl) and you invited him to do what he invited you to
do, he would never respond to you!"
"What can I do? T am one man. By God, if there was another
man with me I should break the pact!"
"You have found another man!"
Q "You! who is he?
Me."
Let's rind a third"
So Ilisham went to Al Mut'im ibn * Adi and said to him: "Are
you content to let two families of the Banu 'AbdManafperish?
Do you witness that and approve of it? By God, if you allow them
to do that, you will find them quicker to do the same to you!"
Q "What can I do? I am only one man."
"I have found a second."
"Who?"
"Myself."
"Find a third for us
"
"I have done so."
"Who?"
"Zuhayr ibn Abi Umayyah."
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 143
Q "Find a fourth for us."
Q So he went to Abul Bukhturi ibn Hisham and told him what
hetoldAlMufim.
Abul Bukhturi asked: "Is there anyone to help us in this?
Q "Yes."
"Who?"
Myself, Zuhayr and Al Mut'im."
"Find a fifth for us.
Q So he went to Zam'ah ibn ul Aswad and spoke to him,
mentioning their blood relationship.
Zam'ah asked:
"
Is there any helper in this cause?"
'Yes." And he named the others. They climbed to Khatm al
Hajum, in upper Makkah, where they assembled and pledged to
do their best to destroy the parchment. Zuhayr volunteered to
make the first move.
So the next morning, when the clans had assembled in their
various meeting-places, Zuhayr arrived at the Kab'ah,
circumambulated it, and then turned to the people and shouted:
"People of Makkah! Shall we eat food and wear clothes while
Banu Hashim are left to perish no-one buying from them or
selling to them? By God, I shall not sit down until that cruel pact
is destroyed!"
Abu Jahl replied: "You are a liar! By God, It will not be
destroyed!"
G Zam'ah ibn al-Aswad said: "It's you who are a liar, by God.
We have not been pleased with it since it was written!"
Abul Bukhturi said; "By God, Zam'ah is telling the truth. We
are not pleased with what is written in it."
Al Mutlm ibn 'Adi said: "You are both right and anybody who
says otherwise is a liar!" Hisham ibn
l
Amr said something similar.
Then AbQ Jahl said: "This conspiracy was hatched last night!"
Al Mut'im strode toward the parchment to tear it up, but
found that the worms had already eaten it except the words: "In
144
The Mission's Struggle
Your Name, O God." (The Arabs used to begin their writings
with these words).
The Year of Sorrow
The Muslims who left the valley to resume their previous
activities after Islam had spent in Makkah almost ten years
packed with momentous events. However, they had hardly taken
a breath of relief from their troubles when the Prophet
($&)
was
afflicted with the loss of his wife Khadtjah and his uncle Abu
Talib. In other words, he was afflicted in both his public and
private life at the same time.
LJ KhadTjah was one of Allah's greatest blessings on
Muhammad
(^g).
She supported him in the most trying times
and assisted him in fulfilling his mission. She participated with
him in the perils of bitter struggle, and encouraged him with her
person and her wealth. You will appreciate the value ofthis
bounty when you realize that of the wives of the previous
prophets, there were those who betrayed their husbands,
disbelieved in them, sided with the idolaters and waged war
against Allah
(&g)
and His messenger.
{Allah has cited an example for those who disbelieve: the wife of
Noah and the wife of Lot, who were under two of Our righteous
servants yet betrayed them so that they [the husbands] availed them
naught against Allah and it was said [to them
J:
enter the Fire along
with those who enter.) (Qur'an 66: 10)
Q On the other hand, KhadTjah was the truthful among women.
She showered her love on her husband in the hours of distress;
she was the breath of peace and righteousness; she wiped his
sweating forehead during the after-effects of Revelation; she
remained with him for a quarter of a century; she respected his
contemplation, withdrawal and natural characteristics long
before Revelation came; she suffered the conspiracies of his
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 145
enemies, the miseries of the blockade and the pains of the
da'wah alter Revelation came; and she died while he was in his
fiftieth year and she was over 65 years of age. He was faithful to
her memory for the rest of his life.
As for Abu Talib, he was of a confusing character. In the
same measure as one admires his nobility in bringing up
Muhammad
(3Kg), and his courage in defending him as a
Prophet after he had proclaimed his Lord's Message and warned
his closest relatives, one is perplexed at the way his life ended,
and how he insisted with his last breath that he belonged to the
faith of his ancestors. The Prophet
<^fe) was extremely sad at
Abu Talib'
s
death: was he not the fortress which protected the
daw"ah from the attacks of the arrogant and the foolish? Here he
lay dead, the man who had exploited his position and authority
to defend his nephew and protect him from any calamity. Now
the Quraish did not need to fear anyone any-more in their
confrontation with Muhammad (gig). It is reported that the
Messenger of Allah
(^)
said:
4
The Quraish were unable to
make me do anything which I disliked until the death of Abo
Talib."
20
Q They became bold in insulting him and they even threw dust
on his head. Ibn Mas
L
ud reported.
"While the Messenger of Allah
(^s)
was praying near the
House (that is, the Ka'bah), Abu Jahl and his colleagues were
seated nearby, where there had been a camel slaughtered
the
previous day."
Abu Jahl said: "Which one of you will take the stomach of so
and so's camel and throw it between
Muhammad's
(3gg)
shoulders (on his back) when he prostrates?'' The most
unfortunate of them got up, and when the Prophet
(^g)
prostrated he threw it on his back, and they all laughed, leaning
A weak Hadnh narrated by Ishaq as mursal with a sound chain on the authority of
'Unvah ibn Al Zubayr.
146 The Mission's Struggle
on one another, I was standing there, looking* and if I had had
the protection I should have taken it off his back. However, the
Prophet
(^s)
remained in prostration, not raising his head until
someone went and told Fatimah. Although she was still a little
girl, she came and removed it. Then she turned to them and
started abusing them. When the Prophet (=$&) finished praying
he raised his voice and supplicated against them. It was his
habit, whenever he supplicated, to supplicate three times, and
whenever he asked, to ask three times.
"Three times he said: "O Allah
(M),
seize the Quraish." When
they heard this they stopped laughing, fearful of his
supplication. Then he said: "O Allah
($s),
seize Abu Jahl ibn
Hisham; 'Utbah ibn Rabi'ah, Shaybah ibn Rabi'ah, Al Walld ibn
'Utbah, Umayyah ibn Khalaf, *Uqbah ibn Abi Mu'it," and he
mentioned the seventh whom I do not remember. By Him Who
sent Muhammad
(^fe)
with the truth, 1 indeed saw those whom
he called killed on the day of Badr and thrown into the trench
(which was dug for the dead after the battle)."
21
Q Makkah had proceeded along the path of unbelief until she
had penetrated deeply into it and reached its limits. Now she
was delighting in polluting the prostraters with filth, and was
bent double with laughter at the sight of its sliding down their
shoulders. There was no space left in these hearts for a speck of
goodness. In Arabian society, a daughter lived of her father,
proud of his strength and enjoying his protection. What feelings
would pass through a man's heart to see himself in a position
where he had to be defended by his daughter while he himself
was helpless? Muhammad
{&&)
suppressed his hurt and
suffered all the pains for Allah's sake. Soon he began to think of
redirecting his message to another town, which perhaps might
A sound Hadlth narrated by Bukharf, Muslim, Al Nasa
1
! and Ahmad. Ft is Abu Fs-haq
who said he mentioned "the seventh whom I do not remember."' He was A] Sabai", as
Muslim's narration clarifies- In a version of RukhaiTand Ahmad, however, the seventh
was 'Amarah ibn Al
-
Walid.
The L ife ofProphet Muhammad
J 47
respond more quickly and favourably.
He consequently took
Zayd ibn Haritha along with him and headed toward the tribe of
ThaqTf, seeking their support.
In Ta'if
The Messenger of Allah ($&) went to Ta'if where the ThaqTf
lived. It is about 50 miles from Makkah, and he travelled there
and back on foot. When he reached it he approached the men in
the leadership and spoke to them about Islam, calling them to
submit to Allah
(&). However, they all gave him a bad reception
and responded harshly. He spent about ten days visiting them in
their homes, but to no avail. When the Prophet
($&)
despaired
of favourable response from them, he asked them to keep his
visit a secret. He feared that if the matter should reach the ears
of the Quraish, it would increase their enmity and malice.
The Thaqlf, however, were even ruder than expected. They
replied, saying: "Get out of our country!" They incited the
youngest and street rabble to pelt him with stones. Zayd
(4*)
tried
in vain to defend him and in the process his head was injured.
The Prophet
(gg)
himself sustained such serious injuries that
blood began to flow freely from them. The pursuers forced them
to take refuge in garden belonging to
l
Utbah and Shybah, sons of
Rabi'ah. There he sat in the shade ofa grapevine, seeking rest
and security. The gardeners, who were around, chased away the
rabble, and the Prophet
(Hg)
sat there, reflecting on his
miserable condition. Memories of his sufferings at the hands of
the Quraish came back to him: he was dragging behind him a
heavy chain ofconsecutive failures. So he cried out:
"O Allah
(fji), to you I complain of the weakness of my
strength, the meagreness of my strategy and my insignificance
to people. You are the Most Merciful of those who show mercy;
You are the Lord of the oppressed and You are my Lord. To a
distant person who will despise me, or to an enemy to whom
you have granted power over me? If you are not angry with me
then I do not care. However, Your pardon is best for me, I seek
refuge in the light of Your Countenance, for which darkness has
148 The Mission's Struggle
become illuminated and upon which the prosperity of this world
and the Hereafter stands, from your anger befalling me, or Your
displeasure afflicting me. It is Your right to scold until you are
pleased, and there is no strength or power save in You.'
1
The feelings of kinship stirred in the hearts of Rabi'ah's sons as
they summoned a Christian slave of theirs, who was called "Addas,
and asked him to take a handful ofgrapes to the Prophet
(^).
When
*
Add5s placed them in front of him, he said: "In the
Name of Allah
B),"
then ate them.
Thereupon 'Addas said: "This phrase is not used by the
people of this land!"
The Prophet
($^)
then asked him: "What land are you
from?"
"I am a Christian from Nineveh."
"From the town of the pious man Jonah, son of Matta?"
Where did you hear about Jonah?"
"That is my brother. He was a prophet and 1 am a prophet/'
'Addas bent over the prophet's hands and feet and kissed them.
One of Rabi'ah's sons said to the other: "Now he has spoiled
your slave for youI"
W
r
hen
4
Addas returned they asked him what the matter was all
about and he replied that there was no-one better than that man.
22
The two brothers then tried to belittle Muhammad's (^e)
status
and make their slave stick to his former religion as though they
were upset at the thought of Muhammad
(^)
leaving Ta' if
with any gain.
Muhammad
(^)
returned to Makkah, the town which had
expelled the choicest of its people, some of whom migrated to
Abyssinia and others who were forced to bear the perpetual
persecution or flee to the mountaintops.
MM
This story is narrated by Ibn Ishaq with a sound chain from Muhammad ibn Ka
4
b
of the Banu Qurayzah as a mursal HadTth. However, the statement "If you refuse, then
keep it a secret", and the whole of the du'l starting "O Allah {%) to You I
complain...." He quotes without reference, Likewise Ibn JarTr narrated it through Ibn
Is-haq Al Tabarani also narrated the story from the Hadith of 'Abdullah Ibn Ja' far
(.) in a shortened form and the du'a Is mentioned in a similar manner. Al Haythami
said: "In the chain is Ibn lshaq and he is a fraud, but [he rest of them in the chain arc
reliable. Thus the HadTth is weak.
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad
J49
Zayd
(4*)
asked; "How can you confront those who threw you
out?"
The Prophet
(^s)
replied:
u
O Zayd
(40,
Allah () is going
to provide release from what you see,"
Undoubtedly the news from the ThaqTf had preceded him to
the Quraish, Thus the Prophet
(^)
thought it best not to enter
Makkah until he could assure safety for himself and his Da wah.
He sent a message to Al MutMm ibn *Adi, appealing for
protection to continue preaching the Message of his Lord! Al-
Mufim acceded to this request and gathered his sons, who
armed themselves and stood at the corners of the Ka'bah.
AI-Mufim himself mounted his camel and called out; "O
assembly of Quraish! 1 have given Muhammad
(3&)
protection,
so let none of you accost him."
The Messenger of Allah
(^s)
entered, and when he reached
the Ka
4
bah he prayed two raka Y. Then he went to his home with
Al-Mut'im and his sons guarding him.
23
It is reported that Abu Jahl asked Al-Mut'im: "Are you
granting asylum or are you a follower, a Muslim?" He replied
that he had only granted asylum, to which Abu Jahl said: "We
have granted asylum to whom you have granted asylum!" The
Prophet (^s) always remembered this deed of Al-MutVim, for
he said on the day of Badr when the Makkans were taken
captives. "If Al-Mufim were alive I would have released these
rascals for his sake."
Al-Mufim, like Abu Talib, remained in the religion of his
ancestors. He was also like him in his courage and assistance to
others. Abfl Jahl wanted to ridicule a Prophet
(^g)
who needed
asylum! He might have wondered why did a group of angels did
not descend to protect him. Thus when he saw him, he said:
"Here is your Prophet
(^&),
dan of
L
Abd Manaf!"
'Utbah ibn Rabi'ah said in reply, "And is it not possible that
there should be a Prophet and a king from among us?"
2";
I did not find any claim for this narration. Ibn JarTr also mentioned something
similar without a chain. He said: "Someone mentioned.." and perhaps this someone is
AI Amawi in his Maghici since Ibn KathTr also ascribed it to him without a chain.
1 50 The Mission's Struggle
When the Prophet
(^)
was informed of Abu JahPs question
and 'Utbah's reply, he said; "As for you, 'Utbah, you did not get
angry for Allah's sake; you got angry for yourself"
This was because he said it out of clannishness and not out of
faith. The Prophet
(^g)
continued; "And as for you, Abu Jahl,
by Allah
(M)>
it will not be long before you shall laugh little and
cry much. And as for you, people ofthe Quraish, by Allah
(&),
it will not be long before you enter into that which you are
denying." In this comment there is enough evidence of the
Prophet's
(^g)
confidence in a bright future, even though the
present might have been heavy with sufferings.
The Prophet
(^g)
returned to Makkah to resume his previous
methods of presenting Islam and conveying the message of
Allah, and while he was in pursuit of his struggle the events of
the Isr
a"
and Mi 'raj took place.
The IsrS* and Mir'aj
By the word lsr
a*
is meant that strange journey which started
from the Sacred Mosque in Makkah and ended at the Farthest
Mosque in Jerusalem. By the word Mir 'a? is meant the
ascension, which took place after this journey, into the layers of
the heavens where to that point the knowledge of created beings
stops and whose extent no-one can fathom, then the return to the
Sacred Mosque in Makkah. The Qur'an has referred to both
journeys in different Surahs. The Isra* and the reason for it are
mentioned as follows:
^Glorified be He Who carried His servant by night from the
Inviolable Place of Worship to the Far Distant Place of Worship,
whose neighbourhood We have blessed, that We might show him
Our tokens! Beholdl He, only He, is the Hearer, the Seer,)
(Qur'anl?;
1)
The Mir aj and its fruits are mentioned as follows:
(Indeed he saw him [that is, the Angel Gabriel] yet another time, By
the lote-tree of the utmost boundary, is the Garden of Abode* When
that which shrouds did enshroud the lote-tree, They turned not aside
The Life ofProphet Muhammad
IS }
nor yet was overbold. Indeed, he saw one of the greater revelations
of his Lord.) (Qur'an 53; 13-18)
Thus the reason for the hra\ as the ayah (verse) states, is that
Allah
(M)
wanted to show His servant some of His
(H)
signs;
and the other ayat explain that the Prophet
(^g)
did actually see
some of these greater signs.
The scholars ofold have differed over whether this miraculous
journey was in spirit alone or in spirit as well as body. The vast
majority uphold the later view, Dr Haykal, however,
has an
unusual view. He considers it to be a mental and spiritual
reinforcement of the oneness of existence
throughout eternity in a
period of unique spiritual enlightenment
occurring to a pure and
noble human being like Muhammad
(*gg). During this period of
enlightenment, in which he could see the whole ofcreation, he
was able to absorb all the realities of faith and worldly life and
witness all manner of reward and punishment, etc.
Q
The Isrf was thus real, although,
according to him, it was
spiritual not physical Nevertheless it was in wakefulness, not in
sleep. Thus it was not a true dream, as some people think, but an
actual event happening
exactly as he explains it. He goes on to
say: "And no power can undertake that ascent except one who is
beyond the understanding of human nature."
The truth is that the boundaries between the spiritual powers
and the material powers have begun to fade, and what people
considered easy in the spiritual world is not impossible in the
world of matter. I believe of matter. 1 believe that now science
has taken away the veil from the secrets of the universe, the
problem of matter resembles the problem of the spirit; no-one
knows its fullest extent except the Sustainer of the heavens and
the earth. People have remained bewildered since they have
learnt that the atom represents a solar system within itself,
revolving around an axis. Although it is only a mere speck, it
contains tremendous energy which, if released, could reduce
everything to ashes.
Q The Prophet
(^&)
was taken on this night journey and
ascension. But how? Did he ride some vehicle which travelled
J 52 The Mission's Struggle
faster than the speed of sound, as people have lately invented?
He rode the buraq, a being whose step reached the furthest
extremity as if it walked with the speed of light. The word buraq
is derived from barq, which means lightening. In other words,
the power of electricity was used on this journey. However, the
human body in its ordinary state cannot possibly be transported
through the atmosphere at the speed of flashing light: there must
be some special preparation which protects its various parts and
fortifies them for this distant journey.
I believe that the narrations of the opening of the Prophet's
($}$)
chest, the washing of his heart and its restoration are the
symbols of this inevitable preparation. The story of the hrt and
Mr'9 is flooded with such symbols conveying special
meanings, although they are imperceptible to the simple-
minded. The Isra* and Mir'g happened to the Messenger of
Allah
($&)
in person at a time when his spirit had reached its
peak of
enlightenment and the density of his body had decreased
to the point where it had freed itself ofmost of the laws which
controlled it.
Probing the reality ofthis journey and following all its stages
with minute observation depends upon the ability of the human
mind to perceive the reality of matter and spirit and the power
and
characteristics with which Allah
($&)
has endowed it.
Therefore we shall leave this discussion for one which is easier
and more beneficial. We shall discuss those main features
connected with Islam in its capacity as a universal message and
as a clearly defined system of law.
The story of the Isr and Mi
'f
should concern us from this
point of view. Do you not see that psychology was not analysed
deeply and did not flourish until the day when the world
disentangled itself from discussions on the spirit and blind
grouping into its importance.
Why was the journey first to Jerusalem, and why did it not
proceed directly from the Sacred Mosque to the lote-tree ofthe
utmost boundary?
This takes just back into ancient history. For long epochs the
prophets came specifically to the Children of Israel, and
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad
J S3
Jerusalem remained the centre of revelation, the lighthouse of
the world and the metropolis of the chosen people of Allah
(3g).
When the Jews ignored the sanctity of revelation and broke the
divine laws, Allah's curse fell upon them and He decided to
deprive them forever of prophethood.
Thus revelation came to
Muhammad
ig&\
showing that the spiritual
leadership of the
world had been taken from one nation and handed over to
another, from one country to another, from the Children of Isreal
to the descendants of IsmaTl. This privation enraged the Jews
and led them to reject it outright:
<Evif Is that for which they sell their soul: that they should disbelieve
in that which Allah has revealed, grudging that Allah should reveai of
His bounty whom He will of His bondmen. They have incurred anger
upon anger) (Qur'Sn 2:
90)
The will of Allah
(3)
was done, however, and the new nation
accepted its role. The Arab Prophet
(&)
inherited the teachings
of Ibrahim
(*),
Isma'li (Bi),
Ishaq (%s)
and Ya'qub
(&), and
he undertook the struggle in order to spread them. lie was
successful in gathering the people to them, and thus he joined
the present to the past.
It is therefore natural that all should be united in a single reality
by Islam's observance of the Farthest Mosque as the third ofits
sanctuaries. Similarly
the Prophet's journeying by night to it was
a mark of respect for the faith which had of old been nurtured in
its precincts. Moreover, Allah
(3s) gathered all the previous
prophets who brought guidance in this land and around it to form
a reception for the bearer of the final Message. The prophets
attested to the truth ofone another, and each prepared the ground
for the next It is a fact that Allah
(m) took a covenant from the
prophets of the Children of Israel in this regard.
<When Allah made [His] covenant with the Prophets, [He said]:
behold rhat which J have gfven you of the Scripture and knowledge.
And afterward there will come to you a messenger, confirming that
which you possess. You will believe In him and you will help him. He
said: do you agree, and will you take up My burden [which I lay
154 The Mission's Struggle
you] in this [matter]? They answered: we agree* He said: then bear
witness. I shall be a witness with you.) (QufSn 3: 81)
In the authentic sources it is recorded that the Messenger led
his brother prophets in two rak'ahs of prayer in the Mosque.
This leadership was a plain acknowledgement that Islam was
Allah's last message to the mankind and had taken its final form
in the hands of Muhammad
(^&$)
after the noble prophets of
Allah (M) had prepared the ground for it.
To reveal the status of Muhammad
(^g)
and the faith he
preached is not to eulogize him at celebrations organized in his
honour. It is to explain the undeniable truth, which was
established from the moment heaven undertook the
responsibility to guide earth. He came at the time which was
ordained for him and which was the most suitable.
The struggle which Muhammad
(^s)
bore on his shoulders
on behalf of the da'wah had exposed him to a violent storm of
hatred and calumnies and shattered the calm of his followers.
Since they had begun to believe in him they had never been able
to taste the sweet comfort of family and wealth. The latest of
these problems encountered by the da*wah was the ThaqTfs
expulsion of the Prophet
(^^)
and his re-entry into Makkah
under the protection of an idolater. The contempt with which the
people had looked at him since he had begun his preaching
made him seek refuge in the Lord of the mankind with
complaint and hope.
Thus as a consolation to the Prophet
(^&)
and as a blessing,
Allah
0)
prepared this heavenly journey to comfort his heart
and make him aware that He had been watching him ever since
the day he professed His unity and worship of Him and started
to teach the mankind of His unity and worship. He would say:
"If you are not angry with me, then 1 do not care.
24
Q Thus that night he knew for certain that Allah's pleasure with
him was boundless and that his position among the best of those
whom Allah (3g)
had selected was first and foremost.
This Hadnh has already been proved weak in the story ofTa'if.
The Life ofProphet Muhammad 155
The Isra and MVraj took place almost midway in the span of
prophethood, which lasted for twenty-three years, and so they
were a balm for the hardships of the past and a planting of the
seeds of success for the future. The sight of some of Allah's
greatest signs in the kingdom of the heavens and the earth must
have had a decisive effect in belittling the plots of the
unbelievers and their numbers while telling oftheir ultimate fate.
Q On this journey Muhammad
(^)
knew that his message
would spread throughout the earth and settle in the fertile
valleys of the Nile and the Euphrates, and that these regions
would be wrested from the hands ofthe Persian fire-worshippers
and Trinitarian Romans. In fact, the residents of these places
would become the torch-bearers of Islam from generation to
generation. This is the meaning of his seeing the Nile and the
Euphrates in the heavens. It does not mean that the waters of
these two rivers spring from Heaven, as simple-minded and
foolish people believe.
Al TirmidhT reported, for example, that the Messenger of
Allah
(W) said: "When one of you is given the rayhan sweet
basil, he should not refuse it for it has come from heaven.
23
Does this prove that the rayhan is from Heaven, while wc are
able to pick its flowers in the fields and gardens?
The Wisdom of the Isr
Apart from that Allah
(3g)
provides the opportunity for His
Messengers to observe the great manifestations of His power so
that their hearts might be filled with confidence in Him and
dependence on Him when they confront the allied forces ofthe
A weak Hadnh narrated by Al TirmidhT through Hanan, who reported form 'Abo
'Uthman Al-Nahdi as a mursal HadTth. Apart from it being mursal
y
Hanan is unknown
and only Ibn Hibban authenticated him. If the Hadrth was sound, it would be more
fitting to take its surface meaning, vshich is that the rayh&i is originally from heaven.
This does not mean that whatever we pick in the fields is from heaven also, as the
author thinks. Do you not see that when a man says about water in a glass. "This is
from Heaven, "he is telling the truth and this meaning is clear? Similar to this is the
authentic saying of the Prophet
(3*&)
that four rivers are from heaven. This means that
ihcy were originally from heaven, not that they now spring from there.
156
The Mission's Struggle
unbelievers and attack their standing authority. Before sending
Musa (Moses), Allah
(3g)
wished him to see His wonderful
powers and so ordered him to throw down his staff
<He said: "Cast it down, O Moses!" So he cast it down, and Behold!
It was a snake, gliding. He said: "Grasp it and do not fear We shall
return It to its former state. "And thrust your hand into your armpit;
it will come out white without harm [that will be] another token. 'That
We may show thee [Some] of Our greater portents.) (Qur'an 20:
19-23)
When his heart was filled with wonder at the sight of these
great signs, Allah (M)
then said to him:
<Go to Pharaoh! Behold He has transgressed [the bounds].)
(Qur'an 20: 24)
You are aware that the fruit of the Isra* and Mir'sj was that
Allah
(*g)
showed the Prophet (^g)
these great signs, and you
may say: "This happened almost twelve years after prophethood,
contrary to the case of Moosa (Moses) p&B)." This is true, and the
secret of it is what we have already explained; that miracles in the
lives of the previous prophets were meant to subdue their people
into belief in their truthfulness. Miracles are thus a support for
them, when forced with the wild accusations of their enemies.
Howevcr, The life of Prophet Muhammad
(^&)
was above this
level,
Q The Qur'an took responsibility from the first day for
convincing those who had understanding, and miracles came
into the Prophet's
(^)
life as a form of distinction to his
personality and consolation to himself This did not disturb or
paralyse the normal rational method that the Qur'an employed.
56
The idolaters themselves had challenged the Prophet
($&)
to
ascend into the sky and the reply came from Allah
(&).
See my book \4qtdat al-Muslim.
The Iife ofProphet Muhammad
J 57
(Say [O Muhammad]: My Lord be glorifiedI Am I nothing but a
mortal messenger?) (Qui'an 17: 93)
Afterwards, when he did ascend into the heavens, he never
once mentioned that this was in reply to the challenge. The
affair was, as we have mentioned,
purely a distinction and
additional information granted by Allah
(&)
to His servant.
The Completion of the Building
In the story of the Isra' and M>|you will observe the close
bonds which link all the Prophets of Allah
(^ft). This concept is
a deep-rooted Islamic principle.
<The messenger believes in that which has been revealed to hrm from
his Lord and [so do] the believers. Each one believes in Allah and
His angels and His scriptures and Hfs messengers, we make no
distinction between any of His messengers.) (Qur'an 2: 285)
The greeting that were exchanged between the Prophet
(&)
and his fellow Messengers give added strength to this bond. In
every heaven where Allah
(:&)
had a prophet reside, Muhammad
($^)
was received with these words: "Welcome, righteous
brother!"
