3. CONTENTS
Page No-_
Chapter Na____________________________________
Dedication ................................................
Foreword .....................................................
15
1. The Birth of the Prophet ®.............................................
2. The Prophet's® early years of breast-feeding................ 16
3. The death of the Prophet's® mother and grandfather.. 18
4. The Prophet's®blessed childhood....................................... 19
5. The Prophet's® unique youth............................................. 21
6. One memorable event from his youth-hood.................. 22
7. The marriage of the Prophet ®........................................... £4
8. The Prophet's® unique decision......................................... 25
9. The official announcement of prophecy.................... 27
10. The invitation to Islam...................
11. Oppression against the Muslims
.............................. 32
12. The Prophet's® resolve and firmness.................
13-The ^(Migration) to Abyssinia..........................
K The social boycott and the year of grief
15- The journey to Ta'if..... ............... 39
J6’Mfai (The Ascension)....................................................... 40
4. Chapter No.
17. Islam's light passes to Yathnb.
Page No.
44
18. The migration to Madinah..................................... ..............
46
19. The Beginning of The Islamic Calendar..................................
49
20. The Construction of the Prophet's^ Mosque..............................
51
21. Mu'aakhat Madina (The brotherhood of Madina).................... 55
22. Year One (After Hijra); Important Events..................................... 57
23. Jihad and the Battles................................................................... 58
24. The Battle of Badr..................................................................... 61
I
Chapter No. _______________________________
Page No-
91
40. The Farewell Hajj (Hajjaitd W>dd).........
41. The Prophet's^ departure from this world
.... 93
95
42. The Pure Seera of The Prophets.........................
96
43. His peisonal attributes..............
102
107
45. The best human in the world.........................
....... 112
25. Other Important Events from 2 A.H.............................................. 65
26. The Batde of Uhud.................................................................... <3<5
27. Introduction of the Jews and Hypocrites....................................... 71
28. Other Important Events from 3 A.H.............................................. 73
29. Events from 4 A.H.......................................................................... 74
30. The Battle of Khandaq (Trench) ...............................................
31. Other Important Events from 5 A.H .........................................
32. The Treaty of Hudaibiyya..........................................................
33. Letters to the International Leaders ...........................................
34. The Conquest of Khaibar............................................................
35. Other Important Events from 7 A.H .........................................
36. The Conquest of Makka..............................................................
37. Other Important Events from 8 A.H .........................................
38. The Batde of Tabook..................................................................
39. Other Important Events from 9 A.H ..........................................
75
78
79
82
84
85
86
88
89
90
Prophet of € hildreii
____ _
5. dedication
I dedicate this beautiful book
to the respected and revered
Pir Niyaz ul-Hasan Sahib
This is because I have always
found him to be loving
and caring towards
children and youngsters.
s I
I
j
Prophet
6. FOREWORD
MUHAMMADUN
Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam
The Prophets is prophet of all mankind and heijft
loved all humans but he loved children in particular.
He showed great affection towards them, treated them
well and encouraged others to do the same. If he ever
saw children playing in the path, he would smile and
offer his greetings. If he rode an animal, he would put
children in front of or behind him and take them
home. If he had food and drink in his house, the
Prophets would offer it to the children. He
considered it the right of children to be kissed and
played with. He would say that children are the
bouquet of paradise.
This tradition of love and affection from the Prophet s
is still present today. A while back, a famous columnist,
Abdul Qadir Hasan wrote the following in his column in
the Daily Jang. Read it and strengthen your faith by doing so:
"The Governor of Madina Sharif introduced a
regulation stating that mothers were now not permitted
to bring their babies to the Rawdha (resting place of the
Prophets), because they often wet themselves and
ruin the carpets. On that very night, the Governor saw a
dream in which he was honoured to see the Prophets.
The Prophet & told him, 'you can remove the carpet [if
necessary] but do not distance the babies of my
Ummah from me.' The next day, the Governor
reversed this decision."
I
This book has been written for children and contains
many stories and traditions relating to how the
Prophets loved children. For this reason, I have
named the book" Prophet of Children
Prophet oft hildrejV
8. TheBirthoftheProphet
7
nehoiy Prophets was bom o„Mondayl2‘ofRabi
al-Awwal/20" April, 570 A.D., in the blessed eity
Makka Sharif.
His birth was a unique event. Many mirac es
appeared at the time, which clearly indicate his
high status and importance. Here are a few examples,
As he> was bom, a bright light appeared, which
X
filled the house of Aminas. With the help of this
light, she could see as far as the palaces of Syria.
x He^ was bom clean and circumcised.
x
Allahumma Salle Ala Muhammadin
Wa Aale Muhammad
As the Prophet > was bom, he^ft fell into Sajda
(prostration) and prayed for the forgiveness of his
Ummah.
All the stars moved closer to earth For this
we light lanterns on the nmo •
Mawlid(Prophet’s birth day).
reason,
of the
x
9. Halima's ■- residence was far from Makka Sharif. Her
place had experienced a recent famine and thus was
very poor. But because of the blessings of taking the
Prophets there, many changes and blessings
occurred.
The Prophet was breast-fed for seven days by his
mother after birth. Thereafter, the freed-slave of Abu
Lahab, Su‘waibah, also breast-fed the Prophet for a
few days. The biggest honour of breast-feeding the
Prophet fell to Halima - . She breast-fed him^ for
two years.
It was the practice of urban Arabs to send thei’
children to rural areas for the purpose of breast
feeding. They would do this to preserve their childrer
from the bad traits of the urban areas, and allow their
upbringing to take place in the clean, pure
environment of the rural areas. Some women would
come from the countryside to the city with the
intention of finding young babies to breast-feed as a
form of employment. Halima was honoured with
the Prophets in this very manner.
Prophet of Children
Jr
X The famine ended and there was an abundance of
everything once again.
X Because of the Prophet the house of Halima
was always filled with light. She did not need to
light lanterns there. The whole area had a
beautiful fragrance to it.
X III people would come to the house of Halima .
She would wipe the hands of the Prophet on
them and they would instantly be cured.
x The angels would rock his^ cradle; even the
moon would move in response to his own
movement of playing.
I
Y
10. A
When the Prophet reached the age of five, HalimaA
returned him to her mother in Makka. He spent one
year with his benevolent mother when she showed
great love, affection and compassion to her son.
When the Prophet S reached the age of six, his
mother passed away. His grandfather Abdul-Muttalib
then took on the responsibility to look after him. F j
too had great love for the Prophet he would fee >.
him with his own hands. Unfortunately, he passe
away two years later. By this time, the Prophet w;
at an age of understanding, and so he was shaken by
the successive death of his mother and grandfather.
He wept immensely upon the death of his
grandfather.
His uncle Abu Talib then took on the responsibility
and honour of looking after the beloved Prophet S.
He and his wife Fatima bint-e-Asad showed great
love to the Prophets, and in fact loved him more than
their own children. Even after the Prophet
officially announced that he was a Prophet !&, Abu
Talib helped him in every way.
0
____
The Prophet & had a beautiful childhood. He
possessed the most perfect qualities and manners. He
spent the first five years of his life in the company of
Halima^, and she expressed her feelings with the
following word:
“He$ did not cry or show wrongful behaviour. He^
did not wet his clothes like other children. He would
also stay away from pointless things.”
Umm-e-Ayman & was his servant and looked after
him just like parents would do. She served the
Prophet & well in his early years. The Prophet
would call her 'mother.' She said:
“He never complained of hunger or thirstiness. He
would drink Zam Zam water and would not request
anything else all day.”
He would never fight with other children, cause
unrest, make excessive noises or make an issue of
petty matters. His uncle Abu Talib said:
“Nonnally, children wake up with tired, unclean eyes
and untidy hair. But the Prophet^ would wake up in
the morning with a luminous face and his eyes would
be clean.
11. NewBornBabiesIn
ThePresenceofTheProphets
It was the practice of the Companions to bring
their new-born babies to the presence of the
Prophets and seek blessings from him. The
Prophets would place his blessed saliva or a
chewed date in their mouths, give them a good
name, wipe his hands on them out of love and
affection and would make supplications of
blessings for them. Some babies would wet his
clothes but the Prophet s never became angry by
this; rather he would simply ask for some water
and clean the affected area. Some babies would
play with his seal of Prophecy. The people would
prevent the babies from playing with it but the
Prophets did not mind and did not stop the
children. (Bukhari)
After the Prophet s left this world, this tradition
continued in Madina Sharif. When someone had a
new-born child, the doors of the Rawdha would be
opened and the baby would be laid on the floor of
the Rawdha of the Prophet for a short while. In
1925, the Saudi authority put an end to this
practice and thus deprived the new-born babies of
the Prophet’s * Ummah from receiving blessings
from him. (Raza-e-Mustafa Monthly)
The Prophet's^ teenage years were pure and ideal.
Usually, people become vulnerable to many dangers
at this age. But the Prophet & was the embodiment of
great modesty and decency from an early age. He
stayed away from bad and immoral habits in his
youth. Hei& never spoke disrespectfully to anyone
and he never lied. Allah®?, showed His guidance to the
Prophet & upon every step. HeM protected him from
the rituals of the idol-worshippers and bad habits of
ignorance. He never participated in pointless acts
with others.
Throughout his teenage years, he was known as the
'most truthful' (Saadiq) and the 'trustworthy' (Amin)
amongst the people. People would praise and quote
his excellent habits and character.
The Prophet & grazed the sheep during this period to
earn a living and helping out his uncle, as a Abu Talib
who was going through financial difficulties. He also
worked in business and made a good reputation for
himself. He is undoubtedly an example for the
youngsters who do not take their work and
responsibility seriously, and who consider helping
the family a burden.
12. £OneMemorableEvent
iFromHis#Youth-hood
There was no official government in Makka Sharif, or
any form ofjustice. The strong would harm the weak.
Highway robbers would rob the travellers. The cruel
had freedom to commit oppression against others.
When the Prophet $ was twenty years old, an event
happened in his life that affected him deeply. A
Bedouin came to Makka to perform the Hajj with his
young daughter. A local bussinessman kidnapped the
daughter and the father cried uncontrollably. But no
one was willing to help him. Meanwhile, the Prophet
learned about what happened. He called the
youngsters of the Quraish tribe and told them what
had happened. He$ explained that harming and
dishonouring the travellers in our city had become
common practice and they needed to unite to stop this
oppression. All the attendees agreed to the
Prophet's^ words. They then went to the Kaaba
Sharif and made the following oath:
“We will help the oppressed against the oppressors.
We will not allow any cruel man to reside in Makka.
And we will remain firm on this promise.”
With the leadership of the Prophet &>, the youngsters
were successful in returning the girl to the Bedouin.
They alerted the Makkans that oppression would now
not be allowed to occur in the city. This covenant is
called/Wf ul-Fudhool in Arabic.
Lesson;
The youth form the backbone of society. If they
become misguided and absent-minded, then the
future of the community becomes dark. On the other
hand, if they perform good actions and stand up to
evil, then they can be the seeds of a revolution. Today7,
many of our male and female youngsters are
committing wrongful behaviour and have a wrong
attitude. It is obligatory upon us to follow the
example of the Prophets and help guide the
youngsters. Through knowledge, action and unity,
we should work to make them listen to us attentively.
