Seerah-Stories

"Allah will change their sins into good deeds.." (al Furqan 25:68-70)

2011-07-30T12:04:00.000-07:00

In the Musnad of Imam Ahmed, and Sahih Muslim from the Abu Dhar radiyallahu anhu says, the Messenger of Allah (saws) said;

“I know that person well who will enter Jannah [Paradise] first and also that person who will be the last one to be taken out of Jahannam[ Hell].

On the Day of Qiyaamah [Ressurection Day] a person will be brought forward to the court of Almighty Allah. It shall be commanded that all the minor sins of that person be put forward to him and the major sins be concealed [hidden]. When the minor sins are disclosed to that person, he will accept that he had committed them, as there will be no room for refuting them. (He will begin to tremble and say in his heart that these are only the minor sins, what will happen when the major sins are exposed.)

During this happening it shall be commanded that for every sin of that person he be given the ajr (thawaab-reward) of a good deed. Upon hearing (this amazing mercy of Allah of bad deeds turning to good deeds), this person himself will say - "I still have many sins left to account for, that are not seen here.” (he hopes that even his major sins will turn into good deeds)

Abu Dhar radiyallahu anhu says, “Rasoolullah [the Messenger of Allah] sallallahu alaihe wasallam while narrating the words of that person began laughing until his blessed teeth began to show.” (The reason being that the person himself disclosed the very sins he was frightened of.)

SubhanAllah look at the greed of mankind, when this man so that the circumstance was that of forgiveness and not of punishment , he begins asking for his other sins to be brought forth… subhanAllah…

NOTE: This person most likely Repented for his sins in this life, and this is why Allah had mercy on him.

Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds, for those, Allah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. [Quran Al-Furqaan 25:68-70]

Aayaat /Verses from the Quran which made the Prophet (saws) Laugh:

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:Lyco76weMpUJ:talk.islamicnetwork.com/archive/index.php/t-3825.html+site:islamicnetwork.com+umar+man+paradise+hell&cd=13&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk&source=www.google.co.uk

http://talk.islamicnetwork.com/archive/index.php/t-3825.html

Safiyyah: "By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, I truly wish that what has afflicted you would afflict me (instead)."

2011-03-21T08:11:00.000-07:00

In a narration that has a good chain, Ibn Sa'd related that Zaid ibn Aslam said,

"The wives of the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasalam) gathered around him during his final sickness (the one that ended in his death), and Safiyyah said, "By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, I truly wish that what has afflicted you would afflict me (instead)." The other wives winked (or pointed) at one another disparagingly at her for what she said.*

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wasalam) who saw what they did, said, "Wash out your mouths!" They said, "From what?" He (sal Allahu alayhi wasalam) said; "From the way you (disparagingly) winked (or pointed) with one another at her. By Allah, she is indeed truthful." (both in general terms and particularly regarding what she said.")

*Because Safiyyah was Jewish, and Jews were thought to be of as 'sly' and tricking. Furthermore, the wives would challenge each other because of wanting Attention of their husband (Prophet Muhammad, sal Allahu alayhi wasalam.)

SOURCE: [Refer to Sharh Al-Mawaahib al Ladaniyyah (2/233) and to Al-Isaabah Fee Ma'rifatus-Sahaabah (the Book of Women) by Ibn Hajar al Askalani.]

The Noble Life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). By Dr. Ali Muhammad As-Sallaaabee. Translated in English. Volume 3 - p1603 - DarusSalaam Publications. ISBN #9960-9678-6-7

"Ya Aba Umayr, Maa Fa'l an-Nughayr?" (Oh Abu Umayr...)

2010-04-02T09:14:00.000-07:00

A small Nightingale.

البخاري ( 5778 ) ومسلم ( 2150 ) - أنه كان لأخي أنس بن مالك لأمه يقال له " أبو عمير " كان له طائر وكان اسمه " النغير " فمات الطائر وحزن عليه الصبي ، فمازحه النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم بقوله " يا أَبَا عُمَيْرٍ مَا فَعَلَ النُّغَيْرُ " .
والنُّغَيْرُ : طائر صغير يشبه العصفور ، وقيل : هو البلبل .
وقد استُدل بهذا الحديث على جواز حبس الطائر ؛ لعدم إنكار النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم على أبي عمير . انظر " فتح الباري " ( 10 / 548 ) .

http://www.islam-qa.com/ar/ref/48008

It is proven in al-Saheehayn (al-Bukhaari, 5778; Muslim, 2150) that the brother of Anas ibn Maalik through his mother was called Abu ‘Umayr and he had a bird who was called al-nughayr.

The bird died and the child grieved for it (and was really sad), and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) tried to cheer him up by saying, “O Abu ‘Umayr, what happened to al-nughayr?”

The nughayr is a small bird like a sparrow, or it was said that it is a nightingale.

This hadeeth is taken as evidence that it is permissible to keep birds, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not denounce Abu ‘Umayr for doing so.

See Fath al-Baari, 10/548

http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/48008

Al-Nawawi said:

The nughayr is a small bird.

This hadeeth teaches us many things, such as being kind to small children. This demonstrates the good character of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and how he was of noble character and humble.

Sharh Muslim, 14/129

http://www.islamqa.com/en/ref/30864

The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to joke with the small child of one of the Sahaba, a boy called Abu 'Umayr, who had a small bird he used to play with. One day he saw the child looking sad, so he said, "Why do I see Abu 'Umayr looking sad?" The Sahaba told him, "The nughar [a small bird, like a sparrow] which he used to play with has died, O Messenger of Allah"..

The Prophet (pbuh) began to gently joke with the child, saying, "O Abu Umayr, what happened to the nughayr?" [Nughayr: baby form of nughar. In Arabic, this is a play on words, because of the rhyme between the boy's name and that of the bird].

Source: This story was reported in Hayat al-Sahabah, 3/149.

"I was reproached in the night about horses."

2009-08-30T12:18:00.001-07:00

Malik's Muwatta Book 21, Number 21.19.47:

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was seen wiping the face of his horse with his cloak. He was questioned about it and said, "I was reproached in the night about horses." i.e. not taking care of them.

" كان النبي يمسح وجه خيله بجلبابه، و عندما سؤل لماذا يفعل هذا، أجاب: اليلة البارحة وبخني الله لنسياني خيلي" (رواه يحي بن سيد"مالك بن أنس

(How (will it be) then, when We bring from each nation a witness and We bring you (O Muhammad) as a witness against these people) [4:41]

2009-08-30T12:14:00.000-07:00

عن عبد الله ابن مسعود قال: قال لي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : ( اقرأ علي القرآن. قلت : يا رسول الله أقرأ عليك وعليك أنزل؟ قال: إني أشتهي أن أسمعه من غيري . فقرأت عليه سورة النساء حتى بلغت : { فكيف إذا جئنا من كل أمة بشهيد ، وجئنا بك على هؤلاء شهيدا } النساء 41، فغمزني برجله ، فإذا عيناه تذرفان

[وَيَوْمَ نَبْعَثُ فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ شَهِيدًا عَلَيْهِمْ مِّنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ]

(And (remember) the Day when We shall raise up from every nation a witness against them from amongst themselves). Al-Bukhari recorded that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said, "The Messenger of Allah said to me, `Recite to me.' I said, `O Messenger of Allah!

Should I recite (the Qur'an) to you, while it was revealed to you' He said, `Yes, for I like to hear it from other people.' I recited Surat An-Nisa' until I reached this Ayah,

[فَكَيْفَ إِذَا جِئْنَا مِن كُلِّ أمَّةٍ بِشَهِيدٍ وَجِئْنَا بِكَ عَلَى هَـؤُلاءِ شَهِيداً ]

(How (will it be) then, when We bring from each nation a witness and We bring you (O Muhammad) as a witness against these people) He then said, `Stop now.' I found that his eyes were tearful.'

surah al nisa;
Tafsir.com Tafsir Ibn Kathir

"I had sexual relations with my wife while observing the Ramadan fast."

2009-08-27T09:12:00.000-07:00

بَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ جُلُوسٌ عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذْ جَاءَهُ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَلَكْتُ قَالَ مَا لَكَ قَالَ وَقَعْتُ عَلَى امْرَأَتِي وَأَنَا صَائِمٌ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ هَلْ تَجِدُ رَقَبَةً تُعْتِقُهَا قَالَ لا قَالَ فَهَلْ تَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ تَصُومَ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ قَالَ لا فَقَالَ فَهَلْ تَجِدُ إِطْعَامَ سِتِّينَ مِسْكِينًا قَالَ لا قَالَ فَمَكَثَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَبَيْنَا نَحْنُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ أُتِيَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِعَرَقٍ فِيهَا تَمْرٌ وَالْعَرَقُ الْمِكْتَلُ ( وهو الزنبيل الكبير ) قَالَ أَيْنَ السَّائِلُ فَقَالَ أَنَا قَالَ خُذْهَا فَتَصَدَّقْ بِهِ فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ أَعَلَى أَفْقَرَ مِنِّي يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَوَ اللَّهِ مَا بَيْنَ لابَتَيْهَا يُرِيدُ الْحَرَّتَيْنِ أَهْلُ بَيْتٍ أَفْقَرُ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِي فَضَحِكَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَتَّى بَدَتْ أَنْيَابُهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَطْعِمْهُ أَهْلَكَ ) رواه البخاري فتح
1936

While we were sitting in the company of Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) a man approached and said: "O Messenger of Allah! I'm ruined!"

The Prophet said: "What is the matter?"

He said: "I had sexual relations with my wife while observing the Ramadan fast."

Allah's Messenger then asked him: "Can you find a slave whom you can free?" He said no. "Then, are you able to fast for two consecutive months?" He said no. "Then, do you have the wherewithal to feed 60 poor people?" He said no.

So the Prophet (peace be upon him) stopped and considered, and we waited like that until a large basket of dates was brought to him. He asked: "Where is that questioner?"

The man spoke up: "Here I am."

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Take this and give it out in charity."

The man then asked: "Messenger of Allah, must I find someone poorer than myself to give it to? By Allah, there is no household in town poorer than my own."

The Prophet (peace be upon him) laughed until we could see his teeth, the said: "Go feed your family."

This hadîth is related by Abû Hurayrah in Sahîh al-Bukhârî (1936) and Sahîh Muslim (1111).

http://islamtoday.com/showme2.cfm?cat_id=31&sub_cat_id=2327

The Ansar and Muhajirin Defended the Messenger in the Battle of Uhud

2009-07-30T15:04:00.000-07:00

The Ansar and Muhajirin Defended the Messenger in the Battle of Uhud

Al-Bukhari recorded that Qays bin Abi Hazim said, "I saw Talhah's hand, it was paralyzed, because he shielded the Prophet with it.'' meaning on the day of Uhud.

It is recorded in the Two Sahihs that Abu `Uthman An-Nahdi said, "On that day (Uhud) during which the Prophet fought, only Talhah bin `Ubaydullah and Sa`d [ibn Abi Waqqas] remained with the Prophet.''

Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib said, "I heard Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas saying, `The Messenger of Allah gave me arrows from his quiver on the day of Uhud and said, `Shoot, may I sacrifice my father and mother for you.'''

Al-Bukhari also collected this Hadith. The Two Sahihs recorded that Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas said, "On the day of Uhud, I saw two men wearing white clothes, one to the right of the Prophet and one to his left, who were defending the Prophet fiercely. I have never seen these men before or after that day.'' Meaning angels Jibril and Mika'il, peace be upon them.

On the day of Uhud, Ubayy came while wearing iron shields and proclaiming, `May I not be saved, if Muhammad is saved.'

He then headed to the direction of the Messenger of Allah intending to kill him, but Mus`ab bin `Umayr, from Bani Abd Ad-Dar, intercepted him and shielded the Prophet with his body, and Mus`ab bin `Umayr was killed.

The Messenger of Allah saw Ubayy's neck exposed between the shields and helmet, stabbed him with his spear, and Ubayy fell from his horse to the ground. However, no blood spilled from his wound. His people came and carried him away while he was moaning like an ox.

They said to him, `Why are you so anxious, it is only a flesh wound' Ubayy mentioned to them the Prophet's vow, `Rather, I shall kill Ubayy', then commented, `By He in Whose Hand is my soul! If what hit me hits the people of Dhul-Majaz (a popular pre-Islamic marketplace), they would all have perished.'

He then died and went to the Fire,

[فَسُحْقًا لاًّصْحَـبِ السَّعِيرِ]

(So, away with the dwellers of the blazing Fire!) [67:11].''

This was collected by Musa bin `Uqbah from Az-Zuhri from Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib.

also see;

How many people did the Prophet ever kill?

http://www.islamic-life.com/forums/islamic-history-biographies/people-prophet-kill-616.html

Ibn Taymiyyah said:

"…And bravery is defined by two things:

a) the strength and firmness of the heart in the face of fears, and
b) physical strength when fighting, such that one can kill with immense force and magnitude.

The first is the definition of bravery. As for the latter, it indicates physical strength and ability, and not everyone who possesses physical strength has strength of heart, and vice versa.

Because of this, you may find that it is said regarding a man who kills many people: 'He would do this if he had with him those who could guarantee his safety.' But, if he becomes scared, he is stricken with cowardice, and his heart becomes detached. And you would find the man with a firm heart who has not killed many people with his own hands firm in the face of fears, going forth in the face of hardships, and this is a characteristic that is required by the commanders, leaders, and forerunners of war, more so than the other, as the forerunner, if he is brave and firm at heart, will go forth and remain firm and will not be defeated, and his supporters will fight alongside him. If he was a coward and weak at heart, he will be humiliated, will not go forth, and will not remain firm, even if he is physically strong.

And the Prophet was the most complete in regards to this bravery that is appropriate for the commanders in war, and he did not kill with his hand anyone except Ubayy bin Khalaf. He killed him on the day of Uhud, and did not kill anyone else with his hand before or after this."

['Minhaj as-Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah'; 8/78]

http://iskandrani.wordpress.com/

Surah 'Aal Imraan - Tafsir ibn Kathir;

http://www.tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=3&tid=9591

Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding (3:190)

2009-07-27T15:41:00.000-07:00

إِنَّ فِى خَلْقِ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَاخْتِلَـفِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لاّيَـتٍ لاٌّوْلِى الاٌّلْبَـبِ

Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding.

Ibn Marduwyah recorded that `Ata' said,

"I, Ibn `Umar and `Ubayd bin `Umayr went to `A'ishah and entered her room, and there was a screen between us and her.

She said, `O `Ubayd! What prevents you from visiting us'

He said, `What the poet said, `Visit every once in a while, and you will be loved more.'

Ibn `Umar said, `Tell us about the most unusual thing you witnessed from the Messenger of Allah .'

She cried and said, `All his matters were amazing. On night, he came close to me until his skin touched my skin and said, `Let me worship my Lord.'

I said, `By Allah I love your being close to me. I also love that you worship your Lord.'

He used the water-skin and performed ablution, but did not use too much water. He then stood up in prayer and cried until his beard became wet. He prostrated and cried until he made the ground wet. He then laid down on his side and cried.

When Bilal came to alert the Prophet for the Dawn prayer, he said, `O Messenger of Allah! What makes you cry, while Allah has forgiven you your previous and latter sins'

He said,

«وَيْحَكَ يَا بِلَالُ، وَمَا يَمْنَعُنِي أَنْ أَبْكِيَ، وَقَدْ أُنْزِلَ عَلَيَّ فِي هذِهِ اللَّيْلَة»

(O Bilal! What prevents me from crying, when this night, this Ayah was revealed to me,)

Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding.

«وَيْلٌ لِمَنْ قَرَأَهَا وَلَمْ يَتَفَكَّرْ فِيهَا»

(Woe to he who recites it but does not contemplate it.).''

Surah 'Aal Imraan - Tafsir ibn Kathir

http://www.tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=3&tid=10145

PHOTOS: Various Battlefields of the Prophet and the Companions

2009-07-25T11:54:00.000-07:00

PHOTOS: Various Battlefields of the Prophet and the Companions

Click this Link for FULL images [if you cannot view them here clearly]
http://www.islamicboard.com/general/33994-photos-various-battlefields-prophet-companions.html

Taken from IN forums, here they are Insha'Allah:

- The Fortresses of Khaybar -

...where the Messenger of Allah led an army of 1,400 men against the Jews.

- al-Yamamah -

...where Khalid bin al-Walid led an army against the followers of Musaylamah, during the wars of apostacy.

- The Village of Mu'tah (in the Jordan Valley) -

...where Khalid bin al-Walid led an army of 3,000 men against over 100,000 Roman soldiers. This is the battle in which he personally broke over nine swords, smashing them against the skulls of the kuffar.

- The Mountains of at-Ta'if -

...where the Messenger of Allah, commanding 1,000 of his Companions, had laid siege to Hawazin and Thaqif for over two weeks.

- The Valley of Yarmuk (Jordan) -

Here are some more of the Valley of Yarmouk:

...where, under the command of Khalid bin al-Walid, 24,000 Muslims laid waste to a Roman army of 150,000, initiating the Islamic conquest of Sham. This was the battle in which 'Ikrimah, the son of Abu Jahl, was martyred.

- al-Qadisiyyah (Iraq) -

...where Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas miraculously walked an army of 30,000 fighters across the Tigris River (above) on foot during the conquest of Persia.

Yarmouk:
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh162/speed2kx/Yarmouk.jpg

Yarmouk;
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh162/speed2kx/53093544Yarmoukvally4.jpg

village of Mu'ta [jordan valley]
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh162/speed2kx/karak7jr.jpg

al khaybar forts..where the Messenger of Allah led an army of 1,400 men against the Jews.
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh162/speed2kx/khaybar.gif

Al khaybar forts;
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh162/speed2kx/KhaybarDam8.jpg

Khaybar fort;
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh162/speed2kx/KhaybarDam3.jpg

Click this Link for FULL images [if you cannot view them here clearly] or copy the above links onto your address bar ^
http://www.islamicboard.com/general/33994-photos-various-battlefields-prophet-companions.html

"The Worst Act of Enmity the Quraysh did against the Messenger of Allah."

2009-07-20T10:03:00.000-07:00

The Hadith of Slaughter

Ya’qūb said, my father told us from Ibn Is’hāq, who said Yahyā ibn ‘Urqah ibn az-Zubayr told me from his father from ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr al-‘Ās, who said:

I said to him, “What is the worst act of enmity that the Quraysh had done against the Messenger of Allāh?”

He replied, “I went to Al-Hijr one day, and their dignitaries were there talking about the Messenger of Allāh…

So they said, “We never tolerated a man like the way we did Muhammad… He has mocked our elders, cursed our forefathers, criticized our religion, divided our community, and attacked our gods! We indeed have been very patient with him regarding a grave matter.”

While they were at that state, the Messenger of Allāh (salutations and blessings be upon him) came walking to Ar-Rukn.

Then he went around the Ka’bah (making Tawāf three times). When he passed by them, they started to mock him by repeating some of his (own) sayings. I looked at the Prophet and could see the anger in his face. And when he passed by them the second time, they mocked him again, and I saw the anger in his face (once more)- then he walked (away). Then when he passed by them for the third time and they had mocked him again – the Prophet (salutations and blessings be upon him) replied:

تسمعون يا معشر ‏ ‏قريش ‏ ‏أما والذي نفس ‏ ‏محمد ‏ ‏بيده ‏ ‏لقد جئتكم بالذبح

“O people of Quraysh! Hear this: By Him in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad- I have come to you, to slaughter you.”

His words struck them so severely, that there wasn’t any man from amongst them, except it was as if there was a bird falling upon his head (i.e. they were shocked, terrorized, and dumbfounded) – such that even the one who was the most wickedly harsh against the Prophet before this, was saying the most kind and tender words he could think of; such that even one of them said, “O Abul-Qāsim (Muhammad): Go! Go, O righteous one! Indeed, By Allāh, you are not ignorant!” So the Messenger of Allāh left.

The next day, they gathered together to meet at Al-Hijr and I was with them. They asked each other, “Do you remember what he said to you, and what you said to him? To such a degree, that he manifested to you that which you hate, yet you let him go!” So when they were in this state, the Messenger showed up again. So they all immediately surrounded him, and interrogated, “Are you the one who is mocking our gods and our religion?” The Prophet replied, “Yes. I am the one who says these things.”

I saw one of them (beginning to) pull the garment of the Prophet, but Abū Bakr jumped and stood between them and him. While crying, Abū Bakr said,

*‏أتقتلون رجلا أن يقول ‏ ‏ربي الله

“?Would you kill a man because he says: My Lord is Allāh” [Quran Ghāfir: 28]

Upon that, they left him. This was the worst thing I saw from the Quraysh against the Prophet (salutations and blessings be upon him).

- - - End of Hadīth.

Narrated by Imām Ahmad ibn Hanbal رحمه الله in his Musnad (11/203, # 7036). Imām Ahmad Shākir رحمه الله*******declared its chain to be authentic, and said, “Isnāduhu Sahīh.”

He also mentioned that it is narrated by Ibn Hajar al-Haythamī in Majma’ Az-Zawā’id (6/15-16), and was pointed to by Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalānī in Al-Fat’h (7/128), and Ibn Kathīr mentioned that it was narrated by al-Bayhaqī in At-Tārīkh (3/46).

Source; http://forums.islamicawakening.com/f44/hadith-slaughter-488/

It seems the hadith of slaughter came into effect when many of the great leaders of the Quraysh (who abused the Prophet) were killed in the Battle of Badr. Allah knows best.

The Treaty of Hudaybia (part 5) - The Advantages of the Hudaybia Treaty

2009-07-13T12:19:00.000-07:00

When the Prophet returned to Al-Madinah, Abu Basir, a new Muslim convert from the Quraysh, came to him. The disbelievers sent two men in pursuit who said to the Prophet , `Abide by the promise you gave us.' So, the Prophet handed him over to them. They took him out (of Al-Madinah) until they reached Dhul-Hulayfah where they dismounted to eat some dates they had with them.

Abu Basir said to one of them, `By Allah, O, so-and-so, I see you have a fine sword.' The other drew it out (of its sheath) and said, `Yes, by Allah, it is very fine and I have tried it many times.' Abu Basir said, `Let me have a look at it.' When the other gave the sword to Abu Basir, he struck him with it until he died. His companion ran away until he reached Al-Madinah, entering the Masjid running. When Allah's Messenger saw him he said,

«لَقَدْ رَأَى هذَا ذُعْرًا»

(This man appears to have been frightened.)

When he reached the Prophet he said, `My companion has been murdered, by Allah, and I would have been murdered too. ' Abu Basir came and said, `O Allah's Messenger, by Allah! Allah has made you fulfill your obligations by returning me to them, but Allah the Exalted has saved me from them.' The Prophet said,

«وَيْلُ أُمِّهِ مِسْعَرَ حَرْبٍ لَوْ كَانَ مَعَهُ أَحَد»

(Woe to his mother! What an excellent war kindler he would be, if he only have supporters.)

When Abu Basir heard this from the Prophet , he understood that he would return him to the idolators again, so he set off until he reached the seashore. Abu Jandal bin Suhayl also got himself released from the disbelievers and joined Abu Basir.

Thereafter, whenever a man from Quraysh embraced Islam he would follow Abu Basir until they formed a strong group. By Allah, whenever they heard about a caravan of the Quraysh heading towards Ash-Sham (Greater Syria), they stopped it, attacked and killed the disbelievers and took their properties [they were not directly involved with the Muslims in Medinah, so the Muslims in Medinah were not responsible for these attacks].

The people of Quraysh sent a message to the Prophet requesting him for the sake of Allah and kith and kin to send for (Abu Basir and his companions) promising that whoever among them came to the Prophet , would be secure. So, the Prophet sent for them and Allah the Exalted and Most Honored revealed the following Ayat,

[وَهُوَ الَّذِى كَفَّ أَيْدِيَهُمْ عَنكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ عَنْهُم بِبَطْنِ مَكَّةَ]

(And He it is Who has withheld their hands from you and your hands from them in the midst of Makkah), until,

[حَمِيَّةَ الْجَـهِلِيَّةِ]

(the pride and haughtiness of the time of ignorance, )

Their pride and haughtiness was that they did not confess that Muhammad was the Prophet of Allah, refused to write, `In the Name of Allah, Ar-Rahman, Ar-Rahim,' and prevented Muslims from visiting the Ka`bah.''

Surah al Fath; Tafsir ibn Kathir;
http://tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=48&tid=49627

So the part of contract of the Muslims from Makkah being deported back - if they escaped - was cancelled by the Quraysh themselves, because of the great harm they recieved through it. A true moral victory for the Muslims.

The Treaty of Hudaybia (part 4) - The Anger & Sadness of the Muslims

2009-07-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

`Umar bin Al-Khattab said, `I went to the Prophet and said: Aren't you truly the Messenger of Allah' The Prophet said,

«بَلَى»

(Yes, indeed.)

I said, `Isn't our cause just and the cause of the enemy unjust' He said,

«بَلَى»

(Yes.)

I said, `Then why should we be humble in our religion' He said,

«إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللهِ وَلَسْتُ أَعْصِيهِ وَهُوَ نَاصِرِي»

(I am Allah's Messenger and I do not disobey Him, and He will make me victorious.)

In another narration:

«يَا ابْنَ الْخَطَّابِ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللهِ وَلَنْ يُضَيِّعَنِي اللهُ أَبَدًا»

(O son of Al-Khattab! I am Allah's Messenger and He will never abandon me. )

I said, `Didn't you tell us that we would go to the Ka`bah and perform Tawaf around it' He said,

«بَلَى أَفَأَخْبَرْتُكَ أَنَّا نَأْتِيهِ الْعَامَ؟»

(Yes, but did I tell you that we would visit the Ka`bah this year)

I said, `No.' He said,

«فَإِنَّكَ آتِيهِ وَمُطَّوِّفٌ بِه»

(So you will visit it and perform Tawaf around it.)

`Umar further said, `I went to Abu Bakr and said: O Abu Bakr! Isn't he truly Allah's Prophet' He replied, `Yes.' I said, `Is not our cause just and the cause of our enemy unjust' He said, `Yes.' I said, `Then why should we be humble in our religion' He said, `O you man! Indeed, he is Allah's Messenger and he does not disobey his Lord, and He will make him victorious. Adhere to him for, by Allah, he is on the right path.'

I said, `Was he not telling us that we would go to the Ka`bah and perform Tawaf around it' He said, `Yes, but did he tell you that you would go to the Ka`bah this year' I said, `No.' He said, `You will go to the Ka`bah and perform Tawaf around it.'

Az-Zuhri said, "`Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said, `I performed many good deeds as expiation for the improper questions I asked them.' '' "

When the writing of the peace treaty was concluded, Allah's Messenger said to his Companions,

«قُومُوا فَانْحَرُوا ثُمَّ احْلِقُوا»

(Get up and slaughter your sacrifices and have your heads shaved.)

By Allah none of them got up, and the Prophet repeated his order thrice. When none of them got up, he left them and went to Umm Salamah and told her of the people's attitudes towards him.

Umm Salamah said, `O Prophet of Allah! Do you want your order to be carried out Go out and don't say a word to anybody until you have slaughtered your sacrifice and call your barber to shave your head.'

The Messenger of Allah went out and did not talk to anyone until he did what she suggested, slaughtered the sacrifice and shaved his head. Seeing that, the Companions got up, slaughtered their sacrifices, and started shaving the heads of one another. There was so much of a rush -- and sadness -- that there was a danger of killing each other [i.e. the blades were about to cut each others heads when shaving out of such uncontrollable sadness. Allahu a'lam]. Then some believing women came and Allah the Exalted and most Honored revealed the following Ayat,

[يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ إِذَا جَآءَكُمُ الْمُؤْمِنَـتُ]

(O you who believe! When believing women come to you) (60:10)*, until,

[بِعِصَمِ الْكَوَافِرِ]

(Likewise hold not the disbelieving women as wives.)

`Umar then divorced two of his wives, who were disbelievers. Later on Mu`awiyah bin Abu Sufyan married one of them, and Safwan bin Umayyah married the other.

Surah al Fath - Tafsir ibn Kathir
http://tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=48&tid=49543

*Full verse [meaning];

O ye who believe! When there come to you believing women refugees, examine (and test) them: Allah knows best as to their Faith: if ye ascertain that they are Believers, then send them not back to the Unbelievers. They are not lawful (wives) for the Unbelievers, nor are the (Unbelievers) lawful (husbands) for them. But pay the Unbelievers what they have spent (on their dower), and there will be no blame on you if ye marry them on payment of their dower to them.

But hold not to the guardianship of unbelieving women: ask for what ye have spent on their dowers, and let the (Unbelievers) ask for what they have spent (on the dowers of women who come over to you). Such is the command of Allah: He judges (with justice) between you. And Allah is Full of Knowledge and Wisdom.

(Quran Mumtahinah 60:10)

The Treaty of Hudaybia (part 3) - The Contract with Suhayl ibn 'Amr takes Place

2009-07-11T17:50:00.000-07:00

Suhayl bin `Amr came.'' Ma`mar said that Ayyub said to him that `Ikrimah said, "When Suhayl bin `Amr came, the Prophet said,

«قَدْ سَهُلَ لَكُمْ مِنْ أَمْرِكُم»

(Now the matter has become easy for you.)''

Ma`mar said that Az-Zuhri narrated, "When Suhayl bin `Amr came, he said to the Prophet , `Please conclude a peace treaty with us.'

So, the Prophet called `Ali bin Abi Talib and said to him,

«اكْتُبْ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيم»

(Write: In the Name of Allah, Ar-Rahman, Ar-Rahim.)

Suhayl bin `Amr said, `As for Ar-Rahman, by Allah, I do not know what it means. So write: By Your Name, O Allah, as you used to write previously.'