Any difference between the prophets is a falsehood concocted
by those nations who deviated from the straight path, or, more
correctly, by the priests and tricksters who trade in religion. In
response to that, Muhammad
($g)
openly declared that he was
a Prophet sent to complete the building which was started by
those who preceded him. He said:
"The likeness of me and the prophets before me is the likeness of
a man who built a house and perfected and beautified it
except for the placing of one brick in one of its corners. The
people began circumambulating it with pleasure and wonder!
And they were saying: "Will this brick not be set in place?" I am
158 The Mission's Struggle
that brick and I am the seal of the prophets."
27
The religions derived from divine revelation are well-known.
Not included among them, naturally,
are those which the people
invented for themselves of idol worship and religious rites such
as Hinduism, Budhism, etc. Neither are those cults which have
arisen in recent times under the patronage of Western
imperialism and which have acquired many supporters in order
to strangulate the East and prevent the Muslims from breaking
their bondage and rescuing from the slavery of the imperialist.
Examples of these are Qadianism and Baha'ism.
It is possible if intentions are sincere and truth is sought that
just foundations for religious unity could be set up, and these
should be based on respect for common principles and
prevention of biased exploitation of the differences until such
time as they are eliminated or reduced. Islam, which considers
its teachings as a continuation oi the early prophecies and as a
final brick in its ancient building, will be the first to welcome
such a move and support it.
Tin? Pure Nature
On the night of the lsr and Mir'
a)
the primary characteristic
of this faith was highlighted, that it is the religion of nature. The
HadTth is as follows:
"Then I was brought a vessel containing wine and another
containing milk. I took the mifk and he (that is, the angelj said:
"It is the true nature which you and your followers stand for/*
The purity of nature is the essence of Islam, and it is
impossible for the gates of heaven to be opened for a person
whose inner nature is corrupt and whose mind is sick. A corrupt
nature is like an eye infected with conjunctivitis which
A sound Hadnh narrated bv Bukhartand Muslim on ihc authority of Aba Hurairah
*
A sound Hadnh. 1
1
is part of the HadTth reported by Sa'sa ibn Malik on ihe hri:
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad
159
discharges impurities as pus. Although these impurities may be
hidden under a brightly coloured covering and people may be
deceived by it, the Lord of men will never be deceived.
The day when the acts of worship
themselves
become a
screen for an impure nature, they will be considered the lowest
grade of wicked sins. The more the mankind advances in
civilization the more it indulges in show and hypocrisy and the
more it binds itself to strenuous acts of worship and traditions.
Most of these affected airs are nothing but curtains which
conceal the bright glare of nature and suppress its freshness and
purity. There is nothing more hated by Allah (&) than that these
fetters should be fabricated in the name of religion and that souls
should be left imprisoned and miserable in them.
The institution of Prayer
In the Mi'rg the five daily prayers were instituted. They were
prescribed in heaven so that they might be a Mir
'
which elevated
the mankind just as its lusts pulled it down to earth. However, the
prayers which Allah
(tfc) prescribed are not the prayers performed
today by many people. The sign of true prayers is that the
performers keep away from despicable things and are ashamed to
repeat them. Thus if prayers, which arc so often repeated, do not
raise those who pray to this level then they are false prayers.
"Prayer is a cleanser,"
2
*
as the Sunnah says. However it is a
cleanser for a living person, not for a putrid corpse. Purification
removes the accidental dust which accumulates on the living heart.
Those things which frequently affect people in their lives and
corrode their minds have even more means to remove them, A
I am not aware of this wording. Perhaps the author mentioned the meaning. Oik of the
Prophet's
(#&) saying in this connection is the following: "What do you thinkJfthere
were a stream at the door ofone ofyou and he bathed in it five times a day, would there be
any dirt left on him? That is like the five prayers: Allah
(*) wiped away sins with them."
Narrated by Bukharl and Muslim on the authority ofAbQ Hurairah
(4). and also by the
two ofthem in the chapter The actions of Allah's slaves'' on the authority
of Jabir {.*).
160
The Mission's Struggle
HadTth of the Prophet
($&)
is as follows:
"A man's deviations as regards his family, wealth, children, self
and neighbours are expiated by fasting, prayers, chanty,
enjoining good and forbidding evil."
J0
Prayer will help people whose hearts are dead, although they
will always remain in existence until their hearts are revived or
they are buried in the earth.
Many hadTths have been reported which state that the
Messenger of Allah
(^g)
saw on this journey a variety of scenes
depicting the rewards of the righteous and the punishments of
the wicked. The biographies of the Prophet
(^s)
convey these
wonderful scenes as if they took place during the night of the
Isri' and Mir'aj. The truth is however, that they were seen in a
dream on another night which was normal like all the others, as
is confirmed in the authentic sources,
J1
The Quraish and the Isra*
On the morning after this famous incident the Messenger of
Allah
(&g)
spoke to the people of what happened to him and the
greater signs of his Lord which he saw. As for those who denied
A sound HadTth narrated by Bukharr and Muslim on the authority of Hudhayfah ibn
al-Yaman.
This is a reference to the HadTth of Samurah ibn Jundub (^*), narrated by BukharT
in several places of his compilation, and by Ahmed also in his Musnad. However this
does not negate the possibility of his having seen some rewards and punishments on
the night of the isri'. In fact, this is as Anas (*) reports in a HadTth from the Prophet
($&):
'"When my Lord took me up to the heavens I passed by a people with long
claws of tin with which they were scratching their faces and chests. I asked: Who are
these, Jibrll (**?)?' Ik replied:" These are the ones who used to eat the flesh of men
and attack their honour," This is narrated by Ahmad and AbO DawQd with a sound
chain. It is also narrated as mursai but musnad is more sound. Anas {$.) reports
another HadTth about his seeing on the night of the isrS' the orators who do not
practice what they preach. Tbn Hibban narrated it in his authentic collection. On this
matter there are a number of other HadTths reported by various SahSbah, some of
which are mentioned by Ibn KathTr in his To/sir of Sorat at IsrS', and may be used for
further reference.
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad
]6I
the possibility of Revelation coming to earth: do you think that
they would have accepted it happening in heaven? They quickly
called one another to gather and listen to this strange wonder
and thus strengthen their rejection of him. Some of them
challenged him to describe Jerusalem if he had really seen it
during the night.
Jabir
(*&) reported that the Messenger of Allah
(^)
said:
"When the Quraish denounced me, I began describing it as I
had watched It!"
37
Q We do not attach much importance to the way in which the
Isra and M
l
/-| took place. The two incidents were realities and
they left their impressions on the mind ofthe Prophet
(^j&). He
became contented with the praises of his Creator and paid less
attention to the ravings ofthe unbelievers and ignorant people. He
stepped up his da 'wah activities with the conviction that every
day which passed brought him a step closer to certain victory.
Some writers claim that a group of Muslims apostated after
the hrg and Mr' because they disbelieved it. Dr Haikal even
adds that the Muslims weakened when this tale was spread on
everyones lips and the idolaters dismissed its authenticity. This
is all a mistake since neither does the historical evidence prove
it
33
nor does objective reasoning lead to such a conclusion.
The Prophet
(^)
continued along his old path, warning by
Revelation everyone whom he metJoining gatherings with his
call, attending the seasonal gatherings, following the pilgrims
A sound HadTth narrated by BukharT, Muslim,
Ibn l.libban and others. It is
supported by a long HadTth narrated by Ahmad on the authority of Ibn
*
Abbas and its
chain is sound.
This is refuted by the HadTth of Ibn Abbas in the Musnad: "The Prophet
(3*) was
taken to Jerusalem by night and he was returned the same night. He spoke to them of
his journey to Jerusalem and of their caravan. Upon this some people said: 'Shall we
believe what Muhammad (3tgj) says?' They apostated and became unbelievers, and
Allah (4c) struck their necks oft with Abfl Ml..., Its chain is good. Also Ibn KathTr
says in his Tafsfr: "It is narrated by Al Nasa'T and its chain is sound. I say: this is only
one of the many proofs of one fact that the fsrSwsis in body and soul, a fact to which
the respected author does not attach much importance.
} 62 The Mission's Struggle
into their homes, walking to the market squares of 'Ukkaz,
Majnah and Dhul Majaz, all the time inviting the people to
discard the idols and listen to the guidance of the Quran, He
asked about the homes of every tribe and visited them. Soliciting
them to believe in him, follow him and shield him.
LI However, his uncle, AbQ Lahab, would walk behind him,
shouting;
v4
Do not obey him. He is an apostate and a liar!"
The reply of the tribes would invariably be: "Your family and
relatives know you best! And they would cruelly reject him,
Among the tribes visited by the Prophet (^s) and which
rejected him were the following: Fazarah, Ghassan. Murrah,
HanlfaL Sulaym,
4
Abs, Ba nu al Nadr, Kindah, Kalb,
k
Adhrah,
Hadarimah, BanQ Amir ibn Sa'sa'ah, Muharib ibn Hafsah, etc.
He never found an open heart or a broad mind in any of them.
On the contrary, all travellers and residents were advising one
another to keep away from him, and they would point him out.
A man would return to his tribe from afar and be received by
them with these words: "Beware of the man from the Quraish
lest he misguide you."
In spite of this and in that suffocating atmosphere, the Prophet
(^g)
never allowed frustration to befog his mind. He continued
patiently in his struggle for the da'wah until finally providence
announced the coming of relief
Chapter Four
The Mass Hijrah: Its Causes and Effects
The idolaters of Makkah
deprived
themselves of all benefit
when they rejected the message and sat on the wayside,
threatening and debarring the believers from Allah's way,
wishing it were crooked. Even though their false propaganda
succeeded in preventing many tribes from entering Islam, the
truth had eventually to prevail, and those who were misguided
and deceived were to return to it provided that its supporters
remained faithful to it, eager to spread it, and were patient and
steadfast. Allah (3c) ordained that a group should arise and
rescue Islam from the environment which rejected it, provide it
with land and stability after it had experienced
isolation and
homelessncss, and enable it to blaze a trail through life when the
huge obstacles had been removed from its path.
Q
This change came about at the hands of delegations which
came from Yathrib to Makkah during the pilgrimage season. The
people of Yathrib
1
held the distinction over the rest of the Arabs
of being neighbours ofthe Jews and acquainted with the ideology
of tawhki It is possible that the Jews used to converse with them
I see that the author uses the word Yathrib instead of Al-MadTnah or Tibah. Beside this
word being ofJahili origin, there is a disregard here or AI fall's naming of it as tibah, as
the Hadrth of Jabir ibn Samurah states: 'They used to call Madrnah, Yathrib, then the
Messenger of Allah
(^e) named it Tibah". narrated by Muslim arid Al Tayahsi and the
wording belongs to the latter. Muslim's wording is: Allah (4e) indeed named Al-
Madinah Tabah. "Ahmed narrated it also in both forms. In this connection RukharTalso
narrated hadTlhs from Abo Humayd, Muslim narrated from Zayd ibn Thabit and Ahmad
narrated from Fatirnah bint Qays. and their chains are all sound,
The best that we can derive from these hadnhs is that this usage is disliked (makroh)
and that the use of Tabah or Tibah is advisable {mustahabb). In fact Ahmad narrated on
the authority of Al-Barra ibn
l
Azib that the Prophet (gwg) said. "Whoever calls MadTna,
Yathrib, should ask Allah
(*)
forgiveness. It is Tabah, it is Tabah," A 1 Haythami also
narrates it on the authority of Abo Y'ala and says that its chain is strong. However, in
Ahmad's chain there is Yazrd ibn Abi Zsyada. who is weak. If this HadTth is weak, the
previous ones are sufficient evidence. The etiquette (ofcallingMadtnah by its correct
name ) was abused by most people so I wanted to draw attention to it.
/ 64 The Mass Hijrah: its Causes ami Effects
on matters of religion and deplore their worshipping of idols,
Whenever the controversy raged hot, the Jews would say to
them: "God is about to send a Prophet whom we shall follow and
we shall help him to destroy you as 'Ad and Iram were destroyed!"
The strange thing, however, is that the Jews were the first to
disbelieve the Prophet the day he appeared among them, and the
Qur'an decries this contradictory behaviour oftheirs.
<And when there comes them a Scripture from Allah, confirming
that in their possession though before that they were asking for a
signal triumph over those who disbelieved and when there comes
them that which they know [to be the truth] they disbelieve it.)
(Qur'an 2: 89)
On the other hand, the Arabs, who were threatened with his
coming, opened their hearts to him. When the pilgrimage season
approached and the tribes of Yathrib arrived in Makkah, they
saw the Prophet
(3&g)
inviting the people to Allah
(0),
and
some of them said: "O people, by God, you know that this is the
one with whom the Jews threaten you. So do not let them
precede you to (belief in) him."
Q The talk of Islam began to spread gradually in Madlnah, and
although it was not given a warm welcome, it was, nevertheless,
not received with animosity. The elements of hatred and opposition
to which it had grown accustomed in Makkah turned into elements
of respect and acceptance here. Scarcely three years had passed
since the new helpers had heard of Islam then they became its
refuge and fortress.
Differences Between the Two Towns
Makkah had lived a life of ease and tranquillity for a long
time, assured of its food from all sources. This comfortable state
of affairs was due to two factors:
(1)
the mercantile skill of its
people: and
(2)
the religious status of its sanctuary. Both of
these factors attracted benefits to the city and it grew so rich that
The Life Of
Prophet Muhammad 165
it became haughty, and it became so congested that it choked.
Then it was overtaken by that which overtakes all societies upon
which fortune and wealth smile: pride, hard-heartedness and
inflexibility. So when Islam appeared in it and Muhammad
(^)
called towards the truth, it rejected him and all those who
followed him. Stubbornness possessed it from the first day and it
announced that its centre, which was a capital for paganism and
idolatry and a focal point for pilgrims, would be lost if people
listened to this religion and allowed it to take root.
The Messenger of Allah
(^)
tried his utmost to convince the
people of Makkah that their acceptance of the truth would not
deprive them one iota of the benefits that they were enjoying.
Nevertheless, the oppressors stuck doggedly to disbelief: And
they said:
{"\f we follow the guidance with you, we would be snatched away
from our land." Have We not established for them a secure
sanctuary [Makkah], to which are brought fruits of all kinds, a
provision from Ourselves, but most of them know not,)
(Qur'an 28: 57)
Henceforth the leaders of Makkah were at war with Islam,
and they considered it to be the defence oftheir material and
economic well-being besides other factors. The result ofthese
wars is well known.
<And how many a town [population] have We destroyed, which was
thankless for its means of livelihood [disobeyed Allah, and His
Messengers, by doing evil deeds and crimes]! And those are their
dweflings, which have not been inhabited after them except a little. And
verily! We have been the inheritors.) (Qur'an 28:
58)
As for the conditions in Yathrib
T
they were the opposite. Deep
rooted enmity between its people had drained their blood,
destroyed their unity and made them preoccupied with one
another,. The perpetual wars had brought them down to such
166
The Mass llijrah: lis Causes and Effects
depths that the intelligent were grieved and longed for salvation.
The Aus and the Khazraj, who were originally of one stock,
were suffering under the yoke ofthis deadly rivalry, so much, so
that, their children inherited it from the cradle and grew up to be
enemies of one another. The germ of this antagonism was laid
by no other than the Jews.
The Jews' Handiwork
The Jews who had settled in MadTnah and its environs had fled
to the Arabian peninsula from the persecution ofthe Christians,
who had long tried to Christianize or exterminate them. The reason
for this was the Jewish attitude towards Jesus and his mother, and
the Christians belief that the Jews had crucified Jesus.
There is no doubt that the Jews are the active people, and
wherever they settle, they make great efforts to control the
financial sector. Some of them do not mind using cunning and
deception to attain their goals. In the Arabian Peninsula they
found themselves a minority, and were afraid that if they clashed
openly with the Arabs they would be annihilated. They thus
resorted to the sowing of enmity between kith and kin. Soon
their efforts bore fruit and the Arabs began to destroy one
another in a series of wars which had no justification
whatsoever. In the meantime the Jews grew stronger, their
wealth increased, their fortresses were secured and their
influence began to be feared.
A few years before the Hijra there occurred a ferocious battle,
the battle of Buath, between the Aus and the Khazraj. The
Khazraj had the upper-hand, then the tables were turned and
victory favoured the Aus. Both parties were on the verge of
annihilating each other when sensible people intervened and
advised them to live and let live, for it was better to be the
neighbours of their brothers rather than neighbours of the foxes,
that is, the Jews.
The Life Of
Prophet Muhammad 16?
These tribulations made the people of MadTnah look to Islam
with hope when the news of it reached them. Who knew?
Perhaps it would give their life new meaning, restore peace
among them and raise them spiritually above the Jews.
Ibn Ishaq reported: When Allah
($g)
wished to make His
religion victorious, strengthen His Prophet
(3tes), and fulfil his
promise to him, the Messenger of Allah
(^s)
went forth in the
pilgrimage season, where he met the group of people from
MadTnah, He introduced himself to the Arab tribes, as he would
do on every pilgrimage, and while he was at AI-Aqabah, he met
a group of pilgrims from the Khazraj tribe whom Allah
(M)
wished to benefit. 'Asim ibn 'Umar ibn Qatada
(-&) spoke to me
of what the elders of his tribe said.
"When the Messenger of Allah
($)
met them, he said:
'Who are you?'
They replied:
4
A group of the Khazraj/
He said: Clients ofthe Jews?'
They said, 'Yes,
1
He said: 'Won't you sit down and let me talk to you?* They
agreed and sat down with him. He then invited them to Allah
(3&),
explained Islam to them, and recited the Qufan for them."
'Asim continued: "They responded to his call by believing in
him, and they accepted what he offered to them of Islam.
They said: "We have left our people behind with so much
enmity and evil among them. Perhaps Allah
(M) will unite them
through you. We shall return to them and invite them to your
affair, and we shall explain to them this faith which we have
accepted from you. If Allah
(3)
unites them under you, then
there will be no man dearer to us than you!" Then they returned to
their country, having believed and trusted.
2
This small group was the vanguard of a successful campaign
for Islam in Yathrib. Their efforts bore fruit rapidly, and there
Us chain is sood.
J68 The Mass Hijrah: Its Causes and Effects
remained not a single home which Islam did not enter. When the
year elapsed and the season of pilgrimage came around again,
twelve men who had accepted Islam left Madlnah with the
intention of meeting the Prophet
(^),
and strengthening their
faith with him. Among them were the six to whom the Prophet
($^)
had spoken in the previous season.
The First Pledge of 'Aqabah
The Prophet
(^s)
met them at 'Aqabah and took from them
a pledge to believe in Allah
($)
alone, practise all virtues and
keep away from all vices. 'Ubada ibn At-Samit said:
"On the night of the first pledge of *Aqabah
y
we pledged to
the Messenger of Allah
($fe)
that we will not associate any
partners with Allah
(36),
we will not steal, we will not commit
adultery, we will not kill our children, we will not make false
accusations before our hands and feet, and we will not disobey
him in what was right. The Prophet ($B)
then said:
"If you fulfil this you will have paradise. However, if you omit any
of it and you are punished for it in this world, it is an atonement
for you. If you conceal it until the Day of Judgement, then your
matter will be left for Allah
(&)
to decide: if He wills. He (*&) will
punish you, otherwise He will forgive you,"
This is what Muhammad
($^)
was demanding and what
jahillyah was objecting to. Would anyone detest these pacts
except a criminal who wished evil upon the mankind and
corruption upon the earth?
The delegation from MadTnah completed this pledge, and then
headed for home. The Prophet
(^s)
thought it best to send along
with it one of his trusted men, who would oversee the growth of
Islam in MadTnah, teach its inhabitants the Qur'an, and give them
an insight into their religion. His choice fell on Mus'ab Ibn
A sound HadTth narrated bv BukhatTand Muslim,
The Life Of
Prophet Muhammad 169
c
Umayr, who was to be their faithful teacher. Mus'ab met with
great success in the propagation of Islam among the people. He
was able to overcome the difficulties which always confront
someone away from home, and at the same time he strove to
encourage the people to change from their familiar traditions to a
new system, which encompassed the present and the future, and
included both faith and action, behaviour and morals.
G Do not suppose that Mus'ab was like those mercenary
missionaries whom Western imperialism thrusts before itself as
it marches on the East. You may see one of mem crouching
beside the bed of a sick man, saying to him: "This glass the
Virgin is offering you and this loaf Christ is presenting to you.
1 '
Or perhaps one of them will open a school with education as its
apparent aim, or a refuge with the sole purpose of charity, then
he will direct the entrants to the goal he has in mind. This is a
form of spiritual dishonesty which hides behind the title of
missionary work, and those who represent this mockery find the
courage to do their work from the states which send them. So if
you see them determined and persevering, do not forget the
powers that support them on land and sea and in the air.
On the other hand, Mus'ab was sent by a persecuted prophet
whose message condemned the existing law and who had no
material attractions to offer. The equipment that Mus'ab
acquired from the Prophet
(^%)
was the sincerity to Allah
(Jg)
and the astuteness, and this made him sacrifice his family's
wealth and position for the sake of his faith. Then there was this
Qur'an which he took pleasure in reciting, choosing from its
gems of wisdom, and with it he confronted people's hearts,
which softened and opened up to the new
r
religion.
Q Mus'ab returned to Allan's Messenger
($&)
in Makkah a little
before the pilgrimage season, and informed him of the warm
reception given to Islam in Yathrib. He told him of the large
numbers who had entered into Islam out ofheartfelt conviction,
and who would be represented during the pilgrimage by their
delegations sent to meet him.
/ 70 The Mass fiijrah: lis Causes and Effects
The Second Pledge of 'Aqabah
The men who accepted Islam knew, without doubt, of its recent
history and the tremendous difficulties with which it was faced.
They felt disturbed that their brothers in Makkah should be
oppressed and their Prophet
($&) should call to Allah
(3)
and
receive no response except from an ungrateful sinner. Thus, they
wondered as they left MadTnah for the House of Allah
(3s); how
can we leave the Prophet
($)
to be persecuted and terrorized in
Makkah? Faith had reached its peak in these young hearts, and the
time was fast approaching when they would be able to express their
enthusiasm and assist in breaking the suffocating siege, that was
laid around the da 'wah and the Messenger
(^*s).
Jabir Ibn 'Abdullah
(4*) reported:
"Thus seventy men from among us travelled to meet him in the
pilgrimage season. We promised to meet him at 'Aqaha, and so we
arrived there in ones and twos until our numbers were complete. We
said: "Messenger of Allah (^bg), what shall we pledge with you?
He replied: "You shall pledge to hear and obey me in times of
activity and inactivity, to spend in ease and hardship, to enjoin
what is right and forbid what is wrong, to stand up for Allah's
sake without fear of any reproach, and to aid and protect me when
I come to you from all that which you protect your persons, wives
and children from, and in return you will have paradise."
So we stood up for to him, and As
c
ad Ibn Zurarah, who was
the youngest of the seventy after me, took his hand and said:
"Slowly, people of Yathrib! We did not travel to him without
knowing that he is the Messenger of Allah (^s), and to accept
him now is a challenge to all the Arabs; it is the killing of your
best and clashing with your swords. So either you understand
that and accept it and then your reward will be by Allah (&), or
else you are afraid for your lives, so admit that plainly and it
will be your excuse before Allah
(3C),"
The Lrje
Of
Prophet Muhammad
J 7
1
They said: As'ad, take
your hand away. By Allah
(^),
we
shall not abandon this pledge nor shall we retire." So we stood
up one by one and took the pledge with him.
4
Ka
w
b Ibn Malik
(*&)
reported:
We slept that night (the night of "Aqabah) with our people in
our camp. When a third ofthe night had passed, we left the camp
for the rendez-vous with the Prophet (^fcg), slipping away like cats
and hiding unLil we were all assembled in the valley
near "Aqahah.
We were seventy-three men and with us were two of our women
Naseeba bint Ka'b
(**) and Asma' bint ' Amr ibn
' Adi.
We assembled and waited for the Prophet
(^),
and he came
accompanied by 'Abbas ibn 'Abdul Muttalib, who was still in
the religion of the Quraish. Despite this, he had wanted to be
present with his nephew and vouch for his integrity. When he
sat down, he was the first to speak.
He said: "O people of Yathrib: Muhammad's
(^jg)
status
among us is as you know. We have protected htm from our
people who hold the same opinion about him as we do. He is
thus respected among his people and protected in his country.
Now he insists on aligning with you and going over to you. If
you think that you will be able to fulfil your promise to him and
protect him from whoever opposes him, then that is your
responsibility! But if you think you are going to betray him and
withdraw your support after he has gone over to you, then leave
him alone from now on for he is safe in his country."
Ka'b
(40
continued:
Ahmad. Al Hakim and Al-Bayhaqi narrated it by way of Ibn Khaytbam from Abu
Zubayr from Jabir. Al Hakim says its chain is sound and Dhahabi agrees with him.
Ibn KathTr says that its chain is good according to Muslim's stipulations. Again, Ibn
Hajar says: "Ahmed narrated it with a good chain, and Al Hakim and Ibn Hibban
consider it sound." However, I say there is a weakness in it since the chain has AbO
Zubayr in it and he was a forger. Nevertheless, perhaps his narration is considered
good or sound because there are other sound narration to the same effect. In any case
Allah (ffl knows best
/ 72 The Mass Ilijrah: Its Causes and Effects
We said to him: "We have heard what you said, so speak, O
Messenger of Allah
()
and decide for yourself and your Lord
whatever you like."
The Prophet
(^^)
spoke and recited from the Qur'an, called to
Allah
(Si)
and invited us to Islam. Then he said, "I take your
pledge that you will protect me from that, which you protect your
women and children from."
Then al-Barra' Ibn Ma'rur took him by the hand and said: "Yes.
By Him who sent you with the truth, we shall protect you from that
which we protect our families from. We have made a pledge to
you, O Messenger of Allah
(^$),
and, by Allah
(S&), we are sons
of war, having inherited it from our fathers and grandfathers."
Abul Haytham ibn al Tahan then interjected and said: "O
Messenger of Allah
(^^),
we have treaties with the Jews and
we are going to annul them. Is it possible that if we do so and
then Allah
(3g)
grants you victory, then perhaps you will return
to your people and leave us?"
U The Prophet ($&) smiled, and then said: "No, blood is blood and
destruction is destruction. I am one of you and you of me. I fight
whom you fight and make peace with whom you make peace with/'
The Prophet
(^i)
asked them to select twelve chiefs (naqib)
from among themselves, and they chose nine from the Khazraj and
three from the Aus,
5
Then he said to them: "You are the guardians
of your people just as the disciples were guardians on behalf of
Jesus, son of Mary, and I am a guardian over my people,"
That was the pledge of 'Aqabah with the agreements that
were concluded and the discussions that took place.