We should engage with them and tell them that your
future is becoming dark because of your wrongful
behaviour. Muslims are increasingly gaining a bad
reputation. We should infonn them that if they
continue as they are, they will end up in jail in this
world and will be subject to a punishment in the
hereafter. If they adopt the path of virtue, they will
live this life with peace and respect, and they will be
given Paradise in the hereafter.
13. TheMarriageofTheProphets
Khadija- was a famous, rich woman in Makka Sharif.
She was well-respected amongst the people of the
city and she was known with the title of Tahira (pure)
amongst them, because of her good character. When
she saw the excellent character, trustworthiness,
piety and manners of the Prophet she expressed
her interest in marrying the Prophets. After
consulting his elders, hes accepted the offer. Hence,
he married for the first tune at the age of twenty-five
and Khadija- became the first “Mother of the
Believers”. At the time of marriage, she was forty
years old.
The Prophet's^ uncle Abu Talib conducted the
marriage ceremony. During the marriage sermon, he
praised the Prophet's^ character with the following
words:
i “No one from the youngsters of Makka can compete
with Muhammad^ in character.”
Khadija stayed with the Prophet > for twenty five
years. She gave all her wealth to the Prophets. When
he officially announced Prophethood, Khadija - was
the first to accept faith and she then vigorously helped
the mission of the Prophet.-’.
Other than his son Ibrahim , all of the Prophet's^
children were bom from Khadija .
The Prophet’s#.UniqueDecisionJ
” ■ *
When the Prophet was 35 years old, the Makkans
decided to re-build the Kaaba Sharif. All of the tribes
took part in this virtuous project with great eagerness.
The Prophet > himself also worked hard to re-build
the Kaaba. He injured his shoulders carrying stones
on the site.
The re-building went without problem, but when it
came to placing the Hajare Aswad (the Black Stone,
the heavenly stone to be found at the Kaaba Sharif) in
its place, a dispute arose. Each tribe wanted the
i honour of placing the stone in its place. The dispute
became heated to the extent that they were willing to
[fight over it. Eventually, they made the Prophet^ a
judge over the dispute and agreed to accept his
decision. On this occasion, the Prophet made a
beautiful decision which pleased all parties involved:
Whereas they were willing to kill one another
previously, the tribe members were now hugging and
congratulating one another. He resolved the dispute
by placing the Black Stone in a large cloth. He asked
each tribe leader to take the cloth by its comer and
collectively carry the Stone to its place. When they
Prophet of ( hildren
Prap/irt i)f Children
14. ^1
came near to the wall of the Ka'ba, he sought
permission from the leaders and personally placed
the Stone in its place. In this way all the tribes got the
honour of placing the Hajare Aswad.
Note: HajareAswad is a heavenly stone that is affixed
to the wall of the Kaa'ba. The pilgrims kiss this stone
when they circulate the Kaa'ba.
You have read previously how the Prophet
possessed an excellent character and good manners
from an early age in his life. He^ always stayed far
from bad deeds. He^ never lied or hurt anyone. He&
never swore to anyone or fought with them. During
his childhood and youth he never once performed an
act that would cause the displeasure of Allah^&. He^
did not worship idols and instead spent all of his time
in the remembrance of AllahS&.
Ashe& grew older, his interest in the remembrance of
Allah& and worship grew too. There was a cave
called Hira three miles away from the Kaaba Sharif.
After his marriage, he would often visit this cave and
spend the days in the remembrance of Allah there.
Sometimes he would even spend successive days
there in worship. The signs of prophecy began to
appear with the appearance of truthful dreams. When
he would walk in the valleys, he could hear the stones
say Assalatu Wasslamu alaika Ya Rasoolallah
(Blessings and Salutations upon you, O Messenger of
Allah) to him.
On one day, when the Prophet # was engaged in the
remembrance of Allah^, the angel Jibrael brought the
15. first words of revelation to him. The angel said Iqra,
Iqra ('Read, Read') but he did not read. Only when the
angel said Iqra bismi Rabbika ('Read in the name of
your Lord') did the Prophet read after him. At the
time, the Prophet A was forty years old.
The first verses of divine revelation were:
“Read in the name of your Lord who created. He
created man from a clot of blood. Read, and your
Lord is most Noble. The One who taught with [the
means of] the pen. He taught man that which he does
not know.”
Lesson:
Dear children I Pay attention to the episode of the first
revelation. Each and every word highlights the
importance of knowledge. The verses are
encouraging us to seek knowledge and then to spread
it to others. Is it not embarrassing to know that the
people to whom these verses were revealed are today
the worst in the field of education? They are deprived
of the knowledge of modem science and technology.
It is your duty to remove this embarrassment and
shortcoming. Act upon this Qur'anic order and seek
knowledge. Become scientists, lawyers, engineers
and doctors and help your nation and country.
Become the scholars and Qaris of the Qur'an and
guide your community.
Prophet of (hildren
I
I The Prophet's - Preferential
Treatment of Children
Whenever new fruit was brought to the
Prophets's presence, he would first offer it to
children. If gifts were given to him, then he
| allocate a share to children (Tabram).
I
Once a black-lined cloth was given to the Beloved
Prophets. Hes called a girl called Umm Khalid
and personally gave it to her to wear. He s said to her:
“Wear it and make it old, wear it and make it old.”
(Bukhari)
Amama was Zainab'ss daughter, who was the
daughter of the Prophets The Prophets loved
her dearly. Once a pearl necklace was presented to
the Prophets who said:
| | “I shall present this necklace to the member of my
family who is most beloved to me.”
The wives of the Prophets thought that it would be
given to Aisha & , but in fact, he presented it to
Amama. (al-Isaba)
In one narration it is reported that the King of
Abyssinia Najashi- sent some jewellery to the
Prophets which included a beautiful ring. The
16. TheInvitationtoIslam
The Prophets officially announced his prophecy. He
secretly gave the invitation to Islam to his friends and
family. From the women, his wife Khadija was the
first to accept Islam. From the men, his friend Abu
Baknfc, from the youngsters, AIU and from the
slaves, Zaid ibn Haritha- were the first to accept
Islam. This secret invitation to Islam lasted for three
years.
Then Allah^- ordered the Prophet & to spread the
message of Islam to his relatives. He~£ called all of
his relatives and invited them to Islam. However, they
laughed and rejected the call and Abu Lahab even
said bad things to him. Allah^ revealed an entire
Surah called Suratul Lahab in which He degraded
him.
HeS then started to make the invitation to Islam
publicly. One day he called the people of Makka and
told them standing on the mountain of Safa:
“If I told you that an army is behind this mountain
preparing to attack you, would you believe me?”
They all affirmed:
"Worship Allah & and refrain from worshipping
idols. I am the Messenger of Allah^.. If you accept
faith, then you will find success but if you refuse it,
then you will be subject to a grave punishment.”
Upon hearing this, the people became angry and left.
Dear children! Look at the great character of the
Prophet Even the enemies accepted that he was
truthful. Our character is so corrupt that even our own
people do not trust us. Many people encourage
dealing with non-Muslims because they do not
commit deception, and discourage dealing with
Muslims because they are deceitful.
“We would, as we've never heard a lie from you”.
Heathen told them:
17. OppressionAgainstTheMuslims
Now the message of Islam slowly began spreading
and people began to accept Islam. In particular, many
youngsters accepted Islam. Because Islam prohibited
sinful behaviour and encouraged equality and
kindness, many slaves accepted Islam. The Makkan
leaders did not like the fact that the slaves were
becoming Muslims without their permission.
Therefore they began persecuting the slaves and
relatives, who accepted Islam, in all different ways
hitting them, shackling them and draging them in the
burning sand. However, this persecution did not have
any effect. Instead, Islam continued to grow.
Some of the individuals who were persecuted
severely were;
Bilal Habashi^.
Dear Children! You have read how the youngsters
were the first to accept Islam. They worked very hard
to spread Islam and faced great hardship as a result. In
each generation, the Muslim youngsters have
performed this role. Now this responsibility falls
upon your shoulders. Seek knowledge in all of its
forms. Create a strong character within you. At this
time, the Muslim Umma is subject to many
difficulties. It is your duty to solve the problems of
Muslims today.
Ammar s/o Yassins.
Khabaab s/'oAl-AraU.
Amirs/oFahira^.
Hamamah &.
Sumayyah^.
18. The enemies of Islam did not just harm the ordinary
Muslims; they even harmed the Beloved Prophet
They would place harmful objects on the path he^
would walk upon. They would place dirty things on
him as he perfonned Salah. They would mock and
insult him as he walked in the streets. Despite all this,
the Prophet remained firm-footed, and continued
to propagate Islam.
Abu Talib was his uncle and guardian, and he took on
the responsibility to look after him. One day, the
leaders of Makka came to him and said:
“If these people place the sun in one hand of mine and
the moon in the other, I will not forsake preaching the
oneness of Allah^. Either I will transmit the truthful
message of Islam to all people, or I will die trying to
do so.”
Dear children! We need the same resolve and
conviction today in order to spread the true message
of Islam. We should not be undermined by anyone.
And we should preach the message of Islam
wholeheartedly. One day, the entire world will be
filled with virtue.
“Please stop your nephew. Tell him not to prevent us
from worshipping our idols. Order him to stop telling
us to worship Allahi^-. Otherwise, we will go to war
over the matter.”
Abu Talib went to the Prophets and said to him:
“Dear son! Do not say things that cause the people to
become your and my enemies.”
The Prophet £ replied:
Prophet of (liildren
L
19. The Prophet’s® Good
Nature to Children
‘ The Hijra (Migration)toAbyssinia
On different occasions, the Prophets showed
good nature and humour towards the children
around him. Anas4e had the honour of serving the
Prophets from a young age. Sometimes, the
Prophet® would call him:
“Ya Zal Uzunain, the one with two ears”.
(Tirmidhi)
Anas's younger brother Umair kept a pet bird.
When the pet died, the Prophet asked Umair
compassionately:
“Ya Umair, Ma Fa'ala an-Nugliair” meaning, “O
Umair! What has the small bird done?”
The Prophet’s® Style
of Speech To Children
When the Prophet® would call children, then hei®
would do so with great love and affection. Hei&
would say:
“ Ya Bunaiyya!, 0 my son!” (Abu Daud)
The hurt and oppression against the Muslims at the
hands of the infidels increased day by day. One day
the Beloved Prophet S told his companions that if it
was possible, they should migrate to Abyssinia. The
king there was compassionate and kind-hearted.
I There, oppression did not exist. Migrating from one
place to another in order to save your religion is
called Hijra.
So five years after the official announcement of
prophecy, 12 men and 4 women migrated to
Abyssinia in the month of Rajab. Uthman . and his wife
Sayyida Ruqaiyya were amongst these migrants.
