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The Shepard’s Path Master Notes

A compilation of Hosna and Nurayn notes

Introduction The next two weekends, we will be traveling on a trip with the Messenger of Allah (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) so that we can know him better. Knowing the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) and loving him is a requirement for every Muslim. It is incumbent upon us to follow the ways of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), and in order to do so, we must learn about him. Therefore, learning the seerah of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) is obligatory and especially important in the times we are living in now because there are many trials and tribulations. Many changes have occurred in the last 10 years, and the next 10 years will bring us more changes. There hasn’t come a year except that the year before that was a better year.

We learn from the seerah many lessons to help us be strong as Muslims living in America. We will be studying the Makkan period because we learn lessons on how a Muslim can act and behave in a non­Muslim society. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) lived with the Muslims in the Makkan period as a religious minority. Also, we can learn from the Madinan period many things.

The main purpose is to extract lessons we can apply into our daily lives now. We will also inshAllah learn how to answer non­Muslims and certain trials and tribulations. There was a clause in the treaty of Hudhaybiyah, that whoever amongst the Quraysh wants to ally with the Quryash can do so freely and would have the same protection as the Quraysh, and whoever wants to ally with the Muslims could do so freely and they would have the same protection as the Muslims. Two tribes allied with the Muslims, which continued for two years. In the third year, one of the tribes was going to a place where they were ambushed and killed. A few escaped and went to Makkah where they were killed. The Quraysh helped them by providing weapons and some participated in this terrorist act. The Messenger of Allah (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) heard about this breach of the treaty. When this occurred, Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) had already given the Muslims permission to fight. After this, Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) gave the Muslims full permission. “And slay them wherever you may come upon them, and drive them away from wherever they drove you away ­ for oppression is even worse than killing. [168] And fight not against them near the Inviolable House of Worship unless they fight against you there first; [169] but if they fight against you, slay them: such shall be the recompense of those who deny the truth.” [2:191] When non­Muslims read this ayah, they say that Islam is a violent religion and advocates violence. If we don’t understand the seerah and the incidents in the seerah and the hikmah, then we cannot defend this religion and convey this religion correctly.

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The Makkan period is very important because the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) lived amongst non­Muslims. He said, “Islam started strange, and it will return back to being strange, so give glad tidings to the stranger” Sunan Ibn Majah [3976].

: صلى اهللا عليه وسلم قال رسول اهللا " للغرباء فطوبى بدأ اإلسالم غريبا وسيعود غريبا "

We know from this hadeeth that at the end of time, this religion will return back to being strange. The one’s who follow the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) step by step will face a lot of hardships and trials and tribulations.

At the same time, from the seerah of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), it is not all doom and gloom. This hadeeth is also glad tidings that the Muslims were victorious and Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) will give the Muslims victory, and this religion will be the only religion that will be victorious. Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) can change things very quickly. Before the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) entered Makkah, Abu Sufiyan had accepted Islam. In the end, Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) gave him (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) victory. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) told Bilal, a black Abyssinian slave, to stand up on the Kabah to make the adhan. Some new Muslims said: ‘All praise be to Allah who caused my father to die before seeing this.’ The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) wanted to let everyone know that it is not the color of a person’s skin that matters but his taqwa. The people could not believe that he could have reached such a high status in the same town where he was persecuted.

How did Makkah change from a place where there were over 360 statues, people made tawaaf around the Kaba’ah naked, people were oppressed and poor, dhulm was widespread, and zina was widespread? To find this out, we have to go back to the beginning of the seerah of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam).

The Desire Over 3,000 years ago, the Prophet Ibrahim moved to Ash­Shaam because he was kicked out by his own family. He arrived in Egypt and the Pharoah captured his wife. According to the tradition or culture of the Egyptians of that time, if the Pharoah saw someone beautiful and wanted her for himself, he would just take her. If the woman was married, then the husband would be killed. Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) protected Sarah. When the Prophet Ibrahim was asked who she was, he replied that she was his sister, which is not entirely a lie because she is his sister in Islam. The Pharoah could not do anything when he came close to Sarah, and he became scared. He releases her, but before doing so, he gives her a slave girl by the name of Hajar.

Sarah could not have any children and felt sad and bad for her husband. Eventually, she said to her husband that she will free Hajar so that she can become his wife. At Sarah’s suggestion, the Prophet Ibrahim married Hajar. Hajar gave birth to Ismail, and Sarah felt jealous. Ibn Hajar in Fath Al Bari mentions narrations that Sarah became very jealous and chased her one day telling her that she would cut her into three pieces. Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) told Prophet Ibrahim to go to Makkah and bring Hajar and Ismail there to His House.