The Muslims said, `By Allah, we will not write except: By the Name of Allah, Ar-Rahman, Ar-Rahim.'

The Prophet said,

«اكْتُبْ بِاسْمِكَ اللْهُم»

(Write: "In Your Name O Allah.'')

Then he dictated,

«هذَا مَا قَاضَى عَلَيْهِ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ الله»

(This is a peace treaty, which Muhammad, Allah's Messenger has concluded.)

Suhayl said, `By Allah, if we knew that you are Allah's Messenger, we would not prevent you from visiting the Ka`bah, and would not fight with you.

So, write: Muhammad bin `Abdullah.' The Prophet said to him,

«وَاللهِ إِنِّي لَرَسُولُ اللهِ وَإِنْ كَذَّبْتُمُونِي، اكْتُبْ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِالله»

(By Allah! I am the Messenger of Allah even if your people do not believe me. Write: "Muhammad bin `Abdullah.'')''

Az-Zuhri continued, "The Prophet accepted all those things, since he had already said that he would accept everything they would demand if it respects the ordinance of Allah, the Exalted.''

The Hadith continues, "The Prophet said to Suhayl,

«عَلَى أَنْ تُخَلُّوا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ الْبَيْتِ فَنَطُوفَ بِه»

(On the condition that you allow us to visit the House so that we may perform Tawaf around it.)

Suhayl said, `By Allah, we will not, so as not to give the Arabs a chance to say that we have yielded to your pressure, but we will allow you next year.'

So, the Prophet had that written. Then Suhayl said, `We also stipulate that you should return to us whoever comes to you from us, even if he embraced your religion.'

The Muslims protested, `Glorified be Allah! How can a person be returned to the idolators after he has become a Muslim'

While they were in this state Abu Jandal bin (son of) Suhayl bin `Amr came from the valley of Makkah staggering with his chains and fell down among the Muslims.

Suhayl said, `O Muhammad! This is the very first term with which we make peace with you, that is, you shall return Abu Jandal to me.'

The Prophet said,

«إِنَّا لَمْ نَقْضِ الْكِتَابَ بَعْد»

(The peace treaty has not been written yet.)

Suhayl said, `Then by Allah, I will never conduct peace with you.'

The Prophet said,

«فَأَجِزْهُ لِي»

(Release him to me,)

and Suhayl responded, `I will never allow you to keep him.' The Prophet said,

«بَلَى فَافْعَل»

(Yes, do.)

He said, `I will not.' Mikraz said, `We allow you (to keep him).'

Abu Jandal said, `O, Muslims! Will I be returned to the idolators although I have come as a Muslim Don't you see how much I have suffered' Abu Jandal had been tortured severely for the cause of Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored.

Tafsir ibn Kathir - Surah Al Fath;
http://tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=48&tid=49543

The Treaty of Hudaybia (part 2) - The Different Proposals from Quraysh

2009-07-11T17:36:00.000-07:00

`Urwah bin Mas`ud stood up and said, `O people! Aren't you the sons' They said, `Yes.' He added, `Am I not the father' They said, `Yes.' He said, `Do you mistrust me' They said, `No.' He said, `Don't you know that I invited the people of `Ukaz for your help, and when they refused I brought my relatives and children and those who obeyed me' They said, `Yes.'

He said, `Well, this man has offered you a reasonable proposal, it is better for you to accept it and allow me to meet him.' They said, `You may meet him.' So, he went to the Prophet and started talking to him. The Prophet said the same to him as he had to Budayl bin Warqa.

Then `Urwah said, `O Muhammad! Won't you feel any qualms by exterminating your relations Have you ever heard of anyone among the Arabs annihilating his relatives before you On the other hand, if the reverse should happen, by Allah, I do not see dignified people here, but people from various tribes who would run away leaving you alone.'

Hearing that, Abu Bakr verbally abused him and said, `Go suck Al-Lat's clitoris! Are you saying we would run and leave the Prophet alone' `Urwah said, `Who is that man'

They said, `He is Abu Bakr.' `Urwah said to Abu Bakr, `By Him in Whose Hands my life is, were it not for the favor which you did to me and which I did not compensate, I would rebuke you.' [Abu Bakr had given 'Urwah 10 camels as a favour before Islam.]

`Urwah kept on talking to the Prophet and seizing the Prophet's beard as he was talking, while Al-Mughirah bin Shu`bah (a nephew of 'Urwah) was standing near the head of the Prophet , holding a sword and wearing a helmet. Whenever `Urwah stretched his hand towards the beard of the Prophet , Al-Mughirah would hit his hand with the handle of the sword and say, `Remove your hand from the beard of Allah's Messenger.'

`Urwah raised his head and asked, `Who is that' The people said, `He is Al-Mughirah bin Shu`bah.' `Urwah said, `O treacherous (one)! Am I not doing my best to prevent evil consequences of your treachery' Before embracing Islam, Al-Mughirah was in the company of some people. He killed them, took their property and came (to Al-Madinah) to embrace Islam ['Urwah was the relative of Al-Mughirah so 'Urwah had to pay the blood money for the people Al-Mughirah killed before becoming Muslim].

The Prophet said to him,

«أَمَّا الْإِسْلَامُ فَأَقْبَلُ، وَأَمَّا الْمَالُ فَلَسْتُ مِنْهُ فِي شَيْء»

(As regards to your Islam, I accept it, but as for the property I do not take anything of it.)

`Urwah then started looking at the Companions of the Prophet . By Allah, whenever Allah's Messenger spat, the spittle would fall in the hand of one of them, who would rub it on his face and skin. If he ordered them, they would carry his orders immediately, if he performed ablution, they would struggle to take the remaining water, and when they spoke to him, they would lower their voices and would not look at his face constantly out of respect.

`Urwah returned to his people and said, `O people! By Allah, I have been to the kings and to Caesar [of the Romans], Khosrau [Kisra of Persia] and An-Najashi [the Negus of Ethiopia]. Yet, by Allah! I have never seen any of them respected by his courtiers, as much as, Muhammad is respected by his companions. By Allah, if he spat, the spittle would fall into the hand of one of them and he would rub it on his face and skin. If he ordered them, they would carry out his order immediately, if he performed ablution, they would struggle to take the remaining water, and when they spoke, they would lower their voices and would not look at his face constantly out of respect. No doubt, he has presented to you a good reasonable offer, so please accept it.'

A man from the tribe of Bani Kinanah said, `Allow me to go to him,' and they allowed him. When he approached the Prophet and his Companions, Allah's Messenger said,

«هذَا فُلَانٌ وَهُوَ مِنْ قَوْمٍ يُعَظِّمُونَ الْبُدْنَ فَابْعَثُوهَا لَه»

(He is so-and-so who belongs to the tribe that respects the sacrificial camels. So, bring the sacrificial camels before him.)

So, the sacrificial camels were brought before him and the people received him while they were reciting Talbiyah. When he saw that scene, he said, `Glorified is Allah! It is not fair to prevent these people from visiting the Ka`bah.' When he returned to his people, he said, `I saw the sacrificial camels garlanded and marked. I do not think it is advisable to prevent them from visiting the Ka`bah.'

Another person called Mikraz bin Hafs stood up and sought their permission to go to Muhammad , and they allowed him, too. When he approached the Muslims, the Prophet said,

«هَذَا مِكْرَزٌ وَهُوَ رَجُلٌ فَاجِر»

(Here is Mikraz and he is a vicious man.)

Mikraz started talking to the Prophet and as he was talking, Suhayl bin `Amr came.'

Tafsir ibn Kathir- Surah Al-Fath
http://tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=48&tid=49543

The Treaty of Hudaybia (part 1) - The Intention for 'Umrah & Journey to Makkah

2009-07-11T16:30:00.000-07:00

The Hadiths that tell the Story of Al-Hudaybiyyah and the Peace Treaty that followed

Al-Bukhari, may Allah have mercy with him, recorded in his Sahih in `Book of Conditions' that Al-Miswar bin Makhramah and Marwan bin Al-Hakam, both narrated attesting to the truthfulness of the other, "

Allah's Messenger set out at the time of Al-Hudaybiyyah with several hundred of his Companions. When he reached Dhul-Hulayfah, he had the sacrificial animals garlanded and marked and resumed the state of Ihram for `Umrah.

He then sent several men from the tribe of Khuza`ah to gather news for him and then he proceeded. When he arrived at a village called Al-Ashtat, his advance regiment came back and said, `The Quraysh have gathered their forces against you, including Al-Ahabish tribes. They are intent on fighting you, stopping you, and preventing you.'

The Messenger said,

«أَشِيرُوا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ عَلَيَّ، أَتُرَوْنَ أَنْ نَمِيلَ عَلَى عِيَالِهِمْ وَذَرَارِيِّ هؤُلَاءِ، الَّذِينَ يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يَصُدُّونَا عَنِ الْبَيْتِ؟»

(Give me your opinion, O people! Do you think we should attack the families and offspring of those who seek to prevent us from reaching the House)''

in another narration, the Prophet said,

«(أَ)تُرَوْنَ أَنْ نَمِيلَ عَلَى ذَرَارِيِّ هؤُلَاءِ الَّذِينَ أَعَانُوهُمْ، فَإِنْ يَأْتُونَا كَانَ اللهُ قَدْ قَطَعَ عُنُقًا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ، وَإِلَّا تَرَكْنَاهُمْ مَحْزُونِين»

(Do you think we should attack the families of those who helped the Quraysh If they come to defend against us, then Allah would have diminished the idolator forces. Or we leave them to grieve!)''

In another narration, the Prophet said,

«فَإِنْ قَعَدُوا قَعَدُوا مَوْتُورِينَ مَجْهُودِينَ مَحْزُونِينَ، وَإِنْ نَجَوْا يَكُنْ عُنُقًا قَطَعَهَا اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ. أَمْ تُرَوْنَ أَنْ نَؤُمَّ الْبَيْتَ فَمَنْ صَدَّنَا عَنْهُ قَاتَلْنَاه»

(If they remain where they have gathered, they do so in grief, fatigued and depressed. If they save their families, it would be a neck that Allah the Exalted and Most Honored has cut off. Or, should we head towards the House and if anyone prevents us from reaching it we would fight them) "

Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "O, Allah's Messenger! You only intended to visit the House, not to kill anyone or start a war. Therefore, head towards the House and whoever stands in our way, then we will fight him.'' In another narration, Abu Bakr said, "Allah and His Messenger know that we only came to perform `Umrah not to fight anyone. However, anyone who tries to prevent us from reaching the House, we will fight him.''

The Prophet said,

«فَرُوحُوا إِذَن»

(Go forth then.)

In another narration, the Prophet said,

«فَامْضُوا عَلَى اسْمِ اللهِ تَعَالَى»

(Go forth, in the Name of Allah, the Exalted.)

"When they proceeded for a distance, the Prophet said,

«إِنَّ خَالِدَ بْنَ الْوَلِيدِ فِي خَيْلٍ لِقُرَيْشٍ طَلِيعَةً، فَخُذُوا ذَاتَ الْيَمِين»

(Khalid bin Al-Walid is leading the cavalry of Quraysh forming the front of the army, so take the path on the right.)

By Allah, Khalid did not perceive the arrival of the Muslims until the dust arising from the march of the Muslim army reached him, then he turned back hurriedly to inform the Quraysh. The Prophet went on advancing until he reached the Thaniyyah (i. e., a mountainous way) through which he could reach them.

The she-camel of the Prophet sat down. The people tried their best to cause her to rise, but it was in vain. So, they said, `Al-Qaswa' has become stubborn! Al-Qaswa' has become stubborn!'

The Prophet said,

«مَا خَلَأَتِ الْقَصْوَاءُ وَمَا ذَاكَ لَهَا بِخُلُقٍ، وَلكِنْ حَبَسَها حَابِسُ الْفِيل»

(Al-Qaswa' has not become stubborn, for stubbornness is not her habit, but she was stopped by Him Who stopped the elephant.)[the elephant of Abraha in Surah Fil]

Then he said,

«وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَا يَسْأَلُونِّي خُطَّةً يُعَظِّمُونَ فِيهَا حُرُمَاتِ اللهِ تَعَالَى إِلَّا أَعْطَيْتُهُمْ إِيَّاهَا»

(By the Name of Him in Whose Hands is my soul, if they ask me anything which will respect the ordinances of Allah, the Exalted, I will grant it to them.)

The Prophet then rebuked the she-camel and she got up. The Prophet changed his direction, until he dismounted at the farthest end of Al-Hudaybiyyah. There was a pit containing a little water which the people used in small amounts, and after a short time the people exhausted all its water and complained of thirst to Allah's Messenger . The Prophet took an arrow out of his quiver and ordered them to put the arrow in the pit. By Allah, the water started flowing and continued sprouting until all the people quenched their thirst and returned satisfied.

While they were still in that state, Budayl bin Warqa' Al-Khuza`i came with some people from his tribe, Khuza`ah. They were the advisers of Allah's Messenger who would keep no secret from him and were from the people of Tihamah.

Budayl said, `I left (the tribes of) Ka`b bin Lu'ay and `Amir bin Lu'ay residing at the abundant water of Al-Hudaybiyyah. They had milk camels with them, intending to wage war against you and prevent you from visiting the Ka`bah.'

Allah's Messenger said,

«إِنَّا لَمْ نَجِىءْ لِقِتَالِ أَحَدٍ، وَلكِنْ جِئْنَا مُعْتَمِرِينَ، وَإِنَّ قُرَيْشًا قَدْ نَهَكَتْهُمُ الْحَرْبُ، وَأَضَرَّتْ بِهِمْ، فَإِنْ شَاؤُوا مَادَدْتُهُمْ مُدَّةً وَيُخَلُّوا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ النَّاسِ، فَإِنْ أَظْهَرْ، فَإِنْ شَاءُوا أَنْ يَدْخُلُوا فِيمَا دَخَلَ فِيهِ النَّاسُ فَعَلُوا، وَإِلَّا فَقَدْ جَمُّوا، وَإِنْ هُمْ أَبَوْا فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَأُقَاتِلَنَّهُمْ عَلَى أَمْرِي هذَا حَتْى تَنْفَرِدَ سَالِفَتِي أَوْ لَيُنْفِذَنَّ اللهُ أَمْرَه»

(We have not come to fight anyone, but to perform `Umrah. No doubt, war has weakened Quraysh and they have suffered great losses. So if they wish, I will conclude a truce with them, during which they should refrain from interfering between me and others. If I have victory over those infidels, Quraysh will have the option to embrace Islam as the other people do, if they wish. They will at least get strong enough to fight. But if they do not accept the truce, by Allah in Whose Hands my life is, I will fight with them defending my cause until I get killed, but (I am sure) Allah will definitely make His cause victorious.)

Budayl said, `I will inform them of what you have said.' So, he set off until he reached Quraysh and said, `We have come from that man whom we heard saying something which we will disclose to you, if you should like.'

Some of the fools among the Quraysh shouted that they were not in need of this information, but the wiser among them said, `Relate what you heard him saying.' Budayl said, `I heard him saying such and such,' relating what the Prophet had told him.

Tafsir ibn Kathir - Surah al Fath

http://tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=48&tid=49543

"Not for you is the Decision..." (Quran 'Aal Imraan 3:128)

2009-07-11T15:00:00.001-07:00

لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الاٌّمْرِ شَىْءٌ

"Not for you is the Decision..." (Quran aal Imran 3:128)

Al-Bukhari recorded that, Salim bin `Abdullah said that his father said that he heard the

Messenger of Allah saying -- when he raised his head from bowing in the second unit of the Fajr prayer -- "O Allah! Curse so-and-so,'' after saying; Sami` Allahu Liman Hamidah [Allah hears those who praise Him], Rabbana wa lakal-Hamd [our Lord, to You is the Praise].

Thereafter, Allah revealed this Ayah,

[لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الاٌّمْرِ شَىْءٌ]

(Not for you is the decision;)

This was also recorded by An-Nasa'i. Imam Ahmad recorded that Salim bin `Abdullah said that his father said that he heard the Messenger of Allah saying,

«اللَّهُمَّ الْعَنْ فُلَانًا، اللَّهُمَّ الْعَنِ الْحَارِثَ بْنَ هِشَامٍ، اللَّهُمَّ الْعَنْ سُهَيْلَ بْنَ عَمْرٍو، اللَّهُمَّ الْعَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنَ أُمَيَّة»

(O Allah! Curse so-and-so. O Allah! Curse Al-Harith bin Hisham. O Allah! Curse Suhayl bin `Amr. O Allah! Curse Safwan bin Umayyah.)

Thereafter, this Ayah was revealed;

[لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الاٌّمْرِ شَىْءٌ أَوْ يَتُوبَ عَلَيْهِمْ أَوْ يُعَذِّبَهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ ظَـلِمُونَ ]

(Not for you is the decision; whether He turns in mercy to (pardon) them or punishes them; verily, they are the wrongdoers) [3:128].

All these persons were pardoned (after they embraced Islam later on [after the conquest of Makkah]).

Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that when Allah's Messenger would supplicate against or for someone, he would do so when he was finished bowing and saying; Sami` Allahu Liman Hamidah, Rabbana wa lakal-Hamd. He would then say, (the Qunut)

«اللَّهُمَّ أَنْجِ الْوَلِيدَ بْنَ الْوَلِيدِ، وَسَلَمَةَ بْنَ هِشَامٍ وَعَيَّاشَ بْنَ أَبِي رَبِيعَةَ، وَالْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، اللَّهُمَّ اشْدُدْ وَطْأَتَكَ عَلى مُضَرَ، وَاجْعَلْهَا عَلَيْهِمْ سِنِينَ كَسِنِي يُوسُف»

(O Allah! Save Al-Walid bin Al-Walid, Salamah bin Hisham, `Ayyash bin Abi Rabi`ah and the weak and the helpless people among the faithful believers. O Allah! Be hard on the tribe of Mudar and let them suffer from years of famine like that of the time of Yusuf. )

He would say this supplication aloud. He sometimes would supplicate during the Dawn prayer, "O Allah! Curse so-and-so (persons),'' mentioning some Arab tribes. Thereafter, Allah revealed,

لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الاٌّمْرِ شَىْءٌ

(Not for you is the decision.)

Al-Bukhari recorded that Hamid and Thabit said that, Anas bin Malik said that the Prophet was injured during the battle of Uhud and said,

«كَيْفَ يُفْلِحُ قَوْمٌ شَجُّوا نَبِيَّهُمْ؟»

(How can a people achieve success after having injured their Prophet)

Thereafter,

[لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الاٌّمْرِ شَىْءٌ]

(Not for you is the decision,)

was revealed.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Anas said that, the Prophet's front tooth was broken during the battle of Uhud and he also sustained injuries on his forehead until blood dripped on his face. The Prophet said,

«كَيْفَ يُفْلِحُ قَوْمٌ فَعَلُوا هذَا بِنَبِيِّهِمْ، وَهُوَ يَدْعُوهُمْ إِلى رَبِّهِمْ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ؟»

(How can a people achieve success after having done this to their Prophet who is calling them to their Lord, the Exalted and Most Honored)

Allah revealed,

[لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الاٌّمْرِ شَىْءٌ أَوْ يَتُوبَ عَلَيْهِمْ أَوْ يُعَذِّبَهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ ظَـلِمُونَ ]

(Not for you is the decision; whether He turns in mercy to (pardons) them or punishes them; verily, they are the wrongdoers.) Muslim also collected this Hadith.

Allah then said,

[وَللَّهِ مَا فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَمَا فِى الاٌّرْضِ]

(And to Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the Earth.) [3:129], everything is indeed the property of Allah and all are servants in His Hand.

[يَغْفِرُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَآءُ]

(He forgives whom He wills, and punishes whom He wills.) for His is the decision and none can resist His decision. Allah is never asked about what He does, while they will be asked,

[وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ]

(and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.)

Tafsir ibn Kathir; Surah aal Imraan 3:128

http://www.tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=3&tid=9220

An Eyewitness of the Revelation, & Uthman (ibn Maz'un's) Converting to Islam because of it.

2009-07-10T10:59:00.000-07:00

The Eyewitness Account of `Uthman [ibn Maz'un] of Revelation and his Conversion to Islam because of it.

Ash-Sha`bi reported that Shatiyr bin Shakl said: "I heard Ibn Mas`ud say: `The most comprehensive Ayah in the Qur'an is in Surat An-Nahl:

[إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالإْحْسَانِ]

(Verily, Allah enjoins justice and kindness...) [Qur'an Al Nahl 16:90]

It was reported by Ibn Jarir.

Concerning the revelation of this Ayah, Imam Ahmad reported a Hasan [good] Hadith from `Abdullah bin `Abbas who said:

"While the Messenger of Allah was sitting in the courtyard of his house, `Uthman bin Maz`un passed by and smiled at the Messenger of Allah . The Messenger of Allah said to him,

«أَلَا تَجْلِسُ؟»

(Won't you sit down) He said, `Certainly.' So the Messenger of Allah sat facing him, and while they were talking, the Messenger of Allah began looking up at the sky, looking at it for a while, then he brought his gaze down until he was looking at the ground to his right. Then the Messenger of Allah turned slightly away from his companion `Uthman to where he was looking. Then he began to tilt his head as if trying to understand something, and Ibn Maz`un was looking on.
When the matter was finished and he had understood what had been said to him, the Messenger of Allah stared at the sky again as he had the first time, looking at whatever he could see until it disappeared. Then he turned back to face `Uthman again.

`Uthman said, `O Muhammad, I have never seen you do anything like you did today while I was sitting with you.' The Messenger of Allah said:

«وَمَا رَأَيْتَنِي فَعَلْتُ؟»

(What did you see me do) `Uthman said: `I saw you staring at the sky, then you lowered your gaze until you were looking to your right, then you turned to him and left me. Then you tilted your head as if you were trying to understand something that was being said to you.' The Messenger of Allah said,

«وَفَطِنْتَ لِذَلِكَ؟»

(Did you notice that) `Uthman said, `Yes'. The Messenger of Allah said:

«أَتَانِي رَسُولُ اللهِ آنِفًا وَأَنْتَ جَالِس»

(A messenger from Allah came to me just now, when you were sitting here.) `Uthman said, `A messenger from Allah' The Messenger of Allah said,

«نَعَم»

(Yes.) `Uthman said, `And what did he say to you' The Messenger of Allah said:

[إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالإْحْسَانِ]

(Verily, Allah orders justice and kindness...)

`Uthman said: `That was when faith was established in my heart and I began to love Muhammad .''

It is a Hasan Hadith having a good connected chain of narrators in which their hearing it from each other is clear.

Tafsir ibn Kathir - Surah Nahl;

http://www.tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=16&tid=28127

"Allah will protect you from mankind..." (Quran al Hijr 15:67)

2009-07-08T10:40:00.000-07:00

يَـأَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ وَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُ وَاللَّهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ

O Messenger! Proclaim that which has been revealed to you from your Lord. And if you do not do it, then you have not conveyed His Message.

Allah will protect you from mankind.

[al Hijr 15:67]

Muhammad bin Ishaq said: "The great ones of the mockers were five people, who were elders and noblemen among their people.

From Bani Asad bin `Abd Al-`Uzza bin Qusayy there was Al-Aswad bin Al-Muttalib Abu Zam`ah. According to what I heard, the Messenger of Allah () had supplicated against him because of the pain and mockery he had suffered at his hands. He had said,

«اللَّهُمَّ أَعِمْ بَصَرَهُ، وَأَثْكِلْهُ وَلَدَه»

(O Allah, make him blind and take (the life of) his son.)

From Bani Zahrah there was Al-Aswad bin `Abd Yaghuth bin Wahb bin `Abd Manaf bin Zahrah. From Bani Makhzum there was Al-Walid bin Al-Mughirah bin `Abdullah bin `Umar bin Makhzum. From Bani Sahm bin `Amr bin Husays bin Ka`b bin Lu'ayy there was Al-`As bin Wa'il bin Hisham bin Sa`id bin Sa`d. From Khuza`ah there was Al-Harith bin At-Talatilah bin `Amr bin Al-Harith bin `Abd `Amr bin Malkan.

When their evil went to extremes and their mockery of the Messenger of Allah went too far, Allah revealed:

[فَاصْدَعْ بِمَا تُؤْمَرُ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ - إِنَّا كَفَيْنَـكَ الْمُسْتَهْزِءِينَ - الَّذِينَ يَجْعَلُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلـهًا ءَاخَرَ فَسَوْفَ يَعْمَلُونَ ]

(Therefore openly proclaim that which you are commanded, and turn away from the idolators. Truly, We will suffice you against the mockers, who make another god along with Allah; but they will come to know.)

Ibn Ishaq said: Yazid bin Ruman told me that `Urwah bin Az-Zubayr or one of the other scholars said that Jibril came to the Messenger of Allah when he was performing Tawaf around the House (the Ka`bah). He stood and the Messenger of Allah stood next to him. Al-Aswad Ibn Al-Mutalib passed by, and he threw a green leaf in his face, and he became blind.

Al-Aswad bin `Abd Yaghuth passed by, and he pointed to his stomach, which swelled up and he died (of dropsy).

Al-Walid bin Al-Mughirah passed by, and he pointed at a wound on lower of his ankle, which he got two years earlier when He once was trailing his garment and he passed by a man who was feathering his arrows. One of the arrows got caught in his garment and scratched his foot. It was an insignificant wound, but now it opened again and he died of it.

Al-`As bin Wa'il passed by, and he pointed to the instep of his foot. He (Al-`As) set off on his donkey, heading for At-Ta'if. He rested by a thorny tree, a thorn pierced his foot and he died from it.

Al-Harith bin At-Talatilah passed by and he pointed at his head. It filled with pus and killed him.''

[الَّذِينَ يَجْعَلُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلـهًا ءَاخَرَ فَسَوْفَ يَعْمَلُونَ ]

(Who make another god along with Allah; but they will come to know.) This is a strong warning and grave threat against those who have other deities along with Allah.

Tafsir ibn Kathir - Surah al Hijr [15];
http://tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=15&tid=27233

"..it is not (right) for you that you should annoy Allah's Messenger, nor that you should ever marry his wives after him..." (Qur'an Ahzab 33:53)

2009-07-07T12:47:00.000-07:00

وَمَا كَانَ لَكُمْ أَن تؤْذُواْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَلاَ أَن تَنكِحُواْ أَزْوَاجَهُ مِن بَعْدِهِ أَبَداً إِنَّ ذَلِكُمْ كَانَ عِندَ اللَّهِ عَظِيماً
(And it is not (right) for you that you should annoy Allah's Messenger, nor that you should ever marry his wives after him (his death). Verily, with Allah that shall be an enormity.)
[(Qur'an Ahzab 33:53)]

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn `Abbas said concerning the Ayah;

[وَمَا كَانَ لَكُمْ أَن تؤْذُواْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ]

(And it is not (right) for you that you should annoy Allah's Messenger,) "This was revealed concerning a man who wanted to marry one of the wives of the Prophet after he died. A man said to Sufyan, `Was it `A'ishah' He said, `That is what they said.'''

This was also stated by Muqatil bin Hayyan and `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam. He also reported with his chain of narration from As-Suddi that the one who wanted to do this was Talhah bin `Ubaydullah, may Allah be pleased with him, until this Ayah was revealed forbidding that.

Hence the scholars were unanimous in stating that it was forbidden for anyone to marry any of the women who were married to the Messenger of Allah at the time when he died, because they are his wives in this world and in the Hereafter, and they are the Mothers of the believers, as stated previously.

Allah regarded that as a very serious matter, and issued the sternest of warnings against it, as He said:

[إِنَّ ذَلِكُمْ كَانَ عِندَ اللَّهِ عَظِيماً]

(Verily, with Allah that shall be an enormity.) Then He said:

[إِن تُبْدُواْ شَيْئاً أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيماً ]

(Whether you reveal anything or conceal it, verily, Allah is Ever All-Knower of everything.) meaning, `whatever you conceal in your innermost thoughts, it is not hidden from Him at all.'

[يَعْلَمُ خَآئِنَةَ الاٌّعْيُنِ وَمَا تُخْفِى الصُّدُورُ ]

(Allah knows the fraud of the eyes, and all that the breasts conceal.) (40:19).

Surah Ahzaab - Tafsir ibn Kathir;

http://tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=33&tid=42057

{"...And let those who oppose the Messenger's commandment beware lest some trial befall them or a painful torment be inflicted upon them."} [24:63]

2009-06-24T09:17:00.000-07:00

http://www.islamicboard.com/quran/34030-let-those-who-oppose-messengers-commandment-beware.html

{"...And let those who oppose the Messenger's commandment beware lest some trial befall them or a painful torment be inflicted upon them."}

[Qur'an an-Nur 24; 63]

Examples:

1 - Ibn 'Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allah said:

"Do not enter upon your women when returning from a journey at night."

He then narrated that the Messenger of Allah returned once with a caravan at night, whereupon two men with him slipped away and secretly went to their families, even though they had heard the Prophet forbidding them from doing so. Subsequently, both of them found a man with his wife.

['Sunan ad-Darimi'; # 444, and it is authentic]

2 - Salamah bin al-Akwa' reported:

"A man ate with the Messenger of Allah using his left hand. The Prophet said to him: "Eat with your right hand." The man arrogantly said: "I am unable to do so." The Prophet then said: "May you never be able to do so." The man was never again able to raise his right hand to his mouth."

['Sahih Muslim'; # 2021]

3 - Abu Yahya as-Sagi narrated:

"We were walking through the alleyways of Basrah to the door of some scholars of Hadith. So, I quickened my strides and a man from amongst the people of Basrah came to us and sarcasitically said: "Raise your feet well above the wings of the Angels and do not break them (a mocking reference to the hadith "...the Angels lower their wings for the seeker of knowledge...")." His feet then became stiff and he fell right where he was standing."