Sayyida Ruqaiyya & was the daughter of the
Prophet ®. The king of Abyssinia - who was called
Najaashi- welcomed the Muslims in his land and
honoured them greatly. They lived there in peace and
harmony. After a while, a rumour spread in Abyssinia
that the people of Makka had accepted Islam. On this
basis, the migrants returned to Makka Sharif.
However, this rumour was untrue; the Makkans had
not stopped their persecution against the Muslims.
Hence, 83 Muslims again migrated to Abyssinia, of
which 18 were women.
20. The infidels of Makka were troubled by the fact that
these migrants were living in peace and harmony in
Abyssinia. They sent two of their envoys to the king
of Abyssinia. They told the king that some of their
people had fled their land to come to Abyssinia and
they requested the king to expel them. However, the
king did not listen to them, and they returned home
unsuccessful.
Because of their lack of success in Abyssinia, the
infidels of Makka became more angry and restless.
So they decided to begin a social boycott with the
Prophet's^ family and the Muslims. Seven years
after the official announcement of prophecy, they all
promised not to marry anyone from the Prophet's^
family, not to do business with them and not to speak
with them. This boycott lasted for three years. During
these three years of social boycott, the Muslims and
the tribe of Banu Hashim went through extreme
difficulty. They became restricted to Shi'b Abu Talib,
where no food and drink could reach. They
sometimes had to survive on eating bushes and the
remains of bones. Three years later, the efforts of
some pious people led to the end of the social boycott.
This social boycott had a severe effect on the health of
Abu Talib and Khadija<&. Shortly after, both these
blessed characters passed away. Such was the
sadness of the Prophet & that he named this year
Aam ul-Huzn, or the 'year of grief.' This occurred in
the tenth year of prophecy. At the time of her death,
Khadija- was sixty five years old.
21. TheJourneytoTaif
The infidels of Makka respected Abu Talib and also
feared him. He was the protector of the Beloved
Prophets. Upon his death and the death of Khadija ,
the confidence of the Makkans increased and they
began to irritate the Prophet s. For example, one day
a disbeliever threw mud at him. When he reached
home, his daughter Fatima saw his state and began
to cry. The Prophet said:
“Dear daughter! Be patient! Allah is the custodian of
your father.”
Upon assessing the changed situation in Makka, the
Prophet # decided to travel to Ta'if, a town a small
distance away from Makka. In the tenth year of
official prophecy, the Prophet & went there with his
servant Zaid bin Haaritha. There he preached to them
that Allah & is one, and encouraged them to adopt
piety and to adhere to the straight path. Unfortunately
however, the people of Ta'if treated him extremely
badly. They began to chase him and throw stones at
him, leaving him injured. It was here that the
Prophet A truly showed his excellent character. The
people of Ta'if threw stones at him and swore at him,
but in return the Prophet - prayed for their guidance.
He said:
“0 Allah! Please guide them, for verily they do not
recognize me.”
Dear children! In this journey of the Prophet there
are two important lessons for us.
Firstly, we should not quickly become disheartened
when attempting to complete a large and important
task. We should not lose faith when we are held back.
If you fail once, then try again. If you are
unsuccessful in one area, then try to be successful
elsewhere.
Secondly, pardoning people is a great virtue. To
respond to evil with good is the practice of the
Beloved Prophets. If we take this path, then Allah^s-
will be our guide and assistant and our enemies will
fail themselves. This is what happened to the people
of Makka and Ta'if; they failed and the mission of the
Prophets was successful.
•r W
A
I
v
•4
II
22. Mi'raj(TheAscension)
In the same year the Prophet * returned from Ta'if, a
memorable and special event occurred. Allah^k
called for the Prophet ■* in the sky and showed him
Paradise and Hell. This event occurred on the 27"' of
Rajab. He ■ was resting after Isha prayers when the
angel Jibracl'•- came to him. He * brought with him
a lightening fast horse-like animal called the Buraq.
The Prophet embarked the Buraq and travelled to
Masjid Aqsa in Palestine. There the angels and
previous prophets were awaiting him. Heled them
all in prayer.
Perhaps you will be thinking that how could all the
previous prophetsi ■ been there, when they have
been dead for a long time? The simple answer to this
is that everything is in the control of Allah >■. He is
the one that assembled them there. Moreover,
prophets * . martyrs and saints remain alive, even
after they leave this world. With the permission of
■I laL-s., they are allowed to go wherever they please.
witnessed the signs of Allah^s. . As they reached the
I Sidratul-Muntaha (the Furthest Lote-Tree),
I Jibraelfe informed the Prophet that he could not
I pass beyond this point, and that he would have to
(cross this point alone. The Prophet then appeared
in the presence ofAllahafc, where his Lord spoke to
him. As he returned, he was also given the gift of five
I daily prayers for his Ummah; this is why the Slaah is
: also cal led gift of Mi 'raj.
Dear children! Mi'raj is a very high spiritual rank.
I Allahjs called his Beloved Messenger ^ to the skies
and granted him the Mi'raj. Our Mi'raj is to show
obedience to Allahi*& and his Prophet The
Prophets said:
"Salah is the Mi'raj of the believer.”
11
The Piophet then ascended towards the sky. Upon
each skv. the Prt>phct * met different prophets. He »
23. Islam'sLightPassestoYathrib
•—-....... -......... .......... .
The ccnl of the Mi'raj brought comfort to the
Beloved Prophet He • began preaching Islam with
a new sense of vigour and passion. He - travelled to
places outside Makka to invite people to the religion.
He would preach Islam to the pilgrims that came to
Makka for Haj j.
Yathrib was a town 280 miles away from Makka,
where the tribes of Aus and Khazraj lived. By chance,
the Prophet * met six men from the tribe of Khazraj
at Hajj, and he recited the words of Allah^ to them.
The six men became Muslims and promised to spread
Islam in their native Yathrib upon their return. This
episode is called AI-Bai'at-ul-Aqabat-ul- Ula (The
first pledge of Aqabah).
sear at Hajj (in the twelfth year after the official
announcement of prophecy), 500 people came from
Yathrib for the pilgrimage, from which 73 men and 2
women accepted the oath from the hands of the
Prophet They also promised that were Muslims to
migrate to Yathrib, they would protect them as their
own. This event is called Al-Bai'at-ul-Aqabat-us-
Salisah(The third pledge of Aqabah) .
At the next Hajj (in the eleventh year after the official
announcement of prophecy), twelve men from the
tribes of Aus and Khazraj met the Prophet and they
loo accepted Islam. They also requested a guide who
could come with them to Yathrib to preach Islam.
Hence, the Prophet sent Mus'ab bin Umair for
this purpose. This episode is called AI-Bai'at-ul-
(qabut-u Sani) ah (The second pledge of Aqabah).
With the efforts of Mus'ab ibn Umair. Islam began
spreading successfully in the region. In the following
24. cw
TheMigrationtoMadinah
The Prophet * accepted the offer of the people of
Yathnh He incited his Companions to migrate from
Makka to Yathrib. Thus, in small groups, the Muslims
began to migrate. These Muslims had property,
businesses and relatives in Makka, but they left all of
these things behind purely for the pleasure of AI lah$?-
and his Prophet In fact, only a few Muslims and
the Prophet ? remained in Makka.
The disbelievers of Makka were worried about the
mass migration to Yathrib. They were scared that the
Muslims would gain strength there and then return to
conquer Makka. After long talks and discussions,
they decided to assassinate the Prophet M
At night, the youngsters from the different tribes of
Makka surrounded the house of the Prophet The
Prophet M placed Ali - in his bed and quietly left the
house without the enemies knowing. He left for
Yathnb by night, with his close and trustworthy
fnend Abu Bakr- . On the way, they stayed in the
cave of Saur for 3 days and nights, and eventually -
after a long and difficult journey - reached their
destination.
The people of Yathrib were overjoyed upon the
amval of the Beloved Prophet They welcomed
him with open arms. Women and children scaled their
houses for a glimpse of the historic arrival; streets
were filled to the brim with eager observers; the
young and old were welcoming their respectable
guest with the following, heart-warming words;
Tala'al Badru Alaina
Min Saniyyaatil Wada 'i
Wajabash Shukru Alaina
Ma Da'a Lillahi Daa'i
Ayyuhal Mab'usu Fina
Ji'ta bil Amril Mutaa'i
When the Prophet S first arrived, he stayed on the
outskirts of the city in a place called Quba for I
I fourteen days. During this period, he built a mosque I
11 there, which is today famous by the name Masjid 1
I Quba.
; I When the Prophet & went to Yathrib, the locals were I
II anxious and tense. Each family wanted the honour to I
host the Beloved Prophets. With the order of Allah*, |
•t
25. the I’rvphc! ■* stayed at the house of Abu Ayyub
Ansari .
With the appearance of the Prophet * there, the town
of Yathrib became famous with the name of Madinat-
un-Nabi. meaning 'city of the Prophet Now, the
entire world refers to this place as Madina
Munawarra. From now on in the book, we too will
refer to this town as Madina Munawarra, rather than
Yalhrib.
Before the appearance of the Prophet '■*, the town was
known for its ill-health, disease and plagues. With the
blessings of the Prophet .•$!, the town became a place
ofcure and relief. The Prophet .& said:
“By Allah &■! Madina's earth is a cure for the ill.”
(Wafaul-Wafa)
The people of Madina who accepted Islam and
helped the Prophet» and Muslims upon their arrival
are called .4/rsors(The Helpers). The Muslims who
migrated from Makka to Madina are called the
MJw/7rs/Migrants).
Until the caliphate of Umar, the Muslims did not have
an official calendar. Differences began to rise during
his time because of this absence; financial tradings
suffered and it was difficult to pinpoint when certain
historical events happened. This led to Umar
deciding to make an official calendar, and to begin it
from a particular year. After long discussion and
consultation, they decided to begin the Islamic
calendar from the Migration of the Prophet That is
why the Islamic calendar is called the Hijri Calendar,
and is also referred to as the lunar calendar. These are
the Islamic months;
1. Muharram.
2. Safar
3. Rabi'ul-Awwal
4. Rabi'ul-Aakhir
5. Jumada-Ula
6. Jumada-Aakhira
I Rajab
S. Sha'ban
Ramadhan
26. 12. 7ul-Hijjah
Because the Islamic Calendar begins with the Hijra,
in the forthcoming lessons, we will refer to historic
dates using the Islamic Hijri calendar. This will make
understanding when the events happened easier.
The mosque is the symbolic landmark of a Muslim
I society. The existence of a mosque in a certain area is
’ proof that Muslims reside there. To build and
construct mosques is a great form of worship. To
serve the mosque and keep an affiliation with it leads
to success in this world and the hereafter. Up to the
point Muslims kept close contact with their mosques,
they experienced success in all walks of life, and
Allah& granted them esteem and honour. As
Muslims became further and further away from their
mosques, they lost their honour and success. With
this in mind, the first thing the Prophet did when he
went to Madina Manawwarah was to construct a
mosque there.