G Surely the spirit of certainty, sacrifice and daring reigned over
this gathering and infiltrated every word that was uttered. It was
clear that bubbling emotions did not direct conversations or
dictate pacts. On the contrary, the account of the future was
compared with the account of the present and the expected
A sound Hadfth narrated by Fbn FshSq in his MagkBzi. However, (he last part "You
are the guardians..." is mursal and therefore weak.
The Ltfk Of
Prophet Muhammad
J 73
liabilities were examined before the supposed gains.
Gains? Where is the talk of gains in this pledge? The whole
affair was concluded on the basis of pure self-denial and
sacrifices. These seventy men were an ideal example of the
spread of Islam by way of free will and personal conviction.
They came from Yathrib, full of the firmest faith and
responsibility to the call for sacrifice, even though their
acquaintance with the Prophet
(^g)
was only for a fleeting
moment, and it was not expected to have lasting effects. We
must not forget however, that the source of this active reserve of
bravery and confidence was the Qur'an itself Although the
Ansar (the people of MadTnah who accepted Islam) had met the
Prophet
('J&sO
only occasionally before making pledge with him.
It was the resplendent Revelation from heaven which
nevertheless lit up their way for them and illuminated their goal.
J Almost half of the Qufan was Revealed in Makkah, and it
flowed from the lips of the Huffm (those who memorized the
Qur'an) and was recorded on scrolls by the honourable scribes.
That portion of the Quran revealed in Makkah illustrated the
reward of the Hereafter in such vivid, visual terms that one
could almost stretch out one's hand and pluck the fruits of
Paradise. The bedouin, Arab ofthe desert, who loved the truth
could transport himself in one moment of self-sacrifice from the
heat of the Arabian peninsula to the Gardens under which rivers
flow and where pure nectar is offered,
G The Qur'an also recounted the history ofthe early believers:
how they w
r
ere sincere to Allah (3)
and were saved with their
Prophets from destruction. It spoke of the unbelievers of the
past: how they transgressed and became complacent when
Allah's punishment did not overtake them. They rebelled further
until finally Allah
(3)
meted out justice and swept the
oppressors away, leaving behind them a trail of destroyed
houses and cities.
/ 74 The Mass Hijrah. Its Causes and Effects
This faith in the truth was made by the Prophet
($|g)
into a
catalyst which automatically brought the believers together from
all parts of the globe into a strong bond of mutual love and
support. Thus the Muslim in Madlnah, although he had not seen
his oppressed brother in Makkah, was overflowing with
sympathy for him and anger towards his oppressor, and was
willing to fight on his behalf. This is what brought the Ansar
from Yathrib, the feelings of love and devotion surging in their
hearts, towards the out of sight brothers of faith whom they
loved for Allah's sake.
Q Aba Malik al-Asharl reported that the Messenger of Allah
(#)
said:
"O people, hear and understand, and know that Allah ($t) has
servants who are neither prophets nor martyrs, but the prophets
and the martyrs envy them for their high status and their
closeness to Allah (&)."
Q Thereupon a bedouin, who was at a little distance, rose on his
knees, to the Prophet
(^)
and said: "O Messenger of Allah
(tiig), a group of people, neither prophets nor martyrs but envied
by the prophets and the martyrs for their status and closeness to
Allah (is)? Describe them to us."
"They are the people from far-off tribes, who are not connected
by any close blood relationship, love one another, and have
bonded themselves into one rank for Allah's pleasure. On the Day
of Judgement Allah (*3) will erect pulpits of light for them and
they will sit on them. He will make their faces and their clothes
shine. The people on the Day of Judgement will be frightened, but
not they. They are the friends of Allah
(3s)
upon whom no fear
shall come nor shall they grieve.
6
Faith in Allah
(/&),
and love for His pleasure, brotherhood in His
religion and mutual support in His name. All ofthis was surging
through the minds of those who were gathered there in the darkness
A good IfadTth narrated by Ahmad,
The Life
Of
Prophet Muhammad
f 75
of that night near Makkah, still in her reckless rejection of faith.
The announcement was about to be made that the Helpers (Ansar)
of Allah
($&)
would defend His Prophet
(^g)
just as they would
defend their honour: they would protect him with their lives and no
harm could befall him while they were alive.
The idolaters of Makkah thought that they had enclosed Islam
within narrow confines, and had harassed the Muslims so much
that they were now preoccupied with themselves. So they went
to sleep like a criminal who has committed a crime and feels
sure that no one saw him. Indeed, during this night the army of
truth swore to one another that they would break the back of
paganism once and for all and would wipe jahillyah and its
supporters off the face of the earth.
A devil from the idolaters was walking among the pilgrims'
tents, and on hearing the noise coming from Al-Aqabah close by,
he was able to guess what was happening. He shouted a warning
to the people of Makkah "Muhammad
($m)y
and his converts
have gathered together to wage war on you!" His voice was loud
enough to wake the sleepers. The Muslims realized that their
plans for the idolaters had been uncovered, but they showed no
concern for the consequences.
Sa'd Ibn
4
Ubada
(*&) said:
il
O Messenger ofAllah
gft),
by
Him Who sent you with the truth, if you wish we shall attack the
people of Mina tomorrow with our swords." However, the
Prophet
(^s) said: "We were not ordered to do thcrt Return to
your camps."
Ka'b
(4&)
continued his report, saying:
"When the morning came, some of the leaders of the Quraish
approached our camps and said:
"0
Assembly of Khazraj! we
were informed that you have come to our man to take him away
from our presence and you have pledged with him to wage war
on us. By God, there is no Arab settlement with which we
should hate to be at war with more than yourselves."
/ 76 The Mass Hijrah: Its Causes and Effects
At this some ofthe idolaters among us got up and swore that,
there was nothing of the sort and that they had no knowledge of
such a thing. And they were right: they had no knowledge of it.
Ka*b (4i) added: We exchanged glances with one another.
7
However, circumstances proved the rumour to be true, and so
the Quraish went after the people from Madman but were unable
to catch up with them. The only one they caught was Sa'd lbn
'Ubada, and they brought him back to Makkah in chains,
dragging him by the hair and kicking him. However, Jubayr lbn
Mut'im and Al-Haris lbn Harb rescued him from them, since
Sa'd always used to extend to them his protection in Madinah.
The Beginning of the Hijrah
The success of Islam in founding a homeland of its own in
the middle of a desert surging with disbelief and ignorance
was its greatest gain since it began to be propagated. The
Muslims called to one another from every corner: Come to
Yathrib! The Hijrah was not only an escape from persecution
and ridicule, it was in fact a movement to establish a new
society in a safe country. It became the duty of all able
Muslims to assist in the building of this new homeland and to
put their utmost efforts into fortifying it and raising its status
among other nations. Leaving Madtnah after migration to it
This is from the Hadlth of Ka'b lbn Malik (.&) mentioned above. An observation
here is that the author related the meaning ofthe first part ofthe HadTth and not the
words, which are as follows; "And when we took the pledge with the Messenger of
Ailah (^&),
the devil shouted from the head of'Aqahah in the most piercing tone 1
had ever heard, and the Prophet
(&&)
said: This is the devil of
t
Aqabah this is the
son of the devil. Listen, enemy of Allah (3*), by Allah (St), I shall soon apply myself
to you.' It cannot be understood from this text that "the devil" refers to one of the
idolaters nor is it likely that the Prophet (sift) would say to one of them, "Enemy of
Allah (id), I shall soon apply myself to you
"
Q Our view is supported by the mursal HadHh narrated by AI Tabarani on the
authority of
4
Urwa. In it is this statement: "And the Messenger of Allah
(sSS)
said:
'Let not this voice scare you. It is the enemy of Allah {M\ Iblis. No-one whom you
fear has heard him, \ ,
."
The Life OfProphet Muhammad 17?
became a shirking of responsibility and a betrayal of Allah
(tfc) and His Messenger
(^&)
for life. In it was part of faith,
since the establishment of the faith depended upon the
development of Madlnah.
In the twentieth century the Jews have been proud of themselves
and have congratulated one another on being able to find a national
homeland of their own after having lived for centuries in exile. Wc
deny not the efforts made by the Jews to establish this state, nor the
zeal of the immigrants who came from everywhere to live there
and revive and develop the place. Nevertheless, how great is the
difference between what the Jews have done in the twentieth
century, or, to be more precise, what has been done for the Jews in
the twentieth century and what was done by Islam and its children
for themselves on the day they migrated to Yathrib, saving their
cktwah and establishing their state,
The Jews came at a time when the Arabs were divided and in a
state of weakness and negligence, and they wove their plots in the
field of Western politics which held bitter enmity towards Islam
and the Muslims. All of a sudden, the entire world attacked
Palestine with wealth, arms, women and cunning. One million
Arabs could not do a single thing, confined as they were within
tight circles because of the treacherous acts ofsome. They could
find no help from the rest ofthe world as a result ofthe agreement
concluded by the United Sates, the Soviet Union, Britain, France
and. .
.
the Arab kings to desert those unfortunate Arabs. In this way
a national homeland for the Jews came into existence. There was a
campaign to solicit immigrants to it and assistance was given by
political leaders and business tycoons in all parts of the globe.
Q How can we compare this decadence with those personalities
whose hearts were dedicated to Allah
(tfe) and whose ambitions
were above wordly gains; who ignored their own peace and
comfort and cared only for those higher ideals in a world
teeming with the deaf and dumb. They tied their future to the
future of the message which they embraced and whose chief
/ 78 The Mass Hijrah; lis Causes and Effects
proponent, they followed in his selflessness and hard struggle,
who never tired ofrepeating;
(Say: This is my way: t call on Allah with sure knowledge, 1 and
whosoever follows me Glory be to Allah! And 1 am not of the
Idolaters.) (Quran 12: 108)
Surely the Utopia which the philosophers dream of and as
described in books is beneath what these early immigrants
accomplished. They proved that a mature faith could transform
the mankind into a creation competing with the angels in
resplendence and purity. The Muslims with the Prophet's
(^jft)
permission hurried from Makkah and other places to Yathrib,
motivated by certainty and guided by confidence.
G The Hijrah was not an employee's transfer from a nearby
town to a distant one, nor was it the wanderings of a person in
search of food from a barren land to a fertile one. It was the
coercion of a man with deep roots in his native place to give
up his personal interests, sacrifice his wealth and flee empty-
handed. It was to make him feel that he was a hounded man,
whose life and property were not safe, who might be
destroyed at the beginning of the path or at the end of it, and
that he was moving toward an obscure future not knowing
what trials and tribulations were in-store for him. If it was the
adventure of a single individual one might have said he was
reckless adventurer. On the contrary, however, it affected the
length and breadth of the country; men took their wives and
children, and at the same time they were content at heart and
their faces were bright. It is nothing but faith which moves
mountains and is not aimless. But faith in whom? Faith in
Allah (3s),
to whom belong the heavens and the earth, and to
whom belongs all praise in this world and the Hereafter, and
who is the Wise, the Aware. It is only believers who can bear
these difficulties. As for the noisy, confused cowards they are
unable to withstand any of that, for they are of those about
whom Allah (t&)
says;
The Life OfProphet Muhammad 179
<And if We had decreed for them: Lay down your lives or go forth
from your dwellings, few of them would have done it.)
(Qur
,
an4:66)
As for those men who rallied around the Prophet
($&)
in
Makkah, acquired the rays of a guiding light from him and
exhorted one another to the truth and perseverance, they
hastened, travelling light, as soon as they were told to migrate to
where they would strengthen Islam and be assured of its future.
The idolaters looked around, and suddenly in Makkah there
were houses once populated with families but now deserted,
'Utba, 'Abbas and Abtl Jahl passed by the house of *Umar fbn
Rabrah
(*&) after it was shut up and the owner had migrated
with his wife and brother, Ahmad, who was a blind man.
When 'Utba noticed the wind blowing through the window of
this desolate house, he recited: "Every home even though it
may remain safe for a long time, will one day be afflicted by
disaster and outrage."
Then he said: "This home is now deserted by its owners."
AbQ Jahl then said to 'Abbas: "This is your nephew's
handiwork: he has divided our people, destroyed our unity and
separated us." With this statement Abu Jahl displayed perfectly
in himself the attitude of tyrants. They are the ones who commit
the crime and put the blame on others: they are the ones who
oppress the weak, who if they refuse to be subjected, are then
the cause of all the problems!
Q Among the earliest
muhajirm (emigrants) were Abu Salma,
his wife and his son.
When they decided on leaving, his in-laws said to him: "So
you are determined to go inspite ofus? But we shall not let you
take our daughter to wherever you want," and they took his wife
away from him.
Upon this his relatives became angry and said: "We shall not
leave our son with her since you took her away from our brother."
J80 The Mass Hijrak: Its Causes and Effects
There ensued a tug-of-war for the boy and his arm came out. They
took him away and AbQ Salma went alone to MadTnah. For a year
'Umm Salma (Aba Salma's wife) wept over her husband and child
in Abtah, a place where she would go in the morning and stay till
evening, Eventually one of her relatives felt sorry for her and urged
her parents to release her. They did so, and she retrieved her son
from her in-law and migrated to MadTnah.
Q When Suhayb wanted to make the Hijrah, the Quraish said to
him: "You came to us as a despised pauper, then your wealth
grew with us and you attained your present status. Now you
wish to go away with all your wealth. By God, that will not be!"
Suhayb replied: "What do you say, if I give you my wealth,
will you let me go?" They said yes, and Suhayb showed them
where he kept his wealth. When this news reached the Prophet
(&),
he said: "Suhayb has profited!"
8
Thus the muhajirm continued to leave Makkah singly or in small
groups until the city was almost emptied ofMuslims. The Quraish
began to feel that Islam had now acquired a home and a protective
fortress, and they became apprehensive ofthe consequences ofthis
dangerous stage in Muhammad's
(^s)
da'wah. In their vein
flowed the instincts of a beast of prey when it is cornered.
Although Muhammad
(^k)
was still in Makkah, he would no
doubt soonjoin his Companions that day or the next, so they had to
hurry and catch him before he slipped out of reach.
In the Council Chamber
The tyrants of Makkah assembled in the Council Chamber to
come to a firm decision on the matter. Some opined that
Muhammad
($&)
should be put in chains, thrown into prison
and kept in solitary confinement, although he should be given
food until he died. Others thought that, he should be expelled
A sound HadTth narrated by Ibn Hisham as mural. Al-llakim supplied the links and said it
was sound according to the requirements ofMuslim. It is supported by a similar HadTth from
Suhavb himself.
The Life Of
Prophet Muhammad 181
from Makkah and never allowed to re-enter it thus the Quraish
would have washed their hands of him.
Both of these views were rejected, because they were not
feasible. The decision reached was the view proposed by Abu
Jahl that every clan should select a sound, strong young man
from among themselves and they should all stab Muhammad
(^^)
in one attack. In this way the Banu Hashim would not
be able to take revenge on the Quraish since, all of the clans
would be implicated, and if they asked for blood money this
could be paid. The conspirators agreed on this solution to the
problem which had baffled them, and dispersed to execute it.
The Qur'an referred to this plot when it said;
i
And when those who disbelieve plot against you [Muhammad] to
put you infatally, or to kill you or to drive you out; they plot, but
Allah [also] plots; Allah is the best of plotters.) {Qur'an 8:30)
This decision was not taken in a secret meeting but in a
general assembly so it was natural that the Messenger of Allah
(^g)
should hear about it and know the reality of his position in
Makkah. They were only waiting for the appointed time to
execute their plot, and there would be food beforehand as an
offering to the idols! In any case the Prophet {$&)
would not
suggest to his Companions to migrate and not do so himself. He
had planned his journey to Yathrib ever since he had urged the
Muslims to migrate there. Al Zuhri narrated from
p
Urwa who
narrated from
'
A'i shah, May Allah be pleased with her, that the
Messenger of Allah
($g)
said to the Muslims while still in
Makkah:
'1
was shown the home of your migration: I was shown
a marshy-land and full of date palms between two mountains."
9
Thus began the Hijrah of the Muslims to MadTnah, and
those, who had migrated to Abyssinia returned and migrated to
MadTnah.
10
A sound Hadith narrated b> BukharT, Al-Hakim and Al-BayhaqT on ihc authority of
'AMshah, and b> BukharT, Muslim and Ibn Majah on the authority of Abu MQsa.
They began to return, and this continued until the year of the Hijrah.
182 The Mass Hijrah: Its Causes and Effects
The Hijrah of the Prophet
(^)
When the Prophet
(^g)
decided to leave Makkah for
Madlnah, the following prayer was Revealed to him:
*,And say: My Lord! Cause me to come In with a firm entrance and
to go out with a firm exit. And give me from your Presence a
sustaining power.) (Qur'an 17: 80)"
No-other human being is known, who is more deserving of
Allah's
($g)
help than the Prophet
(^).
who met with all sorts of
afflictions in His ($%) cause. Nevertheless, his deserving of
Allah's aid does not mean that, he was negligent in the slightest
of cause and effect. The Messenger of Allah
(^gg),
accordingly
made secure the route of his migration and prepared a plan for
every contingency. In his calculations he did not leave anything to
chance. It is the nature of believers to take all the normal causes
and effects into considerations if there were everything needed for
success. Then they place themselves in Allah's hands, because
nothing can take place except by His will.
Q Thus if people make all possible effort and fulfils their duties,
but fail after that, then Allah
($)
will not blame them. For a defeat
over which they had no control. However, this rarely happens
unless it is totally beyond their capacity. It often happens that a
person does all that is necessary for success and help comes from
above, making this success produce double the expected fruit. It is
like a ship steered by an experienced captain and also assisted by
This is from the I.ladTth of Tbn 'Abbas, who said "The Messenger of Allah (ate) was
in Makkah. (hen he was ordered lo migrate and this ayah was Revealed to him. It is
narrated by Al TirmidhT, ArHakim. Al BayhaqTand Ahmad by way of QabGs ibn AbQ
Zibyan from his father from Ibn Abbas. However, Ahmad
1
sand A!-BayhaqT's chain
does not contain "from his father." Al TirmidhT said it was a good, sound Hadrth, and
Al-Hakim said, "Its chain is sound and A! Phahabi has authenticated it."
There is doubt in this statement since Al-Dhahabi has mentioned AbQ Zibyan in
his Al Mizan, and has reported that Ibn HibbSn, says about him: He has a bad
memory. He reports things from his father which have no basis. Sometimes he would
report a&marfff what is mursal and as musnad what is mauqufr
The Life
Of
Prophet Muhammad
IS
J
favourable winds and current,
thereby
reaching its destination in
less than the appointed time.
The migration of the Prophet
(3g)
from
Makkah to Madman
was of this nature. He asked Abu Bakr
O)
and
4
AH
(4*) to
remain
with him, and gave permission to all the other
Muslims to
precede him to Madman, Abu Bakr
(4*) had come to him, asking
for permission to leave, and the Prophet
(%*$) had replied;
"Do
not hurry. Perhaps Allah
(&)
give
you a Companion/*
11
AbS Bakr c felt as if the Prophet meant himself by this
statement.
He therefore bought two
mounts
and kept them at
home, feeding
them in preparation for this event.
As regards
4
All
(&), the Prophet
(ag) had prepared him for a
special role which he would have to play in this risky adventure.
Ibn Ishaq said:
Someone with whom I find no fault reported to me on the
authority of 'Urwa Ibn Al Zubayr who reported that 'A'ishah,
May Allah be pleased with her, said; "The Messenger of Allah
(&)
never failed to come to Abu Bakr's
(4*) house once a day,
either in the morning or in the evening.
Then came the day when
Allah
(H)
gave his Messenger the
permission to migrate from
Makkah and the Messenger ofAllah
(?m) came to us at midday
at a time when he never used to come,
When Abu Bakr
(&)
saw
him he said: The Messenger
ofAllah
(*&g) has come at this hour
only because some important event has taken place. When he
entered, Aba Bakr
(4*)
stepped back from his bed and the
Messenger of Allah
(gift) sat down. There was no-one else
present except my sister Asma'
and I.
The Messenger ofAllah
(^fe:) said:
12
Narrated by Ibn Jshaq without a chain. However, its meaning is to be found in the Ichie
lladith of A ishah on the Hijrah narrated by Bukhari. The words are: "And Abo Bafcrf*)
prepared himselfto go to Madlhah and (he Messenger ofAllah
{$&) said, Take your time for I
hone that I shall be given permission' Abu Bakr said: shall we hope for Dial ? May my father be
sacrificed for you? He said yes, so Ahp Bakr
(.*) stayed behind so as to accompanv the
Messenger of Allah
(#5),
and he groomed two mounte for four months with the leaves of
Samr. Ihis is also narrated bv Ahmad.
J
$4 The Mass Hijrah: fts Causes and Effects
"Let those who are with you leave my presence/'
Abu Bakr (-*)
replied: "Messenger of Allah
($&)<
they are my
daughters. What is it? May my father and mother be your
ransom."
He Said: "Allah (3s)
has ordered me to leave and migrate."
Q Aba Bakr (<j*) said: "Companionship, Messenger of Allah
(myr
He said:
"Companionship."
A'ishah, May Allah be pleased with her, continued: "And, by
Allah
(5s),
I had never before witnessed anybody crying for joy
until I saw Abu Bakr (40
crying for joy on that day/
1
Abu Bakr (-*) then said: "Prophet of Allah
(^i),
I have
groomed these two mounts for this."
So they hired
'
Abdullah Ibn Urayqit who was still an idolater to
be their guide to MadTnah. They entrusted him with the two
mounts and he kept them and groomed them until the appointed
time.
13
Ibn Ishaq continued:
"No one knew of the Prophet's
($&)
departure from what I
heard, except 'All
O-),
Abu Bakr
(4*)
and his family. As regards
*
All
(*&),
the Prophet
(^)
ordered him to stay behind, so that
he could return the trusts that he was keeping for the people/*
There was no-one in Makkah who possessed something precious
and did not give it to the Prophet
(^g)
for safekeeping, because
of what they knew of his truthfulness and trustworthiness.
A Lesson in Diplomacy
It should be noted that the Prophet
(^g)
hid the secrets of his
journey and disclosed them only to those with whom he had strong
ties. Even so. he did not explain to them in detail except where it
*
Ibn Ishaq narrated it from his Sheikh, whom he did not name However, Ibn Harir
named him in a report from Jbn Ishaq as Muhammad Ibn Abdul Rahman Al- TamTmT.
This Sheikh is not well-known others also narrated this HadTlh, e.g. Ibn JarTr with a
sound chain, BukharT and Ahmad.
The Life Of
Prophet Muhammad
/ 85
was necessary for them to take action. He hired a guide who was
intimately acquainted with the desert to make use of his experience
in enabling them to escape the pursuers. For this purpose he looked
at the person's competence alone, and even though he was an
idolater, the Prophet (^tg) still made use ofhis skill.
Together with this flexibility in his plan, the Prophet
(3SJ&)
also insisted on paying for his mount and refused to accept it
free from Aba Bakr (->:). Spending on this Hijrah was a form of
worship which one should be keen to observe and for which
there was no deputizing.
The Prophet
(3^)
and Abu Bakr
(4*) came to an agreement on
the details of the departure. They chose the cave in which they
would hide, deciding on one in the south in the direction of
Yemen so as to fool the pursuers. They then selected the
individuals with whom they would need to have contact while in
the cave and assigned each one his duty.
Q The Prophet
(^)
then returned home to find that the Quraish
had begun to surround it and had sent the youths who were
given the responsibility of assassinating him. He instructed 'All
to put on the cloak in which he [the Prophet
(^&g)]
normally
slept in and to lie down on his bed. In the quiet of the night and
unknown to the watchers, the Prophet
(^g)
slipped out of his
house and went to Abu Bakr's
(4*)
home. From there they left
by way of a back entrance and headed for the cave of Thawr, the
cave in which Providence entrusted the future of the last
Message and the destiny of a perfect civilization. There it was
left to be guarded by silence, eerieness and loneliness.
In the Cave
The events unrolled as they planned. Abu Bakr
(40
had
ordered his son 'Abdullah to listen to what the people said about
them, then report to them in the cave when he came in the
evening. He had ordered 'Amir ibn Fuhayra, his slave, to graze
JS6
The Mass Nijrah !ts Causes and Effects
his sheep during the day and bring them to the cave in the
evening. Thus Abdullah would listen to the Quraish and in the
evening he would recount it all to the Prophet
(^)
and Abu
Bakr (*&).
Meantime, 'Amir grazed his sheep with the other
shepherds during the day, and brought his sheep to the cave in
ihe evening for the two of them to milk and slaughter. When
'Abdullah left to go back to Makkah, 'Amir would follow him
and wipe out all their traces with the sheep.
This was the utmost precaution that could be taken, as
necessity imposes on any one. The idolaters of Makkah
followed the emigrants, keeping a careful eye on all the roads
and investigating every refuge. They searched the hills of
Makkah and its caves until they arrived quite close to the cave
of Thawr. The Prophet (^feg) and Abu Bakr (*&>)
listened to their
footsteps near the mouth of the cave. Aba Bakr (4*) felt a tremor
and he whispered to the Prophet (^g):
"If one of them looked
down under his feet he would see us."
The
Prophet (^g)
replied: "Aba Bakr
(*&),
what is this
thought of two. The third among us is Allah (t&)."
14
LI The pursuers apparently became frustrated at not finding
them in the vicinity, and they mounted their horses to return
home. Ahmad narrated:
'Ihe idolaters followed the trail until they arrived at the
mountain. Mount Thawr; then they were thrown into confusion.
They climbed the mountain and passed by the cave. Over its
mouth they saw a spider's web, so they said: "If anyone had had
entered here, there would be no web over the entrance."
They spent three nights in the cave.
' 4
The chain contains
' llhm&n Aklazari which (he auihor said is good. Apparently he has
followed Ifcm KathTr in this just as Ibn Ilajar did in his book Fath al fifri. But there is doubt
about this since 'Uthman aktari "is not to be followed It) his Hadnh," as Al-Aqili says.
For this reason Ibn l.lajar says in his book At Taqrib, "There is a weakness in him. It is not
strengthened either by the HadTth mentioned by Ibn KathTr and Ibn Hajar on the authority
of Hasan Al-Basri, because this HadTth, apart from being mursai, contains Bishar al
KhalTaf Ibn Masa. who is not trustworthy, as Ibn Mu'in. Al Nasa'T and others say.
The Life Oj Prophet Muhammad 187
Ahmad's narration is good, even though the authentic books
of the Sunnah do not report the same story and even though
there is no mention of doves who laid eggs near the entrance of
the cave, or other incidents.
Allah
(%)
mentions the Hijrah thus:
(Although you did not help him, still Allah helped him when those
who disbelieve drove him out, the second of two; when they were
both in the cave, when he said to his comrade "Do not grieve. Look
Allah is with us. Then Allah caused His peace of reassurance to
descend upon him and supported him with hosts you cannot see, and
made the world of those who disbelieved the nethermost, while Allah's
word was that which became the uppermost. Allah is Mighty,
Wise.)