['Bustan al-'Arifin' by an-Nawawi; p. 92]

4 - Muhammad bin Isma'il at-Taymi said:

"I read in some narrations that, upon hearing the words of the Prophet: "If one of you awaken from sleep, then he should not dip his hand in a container unless he washes his hand because he does not know where it was while he was sleeping," an innovator said: "I know where my hands went while in bed, so I do not have to fulfill this command!" Consequently, upon waking up the next morning, his hand - up to the forearm - was found inserted into his anus."

['Bustan al-'Arifin' by an-Nawawi; p. 94]

5 - Ibn Kathir narrated, on the authority of Ibn Khalkan:

"It has reached us from a trustworthy group of people who travelled from Basrah to Damascus that they were in a village called Dir Abi Salamah, and in it, there was a man from the bedouins who would mock others excessively and was quite ignorant.

One day, the siwak and its virtues were mentioned in his presence, so, he said: "By Allah, I do not use the siwak except to clean my back passage." So, he took a stick of siwak and stuck it in his rectum in mockery. He was in great pain that night, and for the next nine months, he would complain of a great pain in his stomach and rectum. Then, he experienced labor pains just as a pregnant woman would suffer, and suddenly, a creature with the body of a giant rat, the head of a fish, four paws, and a tail the length of a human hand whose end looked like that of a rabbit's came out of the man's body. When the creature came out, it woke up and screamed three times, so, the man's daughter got up and smashed its head open, killing it. The man himself only lived two days more, saying on his deathbed: "This creature has killed me! It cut my intestines apart!" This event was witnessed by a large group of people from this village, including the village khatib."

['al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah'; 13/263]

6 - Anas bin Malik narrated:

"The Messenger of Allah sent a man from his Companions to a man from the people of disbelief in order to call him to Allah - the Blessed and Exalted - so, he said to the Companion:

"What is this Lord of yours that you call me to? Is He made of iron? Is He made of copper? Is He made of silver? Is He made of gold?"

So, the Companion returned to the Prophet and told him of what had happened, so, he sent the Companion back a second time. The man told him the same thing, so, he was sent a third time. The man told him the same thing, so the Companion returned and informed the Prophet, so, Allah - the Blessed and Exalted - sent a lightining bolt that struck the man and burned him up.

The Messenger of Allah then said: "Verily, Allah - the Blessed and Exalted - has sent upon this man that you know a lightning bolt which has burned him up."

The verse was then revealed: {"... He sends lightning bolts, and therewith He strikes whom He Wills, yet they dispute about Allah, and He is mighty in strength and severe in punishment."} [ar-Ra'd; 13]"

[Reported by al-Bayhaqi in 'as-Sunan al-Kubra' (11259), al-Haythami in 'Majma' az-Zawa'id' (7/24), and it is authentic]

7 - Ibn al-Jawzi reported, on the authority of 'Abd al-Majid bin 'Abd al-'Aziz:

"In Khurasan, there was a man with us who used to make copies of the Mushaf in three days. One day, a man came to him and asked: "How long did it take you to write this?" So, the man held up his thumb, index, and middle fingers, saying: "In three days, {"...and nothing of fatigue touched Us."} [Qaf; 38]"

So, these three fingers of his suddenly became stiff, and he was never able to use them again."

['Sayd al-Khatir'; p. 398]

8 - adh-Dhahabi reported:

"Muhammad bin 'Abd al-Malik az-Zayyat ordered that a long piece of wood be brought, pierced with many iron nails. He would torture his prisoners with this wood - among which was Ahmad bin Hambal - saying: "I have never had mercy upon anyone, as mercy is something that weakens the soul."

Later on, when he was imprisoned in the same jail, he was tortured using the same device. When he would scream for mercy, it was said to him: "Mercy is something that weakens the soul."

['Siyar A'lam an-Nubala''; 11/172]

9 - al-Hafidh Abu Sa'id as-Sam'ani reported, on the authority of al-Qadi Abu at-Tayyib:

"We were sitting in a gathering in the mosque of al-Mansur, and a young man from Khurasan came to us, asking about the ruling on a particular issue. We gave him an answer, using a hadith narrated by Abu Hurayrah as proof. He replied: "I do not accept the hadith of Abu Hurayrah." He didn't even finish his sentence, when a large snake fell from the ceiling of the mosque, with the people dispersing from its path as it began to chase the youth. The people told him to repent, and as soon as he said: "I repent," the snake disappeared, leaving no trace of its existence."

['Siyar A'lam an-Nubala'' (2/618), and Ibn Taymiyyah reports a similar incident in 'Majmu' al-Fatawa' (4/538), except that the snake kills the youth in his version]

10 - adh-Dhahabi reported:

"A man came to Ibn Sirin and said: "I had a dream in which I had a glass filled with water in my hand. Suddenly, the glass shattered, with the water remaining as it was."

Ibn Sirin said to him: "Fear Allah! Verily, you had no such dream. I will not be taken to account for your lying, but, this dream would indicate that your wife will die, and her child will survive."

When the man left, he said: "By Allah, he is right. I had no such dream."

When he arrived home, he found that his pregnant wife was dead, and her newborn child had survived."

['Siyar A'lam an-Nubala''; 4/617]

11 - Ibn al-Qayyim narrated:

"...and it is reported that in Egypt, there was a man who would maintain the mosques, making the call to prayer, etc. He was, by all outward means, an obedient person and devout worshipper.

One day, as he usually would, he ascended the minaret to make the call to prayer. At the base of the minaret, there was a Christian woman standing. He saw her, and was seduced by her looks. So, he descended the minaret, went to her, and entered her home. She said to him: "Who are you, and what do you want?"

He replied: "I want you."

She said: "Why?"

He said: "You have enslaved my eyes, and you have captured my heart."

She said: "I will never answer your desire in a doubtful or suspicious manner."

He said: "OK, so, I will marry you, then."

She said: "You are a Muslim, and I am a Christian. My father will never allow me to marry you."

He said: "So, I will become a Christian."

She said: "If you wish to do so, go ahead."

So, the man became a Christian in order to marry this woman, and lived with the woman's family in her house. Later on that day, however, he was on the roof of the house. He fell from the roof and died without even having enjoyed his new bride. So, he lost the woman, and he lost his religion."

['ad-Da' wad-Dawa''; p. 127]

12 - Ibn Kathir narrated, on the authority of Ibn al-Jawzi:

"There was an unfortunate man from the Mujahidin who were fighting in the lands of the Romans. So, when the Muslims were in one of their expeditions and surrounding a land of the lands of the Romans, he looked to a woman of the Romans who was sitting in a fortress therein, and he became attracted to her and sent her a message asking how he could reach her. She replied: "As soon as you conquer this area, then come up to the fortress and you can have me," so, as soon as the area was conquered by the Muslims, he did this.

From that point on, there was not a single skirmish that the Muslims would be engaged in except that he would be up in the fortress with her. This caused the Muslims great sadness and distress, and it became very hard on them to deal with this reality. After a while, they went up to the fortress where he was staying with this woman and said to him: "What happened to all the Qur'an you knew? What happened to your knowledge? What happened to your fasting? What happened to your Jihad? What happened to your prayer?"

So, he replied to them: "Know that I have forgotten all of the Qur'an I used to know except for these verses: {"Those who disbelieve wish that they were Muslims. Leave them to eat and enjoy, and let them be preoccupied with false hope. They will come to know!"} [al-Hijr; 2-3] and I now have wealth and children with them.""

['al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah'; 11/68]

13 - Sa'id bin al-Musayyib narrated:

"My grandfather said: "I came to the Prophet, so, he said to me: "What is your name?" I said: "Huzn (sadness)." He said: "Your name is now Sahl (ease)." I said: "I will not change a name that my father gave me."""

Sa'id bin al-Musayyib commented: "So, this sadness has remained in our lineage ever since."

['Sahih al-Bukhari'; # 6190]

Ibn Hajar mentions:

Ibn at-Tin said: "What Ibn al-Musayyib meant when he said "...this sadness has remained in our lineage ever since," is the absence of an ease in acquiring anything they want. "

ad-Dawudi said: "He meant that they always have some type of harshness in their mannerisms, except that Sa'id's harshness was directed into anger for the Sake of Allah."

Others have said: "This is an indication of the harshness that has remained in the character of his descendents, as the experts in lineage have mentioned that the character of all of his descendents are well-known for bad manners that have not left them until now."

['Fath al-Bari'; 10/590]

14 - Sufyan ath-Thawri said:

"I was granted the understanding of the entire Qur'an. When I accepted a gift from the ruler, this understanding was taken away from me."

[Reported by Bakr Abu Zayd in 'Hilyat Talib al-'Ilm'; p. 7]

15 - Ibn al-Jazwi reported, on the authority of 'Abd al-Hamid:

"I saw a man who would constantly have intercourse with his wife while she was menstruating. So, he himself eventually began menstruating. When he finally repented, the menstruating stopped."

['Sayd al-Khatir'; p. 398]

The Qur'an's Challenge & some Poetry of Musaylimah al-Kadhdhab [the Liar]

2009-06-24T08:52:00.000-07:00

Understanding the Qur’an’s Literary Challenge: to “Bring Something Like It”

| Prepared by the Research Committee of IslamToday.net under the supervision of Sheikh `Abd al-Wahhâb al-Turayrî|

http://www.islamtoday.net/english/showme2.cfm?cat_id=2&sub_cat_id=1549

A lot of people misunderstand the Qur’ân’s literary challenge to produce something like it. Many people assume it simply means writing something as “good” as the Qur’ân.

Because of this, many skeptics point out – and rightly so – that literary value judgments are highly subjective. If someone says that he thinks a certain selection of prose or poetry is better than the Qur’ân, who can argue with him? Isn’t it really a matter of personal judgment and taste? Who is to be the arbiter?

The Qur’ân’s challenge, however, is not simply to write something of equal literary merit, but rather to produce something like the Qur’ân.

We can see this in all the verses of challenge:

Allah says: “Say (O Muhammad) if mankind and jinn were to come together to produce something like this Qur’ân, they would not be able to do so, even if they were to help one another.” [Sûrah al-Isrâ’: 88]

Allah says: “Or they say: ‘He has forged it.’ Say: ‘Then bring ten forged chapters like it and If then they do not answer you, know that it is sent down with the Knowledge of Allah, besides Whom there is no other God. Will you then be Muslims?” [Sûrah Hûd: 13]

Allah says: “Or do they say ‘He has forged it.’ Say: ‘Then bring a chapter like it and call and call whoever you can besides Allah if you are truthful’.” [Sûrah Yûnus: 38]

Allah says: “And if you are in doubt concerning that which We have sent down to Our servant, then produce a chapter like it and call your witnesses besides Allah if you be truthful. If you do not do so – and you will never do so – then fear a fire whose fuel is men and stones prepared for the disbelievers.” [Sûrah al-Baqarah: 23-24]

Therefore, it is not simply a matter of quality – it does not even have to be of equal merit! Similarity is all that matters. What is required by the challenge is to achieve at least a comparable degree of the literary beauty, nobility, and sublimity of the Qur’ân while at the same time emulating the Qur’ân’s particular style.

It is possible to superficially mimic the style of the Qur’ân, and many people have been successful in doing so – but all such attempts from the days of Musaylimah to the present have proven to be silly and absurd, and have often invoked laughter and derision. This is the unanimous consensus of everyone who has ever heard or read those attempts.

It is, likewise, possible for a person writing in Arabic to reach a great level of literary excellence and, in the most moving of poetry and prose, convey the noblest thoughts and sentiments – but nobody has ever done so using the Qur’ân’s particular style.

And what an elusive style it has proven to be! The Qur’ân is neither in Arabic prose nor in what is acknowledged as Arabic verse. It is not written in a combination of both prose and poetry, but in neither of those modes. It is unique. At the same time, the Qur’ân is internally consistent in maintaining its unique style.

Only the Qur’ân achieves the highest level of literary excellence – so much so that it brings people to ecstasy and tears – while maintaining this style.

This, then, is the acid test: Write something in the exact same style as the Qur’ân and in doing so produce something of arguably similar quality and sublimity.

Still, one could argue that the evaluation of the results is still grounded in subjective literary tastes. This is agreed. However, the second part of the challenge is to bring witnesses to attest to the quality of that evaluation, not just to stand there and make the claim.

Throughout history, people have attempted to write in the style of the Qur’ân. The results have always been so laughable that no one would venture to say that he believes the effort equals the Qur’ân in literary merit. The reason why no one would dare do so is not the fear of reprisal – as some skeptics have suggested – but rather the fear of looking like a complete idiot.

One early example was:

Al-Fîl
Mal-Fîl
Wa mâ adrâka mal-fîl
Lahu dhanabun radhîl, wa khurtûmun tawîl

which translates as:

The Elephant –
What is the elephant?
And what would have you know what the elephant is?
It has a scraggly tail and a very long trunk.

We can grant that this is a successful attempt at imitating the superficial style of the Qur’ân. It is clearly modeled after the opening verses of Sûrah al-Qâri`ah or Sûrah al-Hâqqah. However, with such fare on offer, it is no surprise that people are unwilling to stake their reputation on attesting to its literary excellence.

We should pause to consider: What other literary style can we think of which has produced an indisputably great work of literaure but is at the same time guaranteed to bring the most wretched failure to anyone else who tries his hand at it?

Generally, it is not a bad idea for a writer to emulate a successful style. However, a challenge to produce a single chapter like the Qur’ân – the shortest chapter being merely three verses of modest length – has proven impossible to meet.

We should remember that not all Arabic speakers are Muslim. Many are Christians and Jews. Some are atheists. They live all over the world. Among all of these non-Muslim Arabs, there are leading poets and prose writers and important literary critics. None of them claim that they or anyone else has produced a literary work that resembles the Qur’ân in both style and quality.

For an Arabic speaker, this is an obvious thing. Any Arab who looks at people’s attempts to write in the Qur’ân’s style usually breaks out in laughter at its awkwardness or banality.

For non-Arabic speakers, though they cannot experience this directly, they can ascertain that no serious literary claim has been made.

Granted, there is subjectivity in any literary evaluation. This would pose a problem in a challenge with a single judge or a panel of judges, or if there is a biased criterion like “only Muslims scholars can be judges”.

However, there is no such restriction in the challenge.

The general consensus of the international Arabic literary community – and the Arab masses – is that nothing exists to meet the challenge. This is an objective yardstick.

And Allah knows best.

Musaylimah Al-Kadhdhab [the Liar]

Some of you might have heard of Musaylimah Al-Kadhdhab (Musaylimah the liar), a man who claimed to be a Prophet himself during the Prophet's (pbuh) time.

Well, here is an example of his 'Quran' which he made up, is this hilarious or what.

They have mentioned that `Amr bin Al-`As went to visit Musaylimah Al-Kadhdhab after the Messenger of Allah was commissioned (as a Prophet) and before `Amr had accepted Islam. Upon his arrival, Musaylimah said to him,

"What has been revealed to your friend (Muhammad) during this time''

`Amr said, "A short and concise Surah has been revealed to him.''

Musaylimah then said, "What is it'' `Amr replied;

﴿وَالْعَصْرِ - إِنَّ الإِنسَـنَ لَفِى خُسْرٍ - إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَـتِ وَتَوَاصَوْاْ بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْاْ بِالصَّبْرِ ﴾

(By Al-`Asr. Verily, man is in loss. Except those who believe and do righteous deeds, and recommend one another to the truth, and recommend one another to patience.)

So Musaylimah thought for a while. Then he said, "Indeed something similar has also been revealed to me.''

`Amr asked him, "What is it''

He replied, "O Wabr* (a small, furry mammal; hyrax), O Wabr! You are only two ears and a chest, and the rest of you is digging and burrowing.''

Then he said, "What do you think, O `Amr''

So `Amr said to him, "By Allah! Verily, you know that I know you are lying.''

The Wabr is a small animal that resembles a cat, and the largest thing on it is its ears and its torso, while the rest of it is ugly. Musaylimah intended by the composition of these nonsensical verses to produce something which would oppose the Qur'an. Yet, it was not even convincing to the idol worshipper of that time.

(From Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Surat al-Asr)

http://tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=103&tid=59151

* Wabr (aka Hyrax):

Ibn Kathir mentions in his famous book Al Bidaayah wal-Nihaayah:

فأظهر الله كذبه ولصق به لقب الكذاب، وأراد إظهار كرامات تشبه معجزات النبي ، فقد ذكر ابن كثير في البداية أنه بصق في بئر فغاض ماؤها، وفي أخرى فصار ماؤها أجاجاً، وسقى بوضوئه نخلا فيبست، وأتى بولدان يبرك عليهم فمسح على رؤسهم فمنهم من قرع رأسه ومنهم من لثغ لسانه، ودعا لرجل أصابه وجع في عينيه فمسحهما فعمي.

Allah exposed his lies and from then on the title of 'The Liar' has always been associated with his name. He wished to show miracles (to the people) similar to the Miracles of the Prophet (peace be upon him)

Ibn Katheer has mentioned in His Book Al-Bidaayah that he (Musailimah) Spat in a well, and its water dwindled and dried up. And he spat in another well and that water turned to bitter salty water.

He watered a date tree with the excess water from his Wudhoo' and the tree dried up and died.

Two boys were brought to him so that he may bless them and so he wiped their heads with his hand, as a result of that, the head of one of them became bald and the other developed a speech defect.

A man who was suffering from an ailment in his eyes came to him (for a cure) but when he wiped them, the man became blind.

http://www.islamicboard.com/quran/53113-understanding-qur-s-literary-challenge.html

MORE:

Miraculous Qur'an Challenge:
http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Miracle/

The Bribing and Insults of Quraysh to Allah's Messenger, in Makkah.

2009-06-24T08:13:00.000-07:00

[وَقَالُواْ لَن نُّؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّى تَفْجُرَ لَنَا مِنَ الاٌّرْضِ يَنْبُوعًا - أَوْ تَكُونَ لَكَ جَنَّةٌ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ وَعِنَبٍ فَتُفَجِّرَ الاٌّنْهَـرَ خِلَـلَهَا تَفْجِيرًا - أَوْ تُسْقِطَ السَّمَآءَ كَمَا زَعَمْتَ عَلَيْنَا كِسَفًا أَوْ تَأْتِىَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْمَلَـئِكَةِ قَبِيلاً - أَوْ يَكُونَ لَكَ بَيْتٌ مِّن زُخْرُفٍ أَوْ تَرْقَى فِى السَّمَآءِ وَلَن نُّؤْمِنَ لِرُقِيِّكَ حَتَّى تُنَزِّلَ عَلَيْنَا كِتَابًا نَّقْرَءُهُ قُلْ سُبْحَـنَ رَبِّى هَلْ كُنتُ إَلاَّ بَشَرًا رَّسُولاً ]

Surah Israa' 17: (90. And they say: "We shall not believe in you, until you cause a spring to gush forth from the earth for us;'') (91. "Or you have a garden of date palms and grapes, and cause rivers to gush forth in their midst abundantly;'') (92. "Or you cause the heaven to fall upon us in pieces, as you have pretended, or you bring Allah and the angels before (us) face to face;'') (93. "Or you have a house of Zukhruf, or you ascend up into the sky, and even then we will put no faith in your ascension until you bring down for us a Book that we would read.'' Say: "Glorified be my Lord! Am I anything but a man, sent as a Messenger'')

The Quraysh try to Bribe Allah's Messenger

Ibn Jarir recorded from Muhammad bin Ishaq, "An old man from among the people of Egypt who came to us forty-odd years ago told me, from `Ikrimah, from Ibn `Abbas, that `Utbah and Shaybah -- the two sons of Rabi'ah, Abu Sufyan bin Harb, a man from Bani `Abd Ad-Dar, Abu Al-Bakhtari -- the brother of Bani Asad, Al-Aswad bin Al-Muttalib bin Asad, Zam`ah bin Al-Aswad, Al-Walid bin Al-Mughirah, Abu Jahl bin Hisham, `Abdullah bin Abi Umayyah, Umayyah bin Khalaf, Al-`As bin Wa'il, and Nabih and Munabbih - the two sons of Al-Hajjaj As-Sahmin [the men of Quraysh], gathered all of them or some of them behind the Ka`bah after sunset.

Some of them said to others, `Send for Muhammad and talk with him and argue with him, so that nobody will think we are to blame.'

So they sent for him saying, `The nobles of your people have gathered for you to speak to them.'

So the Messenger of Allah came quickly, thinking that maybe they were going to change their minds, for he was very keen that they should be guided, and it upset him to see their stubbornness. So he came and sat with them, and they said, `O Muhammad, we have sent for you so that nobody will think we are to blame. By Allah we do not know any man among the Arabs who has brought to his people what you have brought to your people. You have slandered our forefathers, criticized our religion, insulted our reason, slandered our gods and caused division. There is no objectionable thing that you have not brought between us. If you are preaching these things because you want wealth, we will collect some of our wealth together for you and make you the wealthiest man among us.

If you are looking for position, we will make you our leader. If you are looking for kingship, we will make you our king. If what has come to you is a type of Jinn that has possessed you, then we can spend our money looking for the medicine that will rid you of it so that no one will think we are to blame.'

The Messenger of Allah said:

«مَا بِي مَا تَقُولُونَ، مَا جِئْتُكُمْ بِمَا جِئْتُكُمْ بِهِ أَطْلُبُ أَمْوَالَكُمْ، وَلَا الشَّرَفَ فِيكُمْ، وَلَا الْمُلْكَ عَلَيْكُمْ، وَلَكِنَّ اللهَ بَعَثَنِي إِلَيْكُمْ رَسُولًا وَأَنْزَلَ عَلَيَّ كِتَابًا، وَأَمَرَنِي أَنْ أَكُونَ لَكُمْ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا، فَبَلَّغْتُكُمْ رِسَالَاتِ رَبِّي وَنَصَحْتُ لَكُمْ، فَإِنْ تَقْبَلُوا مِنِّي مَا جِئْتُكُمْ بِهِ فَهُوَ حَظُّكُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ، وَإِنْ تَرُدُّوهُ عَلَيَّ أَصْبِرْ لِأَمْرِ اللهِ حَتَّى يَحْكُمَ اللهُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُم»

(My case is not as you say. I have not brought what I have brought to you because I want your wealth or to be your leader or king. But Allah has sent me to you as a Messenger and has revealed to me a Book and has commanded me to bring you good news and a warning. So, I have conveyed to you the Messages of my Lord and have advised you accordingly. If you accept what I have brought to you, then this is your good fortune in this world and the Hereafter, but if you reject it, I shall wait patiently for the command of Allah until Allah judges between me and you.) or words to that effect.

They said, `O Muhammad, if you do not accept what we have offered you, then you know that there is no other people whose country is smaller, whose wealth is less and whose life is harder than ours, so ask your Lord Who has sent you with what He has sent you, to move away these mountains for us that are constricting us, to make our land wider and cause rivers to gush forth in it like the rivers of Syria and Iraq, and to resurrect for us those of our forefathers who have passed away.

Let there be among those whom He resurrects Qusayy bin Kilab, for he was a truthful old man, and we will ask them whether what you are saying is true or false. If you do what we are asking, and they (the people who are resurrected) say that you are telling the truth, then we will believe you and acknowledge your status with Allah and believe that He has sent you as a Messenger as you say.'

The Messenger of Allah said to them:

«مَا بِهَذَا بُعِثتُ، إِنَّمَا جِئْتُكُمْ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللهِ بِمَا بَعَثَنِي بِهِ، فَقَدْ بَلَّغْتُكُمْ مَا أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ إِلَيْكُمْ، فَإِنْ تَقْبَلُوهُ فَهُوَ حَظُّكُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ، وَإِنْ تَرُدُّوهُ عَلَيَّ أَصْبِرْ لِأَمْرِ اللهِ حَتَّى يَحْكُمَ اللهُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُم»

(I was not sent for this purpose. I have brought to you from Allah that with which He has sent me, and I have conveyed to you the Message with which I was sent to you. If you accept what I have brought to you, then this is your good fortune in this world and the Hereafter, but if you reject it, I shall wait patiently for the command of Allah until Allah judges between me and you.)

They said, `If you will not do this for us, then at least do something for yourself. Ask your Lord to send an angel to confirm that what you are saying is the truth and to speak up on your behalf. Ask Him to give you gardens and treasures and palaces of gold and silver, and to make you independent so that you will not have to do what we see you doing, for you stand in the marketplaces seeking provision just as we do. Then we will know the virtue of your position with your Lord and whether you are a Messenger as you claim.'

The Messenger of Allah said to them:

«مَا أَنَا بِفَاعِلٍ، مَا أَنَا بِالَّذِي يَسْأَلُ رَبَّهُ هَذَا، وَمَا بُعِثْتُ إِلَيْكُمْ بِهَذَا، وَلَكِنَّ اللهَ بَعَثَنِي بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا، فَإِنْ تَقْبَلُوا مَا جِئْتُكُمْ بِهِ، فَهُوَ حَظُّكُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ، وَإِنْ تَرُدُّوهُ عَلَيَّ أَصْبِرْ لِأَمْرِ اللهِ حَتَّى يَحْكُمَ اللهُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَك»
(I will not do that, and I will not ask my Lord for this. I was not sent to you for this reason. But Allah has sent me to you to bring you good news and a warning. If you accept what I have brought to you, then this is your good fortune in this world and the Hereafter, but if you reject it, I shall wait patiently for the command of Allah until Allah judges between me and you.)
They said, `Then cause the sky to fall upon us, as you claim that if your Lord wills, He can do that. We will not believe in you until you do this.'

The Messenger of Allah said to them:

«ذَلِكَ إِلَى اللهِ، إِنْ شَاءَ فَعَلَ بِكُمْ ذَلِك»

(That is for Allah to decide. If He wills, He will do that to you.)

The Insults begin...

They said, `O Muhammad, did your Lord not know that we would sit with you and ask you what we have asked and make the requests that we have made He should have told you beforehand and taught you how to reply to us, and informed you what He would do to us if we do not accept what you have brought to us. We have heard that the one who is teaching you this, is a man in Al-Yamamah called Ar-Rahman. By Allah, we will never believe in Ar-Rahman. We are warning you, O Muhammad, that we will not let you do what you want to do until you or we are destroyed.'

One of them said, `We worship the angels who are the daughters of Allah.' Another said, `We will never believe in you until you bring Allah and the angels before (us) face to face.'

When they said this, the Messenger of Allah got up and left them. `Abdullah bin Abi Umayyah bin Al-Mughirah bin `Abdullah bin `Umar bin Makhzum, the son of his paternal aunt `Atikah, the daughter of `Abdul-Muttalib, also got up and followed him. He said to him, `O Muhammad, your people have offered you what they have offered you, and you did not accept it. Then they asked for things for themselves so that they would know your position with Allah, and you did not do that for them. Then they asked you to hasten on the punishments with which you are scaring them. By Allah, I will never believe in you unless you take a ladder to heaven and ascend it while I am watching, then you bring with you an open book and four angels to testify that you are as you say. By Allah, even if you did that, I think that I would not believe you.'

Then he turned away from the Messenger of Allah , and the Messenger of Allah went home to his family, grieving over having missed out on what he had hoped for when his people had called him, because he saw that they were resisting him even more.''

Surah Israa' - tafsir ibn Kathir;

http://www.tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=17&tid=29598

http://www.tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=17&tid=29606

http://www.tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=17&tid=29609

The injuries the Messenger of Allah and believers experienced in Uhud

2009-06-22T18:31:00.000-07:00

It is recorded in the Two Sahih [Bukhari & Muslim] that when he was asked about the injuries the Messenger sustained [in Uhud], Sahl bin Sa`d said, "The face of Allah's Messenger was injured, his front tooth was broken and his helmet was smashed on his head. Therefore, Fatimah, the daughter of Allah's Messenger washed off the blood while `Ali was pouring water on her hand. When Fatimah saw that the bleeding increased more by the water, she took a mat, burnt it, and placed the ashes in the wound of the Prophet and the blood stopped oozing out.''

Allah said next,

[فَأَثَـبَكُمْ غَمّاً بِغَمٍّ]

(There did Allah give you one distress after another) [3:153],

He gave you grief over your grief. Ibn `Abbas said, `The first grief was because of the defeat, especially when it was rumored that Muhammad was killed. The second grief was when the idolators went up the mount and The Messenger of Allah said, `O Allah! It is not for them to rise above us.'''

`Abdur-Rahman bin `Awf said, "The first distress was because of the defeat and the second when a rumor started that Muhammad was killed, which to them, was worse than defeat.'' Ibn Marduwyah recorded both of these. Mujahid and Qatadah said, "The first distress was when they heard that Muhammad was killed and the second when they suffered casualties and injury.'' It has also been reported that Qatadah and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said that it was the opposite [order]. As-Suddi said that the first distress was because of the victory and booty that they missed and the second because of the enemy rising above them (on the mount). Allah said,

[لِّكَيْلاَ تَحْزَنُواْ عَلَى مَا فَاتَكُمْ]

(by way of requital to teach you not to grieve for that which had escaped you), for that you missed the booty and triumph over your enemy.

[وَلاَ مَآ أَصَـبَكُمْ]

(nor for what struck you), of injury and fatalities, as Ibn `Abbas, `Abdur-Rahman bin `Awf, Al-Hasan, Qatadah and As-Suddi stated. Allah said next,

[وَاللَّهُ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ]

(And Allah is Well-Aware of all that you do.) all praise is due to Him, and thanks, there is no deity worthy of worship except Him, the Most High, Most Honored.