There was an open field near the house of Abu Ayub
Ansaris, and the Prophet & expressed his desire to
build the mosque on this land. This land belonged to
1 two orphan children, named Sahl and Suhail. They
were willing to offer the land free of charge to the
Prophet a but the Prophet & refused. Hence,
Abu Bakr paid the orphans for the land, and the
construction work began.
The Prophet participated in the construction work of
27. MMMM ■MM ■■■
The walls were made from raw bricks, the pillars
were of palm trees and the roof was made of palm
leaves The mosque's ground was raw too. When it
rained, mud would form on the mosque ground but
this did not stop the Companions from performing
Prayer with great humility. This mosque was given
the name of Masjid Nabawi.
ltliin the mosque itself, rooms for the residence of
the Prophet's** family were also constructed. When
these rooms were built, the family of the Prophet &
migrated from Makka to Madina and lived in these
rooms.
During this same period, Umme Sulaim- presented
her ten-year old son Anas in the service of the
Beloved Prophet )-*. She remarked that she would be
pleased if he kept him in his service. The Prophet &
kept him as his servant, and Anas had the honour of
serving the Prophet till he passed away. Anas
himself asserted that during his ten years as a servant
to the Prophet &. he never told him off once.
Dear children! Sahl, Suhail and Anas ■■ were children
just like you, but they were outstanding children. By
offering their land for the mosque, Sahl and Suhail
taught us that our wealth should be spent in the path of
Allah&. Anas served the Beloved Prophet & and
taught us that serving our parents, teachers and elders
is a great honour.
I very one in the city of Madina Sharif were once
celebrating the joyful occasion of Eid. All were
wearing new clothes, and meeting one another
with Eid greetings. Children were playing with
their friends and were thoroughly enjoying the
occasion of Eid.
However, there was a young boy in a street of
Madina, who was upset. He did not have new
clothes to wear on Eid, and he did not have any
friends to play with. Epon returning from Eid
prayer, the Prophets caught a glimpse of this child;
The Prophets asked:
“Dear Child! Today is Eid, so why are you not
wearing new clothes? Why are you sad and why
are you not playing with the other boys?”
In a saddened manner, the child replied:
“I am an orphan. My father was martyred in a
battle. There is no one to place his hands [of
compassion! on my head. 1 do not possess new
I clothes.”
The Prophet * was upset when he heard the
child's response.
28. He said;
“Would you not like it if Muhammad was your
father, tisha was your mother and Fatima was
s oar sister?"
lhe child was elated when he heard this. The
Prophet 1 picked him up and took him home. He
gave him food to cat, prosided him with new
clothes and adopted him as his son. The child-
happy and joyous with his new clothes- came out
to play in the streets with the other children.
They asked him:
“ here did y ou get these new clot hes from ?”
The child replied:
“My f ather got them for me."
The children asked:
“And who is your father?"
He replied:
“The Noble Prophets."
I pon this reply, the other children became
envious of this orphan child's luck.
Mu'aakhat Madina
(The Brotherhood of Madina)
In the Holy Qur'an, AllahM states:
“Verily, the believers are merely but brothers.”
(Surah al-Hujarat)
The Prophet * said:
In this way the prophet * celebrated his Eid.
The example ot the believers is like that of one
My." (Musnad Ahmad)
Practically, the Prophet* encouraged the Companions ,
to adopt brotherhood and unity. As a result, the
Muslims became like one family. You have read how
in the early days of Islam, a Muslim became outcast
from his family when he accepted Islam. The
Prophets created such a system of unity that the new
Muslims never felt neglected or alone. In fact, they
felt that they had left a small, restricted family and
had joined a universal one; one where there was no
differentiation upon the basis of colour, lineage, race,
language orcreed.
When the Muslims migrated from Makka to Madina,
they had no luggage or companions, since they had
left everything behind. The Prophets saw this situation
. and solved it through a programme called Mu 'cut khat
I (brotherhood). He:* assigned one migrant (Muhajir)
I to a resident (Ansar) and told them they were
responsible for one another. By doing so, he swiftly
| solved the problem of provisions and residence for all
| those that came empty-handed from Makka. They no
I longer felt alien in Madina.
Prophet o.
29. llic nsar showed great sacrifice and selflessness, as
they gave half of their belongings to their Muhajir
counterparts They assisted the migrants just as much
as they would help their own blood relatives. Allahifc
praised their sacrifice in the Holy Qur'an.
However, the migrants were not a burden upon the
Ansar for long; they were able to stand on their own
feet very quickly. They built their own homes, started
up businesses and lived peacefully and
independently.
During this same period, the Prophet * gave attention
to the development of the rest of the city. He gathered
the residents both Muslims and non-Muslims- and
with their consultation declared Madina to be an
independent empire. He^ edited a constitution for
this empire and had it writtin. History refers to this
episode as Misaq Mudina. This was the first ever
written constitution in the history. By unanimous
agreement, the Prophet '* became the leader of this
empire.
Dear children!
These events provide us with the following lessons;
x Muslim leaders should infuse a feeling of
brotherhood into the Muslims.
x If one particular group of Muslims are subject to
anxiety, then it is incumbent upon the other
Muslims to help them, just like the Ansars did.
x The actions of the migrants teach us that we
should not be a burden upon others. In times of
need, we can be dependant on others, but through
hard work we should try to stand on our own feet
YearOne(AfterHijra);lmpoitantEvents
The system of Azan was introduced; this was to
infonn Muslims of the exact time of Prayer and to
gather people in the mosque for congregation.
The Jews spread a rumour that they had performed
sorcery upon the Muslim women, making them all
barren and unable to produce children. The
Muslims became worried by this rumour. But then
from the migrants, the first child, the grandson of •
Abu Bakr. ., Abdullah ibn Zubair^ was to be
bom. When he was bom, the Muslims were
overjoyed and showed great relief.
! Just prior to the migration, the Nikah between the
Prophet > and Aisha took place. She moved in
with the Prophet seven months after the
migration, in the month of Shawwal.
Note; In our culture, it is often said that it is not
suitable to perform marriage between the period of
Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, and that a marriage
performed between this period will be unsuccessful.
The marriage of Aisha * to the Prophet in this
period, and the fact that it was a wholly successful
marriage clearly refutes this claim. The marriage of
the Mother of the Believers Umm Salma -s. also took
place in the month of Shawwal.
30. JihadandtheBattles
In order to free themselves from the harm and
oppression of the polytheists of Makka, the Muslims
migrated to Madina Sharif. But even then, the
Makkans were still angry and hungry for trouble.
Hence, they began programmes to annoy the
Muslims in Madina too. They would rob any Muslim
they would meet, steal their livestock and threatened
the people of Madina that if they did not return
Muhammad* and his Companions back to Makka,
then they would be attacked by them. It seemed that
the Makkans would attack Madina immanently. In
light of these circumstances, Allah^s- granted
permission loperfonn Jihad to the Muslims.
The literal meaning of Jihad is to exert and push
oneself for the sake of a worthy cause. Islam's
philosophy is to first seek peaceful means to allow
truth to prosper and falsehood to disappear. If such
means are unsuccessful, then seeking these goals
through physical means is permitted.
In Makka. the Prophet and his companions
displayed unparalleled patience. They tolerated all
types of pain and oppression from the Makkans but
they did not physically respond. The Makkans were
repeatedly ads ised to stop their oppression, but they
.in1ply increased their hatred for the Muslims. When
ilic Muslims migrated 280 miles away to Madina,
they still tried to harm them. Owing to such
circumstances, it was clear that physical retaliation
was the only option left. Hence, Allah^ gave
penmssion to the Prophet & to fight physically
against the non-Muslims. During his lifetime, 60
wars took place, in which the Prophet himself
participated in 27. In the others, he despatched his
noble companions to fight.
AGhazwa (plural, Ghazwaaf) is a battle in which the
Prophet > participated himself, and a Sarriya (plural,
Sarava) is one where he did not, but instead
despatched his noble companions.
Dear children! It is not possible to include the detail
ofall the battles in this short work. Therefore, we will
only refer to a handful of the battles. If Allah®& wills,
we will write a more detailed account in the future.
31. SpecialAttentiontothe
EducationandNurturingofChildren < *•
The Battle of Badr
The Prophet* save special attention to the
education and nurturing of children. Whenever
the voting would make a mistake, the Prophet *
would inform them so in a very compassionate
and understanding manner. He would then place
his noble hands on their heads in a show of love,
prae for them and allow them to go.
Once, a child entered without permission and
salutation. He explained his mistake to him in an
extremely affectionate manner; he told him to
return outside, re-enter by saying salutations and
then seeking permission to enter. When he was
permitted, he should then re-entered the room.
(Tirmidhi)
The Prophet * praised the parents who went
through hardship to please their children and
create ease for them, particularly their daughters.
He gave glad-tidings of paradise for such
parents, who cared for the education and
nurturing of their children, particularly
daughters.
Mam was by now spreading with great speed, which
was a cause of great concern for the Makkans. They
sent a business delegation to Syria. The Makkans
decided that with the profits of this deal, they would
purchase anns and weapons and then attack the
Muslims. The road that led to Syria was close to
Madina Sharif. On the return journey, the head of the
delegate Abu Sufyan felt the danger of a possible
Muslim attack on them. Thus, he sent a representative
toMakka requesting help and assistance.
The Makkans responded quickly, since they were
already looking for an excuse to attack the Muslims.
They quickly prepared an army of 1000 men and set *
off to fight the Muslims. The infidels were armed, had
700 camels, 100 horses, possessed the best of swords
and, in short, were excellently equipped.
When the Prophet & learned about their plans, he too
began to prepare for battle. There were only 313
i fighters with him, and they only possessed one horse
for transportation and 80 camels. They were ill-
equipped, but they were wholly expecting the help of
Allah it.
| Approximately 90 miles away from Madina, there
I was a well called Badr. Because the battle occurred
32. dose to this well. the battle became known as the
Rattle of Badr.'
severe confrontation was witnessed on the 17th of
Ramadhan. 2 A H between the Muslims and infidels.
Xllalt granted victory to the Muslims. Only 14
Muslims were martyred, whereas the infidels lost 70
men and a further 70 were captured. Afterwards,
Fidva (charge for freedom) was taken from these
captivcs and they were freed. The captives who could
not afford the Fidya were told to teach ten children to
read and write. and thus gain their freedom.
Deal children' The Battle of Badr contains countless
heart-wanning and moral teachings for our guidance.
It will be difficult to mention all of these teachings.
We will just mention a handful of points worthy of
reflection from this event;
x You have read how the Muslims were few in
number and how they lacked weaponry. Despite
this, they were still victorious. In essence, Al laMfc
provided unseen assistance to them; angels joined
the Muslim anny dressed as soldiers. If today we
too show the same level of sincerity as the
Muslims of Badr, then Allah& will assist us and
provide us with success in all walks of life.
x One important and faith-strengthening aspect of
the battle was the fact that many Muslim
youngsters participated in Badr. Many youngsters
were not given permission by the Prophet * to
light in this battle. One Companion called Umair
who was 16 years old- cried when he was not
permitted to fight, and so the Prophet - did allow
him to participate. He was martyred in the
battlefield. There were two young brothers called
Mu'az and Muawwaz. They killed the greatest
enemy of Islam, Abu Jahl. We learn from this that
the Muslim youth should actively take part in
Islamic projects.