(Quran 9: 40)
The hosts which defeat falsehood and help truth to gain
victory are not restricted to a particular kind of weapon
or
miracle. They are more general than to be either material or
spiritual. Even if they are material, their importance has
nothing to do with their size, A single virus, invisible to the
naked eye, could destroy a strong army:
<None knows the hosts of your Lord, save Him.) (Qur'an 74: 3
1
)
It was Allah's action on behalf oi His Prophet
(^)
that the
enemies' eyes should be blind to him even though he was within
arm's reach. This was not favouritism from Allah
($s)
towards a
people who had neglected to prepare all the means of escape. It
was in fact a reward from Him for those who had taken every
single precaution possible. How many plans have been drawn up
to the best of the planners' ability, yet they pass through trying
periods for reasons beyond their will or their consideration, and
finally things settle down according to the dictates of Divine
Wisdom and within the limits ofAllah's words:
(And Allah was predominant in His affair, but most of mankind was
unaware of it.
>
(Qur'an 12:
21)
J 88 The Mass Hijrah: Its Causes and Effects
On the Way to MadTnah
Three nights had passed since the Prophet
(^^)
had taken
shelter in the cave. The idolaters had lost their zeal to look
further, so the two emigrants prepared to resume their hard
journey; 'Abdullah Ibn Urayqit came at the appointed time with
the mounts which he had groomed for long journey. The
travellers loaded up with provisions and set out in the name of
Allah (3s).
However, the Quraish were angry at their failure to
bring back Muhammad
(^g)
and his Companion, and so they
set the blood money for each of the two as a prize for anyone
who brought them back dead or alive. Two hundred or even one
hundred camels in the desert were tempting enough for anyone
to undergo difficulties and take risks,
The Prophet
(^^)
estimated that the pursuers would spare no
effort to catch him, so he kept on the safe side throughout the
journey. He was helped in this by the skill of the guide, who was
able to take them along routes which the caravans did not
normally use. Then they let the mounts go at full speed.
When they (the Makkans) passed by the district of Madhlaj a
man saw them and said: "I have just seen some silhouettes on
the coast and I think they are no other than Muhammad
($&)
and his Companion." Upon this, the idea of gaining the prize all
for himself flashed through the mind of SurSqa Ibn Malik and he
said: "No, they are so and so who have gone out on some errand
of their own.'
1
He waited a little, then he got up and entered his tent, saying
to his servant: "Lead the mare out from behind the tent and I'll
meet you behind the hillock,"
Suraqa himself described the incident:
"I took my spear and left from the back ofthe tent, drawing a line
on the ground with its point. When I reached my mare I mounted her
and spurred her on. She carried me rapidly until I was quite close to
them, but my mare stumbled and I fell ofher. I got up. .
."
The Life Of
Prophet Muhammad
J 89
Suraqa mounted his mare once again and spurred her on until
he came close to the Prophet
($&)
and his Companion, Abu
Bakr (*&)
was turning around frequently lo see if he could
recognize this daring pursuer, and as he came close Abu Bakr
(4*)
did recognize him.
He said to the Prophet
(^^),
both ofthem bent on reaching their
destination: "That is Suraqa Ibn Malik chasing us!" He had hardly
finished this statement when the marc stumbled again, throwing
Suraqa off her back. He got up covered with dust and calling for an
amnesty! It occurred to Suraqa that the Messenger
(^g)
was
genuine, so he apologized to him and asked him to pray to Allah
(3
for him.
He offered them his provisions, but they said: "We do not
need them. However, you can cover our tracks for us."*
5
Q He agreed to this and turned back. Along the way he found
the people still intent on their search, so whenever he met
anyone he tried to dissuade him from pursuit, saying: "This road
has already been checked," In the morning he was keen to seek
them out, and in the evening he was covering up their tracks!
Supplication
Desert travel wears out the strongest people who have no fear
for their safety, so what about those who are being pursued and
are fearful for their lives? Only one who has experienced it, can
understand their circumstances. One day we went out into the
heat of the noonday sun and were almost blinded by its white
rays reflecting off the sand. So we hurried back, shielding our
eyes for fear of being blinded. However, when you spend all day
long among never-ending hills and valleys, you begin to see the
world covered with dust and dark. Travellers have developed the
habit of taking a siesta under any shade, and in low lying lands
Up to here is narrated by Bukhart and Ai Hakim. The rest of the incident apart
from the last line is narrated by Muslim. Ilie last but one line is narrated by Muslim.
The last line is narrated by both Bukhfirl and Ahmad,
/ 90 The Mass Hijrah: lis Causes and Effects
where everything casts a shadow on them when the sun is in
deadline, the languid travellers stir themselves to face the
dehydration and sleepiness.
The Arabs had the strength to these hardships inspite of the
lack of provisions and water. You have already seen that the
Prophet (~$&),
while still a child, had undertaken the same
journey with his mother to visit his father's grave and had
returned alone. Now he was undertaking it again at the age of
53, not for the purpose ofvisiting the graves of his parents, who
had died in Madman, but for the preservation of his message,
whose roots had taken a firm hold on the soil of Yathrib after
having been rejected by Makkah.
He was the staunchest of all people in certainty that Allah
(3e)
would help him and cause His faith to triumph.
Nevertheless, he was still grieved at the harsh reception given
to the faith and the stubbornness which he had encountered
from the beginning of his mission until he was forced to
migrate under these trying circumstances. Here he was, being
chased out of Makkah, and its leaders announcing generous
rewards for anyone who could kill him.
AbQ Nairn narrates that the Messenger of Allah
($g)
made
the following supplication when he left Makkah and migrated
to Madman:
"Praise be to Allah
($),
who created me, though I was nothing.
O Allah
(3(f),
help me bear the might of the word, the vicissitudes
of time and the calamities of the nights and days. O Allah (t&),
accompany me on my journey, and replace me in my family, and
bless me in what you have provided me. To you I am humble, and
in my good character keep me steadfast. Make me, O Lord,
beloved to Yourself, and do not leave me to the people. You are
the Lord of the oppressed and my Lord. I seek refuge in Your
noble countenance by which the heavens and the earth were
illuminated, by which the darkness was dispelled, and on which
the affairs of the first and the last (of the mankind) were put in
The Life OfProphet
Muhammad
J 9}
order. I seek refuge from Your anger befalling me and Your
displeasure overtaking me. I seek refuge in you from the
withdrawal of Your bounty and the suddenness of Your
vengeance, from the removal
of Your blessings
and the coming
of Your wrath. And there is no power or might save in you,"
It is noteworthy that the news of the Prophet's (sSSg) departure
from Makkah spread to every part ofthe desert. It was, as if, the
telegraph wires had taken the news to the farthest comers, and both
bedouin and town-dwellers all along the way as far as Yathrib had
come to hear it. In fact, Makkah heard about the places through
which the Prophet
(jgg) passed, soon after he departed from them.
Men usually enjoy stories of heroism and are excited by aii sorts of
challenges. They quickly pass on hot news by word of mouth and
clothe it with an aura of legend. Many hearts were outstrip with
Muhammad
(^fii)
in his bid to his pursuers, and their sentiments
were translated into a piece ofpoetry which was sung everywhere
yet its composer was not known!
Such was the case as described by Asma' bint Abi Bakr. She
said: "We spent three nights not knowing where the Messenger
of Allah
(*gg) had gone until a man came from lower Makkah,
singing some couplets of poetry:
"May Allah
(),
the Lord of mankind,
shower His choicest
blessings on two Companions who visited the
tents of Umm
Ma'bacL They stayed in the area and then
travelled on. And
successful is he who becomes Muhammad's
(^) Companion."
Asma continued: "When we heard this we realized which
direction the Messenger of Allah
() had taken: he was
heading for MadTna."
16
Who was the reciter? The narration says that he was a jinn, and
that was the custom of the Arabs in ascribing
their poetry: in their
lis isnfld is mi\ed up, Inn Ishaq sa>* in his Sra/i; "Asma* bint Aba ESakr said Three
nights passed and we did no! know in which direction ihe Prophet
{$&) was heading until a
pm came from louer Makkah. singing verses from the poetry of Arab songs. Trie people
followed him. hearing his voice but not seeing him. unlil he left from upper Makkah He was
sa> ing
..."
and she mentioned the \erscs.
192 The Mass Hijrak: Its Causes and Effects
eyes every poet had a devil.
17
It is probable that these couplets
were composed by a secret believer at Makkah, who was on the
lookout for news of the emigrants. He thus declared his joy at the
success they were making and found a way to express his hidden
feelings by means of this fluent poetry. These couplets refer to an
event that took place during the Prophet's
(^s) journey. He had
passed by the dwellings ofKhuza'ah where he had entered the tent
of Umm Ma'bad, rested for a while and drunk milk from her goat.
Arrival at MadTnah
Similarly the news of the great traveller and his Companion
had reached MadTnah. Its inhabitants would come out every
morning and scan the horizon for signs of his approach and when
the sun became too hot they would return to their houses with
hopes and fear for the morrow. On 1 2 Rabi'i in the thirteenth year
of the call, the Ansir, as usual, went outside MadTnah to look for
the Prophet (^^)-
As noon approached and the heat became
intense, they began to despair and were about to return to their
homes when one of the Jews, who had climbed up a hillock for
his own reasons, saw a cloud of dust approaching the city.
He shouted at the top of his voice, saying: "O Banu Oaylah!
There is your man now arriving! There is your grandfather
Let me (i.e Nasiruddtn) say: If the Arabs had permitted themselves to say this in
Jahrfiyah, was it permissible to them as Muslims? Allah {-5c} had rid their hearts of
Fancies. Is it permissible to say of Asma' that she called a believer "Jinn" or
"Shavian" What is the need for the author to resort to such farfetched interpretations?
Do you not see in the narration of the previous note that the people were following his
voice but could not see him? Is this the case of a human being? It would be better for
the author to ignore this narration entirely rather than interpret it in this manner.
Especially since it is weak.
U 1 found this Hadlth narrated as Xfursa! by Al-Hakim on the authority of l.lisham [bn
HabTsh, and he said it had a sound chain. However, there is doubt about this. Al I faytharni
said: Al Tabaratii narrated it but his chain contained a number ofmen whom I do not
know" The Hadlth has two other sources which arc mentioned by Ibn Kathlr in his At
Bittm:/t. Thus with its various sources the Hadlth is no less than hasan (Good).
The Life Of
Prophet Muhammad 1
93
whom you are awaiting!" The Ansar hurried to take up arms and
greet their Prophet
(^g)
with the sound of "Allahu Akbar"
echoing in every corner of MadTnah. Yathrib took on the
appearance of a festival with all its exuberance.
Al-Barra'
(.&)
said:
"The first Companions of the Prophet (^ms) to reach us were
Mus'ab Ibn 'Umayr
(&)
and the son of Umm Maktam, they
began to teach the people the Qur'an. Next came 'Ammar
[4),
Bilal
(.&)
and Sa'd (*>), then 'Umar ibn-ul Khattab
M
in a group
of twenty riders. Then came the Messenger of Allah
{&&},
and I
have never seen the people more overjoyed with anything than
they were overjoyed with his coming. I even saw the women,
children and slave girls saying: "Here is the Messenger of Allah
(ftte)
who has arrived."
1 *
Q How strange are the contrasts in life and the difference among
people! The one whom Makkah sought but failed to kill is warmly
received by MadTnah, and its citizens offer him protection, arms and
numerous supporters. One noteworthy point was that most ofthe
people of MadTnah had never seen the Prophet
(3^)
before. So
when he arrived they could not at first distinguish him from Abu
Bakr (<#>), and the women who were watching him from the rooftops
were saying: "Which one ofthem is he?"
The Prophet
(^)
stayed as the guest of Banu 'Amir Ibn *Auf
for fourteen nights, during which he laid the foundations for the
Quba Mosque, the first mosque ever to be built in Islam. Allah
(M)
revealed the following ayah (verse) about it:
iA place of worship which was founded upon duty [to Allah] from
the first day is more worthy that you should stand [to pray] in it, in
which are men who love to purify themselves,) (Qur'an 9: 108)
"
A Sahth Hadfth narrated by Bukharr and Al Tayalisi.
/ 94 The Mass Hijrah: Its Causes and Effects
Settling Down in MadTnah
A man of faith acts in accordance with it and finds
tranquillity wherever it resolves that there should be reception
and wider scope for the dmvah. People seek happiness in those
things to which their minds cling and for which they yearn.
They look at the world and they share in it the light of the
feelings and thoughts deep down inside them. Thus a seeker
alter leadership will be content or displeased, will be active or
idle in proportion to his closeness to or distance from his
beloved target.
Look at Al-Mutanabbi: how much he eulogized and satirized;
how he travelled from Syria to Egyt and from Egypt to other
places; and look at what he said of others talking about him and his
desires: "They ask me, what are you? In every town, and what do
you want? What I want is too great to be named." What was too
great to name he did mention clearly everywhere else: he asked to
be given charge of an estate or a province! In other words, some of
that which luck had placed in the hands of kings and masters. And
he even sought to fulfil his desire quickly by asking Kafir: "Abul
Misk, is there anything left in the cup that I can have? I shall
become rich in a short while, and then you will drink,"
Q At Mutauabbu in my opinion, was quite capable of being in a
high post because of his qualifications. Nevertheless, aspiration
for worldly things with such haste and insistence is indicated by
Allah's
(ig,)
will as mentioned in the following ayah (verse):
i
Whoever desires that [life] which hastens away. We hasten for him
therein what We will for whom We please.* (Quran 17: 18)
G Then there are those men who worship beauty and pursue
women, who find satisfaction in being in their company, and
afterwards feel at ease and humbled. They say: "I do not see
the world by the light of the morning; I see the world by the
light of the eye."
The
Life
OfProphet
Muhammad
f 95
Then there is the one who
pursues
wealth,
and spends
most of
the day and half of the night
checking
the figures
in his cash
book,
counting
what is in his hand and
estimating
what is not
there
yet. He may even
neglect his clothes
and
food in following
his instinct to possess, which has
blinded him
to everything else.
Along with these classes
ofmen you will find another group of
people who
cannot bear to give up
rendering
sen ices giving
advice,
looking after public
welfare and sacrificing
themselves
to
show
those virtues which have totally
possessed their hearts. They
spend sleepless
nights
wondering
whether
they
have failed to
perform
their duty. Their greatest
source
of comfort is their search
for
perfection and their utmost
happiness
lies in the day they are
able to achieve it. Those people with great
missions
are pledged to
carry out the
responsibilities
and trusts they have
undertaken
Their
earnings
and their debts, their
dwellings and their travels,
their
friendship
and their enmity,
all go back to the ideals with
which
they have
identified
themselves
and for which they live.
The man who had the greatest
mission to fulfil,
Muhammad
(&&)
Ibn 'Abdullah,
made
of himself a rare ideal for
striven.
Ever since he had taken upon his
shoulders
the task of stripping
away the
darkness which
had spread a thick
blanket of idolatry
and superstition over the world,
nobody had
succeeded in turning
him away from his
determination
or blocking
his path or swaying
him by enticements
or deterring
him by threats.
The
differences
of time and space all vanished
before his eyes, for the person who
was
estranged from him
became very
close when he accepted the
truth, his homeland
when it rejected the guidance
he rejected it,
and those who believe in him until the end of time are his
brothers
even though they have never seen him.
Q
He had spent
53 years of his life in
Makkah
until it knew him
well, but that day he left it for a new land in which he saw the
fulfilment
of his heart
1
s desire
and the fruits
ofwhathehad
sown.
People whose
happiness
springs from
their
hearts, and
who are
conscientiously
committed
to their
principles,
do not
/ 96
The Mass Hijrah: its Causes and Effects
revere an environment for itself but for the principles which they
see reflected in it. It is small wonder, therefore> that Muhammad
(^g)
should enter Madman with emotion and pride, happy at
the victory that Allah (<&) had granted him and seeing the signs
of further victory and prosperity.
A poet from MadTnah said: He had lived with the Quratsh for
about ten years,
wondering if he would ever meet a friend or a
pleasant man. He spoke to the pilgrims from afar, yet saw no-one
to give him shelter or understand. So when he came to us and his
mind was made up, being joyful and pleased at Taybah
(MadTnah), and the tyrant far away no longer fearing his will, and
he not fearing a rebel from the mankind, we sacrificed our lawful
wealth for him and ourselves in times of war and peace. We
became foes of his enemies, all of them, even though they had
been our bosom friends, and we knew that there was no Lord save
Allah
($5),
and the Book of Allah (Sg)
was our only guide.
The organizing of a Hijrah and the reception of the refugees
fleeing with their faith from various directions are not easy
tasks. In our times such a condition is considered an emergency
which needs an immediate solution.
l) When is the life of a great man ever free from emergencies? It
so happened that at the time of the Hijrah MadTnah was
suffering from an epidemic of malaria. In just a few days Abu
Bakr (*$*) and Bilal (#*)
fell ill, and the Sahaba began to feel
upset by the atmosphere of the place which had given them
refuge. Soon the feelings of homesickness began to stir in them.
The Prophet
(gfe)
had always urged his Companions to bear
hardships and make a greater effort and sacrifice for the cause of
Islam. On this occasion he said: "Anyone ofmy Ummah who
endures the harshness of MadTnah will have me as his intercessor
and witness on the Day of Resurrection, for it will be replaced in
it by someone who is better than he,"
19
5
$ahTh: narrated by Muslim and Ahmad on the authority of Sa'd Jbn Abi WaqqSs
with an inversion of the sentences. Al Bazzar narrated it on the authority of
l
Umar
(*) as quoted above, and AJ Haythami said its chain was
frpffr.
The Life
OfProphet Muhammad
J 97
This was his method of uniting the hearts towards
MadTnah
so that they might feel love for it, and hate to leave it.
A'ishah, May Allah be pleased
with her, reported:
"When
the Prophet
(&),
on whom be peace, arrived at Madman, Abu
Bakr
{&)
and Bilal
(&)
contracted fever. I visited them
and said:
"Father, how are you? And Bilal
(.&), how are you?"
Q
Whenever the fever attacked
Abu Bakr
(4*) he would say in a
couplet: "Every man who awakes in the morning among his
family finds that death is closer to him than his shoelace." And
Bilal
0&),
too, would recite some couplets of poetry when the
fever eased.
Q
'A'ishah said; "I informed the
Messenger ofAllah
.(sgfe) of
this, and he said:
"0
Allah
(*), make MadTnah
as beloved to us
as Makkah
or even more so. O Allah
(&), make it a good place
and bless us in its weights and measures
and take away its fever
and make it free from illness."
Anas
(40
reported that the Messenger
of Allah
(3*$) said:
"O Allah
(&), put in Madrnah
double the blessings
you put in
Makkah.
M
AbQ Hurairah
(#)
reported:
"Whenever the Prophet
($&)
was brought the first crop of fruit, he would say:
'0
Allah
(3c)
bless us in our MadTnah and our fruits, in our weights and our
measures, blessings upon blessings.
Allah
(tfe), Ibrahim (^a)
was Your servant, prophet and friend,
and I am your servant and
prophet. He called you to Makkah, and I am calling you to
Madrnah with the like of what he called you to Makkah and
double that." Then he would give it to the youngest of the
children
present.
20
With this encouragement and concern, the morale of the
Muslims rose high,
youthful energies were directed into building
and the past was forgotten. A pure Hijrah
does not take back its
Sahib, narrated by Muslim.
/ 98
The Mass Hijrch. Irs Causes and Effects
gift or recall its sacrifice or cry over what is already done.
Instead, it is as the poet says: "When my mind is removed from
a thing, I hardly ever look at it again until the end of time."
Chapter Five
The
Foundations of the New Society
The Islamic Ummah is not a group ofpeople whose aim is to
live in any manner and head in any direction so long as they have
enough food and amusement. On the contrary,
Muslims
possess
an ideology which defines their relationship
with Allah
{M)
clarifies their vision of life, organizes their affair
internally
according to specific patterns and leads their external
connections
towards definite goals. There is a great difference
between a
person who says to you: "My only concern in this world is to live
my life, and another who says: "If I do not protect my honour,
safeguard my rights, please Allah
(M) and defend His cause, then
may my legs not carry me and my eyes not guide me."
The Muhajirm to Madman did not forsake their homeland out
of desire for wealth or dominion. The AnsSr, who welcomed
them, swore enmity
to their own people and made their lands
targets for all the Arabs, did not do so in order to live in any
manner as chance would have it. All ofthem had the desire to be
guided by Revelation,
gain the pleasure of Allah
(M) and realize
the ultimate goal, for which humans were created
and life was
established. Can those who deny their Lord and yield to their lusts
by anything
other than despicable creatures or accursed devils?
Q
From this point of view the Messenger of Allah
(5^),
immediately after settling down in Madman,
turned his attention
to the laying of those foundations which were necessary for the
fulfilment of his mission. The basic priorities were as follows:
(1)
The relationship of the Ummah with Allah
($%);
(2)
The relationship of the members ofthe Ummah with one
another; and
(3)
The relationship of the Ummah with
non-Muslims.
200
The Foundation of
the New Society
The Mosque
Concerning the first item, the Messenger of Allah
($&)
hastened to build the mosque in which the rites of Islam, which
had long been suppressed, could be practised, and in which the
prayers could be established, drawing people closer to their Ix>rd
and purifying hearts from the filth of the earth and the schemes
of worldly life.
According to the report the Prophet
(^)
built his mosque
where his camel knelt down, in an empty lot belonging to two
orphans under the care of As'ad Ibn Zurarah. Although the two
boys wished to donate the land for the cause of Allah
(&),
the
Prophet
($&)
insisted on paying the full price for it. This land,
before being developed for a mosque like the mosques which
abound in the Saudi Arabian
countryside, was once covered
with date palms and
seeding trees, and had a few tombs
belonging to idolaters.
The Prophet (^&g)
ordered the palms to be cut down and the
tombs to be levelled.' The palms were arranged to mark out the
qibla of the mosque,
2
which was Jerusalem in those days. The
length of the mosque from the qibla to the back wall was 100
dhirf* and the two sides were approximately ofthe same length.
The sides were made of stones and the foundations were dug 3
dhirS deep and built of bricks. The Prophet
(%&)
and his
Companions joined together in fetching the bricks and stones on
their shoulders and they would cheer themselves up by singing:
"O
Allah
Ofe),
there is no life except the life ofthe Hereafter, So
forgive the Ansar and the muhajirtnl" The Companions ($ahaba)
became more enthused with the spirit to work when they saw the
Prophet {$&)
himself toiling like any of them and disliking to
1
They were tombs which had started to collapse and were abandoned, nobody being
buried there.
2
This is narrated by BukharTand Muslim as well as others on the authority of Anas
3
A dhiri is equivalent to a cubit, an ancient linear measure equal to the length ofa forearm.
The Life
of
Prophet Muhammad 201
show himself superior to any of them. One of them sang this
couplet: "If we sat down while the Messenger was working,
that
would be a misguided deed on our part."
The mosque was
completed in all simplicity; its flooring was sand
and pebbles, its ceiling palm branches and its pillars the trunks of
trees. Perhaps when rain fell the ground would become muddy, and
perhaps the dogs were able to pass in and out ofthe walls.
This simple, humble building nurtured the angels from among
people, the educators of mighty
personalities and the monarchs of
the Hereafter. In this mosque Allah
(H) gave permission
to his
Prophet
(^)
to train the choicest of those who believed in him,
and mould them with the discipline of heaven from early morning
until the darkness of the night. The status of the mosque in
Islamic society is unique. It is an institution.
It is the source of
spiritual and material guidance, it is the hall for worship,
the
school for knowledge and the centre for literary pursuits. Strongly
attached to the duty of prayers and the rows ofworshippers are
moral attitudes and traditions which form the essence of Islam,
Now, however, the people, who are incapable of building
personalities on the basis of strong morals, have sought
consolation in the building ofhuge mosques containing
dwarfish
worshippers! In contrast to that were
the early
generations of
believers. They avoided adorning their
mosques but purified and
disciplined
themselves and were a true reflection
of Islam.
The mosque which the Prophet (sgg)
dedicated his efforts
towards building before any other task was not just apiece of
land on which prayers alone were offered. In fact, the whole
earth is a mosquc
?
and Muslims need not confine
themselves to
a specific place for the purpose
of worship. It was in fact a
symbol of that to which Islam attached the utmost
importance.
It was a symbol of the deep
connection
between the
worshippers
and their Lord, which is constantly
renewed with
the passage of time and recurs throughout
the night and day.
There can be no value in a civilization
which is negligent of the
One God, is ignorant of the Last Day and mixes the good with
202 The Foundation
ofthe New Society
the bad. The civilization which Islam brought constantly
reminds people of Allah
($;),
and the meeting with Him urges
adherence to the good and repudiation of the bad and stays
within the limits set by Allah
(#g).
The Jews and the idolaters of Madlnah saw this new Prophet
(g|B)
labouring with his Companions to build the mosque and
prepare it for prayers. Did they ever notice any behaviour which
was questionable or any suspicious activity?
Al BayhaqT reported on the authority of 'Abdul Rahman ibn
' Auf,* who said;
"The first sermon delivered by the Messenger of Allah
(;^)
in Madman was when he stood up and praised Allah
(3&)
in a way
befitting Him. He then said: "To proceed: people, send on
(your good deeds) for the benefit of your souls. You do know, by
Allah
(3$),
mat one of you will surely be struck dead. Then his
Lord will surely ask him, and there will be no spokesman nor
guardian between them: 'Did My Messenger not come to you and
convey (My message)? Did I not give you w
r
ealtli and shower My
bounties on you? What have you therefore sent forward for
yourself?' He will look right and left and will see nothing but
hell. So whoever of you can protect himself from the fire, even by
means of a single date, let him do so, and whoever cannot find
that, then by a good word, for through it a good deed will be
rewarded from 10 to 700 times its value. Peace be upon the
Messenger ofAllah (&)!"
The Brotherhood
As regards the second item the relationship ofthe members of
the Ummah with one another the Messenger of Allah
(^jfe)
based
it on perfect brotherhood. It was brotherhood in which the word
This is a mistake. Al-BayhaqT reported it from Aba Salamah ibn 'Abduls-Rahman
ibn 'Auf. This is how Ibn Kathir quoted it in Al-Ridayah
t
then he declared it to be
fnursat (therefore weak). Ibn Jarlr narrated with a sound chain another version of the
first khutba which is totally different from this. This Hadith is also weak owing to
some complications.