Sleep overcame the believers in Badr and Uhud, and for the believers when they are in distress

2009-06-22T18:01:00.000-07:00

[ثُمَّ أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِّن بَعْدِ الْغَمِّ أَمَنَةً نُّعَاساً يَغْشَى طَآئِفَةً مِّنْكُمْ وَطَآئِفَةٌ قَدْ أَهَمَّتْهُمْ أَنْفُسُهُمْ]
(Then after the distress, He sent down security for you. Slumber overtook a party of you, while another party was thinking about themselves. ) [3:154]

Abu Talhah said, "I was among those who were overcome by slumber during (the battle of) Uhud [this slumber miracle happened in both Badr and Uhud]. The sword fell from my hand several times, and I kept picking it up again, several times. I also saw the Companions' heads nodding while in the rear guard.'' Al-Hafiz Abu Ya`la narrated that `Ali said, "Only Al-Miqdad had a horse during Badr, and at some point, I found that all of us fell asleep, except the Messenger of Allah . He was praying under a tree and crying until dawn.'' `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said, "Slumber during battle is security from Allah, but during prayer, it is from Shaytan.'' Qatadah said, "Slumber affects the head, while sleep affects the heart.''

Slumber overcame the believers on the day of Uhud, and this incident is very well-known. As for this Ayah (8:11), it is describing the battle of Badr, indicating that slumber also overcame the believers during Badr. Therefore, it appears that this will occur for the believers, whenever they are in distress, so that their hearts feel safe and sure of Allah's aid, rewards, favor and mercy from Allah with them. Allah said in another Ayah,

[فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْراً - إِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْراً ]
(Verily, along with every hardship is relief. Verily, along with every hardship is relief.) [94:5-6]

In the Sahih, it is recorded that on the day of Badr, while he was in the bunker with Abu Bakr, the Messenger and Abu Bakr were invoking Allah. Suddenly, slumber overcame the Messenger and he woke up smiling and declared,

«أَبْشِرْ يَا أَبَابَكْرٍ هَذَا جِبْرِيلُ عَلَى ثَنَايَاهُ النَّقْع»

("Good news, O Abu Bakr! This is Jibril with dust on his shoulders.''

He left the shade while reciting Allah's statement,

[سَيُهْزَمُ الْجَمْعُ وَيُوَلُّونَ الدُّبُرَ ]

(Their multitude will be put to flight, and they will show their backs.) [54:45]

Surah Anfal - tafsir ibn Kathir

http://www.tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=8&tid=19699

The Love of Allah's Messenger for his Uncle Al Abbas

2009-06-22T17:51:00.001-07:00

Muhammad bin Ishaq reported that `Abdullah bin `Abbas said that before the battle of Badr, the Messenger of Allah said,

«إِنِّي قَدْ عَرَفْتُ أَنَّ أُنَاسًا مِنْ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ وَغَيْرِهِمْ قَدْ أُخْرِجُوا كَرْهًا لَا حَاجَةَ لَهُمْ بِقِتَالِنَا فَمَنْ لَقِيَ مِنْكُمْ أَحَدًا مِنْهُمْ أَيْ مِنْ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ فَلَا يَقْتُلْهُ، وَمَنْ لَقِيَ أَبَا الْبُخْتَرِي بْنَ هِشَامٍ مُسْتَكرِهًا»

(I have come to know that some people from Bani Hashim and others were forced to accompany the pagans, although they had no desire to fight us. Therefore, whoever meets any of them (Bani Hashim), do not kill him. Whoever meets Abu Al-Bukhtari bin Hisham, should not kill him. Whoever meets Al-`Abbas bin `Abdul-Muttalib, let him not kill him, for he was forced to come (with the pagan army).

Abu Hudhayfah bin `Utbah said, "Shall we kill our fathers, children, brothers and tribesmen (from Quraysh), and leave Al-`Abbas By Allah! If I meet him, I will kill him with the sword.''

When this reached the Messenger of Allah , he said to `Umar bin Al-Khattab,

«يَا أَبَا حَفْص»

(O Abu Hafs!), and `Umar said, "By Allah that was the first time that the Messenger of Allah called me Abu Hafs.''

«أَيُضْرَبُ وَجْهُ عَمِّ رَسُولِ اللهِ بِالسَّيْف»

(Will the face of the Messenger of Allahs's uncle be struck with the sword)

`Umar said, "O Allah's Messenger! Give me permission to cut off his neck (meaning Abu Hudhayfah) for he has fallen into hypocrisy, by Allah!''

Ever since that happened, Abu Hudhayfah used to say, "By Allah! I do not feel safe from this statement coming back to haunt me, and I will continue to fear its repercussions, unless Allah, the Exalted, forgives me for it through martyrdom.'' Abu Hudhayfah was martyred during the battle of Al-Yamamah, may Allah be pleased with him.

Allah's Messenger was saddened that his family was hurt, but was still just when it concerned the Muslims

Ibn `Abbas said, "On the eve after Badr, the Messenger of Allah spent the first part of the night awake, while the prisoners were bound. His Companions said to him, `O Allah's Messenger! Why do you not sleep' Al-`Abbas had been captured by a man from Al-Ansar, and the Messenger of Allah said to them,

«سَمِعْتُ أَنِينَ عَمِّي الْعَبَّاسِ فِي وِثَاقِهِ فَأَطْلِقُوه»

(I heard the cries of pain from my uncle Al-`Abbas, because of his shackles, so untie him.) When his uncle stopped crying from pain, Allah's Messenger went to sleep.'

' In his Sahih, Al-Bukhari recorded a Hadith from Musa bin `Uqbah who said that Ibn Shihab said that Anas bin Malik said that some men from Al-Ansar said to the Messenger of Allah , "O Allah's Messenger! Give us permission and we will set free our maternal cousin Al-`Abbas without taking ransom from him.'' He said,

«لَا وَاللهِ لَا تَذَرُونَ مِنْهُ دِرْهَمًا»

(No, by Allah! Do not leave any Dirham of it.) And from Yunus Bikkir, from Muhammad bin Ishaq, from Yazid bin Ruwman, from `Urwah, from Az-Zuhri that several people said to him, "The Quraysh sent to the Messenger of Allah concerning ransoming their prisoners, and each tribe paid what was required for their prisoners. Al-`Abbas said, `O Allah's Messenger! I became a Muslims before.' The Messenger of Allah said,

«اللهُ أَعْلَمُ بِإِسْلَامِكَ فَإِنْ يَكُنْ كَمَا تَقُولُ فَإِنَّ اللهُ يُجْزِيكَ وَأَمَّا ظَاهِرُكَ فَقَدْ كَانَ عَلَيْنَا فَافْتَدِ نَفْسَكَ وَابْنَي أَخِيكَ نَوْفَلَ بْنَ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ عَبْدِالْمُطَّلِبِ وَعَقِيلَ بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبِ بْنِ عَبْدِالْمُطَّلِبِ ، وَحَلِيفَكَ عُتْبَةَ بْنَ عَمْرٍو أَخِي بَنِي الْحَارِثِ بْنِ فِهْر»

(Allah knows if you are Muslim! If what you are claiming is true, then Allah will compensate you. As for your outward appearance, it was against us. Therefore, ransom yourself, as well as, your nephews Nawfal bin Al-Harith bin `Abdul-Muttalib and `Aqil bin Abu Talib bin `Abdul-Muttalib, and also your ally `Utbah bin `Amr, from Bani Al-Harith bin Fihr.) Al-`Abbas said, `I do not have that (money), O Allah's Messenger!' The Messenger said,

«فَأَيْنَ الْمَالُ الَّذِي دَفَنْتَهُ أَنْتَ وَأُمُّ الْفَضْلِ فَقُلْتَ لَهَا: إِنْ أَصَبْتُ فِي سَفَرِي هَذَا، فَهَذَا الْمَالُ الَّذِي دَفَنْتُهُ لِبَنِي الْفَضْلِ وَعَبْدِاللهِ وَقُثَمٍ؟»

(What about the wealth that you and Umm Al-Fadl buried, and you said to her, `If I am killed in this battle, then this money that I buried is for my children Al-Fadl, `Abdullah and Quthm) Al-`Abbas said, `By Allah, O Allah's Messenger! I know that you are Allah's Messenger, for this is a thing that none except Umm Al-Fadl and I knew. However, O Allah's Messenger! Could you count towards my ransom the twenty Uwqiyah (pertaining to a weight) that you took from me (in the battle)' The Messenger of Allah said,

«لَا ذَاكَ شَيْءٌ أَعْطَانَا اللهُ تَعَالَى مِنْك»

(No, for that was money that Allah made as war spoils for us from you).

So Al-`Abbas ransomed himself, his two nephews and an ally, and Allah revealed this verse,

[يَـأَيُّهَا النَّبِىُّ قُل لِّمَن فِى أَيْدِيكُم مِّنَ الاٌّسْرَى إِن يَعْلَمِ اللَّهُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ خَيْراً يُؤْتِكُمْ خَيْراً مِّمَّآ أُخِذَ مِنكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ]

(O Prophet! Say to the captives that are in your hands: "If Allah knows any good in your hearts, He will give you something better than what has been taken from you, and He will forgive you, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.'') [8:70] Al-`Abbas commented, `After I became Muslim, Allah gave me twenty servants in place of the twenty Uwqiyah I lost. And I hope for Allah's forgiveness.''

He sends the thunderbolts and smites with them whom He pleases, yet they dispute concerning Allah, and He is mighty in Punishment..

2009-06-22T17:25:00.000-07:00

Amir bin At-Tufayl said, "O Muhammad! What will you give me if I embrace Islam'' The Messenger of Allah said,
«لَكَ مَا لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ وَعَلَيْكَ مَا عَلَيْهِم»
(You will have the rights and duties of all Muslims.)

`Amir bin At-Tufayl said, "Will you make me your successor if I embrace Islam'' The Messenger of Allah said,
«لَيْسَ ذَلِكَ لَكَ وَلَا لِقَوْمِكَ، وَلَكِنْ لَكَ أَعِنَّةَ الْخَيْل»
(That is not your right, nor your people's right. However, I could appoint you a commander of the horsemen (i.e., war).)
`Amir said, "I am already the commander of the horsemen of Najd (in the north of Arabia). Give me control over the desert and you keep the cities.''

The Messenger of Allah refused. When these two men were leaving the Messenger of Allah ,
`Amir said, "By Allah! I will fill it (Al-Madinah) with horses and men (hostile to Muslims).'' The Messenger of Allah replied,
«يَمْنَعُكَ الله»
(Rather, Allah will prevent you. )

When `Amir and Arbad left, `Amir said, "O Arbad! I will keep Muhammad busy while talking to him, so you can strike him with the sword. Verily, if you kill Muhammad, the people (Muslims) will agree to take blood money and will hate to wage war over his murder. Then we will give them the blood money.'' Arbad said, "I will do that,'' and they went back to the Messenger .

`Amir said, "O Muhammad! Stand next to me so that I can talk to you.'' The Messenger stood up, and they both stood next to a wall talking to each other. Arbad wanted to grab his sword, but his hand froze when it touched the sword's handle and he could not take the sword out of its sheath. Arbad did not strike the Messenger as `Amir suggested, and the Messenger of Allah looked at Arbad and realized what he was doing, so he departed. When Arbad and `Amir left the Messenger of Allah and arrived at Al-Harrah of Waqim area, they dismounted from their horses.

However, Sa`d bin Mu`adh and Usayd bin Hudayr came out saying, "Come, O enemies of Allah! May Allah curse you.'' `Amir asked, "Who is this with you, O Sa`d'' Sa`d said, "This is Usayd bin Hudayr.''

They fled until they reached the Riqm area, where Allah struck Arbad with a bolt of lightning and he met his demise. As for `Amir, he went on until he reached the Kharim area, where Allah sent an open ulcer that struck him. During that night, `Amir took refuge in a woman's house, from Banu Salul. `Amir kept touching his open ulcer and saying, "An ulcer as big as a camel's hump, while I am at the house of a woman from Bani Salul, seeking to bring my death in her house!'' He rode his horse, but he died while riding it headed to his area. Allah sent down these Ayat (13:8-11) in their case,

[اللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَحْمِلُ كُلُّ أُنثَى]
(Allah knows what every female bears) until,
[وَمَا لَهُمْ مِّن دُونِهِ مِن وَالٍ]
(..and they will find besides Him no protector.)

Ibn `Abbas commented, "The angels in succession, guard Muhammad, peace be upon him, by the command of Allah.'' He next mentioned the demise of Arbad by Allah's command, reciting this Ayah,

[وَيُرْسِلُ الصَّوَعِقَ]
(He sends the thunderbolts,)'' Allah said next,
[وَهُمْ يُجَـدِلُونَ فِى اللَّهِ]
(yet they (disbelievers) dispute about Allah.) they doubt Allah's greatness and that there is no deity worthy of worship except Him,
[وَهُوَ شَدِيدُ الْمِحَالِ]
(And He is Mighty in strength and Severe in punishment.)

Surah al Ra'd [the Thunder] 13:13;
http://www.tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=13&tid=25593

Also;

Anas bin Malik narrated:

"The Messenger of Allah sent a man from his Companions to a man from the people of disbelief in order to call him to Allah - the Blessed and Exalted - so, he said to the Companion:

"What is this Lord of yours that you call me to? Is He made of iron? Is He made of copper? Is He made of silver? Is He made of gold?"

So, the Companion returned to the Prophet and told him of what had happened, so, he sent the Companion back a second time. The man told him the same thing, so, he was sent a third time. The man told him the same thing, so the Companion returned and informed the Prophet, so, Allah - the Blessed and Exalted - sent a lightining bolt that struck the man and burned him up.

The Messenger of Allah then said: "Verily, Allah - the Blessed and Exalted - has sent upon this man that you know a lightning bolt which has burned him up."

The verse was then revealed: {"... He sends lightning bolts, and therewith He strikes whom He Wills, yet they dispute about Allah, and He is mighty in strength and severe in punishment."} [ar-Ra'd; 13]"

[Reported by al-Bayhaqi in 'as-Sunan al-Kubra' (11259), al-Haythami in 'Majma' az-Zawa'id' (7/24), and it is authentic]

Let those who oppose the Messenger beware...;
http://salaf-stories.blogspot.com/2007/12/httpwww.html

The Great Respect the Sahaba had for Allah's Messenger

2009-06-22T17:08:00.000-07:00

`Urwah (ibn Mas'ud al Thaqafi) returned to his people [the Quraysh] and said;

`O people! By Allah, I have been to the kings and to Caesar, Khosrau and An-Najashi. Yet, by Allah! I have never seen any of them respected by his courtiers, as much as, Muhammad is respected by his companions.

By Allah, if he spat, the spittle would fall into the hand of one of them and he would rub it on his face and skin.* If he ordered them, they would carry out his order immediately, if he performed ablution, they would struggle (with each other) to take the remaining water, and when they spoke, they would lower their voices and would not look at his face constantly out of respect...

*Blessings can only be sought from what is authentically touched by Allah's Messenger, or what was his i.e. his hair, or his saliva etc. since he did not forbid it [if it was forbidden he would forbid it or Allah would.] But it does not apply to seeking blessings from other people or graves etc. since this was not the practise of the companions after him.

Surah Al Fath - tafsir ibn Kathir;
http://www.tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=48&tid=49543

"Get ready and march forth towards a Paradise as wide as the heavens and earth!"

2009-06-22T16:58:00.000-07:00

Allah said,
[يَـأَيُّهَا النَّبِىُّ حَرِّضِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَى الْقِتَالِ]
(O Prophet! Urge the believers to fight), encouraged and called them to fight. The Messenger of Allah used to encourage the Companions to fight when they faced the enemy.

On the day of Badr when the idolators came with their forces and supplies, he said to his Companions,

«قُومُوا إِلَى جَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا السَّمَوَاتُ وَالْأَرْض»

(Get ready and march forth towards a Paradise as wide as the heavens and earth.)

`Umayr bin Al-Humam said, "As wide as the heavens and earth'' The Messenger said,

«نَعَم»

(Yes) `Umayr said, "Excellent! Excellent!'' The Messenger asked him,

«مَا يَحْمِلُكَ عَلَى قَوْلِكَ: بَخٍ بَخ»

(What makes you say, `Excellent! Excellent!') He said, "The hope that I might be one of its dwellers.'' The Prophet said,

«فَإِنَّكَ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا»

(You are one of its people.) Umayr went ahead, broke the scabbard of his sword, took some dates and started eating from them. He then threw the dates from his hand, saying, "Verily, if I lived until I finished eating these dates, then it is indeed a long life.'' He went ahead, fought and was killed, may Allah be pleased with him.

Surah Anfal - tafsir ibn Kathir;

http://www.tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=8&tid=20537

Smashing Idols!

2009-06-22T16:44:00.000-07:00

Prophet Ibrahim Al-Khalil proclaimed,
[أَتَعْبُدُونَ مَا تَنْحِتُونَ]
("Worship you that which you (yourselves) carve'') [37:95]

Allah's Khalil, peace be upon him, broke and disgraced the idols of his people, just as Allah said he did,
[فَرَاغَ عَلَيْهِمْ ضَرْباً بِالْيَمِينِ ]
(Then he turned upon them, striking (them) with (his) right hand,) [37:93] and,
[فَجَعَلَهُمْ جُذَاذاً إِلاَّ كَبِيراً لَّهُمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ إِلَيْهِ يَرْجِعُونَ ]
(So he broke them to pieces, (all) except the biggest of them, that they might turn to it.) [21:58]

The two Mu'adhs following the example of Prophet Ibrahim & the Conversion of 'Amr to Islam;

Mu`adh bin `Amr ibn Al-Jamuh and Mu`adh bin Jabal, may Allah be pleased with both of them, were still young when they embraced Islam after the Messenger of Allah came to Al-Madinah.

So they were attacking the idols of the idolators at night, breaking, disfiguring them and using them as fuel for needy widows. They sought to give a lesson to their people to make them aware of their error. `Amr bin Al-Jamuh, who was one of the chiefs of his people, had an idol that he used to worship and perfume. The two Mu`adhs used to go to that idol, turn it on its head and tarnish it with animal waste. When `Amr bin Al-Jamuh would see what happened to his idol, he would clean it, perfume it and leave a sword next to it, saying, "Defend yourself.'' However, the two young men would repeat their actions, and he would do the same as before. Once, they took the idol, tied it to a dead dog and threw it in a well while tied to a rope! When `Amr bin Al-Jamuh saw this, he knew that his religion was false and said, "By Allah! Had you been a god who has might, you would not end up tied to a dog on a rope!'' `

Amr bin Al-Jamuh embraced Islam, and he was strong in his Islam. He was later martyred during the battle of Uhud, may Allah be pleased with him, give him pleasure. and grant him Paradise as his dwelling.

Surah Al A'raf - tafsir ibn Kathir;
http://www.tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=7&tid=19369

"O Messenger of Allah! Give me permission to commit Zina (unlawful sex)

2009-06-22T16:38:00.000-07:00

[وَلاَ تَقْرَبُواْ الزِّنَى إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً]

(And come not near to unlawful sex. Verily, it is a Fahishah (immoral sin)) meaning a major sin,
[وَسَآءَ سَبِيلاً]
(and an evil way.) meaning, a terrible way to behave.

Imam Ahmad recorded Abu Umamah saying that a young man came to the Prophet and said,

"O Messenger of Allah! Give me permission to commit Zina (unlawful sex).'' The people surrounded him and rebuked him, saying, "Stop! Stop!'' But the Prophet said,

«ادْنُه»

(Come close) The young man came to him, and he said,

«اجْلِس»

(Sit down) so he sat down. The Prophet said,

«أَتُحِبُّهُ لِأُمِّك»

(Would you like it (unlawful sex) for your mother) He said, "No, by Allah, may I be ransomed for you.'' The Prophet said,

«وَلَا النَّاسُ يُحِبُّونَهُ لِأُمَّهَاتِهِم»

(Neither do the people like it for their mothers.) The Prophet said,

«أَفَتُحِبُّهُ لِابْنَتِكَ؟»

(Would you like it for your daughter) He said, "No, by Allah, may I be ransomed for you.'' The Prophet said,

«وَلَا النَّاسُ يُحِبُّونَهُ لِبَنَاتِهِم»

(Neither do the people like it for their daughters. ) The Prophet said,

«أَفَتُحِبُّهُ لِأُخْتِكَ؟»

(Would you like it for your sister) He said, "No, by Allah, may I be ransomed for you.'' The Prophet said,

«وَلَا النَّاسُ يُحِبُّونَهُ لِأَخَوَاتِهِم»

(Neither do the people like it for their sisters.) The Prophet said,

«أَفَتُحِبُّهُ لِعَمَّتِكَ؟»

(Would you like it for your paternal aunt) He said, "No, by Allah, O Allah's Messenger! may I be ransomed for you.'' The Prophet said,

«وَلَا النَّاسُ يُحِبُّونَهُ لِعَمَّاتِهِم»

(Neither do the people like it for their paternal aunts.) The Prophet said,

«أَفَتُحِبُّهُ لِخَالَتِكَ؟»

(Would you like it for your maternal aunt) He said, "No, by Allah, O Allah's Messenger! may I be ransomed for you.'' The Prophet said,

«وَلَا النَّاسُ يُحِبُّونَهُ لِخَالَاتِهِم»

(Neither do the people like it for their maternal aunts.) Then the Prophet put his hand on him and said,

«اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ ذَنْبَهُ، وَطَهِّرْ قَلْبَهُ، وَأَحْصِنْ فَرْجَه»

(O Allah, forgive his sin, purify his heart and guard his chastity.) After that the young man never paid attention to anything of that nature.

Surah Israa' - tafsir ibn Kathir
http://tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=17&tid=28949

“O Messenger of Allah! Indeed, I love you…”

2009-06-22T12:42:00.000-07:00

“O Messenger of Allah! Indeed, I love you…”

‘A’ishah reported that a man came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and said: “O Messenger of Allah! Indeed, I love you more than I love myself, and I love you more than I love my family, and I love you more than I love my children. When I am at home and I think of you, I am unable to contain myself until I can come to you and look at you. When I think about my death and your death, I know that when you enter Paradise, you will be raised to where the Prophets are. But, if I enter Paradise, I am afraid: will I be able to see you?”

So, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) did not answer him at all until Jibril revealed to him:

{“And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, then they will be in the company of those on whom Allah has bestowed His Grace – of the Prophets, the truthful, the martyrs and the righteous. And how excellent these companions are!”} [an-Nisa' [4]; 69]

['Silsilat al-Ahadith as-Sahihah'; #2933]

Destroying of al Laat

2009-06-22T12:10:00.000-07:00

Destroying a False Goddess

A few days elapsed and delegation from Madinah sent by the Prophet [Muhammad - peace be upon him] arrived at Ta'if. The delegations was under the leadership of Khalid ibn Walid and included al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah. They went straight to al-Lat[1] to destroy it. All the Thaqif (2) came to witness that event: men, women and children. The vast majority of them did not think for a moment that al-Lat, the goddess the were worshiping until yesterday, would be destoryed. They seriously thought that she had the power to protect herself. Al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah. who belonged to the Thaqif but had accepted Islam a few years earlier, tool the axe in his hand and aid quietly to his fellow Muslims: "I will give you a good laugh at the Thaqif". As he hit al-Lat with the axe, he pretended to fall down immediately. The people of Ta'if cheered loudly. They said: "Away with al-Mughirah. He has been killed by the Rabbah [female goddess]". They could not conceal their pleasure when they saw him falling down. They turned to the Muslim delegation from Madinah and said to them: "Let any one of you who dares try to destroy her. You will soon realize that you cannot touch her".

At this moment, al-Mughirah sprang to his feet and said to them:" Foul on you Thaqif. What is she but a heap of mud and stone? It is about time you recognized God's blessings and worshiped Him alone". He hit the door with the axe to break it and together with his fellow Muslims, climbed the wall of the place housing al-Lat. They broker her up into pieces until the place was completely leveled down. The key-keeper of the place said repeatedly: "The foundation will now show its fury and they will sink down into the bottom of the earth".

Al-Mughriah then said to Kahlid: "Let me dig up her foundation". He did so and the earth underneath was turned upside down. The Muslims took off all the jewellery which was placed on al-Lat, a great amount. The Thaqif were bewildered as the Muslims went ahead with their task. The destruction of al-Lat went a long way towards reassuring the Thaqif that they had chosen the right course. They realized that al-Lat was absolutely useless; she was nothing more than a stone statue. Hence, their acceptance of Islam proved to be genuine.

When the Prophet [Muhammad - peace be upon him] received the jewelery and the fine garments which the Muslim delegation brought with them from their mission to destroy al-Lat, he thanked God and praised him for His help and kindness. A few months earlier the Prophet [Muhammad - peace be upon him] has received two young men from the Thaqif who came to declare that they were Muslims.

[1]The Arabs had changed the name of Allah (who they believed in since they were descendants of Prophet Ibrahim/Abraham and believed they were following his religion) into a female names, to Al Laat from Allaah, the same way they had changed other names of Allah like Al Manaan to Manaat, Al Azeez to al 'Uzza etc. These were innovations in the religion which led them to associating partners with Allah which is shirk (associating partners with Allah/God), the worst sin in the sight of Allah/God.

[2]The Thaqeef were the people who lived in Al Ta'if near Makkah, they were of the last of the great tribes to become Muslim in Arabia.

source:

Al Waqidi p968-9, oxford uni press publishing.

Original text from Muhammad, Man and Prophet by Adil Salahi.

Fadl ibn Abbas, lowering his gaze?

2009-06-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

Sahih Al Bukhari Volume 8, Book 74 [Asking Permission], Number 247:
Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas (al Fadl's brother):
Al-Fadl bin 'Abbas rode behind the Prophet as his companion rider on the back portion of his she camel on the Day of Nahr (slaughtering of sacrifice, 10th Dhul-Hijja) and Al-Fadl was a handsome man. The Prophet stopped to give the people verdicts.
In the meantime, a beautiful woman From the tribe of Khath'am came, asking the verdict of Allah's Apostle. Al-Fadl started looking at her as her beauty attracted him.
The Prophet looked behind while Al-Fadl was looking at her; so the Prophet held out his hand backwards and caught the chin of Al-Fadl and turned his face (to the other side in order that he should not gaze at her. She said, "O Allah's Apostle! The obligation of Performing Hajj enjoined by Allah on His worshipers, has become due (compulsory) on my father who is an old man and who cannot sit firmly on the riding animal. Will it be sufficient that I perform Hajj on his behalf?" He said, "Yes."

Aisha's trick never worked...

2009-06-22T11:42:00.000-07:00

Sahih Muslim Book 031 [merits of the companions], Number 5991:

'A'isha reported that when Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) set out on a journey, he used to cast lots amongst his wives. Once this lot came out in my favour and that of Hafsa. They (Hafsa, and 'A'isha) both went along with him and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) used to travel (on camel) when it was night along with 'A'isha and talked with her. Hafsa said to 'A'isha: Would you like to ride upon my camel tonight and allow me to ride upon your camel and you would see (what you do not generally see) and I would see (what I do not see) generally? She said: Yes.

So 'A'isha rode upon the camel of Hafsa and Hafsa rode upon the camel of 'A'isha and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) came near the camel of 'A'isha. (whereas) Hafsa had been riding over that. He greeted her and then rode with her until they came down. She ('A'isha) thus missed (the company of the Holy Prophet) and when they sat down, 'A'isha felt jealous. She put her foot in the grass and said: O Allah, let the scorpion sting me or the serpent bite me. And so far as thy Messenger is concerned, I cannot say anything about him.

lol, she thought she would trick Hafsa in to getting in her hawdaj [kind of tent placed on a camel for women while travelling], and getting to meet Allah's Messenger, but the opposite happened, Allah's Messenger went to A'ishas hawdaj and (accidentally) found Hafsah there, so he stayed with her during the journey.

Was the Prophet Romantic?

2009-06-22T11:39:00.000-07:00

Fun!

We all want to have a fun time every now and then. Being excessive in it isn't always the best thing to do, but permissible ways of fun is encouraged in Islaam.

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) always kept his smile with his wives and he used to laugh and please them to make them laugh as well. With all the troubles around him, he used to take his wife Aisha, to the desert and say, “Aisha, lets race!” And she used to race him and win. So, he kept on feeding her meat for a whole week, so she would unassumingly gain weight, until he took her again to the desert and said, “Aisha, let’s race!” At that time, he won and said to her, “This time I won!”.

(Recorded in Ahmad & Abu Dawood)

We also know that the Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him) said:

Everything other than remembering Allah is (considered) wasteful play except four: a man humoring his wife, a man training his horse, a man walking between targets (learning archery), and man learning swimming,"

[Narrated by An-Nasaa'i and authenticated by Al-Albaani (Sahih Al-Jami' 4534]

Once during a journey, Safiyyah - the wife of Allaah's Messenger (may Allaah be pleased with her) was crying because she had be made to ride a slow camel. The Prophet (peace be upon him) didn't tell her she was being unreasonable. Instead, he wiped her tears, comforted her, and even tried to find her another camel for her.

The Prophet said: 'Consult with women. Indeed, you have some rights over your women and they have some rights over you. It is their right on you that you provide for their food and clothing generously, and your right on them is that they do not let anyone whom you dislike in the house, walking upon your floor. (Sunan Ibn Mâjah, Sunan At-Tirmidhî)

Anas ibn Malik narrates, "I saw the Prophet (salla Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam), making for her (Safiya) a kind of cushion with his cloak behind him (on his camel). He then sat beside his camel and put his knee for Safiya to put her foot on, in order to ride (on the camel)." [Sahih Al-Bukhari]

`Âishah said: “Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) never once struck a servant of his nor a woman, nor did he strike anyone with his hand.” [Sahîh Muslim (2328), Sunan Abî Dâwûd (4786), Sunan Ibn Mâjah (1984), as quoted from Sunan Ibn Mâjah] __________________

Hadith - Mishkat, Narrated Aisha [Transmitted by Tirmidhi]

Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) used to patch his sandals, sew his garment and conduct himself at home as anyone of you does in his house. He was a human being, searching his garment for lice, milking his sheep, and doing his own chores.