They set off on a journey, and Hajar did not know where they were going. In the middle of a valley, Prophet Ibrahim told her to stay there with their newborn son, and he turned around to go

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back to Shaam to his first wife. She asked Prophet Ibrahim where he was going, and he did not respond. She asked again, “Where are you going?” He kept on walking. Then finally, when he continued to go, she chased after him and asked, “Did Allah order you to do this?” He replied, “Yes.”

Lesson: Notice her tawakkul. There was only barren land around her, and she says, “If Allah did order you, then He will not abandon us.” Allah ordered this, and there was hikmah and reason. Allah wanted to split the lineage of prophethood.

The Barren Valley

• Prophet Ibrahim turned around and made dua to Allah (14:35­37) after leaving his family:

وإذ قال إبراهيم رب اجعل هـذا البلد آمنا واجنبني وبني أن نعبد األصنام رب إنهن ي أضللن كثيرا من الناس فمن تبعني فإنه مني ومن عصاني فإنك غفور رحيم ربنا إن

أسكنت من ذريتي بواد غير ذي زرع عند بيتك المحرم ربنا ليقيموا الصالة فاجعل أفئدة من الناس تهوي إليهم وارزقهم من الثمرات لعلهم يشكرون

35. And (remember) when Ibrahim (Abraham) said: "O my Lord! Make this city (Makkah) one of peace and security, and keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols. 36. "O my Lord! They have indeed led astray many among mankind. But whoso follows me, he verily is of me. And whoso disobeys me, ­ still You are indeed Oft­ Forgiving, Most Merciful. 37. "O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in an uncultivable valley by Your sacred House (the Ka'bah at Makkah); in order, O our Lord, that they may perform As­Salât (Iqâmat­as­Salât), so fill some hearts among men with love towards them, and (O Allah) provide them with fruits so that they may give thanks. [Surah Ibrahim, 14:35­37]

o Notice: Prophet Ibrahim Alyhi AlSalam leaves his family, the thing they need immediately is food and water. However he knows Allah will provide. He is most worried about their future and the greatest calamity—shirk.

o He’s asking Allah to distance them and their progeny from shirk. § This shows us how we should priorities.

o A person can die of thirst and hunger, and have the kalima, they will have eternal bliss­ the true life

o He’s worried about shirk, praying for the hearts of the people to yearn for Allah, and give them fruits so that they may be thankful. § Now people's priorities are food first, then family, then religion (maybe);

opposite of Prophet Ibrahim (Alyhi Alsalam)’s priorities § Take care of your deen, and Allah will take care of everything else for

you. o Make dua for the best, because Allah can give it to you: aim for the highest.

• Well of Zamzam: o Hajar ran out of food and water.

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o The child started to cry, and she did not know what to do. She climbed the Hill of Safa, which is the tallest hill she can find and looked at the valley for any food or water.

o She then goes to the other mountain of Marwa and did the same thing. Between Safa and Marwa, there is a valley, and when you reach that area, you have to run because it is an incline. This is the area where those who make Hajj will see the two green lights and run. She ran back and forth several times.

o She put her trust in Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) but she also tried her very best. You do not just put your trust in Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) without doing all the necessary things in order for you to achieve what is promised to you. You do all that you can and make du’a.

o She went back to where she placed her baby Ismail and then the Angel Jibreel came. The angel Jibreel taped the earth and water gushed out and flowed.

o When she saw the water flowing, she starts to dig holes because she is afraid that the water will end. § If you let the water flow, it will dry up because it is not contained in

anything. The water kept on coming, and she dug as much as she could until the water filled it up and kept coming. She said, “Stop! Stop!”, which is Zamzam in her language. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said that if she had not done this, Zamzam would have been a continuous flowing spring rather than a well until the Day of Judgment.

• Tribe of Jurham: § At this time, there was a tribe called Jurham, which was from Yemen.

The original Arabs were from Yemen, and many left for different reasons such as floods, droughts, or famines.

§ The tribe of Jurham was in Yemen and left looking for another place to settle.

§ They noticed that there were birds heading in a certain direction. In the desert, if you do not have water and do not know where to go, you follow the animals because they have a keen sense of smell and know where the food and the water is.