Dear children! Times have changed. The requirement
of this day and age is that Muslims establish
educational institutions that lead to the creation of
skilled and competent scholars, both religious and
secular. This is the path which will lead to success for
the Muslim Umma.
x The Prophet displayed numerous miracles
during the Battle of Badr. During the battle, many
of the swords of the Companions snapped. The
Prophet $ gave them palm leaves, which 4
miraculously turned into swords. The
Companions then used these swords throughout
their lives.
I Qitada’s eye was directly struck by an arrow, which
caused the eye socket to come out. The Prophet
wiped his eye with his blessed saliva and placed the
socket back in its place. Qitada made a complete
recovery and his eyesight was fully restored.
One day before the battle, the Prophet & surveyed the
area and proclaimed to the Companions that such and
such infidel would die on this spot and such and such
infidel would die on this spot the following day. The
33. MM
( ompamons report that these infidels died in exactly
the same spot the Prophet * had predicted the day
before Their corpses were thrown into a well and
then covered with mud. On the third day, the
Prophet » went to the well and took the individual
names of the killed infidels and said, ’if you had
obeyed Allah^t and His Prophet you certainly
would have been joyous today. I have found the
promise of Allah> that He promised me to be true.
Have you found the promise of Allah^fc and His
Prophets* to be true?’
Umar. said:
“0 Prophet.» of Allah&I These are deceased and
you are conversing with them. Can they actually
: listen?”
The Prophets replied:
"Yes. they can hear just as well as you, but they
cannot answer.”
OtherImportantEventsfrom2A.H
X
Other than the Battle of Badr, there were other
important events in the year 2 A.H. Very briefly, these
eventswill be mentioned;
In Makka Sharif, the Muslims faced Jerusalem for
their Prayers. But it was the deep desire of the
Prophet that the Kaaba become the direction of
Prayer for the Muslims. 17 months after the
Migration, the Qibla was changed to Makka, in
accordance with the wish of the Prophet
x One month prior to the Battle of Badr, in the
month of Sha'ban, fasting was made obligatory.
The first Eid ul-Fitr was also celebrated this year,
on the first of Shawwal.
X Zakah was also made obligatory in this year.
Rulings regarding the worthy recipients of it were
explained too.
Lx The ruling on Qisas (law of retaliation) was
revealed, as well as rulings on Diyya
(compensation).
X On the day the good news of victory in Badr
reached Madina, Ruqqaiya passed away, the
daughter of the Prophet & and wife ofUthman^..
34. ■to*
The Battle ofUhud
& • - ............. —.—-
You have just read how the infidels were shamed and
insulted in defeat at the Battle of Badr. Their major
leaders were killed. To revenge this insult, the
polytheists of Makka attacked Madina the following
year. this time preparing 3000 troops for the assault.
The Prophet > made the journey for the battle with
his fighters. Both armies met in the plains of Uhud.
For this reason, this battle became known as the
Battle ofUhud.
Because the commands of the Prophet were not
properly implemented, the Muslims did face
temporary' anxiety and anguish. However, they
eventually regrouped and the infidels fled the
battlefield in defeat. The Muslims faced physical loss
in this battle: the uncle of the Prophet Hamza-
was martyred along with approximately 70 Muslims.
The Pn •phet himself too was injured in this battle.
Deaf l hildren! You have read in previous lessons how
the young Muslims made great sacrifices for Islam in
each period of history. The Muslim youth made a
great impact on the Battle of Uhud too. Consider the
following event;
iV the way to the plains of Uhud, the Prophet
survey ed his troops. There were 17 Muslims fighters
Hi the army who were below the age of 14, and so he
ordered them to return. From amongst them was a
youth called Raff ibn Khadij. The Companions told
the Prophet that he was an expert marksman and so
he was pennitted to remain.
, When Samara ibn Jundub learned that Rafi' had been
allowed to participate, he went to his father and
remarked how he was certainly more worthy of
fighting, as he was stronger than Rafi'. He requested a
wrestling match with Raff and if he was to overcome
him, then he deserved to go. Hence the Prophet
organised a wrestling contest between the two.
Samara overcame Raff and so the Prophet allowed
him to participate in the battle.
Dp to the point when our Muslim youth showed such
degree of fervour and verve, Muslims remained
powerful and exalted and experienced all forms of
success. When this desire disappeared, then we began
to falter.
Dear children! The Muslims did not experience a
clear victory in Uhud like they did in Badr. They
suffered severe physical loss. The reason for this is
, because they ignored the one order of the Prophet
Prophet (>t
35. He had ordered 50 Muslim fighters to guard the
opening of a small mountain, under the leadership of
Abdullah ibn Jubair . He* explicitly warned the
Muslim fighters not to move from that position. The
Muslims were neglectful and vacated the position
before the required time. The infidels swiftly attacked
the Muslims from behind and the nature of the battle
changed.
The lesson for us in this episode is to refrain from the
disobedience of AllalA and His Prophet^; otherwise
we will face insult and shame in this world and a
severe punishment in the hereafter. Let us promise not
to neglect the orders of the Beloved Messenger^, and
to adhere to the path he taught us to adhere to.
The Prophet'sS Love
For His Own Children
Fhe Arabs considered kissing and cuddling their
children an act that was contrary to their
esteemed nature. The Prophets always showed
resentment to this thought and presented a great
example by showing utmost love and affection to
. his own children. He* would place his children in
his lap, kiss them, play with them and pray for
their well being and blessings.
Once the leader Aqara’ ibn Habis saw the
I Prophets playing with his children and remarked:
“1 have ten sons. Until this day I have never shown
lose to them.”
The Prophet s replied:
“What can I do if Allah^& has removed the desire of '
mercy from your heart? He who does not show mercy
toothers is not subject to mercy himself.” {Muslim)
In his late age, Allah^s- granted the Prophets a
son, upon which he showed great happiness. He ^
named him Ibrahim ^. His suckling mother was
the wife of an ironmonger called U mm Saif. Her
36. home was constant!) filled with steam and smoke.
Despite this, the Prophet * constant!) went to visit
his son there. (Ibn Sa'd)
Ibrahim passed away at a premature age. Upon
his death, the Prophet •* cried immensely and said
distressingly, “O Ibrahimu ! We are sad upon
your departure.” (Ihn Sa'd)
The Prophet A had 3 son:
Qasim ..Abdullah- , Ibrahim
depopulation of Madina Sharif consisted of three
elements;
X The tribes of Aus and Khazraj, who were at one
time idol-worshippers. However, they accepted
Islam and offered immense physical and Financial
sacrifices for it. They are the ones who initially
invited the Prophet ££> to Madina. As a result of
their esteemed conduct, AllahM and His
Messenger^ gave them the great title of 'Ansar',
or helpers. Both the Qur'an and Sunna highlight
their virtue and services to Islam.
x The three Jewish tribes of Banu Nadhir, Banu ■
Qainuqa and Banu Quraiza. These were people of
the book. They had learnt of the advent of the
Messenger^ through the teachings of their own
divine scripture. In fact, they also knew that he
would migrate to Madina. The tribes of Aus and
Khazraj learned about the Messenger ^ through
the means of these tribes.
IX It is for this reason that the Jews displayed great
joy when the Prophet & appeared in Madina.
Unfortunately, this joy quickly turned to envy and
hatred. Thus, they explored every avenue in order
to harm the Prophet # and Islam. On several
37. occasions. they made plans to assassinate the
Prophet In accordance with His promise,
Mlah.s protected His messenger from these
attacks, but the fate of these Jews was most horrid.
They eventually had to leave Madina in shame.
X The third group were the hypocrites. These are the
people that openly accepted Islam and then
performed Salah, kept fasts and recited the
Qur'an. However, in their hearts they were
hardened infidels. Their leader was Abd Allah ibn
Ubaiy. They spent every free moment plotting
against the Muslims. Sometimes they would
object upon the extent of the Prophet's
knowledge, or criticise the principles of Islam or
degrade the poor and needy Muslims. Once, they
built a mosque in order to systemise their evil
plots. In the Qur'an, Allah& referred to this
mosque as the mosque of Dharaar. The Prophet .&
demolished this mosque, in accordance with the
order of Allah^t.
OtaImportantEventsfrom3A.H.
^er than the Battle of Uhud, here is a brief
,untniary of the other events that occurred in the third
rafter Hijra.
x The daughter of Umar , Hafsa , married the
Beloved Prophets.
: x In Jamad Ukhra, the second daughter of the
Prophet Umm Kulsum A , married Uthman .^.
x In Ramadhan of this year, Imam Hasans was
bom, the grandson of the Beloved Messenger^
andthesonoflmamAli^ andSayyida Fatimas
Part of the reason why the Muslims faced anxiety in
the Battle of Uhud was because of the antics of the
hypocrites. The Prophet left for the battlefield with
an anny of 1000 men. On the way there, 300
hypocrites made petty excuses and deserted the
Mc^cnger'*. This disheartened the Muslims
considerably.
There are countless verses in the Holy Qur'an
referring to the hypocrites. The Muslims were
38. Eventsfrom4A.H
___ _ ________ _ ____________ «.
The events of Bir Mauna and Rajii occurrd, in
which the infidels martyred approximately 75
Muslims through deceit.
The Jewish tribe of Banu Nadhir turned their
backs on their oath and attempted to assassinate
the Prophet . Hence, they were extradited from
Madina.
The Martyr of Karbala Imam Hussain was bom,
the grandson of the Beloved Prophet and the
son of Imam All andSayyida Fatima
Fatima bint Asad, the mother of Ali and the
auntie of the Prophet. * passed away. She looked
after the Prophet - and cared for him like her own
son. For this reason, the Prophet respected her
immensely. For her coffin cloth, the Prophet &
offered his own shirt. He rested at her grave for a
w hile and after the burial he said, 'O Mother! May
AJlah>_ give a reward of righteousness!
Undoubtedly you were a great mother.'
The ruling outlawing alcohol definitively was
rev ealed.
e
Hen the infidels reached Madina, they were
Monished to see the trench. Because of the depth and
TheBattleof Khandaq (Trench)
uhaxe just read how the Prophet expelled the
x»ish tribe of Banu Nadhir from Madina Sharif.
ik left Madina and made Khaibar their home. The
hs felt severe pain upon being expelled and thus
wanted to take revenge against the Muslims. Hence,
infused hatred for the Muslims into the Arab
tribes. All the tribes unanimously agreed to unite
Kether,attack Madina and defeat the Muslims.
With 4.000 troops, Abu Sufyan left from Makka in
Shawwal, 5 A.H. On the way, other troops joined in
andhence the number rose to 12,000 troops.
When the Prophet heard of the intentions of the '
Inon-Muslims, he consulted with his Companions.
; Salman Farsi suggested that the city should be
protected by digging a trench around its borders. The
I Prophet 3 liked this suggestion and ordered the
I Muslims to dig trenches around the city. Before the
fi infidels reached Madina, the trench had been dug.
| The Prophet 3 himself participated in the digging of
I the trench.