Hadith - Sahih al-Bukhari 8.65, Narrated Al Aswad

I asked 'Aisha what did the Prophet (peace be upon him) use to do at home. She replied, "He used to keep himself busy serving his family and when it was time for the prayer, he would get up for prayer."

Sahih Al Bukhari [the Book on Wedlock / Nikah] -

Volume 7, Book 62, Number 117:

Narrated 'Aisha:

Eleven women sat (at a place) and promised and contracted that they would not conceal anything of the news of their husbands. The first one said, "My husband is like the meat of a lean weak camel which is kept on the top of a mountain which is neither easy to climb, nor is the meat fat, so that one might put up with the trouble of fetching it." The second one said, "I shall not relate my husband's news, for I fear that I may not be able to finish his story, for if I describe him, I will mention all his defects and bad traits." The third one said, "My husband is a tall man; if I describe him (and he hears of that) he will divorce me, and if I keep quiet, he will neither divorce me nor treat me as a wife." The fourth one said, "My husband is a moderate person like the night of Tihama which is neither hot nor cold. I am neither afraid of him, nor am I discontented with him." The fifth one said, "My husband, when entering (the house) is a leopard, and when going out, is a lion. He does not ask about whatever is in the house." The sixth one said, "If my husband eats. he eats too much (leaving the dishes empty), and if he drinks he leaves nothing, and if he sleeps he sleeps alone (away from me) covered in garments and does not stretch his hands here and there so as to know how I fare (get along)." The seventh one said, "My husband is a wrong-doer or weak and foolish. All the defects are present in him. He may injure your head or your body or may do both." The eighth one said, "My husband is soft to touch like a rabbit and smells like a Zarnab (a kind of good smelling grass)." The ninth one said, "My husband is a tall generous man wearing a long strap for carrying his sword. His ashes are abundant and his house is near to the people who would easily consult him." The tenth one said, "My husband is Malik, and what is Malik? Malik is greater than whatever I say about him. (He is beyond and above all praises which can come to my mind). Most of his camels are kept at home (ready to be slaughtered for the guests) and only a few are taken to the pastures. When the camels hear the sound of the lute (or the tambourine) they realize that they are going to be slaughtered for the guests."

The eleventh one said, "My husband is Abu Zar and what is Abu Zar (i.e., what should I say about him)? He has given me many ornaments and my ears are heavily loaded with them and my arms have become fat (i.e., I have become fat). And he has pleased me, and I have become so happy that I feel proud of myself. He found me with my family who were mere owners of sheep and living in poverty, and brought me to a respected family having horses and camels and threshing and purifying grain . Whatever I say, he does not rebuke or insult me. When I sleep, I sleep till late in the morning, and when I drink water (or milk), I drink my fill. The mother of Abu Zar and what may one say in praise of the mother of Abu Zar? Her saddle bags were always full of provision and her house was spacious. As for the son of Abu Zar, what may one say of the son of Abu Zar? His bed is as narrow as an unsheathed sword and an arm of a kid (of four months) satisfies his hunger. As for the daughter of Abu Zar, she is obedient to her father and to her mother. She has a fat well-built body and that arouses the jealousy of her husband's other wife. As for the (maid) slave girl of Abu Zar, what may one say of the (maid) slavegirl of Abu Zar? She does not uncover our secrets but keeps them, and does not waste our provisions and does not leave the rubbish scattered everywhere in our house." The eleventh lady added, "One day it so happened that Abu Zar went out at the time when the milk was being milked from the animals, and he saw a woman who had two sons like two leopards playing with her two breasts. (On seeing her) he divorced me and married her. Thereafter I married a noble man who used to ride a fast tireless horse and keep a spear in his hand. He gave me many things, and also a pair of every kind of livestock and said, 'Eat (of this), O Um Zar, and give provision to your relatives." She added, "Yet, all those things which my second husband gave me could not fill the smallest utensil of Abu Zar's."

'Aisha then said: Allah's Apostle said to me, "I am to you as Abu Zar was to his wife Um Zar."

Aww.. lol.

If you see the etiquette of Allaah's Messenger, you see that he patiently listened to the whole story without saying anything until Aa'isha finished the.

Yet he was the Messenger of God for the whole of humanity, so if anyones doing anything for the sake of Islaam, then know that even the Prophet of Allaah - the greatest man to ever live spent time with his wives. We should take an example from that.

Do you also see how after listening to what she said, he ended it off in a Romantic way? Showing interest to what she said, and then linking it back to her to make her feel cared for, and understood.

That's exactly the way you want to follow.

It's reported authentically from Bukhari & Muslim - On the authority of Abdullah Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

"Verily, some eloquence (can be so beautiful); it constitutes sorcery.

There's some eloquence in talking which is soo beautiful that it has a similar effect to magic on people. Remember that you can talk to your spouse in a way which will attract them, but just don't do it in public because you might get unwanted attention.

You could call them by a personal nickname you choose for them, we know that the God's Messenger would call his wife Aa'isha by the nickname 'Aa'ish' just to joke with her. Don't call them something they dislike though, because that will just make the relationship go bad.

Aa'isha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates in Sahih Al Bukhari V2/B 15/no.70]:

It was the day of 'Id, and the Black people were playing with shields and spears; so either I requested the Prophet (peace be upon him) or he asked me whether I would like to see the display. I replied in the affirmative. Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) made me stand behind him and my cheek was touching his cheek and he was saying, "Carry on! O Bani Arfida," till I got tired.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked me, "Are you satisfied (Is that sufficient for you)?" I replied in the affirmative and he told me to leave.

That's cute; they showed each other that they weren't embarrassed to be in love with each other.. it shows your acceptance towards each other too.

There are many other narrations which state that Allaah's Messenger (peace be upon him) would eat with his wives, both would eat from the same and drink from the same glass etc. That's how it should be - it unites you together physically, aswell as the hearts.

Once the prophet (salla Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) was sitting in a room with Aisha and fixing his shoes. It was very warm, and Aisha looked to his blessed forehead and noticed that there were beads of sweat on it. She became overwhelmed by the majesty of that sight was staring at him long enough for him to notice.

He said, "What's the matter?" She replied, "If Abu Bukair Al-Huthali, the poet, saw you, he would know that his poem was written for you."

The Prophet (sallaAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam) asked, "What did he say?" She replied, "Abu Bukair said that if you looked to the majesty of the moon, it twinkles and lights up the world for everybody to see."

So the Prophet (salla Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) got up, walked to Aisha, kissed her between the eyes, and said, "Wallahi ya Aisha, you are like that to me and more."

[This was narrated in Dala'el Al-Nubuwa for Imam Abu Nu'aim with isnad including Imam Bukhari and Imam Ibn Khuzaina.]

...Abu Darda' reported that the Prophet of Allah, upon him be peace, said, "Nothing is weightier on the Scale of Deeds than one's good manners." [Sahih Al Bukhari - Book of Manners #271]

“The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and I [Aisha] used to do ghusl [have a bath] together from one vessel between me and him; we would take turns dipping our hands in the vessel and he would take more than me until I would say, ‘Leave some for me, leave some for me.’” She said, and they were both junub (in a state of janaabah).

Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim.

Islam QA - Etiquette of intimate relations

1. It was narrated from Zaynab bint Abi Salamah that Umm Salamah said: “I got my menses when I was lying with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) under a single woollen sheet. I slipped away and put on the clothes I usually wore for menstruation. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to me, ‘Have you got your menses?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ Then he called me and made me lie with him under the same sheet.”

She said: And she told me that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to kiss her when he was fasting, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and I used to do ghusl to cleanse ourselves from janaabah from one vessel.(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 316; Muslim, 296)

Islam QA - What are the rights of the husband and what are the rights of the wife?

http://www.islamic-life.com/forums/heart-softeners/prophet-romantic-1899

"Have you heard that the Dajjal has made his appearance!?"

2009-06-22T11:26:00.000-07:00

She [Saudah/Sawdah] was a senior wife of Allah's Messenger, and she was very fearful of the Dajjal [anti-christ].

Once she was coming to Sayyidah Aisha and Sayyidah Hafsah, both of them knew her weakness and said to her in a jovial mood, "Have you heard that the Dajjal has made his appearance!?"

She was alarmed and she entered a tent where certain people were busy kindling fire.

Both the ladies, Aisha and Hafsah came running to the Holy Prophet (sal Allah alaihi wasalam) and informed him of the joke they had with Sayyidah Saudah.

The Holy Prophet quietly came to the entrance of the tent and said, "The Dajjal has not yet made his appearance." On hearing this, Saudah came out of the tent and cleared her garments of the cobweb which had clung to her dress in the tent.

Asabah v-8 p.65. /
This extract is by Saeed Ansari Nadwi - Biographies of Women Companions of the Holy Prophet, p41

The Prophet's kind Treatment with his Wives

2009-06-22T11:22:00.000-07:00

asalaam alaikum

The Prophet's kind Treatment with his Wives

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم و الصلاة و السلام على خير المرسلين و إمام الغرالمحجلين: محمد بن عبدالله و على اله و صحبه أجمعين

Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ka says in his noble Quran : {Verily in the messenger of Allah ye have a good example for him who looketh unto Allah and the Last Day, and remembereth Allah much.}[ Sura Al-Ahzaab: verse 21].

The above verse talks about itself so there is no need to explain it. Inshallah, through the Hadith we shall go thru today we can benefit from our best and only example in this life; the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم ).

Narrated Anas: While the Prophet was in the house of one of his wives, one of the mothers of the believers sent a meal in a dish. The wife at whose house the Prophet was, struck the hand of the servant, causing the dish to fall and break. The Prophet gathered the broken pieces of the dish and then started collecting on them the food which had been in the dish and said, "Your mother (my wife) felt jealous." Then he detained the servant till a (sound) dish was brought from the wife at whose house he was. He gave the sound dish to the wife whose dish had been broken and kept the broken one at the house where it had been broken [Sahih Bukhari: Volume 7, Book 62, Number 152: ]

This Hadith contains a beautiful combination of our beloved prophet ( صلى الله عليه و سلم ) guidance for how Husband should deal with his wife. We shall, inshallah, explore the fiqh of this beautiful hadith together.

A) Be More Understanding to your wife nature

A husband should be more understanding to the nature of woman especially at the time when she acts out of Jealousy.

That is why we can see the prophet acting wisely as he understood the nature of his wife so well so that he distnguish that such act she has done was out of jealousy. this understanding was tranmslated by giving her the excuse for what she did.

B) Be part of the solution not part of the problem:

A husband should always be involved as part of the solution rather than isolating himself from the situation or being part of the problem.

The prophet (صلوات ربي و سلامه عليه ) acted while being aware of the people who is concerende with this issue i..e his wife, the servant and the other wife ( May Allah be pleased with them). Thus, he started solving the problem with the first more hurt because of this, which is the servant since the wife of the prophet who sent him will ask him about the plate, he was affected by the act itself due to the broken dish incident. He ( صلى الله عليه و سلم ) calmed the servant indirectly by reminding him that the one who struck the dish is his mother ( mother of believer) then added that jealousy is what drove her to do so therefore her action can be excused at that moment. Furthermore, the prophet did not only utter words to calm down the situation but also participated in actions when he collected the broken dish.

C) Firmness

The Prophet ( صلى الله عليه و سلم ) firmness was clearly implemented by holding his wife responsible for her actions in spite of the fact what she did was excusable because of her jealousy. That is why the Prophet let his wife to replace the broken dish by another sound one to make up for what she did. Furthermore, we can conclude that Husband must always be firm when something happens relate to others right. This is shown by giving the right back to who deserves it.

D) Immediate action is needed to solve problems:

It is very important to solve problems while it is in the very beginning otherwise it will grow bigger and bigger and end up trying to solve the consequences of the problem rather than finding solutions to the problem itself.

That is why the prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) acted immediately on spot so that this issue ends there and not to be bigger. The steps that the prophet used shows, amazing wisdom, follow the steps:

1. Collecting the dish and the food

2. Explaining the reason of such behavior to calm everyone down

3. Commanding everyone to eat as nothing happened

4. Replaced the broken dish with another sound one

E) Appreciation to Allah's blessings

A husband is the leader of the house that is why he needs to be the example for his family. This example can be taught by behavior and character. Thus, a husband should teach his family to appreciate what Allah provides them. That is why the Prophet collected the food that fell on floor and let everyone eat it. This is a very good example to teach everyone in the family how to be more humble, more thankful to Allah's blessings.

Wallahu A'lam

Written by Ayman bin Khaled on the 15th of sha'ban 1428 H.

How To Deal With Your Wife - Multaqa Ahl al-Hadeeth

Description Of The Joking Of Rasulullah

2009-06-22T11:21:00.000-07:00

From: Shamaa-il Tirmidhi with the Commentary of Shaykh Zakariyya al-Kandahlawi;
Chapter 35. Description Of The Joking Of Rasulullah.

Chapter 035, Hadith Number 001 (225).
Anas ibn Maalik (Allah be pleased with him) relates, Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) once told him jokingly, Ya dhal udhu-nayn (O’ two eared one).
Commentary
Every person has two ears. It must have been for a special reason that he was called ‘Ya dhal udhu-nayn’. For example, he might have had large ears or a sharp hearing, that he could hear from a distance. The latter explanation seems more correct.

Chapter 035, Hadith Number 002 (226).
Anas (Allah be pleased with him) says, Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to associate with us and joke. I had a younger brother. Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said to him, ‘Aba Umayr, what happened to the Nughayr?
Commentary
Nughayr is a type of bird. The ulama have translated it as a white tailed, red Pigeon. The author of Hayatul Haywaan says that it is a Nightingale. Imaam Tirmizi says that the gist of this hadith is that Sayyidinah Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) addressed this child by his kuniyyat (patronymic name). He had adopted an animal (bird) as a pet. The animal died and as a result, the child became grieved. In order to cheer him Sayyidina Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) asked him, What happened to the Nughayr? Although Sayyidina Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) knew that the animal had died. This hadith supports the madh’hab of the Hanafis in a masalah. According to the Shafi’ees, the same rule of hunting applies to the Haram of Madinah as that of Makkah. According to the Hanafis, there is a difference between the two. It is not prohibited to hunt in the Haram of Makkah, whereas it is jaa’iz (permissible) in the Haram of Madinah. Sayyidina Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) not prohibiting this, is a proof from among many other proofs, the details of which are mentioned in the books of fiqh and hadith. There is a difference of opinion whether Sayyidina Abu Umayr (Allah be pleased with him) was known by this kuniyyat (patronymic name) previously or did Sayyidina Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) address him first by this kuniyyat? Some ulama have extracted more than a hundred masaa-il and benifits from this hadith. May that soul be sacrificed that from a sentence of a joke, hundreds of masaa’il are solved. And may the Almighty Allah fill the graves of the great ulama with nur (light) who have given such great service to each and every hadith of Sayyidina Rasoolullaah (Allah bless him and give him peace) and extracted so many massa’il, kept it safe and spread it. A question arises here that it is also mentioned that the animal was kept in a cage and the child played with it. This is cruelty to an animal, which is prohibited in the hadith. An answer to this is, to cage an animal and to play with it to keep oneself happy, is not cruelty. To harm and to be cruel to an animal is a different thing. For this reason the ulama have written that it is only permissible for that person to keep an animal who will not mis-handle or be cruel to an animal, but care for it properly. It is not permissible for a hard-hearted child or one who does not understand animals to keep them.

Chapter 035, Hadith Number 003 (227)
Abu Hurairah (Allah be pleased with him) reports, The Sahaabah asked, ‘O’ Messenger of Allah, you joke with us?’. Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) replied, ‘Yes, I do not say but the truth.
Commentary
The reason that the Sahaabah (Allah be pleased with him)m asked is because it had been prohibited to joke. Likewise, it is also against the dignity of great people to do so. Sayyidina Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) informed that it has nothing to do with my cheerfulness. This has been discussed at the beginning of the chapter.

Chapter 035, Hadith Number 004 (228)
Anas ibn Malik (Allah be pleased with him) relates that a person requested Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) that he be given a conveyance. Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) replied, The baby of a camel shall be given to you.

The person said, What shall I do with the baby of a camel O’ Messenger of Allah? (I want one for a conveyance). Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) replied, Every camel is the baby of a camel.

Commentary
The person thought that he would be given a small camel which is unfit for riding. In this hadith besides joking, it also points to the fact that a person should carefully listen and understand what the other person is saying.

Chapter 035, Hadith Number 005 (229)
Anas ibn Malik (Allah be pleased with him) reports, A resident of the wilderness whose name was Zaahir (ibn Hiraam Al-Ashja’ee), whenever he visited Rasooluallah (Allah bless him and give him peace) he brought with him presents of the wilderness, vegetables etc., and presented it to Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace). When he intended to leave Madinah, Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to present him with provisions of the city. Once Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, ‘Zaahir is our wilderness, and we are his city.’ Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) was attached to him. Zaahir (Allah be pleased with him) was not very handsome. Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) once approached him while he was selling his merchandise. Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) caught him in between the arms from the back in such a manner that he (Sayyidina Zaahir (Allah be pleased with him)) could not see him. Zaahir (Allah be pleased with him) said, ‘Who is this?, leave me.’ But when he saw with the corner of his eye that it was Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace), he straightened his back and began pressing it to the chest of Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) (For as long as he gained this opportunity it was better than a thousand gifts). Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) then said, ‘Who will purchase this slave?’ Zaahir (Allah be pleased with him) replied, ‘O’ Rasool of Allah, if you shall sell me, you will be selling a defective thing, and will earn a very little sum.’ Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, ‘No, you are not defective in the sight of Allah, but very valuable.

Commentary
Sayyidina Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) coming and embracing him from the back and covering the eyes of Sayyidina Zaahir (Allah be pleased with him) was being humorous to him. This saying that who shall purchase him was also in joking. Because Sayyidina Zaahir (Allah be pleased with him) was not a slave but a free man. Some of the commentators have written that this hadith is about joking, but in reality it is full of virtues and hidden benefits. When Sayyidina Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) found him engrossed in selling his merchandise. Sayyidina Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) feared that because he was too busy selling, it would keep him away from the remembrance of Allah. Therefore Sayyidina Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) took hold of him from behind, and the embrace would be a means of returning him to the remembrance of Allah. As a reminder he said, ‘Is there anyone who will purchase this slave?’, it is because the person who is so engrossed in things other than the remembrance of Allah, is like a slave of his own desires. The embrace of Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) totally awakened his faculties for the remembrance of Allah. This is why Sayyidina Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) gave him the good news that his status in the eyes of Allah is not low but that of an elevated one.

Chapter 035, Hadith Number 006 (230). Hasan Basri (Allah be pleased with him) says that an old woman came to Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) and made a request, O’ Messenger of Allah make Dua that Allah grants me entrance into Jannah.

Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) replied, O’ Mother, an old woman cannot enter Jannah. That woman started crying and began to leave. Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, Say to the woman that one will not enter in a state of old age, but Allah will make all the women of Jannah young virgins. Allah Ta’aala says, Lo! We have created them a (new) creation and made them virgins, lovers, equal in age. (Surah Waaqi’ah, 35-37).

Mugeeth and Bareerah...

2009-06-22T11:17:00.000-07:00

The Messenger of Allah salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam was telling his uncle Al Abaas the story of Mugheeth and Bareerah, he said: "O Abbas! Isn't it amazing how much Mugheeth loves Bareerah/Barirah and how much Bareerah hates? Mugheeth?"

Bareerah was a female slave and A'isha was interested in buying her. She was married to Mugheer, and Ai'sha freed her (they were married in slavery); a free woman cannot marry a slave man, so after she became free, she had the choice to keep this marriage or to ask for the dissolvent of the marriage. She said, "Alhamdulillah, I'm tired of this marriage, I'm going to get out." Mugheer loved her so much, sincerely and honestly. After she left him, he couldn't take it, so he went in public weeping, chasing her, asking her "Ya Bareera just look at me or talk to me." He went to sahaba and said, "Please talk to her for me (to Abu Bakr and Umar and at the end, even to the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wassalam) to ask him to intercede. So Prophet (peace be upon him) (as the mercy for mankind) felt sorry for him, and he said he'd do it. When he went to Bareerah, she asked, "Are you commanding me or are you just interceding?" The Prophet said, "I'm interceding." She replied, "If this is the case, then I don't want him", and since all else failed, he spent his life chasing after her and crying for her.

What to gain from the hadith:

Excessive love sometimes causes the forgetfulness of shyness. Just like in his example, he could not hide his love for Bareerah, but the Prophet (peace be upon him) didn't chastise him for it (becuse it wasn't in his hands.) He wouldn't have been chastised for it unless he totally crossed the limits. Imam Ibn Hajr said that it is permissible if it's out of someone's hands.

In the story above, Mugeeth even went to the extent that he asked the Prophet to intercede for him. Mugheeth loved her so much that the Prophet didn't deny that love, and he didn't say, "You can't because she's not your wife anymore."

*Love is a secret and it's an amazing secret from Allah (Subhanaw wa Ta'Ala!)*

[Sahih Al Bukhari - Book 63 [of divorce] #206]

"Eat, or i'll fill daube face!"

2009-06-22T11:11:00.000-07:00

A'isha said: I came to the Prophet (sal Allah alaihi wasalam ) with some harirah الحريرة) that I had cooked for him, and told Sawdah (another wife of the Prophet) - as the Prophet was sitting between me and her - 'Eat'*.

She refused so I said 'Either you eat or I will fill your face!' She still refused so I put my hand in the harirah and daubed her face with it. The Prophet laughed, put some harirah in her hand and told her: 'Do the same to her!"

*Aisha wasn't a good cook.

Al-Haythami, 4/316; al-Muntakhab 4/393; Kanz al-'Ummal, 7/302. Al-Haythami said: It was narrated by Abu Ya'la, and its narrators are those who narrated in Sahih (Bukhari), except for Muhammad ibn 'Amr ibn 'Alqamah whose hadith is Hasan [good].

“By Allāh, the swords of Allāh did not reach the enemies of Allāh as they should have.”

2009-06-21T12:50:00.000-07:00

As is mentioned in ‘Sahīh Muslim,’ [13]:

Bilāl, ‘Ammār, and Suhayb came across Abū Sufyān on the day Makkah was conquered, and they said some insulting words to him. They said: “By Allāh, the swords of Allāh did not reach the enemies of Allāh as they should have.”

So, Abū Sufyān – the commander of jāhiliyyah who took over after the killing of Abū Jahl, the one who took over the leadership of Makkah until it was conquered, the one who took it upon himself to try to negotiate with the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) on the day Makkah was conquered, the one who took over the leadership on the day of Uhud, when he stood atop Mt. Uhud yelling: “May Hubal be exalted! This day is for Badr!” – they said to him: “By Allāh, the swords of Allāh did not reach the enemies of Allāh as they should have.”

Abū Sufyān became angry and went to complain to Abū Bakr. So, Abū Bakr came to
reprimand them harshly, saying: “Do you say this to the leader of Quraysh?”

Abū Bakr then went off to inform the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) of what Bilāl, ‘Ammār, and Suhayb had done. Abū Bakr strained to hear just one word from the mouth of the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) – one word of rebuke for them out of the desire to win the heart of Abū Sufyān, or to at least catch a glimpse of anger on the Prophet’s face for the anger of the leader of Quraysh, whose house was a place of safety for those who entered it on that day. Instead, the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) applied the scales and said: “It might be that you made them angry, and made your Lord angry as a result.”

O Allāh! What exaltation?! What sky?! What greatness?! What a blessing that has raised this slave from the level of being like an animal in the scales of jāhiliyyah to the level of having the Lord of Glory become angry for his sake?! “Indeed, Allāh has men whose wishes He carries out, and it might be that a dirty, disheveled man would have his oath fulfilled by Allāh.” [14]

I say that when Abū Bakr heard these words from the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him), he was shaken: he might have angered Allāh by angering Bilāl! So, he went back to Bilāl and ‘Ammār to reconcile with them, saying: “My brothers! It might be that I angered you.” They said: “May Allāh excuse you,” causing his emotional stress to be relieved and his heart to be relaxed.

Story # 2 [on the same day (as story #1) of the Conquest of Makkah]

Everywhere, the call of ‘Allāhu Akbar’ shook all that stood before it. Three of the leaders of Quraysh were sitting with each other: ‘Itāb bin Usayd, Abū Sufyān bin al-Hārith, and al-Hārith bin Hishām. al-Hārith – one of those who were pardoned by the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) that day – said: “Praise be to Allāh who took the life of Hishām before he could witness a day like this.” A second man said: “He did not find except this black one to climb the roof of the Ka’bah?”

And Abū Sufyān said: “As for me, I will say nothing.”

This is the scale of the people. He praised Allāh that his father died before seeing a black man on top of the Ka’bah, and on the same day, another scale says: “If you have angered Bilāl, you have angered your Lord.” The heavens and the Earth shake if this slave is angered, and the corners of the Earth shudder if his face were to frown in sadness.

---

SOURCES:

[13] Sahih Muslim (2504)

[14] Muslim (2622 & 2854), and a similar wording was related by at-Tirmidhī (3854) and al-Mundhirī in ‘at-Targhīb wat-Tarhīb’ (4/147 and 148).

In ‘Sharh Sahīh Muslim’ (8/346), an-Nawawī explained this hadīth, saying: “This
means that if he swore that something would occur, Allāh would make it occur out of honor for him, by fulfilling his request and protecting him from having violated an oath. This is due to his great status with Allāh, even if he is worthless in the eyes of the people. It has also been said that his oath is his supplication, and the fulfillment is this supplication being answered, and Allāh Knows best.”

[15]Ibn Hishām’s ‘as-Sīrah an-Nabawiyyah’ (3/286)

Original Source: The Scales of Allah, Abdullah Azzam.

Download Book Link; http://www.kalamullah.com/Books/the-scales-of-allah.pdf

http://www.scribd.com/doc/16054375/The-Scales-of-Allah-abdullah-azzam

"An ear for an ear, and the head is extra..."

2009-06-21T12:46:00.002-07:00

"An ear for an ear, and the head is extra..."

Ibn Mas’ud was sitting on the chest of Abu Jahl, he cut off his head. It was

narrated that he then pierced a hole in Abu Jahl’s ear, tied a rope through it, and dragged his

head by this rope. It seems that Abu Jahl’s head was quite large, and Ibn Mas’ud was a frail,

weak person. So, when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saw Abu Jahl’s severed

head, he fell into prostration out of gratitude to Allah, and said: “By the One besides

Whom there is none worthy of worship, there is a Fir’awn for every ummah, and this

is the Fir’awn of this Ummah.”This is the narration in the ‘Sahihayn,’ and it is also said

that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), after he saw the rope tied through the hole

in Abu Jahl’s ear, remembered the day that he had injured Ibn Mas’ud’s ear in Makkah, and

then said to Ibn Mas’ud: “An ear for an ear, and the head is extra.”

For the entire story of the killing of Abu Jahl, see ‘Fath al-Bari’ (7/342-354), and ‘Sharh Sahih Muslim’ (12/159-160).

The book from where this is taken from. Abdullah Azzam's advise for the youth.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/16054018/the-youth-abdullah-azzam
Islamic Awakening Forums

"Today your state is better than that day."

2009-06-21T12:46:00.001-07:00

"Today your state is better than that day."

Ali radhiyAllaahu anhu said:"I went out one cold morning from my house and i was hungry,craving and the cold had much weakened me, so i took a cut skin which we had with us and wrapped it round me like a jacket and then drew it upto my neck and secured it to my chest in order to warm myself. By Allaah,there was nothing to eat in my house and if there had been anything in the house of the Prophet salAllaahu alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam, he would have sent me some.

I went out to one of the outlying parts of Medina and i saw a jew in his garden through a hole in his wall. He said:"O Arab, what about a date for every bucket?" I replied,'yes', so he opened the wall for me to come in and i did so. Then i drew up the bucket and he would give me a date until I had filled my palm. i then said:"I've had enough from you," and then i ate them and drank some water.

Then i came to the Rasoolullahi salAllaahu alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam and sat down beside him in the mosque. He was amongst a group of companions and Mus'ab Ibn Umayr radhiyAllaahu anhu also came upto this, wearing a patched cloak. When Rasoolullahi salAllaahu alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam caught sight of Mus'ab, he mentioned what a blessing was to be found in it and when he saw his condition, his eyes filled with tears and he wept saying,

"How would you like to be able to go out in the morning wearing one garment and go out in the evening in another and for your houses to be just as protected as the Ka'bah?"

We replied:"That day we would be in a good state.Our provision would be sufficient and we would be able to devote ourselves entirely to worship.

He said:"Today your state is better than that day."

[Al-Kanz Vol.3.,pg.321]

http://forums.islamicawakening.com/showthread.php?t=8448

Was there not amongst you even a single merciful man?!

2009-06-21T12:41:00.000-07:00

Was there not amongst you even a single merciful man?! (Written By Abu Eesa Nimatullah)

On the authority of ibn ‘Abbās that the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) dispatched a military unit. Upon gathering the booty they found a man who said, “I’m not from them! I fell in love with a woman and followed her here! Allow me to at least look at her then you can do with me as you wish.”

The woman, tall and ebony-skinned, came forward and he said to her, “Submit to me O Hubaysh, before life comes to an end.

Have you not seen how I found you and followed you
To Halyah, through tight mountainous ravines?