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 203
'T' was non existent, and individuals moved with the spirit,
interests and hopes of the group, unable to see themselves as
separate entities detached from it. This brotherhood meant that
the racial prejudices of jahilfyah should dissolve; that only for
Islam should one show enthusiasm; that all differences of lineage,
colour and country should disappear; and that no-one should be
placed in front or behind except his/her bravery and piety. The
Prophet
(^)
made this brotherhood into a contract to be
executed, not a mere word and deed linked to blood and wealth,
nor a mere greeting muttered by the tongue and having no effect,
The feelings of altruism, beneficence and love were an
integral part of this brotherhood and they filled the new society
with the most wonderful examples. The Ansar were so eager to
welcome their brothers, the Muhajirm
t
that lots had to be drawn
for a muhajir to live with an AnsSrL The Muhajirm respected
this sincere sacrifice and never exploited it nor took from it
more than that which enabled them to establish themselves in
free, dignified business.
Al-BukharT narrated:
"When they arrived at MadTnah the Messenger of Allah
(^g)
united Abdul-Rahman ibn 'Auf and Sa'd ibn al Rabf in
brotherhood."
Sa*d (.&) said to Abdul RahmSn: I am the most wealthy of the
Ansar and I shall split my wealth into two halves for you. I have
two wives, so see which of them is more pleasing to you: name
her and I shall divorce her, and when her period ofwaiting is over
you can marry her."
Q
*
Abdul-Rahman said: 'May Allah
(Ss) bless you as regards
your family and wealth. Where is your market-place? "So they
showed him the market square of the BanQ Qaynuqa, and he
returned only to show that he had acquired some cheese and
butter! Then he went out the next day, and one day he came
back wearing various adornments.
Then Prophet
(^)
asked: "What is this?
He replied: "I got married.'
1
204
The Foundation
of
the New Society
The Prophet
($g)
asked: "How much did you give her?
He replied: "A nugget of gold."
One's amazement at Sa'd generosity cannot be equalled
except by one's amazement at 'Abdul
-
Rahman's nobility. He
competed with the Jews in their own market and outstripped
them in their field. Within few days he was able to cam enough
to safeguard his chastity (that is, to get married). Lofty
determination is a characteristic of faith. May Allah
(M)
disfigure the faces of those people who clung to Islam, devoured
it and devoured in its name until they caused the truth to lose its
dignity in this world,
The Messenger of Allah
($&)
was the elder brother to this
believing group. He did not distinguish himself above them by
any honourable title. A HadTth says:
"If I were to have taken anyone from my Ummah as a friend,
I would have taken Aba Bakr
(.$>) as a friend. But the
brotherhood of Islam is better.
5
True brotherhood docs not grow in a mean environment.
Wherever ignorance, cowardice, miserliness and greed are
prevalent, brotherhood will not appear and love will not flourish.
If it were not for the fact that the Prophet's
(^Us) Companions
were brought up on pure qualities and were united on acceptable
principles, the world would not have recorded for them that deep
brotherhood for the cause of Allah
(4c). The lofty ideal which
had brought them together and the shining example which had
led them to it were the two things which nurtured in them the
qualities of virtue and honour and did not leave any space for
the appearance of bad qualities.
Q Moreover, Muhammad
(^g)
was a man in whom were
accumulated all the virtues which were scattered throughout the
mankind, and he was therefore a reflection of the highest peak
of perfection attainable by humans. No wonder, therefore, that
'
A sound HadTth narrated by BukharTon ihc authority of Ibn Abbas.
The Life ofProphet Muhammad 2OS
those who acquired their training from him and always
supported him were the one who lived by bravery, fidelity and
generosity. Love is like a gushing spring which flows of its own
accord. It does not need machinery to extract its water;
Similarly, brotherhood cannot be imposed by laws and
regulations. It can come about only when people eradicate their
attitude of selfishness, greed and egotism. There was this
interchange of brothcrliness among the early Muslims because
they had evolved to a higher level in all aspects of their lives
through Islam, and had become brothers by becoming the
servants of Allah
(&). However, Had they become slaves of
their own selves, they would not have allowed one another to
continue living.
The Islamic emphasis on the value of sublime attitudes in the
building of brotherhood does not negate the fact that the ruler
must institute a system among the people so that each is given
his/Tier rights and does his/her duty. If he/she does not do so
willingly, then he/she is compelled to do so. It is similar to
compulsory education, taxes, military service etc.
The brotherhood contract continued to have priority over the
rights of blood relationship in matters of inheritance until the
Battle of Badr, when the following Quranic ayah (verse) was
Revealed:
*And those who are related are nearer to one another in the
ordinance of Allah. Indeed! Allah is All-knowing.)
(Quran 8: 75)
Thus inheritance through the contract of brotherhood was
abrogated and it remained the sole right of the blood relatives,
BukharT narrated on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas about the
explanation ofthe following ayah (verse):
lAnd each we have appointed heirs of that which parents and close
relatives leave; and & for those with whom your right hands have
made a covenant, give them their due.) (Quran 4: 33)
He said: When the Muhajirm arrived in Madman, a Muhajir
206 The Foundation
ofthe New Society
would inherit from an
Ansarl to the exclusion of his relatives. This
was because of the bond of brotherhood with which the Prophet
($k) had united them. So when the ayah <And unto each We
have..,) was revealed, this was abrogated then the rest of the ay$i
was revealed: "and as for those with whom your right hands have
made a covenant, give them their due."
fn other words, give them their due of support, kindness and
advice since they can no longer inherit, although they can still
receive something through your will
Q It is reported in detail of this brotherhood
that the Prophet
(**)
made 'Air
(&)
his brother, Hamza the brother ofZayd
s
Abu
Bakr
(<&) the brother of Kharijah, and 'Umar(40 the brother of
'Utban ibn Malik, etc. Some scholars have doubts about the
Prophet
(&)
and ' AlT
O)
becoming brothers. However, this
account is supported by the authentic HadTth in which the Prophet
(3&g)
declared that 'Air
(4*) was to him as Harun
(*m) was to
Musa
flKB).
6
This, however does not detract from the status of
Abu Bakr
{<&)
and his deserving ofthe leadership.
I say that there is no support here since the brotherhood referred to is more specific
than that relationship [between Musa (*) and Harfln ($B)], and what is more specific
cannot be proved by what is more general. Thus the brotherhood must be proved by a
specific reference to it. I have studied the Hadnh on this issue and have found thai they
all contain a liar in their chains.
The most famous of them is the Hadnh narrated by A] Tirmidhl and A!-Hakim by
way of Hakim ibn Jubayr from Jami ibn *Umayr from Umar(^). This narration savs
that the Prophet
(3) united his Companions in brotherhood, and
*
AlT
(40 came to him,
his eyes wet with tears, and said, "O Messenger of Allah
(#&),
you have united your
Companions in brotherhood and you have not united me with anyone.
The Prophet
(^g)
replied: "You arc my brother in this world and the Hereafter.
Al TirmidhT says:
"
This is a good and strong HadTth.
Al-Mubarakpuri commented on this HadTth and said that Hakim ibn Jubayr xvas
weak and suspected of being a Shi'ah I say that both he and Al Tirmidhl missed the real
weakness of the HadTth, which is that Jam'T bin *AmTr was a r0ida(belonging to an
extremist group) who fabricated, He also said: 'Amir was one of the worst liars."
Al Dhahabi then quoted this HadTth.
D The Hadrth in question is also reported by Salim ibn Aba HanTfah al Kahili, and Al-
Kahiii has been declared a liar by IbnAbi Shaybah and Musa ibn Harun. Also DarqutnT
says: "I le is one who fabricates HadTth."
Q
Whoever wishes to study the remaining Hadnh and their weaknesses can refer to
At-Majm 'a and Al-La 'IFAfafnu'ah.
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 207
The Non-Muslims
As regards the third item the relationship of the Ummah with
the non-Muslims the Prophet
($yjg) instituted tolerant and
indulgent laws which were never known before in a world filled
with racism and prejudice. Whoever thinks that Islam is a
religion which cannot accept being neighbours with another
religion, and that the Muslims are a people who can never find
rest unless they alone remain dominant in this world, is
mistaken, or rather, biased and audacious.
Q
When the Prophet
(38)
came to MadTnah he found Jews
who had settled there and idolaters who were natives of the
place. He did not begin to create any strategy to evict or wage
war on these people. On the contrary, he accepted the
presence of the Jews and idolaters with a good heart and
proposed that they make a covenant with himself as equals,
they keeping their religion and he his.
We shall quote a few items from the terms of the contract
which he concluded with the Jews as proof of Islam's stance in
this matter. The clauses state:
That the Muslims of the Quraish and Yathrib and all who
follow them, join them and wage jihad with them are one
Ummah. That the believers shall unite as one person against
any of them who rebels or seeks to spread evil, sin,
transgression or corruption among the believers, even if he be
the son of one of them.
That no idolater should grant asylum to the wealth or person of
anyone from the Quraish and should not hinder a believer from
access to such.
That it is not permissible for a believer, who has accepted this
pact and believes in Allah
($g)
and the Last Day, to assist a
criminal or grant him refuge; and that anyone who assists or
grants refuge to such will have the curse and anger of Allah
($%)
on him on the Day of Judgement, and no compensation or fine
shall be accepted from him.
208 The Foundation
of
the New Society
That the Jews shall spend with the believers as long as they are
at war.
That the Jews of the Band
4
Auf are a group of believers, and
the Jews shall have the right to keep their religion just as those
of the Muslims are entitled to theirs.
That the Jews of the BanG al Najjar, AI-Harith, Sa'idah.
Banu Jasham, BanQ Aus, etc, shall have the same rights as the
Banu *Auf.
That the Jews shall bear their own financial burdens and that
Muslims shall bear their own, and that they (the Jews and the
Muslims) shall assist each other against anyone who wages war on
the signatories to this agreement.
That among themselves they should be sincere, advise one
another and be kind to one another.
That a man is not in the wrong if his ally commits a wrong;
that assistance should go to the one who is wronged; and that
any one who is given asylum is to be considered as oneself as
long as there is no injury or sin.
That Allah
(3c) is witness to the most pious and righteous
items mentioned in this document.
That all shall assist one another against any surprise attack on
Yathrib.
That whoever leaves is safe and whoever remains in MadTnah
is safe, except the one who oppresses or sins.
And that Allah
(3$)
is the Refuge for the one who does
righteous deeds and fears [Him
(9)].
7
LI This document expresses the desire of the Muslims for sincere
co-operation with the Jews ofMadTnah in order to establish peace
and tranquillity throughout the city and put a stop to any
transgressor or trouble-maker, whatever their religion might be. It
clearly stated that freedom ofreligion was guaranteed. Thus there
was not the least thought of attacking any group or oppressing any
weak person. On the contrary, the words of this document clearly
emphasized assistance to those who were oppressed, protection to
7
Ibn Ishaq narrated this document without ascription (chain of narrators).
The Life ofProphet Muhammad
209
the one who
sought refiige, and safeguarding all the general and
specific rights. It sought the support ofAllah (&) for the best and
most pious
Just as it sought the wrath ofAllah
fl)
on anyone who
was treacherous and deceitful.
The Muslims and the Jews agreed to defend Yathrib if an
enemy attacked it, and they granted die right to leave MadTnah to
anyone who wanted to leave and the right to remain as long as its
sanctity was observed. It must be noted that the Prophet
(6)
made mention in this document of the standing
enmity between
the Muslims and the idolaters ofMakkah. and he announced his
decisive rejection of any co-operation with them and prohibited
extending any form of aid to them. Could anything other than this
be expected from a people whose wounds were still dripping
blood from the assault ofthe Quraish and its allies on them?
Were the Jews truthful in their agreement to this treaty? It is
almost certain that they were not serious when accepted the terms
of this treaty. The problem with treaties is that faithfulness to
them lasts only as long as one can see one's personal benefit from
them. And when the treaty becomes stumbling block in fulfulling
one's personal ambitions,
adherence to it slackness and
opportunities are sought whereby one will not have to remain
bound
by it. The Jews used to build their material and political
power on the basis of disunity among the Arabs, However, when
the Arabs entered into Islam, their old differences began to
disappear and time began to show that Islam would make ofthem
a single nation. Therefore the Jews started to feel uneasy. They
were filled with anxiety. They soon began to plot against this new-
faith and lie in wait for its followers.
The Jews in MadTnah in fact
represented an atmosphere in
which abounded all the shameful
apparent formal religiosity and
despicable trade with the principles ofheaven. The most prominent
characteristics of such an environment
were envy,
hypocrisy,
outward formalities without depth, and love ofdiscord. And behind
all that were devious hearts and corrupt minds.
210 The h oundation
of
the New Society
Perhaps as a result of their proximity to the Arabs they had
acquired some of the virtues ofthe desert such as generosity and
bravery. Nevertheless, their racial introversion dominated their
character and these virtues stuck to their selves just as wallpaper
sticks to a cracked wall.
One would have expected the Jews to welcome Islam, Even if
they did not do so, then at least one would have expected them
to be more hesitant than the idolaters in opposing it, since
Muhammad
(^S)
was inviting towards monotheism, upright
deeds and preparation for a more sublime life in the Hereafter.
I lis religion esteemed Moosa (Moses)
($8),
spoke highly of his
Scripture and urged the Jews to execute its laws and keep within
its limits. The Jews, at first, kept quiet as a doubtful person and
then they decided to show their opposition openly.
Reference can be found in many Qufanic ayat (verses) to the
kind of welcome that was to be expected. For instance, when the
idol-worshippers denied prophethood, then the people who
possessed scriptures (the Jews and Christians) should have
testified it,
\
They who disbelieve sayr you are no messenger [of Allah]. Say:
Allah, and whoever has true knowledge of the Scripture, Is sufficient
witness between me and you. (Qur'an 13: 43)
And when the idol-worshippers refused to be reminded of
Allah
(i&), the People of the Book should have been the ones
who should act humbly when they were reminded:
^ And now indeed We have caused the Word to reach them, that
haply they may give heed. Those to whom We gave the Scripture
before it, they believe in ft,) (Qufan 28: 51-52)
You will be astonished to find that the Jews were just as
insolent as the idolaters towards Allah
(M),
fleeing from His
laws and speaking of Him in a disrespectful tone. If Islam
shows anger at someone who ascribes a son to Allah
(te),
whether human or of stone, then what would you say about
one who describes the Lord of the heavens and earth as being
poor and miserly?
The Life
of
Prophet Muhammad
21!
iThe Jews say: Allah's hand Is fettered. Their hands are fettered
and
they are accursed for saying so!) (Qur'an 5:
64)
<!ndeed Allah heard the words of those who
said: "Allah, forsooth,
h poor, and we are rich!"
We shall record their words with their
slaying of the prophets wrongfully and We shall say: you will taste the
punishment of burning.)
(Qur'an 3:
181)
Islam, however, allows these
stubborn people to remain in
their error and does not root out their disbelief with the sword. It
suffices by presenting its message, revealing its truthfulness
and
filling the air with its ayat and signs. Those who are comforted
by it and enter it will have its benefit
Otherwise they will be left
to their own devices, and Islam will not ask anything ofthem
except politeness and peace and allowing the truth to go on its
way without hindrance or objection.
The Prophet
(^g)
came to MadTnah and stretched out his
hand in peace to the Jews. He bore all their insults with
forbearance
until he saw them uniting to destroy him and his
faith. It was then that he turned on them and there occurred a
number of incidents
between him and them which we shall
discuss in their appropriate places.
From fear ofAllah
@i) and sincerity to Him, the spiritual side
of the new society was created with sincere brotherhood its
structure held together and its foundations remained firm. With
justice, equality and co-operation, the policy towards
outsiders
was formulated
and the followers ofthe other religions included
in a treaty. As a consequence, the situation
was stabilized and
the Muslims found sufficient scope to rebuild
their strength and
regulate their affairs.
2 12 The Foundation
of
the Mew Society
The Chosen Ones
The believers who had the opportunity to be Companions of
the Prophet
fe^),
living close to him, were able to drink from
the fountain of purity and perfection what was not available to
others. One's feelings soften upon hearing sweet music and
one's soul becomes elated upon reading of great heroes. In
fact, those who witness the acting of wonderful stories are
moved by the simulated atmosphere: they laugh and cry, they
calm down and are roused. What, then, would you say of a
people who follow a man upon whom descends Revelation,
whose presence emanates perfection, and who envelops those
around him in an aura of purity? When their souls slacken from
doing the good he urges them forward, and when desires
infiltrate their behaviour he purges them and restores their
brightness to them. Great people refleet an aura which engulfs
their environment. Just as a dimmed lamp will light up when it
is put next to a blazing one, similarly, when ordinary people
come close to great individuals they fall under their influence
and follow in their footsteps,
Q Around Muhammad
(^0
flocked a group of pious saints who
became his trusted disciples. As a consequence of being in his
company, their hearts were purified and their natures became so
translucent that the rays of inspiration penetrated them and
radiated wisdom and sound judgement. Do not think that a
powerful intellect, in spite of its deep innate ability, can reach
perfection of its own accord. If it is not guided by a superior
force, it may continue to wander in every direction without
perceiving its goal or treading the correct path. It would be just
like a pilot who is lost in the air as a result of thick fog, although
he may try his best to correct his instruments and send out signals,
if there is no-one to guide him and explain how he should land, he
will remain hovering in the air until some disaster occurs.
How many a philosopher tackled the problems of the universe
and life! Many of them totally missed the truth in spite oftheir
The Life ofProphet Muhammad 213
long search, and many others wasted much time before arriving
at
the truth. If they had simply followed the Prophets, their task
would have ended in a few days without the wandering and
stumbling.
Moreover, humans are not intellect alone. They are,
prior to that, hearts that ought to be freed from lust and sin, and
saved from misery and darkness. The heart ought to be a force
within its owner which leads towards goodness
and love, and
guide who directs toward beauty and mercy.
The noble prophets are the ones who undertake the
education and training of human hearts, and the people who
resemble them most are those who follow in their footsteps.
Among them the most prominent are those who spent their
lives in their company, sharing with them the burdens of their
mission and the troubles of their struggle,
*
Abdullah ibn Mas'Qd said:
Whoever wishes to follow the Surmah
of anyone,
let him
follow the Surmah of those who are dead because we cannot
guarantee that the living will be safe from temptation,
Those are the Companions of the Prophet
Muhammad
($&).
They were the best of this Ummah, the purest in heart, the
deepest in knowledge and the least sophisticated.
Allah
(#)
chose them to be the Companions of His Prophet
(^g)
and to
establish His dm. So acknowledge their excellence, follow them
in their footsteps and hold fast to whatever you can of their
character and way of life, because they were straight
guidance.
There is no doubt that Muhammad's
(^g) Companions were
superior to those of Moosa and Issa (Jesus)(>K).
The history of
their faith, jihad and struggle to convey the Da 'wah to future
generations is complete and witnessed,
neither faulty nor
distorted, nor like any other history.
We felt it necessary to make these preliminary
remarks before
discussing the Adhm (call to prayer) and how it began. Since the
birth of this great feature of Islam it has contained clear
indications of the greatness that can be achieved by people when
214 The Foundation
of
the New Society
they purify themselves, defend the truth and become the
recipients of inspiration.
Ibn Ishaq said:
When the Prophet of Allah
(#jg)
arrived at MadTnah the
people used to assemble for prayers at their prescribed times
without there being any announcement. So the Prophet
(3g&)
wanted to use a bugle like that of the Jews with which they
announced their prayers. Then he decided against the idea. Then
he ordered a gong to be made and it was forged to be struck at
the times of prayer.
While they were in that state,
4
Abdullah ibn Zayd ibn
Tha
4
labah saw the call to prayer in a dream. He came to the
Messenger of Allah
($M)
and said;
"O
Messenger of Allah
(^s),
last night I had a dream. A man
wearing two green garments passed by me and he was
carrying a gong In his hand.
Q I said: 'O servant of Allah
(&),
will you sell this gong?'
He replied: 'And what will you do with if?
1
Q I said: 'We shall announce the prayers with it,'
1
He said: 'May I show you something better than that?
I Said: What is it?'
He said: 'You should say: Aliahu Akbar
f
AlSahu Akbar Allahu
Akbar Allahu Akbar,
Ashhadu an iaa itaha il/a-llah (twice)
Ashhadu anna Muhammadon rasu/u-ul/ah (twice)
Hayya 'a/a a/sa/ah (twice)
Hayya 'a/a affalah (twice)
Allahu Akbar. Al/ahu Akbar
La flaha itla-l/ah:
U When the Prophet
(g)
was informed of this, he exclaimed: "it
is a true dream, inshi'Alfah. So stand up with Bilal
M
and tell it to
him so that he may proclaim if for he has a louder and nicer
voice than you."
The L
ife ofProphet
Muhammad
215
When Bilal
[*)
gave the call to prayer,
'Umar
[*]
heard him
while he was still at home. He hurried out to the Prophet
(m)
dragging his robe. He said: "O Prophet of Allah
[m)\ By Him
who
sent you with the truth, I dreamt the same as he did!"
The Prophet
($g)
said;
"Allah
(m) be praised"
8
In another
version it says:
"The Messenger
ofAllah
(^)
ordered Bilal
(4*)
and he proclaimed it,
9
Q
Az Zuhri says: "Bitot f
added to the adhin ofthe morning
prayers: Alsatatu
khairum
minan
naum" (twice) and the Prophet
(2$i) approved it.
10
In another HadTth 'Umar
O)
is said to have seen in his dream
someone saying:
"Do not use the gong but call people to prayer,"
'Umar
( then
went to the Prophet
(^)
to inform him
of this dream but
Revelation had already
come to him about that.
*
Umar
(*)
was
surprised when he heard Bilal
( calling to prayer, and when he
told the Prophet
(m) ofwhat he dreamt, the Prophet
(3fe) repiied-
Narratcd by Ibn Is-haq in his AUlaghM
He said-Muhammad
ibn Ibrahim AI I larith
report*! to me from Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah ibn Zayd ibn Jha'iabah from his lather
"
and this is a good chain. It was also narrated by AbO Dawfld, Darimi. Ibn Majah Al-
Darqutnr BayhaqT and Ahmad, all by Ibn Ishaq. Ai Tirm.dhT narrated it in a shortened
"1
T,}li^T*
a 800d and sound I
^
adnh
-
A numbcr ofofott-
SCwtara consider it a
sound I fadrth and I have mentioned their names in my book Sahih Sunan Abi Daw'ad.
^ITiere is no need for this version since it already
corresponds with the first.
Narrated by Ibn Majah from AI Zuhri with a weak chain, Ahmad also narrated
something similar but its chain is broken.
Nevertheless, the meaning of the f fadrth is sound
since there arc many other supporting
HadRh. some of which I have quoted in my book Ai
rTZ
a
/:
Afu
f
ata
t
ai F
*&
dSunnah wal Kitab. For example. Anas
(*) narrates:
-
Hie
U\hmb{As5atatu khairum minannaum) is in the morning prayers: after saving tianu-
^Jfat*
the
muadhdiun&y^Assalatukluirtlmmmannaum'ixs^
by AJ-Darqutni,
Tahawf and Bayhaqi, and the last said that its chain was sound Note- it is
not obscure to the scholar
offtA that Bilal
(4) used to give the first adhm for the dawn
prayer. When we join this to what has already been said, the result is that the Sunnah is to
say the tathwtb ,n the first adhUi, not the second.
This fact is mentioned clearlv in a
statement of Ibn -Umar. "In the first Adhm after 'Al-Falah
'
mere is Assdatu khairum
mman-nawr
Assalatu khairum minan-ntnmr
Tahavvi and others narrated it with a
Eood
chain, as Ibn Hajar says in AJ TafkhTs.
216
The Foundation of the New Saciety
"Revelation has preceded you to it
11
This proves that Revelation came to confirm the dream that
'Abdullah Ibn Zayd saw,
Q These excellent words which resound at regular intervals,
striking the ears, stirring the hearts and calling to the people to
come to Allah
(36),
were perceived by an enlightened mind in a
true dream. That man hurried to the Prophet
(3s)
to relate
exactly what he saw, and it has become the call of the Muslims to
prayer for as long as prayer continues on the surface of this earth,
Q This harmony between people and Revelation is the limit of
enlightenment and the peak of perfection. It is a sign that the
guidance has become an integral part of them, for they remain
steadfast to it in wakefulness and sleep and they move towards it
instinctively and after reflection. The Prophet
(^s)
used to keep
his Companions immersed in the Revelation which descended on
him from above. He read it to them and they read it to him as an
indication of the duties they had to carry out for the da'wah and
the responsibilities they had for their mission. In addition, they
had to reflect on and understand its meaning.
Q
*
Abdullah ibn Mas*ad said that the Prophet
(^g)
said to him:
"Recite the Qur'an to me."
He said; "O Messenger of Allah
(^i),
should I recite the
Qur'an to you whereas it was revealed to you?
The Prophet
(^)
said; "I love to listen to it from others."
'Abdullah said; "So I recited for him from Surah al Nisa until I
reached the ayah:
4
'But how [will it be with them] when We bring of every people a
witness, and We bring you [O MuhammadI as a witness against these?')
(Qur'an 4:
41)
Then he said: 'That's enough now."
'Abdullah turned to him and saw that his eyes were filled
with tears.
12
'
The chain is not complete far Ihe HadTlh is munuL
The Life
ofProphet Muhammad
217
In one version there is the addition, said by the Prophet
($&);
"A witness as long as I am with them."
If people can be guided to the words
ofthe adhm
(call for
Prayer) by their pure hearts,
devoted
to the worship
of the truth
then there were those
Companions
of
Muhammad
(^)
also who
had totally imbibed the meaning
of faith and
dedicated
themselves
sincerely to the fountain
ofprophethoodtosuch
an
extent that Allah
(&)
ordered His Prophet
(*) to recite some of
the Surahs of the
Qur'ffli to them as an acclamation
oftheir
status
with Allah
(&)
and their
steadfastness
in faith,
Anas ibn Malik
(4*) said that the
Messenger
ofAllah (&&)
said to Ubayy ibn
Ka'b:
"Indeed Allah
(&)
has ordered
me to recite to you 'Al
Bayyinah"
Ubayy said: "Did he name me?" Trie Prophet
(^g) replied yes.
In another
version Ubayy asked: "Did Allah
(&) name me to
you?" He said, "yes". Ubayy
said: -Was I mentioned
bv the Lorel of
the Worlds?" He said
"yes", and Ubayy's eyes were filled with
tears.
11
The Meaning of Worship
The secret of the high spiritual
and collective
status
which was
attained by the Companions
(Skiktbah) was
that their relationship
with Allah
(&)
was on the proper basis.
They did not feel, as
many others do. any sort of inconvenience
or discomfort in doing
things for Him nor did they
suffer from any
distraction or
confusion.
In the human nature two
qualities
are not unknown:
admiration
of greatness and
acknowledgment
of
kindness.
When
you see a precision
instrument
or appliance,
or an exquisite
picture, or an eloquent article,
you do not stop talking
of its
*
Narrated by Biikhatr and Muslim, and the wording is the iattcrs.
,J
Narrated by Bukhibt The second version is also narrated by him as well as Muslim
and Anmad.