39. w idth of the trench, they could not cross it. They were
forced to camp outside the borders of the city. For an
entire month, they surrounded the city but could not
make gains. During this period, the Muslims faced
great hardship, but their trust and dependence in
llah. did not falter. Eventually, the planning of the
Prophet * and the assistance of Allah,*- meant
success for the Muslims, as the infidels returned
home defeated.
The Miracles of the Prophet^
During the Battle of Khandaq, the Prophet *
displayed countless miracles. Two of these faith
strengthening miracles will be mentioned here;
x When the Companions were digging the trench,
they came across a boulder. They tried their
utmost best to dismantle it but they were
unsuccessful. They informed the Prophet & about
it. He proclaimed the name of Allah^g- and struck
the boulder with great force. The boulder emitted
a bright ray of light and a third of it was
dismantled. The Prophet '-*■ then said, 'I have been
given the keys to Syria.'
He proclaimed the name of Allah^t for a second
time and his strike dismantled the boulder further.
He then said,'J have been given the keys to Persia.'
broken into pieces. The Prophet said, '1 have
been given the keys to Yemen.'
The miracle of the Prophet was to dismantle ,
such a large boulder into pieces, and then to be
given glad-tidings of Islamic kingdom of three
countries. During the reign of Umar^, these three
countries became part of the Islamic kingdom.
<During this period, the Muslims faced great
hardship; they were lacking food. At one stage, the
Prophet 5% and his Companions dug for three days
without food. Jabirs had a small goat and a few
kilograms of barley at home. He told his wife to
slaughter the small goat, in order to feed the v
Prophet He then secretly invited the Prophet
for dinner and tried his best not to tell others of the
invitation. But the Prophet & publicly informed «
all the Muslims that Jabir^ had prepared dinner |
for them at his house. Jabirs became very
anxious; there was very little food for such a
large number, and this would lead to
embarrassment. When they reached his house,
the Prophet ft placed his blessed saliva in some
of the food. Then the entire army ate
satisfactorily. All of Jabir's relatives ate too and
yet the food did not lessen at all.
*
Upon the third strike, the entire boulder was
40. OtherImportantEventsfront5A.H.
^St- - ____ .
In this year, there were several minor battles.
The Mothers of the Faithful Juwairiyya and
Zainab Bint Jahsh married the Beloved
Messengers.
The Event of Ifik took place, where the hypocrites
made serious, false accusations against Aisha- .
Mlah>v. revealed a Surah clearing her from any
wrong doing.
During the Battle of Khandaq, the Jewish tribe
Banu Quraiza broke their promise by assisting the
infidels. Through the order of Allah>, the
Prophet,'- took steps against the tribe and
punished them for violating the terms of their
promise.
The daughter of Abu Sufyan and the sister of Amir
Mu'awiya Umme Habiba married the Prophet S.
--------------------------------------------------» ...
The Treaty of Hudaibiyya
he .— --------------------------- » ..„
lathe month of Zul Qada, 6 A.H., the Prophet & set
off io Makka Sharif to perform the Umra, along with
1500 Companions. When the infidels heard this
i news, they assumed the Muslims were coming to
i launch an attack on the city. Hence, they decided not
I to allow the Muslims to enter Makka. The Prophet
: repeatedly assured them that they had merely come to
s perform Umra, but the infidels refused to listen. After
5 much debate and dialogue, the two parties drew up a
I treaty. Because it was drawn up at a place called
Hudaibiyya, the treaty became known as the Treaty
I ofHudaibiyya.
Here are just some of the terms and conditions of the
Treaty ofHudaibiyya;
I x There would be no war between the Muslims and
infidels for at least ten years.
I x The Muslims would return back to Madina this
year, without performing the Umra.
■ x The Muslims would be permitted to return to
Makka the following year, but only for a period of
■ three days.
■ * If any Muslim were to flee Makka to migrate to
I Madina, the Muslims would have to return him.
■ * If any Muslim were to flee Madina to migrate to
41. Makka. then the infidels would not have to
return him.
Seemingly, the terms and conditions of the treaty
u ere not in favour of the Muslims. But the Prophet -*
could see the concealed good in the treaty; for this
reason he proclaimed the treaty to be a victory for the
Muslims and he signed it. Events that occurred later
clearly showed that the Treaty of Hudaibiyya was
indeed a victory for the Muslims.
The Allegiance of Ridwan
of f liiMrrii
During the talks between the Muslims and infidels,
the Prophet sent Uthman to Makka as his envoy
to assure them that the Muslims only intended to
perform Umra and did not intend to attack the
inhabitants of the city. When he was in Makka, a
rumour spread that the Muslims had killed
Uthman - . The Prophet heard this rumour too, and
affirmed that he would take revenge against the
killing. All the Muslims took an allegiance hand in
hand that if required, they would sacrifice their own
lives to avenge the killing of Uthman^. In the Holy
Qur'an, Allah & displayed His pleasure upon the
Muslims that took this oath of allegiance. For this
reason, this allegiance was called the Allegiance of
Ridwan (pleasure).
Note: Prior to the Treaty of Hudaibiyya, Muslim men
were allowed to marry infidel women, and infidel
men were allowed to marry Muslim women.
Immediately after the Treaty, Muslim men and
women were prohibited from marrying infidels.
The Prophet's ^ Love
For His Daughters
and |
were |
pmghters were considered a defect
embarrassment amongst the Arabs. They
considered a burden on finance. To prevent this
imharrassment and to lift this burden, stone- I
hearted fathers would bury their new-born
daughters alive. In such an oppressive society,
Mlahx granted the Prophets daughters. He had
four daughters;
Zainab^ , Ruqqaiya A-, Umme Kulsum and
Fatimas.
Ht- nurtured and looked after them with great i
lose. History can not find a similar example of the
extent of the affection the Prophet & had for his
I daughters. When his daughters came to him, he
mid stand up to greet them.
I His youngest daughter was Fatima^ ,who the
I Prophets loved dearly. He& would frequently
Isay:
| “Fatima is a portion of my heart.” {Bukhari)
42. *——————•
LetterstotheInternationalLeaders
vs?!. ♦— ------------- -- ——
In the history of Islam, the Treaty of Hudaibiyya
holds a unique and special place. It ensured the
infidels were left deflated. They had agreed in the
treaty not to fight with the Muslims for at least ten
years. This meant that the Muslims now had an open
opportunity to propagate Islam, and to allow success
to prosper. The Prophet & wrote letters to various
kings and leaders inviting them to accept Islam. What
follows is the detail of these letters.
x He wrote a letter to king of Abyssinia, Najashi,
through the hands of Umar ibn Umaiya-j-. The
king showed great respect to the invitation and
accepted Islam.
x He s wrote the second letter to the King of Rome,
Hiraqul, through the hands of Dahya Kalbi^.. He
too showed great respect to the invitation and
affirmed that he sincerely believed Muhammad
to be the messenger of Allah^g-. However, in fear
of a backlash from his associates, he did not
accept Islam.
x The third letter was sent to Khusru Parvez, the
leader of Persia, through the hands of
bdullah ibn Huzaifa^. This despicable man tore
the letter and throw it away disgracefully. Very
swiftly, AllaW punished him for his insulting
behaviour; his own son assassinated him and his
kingdom was destroyed.
x The fourth letter was sent to the King of Egypt,
Maquqas, through the hands of Haatib ibn Abi
Balta’a - . The king showed great respect to the
I Prophet's^* envoy and returned him home with
numerous gifts. One of those gifts was a girl called
Mariya Qabtiyy a. The Prophet married her, and
later his son Ibrahim^ was bom from this
I marriage.
(Other than the aforementioned letters, the Prophet
I wrote to other leaders and kings too. Some of the
recipients showed utmost respect to the invitation and •
,| accepted Islam, whilst others showed their dismay
and subsequently subjected themselves to a severe ’
I loment.
43. TheConquestofKhaibar
»• t
You will be familiar with Khaibar from the previous
discussion on the Battle of Khandaq. Khaibar is 98
miles from Madina Sharif, a centre of residence for
the Jews. They had built strong fortresses in this area.
The Battle of Khandaq was a result of their evil
planning, but they were unsuccessful. Again
however, they were planning along with the
polytheists of Makka to attack the Muslims in
Madina. The Prophet s? knew of their plans and thus
intended to stop their advances for good. Hence, in
the month of Muharram 7 A.H., the Prophet &
marched to Khaibar with 1500 brave Muslim
fighters. Mlah^ granted victory to the Prophet and
by doing so, stopped the advances of the Jews for
good.
OtherImportantEventsfrom7A.H.
. The wife of the Jewish leader Kinana and Huyaiy
ibn Ahtab's daughter, Safiyya, accepted Islam,
and became the wife of the Beloved Prophet
x On the return journey from Khaibar, one Fajr
prayer was missed. Prior to this, the Companions
did not know what to do if they missed a prayer.
The Prophet & informed them that if they miss a
prayer by mistake or through sleep, then they
should perform it when they remember.
x You have read how the Treaty of Hudaibiyya 4
meant the Prophet & and his Companions did not
perform Umra in 6 A.H. As part of the agreement,
they would be permitted to perform Umra the
following year. So, the Prophet set off with two
thousand Companions for Makka to perform the
Umra.
44. TheConquestofMakka
......... ... .. .
Makka was the city of the Prophet's forefathers. He
was bom in this city, and he spent his childhood and
vouth-hood in this place. Most importantly, this was
the city that hosted the House of Allah^g.. For these
reasons, the Prophets dearly loved Makka.
However, the people of Makka forced him to migrate
from it. On the occasion of the Migration, the
Prophet s stood on the outskirts of the city and said:
"0 Makka! 1 love you dearly, but your residents have
forced me to leave."
Dear Children! Allah^ possesses unimaginable
powers. In a blink of an eyelid, He®& can turn a king
into a pauper and a pauper into a king. His revenge
should be constantly feared. Reflect on the time the
Prophet r- secretly left Makka. No one could imagine
then that he would soon return to conquer the city. But
Allah., displayed His great powers and assisted His
Beloved Messengers. Only after a period of eight
years, the Prophet s, along with 10,000 Muslim
fighters, entered Makka in the month of Ramadhan
(8 A.H.). The infidels were in no position to
' nd without a battle, the conquest of Makka was :
>■
^prophet a went to the Kaaba Sharif, where 360
were present. He had a piece of wood in his
^le hand; he merely indicated with it and one by
^ihe idols fell to the ground. Through this mean,
LKaaba became pure from idols and places of idol
Lfshipinthe surrounding areas were demolished.
I pie infidels of Makka were frightened as they
■ assumed the Prophet & would take revenge against
I them. They began to remember all the oppression
they had committed against the Muslims. However,
the Prophet & showed unparalleled forgiveness,
compassion and consideration; he forgave all of them
I that had caused trouble and strife to the Companions
I and himself. Many polytheists became Muslims just
I on the basis on witnessing this great show of
I forgiveness.