Is it not the right of the lover to yearn
After suffering the entire night in pursuit and heat of the noon?”
She said, “Yes! May I be sacrificed for you!”

Then they took the man and killed him. The woman fell on his body, gasped once or twice, then died.

When the unit returned to the Messenger of Allah (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and informed him of what had happened, he said, “Was there not amongst you even a single merciful man?!”

This narration, collected by Imām al-Nasā’i as well as al-Tabarāni and al-Haythami has a fair chain (as opined by ibn Hajr in al-Fath), although there is a dispute about its strength amongst the Muhaddithīn.

A powerful and sad hadith, it contains many benefits for the interested reader. Before that, some explanation to the hadith itself:

A sarīya is a military unit that would be sent out by the leader either to spread the message of Islam or in more acute battle scenarios. This unit had come across a rebellious group of Arabs who refused to accept the rule of law and hence they were taken as prisoners, except that the man in this narration wasn’t part of the original group of rebels – explaining as he does that he had fallen in love with a woman and followed her here – but yet was killed along with the other criminals despite his protests.

The place in which this occurred was called al-Halyah (also said to be al-Halbah in some narrations). Halyah was though to be from the plains of Yemen yet it is more likely to be within Arabia itself, near a place called Tihama. This is supported by other ahādith which mention this incident with slight differences (see no.10356 of al-Majma’ al-Zawā’id, also no. 8787 of Sunan al-Kubrā of al-Nasā’i).

The name of this lady was Hubayshah but he referred to her with a term of endearment by shortening her name to “Hubaysh”, something done similarly by the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) when he would affectionately call Ā‘ishah simply “Ā‘ish” as narrated by Imam al-Bukhāri in his Sahīh.

The man was infatuated with this woman, forgetting even death for a moment just to look at her one more time and even asked her to allow him this with his statement ‘submit yourself’ i.e. don’t begrudge me this last moment. Other scholars mentioned that it might mean ‘accept Islam’ or even ‘give me peace’ but the first position seems to fit the context and Allah knows best.

The woman’s response ‘fadaytuka’ is a well known expression of love and sacrifice amongst the Arabs, being an extreme sign of love and commitment. Indeed, the companions would often come and express their loyalty to the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) with the same term.

The beauty of this narration is that it shows some of the excellence of the Arabs in their poetry, their concern for love and romance, and the overriding principle of ease and gentleness in Islam despite its strict disciplinary and penal code in times of necessity.

So, from the many lessons, points of law and indeed benefits of this narration as mentioned by our teachers:

1. The intrinsic gentle nature of the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam)

2. Pardoning precedes Punishment

3. The power of love and its consequences, to the extent that it can make a man forget death

4. Love (and its consequent sadness) can kill as seen with the woman

5. A lesson to be learnt for those attempting to give fatwa for a death sentence – it is an unenviable responsibility despite its importance

6. The virtue of mercy to the creation, even if they differ with you

7. The concern of the leader for giving all people the possibility of hearing about Islam, and hence his emphasis on da’wah

8. The strength of Islam today has been based on retaining the best attributes of those who were not Muslim, particularly culture – this is seen more clearly in the other narrations as well.

9. That the leaders should always be fully appraised by those under his command so that he can either confirm their actions or correct them.

10. Both men and women of that time were equal in their knowledge of Arabic language and culture

11. It is permissible to look at a non-Mahram woman if there is a need; how else were the Sahābah able to describe her skin so accurately?

12. The intrinsic disadvantages of keeping continual company of such disbelievers. The man wasn’t even from this group yet he was taken because he was with them.

13. The harshness of the Sahābah, radhy-Allahu ‘anhum, on kufr and the aggressive disbelievers

14. There is no need for expiation/blood money if the Mujāhidīn make an honest mistake after their best efforts of ijtihād. There is discussion on this point.

15. The permissibility of killing a rebellious captive

16. Punishment is not immediate; a delay for requests or other reasons is allowed

17. Female captives are usually retained, to be freed or married as per the orders of the leader

18. The execution of aggressive prisoners was by the sword and by the striking of the neck

19. The Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would often reprimand his Companions, and as here, with severity

20. The Sahābah are not ma‘sūm (protected from making mistakes and sinning)

And Allah ‘azza wa jall knows best.

http://ahlalhdeeth.com/vbe/showthread.php?t=5127

"{...for the believers, he is full of pity, kind, and merciful."} [at-Tawbah 9:128]

2009-06-21T12:40:00.001-07:00

{" Verily, there has come to you a Messenger from amongst yourselves. It grieves him that you should experience any injury or difficulty. He is anxious over you; for the believers, he is full of pity, kind, and merciful."} [at-Tawbah; 128]

'A'ishah narrated:

"Once, when I saw the Prophet in a good mood, I said to him: "O Messenger of Allah! Supplicate to Allah for me!"

So, he said: "O Allah! Forgive 'A'ishah her past and future sins, what she has hidden, as well as what she has made apparent."

So, I began smiling, to the point that my head fell into my lap out of joy.

The Messenger of Allah said to me: "Does my supplication make you happy?"

I replied: "And how can your supplication not make me happy?"

He then said: "By Allah, it is the supplication that I make for my Ummah in every prayer.""

[Reported in 'Sahih Mawarid adh-Dhaman' (# 1875), and it is in 'as-Silsilah as-Sahihah' (# 2254)]

http://www.islamicboard.com/manners-purification-soul/33735-ar-raq-iq-heart-softening-narrations.html#post598065

The Return from Israa' [Palestine] and Proof of Allah's Messenger's Prophethood, and how he wouldn't lie in the most dire of circumstances.

2009-06-21T12:27:00.000-07:00

Imam Ahmad also recorded that Ibn `Abbas said: "The Messenger of Allah said:

«لَمَّا كَانَ لَيْلَةَ أُسْرِيَ بِي، فَأَصْبَحْتُ بِمَكَّةَ فَظِعْتُ وَعَرَفْتُ أَنَّ النَّاسَ مُكَذِّبِي»

(On the night when I was taken on the Night Journey, I woke up in Makkah the next morning having anxiety that, I knew that the people would not believe me.) He kept away from people, feeling anxious and sad, then the enemy of Allah Abu Jahl passed by him and came to sit with him, saying mockingly, `Is there anything new' The Messenger of Allah said,

«نَعَم»

(Yes). He said, `What is it' He said,

«إِنِّي أُسْرِيَ بِي اللَّيْلَة»

(I was taken on a Journey last night.) He said, `Where to' He said,

«إِلَى بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِس»

(To Bayt Al-Maqdis.) He said, `Then this morning you were among us' He said,

«نَعَم»

(Yes). Abu Jahl did not want to say to his face that he was lying, lest he deny saying it when he called other people to hear him, so he said: `Do you think that if I call your people, you will tell them about what happened' The Messenger of Allah said,

«نَعَم»

(Yes.) Abu Jahl said, `O people of Bani Ka`b bin Lu'ay!' People got up from where they were sitting and came to join them. Abu Jahl said, `Tell your people what you told me.' The Messenger of Allah said:

«إِنِّي أُسْرِيَ بِي اللَّيْلَة»

(I was taken on a Journey last night.) They said, `Where to' He said,

«إِلَى بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِس»

(To Bayt Al-Maqdis.) They said, `Then this morning you were among us' He said,

«نَعَم»

(Yes). They began to clap their hands together and put their hands on their heads in astonishment at this "lie'' - as they claimed it to be. They said, `Can you describe the sanctuary to us' Among them were some who had travelled to that land and seen the sanctuary, so the Messenger of Allah said,

«فَمَا زِلْتُ أَنْعَتُ حَتَّى الْتَبَسَ عَلَيَّ بَعْضُ النَّعْتِ قَالَ فَجِيءَ بِالْمَسْجِدِ وَأَنَا أَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ حَتَّى وُضِعَ دُونَ دَارِ عُقَيلٍ أَوْ عِقَالٍ فَنَعَتُّهُ وَأَنَا أَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ قَالَ وَكَانَ مَعَ هَذَا نَعْتٌ لَمْ أَحْفَظْهُ قَالَ فَقَالَ الْقَوْمُ: أَمَّا النَّعْتُ فَوَاللهِ لَقَدْ أَصَابَ فِيه»

(I started to describe it, until I reached a point where I was not sure about some of the details, but then the sanctuary was brought close and placed near the house of `Uqayl - or `Iqal - so I could look at it and describe the details. [i.e. Prophet Muhammad got a vision from Allah of how it looked like so he described it in detail]) I could not remember those description. The people [i.e. those who had travelled there in the past] said, `As for the description, by Allah he has got it right.'' This was recorded by An-Nasa'i and Al-Bayhaqi.

Tafsir of Surah al Israa' - ibn Kathir

http://tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=17&tid=28487

How Many People did the Prophet ever Kill?

2009-06-21T12:17:00.003-07:00

Ibn Taymiyyah said:

"…And bravery is defined by two things:

a) the strength and firmness of the heart in the face of fears, and
b) physical strength when fighting, such that one can kill with immense force and magnitude.

The first is the definition of bravery. As for the latter, it indicates physical strength and ability, and not everyone who possesses physical strength has strength of heart, and vice versa.

Because of this, you may find that it is said regarding a man who kills many people: 'He would do this if he had with him those who could guarantee his safety.' But, if he becomes scared, he is stricken with cowardice, and his heart becomes detached. And you would find the man with a firm heart who has not killed many people with his own hands firm in the face of fears, going forth in the face of hardships, and this is a characteristic that is required by the commanders, leaders, and forerunners of war, more so than the other, as the forerunner, if he is brave and firm at heart, will go forth and remain firm and will not be defeated, and his supporters will fight alongside him. If he was a coward and weak at heart, he will be humiliated, will not go forth, and will not remain firm, even if he is physically strong.

And the Prophet was the most complete in regards to this bravery that is appropriate for the commanders in war, and he did not kill with his hand anyone except Ubayy bin Khalaf. He killed him on the day of Uhud, and did not kill anyone else with his hand before or after this."

['Minhaj as-Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah'; 8/78]

http://iskandrani.wordpress.com/2008...het-ever-kill/

The Two Sahihs recorded that Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas said, "On the day of Uhud, I saw two men wearing white clothes, one to the right of the Prophet and one to his left, who were defending the Prophet fiercely. I have never seen these men before or after that day.'' Meaning angels Jibril and Mika'il, peace be upon them.

Abu Al-Aswad said that, `Urwah bin Az-Zubayr said, "Ubayy bin Khalaf of Bani Jumah swore in Makkah that he would kill the Messenger of Allah . When the Messenger was told of his vow, he said, `Rather, I shall kill him, Allah willing.' On the day of Uhud, Ubayy came while wearing iron shields and proclaiming, `May I not be saved, if Muhammad is saved.' He then headed to the direction of the Messenger of Allah intending to kill him, but Mus`ab bin `Umayr, from Bani Abd Ad-Dar, intercepted him and shielded the Prophet with his body, and Mus`ab bin `Umayr was killed. The Messenger of Allah saw Ubayy's neck exposed between the shields and helmet, stabbed him with his spear, and Ubayy fell from his horse to the ground. However, no blood spilled from his wound. His people came and carried him away while he was moaning like an ox. They said to him, `Why are you so anxious, it is only a flesh wound' Ubayy mentioned to them the Prophet's vow, `Rather, I shall kill Ubayy', then commented, `By He in Whose Hand is my soul! If what hit me hits the people of Dhul-Majaz (a popular pre-Islamic marketplace), they would all have perished.' He then died and went to the Fire,

[فَسُحْقًا لاًّصْحَـبِ السَّعِيرِ]

(So, away with the dwellers of the blazing Fire!) [67:11].''

This was collected by Musa bin `Uqbah from Az-Zuhri from Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib.

Surah 'Aal Imraan - tafsir ibn Kathir;
http://www.tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=3&tid=9591

Muhammadur Rasulullah. P.362-3.
Syed Abul Hasan Ali Hasani Nadwi,

The number of his battles was 27 while he is reported to have sent out 46 forays and expeditions [Estimate by Ibn al Qayim in Za'ad al Ma'ad] - although no fighting had taken place in many of them. (within a period of 10 years - the Medinan Period after alot of patience against torture in Makkah [torture lasted for around 13 years in Makkah].)

Never in the history of human conflict had any conqueror shed so little blood and was crowned with such a remarkable success. In all these battles, only 1018 persons, Muslims aswell as non-Muslims lost their lives. (Qazi Muhammad Sulaiman Mansurpuri gives this figure after a detailed study [Rahmatulil 'Alamin]...

Such was the public tranquility and orderliness resulting from the Prophets campaigns, that a rider would go from San'a to Hadramout [in Yemen where continuous tribal warfare was common] without fearing anyone, except Allah and the wolf who might trouble his sheep... [Bukhari Volume 9, Book 85 [ikrah - (saying something under compulsion)], Number 76.]

Another report says that the women from Qadisiyya [in iraq] went alone on their camels for pilgrimage to Makkah without the least anxiety or fear. [Ibn Hisham, Vol.2, p.581]

This was a country in which, from the time immemorial, fights and forays, battles between nomadic tribes and raids on one anothers flocks and property had been accepted unquestionably as a part of the desert life. Even the caravans of neighbouring powerful kingdoms [Byzantine Romans, Sassanid Persians] dared not cross the country (of Arabia) in pre-Islamic days without powerful escorts and guides...

And, how successful were these campaigns of the Prophet can be judged from the fact that within a brief period of ten years, more than a million square miles was won for Islam: the Islamic state expanded at an average rate of some 274 square miles daily at the cost of one martyr a month. [Brig. Gulzar Ahmed, The Battles of the Prophet of Allah, Karachi [1975], p.28].

This respect for human blood is unequaled in the annals of man [Prophet Muhammad brought the most benefit - with the least amount of casualties]. The truth of this assertion is simply borne out if the losses of these campaigns are placed by the side of casualties in the last two world wars... yet none of these two blood-stained wars can be claimed to have done any good to the humanity nor did they solve any problem of the world. The Inquisitions established by the Roman catholic church in the Middle Ages for trial and punishment for heretics is reported to have taken a toll of 12 million lives. [John Devenport, Apology for Muhammad and Qur'an].

Biography of Prophet Muhammad (saws) [Part 5]

2009-06-21T12:17:00.001-07:00

In continuation to the above, which can be found at: http://abdurrahman.org/seerah/storie...ophets228p.pdf

Part 5

Attack from the Jews of Khaibar thwarted

In the same year the Jews of Khaibar, a strongly fortified territory at a distance of four days' journey from Medina, showed implacable hatred towards the Muslims. United by alliance with the tribe of Ghatfan, as well as with other cognate tribes, the Jews of Khaibar made serious attempts to form a coalition against the Muslims. The Prophet and his adherents were apprised of this movement and immediate measures were taken in order to repress any new attack upon Medina.

An expedition of fourteen hundred men was soon prepared to march against Khaibar. The allies of the Jews left them to face the war with the Muslims all alone. The Jews firmly resisted the attacks of the Muslims, but eventually all their fortress had to be surrendered, one after the other to their enemies. They prayed for forgiveness, which was accorded to them on certain conditions. Their lands and immovable property were secured to them, together with the free practice of their religion. After subduing Khaibar, the Muslims returned to Medina in safety.

Allah's Messenger and the Muslims perfom Hajj

Before the end of the year, it being the seventh year of the hijrah, the Prophet and his adherents availed themselves of their armistice with the Quraish to visit the holy Ka'ba. The Prophet, accompanied by two hundred Muslims, went to Mecca to perform the rites of pilgrimage. On this occasion the Quraish evacuated the city during the three days which the ceremonies lasted. Sir William Muir, in his book, Life of Mohammed Vol. III comments on the incident as follows: It was surely a strange sight, which at this time presented itself at the vale of Mecca, a sight unique in the history of the world. The ancient city is for three days evacuated by all its inhabitants, high and low, every house deserted, and as they retire, the exiled converts, many years banished from their birth-place, approach in a great body accompanied by their allies, revisit the empty homes of their childhood, and within the short allotted space, fulfil the rites of pilgrimage. The outside inhabitants, climbing the heights around take refuge under tents or other shelter among the hills and glens; and clustering on the overhanging peak of Abu Qubeis, thence watch the movements of the visitors beneath, as with the Prophet at their head, they make the circuit of the Ka'ba and rapid procession between Essafa and Marwah, and anxiously scan every figure, if perchance they may recognize among the worshippers some long lost friend or relative. It was a scene rendered only by the throes, which gave birth to Islam.

In accordance with the terms of the treaty, the Muslims left Mecca at the end of three day's visit. This peaceful visit was followed by important conversions among the Quraish. Khalid Ibn Al-Walid, known as the Sword of Allah, who, before this, had been a bitter enemy of Islam and who commanded the Quraish cavalry at Uhud; and Amr Ibn Al' As, another important character and warrior, adopted the new faith.

Retribution for the Murder of the Muslim Envoy

When the Prophet and his followers returned to Medina, they arranged in expedition to exact retribution from the Ghassanite prince who had killed the Muslim envoy. A force of three
thousand men, under the Prophet's adopted son Zaid, was sent to take reparation from the offending tribe.

Khalid Ibn Al-Walid was one of the generals chosen for the expedition. When they reached the neighborhood of Muta, a village to the southeast of the Dead Sea, they met with an overwhelming force of Arabs and Romans who were assembled to oppose them. The Muslims, however, resolved resolutely to push forward. Their courage was of no avail and they suffered great losses. In this battle Zaid and Ja'far, a cousin of the Prophet, and several other notables were killed. Khalid Ibn Al-Walid, by a series of maneuvers, succeeded in drawing off the army and conducting it without further loses to Medina. A month later, however, Amr Ibn Al-' As marched unopposed through the lands of the hostile tribes, received their submission, and restored the prestige of Islam on the Syrian frontier.

Quraish violate terms of Hudaibiya, Prophets army march against Idolators

About the end of the seventh year of the hijrah, the Quraish and their allies, the Bani Bakr, violated the terms of the peace concluded at Hudaibiya by attacking the Bani Khuzaah, who were in alliance with the Muslims. The Bani Khuzzah appealed to the Prophet for help and protection. The Prophet determined to make a stop to the reign of injustice and oppression, which had lasted so long at Mecca. He immediately gathered ten thousand men to march against the idolaters and set out on January, 630.

After eight days the Muslims army halted, and alighted at Marr Az-Zahran, a day's journey from Mecca. On the night of their arrival, Abu Sufyan, who was delegated by the Quraish to ask the Prophet to abandon his project, presented himself and besought an interview. In the morning it was granted. "Has the time not come, O Abu Sufyan," said the Prophet, "for you to acknowledge that there is no deity save Allah and that I am His Messenger?" Abu Sufyan, after hesitating for awhile, pronounced the prescribed formula of belief and adopted Islam. He was then sent back to prepare the city for the Prophet's approach.

With the exception of a slight resistance by certain clans headed by Ikrima and Safwan, in which many Muslims were killed, the Prophet entered Mecca almost unopposed. The city which had treated him so cruelly, driven him and his faithful band for refuge among strangers, the city which had sworn his life and the lives of his devoted adherents, now lay at his mercy. His old persecutors were now completely at his feet. The Prophet entered Mecca on his favorite camel Al Kaswa, having Usama Ibn Zaid sitting behind him. On his way he recited Surah Al Fath (Victory), the first verses of which maybe interpreted thus:

"Verily! We have given you (O Muhammad) a manifest victory. That Allah may forgive you your sins of the past and future, and complete His Favor on you, and guide you on the Straight Path; and that Allah may help you with strong help. (Ch 48:1-3 Quran)

Prophet Muhammad (saw) orders the destruction of the idols

The Muslim army entered the city unpretentiously and peacefully. No house was robbed, no man or woman was insulted. The Prophet granted a general amnesty to the entire population of Mecca. Only four criminals, whom justice condemned, were proscribed. He did however, order the destruction of all idols and pagan images of worship, upon which three hundred and fifty idols which were in the Sacred House of Ka'ba were thrown down. The Prophet himself destroyed a wooden pigeon hung from the roof and regarded as one of the deities of the Quraish. During the downfall of the images and idols he was heard to cry aloud: "Allah is great. Truth has come and falsehood has vanished; verily falsehood is fleeting." The old idolaters observed thoughtfully the destruction of their gods, which were utterly powerless. After the Prophet had abolished these pagan idols and every pagan rite, he delivered a sermon to the assembled people. He dwelt upon the natural brotherhood of man in the words of the Qur'an:

"O Mankind! We have created you for a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable of you in the Sight of Allah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa (one of the Muttaqun, pious, and righteous persons who fear Allah much, abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden), and love Allah much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained.) Verily Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (Ch 49:13 Quran)

Narrated Hisham's father: When Allah's Messenger set out (towards Mecca) during the year of the Conquest (of Mecca) and this news reached (the infidels of Quraish), Abu Sufyan, Hakim Ibn Hizam and Budail Ibn Waraqa came out to gather information about Allah's Messenger. They proceeded on their way till they reached a place called Marr-az-Zahran (which is near Mecca). Behold! There they saw many fires as if they were the fires of Arafat." Budail Ibn Waraqa' said: "Banu' Amr are less in number than that." Some of the guards of Allah's Messenger saw them and took them over, caught them, and bthem to Allah's Messenger. Abu Sufyan embraced Islam. When the Prophet proceeded, he said to Al' Abbas: "Keep Abu Sufyan standing at the top of the mountain so that he would look at the Muslims. SO Al- Abbas kept him standing (at that place) and the tribes with the Prophet started passing in front of Abu Sufyan in military batches. A batch passed in front of Abu Sufyan and said: "O 'Abbas who are these?" 'Abbas said: "They are Banu Ghaifar." Abu Sufyan said: "I have got nothing to do with Ghifar." Then a batch of the tribe of Juhaina passed by and he said similarly as above. Then a batch of the tribe of Sa'd Ibn Huzaim passed by and he said similarly as above. Then came a batch, the like of which Abu Sufyan had not seen. He said: "Who are these?" Abbas said: "They are the Ansar headed by Sa'd Ibn 'Ubada, the one holding the flag." Sa'd Ibn 'Ubada said: "O Abu Sufyan! Today is the day of a great battle and today (what is prohibited in )the Ka'ba will be permissible." Abu Sufyan said, "O Abbas! How excellent the day of destruction is!" Then came another batch of warriors which was the smallest of all the batches, and in it there was Allah's Messenger and his companions, and the flag of the Prophet was carried by Az-Zubair Ibn Al-Awwam. When Allah's Messenger passed by Abu Sufyan, the latter said to the Prophet: "Do you know what Sa'd Ibn Ubada said?" The Prophet said: "What did he say?" Abu Sufyan said: "He said so-and-so." The Prophet said: "Sa'd told a lie, but today Allah will give superiority to the Ka'ba and today the Ka'ba will be covered with a cloth covering." Allah's Messenger ordered that his flag be fixed at Al-Hajun.

Narrated Urwa: Nafi' Ibn Jubair Ibn Mut'im said: "I heard Al-Abbas saying to Az-Zubair Ibn Al- Awwam, 'O Abu Abdullah! Did Allah's Messenger order you to fix the flag here?' "Allah's Messenger ordered Khalid Ibn Al-Walid to enter Mecca from its upper part from Kadaa' while the Prophet himself entered from Kudaa. Two men from the cavalry of Khalid Ibn Al-Walid named Hubaish Ibn Al Ashar and Kurz Ibn Jabir Al-Fihri were martyred on that day. (Sahih Al Bukhari) Now great multitudes came to adopt Islam and take the oath of allegiance to the Prophet. For this purpose an assembly was held at As-Safa Mountain. Umar, acting as the Prophet's deputy administered the oath, whereby the people bound themselves not to adore any deity but Allah to obey the Prophet to abstain from theft, adultery, infanticide, lying and backbiting. Thus was fulfilled the prophecy embodied in the Surah Al Fath in the Quran.

During his stay at Mecca, the Prophet dispatched his principal disciples in every direction to preach Islam among the wild tribes of the desert and call them to the true religion of Allah. He sent small detachments of his troops into the suburbs who destroyed the temples of Al Uzza, Suwaa, and Manat, the three famous idols in the temples of the neighboring tribes. The Prophet gave strict orders that these expeditions should be carried out in a peaceable manner. These injunctions were obeyed in all cases, with one exception. The troops under Khalid Ibn Al-Walid, the fierce newly-converted warrior, killed a few of the Bani Jazima. When the news of this wanton bloodshed reached the Prophet, he was deeply grieved and exclaimed: "Oh, my Lord, I am innocent of what Khalid has done." He dispatched a large sum of money for the widows and orphans of the slain and severely rebuked Khalid.

At this time the tribes of Hawazin and Thakif showed unwillingness to render obedience to the Muslims without resistance. They formed a league with the intention of attacking the Prophet, but he was vigilant enough to frustrate their plan. A big battle was fought with this new enemy of Islam near Hunain, a deep and narrow defile nine miles northeast of Mecca. The idolaters were utterly defeated. One body of the enemy, consisting chiefly of the Thakif tribe, took refuge in their fortified city of Ta'if, which eight or nine years before had dismissed the Prophet from within its walls with injuries and insults. The remainder of the defeated force, consisting principally of the Hawazin, sought at a camp in the valley of Autas. This camp was raided by the Muslim troops. The families of the Hawazin, their flocks and herds with all their other effects, were captured by the troops of the Prophet. Ta'if was then besieged for a few days only, after which the Prophet raised the siege, well knowing that the people of Ta'if would soon be forced by circumstances to submit without bloodshed. Returning to his camp where the prisoners of Hawazin were left safely, the Prophet found a deputation from this hostile tribe who begged him to set free their families. The Prophet replied that he was willing to give back his own share of those captives and that of the children of Abdul Muttalib, but that he could not force his followers to abandon the fruits of their victory. The disciples followed the generous example of their teacher. The hearts of several members of the Thakir tribe were so influenced by this that they offered their allegiance and soon became earnest Muslims. The Prophet now returned to Medina fully satisfied with the achievements of his mission.

The ninth year of the hijrah is known as the Year of Embassies, as being the year in which the various tribes of Arabia submitted to the claim of the Prophet and sent embassies to render homage to him.

These tribes had been awaiting the issue of the war between Muhammad and the Quraish; but as soon as the tribe - the principal of the whole nation and the descendants of Ishmael, whose prerogatives none offered to dispute - had submitted, they were satisfied that it was not in their power to oppose Muhammad. Hence their embassies flocked into Medina to make their submission to him. The conquest of Mecca decided the fate of idolatry in Arabia. Now deputations began to arrive from all sides to render the adherence to Islam of various tribes. Among the rest, five princes of the tribe of Himyar professed Islam and sent ambassadors to notify Muhammad of the same. These were the princes of Yemen, Mahra, Oman, and Yamama. The idolaters of Ta'if, the very people who had driven the Messenger of Islam from their midst with violence and contempt, now sent a deputation to pray forgiveness and ask to be numbered among his followers. They begged, however, for temporary preservation of their idols. As a last appeal they begged for one month of grace only. But even this was not conceded. The Prophet said Islam and the idols could not exist together. They then begged for exemption from the daily prayers. The Prophet replied that without devotion, religion would be nothing. At last they submitted to all that was required of them. They, however, asked to be exempted from destroying the idols with their own hands. This was granted. The Prophet selected Abu Sufyan and Mughira to destroy the idols of Ta'if, the chief of which was the notorious idol of Al-Lat. This was carried out amidst cries of despair and grief from the women of Ta'if.

The conversion of this tribe of Ta'if is worthy of notice. This tribe, which hither to had proved hostile to the new faith, was noted among the Arabs for its idolatrous priesthood. A small detachment under Ali was sent to reduce them to obedience and to destroy their idols. The prince of the tribe was 'Adi, the son of the famous Hatim, whose generosity was spoken of all over Arabia. On the approach of the Muslim force, Adi fled to Syria, leaving his sister with his principal clansmen, to fall into the hands of the Muslims. These were conducted by Ali with every sign of respect and sympathy to Medina. When the daughter of Hatim came before the Prophet, she addressed him in the following words: "Messenger of Allah, my father is dead; my brother, my only relation fled into the mountains on the approach of the Muslims. I cannot ransom myself; I count on your generosity for my deliverance. My father was an illustrious man, the prince of his tribe, a man who ransomed prisoners, protected the honor of women, fed the poor, cothe afflicted, and was deaf to no appeal." The Prophet replied: "Your father had the virtues of a true Muslim; if it were permitted to invoke the mercy of Allah on any whose life was passed in idolatry, I would pray to Allah for mercy for the soul of Hatim." Then, addressing the Muslims around him, he said: "the daughter of Hatim is free, her father was a generous and humane man; Allah loves and rewards the merciful." With the daughter of Hatim, all her people were set at liberty. She proceeded to Syria and related to her brother the generosity of Muhammad. 'Adi, touched by gratitude, hastened to Medina, where he was kindly received by the Prophet. He professed Islam and returned to his people and persuaded them to abandon idolatry. They all submitted and became devoted Muslims.

Hitherto no prohibition had been enforced against idolaters entering the Holy Ka'ba, or performing their abominable rites within the sacred precincts. Towards the end of the ninth year
of the hijrah, during the month of pilgrimage 'Ali was delegated by the Prophet to read a proclamation that ran as follows: "No idolater shall after this year perform the pilgrimage; no one shall make the circuit of the Ka'ba naked (such a disgraceful custom was practiced by the pagan Arabs); and treaty with the Prophet shall continue in force but four months are allowed to every man to return to his territories; after that there will be no obligation on the Prophet, except towards those with whom treaties have been concluded."

The vast multitude who had listened to the above declaration returned to their homes, and before the following year was over the majority of them were Muslims.