218
The Foundation of
the Sew Society
beauty until your praise extends to its creator. The deep wisdom
or skill of individuals makes you bow to them involuntarily in
respect and admiration. Likewise, when someone does you a
favour, you always remember it, and your tongue expresses your
gratitude just as your heart is filled with praise. A poet says:
"Your favour has gained you three things from me: My hand,
my tongue and my hidden heart.
The Prophet
(^^)
of Islam came to arouse these two qualities in
the hearts of mankind towards the One Who is most deserving of
them. Do you not admire greatness and salute its possessor? Do
you not appreciate kindness and show gratitude to its doer? You
admire the inventor of the aeroplane, and every-time you see it
streaking through the atmosphere your praise of his genius
increases. So what do you think, therefore, ofthe One Who causes
the thousands of stars to move in space without stopping or
deviating? What do you think of Him WTio created the mind ofthat
inventor and deposited intelligence in the folds ofhis brain so that
he could produce those things which arouse your admiration? Is
not your Lord and the Lord ofall things more deserving of your
praise for His greatness and favours?
When you recognize His greatness through the magnificence
of the creation which surrounds you, you will be ashamed to
attack Him and attribute anything unworthy to Him and you will
say, together with the people of knowledge:
*0 our Rabb [Lord]! You did not create [all] this without
purpose].) (Quran 3: 91)
If generous people invite you to a meal and you see the smiles
on their faces and the plentiful food, you will remember them as
long as you live and will do your best to repay them. You will talk
to everyone you know of these hospitable people. So what do you
say of Him Who has taken charge of you and showered His
bounties on you from the cradle to the grave? You eat only of what
He has provided; you cover yourself only with the clothing He has
given you; you take shelter only under His roof; and you do not
The Life ofProphet Muhammad 219
escape from any hardship except with His help.
U Muhammad
(^g)
indeed united the people with their Lord on
the basis of acknowledgment of His greatness and appreciation
of His bounty. Thus when they arose to obey Him they were
impelled to perform their duty by their heartfelt desire and the
sincere wish to pay their respects to the One who is great and to
praise their Benefactor. Worship is not obedience by force and
anger but obedience by will and love. Worship is not obedience
from ignorance and negligence but obedience from knowledge
and awareness.
The government may issue an order to control prices and
merchants accept it unwillingly, or an order to lower wages and the
employees accept it angrily. You may be able to control a dumb
animal and lead it, although it does not know whether it is to food
or death. All these are kinds of obedience far removed from the
meaning of worship which Allah
(^)
prescribed for mankind.
The words of worship which Allah
(3)
caused us to repeat
often in the ayah: * You alone we worship and from you alone we
seek help,) and which He
(3)
made the purpose of creation in
the ayah: <l have not created jinn or men except to worship me,>
mean submission coupled with knowledge and love. In other
words, it stems for admiration of greatness and appreciation of
favour. There are numerous Qur'anic ayat which build the
believers' attitude on these firm pillars. While acquainting them
with Allah
($C), it shows them shining examples of His
wonderful creation and His boundless favours, and it tears away
the veils of ignorance and ingratitude from their eyes.
(Allah is He Who created the heavens and the earth and causes
water to descend from the sky, thereby producing fruits as food for
you; and makes the ships to be of service to you that they may sail
upon the sea at His command, and has made the rivers of service to
you. And he makes the sun and the moon, constant in their courses,
to be of service to you, and has made the night and the day of
service to you. And He gives you all that you ask of Him, and if you
220 The Foundation of
the Sew Society
counted the bounty of Allah, you could not reckon it. Indeed, Man
is verily a wrongdoer, an ungrateful creature,/
{Quran 14: 32-34)
Q People will not fulfil a task if they are driven to it with red-hot
rods. Excellence and perfection are attained only when the task is
accompanied by desire and willingness. When people accept a
belief with their minds and souls they will give it their lives and
feelings, they will live with it in their dreams, and it will spur
them to activity in their waking hours. This will eventually
elevate them to a position of understanding and perfection in their
service. Hence Islam does not think highly of a purely theoretical
faith, and does not accept it except as a stairway to something
higher, which is faith with both understanding and emotion.
One's feelings must play a great role in the matters of faith.
They are not Muslims who recognize Allah
(
:
j) and hate Him.
Nor is there any value in a Muslim who recognizes Allah
(vc)
while the feelings are empty and have no admiration nor
gratitude, just as he has no disdain nor ingratitude. The Muslims
every bit of them, are those, who know Allah
(bs)
with certain
and definite knowledge and join to this knowledge their feelings
which acknowledge the glory of the Glorious and bounty of the
Bountiful. Faith in its manner is a productive faith and is the
worker of miracles, the builder of nations and the establisher of
advanced civilizations. It is what makes individuals relish the
responsibilities placed upon them, and thus they will undertake
them as their personal desires, not as religious duties.
G Do you think that when the Prophet
(^g)
stood at night,
praying until his feet became swollen, he used to fight off the
pain in his body like the truant pupil who is made to stand for
long hours by way of punishment? Ofcourse not. The sweetness
of his private talk with Allah (M) and his engrossment
in
humility made him unaware of any pains that might occur owing
to the long hours of standing,
Q An enthusiastic man overflowing with zeal may continue
working to such an extent that the less enthusiastic would find it
impossible to keep up with him. The weight of affairs in the
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 221
eyes of those who possess faith and determination is unlike that
in the eyes of those who are skeptical or weak-minded. Look at
Hudhayfan ibn al Yaman when he went off to spy on the
idolaters in the Battle of the Trench during a cold wintry night
filled with howlina winds. He said later about himself: "It was
mm
as if 1 were wading into the jaws of death."
The strength of his faith made him go into the darkness of
the night as if he was an arrow shot accurately at its target,
This faith based on living feelings ignited fierce battles and
led the Muslims to certain victory. It was the faith that destroyed
the sovereignty of oppression and tyranny which had reigned for
man> centuries and was thought to be invincible. Its basis, as
you have learnt, was the absorption of faith into both the heart
and feelings, and its flowering tree was nurtured by ever-
increasing knowledge of Allah
($g)
and awareness of I lis
greatness and bounty.
J That is the Quranic method of acquainting people with Allah
(*sG). This method sets them on a foundation of servitude to Him.
consisting of love and self-sacrifice, not scorn and humiliation.
It is a servitude of admiration of greatness and acknowledgment
of favours not a servitude which takes away one's free will and
debases the mankind,
;
Say [O Muhammed] "Praise be to Allah and peace be upon His
servants whom he has chosen! Is Allah best, or [all] that you ascribe
as partners to [Him]? "Is not He [best] Who created the heavens
and the earth and sends down for you water from the sky wherewith
We cause to spring forth delightful orchards, whose trees it never has
been your to cause to grow. Is there any god beside Allah? No, but
there are people who ascribe equals [to Him] [ "Is not He [best]
Who made the earth a fixed abode, and placed rivers In the fold
thereof, and placed firm hills therein, and has set a barrier between
the two seas? Is there any god beside Allah? No, but most of them
are ignorant! "Is not He [best] who answers the wronged one when
he cries Him and removes the evil, and has made you viceroys of the
222 The Foundation
ofthe New Society
earth? Is there any god beside Allah? Little do they reflect! "Is not
He [best] Who guides you fn the darkness of the land and the sea,
He who sends the winds as heralds of His mercy? Is there any god
beside Allah? High exalted be Allah from all that they ascribe as
partners to [Him]! "Is not He [best] Who produces creation, then
reproduces it and Who provides for you from the heaven and the
earth? Is there any god beside Allah? Say: bring your proof, if you
are truthful!* (Quran 27: 59-64)
Q These questions, following quickly one after the other, open
up for the soul wide horizons of intelligent faith, impel it toward
Allah ($$) with sincerity, and make it flee from the evils of
idolatry as grown men flee from the pranks of children. Most of
the ayat which call to contemplation and investigation spin
around this fixed axis,
The soul in times of haughtiness, may stand in need of
discipline by force and threats to curb refractoriness. Nevertheless,
this docs not conflict at all with the principle which we have
already established. A father's sternness to his child at times does
not negate the natural love he has for him. The Qur' an, when it
stimulates the lofty tendencies in people and shows them the
effects of Providence on them, sometimes couples that with sharp
stings which awaken their sluggish feelings so that they may
advance and use their minds, not recoil and show cowardice.
Allah
@fc) says:
<Have you not seen how Allah has sent down water from the sky
and has caused it to penetrate the earth as watersprings, and
afterwards thereby produces crops of diverse hues; and afterwards
they wither and you see them mm yellow; then He turns them into
chaff Indeed, this is a reminder for men of understanding,)
(Qur'an39:21)
Then He (-&) says in the next ayah:
ih he whose bosom Allah has expanded for the Surrender [aMslam]
[to Him], so that he follows a light from his Lord, [like the one who
The L ife ofProphet Muhammad
223
disbelieves]? Then woe unto those whose hearts are hardened against
rememberance of Allah. Such are in plain error.)
(Qur'an 39:
22)
The Prophet
(gjfe) himself
adopted the same course in
implanting faith and nurturing its fruits. His way of approaching
Allah
(m) was a living
lesson which filled the hearts with
Allah's glory and greatness and urgency to obey Him and avoid
sin. These hearts opened up to the guidance of Allah
(U) and
His Prophet
(=&)
and thereafter had space for nothing else.
Jubayr ibn Mut'im reported:
I heard the Prophet
(3Bs) reciting Surah al Tit at the evening
prayers (Maghrib) and when he reached the ayah:
<Or were they created out of nothing? Or are they creators? Or did
they create the heavens and the earth?
No, but they are sure of
nothing!
Or do they own the treasures of your Lord? Or have they
been given charge [thereof]?)
(Qur'an 52; 35-37)
my heart almost skipped a beat!
14
The growth of faith from an idea in the head to a feeling in
the heart, making a person pulsate with certainty and sincerity,
is an integral part ofthe Sunnah, It is the bedrock of the noble
virtues which possessed the Muslims
and raised their status. It is
what is meant by the famous Hadith:
"There are three things, in which if they are present in a person,
will
be found the sweet taste of faith: that Allah
(fc) and His
Messenger should be more beloved to him than anything else;
that he should fove a servant [of Allah
(&))
for no other reason
than to gain Allah's pleasure; and that he should hate to return to
kufr (disbelief) after Allah
[U) has saved him from it, just as he
would dislike being thrown into a fire.
55
In a similar manner, faith in prophethood
and love for the
Prophet
($&)
should be so deep-rooted
that one forgets oneself.
An authentic Hadith narrated by BukhM.
An authentic IJadlth narrated by Bukhan and Muslim as well as others on the authority' of
Anas
(&).
224
The Foundation
of
the New Society
One should be ready to sacrifice self and possessions for the
sake of prophethood and the Prophet
(^i),
not out of obligation
or fear but out of love and devotion. 'Abdullah ibn Ihsharn said:
We were with the Prophet
(0fe)>
on whom be peace, and he
had taken 'Umar
(*&) by the hand, when the latter said:
Messenger of Allah
(^)! You are more beloved to me than
anything else except myself"
The Prophet
($s) replied: "No, By Him in Whose hands my
soul lies, unless 1 become more beloved to you than yourself"
*Umar
(*$*) then said: "Now, you are assuredly more beloved
to me than myself."
The Prophet
($%) replied:
"Now,
4
Umar (*&).
16
(That is, now only has your faith been
perfected.)
This HadTth needs explanation. It is not right for virtues to be
subjected to differing criteria. The people respected the virtue of
faithfulness in Samuel when he let his son be
sacrificed,
-
preferring that he should fulfil his trust and return it safely to the
person who trusted him. When people sacrifice themselves to
protect their honour, they have carried out their duty.
Muhammad
(^s)
did not demand of the people that they
should sanctify his physical form of flesh and blood, or that they
should kill themselves for him to live, or that they should debase
themselves for him to attain honours, or that he should be made
a god above them as Pharaoh and his family made themselves
gods. Muhammad
(^g)
wished the believers to sanctify the
status of prophethood, follow its lofty ideals exemplified in
himself, and protect, by way of his person, the landmarks of
Revealed truth and the signs of universal mercy.
The Prophets do not live for themselves alone and misfortune
does not befall them or their families alone. They live for the
entire universe. Are they not the center of its complete guidance
and general happiness? It is not surprising, therefore, that
An authentic Hadlth narrated by Bukharr and .Ahmad on the authority of 'Abdullah ibn
Hisham.
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 225
sacrificing oneself for them should be an integral part of faith
and a rung in the ladder ofperfection. Muhammad
(^&)
was
indeed a man worthy of love. The world does not know of
another man who was so much esteemed by people that they
totally dedicated themselves to protecting and surrounding him
as was recorded of the bearer of this great message ofIslam,
Muhammad
(^g),
son of 'Abdullah.
A Leadership Which Attracts the Hearts
'Abdullah ibn Salam reported:
"As soon as the Messenger of Allah
($gs)
arrived in MadTnah
the people flocked towards him, and I was among those who
came to see him. When I contemplated his face and scrutinized
it I found that it was not the face of a liar;
He continued;
The first thing I heard him say was:
"0
People! Spread peace,
feed others, pray at night while the people are asleep, and you
will enter paradise in peace.""
The light from one's inner self is reflected on one's face, and
in its features can be read the signs of one*s purity, 'Abdullah
went to acquaint himself with the news of this migrating leader.
He looked at him in an effort to determine his truthfulness and
the first thing that satisfied him after scrutinizing him was that
he was no liar. It is not possible to recognize a person's
intellectual and moral standing by a fleeting glance.
Nevertheless, the physical features which hid the spirit are often
an accurate guide to what lies beneath.
Q Those who lived with Muhammad
(^s),
however, loved
him to the point of insanity. They did not care whether their
necks were cut off so long as he was not scratched by a nail.
An authentic HadTlh narrated by Al TirmidhT, Fbn Msjah, Al-Hakim and Ahmad.
Al Timiidhi said it was an authentic HadTlh, Al Hakim said it was according lo the
stipulations of BukhorT and Muslim, and Al DhahabT agreed with him.
226 The Foundation
ofthe New Society
Their love for him was only because the perfection which he
had attained, and which is usually only a dream, was not seen
in any other human being.
Thauban, the close associate of the Prophet
(^)}
loved him
exceedingly and could not bear to part company with him. One
day when he approached him, his face was pale and he looked
sad. The Prophet (s^g)
asked him what was the matter,
and he
replied:
O Messenger of Allah
(^fe),
I have no pain or sickness
except that whenever I do not see you 1 feel extremely
miserable
until I am able to meet you. Moreover, whenever I remember the
Hereafter, I become afraid that 1 shall not see you because you
will be raised to the lofty mansions
(illiym) with the Prophets,
and if I enter heaven 1 shall be at a lower level than you, and if I
do not enter it I shall never have the chance of seeing you again.
Thereupon the following Qur'Snic
ayah was revealed;
<Those who obey Allah and the Messenger, are with those whom
Allah has shown favour: the prophets, the saints, the martyrs and the
righteous. The best of company are they!)
(Qur'an 4: 69)"
In one HadTth, the Prophet
(^)
said: "A person shall be with
whom he loves.'
119
This refers to the love of an ideal example, not the love of
lust. When people love someone who has similar
or higher
qualities than themselves, then the basis of such a love is that
IS
Narrated by Al WahidT in Asbab al h'uzH on the authority ofAl KaM Apart from the fact
that there is a disturbance in its chain, AJ KaEbt is a noted liar. However, the same HadTth is
also narrated by Al 1 abaranl in Al Mirjam al Saghir, by Abu Na'im in Al-Hulyah from the
same chain, and Al-Wahidi from him. Also ibn Mardawaih and AI-MuqaddisT narrated on the
authority of 'A'ishah without the question '"What is the matter?" AI-Muqaddisi savs of it; "I
do not sec anything wrong in its chain." Ft is also supported by a HadTth reported by Ibn
1
Abbas and other versions reported by Sa'id ibn Jubayr and others. Thev are all quoted bv Ibn
KmimAlBidayah.
'
J
19
A sound HadTth narrated by Bukharf and Muslim on the authority of Anas
(, Ibn
Mas^Qd and Abo Musa. It is a mutawatir HadTth, as affirmed
by Ibn Kathrr and others,
that is, it is reported through numerous authentic chains.
The Life ofProphet Muhammad 22
7
their hearts are receptive
towards the noble qualities and innate
abilities with which nature has endowed him or her.
The marks of bravery and generosity
are not welcomed by
those who are cowardly or miserly.
They are welcomed only
by
those who possess them to some extent and are on their way to
perfecting what they lack. It is a bounty of Allah, therefore, that
He has caused the great people to be surrounded by those who
love them, the beauty of greatness.
Thus Allah
(9) says after the
previously
quoted ayah:
<Such is the bounty of Allah, and Allah suffices as knower.*
(Qur*an 4:
70)
In truth, the follower and devotee is a virtuous
person.
However, there are many
despicable people in the world who if
they rise in status, show contempt
to those below them, and if
they fall, hate those above them. So how does one know when
they will cleanse their hearts of the feelings of hatred and
inferiority? As for those who are devoted to unblemished
principles, no sooner do they see the ideal
representatives who
reflect them than they flock around them, and their eyes shine
with devotion for them, that is, devotion for the principles which
have come to life in them, Allah
() will not cause this firm
belief to go to waste or allow its virtuous
supporters to deviate.
Anas (4t) reported:
"On the day when the Prophet
feg],
entered Madman,
everything in it became illuminated,
and on the day when he
died everything in it became dull, and as soon as we had
finished burying him our hearts began to grieve,"
20
Look at the cheerfulness of overpowering
emotions, how it
paints the horizons in its wonderful colours. And look at the
grief of loss, how it spreads its dullness over everything!
Such
1
An authentic Hadlth narrated by Al Tirmidhx Al-Hakim and Ahmad. TirmidhT said it
w as a sound Hadlth* and Al-Haktm said ii was sound according to the conditions of
Muslim. Al DhahahT agreed with this classification, and it is indeed as thev say Al
Danmi also narrated it in a similar manner and his chain is also sound according to the
conditions ot Muslim. This version is also narrated bv
AI- Hakim and Ahmad
228
The Foundation
of
the New Society
was the home of the Hijrah. It loved Allah
(M)
and it loved His
Prophet
(^g),
ar|d ** was *his powerful love which was the
secret of its absolute support for Islam and its willing sacrifice
of all its precious possessions. Any nation who is so strongly
attached to its leader is bound to crush mighty mountains with
determination.
Q Hasan, son of *AlT
(*&>),
asked Hind ibn Abi Halah to
describe the Messenger of Allah
(^^)
and he described his
physical features as follows:
He walked modestly but briskly, with long strides. When he
walked it was as if he was descending a slope that is, descending
with force, and when he turned he turned with his whole body.
His gaze was lowered, and he looked at the earth much more than
he looked at the sky. His gaze was not noticeable, that is, he did
not stare. He led his Companions and he first greeted anyone he
meets with a salam,
Hassan said: "Describe to me his way oftalking."
Hind replied:
The Messenger of Allah
(^&)
was continually sad, always
preoccupied. He was never at rest and he never spoke without
need. He remained silent for long periods, lie began and
finished his speech with clear pronunciation without mumbling.
He spoke few but comprehensive words and to the point. He
said nothing superfluous nor did he say too little. His tone was
mild neither harsh nor deriding. He magnified a blessing even
though it might be small. He never criticized anything, and he
never criticized nor praised a man of taste for what he ate, His
anger was great if an attack was made on the truth, and could
not be suppressed until he defended the truth. He would not
however, get angry if he was attacked, nor would he defend
himself, out of forbearance. When he pointed with his whole
arm and when he was surprised he would raise his arms- When
he became angry he would turn away and when he became
joyful he would lower his head. His laugh was less than a smile
and he would become listless in a hailstorm or the like.
The
Life ofProphet Muhammad
229
Q
Hind described his relationship
with the people in this way:
The Messenger of Allah (sag)
used to hold his tongue except
about what concerned him. He would keep his
Companions
together and not separate them. He would be kind to upstanding
men of the community
and appoint them over others. He was
careful ofpeople without keeping
himself apart from any-one of
them. He would enquire about his
Companions
and ask people
about their conditions.
He considered the bad as bad and
disapproved of it. He was moderate in his affairs and did not
change his mind. He was not neglectful lor fear that they might
be neglectful or become bored. Me was prepared for every
occasion. He never fell short ofthe truth nor did he bypass it for
something else. Those nearest to him were the best of people.
The most virtuous of them in his sight was the one who gave the
most advice, and the greatest of them in status was the best of
them in sympathizing with and assisting others.
Q Then he said, describing his manner of sitting:
The Messenger of Allah
(=&) never sat down or stood up
without mentioning Allah
(&:).
He never reserved any place for
himsel
f.
When he entered
a gathering he sat wherever there was
space and he ordered others to do so. He gave all those sitting
with him their due attention so that none should feel that another
was more favoured than himself. Whoever
sat with him or stood
with him for some reason, he would be patient with him until he
(the other man) left. Whoever asked a need of him. he would
never send him away without (fulfilling) it,
speaking kindly to
him. His generosity
and kindness extended to everyone, and he
became a father to them while they drew close to one another
under his guidance on the basis of truth,
and vied with one
another, under his direction,
in the matter
of piety. His
gatherings were gathering of compassion
and modesty, patience
and faithfulness. Voices were not raised in them and gossip was
not spread. They were
compassionate
towards one another: they
showed respect to the elder, tenderness
to the young, elderly
230 The Foundation
of
the New Society
helped the needy and made the stranger feel at home.
As regards his character, he said:
He was always pleasant and easygoing. He was neither
hard nor rude nor foul-mouthed. He neither scolded too
much nor praised too much. He ignored what he did not like
but did not become disheartened at it. He kept himself from
three things: showing off, excessiveness and what did not
concern him; and he kept three things from the people: he
did not find fault with anyone, nor abuse anyone, nor seek
out the weaknesses of anyone. He spoke only of those things
from which he hoped to gain blessings. When he spoke, his
audience would bow their heads as if there were birds sitting
upon them. When he kept quiet, then they would speak, and
they did not rival one another to speak in front of him. I was
one of them who spoke in his audience. They would all
listen until he had finished. Their statement was the
statement of the first person to speak. He laughed at what
they laughed at and wondered at what they wondered at. He
would be patient with a stranger's uncouth manner of
speaking, and he would say:
4
'If you see a needy person
seeking help, then assist him," and he would not seek
appreciation except from someone capable."
21
This is a rough outline of how the people saw the marks of
perfection in the lifestyle of the " Praised" Prophet
(^g).
However, It is not possible to fathom the depths of the qualities
and attributes possessed by him. Detailed knowledge of great
people cannot be possessed by every person, not to speak of
that great man whose entire character was the Qur'an. The
community which he produced for the mankind in Madman
A weak HadUh narrated at length by AI TirmidhT in AtShamS'il on the authority of
Jamr ibn
'
Amr. who said; "it was reported to me by a man from the Banc Tamrm, ofthe
children ofAbQ Halah, and he is called AbD 'Abdullah Ibn Abi Halah, and he heard it from
Hasan, son of
'
All (4*).' This is a weak chain since J ami is weak, and about him AbQ
Dswad says: "I fear he may be liar.""
1
Also AbO 'Abdullah is unknown, while Hind ibn Abi Hafah has not been
assessed as auihcmic or not. Abo Dawod says about this Hadith.
"I fear it may
have been fabricated/
1
and Btikharl indicated that Ii was not authentic.
The Life ofProphet Muhammad
231
had reached the pinnacle. They worked and strove only for
Allah
(&), and pushed ahead to the
aspired goal with joy and
confidence. They flocked
around their
Prophet
(^) as
students would flock
around their
teacher, or as soldiers would
flock around their general, or as children
would flock
around
their loving father. They stood together shoulder
to shoulder in
strong bonds of brotherhood,
and they were a single soul in
many bodies and cemented bricks
in a well-constructed
building. They wished to establish relation
with others on the
basis of justice and righteousness:
thus no innocent person
would be wronged in their
presence, and no~one in distress
would be deprived of their kind concern.
Q
They considered
those who
accepted
Islam to be free of their
past, in spite of the attacks they might have previously
made on
their community. So there would be no examination
of the past
of those who cleansed themselves oftheir
jahilfyah and repented
to their Lord. On the contrary, they would join the Muslim
community as noble and respected
members of it, their past sins
forgiven,
so that they might turn over a new leaf and start his
new life with good deeds. As for those who
remained
disbelievers and strove to impede the progress of Islam, it was
essential to equip oneself to fight them until the earth was
purified of their disbelief and enmity.
That group ofbelievers toiled for Allah's pleasure and spent
their days and nights in worshipping
Him. They had resigned
themselves to one of two alternatives: either to live for Allah
(-k) or to die in His cause. If you made an attempt to balance
the
Muslims of those times
against the rest of the mankind, you
would find that all the factors of preference
were in their favour,
while on the other hand, other nations were
constantly
shaken by
tribulations.
It was no wonder, therefore,
that within a few years
they had become a youthful state
executing the commands of
Allah
(W) without interference.
232
The Foundation of
the New Society
Q In addition, detailed legislation began to be Revealed in
MadTnah, organizing the private and public affairs of the Muslims
and explaining the basis of the lawful and unlawful in stages until
they reached their final form as was recorded by the history of
legislation. The penal code was set, zakah and fasting were made
compulsory, and the number of rak'ai in prayers was increased
for the first time in MadTnah. According to a report of
c
A\ishah
Salah consisted of two rak 'at when it was made compulsory and
the SaWi when travelling remained at that, whereas later the
salMt on non-travellers was increased,^
Q It is worth mentioning here that 'A'ishah started living with
the Prophet
(sKi)
during the first year of the Hijrah although
their marriage had taken place before the Hijrah,
2
-
We shall
speak about polygamy and the wives of the Prophet
(^5)
in
another chapter.
12
An authentic HadTlh narrated by Bukhar? and Muslim on the authority of
'A'ishah. In one of Bukharfs versions she is reported to have said: 'Sal&i was
made compulsory as two rak'at. Then the Prophet (3fe)
migrated and four were
prescribed, while the prayers when travelling were left as before."
2J
This is the meaning of the authentic report from 'A'ishah in which she said: "The
Messenger of Allah
(eWfc)
married rne after the death of KhadTjah, two or three years
before his departure for MadTnah white I was yet 7 years old When he arrived in
Madmah some women came to me... then they took rne to the Prophet ($e$) and I
lived with him from the age of 9 years." Narrated by BukharI and Ahmad, fn another
report she said: "He married me in ShawwS and started living with me in ShawwSt.
Chapter Six
The Bloody Struggle
Islam entered MadTnah at a time when the forces of unbelief
were pursuing it from every angle, and the Muslims sought
refuge in their new settlement as soldiers would seek refuge in
their fortress, The> kept themselves prepared so that no one
might attack them from any direction. They had learnt bitterly
from the years of experience in Makkah that weakness led to
humiliation and tribulation. People do not appreciate health until
they are struck down by sickness, nor do they value wealth until
poverty besets them. And who were capable of learning faster
than the muhajirm and the AnsSr from the lessons of the past?