Wi
45. OtherImportantEventsfromXA.H. The Battle of Tabook
X In the month of Safar, the highly-respected
political figure Amr ibn al-As and the great,
unparalleled fighter Khalid ibn Walid accepted
Islam. Later, the Prophet gave him the title of
SaifUllah, the 'Sword of Allah.'
X In Sha'ban, the people of Makka rendered the
Treaty of Hudaibiyya as null and void.
X The Battle of Muta took place in this year. Of the
letters that the Prophet;> sent to leaders and kings,
one of them was dispatched to Haaris Ghasani,
through the hands of Haaris Azdi. When he was
returning, he was killed by the Roman governor
Sharahbil at Muta. The Prophet ? sent 3000
troops to avenge his killing. The enemies were
thousands in numbers but Allah^ still granted
victory to the Muslims.
X The Battle of Hunain took place. Hunain was a valley
15 miles from Makka. The residents of this city were
idol-worshippers like the Makkans. When the
infidels of Makka were defeated, the people of
Hunain saw it as their responsibility to uphold idol
worshipping. Hence, they began to prepare for battle.
The Prophet knew of their plans and so in the month
of Shawwal, 8 A.H., he attacked Hunain with 10,000
Muslim fighters. Initially, the Muslims faced
difficulty but eventually Allah & granted victory to
the Muslims.
- .^battle is also called Ghazwa Usra (the Battle of
Hardship), because it occurred in extremely difficult
conditions. The weather and wind was severely hot,
I aid there was a famine at the time. Despite such
anxieties, the Muslims still prepared for battle.
jlnlhe ninth year of Hijra, the Prophet learned that
|the Romans intended to attack the Muslims. Hence, <
| lie prepared an army of 30,000 troops and made the
oumey toTabook, 900 miles away from Madina. The
enemies were frightened when they learned of the
Muslims' advent and claimed they had no intention to
I attack the Muslims. The Companions stayed in
I labook for 20 days. During this period, numerous
I regional leaders accepted Islam. The Muslims
I became victorious without having to physically fight
I the battle. This was the last battle in which the
■ hophel3> himself took part.
During the Battle of Tabook, the Companions
showed great verve and made immense financial
i tfcnfices.Uthman donated 10,000Dinars (gold coins') to
I meet the cost of thebattle. Umar Faruq. gave half ofhis
I homely possessions for the sake of Islam and Abu Bakr...
I gave everything away for the sake of Islam.
46. x After the conquest of Makka, Islam began to
prosper and ascend. The biggest enemies of
Islam, the infidels of Makka, accepted the
command of the Prophet Madina became a
stronghold for the Muslims, in financial and
defence terms. The people of the surrounding
areas realised that no one could now stop the
spread and power of Islam. In 9 A.H. Arabs front
all over the peninsula accepted the invitation of
the Prophet * and came to become Muslims. For
this reason, this year is also called the Year of the
Wufud( convoys).
x Ibrahim. . the son of the Beloved Prophet
passed away.
x Hajj was made compulsory this year and so the
Muslims performed the first pilgrimage. Abu
Bakr was appointed the ameer of the
pilgrimage.
(ihc io* year of Hijra, the Prophets performed his
•rst and only Hajj. This pilgrimage is called the
■farewell Hajj', as the Prophet bid farewell to his
[minah on this occasion. He told them to seek Islam
from him, as he could not guarantee he would be
present the following year. During this Hajj, there
were 1,40,000 Companions with the Prophet In
the fields of Arafat, the Prophet delivered a *
historical speech, which was dubbed as the 'Sermon
of the Farewell Hajj.' This speech summarised the
teachings of Islam and outlined Islam's human rights'
charter. In fact, the importance to human rights felt by
the world today is a direct result of this pioneering
. speech of the Belov ed Prophet The Prophet
ordered Muslims to.
x Discard the customs and practices of the J ahiliyy a
period.
x Act decently with women, and fulfil their
allocated rights properly.
x Treat sen ants and slaves righteously. They should
be fed with what the master eats and clothes with
what the owners wear.
47. x Remember that all humans are the children of
Xdani . There arc no differences between
humans on the basis of race and colour. The best
of humans arc the ones with the best behaviour.
x Remember that he was leaving behind two
matters; the Book of Allah and the Sunna of the
Prophet . He ordered Muslims to adhere to
them. In one report, the Prophet > was reported to
have said that he is leaving behind the Book of
Allah, and the Ahl Z?tzz7<His family).
It was here that the verse from the Holy Qur'an was
revealed, proclaiming that the religion of Islam was
now complete, and that Muslims had been granted
victory by their Lord.
*<$■
Ite revelation of the Qur'an was complete and in
. and every aspect, the religion of Islam had been
I Reeled. The Prophet -*• had fulfilled the task of his
I prophecy, and he set his sights on a return to Allah^..
I In the last days of Safar, 11 A.H., the Prophet
suffered from severe headaches, followed by flu. The
pain gradually became worse, to the point that it was
difficult for him to go to the mosque. The Prophet
. thus appointed Abu Bakr^ as the Imam and he began
io lead the Prayers.
The Companions themselves became restless when (
they saw the state of the Prophets. When he leamt of
their concern, the Prophet & appeared and thus the
Companions were overjoyed. He briefly spoke to his
companions and said:
“You are fearful of the death of your Prophet No
prophet to this day has been immortal. I am soon
parting to my Lord. Very soon, we will meet at the
fountain of Kauwthar, if you do not insult one
mother, commit wrong acts and speak bad behind the
^•ksofpeople. InshaAllah^ we shall soon meet at
fountain of Kauwthar. Live with one another like
< liililifH
48. | brothers and do not light and argue with one another.”
T o day s before he passed away, the Prophet again
spoke to his Companions, in which lie highlighted the
outstanding services of Abu Bakr .He said:
“Abu Bakr is my greatest provider of benefit. Were
I to have a friend other than Allah^s-, it would be Abu
Bakr- . He is my brother.”
Two days later, on Monday 2nd Rabi-ul-Awwal, the
greatest ever human left this world and departed to
the presence of Allah^s-. The sun of prophecy thus set,
though its light still remains today and will remain
until the Day of Judgement.
During the days of illness, the Prophet & resided in
the room of Aisha . It was here in the arms of
Aisha that he passed away. This is the same room
that became host to the Green Dome, the source of
relief and mercy for his followers today.
Dear children! We have read extracts from the life of
the Beloved Messenger^. This itself is a great
honour. We should thank Allah^ and pray to Him that
in this world, He& grants us love and allegiance to the
Messenger* and in the hereafter, He grants us his
intercession. Ameen. Be Ja/iiSayyidil-Mursalin.
ThePure Seera ofThe
I The Seera ot the Beloved Messenger^ refers to his
| high morals and his peerless behaviour during his
.life. Under this title, we shall present three
discussions- firstly, his^> personal attributes,
secondly, his$ public behaviour and lastly, his^
universally profound character. Study these aspects
of his life and act upon them, to reap the benefit of this
world and the hereafter.
49. HisPersonalAttributes
Cleanliness and Purification
The Prophet & dearly loved cleanliness and purity.
He<% was always clean and pure and encouraged
others to follow suit. He s would perform a fresh
ablution for each Prayer, and would perform a bath
for Friday and other special days. He^ removed
unwanted hairs from his noble body. Hei& applied oil
to his hair and combed it regularly. Allah^ made his
body fragranced so that he did not require to apply
perftime. Despite this, he would still apply perfume.
I He& wore simple but clean clothes. If heS saw
someone wearing unclean clothes he^> would remark:
“Can this person not even clean his clothes?”
Ifhe saw someone with uncombed hair, he would say:
“Can this person not even comb his hair?”
After he passed away, Ali^ washed his body. There
was no dirt on his body whatsoever. Upon observing
this, Ali*#said:
“When you were alive, you remained clean and pure,
and when you passed away, there was no difference in
your cleanliness.” (Al-Shifa)
Generosity and Liberality
Generosity and liberality is highly esteemed moral
attribute. It refers to discard your own rights for the
sake of others. In this sense, the Prophet^ was full of
generosity and liberality. The Companions report that
they never saw the Prophet refuse anyone who
asked him for something. In fact, he would give more
than the person asked for and in some cases borrow to
meet the requirements of that person. All his
endeavours were at the disposal of the needy ones.
The item he received by day would be distributed by
night, and he never desired to hold onto possessions.
In some cases, the ill-mannered ones would approach
him and ask him in a cold and immoral manner. He^
would overlook this ill manner and still give them
requirements.
Modesty' and Decency
Modesty and decency are also moral characteristics
of exemplary standards, which also affect others
around the one who possess them. Immunity and
purity in character are the results of modesty and
decency, as well as protection from several sins.
Modesty and decency are also the attributes of
AllaK
Before the appearance of the Prophets, modesty and
decency were seldom found amongst the Arabs.
People would act indecently in front of others and
50. think nothing of it. They would circulate the Kaaba
naked. The Prophet & taught decency and modesty.
He&said:
“Modesty is a part of faith.” (Bukhari)
The Prophet & displayed modesty and decency from
a very young age. We understand the extent of this
when Abu Said al-Khudri said:
“The Prophets was more modest than a veiled virgin
girl.” (Muslim)
Uniformity between saying and action
One great attribute of the Prophets was that his
sayings matched his actions perfectly. He^ would
first practice himself what he preached. He$£ would
first himself act upon the principles of the Qur'an and
then encourage others to do so. The Qur'an ordered to
perform Salah; he performed it so much that later,
Allah^ said in the Qur'an, '0 Beloved! Perform
prayer in some part of the night.' Only then did he
order others to perform Prayer. Hei& ensured his
behaviour never contradicted his sayings. Allah^
says in the Qur'an:
“0 Believers! Why do you say what you do not do?”
(M-2)
Even through exhaustive investigation, a person will
not find one single event in his life where his actions
contradicted his sayings. In fact, he would adhere to
certain rulings that were not incumbent upon others.
For example, hei& performed Tahajjud Prayer on a
compulsory basis, but deemed as optional for others.
Bravery and Courage
Every aspect of the Beloved Messenger's^ life
reflects his bravery and courage. He^ defeated his
enemies, even in the absence of material assistance
and realistic chance. Ali^ reports that in the
battlefield, the Prophet & was always first in line and
nearest to the enemies. When the battle would
become severe, the Companions would seek refuge
under his presence. (Seera Khair ul-Anam)
He^ was not only brave but an inciter of bravery.
Hei& instilled such a feeling of courage in his
devotees that they did not fear even the most frightful
of situations. History testifies that his devotees never
fled in fear from the battlefield.
Fairness and Justice
The Prophets was fairness and justice personified.
His entire life was spent in fighting injustice and
oppression and spreading fairness and justice. Hei^
abhorred tyranny and injustice. Hei& would pray day
and night:
“0 Allah! Do not make me an
oppressed.” (Seera Khair ul-Anam)
oppressor or
In matters of justice, he did not differentiate between
his friends and enemies, small and big, Muslims and
non-Muslims. In fact, on several occasions, he ruled
51. *
I in favour of non-Muslims rather than Muslims.