During the tenth year of the hijrah, as in the preceding one, numerous embassies continued to pour into Medina from all parts of Arabia, to testify to the allegiance of their chiefs and their tribes. Teachers were sent by the Prophet into the different provinces to teach the new converts the principles and precepts of Islam. These teachers were invariably given the following injunctions when they were about to depart on their mission: "Deal gently with the people, and be not harsh; cheer them, and do not look down upon them with contempt. You will meet with many believers in the Holy Scriptures, who will ask you: 'What is the key to heaven?' Answer them it (the key to heaven) is to bear witness to the divine truth and to do good."

Thus, the mission of the Prophet Muhammad was now accomplished; the whole work was achieved in his lifetime. Idolatry with its nameless abominations was entirely destroyed. The
people who were sunk in superstition, cruelty, and vice in regions where spiritual life was utterly unknown were now united in one bond of faith, hope and charity. The tribes which had been from time immemorial engaged in perpetual wars were now united together by the ties of brotherhood, love, and harmony. Henceforth, their aims were not confined to this earth alone; but there was something beyond the grave - much higher, purer, and diviner - calling them to the practice of charity, goodness, justice, and universal love. They could now perceive that Allah was not that which they had carved out of wood or stone, but the Almighty Loving, Merciful, the Creator of the Universe.

Prophet Muhammad's last Sermon, mount Arafat

On the return of the sacred month of pilgrimage, the Prophet, under the presentiment of his approaching end, determined to make a farewell pilgrimage to Mecca. In February 632, he left Medina with a very considerable concourse of Muslims. It is stated that from ninety thousand to one hundred and forty thousand people accompanied the Prophet. Before completing all rites of the pilgrimage, he addressed the assembled multitude from the top of Mount Arafat in the following words:

"O people! Listen to my words, for I know not whether another year will be vouchsafed to me after this year to find myself among you. Your lives and property are sacred and inviolable among one another until you appear before the Lord, as this day and this month are sacred for all; and remember, you will have to appear before your Lord Who will demand from you an account for all your actions. O people, you have rights over your wives, and your wives have a right over you. Verily you have taken them on the security of Allah and have made their people lawful unto you by the words of Allah. And your slaves, see that you feed them with such food as you eat yourselves, and clothe them with the stuff you wear, and if they commit a fault which you are not inclined to forgive, then part with them; for they are the servants of the Lord and are not to be harshly treated. O people, listen to my words and understand them. Know that all Muslims are brothers. You are one brotherhood; but no man shall take ought from his brother, unless by his free consent. Keep yourselves from injustice. Let him who is present tell this to him who is absent. It maybe that he who is told this afterward may remember better than he who has now heard it. The Prophet concluded his sermon by exclaiming: "O Lord, I have fulfilled my message and accomplished my work." The assembled multitude, all in one voice, cried: "Yea, verily you have." The Prophet again exclaimed: "O Lord, I beseech You, bear witness to it."

Prophet returns to Madina

Having rigorously performed all the ceremonies of the pilgrimage, that his example might be followed by all Muslims for all succeeding ages, the Prophet returned with his followers to Medina.

The eleventh year of the hijrah, being the last year of Muhammad's life, was spent at Medina. There he settled the organization of the provincial and tribal communities which had adopted Islam and become the component parts of the Muslims federation. More officers had to be deputed to the interior provinces for the purpose of teaching their inhabitants the precepts of the religion, administering justice, and collecting Zakat. Muadh Ibn Jabal was sent to Yemen. On his departure to that distant province the Prophet enjoined him to use his own discretion in the event of his being unable to find express authority in the Quran. Ali was deputed to Yamama in the southeast of the peninsula. To him the Prophet said: "Never decide between any two parties who come to you for justice unless you first hear both of them."

Murders and false claims of Prophethood arise

A force was being prepared under Usama Ibn Zaid, whose father was killed at Muta, against the Byzantines, to exact the long-delayed reparation for the murder of the envoy to Syria. However, the news of the Prophet's sickness and failing health caused that expedition to be stopped. This news was soon noised abroad and produced disorder in some districts. Three pretenders had arisen who gave themselves out as prophets and tried by all kinds of imposture to win over their tribes. The most dangerous of these pretenders was known as Al Aswad. He was a chief of Yemen and a conjurer. He soon succeeded in gaining over his tribesmen and, with the help, reduced to subjection many of the neighboring towns. He killed Shahr, whom the Prophet had appointed as Governor of Sana in the place of his father Bazan, who had just died. Bazan had been the viceroy of Yemen under Chosroes of Persia; after he had adopted Islam he was allowed by the Prophet to remain as Governor of Yemen. He was able to convert to Islam all the Persian colony in that province. Al-Aswad, the conjurer, had now killed Shahr, but soon after he was massacred by the Persians of Yemen.

The other two pretenders, Tulayha and Haroun by name, were not suppressed until after the death of the Prophet, during the reign of Abu Bakr. Haroun, better known as Mussaylamah, addressed to the Prophet a letter which ran as follows: "From Mussaylamah the Prophet of Allah, to Muhammad the Prophet of Allah. Peace be to you. I am your partner. Let the exercise of authority be divided between us. Half the earth will be mine, and half will belong to your Quraish. But the Quraish are too greedy to be satisfied with a just division." To this letter the Prophet replied as follows: "From Muhammad the Messenger of Allah to Mussaylamah the liar. Peace be to those who follow the right path. The earth belongs to Allah. It is He Who makes the reign whomsoever He pleases. Only those will prosper who fear the Lord."

Prophet Muhammad's last days

The health of the Prophet grew worse. His last days were remarkable for the calmness and serenity of his mind. He was able, though weak and feeble, to lead the public prayers until within three days of his death. He requested that he might be permitted to stay at 'Aisha's house close to the mosque during his illness, an arrangement to which his other wives assented. As long as his strength lasted, he took part in the public prayers. The last time he appeared in the mosque he addressed the congregation, after the usual prayers were over, in the following words: "O Muslims, if I have wronged anyone of you, here I am to answer for it; if I owe anything to anyone, all I may happen to possess belongs to you." A man in the crowd rose and claimed three Dhirhams which he had given to a poor man at the request of the Prophet. They were immediately paid back with these words: "Better to blush in this world than in the next."

The Prophet then prayed and implored Allah's mercy for those who had fallen in the persecution of their enemies. He recommended to all his followers the observance of religious duties and the leading of a life of peace and goodwill. Then he spoke with emotion and with a voice still so powerful as to reach beyond the outer doors of the mosque: "By the Lord in Whose hand lies the soul of Muhammad as to myself, no man can lay hold on me in any matter; I have not made lawful anything excepting what Allah has made lawful; nor have I prohibited anything but that which Allah in His Book has prohibited."

Then turning to the women who sat close by, he exclaimed: "O Fatimah, my, daughter, and Safia, my aunt, work you both that which procure you acceptance with the Lord, for verily I have no power to save you in any wise." He then rose and re-entered the house of Aisha.

The death of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him

After this, the Prophet never appeared at public prayers. A few hours after he returned from the mosque, the Prophet died while laying his head on the bosom of Aisha. As soon as the Prophet's death was announced, a crowd of people gathered at the door of the house of Aisha, exclaiming: "How can our messenger be dead?" Umar said: "No, he is not dead; he will be restored to us, and those are traitors to the cause of Islam who say he is dead. If they say so let them be cut in pieces." But Abu Bakr entered the house at this moment, and after he had touched the body of the Prophet with a demonstration of profound affection, he appear at the door and addressed the crowd with the following speech: "O Muslims, if anyone of you has been worshipping Muhammad, then let me tell you that Muhammad is dead. But if you really do worship Allah then know that Allah is living and will never die. Do you forget the verse in the Quran:

"Muhammad is not more than a Messenger, and indeed (many) Messengers have passed away before him. If he dies or is killed, will you then turn your back on your heels (as disbeliveers)? And he who turns back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah, and Allah will give reward to those who are grateful." (Ch 3:144 Quran).

Upon hearing this speech of Abu Bakr, 'Umar acknowledged his error, and the crowd was satisfied and dispersed.

Al-Abbas, the Prophet's uncle, presided at the preparation for the burial, and the body was duly washed and perfumed. There was some dispute between the Quraish and the Ansars as to the place of burial; however, Abu Bakr settled the dispute by affirming that he had heard the Prophet say that a prophet should be buried at the very spot where he died. A grave was accordingly dug in the ground within the house of Aisha and under the bed on which the Prophet died. In this grave the body was buried, and the usual rites were performed by those who were present. Thus ended the glorious life of that Prophet Muhammad.

May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

Biography of Prophet Muhammad (saws) [Part 4]

2009-06-21T12:16:00.001-07:00

Part 4

The remarkable circumstances, which led to the victory of Badr, and results, which followed from it, made a deep impression on the minds of the Muslims; the angels of the heaven had battled on their side against their enemies. The division of the spoils created some dissension between the Muslim warriors. For the moment, the Prophet divided it equally among all. Subsequently, a Qur'an revelation laid down a rule for future division of the spoils. According to this rule, a fifth was reserved for the public treasury for the support of the poor and indigent, while the distribution of the remaining four fifths was left to the discretion of the Chief of the State.

The next battle between the Quraish and the Muslims was the battle of Uhud, a hill about four miles to the north of Medina. The idolaters, to revenge their loss at Badr, made tremendous preparations for a new attack upon the Muslims. They collected an army of three thousand strong men, of whom seven hundred were armed with coats of mail, and two hundred horses. These forces advanced under the conduct of Abu Sufyan and encamped at a village six miles from Medina, where they gave themselves up to spoiling the fields and flocks of the Medinites. The Prophet, being much inferior to his enemies in number, at first determined to keep himself within the town and to receive them there; but afterwards, the advice of some of his companions prevailing he marched out against them at the head of one thousand men, of whom one hundred were armed with coats of mail; but he had no more than one horse, besides his own, in his whole army. With these forces he halted at Mount Uhud. He was soon abandoned by Abdullah Ibn Ubai, the leader of the Hypocrites, with three hundred of his followers. Thus, the small force of the Prophet was reduced to seven hundred.

At Mount Uhud the Muslim troops passed the night, and in the morning, after offering their prayers, they advanced into the plain. The Prophet contrived to have the hill at his back, and, the better to secure his men from being surrounded, he placed fifty archers on the height in the rear, behind the troops, and gave them strict orders not to leave their posts whatever might happen. When they came to engage, the Prophet had superiority at first. But afterward, his archers left their position for the sake of plunder, thus allowing the enemy to attack the Muslims in the fear and surround them. The Prophet lost the day and very nearly lost his life. He was struck down by a shower of stones and wounded in the face by two arrows, and one of his front teeth was broken. Of the Muslims, seventy men were killed, among whom was the Prophet's uncle Hamza. Of the infidels, twenty-two men were lost.

The Quraish were too exhausted to follow up their advantage, either by attacking Medina or by driving the Muslims from the heights of Uhud. They retreated from the Medinite territories after barbarously mutilating the corpses of their dead enemies.

Almighty Allah said: So do not become weak (against your enemy), nor be sad, and you will be superior (in victory) if you are indeed (true) believers. If a wound (and killing ) has touched you, be sure a similar wound (and killing) has touched the others. And so are the days (good and not so good), We give to men by turns, that Allah may test those who believe, and that He may take martyrs from among you. And Allah likes not the Zalimeen (polytheists and wrongdoers).

And that Allah may test (or purify) the believers (from sins) and destroy the disbeliveers. Do you think that you will enter Paradise before Allah tests those of you who fought (in His Cause) and (also) tests those who are patient? You did indeed wish for death (Ash-shahadah- martyrdom) before you met it. Now you have seen it openly with your own eyes." ( 3:139-143 Quran)

Allah the Exalted also said: We shall cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve, because they joined others in worship with Allah for which He has sent no authority; their abode will be the Fire and how evil is the abode of the Zalimeen (polytheists and wrong-doers). And Allah did indeed fulfil His Promise to you when you were killing them (your enemy) with His Permission; until (the moment) you lost your courage and fell to disputing about the order, and disobeyed after He showed you (of the booty) which you love. Among you are some that desire this world and some that desire the Hereafter. Then He made you flee from them (your enemy), and He might test you. But surely, He forgave you, and Allah is most Gracious to the believers.

And remember when you ran away (dreadfully) without even a casting a side-glance at anyone, and the Messenger (Muhammad) was in your rear calling you back. There did Allah give you one distress after another by way of requital to teach you not to grieve for that which had escaped you, nor that which had befallen you. And Allah is Well Aware of all that you do.

Then after the distress, He sent down security for you. Slumber overtook a party of you, while another party was thinking about themselves (as how to save their ownselves, ignoring the others and the Prophet) and thought wrongly of Allah - the thought of ignorance. They said, "Have we any part in the affair?" Say you (O Muhammad): "Indeed the affair belongs wholly to Allah." They hide within themselves what they dare not reveal to you, saying: "If we had anything to do with the affair, none of us would have been killed here." Say: "Even if you had remained in your homes, those for whom death was decreed would certainly have gone forth to the place of their death," but that Allah might test what is in your breasts; and to Mahis (to test, to purify, to get rid of) that which was in your hearts (sins), and Allah is All Knower of what is in (your) breasts." ( 3:151-154 Quran).

Narrated Al-Baraa' Ibn Azib: "The Prophet appointed Abdullah Ibn Jubair as the commander of the infantry men (archers) who were fifty on the day (of the battle) of Uhud. He instructed them: 'Stick to your place, and don't leave it even if you see birds snatching us, till I send for you; and if you see that we have defeated the infidels and made them flee, even then you should not leave your place till I send for you.' Then the infidels were defeated. By Allah I saw the women fleeing lifting up their clothes revealing their leg bangles and their legs. So, the companions of Abdullah Ibn Jubair said: "The booty! O people, the booty! Your companions have become victorious, what are you waiting for now?" Abdullah Ibn Jubair said: "Have you forgotten what Allah's Messenger said to you?" They replied: "By Allah! We will go to the people (the enemy) and collect our share from the war booty." But when they went to them, they were forced to turn back defeated. At that time Allah's Messenger in their rear was calling them back. Only twelve men remained with the Prophet, and the infidels martyred seventy men from us.

"The Prophet and his companions caused the Pagans to lose one hundred and forty men, seventy of whom were captured and seventy were killed. Then Abu Sufyan asked three times: 'Is Muhammad present among these people?' The Prophet ordered his companions not to answer him. Then he asked three times: 'Is Ibn Abu Quhafa present amongst these people?' He asked again three times: 'Is Ibn Al Khattab present among these people?' He then returned to his companions and said: 'As for these (men), they have been killed.' 'Umar could not control himself and said to Abu Sufyan: ' You told a lie, by Allah! O enemy of Allah! All those you have mentioned are alive, and the thing which will make you unhappy is still there.' Abu Sufyan said: 'Our victory today compensates for yours in the Battle of Badr, and in war (the victory) is always undecided and is shared in turns by the belligerents. You will find some of your killed men mutilated, but I did not urge my men to do so, yet I do not feel sorry for their deed.' After that he started reciting cheerfully: 'O Hubal, be superior!' On that the Prophet said (to his companions): 'Why don't you answer hiback?' They said: 'O Allah's Messenger! What shall we say?' He said: 'Say, Allah is Higher and more Sublime.' Then Abu Sufyan said: 'We have the idol of Al-Uzza, and you have no 'Uzza.' The Prophet said (to his companions): 'Why don't you answer him back?' They asked: 'O Allah's Messenger! What shall we say?' He said: 'Say Allah is our Helper and you have no helper.'" (Sahih Al Bukhari)

The moral effect of this disastrous battle was such as to encourage some neighboring nomad tribes to make forays upon the Medinte territories, but most of these were repelled.

The Jews also were not slow to involve in trouble the Prophet and his followers. They tried to create disaffection among his people and slandered him and his adherents. They mispronounced the words of the Qur'an so as to give them an offensive meaning. They also caused their poets, who were superior in culture and intelligence, to use their influence to sow sedition among the Muslims. One of their distinguished poets, called Ka'b, of the Bani An-Nadir, spared no efforts in publicly deploring the ill success of the idolaters after their defect at Badr.

By his satires against the Prophet and his disciples, and his elegies on the Meccans who had fallen at Badr, Ka'b succeeded in exciting the Quraish to that frenzy of vengeance which broke out at Uhud. He then returned to Medina, where he continued to attack the Prophet and the Muslims, men and women, in terms of the most obscene character. Though he belonged to the tribe of Bani An Nadir, which had entered into the compact with the Muslims and pledged itself both for the internal and external safety of the State, he openly directed his acts against the commonwealth of which he was a member.

Another Jew, Sallam by name, of the same tribe, behaved equally fiercely and bitterly against the Muslims. He lived with a party of his tribe at Khaibar, a village five days' journey northwest of Medina. He made every effort to excite the neighboring Arab tribes against the Muslims. The Muslim commonwealth with the object of securing safety among the community, passed a sentence of outlawry upon Ka'b and Sallam.

The members of another Jewish tribe, namely Bani Qainuqa', were sentenced to expulsion from the Medinite territory for having openly and knowingly infringed the terms of the compact. It was necessary to put an end to their hostile actions of the sake of maintaining peace and security. The Prophet had to go to their headquarters, where he required them to enter definitively into the Muslim commonwealth by embracing Islam or to leave Medina. To this they replied in the most offensive terms: "You have had a quarrel with men ignorant of the art of war. If you are desirous of having any dealings with us, we shall show you that we are men." They then shut themselves up in their fortress and set the Prophet and his authority at defiance. The Muslims decided to reduce them and laid siege to their fortress without loss of time. After fifteen days they surrendered. Though the Muslims at first intended to inflict some severe punishment on them, they contented themselves by banishing the Bani Qainuqa'.

The Bani An-Nadir had now behaved in the same way as Bani Qainuqa'. The had likewise, knowingly and publicly, disregarded the terms of the Charter. The Prophet sent them a message similar to that which was sent to their brethren, the Qainuqa'. Then, relying on the assistance of the Hypocrites' party, returned for a defiant reply. After a siege of fifteen days, they sued for terms. The Muslims renewed their previous offer, and the Jews of An Nadir chose to execute Medina. They were allowed to take with them all their movable property, with the exception of their arms. Before leaving Medina, they destroyed all their dwellings in immovable property and arms which they could not carry away with them were distributed by the Prophet with the consent of the Ansar and the Emigrants. A principle was henceforth adopted that any acquisition not made in actual warfare should belong to that state and that its disposal should be left to the discretion of the ruling authorities.

Almighty Allah said: (And there is also a share in this booty) for the poor emigrants, who were expelled from their homes and their property, seeking Bounties from Allah and to please Him. And helping Allah (helping His Religion) and His Messenger (Muhammad). Such are indeed the truthful (to what we say); and those who, before them, had homes (in Al Madina) and had adopted the Faith, love, those who emigrate to them, and have no jealousy in their breasts for that which they have been given (from the booty of Bani An Nadir), and give them (emigrants) preference over themselves, even though they were in need of that. And whosoever is saved from his own covetousness, such are they who will be the successful." ( 59:8-9 Quran)

The expulsion of the Bani An-Nadir took place in the fourth year of the hijrah. The remaining portion of this year and the early part of the next were passed in repressing the hostile attempts of the nomadic tribes against the Muslims and inflicting punishment for various murderous forays on the Medinite territories. Of this nature was the expedition against the Christian Arabs of Dumat Al Jandal (a place about seven days' journey to the south of Damascus), who had stopped the Medinites traffic with Syria and even threatened a raid upon Medina. These marauders, however, fled on the approach of the Muslims, and the Prophet returned to Medina after concluding a treaty with a neighboring chief, to whom he granted permission of pasturage in the Medinite territories.

In the same year, the enemies of Islam made every possible attempt to stir up the tribes against the Muslims. The Jews also took an active, if hidden, part in those intrigues. An army of ten thousand well-equipped men, marched towards Medina under the command of Abu Sufyan. They encamped near Mount Uhud, a few miles from the city. The Muslims could gather only an army of three thousand men. Seeing their inferiority in numbers on the one hand, and the turbulence of the Hypocrites within the town on the other, they preferred to remain on the defensive. They dug a deep moat round the unprotected quarters of Medina and encamped outside the city with a trench in front of them. They relied for safety of the other side upon their allies, the Quaraiza, who possessed several fortresses at a short distance towards the south and were bound by the compact to assist the Muslim s against any raiders. These Jews, however, were induced by the idolaters to violate their pledge and to join the Quraish. As these Jews were acquainted with the Hypocrites within the walls of the city were waiting for an opportunity to play their part, the situation of the Muslims was most dangerous.

The siege had already lasted for twenty days. The enemy made great efforts to cross the trench, but every attempt was fiercely repulsed by the small Muslim force. Disunion was now rife in the midst of the besieging army. Their horses were perishing fast, and provisions were becoming less every day. During the night, a storm of wind and rain caused their tents to be overthrown and their lights extinguished. Abu Sufyan and the majority of his army fled, and the rest took refuge with the Quraiza. The Muslims, though they were satisfied with the failure of their enemies, could not help thinking that the victory was unsatisfactory so long as the Quraiza, who had violated their sworn pledge, remained so near. The Jews might at any time surprise Medina from their side. The Muslims felt it their duty to demand an explanation of the violation of the pledge. This was utterly refused. Consequently, the Jews were besieged and compelled to surrender at discretion. They only asked that their punishment should be left to the judgment of Sa'd Ibn Mu'adh, the prince of the tribe of Aws. This chief, who was a fierce soldier, had been wounded in the attack, and, indeed, died of his wounds the following day. Infuriated by the treacherous conduct of the Bani Quraiza, he gave judgment that the fighting men should be to death and that the women and children should become the slaves of the Muslims. The sentence was carried into execution.

It was about this time that the Prophet granted tot he monks of the Monastry of St. Catherine, near Mount Sinai, his liberal charter by which they secured for the Christians noble and generous privileges and immunities. He undertook himself and enjoined his followers, to protect the Christians, to defend their churches and the residences of their priests and to guard them from all injuries. They were not to be unfairly taxed; no bishop was to be driven out of his diocese; nor Christian was to be forced to reject his religion; no monk was to be expelled from his Monastry; no pilgrim was to be stopped from his pilgrimage; nor were the Christian churches to be pulled down for the sake of building mosques or houses for the Muslims. Christian women married to Muslims were to enjoy their own religion and not to be subjected to compulsion or annoyance of any kind. If the Christians should stand in need of assistance for the repair of their churches or monasteries, or any other matter pertaining to their religion, the Muslims were to assist them. This was not to be considered as supporting their religion, but as simply rendering them assistance in special circumstances. Should the Muslims be engaged in hostilities with outside Christians, no Christian resident among the Muslims should be treated with contempt on account of his creed. The Prophet declared that any Muslim violating any clause of the charter should be regarded as a transgressor of Allah's commandments, a violator of His testament and neglectful of His faith.

Six years had already elapsed since the Prophet and his Meccan followers had fled from their birthplace. Their hearts began to yearn for their homes and for their Sacred House the Ka'ba. As the season of the pilgrimage approached, the Prophet announced his intention to visit the holy center, and numerous voices of his disciples responded to the call. Preparations were soon made for the journey to Mecca. The Prophet, accompanied by seven or eight hundred Muslims, Emigrants and Ansars, all totally unarmed, set out on the pilgrimage. The Quraish, who were still full of animosity towards the Muslims, gathered a large army to prevent them from entering Mecca and maltreated the envoy whom the Prophet had sent to ask permission to visit the holy places. After much difficulty, a treaty was concluded by which it was agreed that all hostilities should cease for ten years; that anyone coming from the Quraish to the Prophet without the permission of the guardian or chief should be given back to the idolaters; that any Muslim persons going over to the Meccans should not be surrendered; that any tribe desirous of entering into alliance, either with the Quraish or with the Muslims, should be at liberty to do so without disputes; that the Muslims should go back to Medina on the present occasion and stop advancing further; that they should be permitted in the following year to visit Mecca and to remain there for three days with the arms they used on journeys, namely, their scimitars in sheaths.

The Treaty of Hudaibiya thus ended, the Prophet returned with his people to Medina.

About this time it was revealed to the Prophet that his mission should be universal. He dispatched several envoys to invite the neighboring sovereigns to Islam. The embassy to the king of Persia, Chosroes Parvis, was received with disdain and contumely. He was haughtily amazed at the boldness of the Mecca fugitive in addressing him on terms of equality. He was so enraged that he tore up into pieces the Prophet's letter of invitation to Islam and dismissed the envoy from his presence with great contempt. When the Prophet received information on this treatment, he calmly observed: "Thus will the Empire of Chosroes be torn to pieces."

The embassy to Heraclitus, the Emperor of the Romans, was received much more politely and reverentially. He treated the ambassador with great respect and sent the Prophet a gracious reply to his message.

Another envoy was sent to an Arab price of the Ghassanite tribe, a Christian feudatory of Heraclius. This prince, instead of receiving the envoy with any respect, cruelly murdered him. This act caused great consternation among the Muslims, who considered it as an outrage of international obligations.

Narrated Abdullah Ibn Abbas: Abu Sufyan Ibn Harb informed me that Heraclius had sent a messenger to him while he had been accompanying a caravan from Quraish. They were merchants doing business in Sham (Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan) at the time when Allah's Messenger had a truce with Abu Sufyan and Quraish infidels. So Abu Sufyan and his companions went to Heraclius at Ilya (Jerusalem).

Heraclitus called them in the court and he had all the senior Roman dignitaries around him. He called for his translator who, translating Heraclius's question, said to them: "Who among you is closely related to that man who claims to be a Prophet?" Abu Sufyan replied: "I am the nearest relative to him (amongst the group)."

Heraclius said: "Bring him (Abu Sufyan) close to me and make his companions stand behind him." Abu Sufyan added: "Heraclius told his translator to tell my companions that he wanted to put some questions to me regarding that man (The Prophet) and if I told a lie they (my companions) should contradict me. By Allah! Had I not been afraid of my companions labeling me a liar, I would have not have spoken the truth about the Prophet." Abu Sufyan's narration continues:

"The first question he asked me about him was;

What is his family status among you?"

"I replied: "He belongs to a good noble family amongst us."

Heraclius further asked: "Has anybody among you ever claimed the same (to be a Prophet) before him?"

I replied: "No."

He said: "Was anybody amongst his ancestors a king?"

I replied: "No."

Heraclius asked: "Do the nobles or the poor follow him?"

I replied: "It is the poor who follow him."

He said: "Are his followers increasing or decreasing (day by day)?"

I replied: "They are increasing."

He then asked: "Does anybody amongst those who embrace his religion become displeased and renounce the religion afterwards?"

I replied: "No."

Heraclius said: "Have you ever accused him of telling lies before his claim (to be a Prophet)?"

I replied: "No."

Hereaclius said: "Does he break his promises?"

I replied: "No. We are at truce with him but we do not know what he will do in it." I could not find opportunity to say anything against him except that.

Heraclius asked: "Have you ever had a war with him?"

I replied: "Yes."

Then he said: "What was the outcome of the battles?"

I replied: "Sometimes he was victorious and sometimes we."

Heraclius said: "What does he order you to do?"

I said: "He tells us to worship Allah and Allah alone and not to worship anything along with Him, and to renounce all that our ancestors had said. He orders us to pray, to speak the truth, to be chaste and to keep good relations with our kith and kin."

Heraclius asked the translator to convey to me the following: "I asked you about his family and your reply was that he belonged to a very noble family. In fact, all the Messengers come from noble families among their respective peoples. I questioned you whether anybody else among you claimed such a thing; your reply was in the negative. If the answer had been in the affirmative, I would have thought that this man was following the previous man's statement. Then I asked you whether anyone of his ancestors was a king. Your reply was in the negative, and if it had been in the affirmative, I would have thought that this man wanted to take back his ancestral kingdom. I further asked whether he was ever accused of telling lies before he said what he said and your reply was in the negative. So I wondered how a person who does not tell a lie about others could ever tell a lie about Allah. I then asked you whether the rich people followed him or the poor. You replied that it was the poor who followed him. And, in fact, all the Messengers have been followed by this veryclass of people. Then I asked you whether his followers were increasing or decreasing. You replied that they were increasing, and, in fact, this is the way of true faith, till it is complete in all respects. I further asked you whether there was anybody, who, after embracing his religion, became displeased and discarded his religion. You reply was in the negative, and, in fact this is (the sign of) true faith, when its delight enters the hearts and mixes with them completely. I asked you whether he had ever betrayed. You replied in the negative, and likewise the Messengers never betray. Then I asked you what he ordered you to do. You replied that he ordered you to worship Allah and Allah alone and not to worship anything along with Him, and forbade you to worship idols, and ordered you to pray, to speak the truth and to be chaste. If what you have said is true, he will very soon occupy this place underneath my feet and I knew it (from the scriptures) that he was going to appear but I did not know that he would be from you, and if I could reach him definitely, I would go immediately to meet him and if I were with him, I would certainly wash his feet."

Heraclius then asked for the letter addressed by Allah's Messenger which had been delivered by Dihya to the Governor of Busra, who forwarded it to Heraclius to read. The contents of the letter were as follows: "In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. (This letter is) from Muhammad, the slave of Allah and His Messenger to Heraclius the ruler of Byzantine. Peace be upon him who follows the right path. Furthermore, I invite you to Islam, and if you become a Muslim you will be safe, and Allah will double your reward, and if you reject this invitation of Islam, you will be committing a sin by misguiding your subjects.