There was their Prophet pursued by killers for a thousand miles,
while most of the muhajirm were robbed of their possessions
and homes and chased out of the HoI\ City. "A state of war"
was undoubtedly in existence between the tyrants of Makkah
and the Muslims in their new homeland, and it would be foolish
to lay the blame for this hostility on the Muslims.
Moreover, the enmity shown toward the Prophet
(^g)
and his
Companions no longer came from the Quraish alone but also
from the other idolaters {mushrikm) of the Arabian peninsula.
This is not blind supposition, for even the worshippers of idols
among the people of MadTnah had already begun to declare their
hostility to Islam, and joining with them were the Jews, who felt
fearful at the spread of this faith and the collapse of Arab
paganism in its wake,
It was absolute!} necessary, therefore, to be prepared for
every eventuality, lie in wait for any attacker and muster such a
force as would discipline the criminals the day they stretched
out their necks. The fighting prescribed by Islam and those
battles waged by the Prophet
(^g)
and his Companions are the
best form of jihad. We have explained in other books of oursJ
Ai Islam wed Istibdad a! SiySsi (Islam and Political Oppression ) nnd AI- T'assub wot
TosSmitk haxn ai Skislhh'oh wat IslSin (Tolerance and Intolerance between Islam and
Christianity),
234
The Bloody Struggle
by scientific reasoning and historical analysis, that the wars
fought by Islam in the era of the Prophet
(i&)
and his
successors were necessary to protect the truth, repel injustice
and hostility and break the power of the tyrants. As for the
fabrications of the orientalists, the malice shown towards Islam
from the other religions and the claim that it was the Muslims
who first used force when there was no justification for it, those
are all lies and part of the scheme to efface Islam from the earth
and make the Muslims slaves of the crusaders and the Zionists,
Q A time comes when fighting becomes obligatory. When Islam
and its followers are threatened to extinction and the hostile
forces unite to wipe Islam and the Muslims out for ever fighting
becomes the only alternative for survival* Such situation and
circumstances developed in the early days of Islam, before and
after the Hijrah. Same situation developed again in recent times
when the lauds of Islam have fallen into the hands ofthe rogues
of the earth, and the most devilish of policies have been drawn
up to extinguish them little by little. How can the call to arms,
therefore, be considered strange, and those who dedicate
themselves to sacrifice in Allah's way be looked upon with
disdain? How can the vocation of death be disapproved in a
nation upon which butchers are pouncing from all quarters?
^And let not those who disbelieve suppose that they can outstrip
I
Allah's purpose]. Indeed! They cannot escape. Make ready for
them all you can of [armed] forces and of horses tethered, so that
you foil the enemy of Allah and your enemy, and others beside them
whom you do not know* Allah knows them. Whatsoever you spend
in the way of Allah, it will be repaid to you In full and you will not
be wronged. And if they incline to peace, you must Incline also to it,
and trust in Allah. Indeed! He is the Hearer, the Knower. And if
they would deceive you, then Indeed! Allah is sufficient for you.)
(Quran 8: 59-62)
Q In accordance with the dictates of Revelation and the politics
of the times, and to preserve the rights of Allah
(0)
and the
The Life Of
Prophet Muhammad 235
rights of life, the Prophet
(0&)
trained his men in the art of war.
He participated with them in the training, the manoeuvres and
the battles. He counted the efforts in these fields as steps
towards the noblest of actions and the holiest of worship, and by
this means he would perhaps be able to blunt the edge of
unbelief and deflect its harm from the Muslims.
iSo fight [Muhammad] in the way of Allah you are not taxed [with
the responsibility for anyone] except for yourself and urge on the
believers, Peradventure, Allah will restrain the might of those who
disbelieve, Allah is stronger In might and stronger in inflicting
punishment.) (Qur'Sn 4;
84)
Q 'Uqbah ibn 'Amir reported: "I heard the Messenger of Allah
(%s)
say while he was on the pulpit: 'And prepare for them
with whatever you can of force. Indeed, force is shooting!
Indeed force is shooting! Indeed, force is shooting,
2
This HadTth emphasizes the forceful effect that accurate aim
has on winning a battle, and shooting is broad enough to cover
arrows, bullets or bombs.
FaqTm Al-Lahmi said:
"I said to 'Uqbah ibn 'Amir: "You still go between these two
targets although you are an old man and it is hard on you!"
Q 'Uqbah replied: "If it were not for what I heard from the
Messenger of Allah
(^g),
I should not take the trouble."
I said: "And what is that?"
He said:
"
I heard him saying: 'Whoever learns to shoot and
then abandons it, is not one of us!"
3
Look at how the old men continued to practise shooting at
their targets, keeping their aim accurate and their bodies agile.
An authentic HadTth narrated by Muslim, Aba Dawud, AI TirmidhT, Ibn Majah and
Ahmad.
An authentic; HadTth narrated by Muslim. The last sentence is narrated by the
compilers of the Sunan through another chain of authorities.
236 The Bloody Struggle
Islam expects everyone to have the ability to fight and makes it
compulsory for young and old to acquire such a skill,
AbG Najih AI Salami reported;
[ heard the Messenger of Allah
(M&)
saying:
"Whoever hits the target with an arrow, it shall be a degree for
him in paradise/
1
On that day t hit my targets with ten arrows,
and I also heard him saying: " Whoever shoots an arrow for the
cause of Allah
{*).
it will be equivalent to freeing a slave."
4
Q 'Uqbah ibn 'Amir again reported that he heard the Messenger
of Allth
(0s)
saying:
"Indeed God Almighty brings three people into paradise on
account of one arrow:
1
.
The maker, who expects a good reward for his deed;
2. The one who shoots it; and
3. The one who hands it to him.
So shoot and ride, and it is better for you to shoot than lo ride.
All pastimes are vain: there is no praiseworthy pastime except
three things:
1
.
One's training of one's mare;
2. One's dallying with one's wife: and
3. One's shooting with one's bow.
These are all of the truth; and whoever abandons shooting
from dislike after having learnt it, then it is a bounty which he has
left or for which he is ungrateful".
5
Ibn 'Ulnar
(^)
narrated: "Attached to the necks of horses is
goodness until the Day of Judgement: reward and booty."
6
This
4
An authentic HadTth narrated by Abu Dawfld, Al Nasa'T, Ahmed and A! Hakim, and
the latter said that it fulfilled the conditions laid down by UukharT and Muslim, and
DhahabT agreed with him. In fact it is according to the conditions of Muslim alone,
since the Tabi'i who reported the Hadnh was Mi'din ibn Abi Talha, from whom
Bukhan never narrated any HadTth.
TTiere is a disturbance in its chain, as pointed out by AMlafiz al-iraqi in his book Akhrij
AUhya.
A sound HadTth narrated by BukharT and Muslim on the authority of Ibn 'Umar and
'Urwah al Bariqi. However, Ibn 'Umar's version does not have "reward and booty."
It would be better, therefore, to ascribe it to 'Urwah.
The Life OfPropiiet Muhammad 23?
is an encouragement from the Prophet
($&)
to learn horse
riding. The highlighting of one aspect of fighting does not
detract from the value of the other aspects or lower their
importance. Look also at how the Prophet
(^)
encouraged the
learning of warfare at sea in his saying:
"A battle at sea is better than ten battles on land, and
whoever crosses the sea, it is as if he has crossed all the
valleys, and the person who is seasick is like the person who
is stained bv his own blood,"
7
States are in need of infantry on land and fleets in the sea and
air, and every item of weaponry is a help towards achieving
victory. However, the closest of soldiers to Allah's pleasure are
the ones who hit their enemies the hardest and are most careful
of their duty towards their nation and their ideology, whether
they walk shoot, sail or fly.
Flying Columns
When the Muslims had settled in, they began sending out
armed flying columns which traversed the neighbouring deserts
and caravan routes between Makkah and Syria, and explored the
conditions of the tribes which lived here and there.
1
.
In Ramadan of the first year, Hamzah, leading a party of
thirty Muslims, encountered Abu Jahl, who was leading a
caravan of the Quraish consisting ofthree hundred horsemen.
However, Majdi ibn *Umar al Juhani came between them and
there was no fighting.
2. In Shawwat of the same year, 'Ubaydah ibn Al-Harith led
sixty horsemen to the valley of Rabigh, and there he
encountered two hundred idolaters led by Abu Sufyan, The two
parties exchanged fire with arrows but there were no clashes.
3. In Dhul Q'ada, S
4
ad ibn AbT Waqqas led a party of about twenty
men to intercept a caravan ofthe Quraish but he failed to catch it.
Sahib narrated by Al Hakim on the authority of "Abdullah ibn Amr.
238
The Bloody Struggle
4, In Safar of the second year, the Prophet (*3Js&) himself went
out on a mission after appointing S'ad ibn 'Ubadah as his deputy
in Madman. He travelled until he reached Wadan, where he
hoped to encounter the Quraish and the Band Damrah, although
he did not meet the Quraish, and he concluded an alliance with
the Band Damrah.
5. In Rabi'-l of the same year, the Prophet
(^g)
led two
hundred of the muhajirm and Ansar to Buwat to intercept a
caravan of the Quraish led by Umayyah ibn Khalaf consisting of
one hundred men, but it escaped him.
6. In Jumada he went to APAshlrah where he spent one month
and concluded a peace treaty with the Baml Madlaj.
7, Then Karz ibn Jabir Al-Tihn attacked Madlnah and carried
away its cattle. Although the Prophet
{$&)
followed him until
he reached the valley of Safwan near Badr, he did not catch him.
Historians call this "the first battle of Badr."
The wisdom behind sending out these expeditions in
succession can be summarized into two points.
Firstly, it made the idolaters and Jews of Madlnah and the
desert Arabs around it feel that the Muslims were strong and that
they had overcome their former weakness, that weakness which
enabled the Quraish in Makkah to put a ban on their beliefs and
liberties and seize their homes and properties. It was the
Muslims
1
duty to take interest in these military demonstrations
although they might be minor, since there were many people in
Madlnah who were plotting against Islam and whom only fear
could deter from their evil schemes. This is the explanation of
Allah's words:
tfSo that you can fail the enemy of Allah and your enemy, and
others beside them whom you do not know. Allah knows them.)
(Qur'an 8: 60)
The last category mentioned in this ayah (verse) is the
hypocrites who hide their hatred for Islam and its followers. The
only thing which prevents them from publicizing their hostility
The Life OfProphet Muhammad 239
is their cowardice and the evil consequences. The first category
is the idolaters, desert thieves and others like them, who would
have thought nothing of attacking Madman and violating its
sanctity if there had not been these expeditions. It was possible
for incidents such as that of Karz ibnJabir to recur and for the
desert Arabs to threaten Madman from time to time. These
expeditions, however, destroyed any such evil intentions and
maintained the awe ofthe Muslims.
Secondly, those expeditions were a warning to the Quraish of
the consequences oftheir folly. They had opposed Islam and were
still continuing to do so. They had persecuted the Muslims in
Makkah and they still remained steadfast in their error, refusing to
allow anybody from Makkah to enter into Allah's faith, and
refusing to allow Islam to find a secure home anywhere else on
earth. Thus the Prophet
(^g)
wanted the rulers of Makkah to feel
that this devilish plan of theirs could lead them only into serious
misfortune and that the era had gone forever when they could
attack the Muslims without any fear of reprisal.
Q
The European orientalists look upon these flying columns as
if they were a kind of highway brigandry. This stand is a
reflection of their malice, which blinds them to the realities and
gives free rein to their emotions to speak and pass judgement in
whatever way they like. This sort of one-track orientalism
reminds me of an incident said to have taken place when the
British suppressed the rebellion of the peoples in East Africa,
the colony of Kenya, who were seeking freedom for their
country and were trying to expel the foreigners.
Q
One British soldier said to another, describing these
Africans: "They are wild beasts. Imagine: one of them bit me
while I was killing him!" This story truly reflects how the
orientalists think in their approval of the Makkans and
lamentations at Islam and its origin.
240 The Bloody Struggle
The Expedition of 'Abdullah ibn Jahsh
In Rajab of the second year of Hijri (era) the Prophet
(?^g)
sent
*
Abdullah ibn Jahsh to lead a small group oimuhajirm. He
handed him a letter and ordered him not to open it until he was
two days away on his journey, when he read it, he should proceed
with the orders therein and not force any of his men to come
along with him.
Thus 'Abdullah started off, and after two days he opened
the letter which read: "Proceed until you arrive at Nakhlah
between Makkah and Ta'if, and there you shall lie in wait
for the Quraish and gather news of them for us."
'Abdullah said; "I hear and obey."
Then he showed the contents of the letter to his men, saying;
"The Messenger of Allah
(s^)
forbade me to force any of you
to come along. So whoever desires martyrdom, let him come
with me, and whoever dislikes that let him return,"
No-one stayed behind. However, the camel which Sa
v
d ibn
Abi Waqqas and 'Utbah ibn Ghazwan were riding had strayed,
and so they went in search of it while
*
Abdullah proceeded with
the others until they arrived at Nakhlah. Soon a caravan of the
Quraish passed and
*
Abdullah and his men attacked it, killing
'Amr ibn Al-Hadrami and captured two of the idolaters.
'Abdullah then returned to Madman with the caravan and the
two prisoners.
The incident apparently took place in the latter part of Rajab,
that is, in the sacred month. When the party reported to the
Prophet (^ttg), he said: "I did not order you to fight during the
sacred month/'
And there was indecision over what to do with the caravan
and prisoners.
Q The idolaters found in this incident an opportunity to accuse the
Muslims of disregarding what Allah ($$) had prohibited. There was
much talk until Revelation descended, putting an end to the talk
and supporting the action of 'Abdullah toward the idolaters.
The Life Of
Prophet Mulmmmad 241
<They question you [Muhammad] with regard to warfare in the sacred
month. Say, "Warfare at that time is great [transgression]; but to turn
[men] from the Way of Allah, disbelieve in Him and in the Inviolable
Place of Worship and to expel His people from ft, is greater with Allah;
for persecution is worse than killing.) Qur'an 2: 21
7)
s
There is no justification for the clamour raised by the
idolaters in order to cast doubt on the character of the Muslim
fighters. Everything held sacred had already been violated when
the same idolaters declared war on Islam and oppressed its
followers. So what had brought back their sanctity
to them all of
a sudden so that their violation could be considered a shameful
act? Were the Muslims not living in the sacred city when the
idolaters were determined to assassinate their Prophet and steal
the believers" properties? Some people appeal to the law when it
is in their interests, but when their interests arc threatened by
these same laws they think nothing of violating them. Thus the
only laws which are upheld by such people are those which
serve their own vested interests.
O Allah
(M)
has made it clear that the idolaters will not be
deterred by either a sacred month or a sacred city for pursuing
their original plan, which is to destroy the Muslims and leave
not a vestige oftheir faith in existence. He
(4)
said:
<And they will not cease from fighting against you till they have made
you renegades from your religion, if they can.) (Qur'an 2:217)
llien He
(te) warned the Muslims against being defeatist in the
face ofthese tyrannical forces and renouncing the faith with which
Allah
(M)
had honoured them. He made their happiness in this
world and the Hereafter conditional on their remaining steadfast:
(And the one who becomes a renegade and dies in his disbelief, such
are they whose works have fallen both in the world and in the Hereafter.
Such are the rightful owners of the Fire; they will abide In II)
(Quran 2: 217)
Narrated by [bn Hisham from Ibn Ishaq.
242
The Bloody Struggle
Q The Qur'an extolled the action of 'Abdullah and his men, since
they faithfully and boldly carried out the orders of the Prophet
(^)
and penetrated deeply into the enemy's territory, thereby
exposing themselves to death in the path of Allah
(M)
willingly
and without being forced. How could they then be rewarded for
such with scolding and threats? Allah
($g)
says about them:
*
Indeed! Those who believe, and those who emigrate [to escape the
persecution] and strive in the way of Allah, these have hope of
Allah's mercy; Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.) (Qur'an 2: 218)
The Qur'an, in dealing with the events ofthis expedition, did not
leave any room for leniency with the idolaters who had committed
aggression, and this had a far-reaching effect on the Muslims and
their enemies. Before that, all those conscripted into these flying
columns were from the muhqfirm;
afterwards, however, they
consisted of both muhajirlh and Ansar. In additions the fleeing
grew that the expected struggle might be a protracted one and its
consequences severe. Nevertheless, a desirable struggle, coupled
with immediate or future benefits. Finally, Makkah realized that it
was being taken to task for its past and nature sins, and that its trade
with Syria was at the mercy of the Muslims. Thus the gap between
the two groups widened and hostility grew. It w
r
as as if all of these
events were a preface for what was going to take place only a
month later when the cream of Makkah clashed with the cream of
MadTnah at the unappointed rendez-vous of Badr.
The Battle of Badr
The news reached Yathrib that a huge caravan of the Quraish
was returning from Syria to Makkah, carrying enormous wealth
belonging to its residents: a thousand camels loaded with goods
and led by Abu Sufyan ibn Harb with a company of men not
exceeding thirty or forty. The blow received by the people of
Makkah if they lost this wealth would be painful indeed, and the
The Life Of
Prophet Muhammad 243
wealth would be sufficient compensation for the losses the
Muslims had sustained during their last emigration.
Thus the Prophet
($&)
said: "Here is the caravan of the
Quraish, containing their riches. So go out and intercept it;
maybe Allah
(-&J
will give it to you as booty,
9
The Prophet
(#g)
did not order anybody to go along nor did
he urge anyone who remained behind. He left the decision to the
will of every individual Then he set out with whoever was able
to take part. Those who went with him on this occasion thought
that this expedition would be nothing more than the previous
ones. It never occurred to any of them that they were
approaching one of the most significant events in the history of
Isl3m. If they had known that, they would have made full
preparations for it and not a single able bodied Muslim would
have been allowed to remain in Madman, When other news
came that the caravan had changed its route, their determination
began to wane. Abo Sufyan had managed to save the caravan
from certain disaster by changing the route after sending news to
the people of Makkah, calling on them to defend their wealth
and rousing their passions against the Muslims.
The Prophet
($&)
tried hard to contain this waning of
determination, and warned his followers of the consequences of
turning back so quickly if the caravan slipped by and its owners
came out to confront them. He insisted on the need to pursue the
idolaters for as long as they could:
<Even as your Lord caused you [Muhammad] to go forth from your
home with the truth, and indeed, a party of the
believers were averse
[to it]; "Disputing with you about the truth after it had been made
manifest, as if they were being driven to death visible.)
(Qur'Sn 8: 5-6)
9
A sound HadTth narrated by Ibn Hishfim from Ibn Ishaq with a sound chain traced back to
fbn 'Abbas.
244
The Bloody Struggle
Those who disliked facing the Quraish were not afraid of
death, but they did not understand the wisdom behind waging a
battle unawares without prior preparation. The Prophet
(33g),
however, weighed all the circumstances of the affair, and found
that it would be better to proceed than to retreat. Therefore, he
was determined to forge ahead, since the reason for mobilizing
these armed parties would have been lost in vain if they had
returned in such a manner.
The feelings of uncertainty disappeared all of a sudden and
they all proceeded lightly to their destination. Travelling
along the caravan route to Badr was not at all easy. The
distance between Madman and Badr was over 100 miles, and
the Prophet
(^#g)
and his Companions had only seventy
camels, which they took turns at riding. Ahmad narrated on
the authority of "Abdullah ibn Mas'Qd who said:
"On the day of Badr, we were three to a camel, that is, taking
turns. Aba Lababah and 'All ibn Abi Talib
(^)
were sharing a
camel with the Messenger of Allah
(^&).
When it was the Prophet's
(^)
turn, they said: "We shall
walk instead of you.
However, he replied: "You two are no stronger than I am to
walk, and I am no less in need of the reward than you."
The Muslims sent their spies to ascertain the position of the
caravan and the men who had come out to defend it. Abu
Sufyan, when he was aware of the dangers to his caravan, sent
Damdam ibn
s
Amr al-Ghifari to Makkah to urge the people to
defend their wealth.
Damdam was able to arouse the entire town: he stood upon
his camel after cutting off its nose, reversed his saddle and rent
his shirt. Then he cried: "O people of the Quraish! The caravan!
The caravan! Your wealth with Abu Sufyan has been attacked
by Muhammad (^s)
and his Companions! I don't think you'll
reach it in time! Help! Help!" Everyone hurriedly made
preparations and either went himself or sent someone in his
The Life Of
Prophet Muhammad 245
place. Nine hundred and fifty fighters in all departed, and with
them were two hundred horses, which they rode. Female singers
also came along, beating drums and singing satires about the
Muslims. They turned to the north in search of the caravan
which was to pass by Yathrib on its way home.
However, Abu SufySn did not delay in waiting for the
expected help. He exerted his utmost caution
and skill in
resisting the Muslims and escaping from their reach. He had
almost fallen headlong with his caravan into their hands as they
were proceeding towards Badr, but luck was with him.
G It is narrated that he met Majdi ibn "Amr and asked him:
'Have you noticed anyone?"
Majdi replied:
"
I have not seen any strangers, except two
riders who dismounted from their camels on this hillock, drank
from a container of theirs, then set off again/'
Abu SufySn came to the spot where they had dismounted, and
,
taking the camels' dung in his hand, he split it and found that it
contained a date seed. Then he said: "By God, this is the fodder of
Yathrib." He immediately realized that the two men were
Companions of Muhammad
G*&)
and that his army was close by.
He therefore returned to the caravan and changed its route to the
coast, leaving Badr on his left and thus he escaped. Seeing that the
caravan was now safe, he sent to the Quraish, saying: "You have
come out to defend your caravan, your men and your wealth. Now
God has saved them, so go back.
However, Abu Jahl said: "We shall surely not return home
until we reach Badr, camp three days there, slaughter camels,
feast and drink wine and have the girls sing and dance for us.
The Arabs must hear of us and our march and continue to fear
us forever.*'
This announcement made by Abu Jahl was the very thing
which the Prophet
($^)
was trying to prevent. The Quraish
consolidation of its position and the spread of its influence in
these parts, after what it had done to the Muslims, could be
246 The Bloody Struggle
considered a catastrophe for Islam and might contain its
growth. In fact, was there any other reason for the sending of
expeditions and reconnoitering parties from Madman except
to raise high the banner of Allah (<&), disgrace the banner of
idolatry, and to expose the idolaters as incapable of inflicting
any harm or benefit? For this reason the Prophet
(^s)
did not
pay attention to the escaping caravan as much as he did to the
need for scouring the region with arms and instilling the awe
of the Muslims into the hearts of the people nearby.
The Quraish advanced in positive response to Abtt JahTs
advice until they arrived at the far bank of the oasis of Badr. In
the meantime, after their strenuous journey the Muslims had
camped at the bank of the oasis. Thus the two forces drew close
to each other, not knowing what would be the result of this
awesome meeting,
Night came on and the Prophet
($g)
sent 'Air (*&) Al
Zubayr
(4*)
and Sa'd
(4)
to survey the surroundings and seek
news. They encountered two young slaves of the Qurayish,
whose duty was to provide water for them.
They brought them back to the camp, and began questioning
them while the Prophet
(^gtg)
was praying. The boys said that
they were water carriers for the Quraish and that they had been
sent in search of water. The Muslims disliked this piece of news:
they were hoping that the boys would be from Abu Sufyan's
caravan, for some of them still had hopes of capturing the
caravan. They questioned the two boys painfully until they had
no choice but to say that they had been sent by Abu Sufyan, then
they left them alone.
The Prophet (>g) completed his prayers, and then said; When
they tell you the truths you beat them; and when they lie to you,
you leave them alone? ! By Allah
($j),
they spoke the truth when
they said that they were from the Quraish," Then he turned to the
boys and asked them: "What news do you have of the Quraish?
Q They said: "they are behind this mound that you see."
The Life OfProphet Muhammad
247
He asked: "How many are they?"
They replied: "Very many."
Q He asked: "What are their numbers?"
They replied: "We do not know."
Q
He asked: "How many camels do they
slaughter every day?"
Then replied: "Nine or ten a day."
He said: "The people number between 900 and 1000,"
Then
he asked the boys again: "Which of the Quraish notables are
among them?**
They replied: "Utbah and Shaybah, the sons of Rabi'ah,
Abu Bukhtari ibn Hisham, Hakim ibn HizSm,
Naufal ibn
Khuwailid,
Al-Harith ibn
*
Amir,
Ta'imah ibn
'Adi, Al Nadr
ibn Al-Harith,
Zam'ah ibn
al-Aswad,
Ami ibn Hisham,
Umayyah ibn Khalaf, Etc."
The Prophet
(gfeg)
then turned to the Muslims and said: "Here
is Makkah confronting you with its choicest sons.
10
LI The seriousness
of the situation was now revealed. The long
-awaited confrontation was going to taste bitter.
The Quraish
had come in their full pride, intent on doing that action which
-
the odes narrated and which riders spread to all corners. They
wanted to conclude the fifteen-year
struggle with Islam so that
afterwards
paganism might reign supreme.
The Prophet
($&)
looked around him and saw those believers
who were either
Muhajirm who had sold themselves and their
property in the way of Allah
(*),
and the Ansar who had tied
their present and future to this religion of Islam to which they
had given refuge. He therefore wanted to make them realise,
the
reality of the situation so that they
might be aware ofwhat to do.
One may encounter unforeseen
situations
as one proceeds along
the way and will need to rally one's strength and
experience to
Narrated by Ibn IJtshflm from Ibn Ishaq. Its chain ls sound but it is mursal Ahmad
also narrated it on the authority of WlT ibn Jalib without the Jast question and this
version also has a sound chain. Muslim has a shortened version of it on ihe authority
of Anas (4-).
248
The Bloody
Struggle
face them.
These sudden tests prove a
person's real worth, more
so than the tests which can be prepared for. Thus the Muslims
who had gone out on an easy task suddenly found themselves
confronted with a hard test.
Their senses
awakened to it and they began to examine
quickly what it called for and what would be its results. The old
certainty was aroused and it steered the people to take that
unique step
which a believer would inevitably take. The Prophet
(gjfe)
consulted with the gathering and Abu Bakr (<&)
stood up
and spoke positively.
Then 'Umar
(*fr)
stood up and he too
spoke
positively.
Then Al-Miqdad ibn
*
Amr stood up and said:
"
O Messenger of
Allah (3^)!
Proceed to wherever Allah (Si)
guides you for we are
with you. By Allah (*), we shall not tell you what the BanQ IsraMl
(&?) told Moosa (&&): 'Go you and your Lord and fight while we
remain seated here, instead, we say: 'Go you and your Lord and
fight and we shall be fighting with you'. I swear by Him who sent
you with the truth, if you took us to Birk Al-Ghimad we should
fight with you
against any one who blocked our path until we are
able to reach it
."