To uphold the principles of fairness and justice, he
I himself was prepared to be held accountable. If he
mistakenly hurt someone he would seek pardon
I immediately and allow revenge. Before he passed
away, he publicly announced that if he owed anyone
anything then he should request it or forgive it. One
man demanded a few Dirhams and the Prophet >
immediately gave it to him. (Musnad Ahmed)
Humility
< No one was ever given the rank and status religiously
I or politically- that Allah^ bestowed to the Beloved
I Messengers. He^ was the beloved of Allah^ and
the leader of all messengers. Despite this, he always
preferred humility. HeS never once uttered a word
that suggested pride or arrogance.
His excellence was acknowledged by all but he never
wanted others to remind him of this virtue. Instead, he
would refer to the excellence of other previous
prophets and figures and highlight their virtue to the
Companions. On one occasion, he said:
“Allah^M has revealed to me that you should all adopt
humility and humbleness. No one should wrong
another nor brawl.” {Ibn Maj a)
Simplicity
The Prophet always adhered to simplicity. He&
never opted for troublesome indulgence in any
| aspect of his life; his clothing, eating or living. He^ I
I would eat what was available and wear what was 1
fl? available. The atmosphere of his home was very 1
I simple. He& would remark that it was not befitting
| for the messengers to live in a house full of adornment I
I and indulgence. His pillow was stuffed with palm tree
^5 leaves.
Having observed the Prophet the Companions
made simplicity the trait of their lives too. Umar^
would use a brick as a pillow as he slept in the
mosque. He would allow his servants to ride his
animals and would hold the rein. Never would he feel
embarrassment in doing this.
Ahabit of doing one's own work
There were no shortages of servants in the presence
of the Prophets. All of his Companions were ready
to assist each and every need of their messenger
instantly. Despite this, he never asked others for help
without reason. He A performed his tasks himself and
never sought to burden others. He^ also preached
others to perform their own tasks themselves. He
would help his wives with domestic duties, buy the
necessary provisions, tie the camels and mend I
damaged items himself.
Not only this, but in fact he would never consider it a
burden to help others with their tasks. He personally '
would serve his guests, milk cows for households that
had no male figures and enquire about the health of
the ill.
I
52. Forgiveness and Grace
His* Public Behaviour
This refers to forgiving the sins and mistakes of
someone and showing favour rather than revenge.
The Prophet showed forgiveness and grace
throughout his life. His servants often made mistakes
but he always overlooked these slips.
The Prophet & was not only forgiving for his
devotees; he showed the same attitude to his enemies
too. Hei& never once took revenge based on a
personal vendetta. On the occasion of the Conquest
of Makka, he forgave the infidels- the same ones who
were thirsty for his blood. Several individuals
attempted to assassinate the Prophet > and were
caught doing so. He^ forgave them instead of
punishing them.
Abdullah ibn Ubaiy was the leader of the hypocrites.
He spent his entire life plotting against Islam. He
rebelled against the orders of the Prophets on several
occasions. But the Prophet & not only forgave him,
but after his death he donated his shirt as a coffin cloth
to him.
Respect for others
One important aspect of his social life was the
Prophet's^ mutual respect for others. When teaching
his devotees, he said:
The Prophet^ said:
also said:
Whosoeverdoes not respect the elders and dose not
show compassion to the young is not from us.”
[Jirmidhi)
according to their place and rank.”
"To have a good opinion of others is a righteous
worship” Daud)
Having negative thoughts about others is one of
society's ills. When this becomes widespread in
society, then without reason each individual becomes
pessimistic and doubtful of the other. The Prophet^
This does not imply that only the important and
esteemed figures were respected in the presence of
the Beloved Prophet In fact, he would show
consideration for all, young or old, poor or rich. He
never insulted even the most lowly of figures. In
terms of principles and rights, all were equal to him.
Having good opinion of others
Islam preaches to have a good opinion of Muslims,
friends and associates. The Prophet always held a
positive opinion of others. HeM never desired to
listentosomething which would create animosity or
hatred for another. The Qur' an say s:
“0 Believers’. Refrain from excessive doubt. Verily
(wrongful) doubt of others is a sin.” (Hujurat: 12)
53. HisM Public Behaviour
Act with people according to their place and rank.
(AbuDaud)
He also said:
Forgiveness and Grace
This refers to forgiving the sins and mistakes of
someone and showing favour rather than revenge.
The Prophet & showed forgiveness and grace
throughout his life. His servants often made mistakes
but he always overlooked these slips.
The Prophet was not only forgiving for his
devotees; he showed the same attitude to his enemies
too. He# never once took revenge based on a
I personal vendetta. On the occasion of the Conquest
of Makka, he forgave the infidels- the same ones who
were thirsty for his blood. Several individuals
attempted to assassinate the Prophet # and were
caught doing so. He# forgave them instead of
punishing them.
Abdullah ibn Ubaiy was the leader of the hypocrites.
He spent his entire life plotting against Islam. He
rebelled against the orders of the Prophets on several
occasions. But the Prophet not only forgave him,
but after his death he donated his shirt as a coffin cloth
to him.
Respect for others
One important aspect of his social life was the
Prophet's# mutual respect for others. When teaching
his devotees, he said:
"Whosoever does not respect the elders and dose not t
show compassion to the young is not from us.”
(Tirmidhi)
This does not imply that only the important and
esteemed figures were respected in the presence of
the Beloved Prophet #. In fact, he would show
consideration for all, young or old, poor or rich. He
never insulted even the most lowly of figures. In
terms of principles and rights, all were equal to him.
Having good opinion of others
Islam preaches to have a good opinion of Muslims,
friends and associates. The Prophet # always held a
positive opinion of others. He# never desired to
listen to something which would create animosity or
hatred for another. The Qur'an says:
“0 Believers! Refrain from excessive doubt. Verily
(wrongful) doubt of others is a sin.” (Hujurat: 12)
The Prophet# said:
A
I
i I
"To have a good opinion of others is a righteous j
worship." (AbuDaud)
Having negative thoughts about others is one of
society's ills. When this becomes widespread in
society, then without reason each individual becomes
pessimistic and doubtful of the other. The Prophet-#
54. Rewarding righteousness
J
X
I
Y
* r
W
was fully aware of this problem; this is why he
himself refrained from it and encouraged others to
stay away from it too. He& taught his devotees to
avoid such situations that would lead to others
adopting a wrong impression. Upon this basis, the
Prophet £ forbade women from travelling alone.
Refrain from solitary meetings with the opposite sex.
When a man bestows a favour upon another, he
naturally expects a favour in return. The Prophet &
acknowledged this human weakness. For this reason,
whenever someone showed favour upon him, he
would always thank them and recompense them.
On the occasion of the Battle of Uhud, when the
Muslims became dispersed, Sad ibn Abu Waqqas--
defended the Prophet 3 with great courage. The
' Prophets acknowledged this favour with the
following words,
I “Fire the arrows’. May my mother and father be
1 sacrificed for your sake’." (Bukhari)
: If someone offered him a gift, he would surely give
: something in return. HeS taught others to give
:I something in return when given a gift, and if that was
|j not possible, to at least praise the one who gave the
. * gift. This itself is one form of gratitude. Whoever
I praises the gift-giver has thanked him, and who
I conceals his praise has shown ingratitude. (Abu
,j Dattd)
i In another Hadith. the ProphetSsaid:
! -Whoever does not thank the people does not thank
Allah^.”(^/’M Daud)
Good Dealings
The Prophet $ conducted himself in the best of
manners in trading matters. A person would only
need to deal with him once to be impressed with his
conduct. Jabirs reports:
; The Beloved Prophet s once took a loan off me. Not
I only did he return the loan punctually, but he also
I gave some additional amount too.” (Nisa 'i)
Sa'ib would perform trading transactions along with
the Prophet 3>. Once he gave an account of the
Prophet's^ behaviour, and said:
1 "He never would allow others an opportunity for
doubt, and would always perform his transactions
| j cleanly." (Ibn Maja)
■ Compassion for the poor and needy
I The Prophet & showed great attachment to the poor 11
I and needy. He^> would himself be very anxious upon I
I seeing the difficulties experienced by the poor, and I
| would not feel at ease until he did something to I
■ alleviate their suffering. When he would receive any 11
.1 form of provisions, he would distribute it to the poor, 1I
1 even before giving it to his friends and relatives. 1
__ . Whenever he saw a rich person express his highness 1
A
I
I
1< Prophet <>f ( hildren
55. over the poor, he would remind them that they were
affluent due to the poor people's hard work. It is
mentioned in one Hadith:
•aV
I 1
“A poor woman would clean and sweep the mosque.
One night she died. In light of his& comfort, the
people did not inform him of her death and buried her
immediately. When the Prophet & learnt of this, he<£
became very upset; he went to her grave and prayed
for her." (BwWiari)
In short, the Prophet & would help the poor and needy
at every opportunity. He^ would care about their
rights and assist them financially in every possible
way.
Our Prophet $ was the best and greatest of all
mankind. No human like him has existed nor will
exer exist. His life was in every aspect a reflection of
beauty and perfection. The Qur'an affirms that his life
is a perfect exemplar for the Muslims. What follows
is a brief overview of just some of his characteristics
indifferent aspects of his life.
The Best Teacher
The Prophet & was the best teacher of all. He would
lake great pride in the fact that Allahfc had sent him as
a teacher. His style of teaching was very simple yet
effective for understanding, and heart felt.
The Best Guide
The Prophet & was extremely eager in guiding
people, showing them the right path and consulting
them. In this respect, he had no peer.
The Upholder of Human Rights
t In the true sense of the term, he was the upholder of
I human rights. He forwarded the cause of women,
| children, slaves, the disabled and all types of helpless
I people.
56. fhe Best Peacemaker The Best Tradesman
The Prophet» was the best peacemaker. The most
( radiant proof for this is the fact that in a very short
I period, he created a revolution in mankind's thought
! and behaviour.
I The Best Politician
There can be no doubt that the Prophet was a great
statesman of high calibre. His own political
judgments arc a source of guidance for politicians
today.
' The Best Legislator
I le had no equal in terms of Ins legislative knowledge
and skills. He laid down laws and regulations to assist
the organisation of life and to help the progress and
I development of man.
I he Best Impartial Man
The Prophet * himself was the greatest example for
fairness and justice. In his judicial decisions, he won
praise from friends and enemies alike.
The Best Worker
The Piophet's^lifewasan exemplary role model for
being a worker In the construction of Masjid Quba
and Masjid Nabawi. as well as the digging of the
trenches in the Battle of Khandaq, the Prophet &
w orked side by side with his Companions.
Trading was his inherited profession. Through hard
work, honesty and intellect, he developed a virtuous
reputation. He* was a successful businessman both
at home and abroad.
The Best Peace-Lover
By nature, his life was full of a love and admiration
for peace and harmony. He preferred resolving the
problems of life through the means of peace and
consolidation. He only fought as a last resort.
In short, from whichever angle we look at the
Prophet's^ life, we find he was a perfect, beautiful
and comprehensive figure.