And I recite to you Allah's Statement: SAY (O Muhammad): 'O People of the Scripture (Jews & Christians): Come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate no partners with Him and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah.' Then, if they turn away, say: 'Bear witness that we are Muslims.' "

Abu Sufyan then added: When Heraclius had finished his speech and had read the letter, there was a great hue and cry in the Royal Court. So we turned out of the court. I told my companions that the question of Ibn-Abi-Kabsha (the Prophet Muhammad) had become so prominent that even the King of Bani Al-Asfar (Byzantine) was afraid of him. Then I started to become sure that he (the Prophet) would be the conqueror in the near future till I embraced Islam (Allah guided me to it).

The sub narrator added that Ibn An-Natur was the Governor of Ilya (Jerusalem) and Heraclius was the head of the Christians of Sham. Ibn An-Natur narrated that once while Heraclius was visiting Ilya (Jerusalem), he got up in the morning with a sad mood. Some of his priests asked him why he as in that mood. Hreaclius was a foreteller and an astrologer. He replied: "At night when I looked at the stars, I saw that the leader of those who practice circumcision had appeared (become the conqueror). Who are they who practice circumcision?" The people replied: "Except the Jews, nobody practices circumcision, so you should not be afraid of them (Jews). Just Issue orders to kill very Jew present in the country.'

While they were discussing it, a messenger sent by the king of Ghassan to convey the news of Allah's Messenger to Heraclius was brought in. Having heard the news, he (Heraclius) ordered the people to go and see whether the messenger of Ghassan was circumcised. The people, after seeing him, told Heraclius that he was circumcised. Heraclius then asked him about the Arabs. The messenger replied: "Arabs also practice circumcision."

After hearing that Heraclius remarked that sovereignty of the Arabs had appeared. Heraclius then wrote a letter to his friend in Rome who was as good as Heraclius in knowledge. Heraclius then left for Homs (a town in Syria) and stayed there till he received the reply of his letter from his friend, who agreed with him in his opinion about the emergence of the Prophet and the fact that he was a Prophet. On that, Heraclius invited all the heads of the Byzantines to assemble in his palace at Homs. When they assembled, he ordered that all the doors of his palace be closed. Then he came out and said: "O Byzantines! If success is your desire and if you seek right guidance and want your empire to remain, then give a pledge of allegiance to this Prophet (embrace Islam)."

(on hearing the views of Heraclius) the people ran towards the gates of the palace like onagers but found the doors closed. Heraclius realized their hatred towards Islam and when he lost the hope of their embracing Islam, he ordered that they should be brought back in audience.

(When they returned) he said: "What was already said was just to test the strength of your conviction and I have seen it." The people prostrated before him and became pleased with him, and this was the end of Heraclius's story (in connection with his faith). (Sahih Al-Bukhari)

Biography of Prophet Muhammad (saws) [Part 3]

2009-06-21T12:15:00.002-07:00

Part 3

The remarkable circumstances, which led to the victory of Badr, and results, which followed from it, made a deep impression on the minds of the Muslims; the angels of the heaven had battled on their side against their enemies. The division of the spoils created some dissension between the Muslim warriors. For the moment, the Prophet divided it equally among all. Subsequently, a Qur'an revelation laid down a rule for future division of the spoils. According to this rule, a fifth was reserved for the public treasury for the support of the poor and indigent, while the distribution of the remaining four fifths was left to the discretion of the Chief of the State.

The next battle between the Quraish and the Muslims was the battle of Uhud, a hill about four miles to the north of Medina. The idolaters, to revenge their loss at Badr, made tremendous preparations for a new attack upon the Muslims. They collected an army of three thousand strong men, of whom seven hundred were armed with coats of mail, and two hundred horses. These forces advanced under the conduct of Abu Sufyan and encamped at a village six miles from Medina, where they gave themselves up to spoiling the fields and flocks of the Medinites. The Prophet, being much inferior to his enemies in number, at first determined to keep himself within the town and to receive them there; but afterwards, the advice of some of his companions prevailing he marched out against them at the head of one thousand men, of whom one hundred were armed with coats of mail; but he had no more than one horse, besides his own, in his whole army. With these forces he halted at Mount Uhud. He was soon abandoned by Abdullah Ibn Ubai, the leader of the Hypocrites, with three hundred of his followers. Thus, the small force of the Prophet was reduced to seven hundred.

At Mount Uhud the Muslim troops passed the night, and in the morning, after offering their prayers, they advanced into the plain. The Prophet contrived to have the hill at his back, and, the better to secure his men from being surrounded, he placed fifty archers on the height in the rear, behind the troops, and gave them strict orders not to leave their posts whatever might happen. When they came to engage, the Prophet had superiority at first. But afterward, his archers left their position for the sake of plunder, thus allowing the enemy to attack the Muslims in the fear and surround them. The Prophet lost the day and very nearly lost his life. He was struck down by a shower of stones and wounded in the face by two arrows, and one of his front teeth was broken. Of the Muslims, seventy men were killed, among whom was the Prophet's uncle Hamza. Of the infidels, twenty-two men were lost.

The Quraish were too exhausted to follow up their advantage, either by attacking Medina or by driving the Muslims from the heights of Uhud. They retreated from the Medinite territories after barbarously mutilating the corpses of their dead enemies.

Almighty Allah said: So do not become weak (against your enemy), nor be sad, and you will be superior (in victory) if you are indeed (true) believers. If a wound (and killing ) has touched you, be sure a similar wound (and killing) has touched the others. And so are the days (good and not so good), We give to men by turns, that Allah may test those who believe, and that He may take martyrs from among you. And Allah likes not the Zalimeen (polytheists and wrongdoers).

And that Allah may test (or purify) the believers (from sins) and destroy the disbeliveers. Do you think that you will enter Paradise before Allah tests those of you who fought (in His Cause) and (also) tests those who are patient? You did indeed wish for death (Ash-shahadah- martyrdom) before you met it. Now you have seen it openly with your own eyes." ( 3:139-143 Quran)

Allah the Exalted also said: We shall cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve, because they joined others in worship with Allah for which He has sent no authority; their abode will be the Fire and how evil is the abode of the Zalimeen (polytheists and wrong-doers). And Allah did indeed fulfil His Promise to you when you were killing them (your enemy) with His Permission; until (the moment) you lost your courage and fell to disputing about the order, and disobeyed after He showed you (of the booty) which you love. Among you are some that desire this world and some that desire the Hereafter. Then He made you flee from them (your enemy), and He might test you. But surely, He forgave you, and Allah is most Gracious to the believers.

And remember when you ran away (dreadfully) without even a casting a side-glance at anyone, and the Messenger (Muhammad) was in your rear calling you back. There did Allah give you one distress after another by way of requital to teach you not to grieve for that which had escaped you, nor that which had befallen you. And Allah is Well Aware of all that you do.

Then after the distress, He sent down security for you. Slumber overtook a party of you, while another party was thinking about themselves (as how to save their ownselves, ignoring the others and the Prophet) and thought wrongly of Allah - the thought of ignorance. They said, "Have we any part in the affair?" Say you (O Muhammad): "Indeed the affair belongs wholly to Allah." They hide within themselves what they dare not reveal to you, saying: "If we had anything to do with the affair, none of us would have been killed here." Say: "Even if you had remained in your homes, those for whom death was decreed would certainly have gone forth to the place of their death," but that Allah might test what is in your breasts; and to Mahis (to test, to purify, to get rid of) that which was in your hearts (sins), and Allah is All Knower of what is in (your) breasts." ( 3:151-154 Quran).

Narrated Al-Baraa' Ibn Azib: "The Prophet appointed Abdullah Ibn Jubair as the commander of the infantry men (archers) who were fifty on the day (of the battle) of Uhud. He instructed them: 'Stick to your place, and don't leave it even if you see birds snatching us, till I send for you; and if you see that we have defeated the infidels and made them flee, even then you should not leave your place till I send for you.' Then the infidels were defeated. By Allah I saw the women fleeing lifting up their clothes revealing their leg bangles and their legs. So, the companions of Abdullah Ibn Jubair said: "The booty! O people, the booty! Your companions have become victorious, what are you waiting for now?" Abdullah Ibn Jubair said: "Have you forgotten what Allah's Messenger said to you?" They replied: "By Allah! We will go to the people (the enemy) and collect our share from the war booty." But when they went to them, they were forced to turn back defeated. At that time Allah's Messenger in their rear was calling them back. Only twelve men remained with the Prophet, and the infidels martyred seventy men from us.

"The Prophet and his companions caused the Pagans to lose one hundred and forty men, seventy of whom were captured and seventy were killed. Then Abu Sufyan asked three times: 'Is Muhammad present among these people?' The Prophet ordered his companions not to answer him. Then he asked three times: 'Is Ibn Abu Quhafa present amongst these people?' He asked again three times: 'Is Ibn Al Khattab present among these people?' He then returned to his companions and said: 'As for these (men), they have been killed.' 'Umar could not control himself and said to Abu Sufyan: ' You told a lie, by Allah! O enemy of Allah! All those you have mentioned are alive, and the thing which will make you unhappy is still there.' Abu Sufyan said: 'Our victory today compensates for yours in the Battle of Badr, and in war (the victory) is always undecided and is shared in turns by the belligerents. You will find some of your killed men mutilated, but I did not urge my men to do so, yet I do not feel sorry for their deed.' After that he started reciting cheerfully: 'O Hubal, be superior!' On that the Prophet said (to his companions): 'Why don't you answer hiback?' They said: 'O Allah's Messenger! What shall we say?' He said: 'Say, Allah is Higher and more Sublime.' Then Abu Sufyan said: 'We have the idol of Al-Uzza, and you have no 'Uzza.' The Prophet said (to his companions): 'Why don't you answer him back?' They asked: 'O Allah's Messenger! What shall we say?' He said: 'Say Allah is our Helper and you have no helper.'" (Sahih Al Bukhari)

The moral effect of this disastrous battle was such as to encourage some neighboring nomad tribes to make forays upon the Medinte territories, but most of these were repelled.

The Jews also were not slow to involve in trouble the Prophet and his followers. They tried to create disaffection among his people and slandered him and his adherents. They mispronounced the words of the Qur'an so as to give them an offensive meaning. They also caused their poets, who were superior in culture and intelligence, to use their influence to sow sedition among the Muslims. One of their distinguished poets, called Ka'b, of the Bani An-Nadir, spared no efforts in publicly deploring the ill success of the idolaters after their defect at Badr.

By his satires against the Prophet and his disciples, and his elegies on the Meccans who had fallen at Badr, Ka'b succeeded in exciting the Quraish to that frenzy of vengeance which broke out at Uhud. He then returned to Medina, where he continued to attack the Prophet and the Muslims, men and women, in terms of the most obscene character. Though he belonged to the tribe of Bani An Nadir, which had entered into the compact with the Muslims and pledged itself both for the internal and external safety of the State, he openly directed his acts against the commonwealth of which he was a member.

Another Jew, Sallam by name, of the same tribe, behaved equally fiercely and bitterly against the Muslims. He lived with a party of his tribe at Khaibar, a village five days' journey northwest of Medina. He made every effort to excite the neighboring Arab tribes against the Muslims. The Muslim commonwealth with the object of securing safety among the community, passed a sentence of outlawry upon Ka'b and Sallam.

The members of another Jewish tribe, namely Bani Qainuqa', were sentenced to expulsion from the Medinite territory for having openly and knowingly infringed the terms of the compact. It was necessary to put an end to their hostile actions of the sake of maintaining peace and security. The Prophet had to go to their headquarters, where he required them to enter definitively into the Muslim commonwealth by embracing Islam or to leave Medina. To this they replied in the most offensive terms: "You have had a quarrel with men ignorant of the art of war. If you are desirous of having any dealings with us, we shall show you that we are men." They then shut themselves up in their fortress and set the Prophet and his authority at defiance. The Muslims decided to reduce them and laid siege to their fortress without loss of time. After fifteen days they surrendered. Though the Muslims at first intended to inflict some severe punishment on them, they contented themselves by banishing the Bani Qainuqa'.

The Bani An-Nadir had now behaved in the same way as Bani Qainuqa'. The had likewise, knowingly and publicly, disregarded the terms of the Charter. The Prophet sent them a message similar to that which was sent to their brethren, the Qainuqa'. Then, relying on the assistance of the Hypocrites' party, returned for a defiant reply. After a siege of fifteen days, they sued for terms. The Muslims renewed their previous offer, and the Jews of An Nadir chose to execute Medina. They were allowed to take with them all their movable property, with the exception of their arms. Before leaving Medina, they destroyed all their dwellings in immovable property and arms which they could not carry away with them were distributed by the Prophet with the consent of the Ansar and the Emigrants. A principle was henceforth adopted that any acquisition not made in actual warfare should belong to that state and that its disposal should be left to the discretion of the ruling authorities.

Almighty Allah said: (And there is also a share in this booty) for the poor emigrants, who were expelled from their homes and their property, seeking Bounties from Allah and to please Him. And helping Allah (helping His Religion) and His Messenger (Muhammad). Such are indeed the truthful (to what we say); and those who, before them, had homes (in Al Madina) and had adopted the Faith, love, those who emigrate to them, and have no jealousy in their breasts for that which they have been given (from the booty of Bani An Nadir), and give them (emigrants) preference over themselves, even though they were in need of that. And whosoever is saved from his own covetousness, such are they who will be the successful." ( 59:8-9 Quran)

The expulsion of the Bani An-Nadir took place in the fourth year of the hijrah. The remaining portion of this year and the early part of the next were passed in repressing the hostile attempts of the nomadic tribes against the Muslims and inflicting punishment for various murderous forays on the Medinite territories. Of this nature was the expedition against the Christian Arabs of Dumat Al Jandal (a place about seven days' journey to the south of Damascus), who had stopped the Medinites traffic with Syria and even threatened a raid upon Medina. These marauders, however, fled on the approach of the Muslims, and the Prophet returned to Medina after concluding a treaty with a neighboring chief, to whom he granted permission of pasturage in the Medinite territories.

In the same year, the enemies of Islam made every possible attempt to stir up the tribes against the Muslims. The Jews also took an active, if hidden, part in those intrigues. An army of ten thousand well-equipped men, marched towards Medina under the command of Abu Sufyan. They encamped near Mount Uhud, a few miles from the city. The Muslims could gather only an army of three thousand men. Seeing their inferiority in numbers on the one hand, and the turbulence of the Hypocrites within the town on the other, they preferred to remain on the defensive. They dug a deep moat round the unprotected quarters of Medina and encamped outside the city with a trench in front of them. They relied for safety of the other side upon their allies, the Quaraiza, who possessed several fortresses at a short distance towards the south and were bound by the compact to assist the Muslim s against any raiders. These Jews, however, were induced by the idolaters to violate their pledge and to join the Quraish. As these Jews were acquainted with the Hypocrites within the walls of the city were waiting for an opportunity to play their part, the situation of the Muslims was most dangerous.

The siege had already lasted for twenty days. The enemy made great efforts to cross the trench, but every attempt was fiercely repulsed by the small Muslim force. Disunion was now rife in the midst of the besieging army. Their horses were perishing fast, and provisions were becoming less every day. During the night, a storm of wind and rain caused their tents to be overthrown and their lights extinguished. Abu Sufyan and the majority of his army fled, and the rest took refuge with the Quraiza. The Muslims, though they were satisfied with the failure of their enemies, could not help thinking that the victory was unsatisfactory so long as the Quraiza, who had violated their sworn pledge, remained so near. The Jews might at any time surprise Medina from their side. The Muslims felt it their duty to demand an explanation of the violation of the pledge. This was utterly refused. Consequently, the Jews were besieged and compelled to surrender at discretion. They only asked that their punishment should be left to the judgment of Sa'd Ibn Mu'adh, the prince of the tribe of Aws. This chief, who was a fierce soldier, had been wounded in the attack, and, indeed, died of his wounds the following day. Infuriated by the treacherous conduct of the Bani Quraiza, he gave judgment that the fighting men should be to death and that the women and children should become the slaves of the Muslims. The sentence was carried into execution.

It was about this time that the Prophet granted tot he monks of the Monastry of St. Catherine, near Mount Sinai, his liberal charter by which they secured for the Christians noble and generous privileges and immunities. He undertook himself and enjoined his followers, to protect the Christians, to defend their churches and the residences of their priests and to guard them from all injuries. They were not to be unfairly taxed; no bishop was to be driven out of his diocese; nor Christian was to be forced to reject his religion; no monk was to be expelled from his Monastry; no pilgrim was to be stopped from his pilgrimage; nor were the Christian churches to be pulled down for the sake of building mosques or houses for the Muslims. Christian women married to Muslims were to enjoy their own religion and not to be subjected to compulsion or annoyance of any kind. If the Christians should stand in need of assistance for the repair of their churches or monasteries, or any other matter pertaining to their religion, the Muslims were to assist them. This was not to be considered as supporting their religion, but as simply rendering them assistance in special circumstances. Should the Muslims be engaged in hostilities with outside Christians, no Christian resident among the Muslims should be treated with contempt on account of his creed. The Prophet declared that any Muslim violating any clause of the charter should be regarded as a transgressor of Allah's commandments, a violator of His testament and neglectful of His faith.

Six years had already elapsed since the Prophet and his Meccan followers had fled from their birthplace. Their hearts began to yearn for their homes and for their Sacred House the Ka'ba. As the season of the pilgrimage approached, the Prophet announced his intention to visit the holy center, and numerous voices of his disciples responded to the call. Preparations were soon made for the journey to Mecca. The Prophet, accompanied by seven or eight hundred Muslims, Emigrants and Ansars, all totally unarmed, set out on the pilgrimage. The Quraish, who were still full of animosity towards the Muslims, gathered a large army to prevent them from entering Mecca and maltreated the envoy whom the Prophet had sent to ask permission to visit the holy places. After much difficulty, a treaty was concluded by which it was agreed that all hostilities should cease for ten years; that anyone coming from the Quraish to the Prophet without the permission of the guardian or chief should be given back to the idolaters; that any Muslim persons going over to the Meccans should not be surrendered; that any tribe desirous of entering into alliance, either with the Quraish or with the Muslims, should be at liberty to do so without disputes; that the Muslims should go back to Medina on the present occasion and stop advancing further; that they should be permitted in the following year to visit Mecca and to remain there for three days with the arms they used on journeys, namely, their scimitars in sheaths.

The Treaty of Hudaibiya thus ended, the Prophet returned with his people to Medina.

About this time it was revealed to the Prophet that his mission should be universal. He dispatched several envoys to invite the neighboring sovereigns to Islam. The embassy to the king of Persia, Chosroes Parvis, was received with disdain and contumely. He was haughtily amazed at the boldness of the Mecca fugitive in addressing him on terms of equality. He was so enraged that he tore up into pieces the Prophet's letter of invitation to Islam and dismissed the envoy from his presence with great contempt. When the Prophet received information on this treatment, he calmly observed: "Thus will the Empire of Chosroes be torn to pieces."

The embassy to Heraclitus, the Emperor of the Romans, was received much more politely and reverentially. He treated the ambassador with great respect and sent the Prophet a gracious reply to his message.

Another envoy was sent to an Arab price of the Ghassanite tribe, a Christian feudatory of Heraclius. This prince, instead of receiving the envoy with any respect, cruelly murdered him. This act caused great consternation among the Muslims, who considered it as an outrage of international obligations.

Narrated Abdullah Ibn Abbas: Abu Sufyan Ibn Harb informed me that Heraclius had sent a messenger to him while he had been accompanying a caravan from Quraish. They were merchants doing business in Sham (Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan) at the time when Allah's Messenger had a truce with Abu Sufyan and Quraish infidels. So Abu Sufyan and his companions went to Heraclius at Ilya (Jerusalem).

Heraclitus called them in the court and he had all the senior Roman dignitaries around him. He called for his translator who, translating Heraclius's question, said to them: "Who among you is closely related to that man who claims to be a Prophet?" Abu Sufyan replied: "I am the nearest relative to him (amongst the group)."

Heraclius said: "Bring him (Abu Sufyan) close to me and make his companions stand behind him." Abu Sufyan added: "Heraclius told his translator to tell my companions that he wanted to put some questions to me regarding that man (The Prophet) and if I told a lie they (my companions) should contradict me. By Allah! Had I not been afraid of my companions labeling me a liar, I would have not have spoken the truth about the Prophet." Abu Sufyan's narration continues:

"The first question he asked me about him was;

What is his family status among you?"

"I replied: "He belongs to a good noble family amongst us."

Heraclius further asked: "Has anybody among you ever claimed the same (to be a Prophet) before him?"

I replied: "No."

He said: "Was anybody amongst his ancestors a king?"

I replied: "No."

Heraclius asked: "Do the nobles or the poor follow him?"

I replied: "It is the poor who follow him."

He said: "Are his followers increasing or decreasing (day by day)?"

I replied: "They are increasing."

He then asked: "Does anybody amongst those who embrace his religion become displeased and renounce the religion afterwards?"

I replied: "No."

Heraclius said: "Have you ever accused him of telling lies before his claim (to be a Prophet)?"

I replied: "No."

Hereaclius said: "Does he break his promises?"

I replied: "No. We are at truce with him but we do not know what he will do in it." I could not find opportunity to say anything against him except that.

Heraclius asked: "Have you ever had a war with him?"

I replied: "Yes."

Then he said: "What was the outcome of the battles?"

I replied: "Sometimes he was victorious and sometimes we."

Heraclius said: "What does he order you to do?"

I said: "He tells us to worship Allah and Allah alone and not to worship anything along with Him, and to renounce all that our ancestors had said. He orders us to pray, to speak the truth, to be chaste and to keep good relations with our kith and kin."

Heraclius asked the translator to convey to me the following: "I asked you about his family and your reply was that he belonged to a very noble family. In fact, all the Messengers come from noble families among their respective peoples. I questioned you whether anybody else among you claimed such a thing; your reply was in the negative. If the answer had been in the affirmative, I would have thought that this man was following the previous man's statement. Then I asked you whether anyone of his ancestors was a king. Your reply was in the negative, and if it had been in the affirmative, I would have thought that this man wanted to take back his ancestral kingdom. I further asked whether he was ever accused of telling lies before he said what he said and your reply was in the negative. So I wondered how a person who does not tell a lie about others could ever tell a lie about Allah. I then asked you whether the rich people followed him or the poor. You replied that it was the poor who followed him. And, in fact, all the Messengers have been followed by this veryclass of people. Then I asked you whether his followers were increasing or decreasing. You replied that they were increasing, and, in fact, this is the way of true faith, till it is complete in all respects. I further asked you whether there was anybody, who, after embracing his religion, became displeased and discarded his religion. You reply was in the negative, and, in fact this is (the sign of) true faith, when its delight enters the hearts and mixes with them completely. I asked you whether he had ever betrayed. You replied in the negative, and likewise the Messengers never betray. Then I asked you what he ordered you to do. You replied that he ordered you to worship Allah and Allah alone and not to worship anything along with Him, and forbade you to worship idols, and ordered you to pray, to speak the truth and to be chaste. If what you have said is true, he will very soon occupy this place underneath my feet and I knew it (from the scriptures) that he was going to appear but I did not know that he would be from you, and if I could reach him definitely, I would go immediately to meet him and if I were with him, I would certainly wash his feet."

Heraclius then asked for the letter addressed by Allah's Messenger which had been delivered by Dihya to the Governor of Busra, who forwarded it to Heraclius to read. The contents of the letter were as follows: "In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. (This letter is) from Muhammad, the slave of Allah and His Messenger to Heraclius the ruler of Byzantine. Peace be upon him who follows the right path. Furthermore, I invite you to Islam, and if you become a Muslim you will be safe, and Allah will double your reward, and if you reject this invitation of Islam, you will be committing a sin by misguiding your subjects.

And I recite to you Allah's Statement: SAY (O Muhammad): 'O People of the Scripture (Jews & Christians): Come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate no partners with Him and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah.' Then, if they turn away, say: 'Bear witness that we are Muslims.' "

Abu Sufyan then added: When Heraclius had finished his speech and had read the letter, there was a great hue and cry in the Royal Court. So we turned out of the court. I told my companions that the question of Ibn-Abi-Kabsha (the Prophet Muhammad) had become so prominent that even the King of Bani Al-Asfar (Byzantine) was afraid of him. Then I started to become sure that he (the Prophet) would be the conqueror in the near future till I embraced Islam (Allah guided me to it).

The sub narrator added that Ibn An-Natur was the Governor of Ilya (Jerusalem) and Heraclius was the head of the Christians of Sham. Ibn An-Natur narrated that once while Heraclius was visiting Ilya (Jerusalem), he got up in the morning with a sad mood. Some of his priests asked him why he as in that mood. Hreaclius was a foreteller and an astrologer. He replied: "At night when I looked at the stars, I saw that the leader of those who practice circumcision had appeared (become the conqueror). Who are they who practice circumcision?" The people replied: "Except the Jews, nobody practices circumcision, so you should not be afraid of them (Jews). Just Issue orders to kill very Jew present in the country.'

While they were discussing it, a messenger sent by the king of Ghassan to convey the news of Allah's Messenger to Heraclius was brought in. Having heard the news, he (Heraclius) ordered the people to go and see whether the messenger of Ghassan was circumcised. The people, after seeing him, told Heraclius that he was circumcised. Heraclius then asked him about the Arabs. The messenger replied: "Arabs also practice circumcision."

After hearing that Heraclius remarked that sovereignty of the Arabs had appeared. Heraclius then wrote a letter to his friend in Rome who was as good as Heraclius in knowledge. Heraclius then left for Homs (a town in Syria) and stayed there till he received the reply of his letter from his friend, who agreed with him in his opinion about the emergence of the Prophet and the fact that he was a Prophet. On that, Heraclius invited all the heads of the Byzantines to assemble in his palace at Homs. When they assembled, he ordered that all the doors of his palace be closed. Then he came out and said: "O Byzantines! If success is your desire and if you seek right guidance and want your empire to remain, then give a pledge of allegiance to this Prophet (embrace Islam)."

(on hearing the views of Heraclius) the people ran towards the gates of the palace like onagers but found the doors closed. Heraclius realized their hatred towards Islam and when he lost the hope of their embracing Islam, he ordered that they should be brought back in audience.

(When they returned) he said: "What was already said was just to test the strength of your conviction and I have seen it." The people prostrated before him and became pleased with him, and this was the end of Heraclius's story (in connection with his faith). (Sahih Al-Bukhari)

Seerah-Stories

"Allah will change their sins into good deeds.." (al Furqan 25:68-70)

Safiyyah: "By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, I truly wish that what has afflicted you would afflict me (instead)."

"Ya Aba Umayr, Maa Fa'l an-Nughayr?" (Oh Abu Umayr...)

"I was reproached in the night about horses."

(How (will it be) then, when We bring from each nation a witness and We bring you (O Muhammad) as a witness against these people) [4:41]

"I had sexual relations with my wife while observing the Ramadan fast."

The Ansar and Muhajirin Defended the Messenger in the Battle of Uhud

Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding (3:190)

PHOTOS: Various Battlefields of the Prophet and the Companions

"The Worst Act of Enmity the Quraysh did against the Messenger of Allah."

The Treaty of Hudaybia (part 5) - The Advantages of the Hudaybia Treaty

The Treaty of Hudaybia (part 4) - The Anger & Sadness of the Muslims

The Treaty of Hudaybia (part 3) - The Contract with Suhayl ibn 'Amr takes Place

The Treaty of Hudaybia (part 2) - The Different Proposals from Quraysh

The Treaty of Hudaybia (part 1) - The Intention for 'Umrah & Journey to Makkah

"Not for you is the Decision..." (Quran 'Aal Imraan 3:128)

An Eyewitness of the Revelation, & Uthman (ibn Maz'un's) Converting to Islam because of it.

"Allah will protect you from mankind..." (Quran al Hijr 15:67)

"..it is not (right) for you that you should annoy Allah's Messenger, nor that you should ever marry his wives after him..." (Qur'an Ahzab 33:53)

{"...And let those who oppose the Messenger's commandment beware lest some trial befall them or a painful torment be inflicted upon them."} [24:63]

The Qur'an's Challenge & some Poetry of Musaylimah al-Kadhdhab [the Liar]

The Bribing and Insults of Quraysh to Allah's Messenger, in Makkah.

The injuries the Messenger of Allah and believers experienced in Uhud

Sleep overcame the believers in Badr and Uhud, and for the believers when they are in distress

The Love of Allah's Messenger for his Uncle Al Abbas

He sends the thunderbolts and smites with them whom He pleases, yet they dispute concerning Allah, and He is mighty in Punishment..

The Great Respect the Sahaba had for Allah's Messenger

"Get ready and march forth towards a Paradise as wide as the heavens and earth!"

Smashing Idols!

"O Messenger of Allah! Give me permission to commit Zina (unlawful sex)

“O Messenger of Allah! Indeed, I love you…”

Destroying of al Laat

Fadl ibn Abbas, lowering his gaze?

Aisha's trick never worked...

Was the Prophet Romantic?

"Have you heard that the Dajjal has made his appearance!?"

The Prophet's kind Treatment with his Wives

Description Of The Joking Of Rasulullah

Mugeeth and Bareerah...

"Eat, or i'll fill daube face!"

“By Allāh, the swords of Allāh did not reach the enemies of Allāh as they should have.”

How Islam honours the black man to the highest level

"An ear for an ear, and the head is extra..."

"Today your state is better than that day."

Was there not amongst you even a single merciful man?!

"{...for the believers, he is full of pity, kind, and merciful."} [at-Tawbah 9:128]

The Return from Israa' [Palestine] and Proof of Allah's Messenger's Prophethood, and how he wouldn't lie in the most dire of circumstances.

How Many People did the Prophet ever Kill?

Biography of Prophet Muhammad (saws) [Part 5]

Biography of Prophet Muhammad (saws) [Part 4]

Biography of Prophet Muhammad (saws) [Part 3]