The Prophet (^)
thanked him and made a supplication for
him. Then he said: "Advice me, O people." By this he was
referring to the Ansar, since they were in the majority and at
the Pledge of 'Aqabah they had said: Messenger of Allah
(^)!
We are not under
obligation to you until you reach our
land. When you reach us you will be under our protection-and
we shall defend you from that, which we defend our wives
and
children. The Prophet ($&)
was thus afraid that the Ansar
might not think it necessary to fight on his behalf unless he
was attacked at MadTnah,
When he said that, however, Sa'd Ibn M
4
adh replied: By
Allah
(MS),
perhaps you are referring to us, Messenger of Allah
(^s)?
When the Prophet
Gg)
replied in the affirmative, he
continued:
"We have believed in you and accepted what you
say. We have testified that what you have brought is the truth,
The Life Of
Prophet A tuhammad 249
and on the basis of that we have given you our pledge and sworn
to hear and obey you. So proceed, Messenger of Allah
(^s), to
do whatever you will, for we are with you. By Him
($%)
who
sent you with the truth, if
you approached the sea with us and
dived into it, we should dive into it with you and not a single
man would remain behind. We are not against your confronting
the enemy with us tomorrow, Wc are steadfast in war, truthful in
meeting. Perhaps Allah
($%)
will show you something of us
which will gladden your heart. So proceed with the blessings of
Allah
(9S).
Q
In another version the words reported are: "Perhaps you
went out for one purpose and Allah
(3c) caused something else
to happen. So look at that which Allah
(3) has caused to
happen and proceed. Accept whom you will and reject whom
you will; oppose whom you will and conclude peace with
whom you will; take from our wealth what you will and give
us what you will. What you take from us is more precious to us
than what you leave.
11
Q
The Prophet
()
was pleased with Sard's
(<&)
reply, and so
he said:
"Go forward and be cheerful. Allah
(&) had promised me one of
the two parties. By Allah
(&},
it is as if I can already see the
places where those people will die.
11
Q
The Muslims prepared to go into battle, and they camped in
front of the wells at Badr.
Narrated by Ibn llish&n from Ibn Ishaq without a chain. The second version was
narrated by [bn Mardawath and it is mursal. In this way it was also narrated by Ibn
Abi Shaybah, as recorded in Fath al Ban. Bukharr, Al-Hakim and Ahmad narrated
the account of this story on the authority of 'Abdullah ibn Mas'dd, while Al-Tabarani
narrated it on the authority of Abo Ayyub Al-AnsarT. About the latter, Al- J faythami
says that its chain is good.
In the previous footnote, mentioned is made of a HadTth narrated by Muslim on
the authority of Anas (*). In this HadTth the Prophet
(#&) was reported as
saying; "This is the place where so and so shall die.
1 '
The narrator added that he put his hand on the ground in various places, and,
continued, not one of them was found in any other position.
250 The Bloody Struggle
Al-Habbab ibn
Al-Mundhir came up to the Prophet
(s&)
and
said; "Is this a place where Allah
(1)
has put you and thus we are
not permitted to move forwards or backwards? Or is it an opinion,
war and strategy."
The Prophet
(^)
said: "It is indeed opinion, war and strategy.
Al Habbab then said: "Well, Messenger of Allah (=gg),
this is
no position. Lead the group onwards until you reach the wells
closest to the enemy. Let us camp there and fill up all the wells
behind us. Then let us build a cistern and fill it with water. So
when we fight the enemy, we shall be able to drink and they will
have no waten"
The Prophet
(^s)
said:
"You have indeed given us good advice," and he ordered it to
be executed. Before midnight they had acted upon Af-
Habbab's suggestion and occupied the wells.
12
The Muslims spent a night which was quiet and encouraging
for them. Confidence filled their hearts and they were able to
have a full night's rest. A light rain fell upon them and
moistened the atmosphere, and the early morning breeze blew
upon them, refreshing their hearts and renewing their spirits.
Even the sand below their feet was made firm by the rain and it
allowed them easy movement.
3'When he made the slumber fall upon you as a reassurance from
Him and sent down water from the sky upon you, that thereby He
might purify you and remove from you the fear of Satan, and make
strong your hearts and firm [your] feet thereby,) (Qur'an 8:11)
Narrated by Ibn HishSm from Ibn Ishaq, who said: "So I was told of the men from
the Band Salman that they mentioned that Al-Habbab..."' This is a weak chain since
the link between Ibn Ishaq and the men from the Banu Saltnah is not known. Al-
Hskim narrated it with a complete chain, although there was someone in it whom I
could not recognize, and Al Dhahabrsaid it was a rejected lladith. Also Al-Airuwi
narrated it on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas, as was reported in.4l-Bidayah. However,
there is Al-Kalbi in the chain and he was a liar
The Life Of
Prophet Muhammad 251
U The Prophet
(^)
was solicitous of his men: he arranged their
ranks, gave advice and reminded them of Allah (3*e) and the
Hereafter. Then he returned to the hut which had been prepared
for him and engrossed himself in humble supplication, seeking
the help of the Almighty. Abu Bakr
(4&)
was standing by his side
when he unceasingly implored Allah
(Sg), saying: O Allah
(3c), if
this band of men are to die, there will be no-one left to worship
you on earth. He continued imploring with the following words:
"O Allah
(31),
fulfill what You have promised me. O Allah (4fc),
grant us victory. While saying these words, he raised his hands to
the heavens until his cloak fell from his shoulders,
Abu Bakr (4*) stood behind him, setting his cloak aright and
saying in concern:
"0
Messenger of Allah
(^g),
enough of
imploring your Lord. He will surely fulfill His
(jj)
promise to
you.
13
Q The two armies marched towards each other and the idolaters
began the attack. Al-Aswad ibn
*
Abdul Asad made a dash for
the cistern which the Muslims had built, saying: "I pledge to
God that I shall drink from their cistern or destroy it or die in the
attempt Hamzah ibn 'Abdul Muttalib met him with his sword,
taking one of his legs off But he continued to hop toward the
pool, followed by Hamzah. At this point
l
Utbah and Shaybah,
the sons of Rabi'ah, and Al-Walid ibn 'Utbah came forward
from among the idolaters and they were challenged by three
youths from the AnsSr.
They shouted: "Muhammad
(siB),
send out our equals from
our own people.
Another version says that the Prophet
(^fe)
himself recalled
the three youths since he wished that the enemy should be faced
first by his own relatives on such an occasion. He thus said:
**Arise, Ubaydah ibn-ul Harith; arise, Hamzah; arise, \AlT (*,).
'Ubaydah fought with 'Utbah, Hamzah fought with Shaybah, and
*AlT
(40
fought with Al-WalTd. Hamzah and 'All (&)
killed their
A sound Hadnh narrated b> Muslim and Ahmad on the authority of 'Umar Ibn-al
Khaiiah (-*). Pari of it is in BukhsrT on the authority of Ibn Abbas.
252
The Bloody Struggle
opponents, but 'Ubaydah and 'Utbah both wounded each other.
Then Hamzah and 'AlT
(&) came to the help of 'Ubaydah,
finished off his opponent and took him back behind the line. They
laid him at the feet ofthe Prophet
(^).
He put his cheek against the Prophet's
{^m)
feet'
4
and said:
"Messenger of Allah {^s), if Abu Talib saw me, he would
know that I am more worthy of his statement:
*
We protect
him till we die in the effort though we may neglect our
children and wives. He then breathed his last."
14
The unbelievers were so enraged at the sad beginning of their
encounter that they bombarded the Muslims with a shower of
arrows. Then the battle intensified and swords clashed. The
Muslims shouted "A hud, Ahud" and the Prophet
(3fes) ordered
them to break the attacks of the enemy. The Muslims were all
fixed in their stations, and so he told them that if the enemy tried
to charge them, they should repel them with arrows and not rush
towards them unless the order was given,
16
J As the battle was nearing its peak* the Muslims had by that
time exhausted the enemy's strength and dealt them some heavy
losses. The Prophet ("&), still in his hut, was supplicating to
Allah (J) and watching the heroic efforts of his men.
Ibn Ishaq said:
11
Up 10 here ibn Hisham narrated from Ibn I shun] without chain. U was also narrated by
AbQ Dawad on the authority of Air (s) without the story aXAt-Aswad, but lis chain is
sound. Likewise ii was narrated by Ahmad.
This amount is quoted by Ibn KathTr. who said that KhaTi narrated it. However, he
did not say on whose authority Al-Hakim narrated a similar account on the authority
of Ibn Hibab in munal form and it did not have ihe addition.
"'[
hen he breathed his
last." What shows Ihe weakness of this addition is thai Al-Makim reported on the
authority of Ibn 'Abbas thai 'Ubaydah died ni Al Salra while cm his way from Badr
and the Prophet (3fcs) buried him there. The chain of this l.tadTlh is good, and Al-
Hakim and At DhahabT authenticated it
Narrated b,. Ibn Ishaq without a chain. BukhM reported on the authority of Aba
Usayd: "On the day of Badr the Messenger of Allah i^ks.) said to us "When they
attack you. shoot them with arrows and remain in your positions,
In his Al-Mughazi and also b\ Ibn Hisham without a chain. However. Al-Amawi
also narrated with a full chain which is considered a good chain,
The Life Of
Prophet Muhammad
253
"In his hut the Prophet's
(^)
head drooped, and after a short
while he was alert again and saying: "Glad tidings, Abu Bakr
(4k). The help of Allah (-$*:) has come. Here is JibrTl (w)
holding the reins of his horse and spurring it on into the midst of
the battle!"
Dust gathered over the heads of the fighters, who were in a
state of attack and retreat: the army of truth displaying courage
in support of Allah's faith, and the army of falsehood possessed
by the delusion that they could vanquish truth. No wonder,
therefore, that the angels of goodness should descend, fill the
hearts of the Muslims with the spirit of certainty and urge them
to be steadfast and courageous,
The Prophet (sgfeig) came out of his hut to his men and urged
them on with the following words:
"By Him in Whose hands is Muhammad's
(-fe)
life, if any
man fights them today and is killed while displaying
steadfastness and hope in Allah
($s), advancing and not
retreating, Allah (fo) will surely bring him into paradise."
Contemplation oi^ the Hereafter is the commodity which the
Prophet
(^g)
offered. However, is there any rest for the
upholders of faith and the redeemers of truth except over there?
This call had its effect on the believing hearts.
Q Ahmad narrated
1
"
that as the idolaters were approaching, the
Prophet
(0&g)
said to his Companions: "Arise towards a paradise
whose extent is that of ihe heavens and the earth.
Upon hearing this, 'Umayr ibn-ul Hamam Al-Ansan
declared:
"0
Messenger of Allah
(?&),
a paradise whose extent
is that of the heavens and the earth?" When the Prophet
(^g)
replied yes, he said, "Bukh. Bakh" (an expression of wonder
and
pleasure). The Prophet
(^g) asked him why he said "Bakh,
Bakh, and he replied: "By Allah,
(>X),
O Messenger of Allah
(3Mg), it is only with the hope that 1 shall be one of its inmates.
'
in his Musntul without ihccoupkls ofpoetn Similarly, ii ua, narrated b\ Muslim
and Al-Hakim. all ihrve narrating it on ihe authority or Anas (.*.). Muslim has a
shorter version also from Al-Barra ihn "A/ib. As for the couplets. Ihn Kathfr asenbed
them to Ibn JarTr,
254
The Bloody Struggle
The Prophet
(5)
responded: "Then surety you shall be one of
them,
Q He then took out some dates which he had in his horn and
began eating them. Then he said: "If I live to finish eating these
dates of mine, it will be a long life. He flung his dates away and
entered into the battle, saying these lines ofpoetry:
"We
hastened to Allah
(3)
without provision to piety and
striving for the Hereafter
And determinedjihad in Allah's way,
For all provision is bound to be exhausted
Save piety and righteousness and uprightness."
He fought until he was killed.
19
Q The ranks of the idolaters weakened under the hammer-blows
of this faith which showed no love for worldly glitter, and they
were stunned by the Prophet
{igm)
himself who descended into
the thick of the battle and fought boldly. With him, his
Companions pressed on towards the enemy, not fearing anything.
The Quraish collapsed and were overcome by fright. And the
Prophet
(0s)>
upon seeing the leaders ofthe Quraish wallowing
in the dust, cried out: "May their faces be disfigured/'
Thus were the Quraish defeated. Reference is made to this in
the Qur'an:
(When your Lord inspired the angels [saying]: I am wfth you. So
make those who believe stand firm. I shall throw fear into the hearts
of those who disbelieve. Then cut off their necks and cut off each of
their fingers. That is because they opposed Allah and His Messenger.
He who opposes Allah and Hfs Messenger, [for him] Indeed, Allah is
Severe in punishment. That [is the reward], so taste it, and [know]
that for disbelievers Is the torment of the Fire.) (Quran 8: 12-14)
Abu Jahl attempted to stop the flood of defeat which was
descending on his people. He shouted to them, the blindfold of
19
A good HadTth, which is part of the above-mentioned HadRh narrated by Al-
Amawi. There is another Hadrth which supports ii and is is that of Hakim ibn Hizam.
AI-Haythami says: AI Tabarani narrated it and its chain is good-"
The
life OfProphet Muhammad 255
delusion still covering
his eyes: "By
Al-Lat and Al-'Uzza,
we
shall not return until we scatter them on the mountains. Take
them by force." However, what can cries of despair
do in front of
the sweeping
realities?
Nevertheless,
the truth must be told: Abu
Jahl was a pillar of stubborness till his last
breath. The blindness
which
blanketed his perception was an integral part of him. Thus
he advanced, fighting with ferocity
and anger,
and saying:
"What revenge can a wild war take of me?
Exceeding
two years is the talk of my age.
For such did my mother give birth to me."
The remnants of the Quraish
gathered
around him saying:
"No-one will reach Abul Hakam, He was in the midst of a thick
forest. Nevertheless,
this forest soon lost tree after tree in face of
the zeal of the believers, who were spurred on by the news of
victory, and whose cries
oVAhad^Ahadr
filled the air.
'Abdul-Rahman
ibn
ft
Aufsaid:
"I was in the ranks on the day of Badr, When J turned round,
there, on my right and left were two youths,
I was starting to feel insecure between them
when one of
them said softly to me so that the other could not
hear
"Uncle!
Show me Abu Jahl.
I said: "My son, what do you want with him?"
He said: "I have sworn to Allah
(j)?
that if I see him I shall
kill him or die in the attempt/
1
The other
youth said something
similar to that, trying not to let the first one hear,"
'Abdul-Rahman
continued:
"I could not have been more pleased if J was standing
between two men other than them. So I pointed him (Abu Jahl)
out to them and they darted at him like two hawks, hitting him
until he was dead. They were the sons of
6
Afra,"
M
A sound Hadlth narrated by BukharT,
Muslim and Ahmad. Al-Hakim
mistakenly
included it in his Mustadrak (his compilation or sound Hadnh not mentioned
bv Bukhsrt or
Muslim). The statement "They were the sons of Afr,r was mentioned like this in one of
Bukharfs versions, whereas the others had "and the two men were Mu'adh ibn Amr ibn-
ui Jamuh and Mu'adh ibn 'Afra. This was also one of Bukharfs versions,
Perhaps the first
version mentioned the sons of ' Afra by way of brevity. See also Fath-ai B<vi,
256
1 'he Bloody Struggle
Q It seems that they left him on the verge of death. The two
young heroes were martyred in this battle, and the Prophet
i^m)
stood over their dead bodies, praying for them and recounting
their action/
1
As for Abu Jahl. he fell to the ground gasping for
breath. Upon this, the idolaters scattered and took to their heels
in the desert just as the wind will scatter a mound of sand.
'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud passed by the dead and found Abu Jahl
among them with still some breath of life in him. So he jumped
upon him with the intention of finishing him off. Aba Jahl
stirred and asked who was having the upper hand.
Q 'Abdullah replied; "Allah
(yg)
and His Messenger
(0ty
Then he continued: "Have you tasted the humiliation from Allah
fi-g),
enemy of Allah
tec)?
?T
3 Abu Jahl replied: "And how did He humiliate me? Is there
any man stronger than the one who is killed by his own people'?
Then he peered at 'Abdullah and said: "Aren't you the little
shepherd boy in Makkah?"
l
Abdullah dealt him some blows
with his sword until he was cold.
22
The same humiliating fate
met seventy of the Makkan stalwarts of unbelief and seventy
more fell captive into the hands of the Muslims. The remnants
of the nine hundred and fifty fled to tell their countrymen that
the consequences of evil were evil, and that pride resulted in
shame and ignominy.
Zl The Muslims opened their eyes to the welcome sight of victory
smiling at them through the heavens and the earth. It had given
back to them life, hope and dignity and rid them of heavy burdens.
To insist on this ts a clear mistake since it comes from the account of* Al-Waqidi
without a chain as Jbn Kathrr stated- Rvcn if he had quoted the chain and it had been
strong, ft would stiJI not be correct, since Al-Waqidi was suspected of being a liar. What
points to the weakness of this account too is the fact that Mu'adh ibn Amr died during
the reign of "Uihman. as Bukharr and others have positively stated {See Ibn Hisham).
Narrated by Ibn Hisham from [br> Isliaq without a chain. Fart of it is in the Mrnnad
(of Ahmad) and ANBayhaqi on the authority of Ibn Mas" ad with an incomplete chain,
However, the story of Ibn Mas'Od killing of Abo Jahl is authentic and was narrated by
Bukharr, Muslim and Ahmad on the authority ofAnas (&).
The Life Of
Prophet Muhammad 25?
Allah had already given you the victory at Badr, when you were
contemptible. So observe your duty to Allah so that you may be
thankful..' (Quran 3: 123)
Q The number of martyrs among them was fourteen. Allah's
mercy had selected them and taken them to "Uliym. Anas bin
Malik
(h*) reported that Haritha ibn Suraqah was killed on the
day of Badr by a stray arrow while on guard.
His mother came to the Prophet
($jg)
and Said: "O
Messenger of Allah
(^),
tell me about Haritha. If he is in
Jcmnah I shall be patient, but if not, then Allah (*&) will see
what
1*11
do" (That is, wailing). And she was not yet deprived,
3 The Prophet
(3B)
replied: "Woe you! Are you bereft of your
son? Those are wonderful gardens and your son has attained the
highest garden in paradise.
23
If this was the reward for the guards who were hit by stray
arrows, then what about those who plunged into the thick of the
battle and were killed?
in this battle fathers faced sons, and brothers faced
brothers. They disagreed on principles and swords settled
their differences. In our times the communists fought their
fellow citizens and tore apart the closest of human bonds for
the sake cf their beliefs. It was therefore no surprise to see a
believing son angry at his unbelieving father and disputing
with him about Allah
(3),
The battle at Badr recorded several
instances of such happenings.
AbQ Bakr
(^)
was with the Prophet
(JBS)
and his son with
Abu Jahl was fighting against him.
k
Utbahibn RabT'ah was the
first to challenge the Muslims to a fight, while his son Abu
Hudhayfah was one of the closest Companions to the Prophet
(g&).
When the body of
dh
f
i
*
gh
Ufl f
q
The
Life ofProphet Muhammad 507
<4
k
J
i
- <*
m
u
n
4_-
-
fe
h
J
w
j
(as vowel) Q or oo
i_*
y
t ^
(as vowel) T oree
ft (Omitted in
initial position)
Fathah
r
3
a
Kasrah
Dammah u
**
Shaddah Double letter
#
Sukun
Absence of vowel
The Life
of
Prophet Muhammad
509
Glossary
Ayat: (sing, ayah) Proofs, signs, verses, etc.
Adhm: Call to Sal&i (prayer) in specified manner.
Ahz8n (sing, hizh) means groups and parties. Quraish and all
anti-Islamic
forces, pagan tribes and the Jews ofArabia, formed
a confederacy and attacked Madlnah
jointly, hence called the
battle of the Confederates.
Al Mizam The balance. Deeds will be measured in the Hereafter
for reward or punishment,
AllBii Personal name ofthe Creator of the universe. He is 'The
Exalted', the Rabb (the Lord) of the Worlds.
Arafah: The ninth day of the month Dhul-Hijjah,
the day
pilgrims stay in the plain ofArafMi till sun set. This is the major
part of Hajj
.
There is no Hajj (Pilgrimage)
without
Araflh.
Dm: Religion, a complete way of life, ordained by Allah
(S) for
humanity,
encompassing all aspects of human life; private,
social, religious,
political, legal etc.
Da'wah: Mission, Preaching
(Invitation to Islam).
Dhira
s
: A dhira
1
is equivalent to a cubit, an ancient linear
measure equal to the length of a forearm.
Dhuhn Noon, Mid-day. Name of the noon Salah (prayer).
DhulQa'dahi
Eleventh month of the Islamic
{Hijri) calendar.
Dinars*. An ancient gold currency coin,
Dirhami A silver coin weighing 50 grains of barley with cut
ends. It is equals to 1/12 of one Uqiyyah of gold in value.
5W
Glossary
Hanfi Name of Ibrahim's (Abraham) religion, pure
monotheism, wherein Allah alone is worshipped. Another name
of Islam*
Haram : Forbidden things as per Islamic faith.
Hijrahi Migration. Specifically used for the migration of the
Prophet and the Muslims from Makkah to Madman under the
commands ofthe All-Mighty.
Mrib A well-known cave in a mountain near Makkah. The last
Prophet
($fe)
used to contemplate therein before he was assigned
prophethood.
tlijrk Name of Era. The Islamic Calendar which has its origin in
the Migration ofthe last Prophet (^g)from Makkah to Madman.
H&\ Houris, a creature of Allah for the dwellers ofJannah.
Huffadh: (sing.
Haflz),
people memorizing the Quran.
Imam: Leader. A person who leads the Saint (prayer), authority
in Islamic Jurisprudence and extra ordinary scholar of Islamic
learning as well as the Muslim caliph (or ruler).
fora*: The Prophet's ascension.
'Issa: Jesus (tm).
Jahiljyyahz Ignorance. Non-Islamic state of affairs. The name
given to the pre-Islamic era.
Janabah: The state of impurity. After sexual involvement
and/or sexual discharge in a wet dream, A person in such a state
should perform Ghusl (i.e. have a bath) or do Taymmum, if a
bath is not possible.
Jannah\ Paradise.
The Life
of
Prophet Muhammad
5U
Jihad: Holy fighting in the Cause of AllSh
(3e) or any other kind
of effort to make Allan's Word (i.e. Islam) supreme. Jihad'xs regarded
as one ofthe fundamentals of Islam.
Jizyah: Head tax for the non-Muslims living under the
protection of an Islamic government. They are exempted from
Zakah and Jihad.
Jumada I & II: The sixth and the seventh months of the
Muslim calendar.
Khttafah: Vicegerent, Deputy. Also Successorship.
Khalffah. (Plural: Khulqfi) Successor. A Caliph. An Islamic term
used for rulers of the Muslims after the death of the Prophet
(&&).
The first four Caliphs of Islam are known as Khulafa ul
Rashidun.
Lat and
'Uzza: Names of two deities of the Pre-Islamic era of
Hijaz, Arabia, being worshipped during the Period of Ignorance.
Afahram: A close blood relative with whom marriage is
prohibited.
Madmah: Well-known city in Saudi Arabia, where the Prophet
($fe)
migrated from Makkah and is buried. It was the centre of
Islamic Rule during the Prophet and the early caliphs.
Maghazf, Battles. Books describing the history of war of the
early Islamic period are known as Maghazi.
Main: The actual text of the HadTth.
Mir'afz The ascension of the last Prophet
(0ts) to the heavens
(by soul and body).
Miswak: A toothbrush made of Arak-Xrez roots.
512 Glossary
Mu*jiza: Miracles. Supernatural occurrence by a prophet of
Allah in response to challenge from non-believers.
Mu'adftdhin: One who calls for SaW (Prayer) in the prescribed
manner
Mudhammam : The blameworthy antonym of Muhammad.
Maghrib: Sunset, Name of the evening Salat timing (prayer)*
Muhajirm: (sing, Muhajir). Emigrants, specially those who
migrated from Makkah to Madrnah with the last Prophet
($g$).
Muharram: The first month of the Muslim calendar.
Mushrikun: (sing. Mushrik) Polythcists. Pagans, idolaters who
worship other than one god and/or associate others with Allah.
Nutfah: Semen,
Qasldahs: (sing. Qasidah) Poems written in praise of some one.
Rak'ah: (plural Rah
1
at) Unit, The Scdat (prayer) of Muslims
contains a number of units, each unit consists ofone standing,
one bowing and two prostrations.
Ramadan: The ninth month of the Muslim Calendar. This is the
month of Sawn (fasting). The Noble Qur'an started to be
revealed. The first decisive battle in the history of Islam, battle
of Badr occurred in this month.
Saiah: Prayer, Islamic terminology of Prayer invoking Allah's
Blessings in the prescribed form.
SahabTi (Plural. ahabah) Companion of the Prophet
(^^).
Ridwani Pleasure. On the occasion of the Treaty of Hudaibiya,
Uthman ibn Affan was sent to Makkah for negotiations. He was
held up there for some time. It was said that he is martyred by the
Quraish there. The Prophet
($g) took oath from the believers to
fight to the last in retaliation thereof. It is known as Bayt al Ridwm.
The Life of
Prophet Muhammad 513
Sirah: Life, Biography. Generally the Biography ofthe Prophet
(mi
Surah : (Plural: Surahs),Chwptcr of the Holy Qurttn. It is
divided into 114 Surahs.
Sofa: The name of a mount near the K'abah. Pilgrim starts his
Sayec ritual from this mountain and goes up to Mprwa, another
mount near the K'abah and facing Safa.
Salami means peace. It is used for greeting.
Salasik Chains. The Roman army facing the Muslims are
reported to be bound in chains so that they do not run away from
the war.
Sha'ban; The eight month ofthe Muslim calendar,
Shari'ah : Religious, legal and moral code.
ShawwM: The tenth month of the Muslim calendar.
SuhhmallMtx Glorified is Allah.
Tahajjud : Literally waking after sleep at night. It is the name of
an optional prayer offered at any time after *Isha and before the
Fqjr prayer,
TawhMt: The belief in the oneness ofthe Creator,
Tayammumi It is a means of attaining purification for Prayers
in place of Wudu (ablution) and/or Ghusl (bath) when water is
not available or water is injurious for health.
Uhudi A well-known mountain in MadTnah. One ofthe great
battles in the Islamic history took place at its foot known as
battle of Uhud.
Ulama: (sing, 'ahm) Scholars, learned people.
514 Glossary
Ummah: Nation. The Muslim community as a whole is termed
as Muslim Ummah.
Umrahx Minor pilgrimage. It can be performed any time
throughout the year and in any number of times.
Uqiyah: A measurement specially for gold and silver.
ZakM al
fltr, Zakat for fasting in the month of Ramadan. Every
Muslim, adult or child, male or female, rich or poor has to pay it
before going to offer Idd prayer.
Zamzami The sacred well inside the Haram (the grand mosque)
at Makkah.