§ A scout went to check the area and saw a baby and a woman. § He told the leaders, and they asked Hajar if they could stay there because

of the Zamzam water. § She said yes you can stay, but she set conditions such that the well stays

under her control and her son’s control when he grows up. Durham agreed.

§ Whoever has control of the water has the respect and the position. She was thinking about her son Ismail, he would now be guaranteed status in the tribe because of his ownership of the well.

• Ismail married a woman from Jurham.

o Prophet Ibrahim (Alyhi al salam) used to come visit from Sham § Once when Prophet Ibrahim (Alyhi al salam) visited, he told Ismail to

“change his doorstep". § Story: Prophet Ibrahim (Alyhi al salam) visited his son Ismail,

however his son was not home at the time. His wife answered the door. This was the first time she had ever seen Ibrahim (Alyhi al salam), and did not know that this was her husband's

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father. Prophet Ibrahim (Alyhi al salam) asked her how things were, and all she did was complain about everything, to which he left a message for his son through her: "change your doorstep", meaning divorce this woman who greeted me at your door. Ismail did so upon hearing this message. Prophet Ibrahim (Alyhi al salam) came again a while later and Ismail's new wife answered the door yet again. He asked her as well how things were going. She said "alhamdulillah", she was content with her life that Allah had blessed her with. Upon hearing this, Prophet Ibrahim (Alyhi al salam) left a message for his son through his new wife: "keep your doorstep". § The lesson to take away from this story is that it is very

important to pay attention to someone's deen when marrying. Also, that a parent has the right to demand a divorce if they find a justifiable deficiency in their child's spouse's deen.

• Maqaam Ibrahim:

§ Prophet Ibrahim would stand there to build the Kaaba. His footprint remained until the time of the Prophet Muhammad (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam). The original footprint was virtually erased from people touching it, the current one is a retraced version

• Al­Hajar Al­Aswad & Building the Kabah::

§ The white stone from Heaven was fit in the corner, and became black because of the sins of the people

§ The Kaba’ah at the beginning was not cubical. In the Arabic language, if something is muk’aab, it is not cubical. comes fromمكعب .your heel bone كعبIt is round on one side.

§ During the time of the Prophet Ibrahim it looked like:

بنا واجعلنا وإذ يرفع إبراهيم القواعد من البيت وإسماعيل ربنا تقبل منا إنك أنت السميع العليمر مسلمين لك ومن ذريتنا أمة مسلمة لك وأرنا مناسكنا وتب علينآ إنك أنت التواب الرحيمربنا وابعث

تاب والحكمة ويزكيهم إنك أنت العزيز الحكيم فيهم رسوال منهم يتلو عليهم آياتك ويعلمهم الك

And when Abraham and Ishmael were raising the foundations of the Temple , [they prayed:] "O our Sustainer! Accept Thou this from us: for, verily, Thou alone art all­ hearing, all­knowing!

"O our Sustainer! Make us surrender ourselves unto Thee, and make out of our offspring [105] a community that shall surrender itself unto Thee, and show us our ways of worship, and accept our repentance: for, verily, Thou alone art the Acceptor of Repentance, the Dispenser of Grace!

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"O our Sustainer! Raise up from the midst of our off spring [106] an apostle from among themselves, who shall convey unto them Thy messages, and impart unto them revelation as well as wisdom, and cause them to grow in purity: for, verily, Thou alone art almighty, truly wise!"

Surat Al­Baqarah verse 127­129

Lessons From this incident:

§ Make dua for Allah to accept the good deeds. o Allah only accepts good deeds from the Mutaqeen

§ At the end of your prayer say: O Allah help me in remembering you, thanking you, and perfecting our worship to you.

§ Deeds must be sincere and in accordance with the Quran and Sunnah § Allah tells Ibrahim to call people to make Hajj­ that’s why we say, Labbayk,

“O Allah I’m at your service!” answering the call

• How the Kabah became cubical: It happened during the time of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) when he was a youth. It was the year of the big flood and the people were trying to re­build the Kaba’ah, but they ran out of halal money. Even the non­Muslims at that time knew that the masjid is not built with haraam money. It remained cubical.

• Prophet Ibrahim then built Masjid Al­Aqsa (2 nd masjid to be built) o He would go back and forth between Mecca and Jerusalem

• Another Yemani tribe: Khuza’a came and expelled Jurhum from Mecca • Progeny of Ismail stayed in charge of zamzam and pilgrims • As time passed the Arabs began to include bid’ah in their Hajj • Amir ibn Luhay was the first one to bring idol worship to Arabia • Qusay ibn Al­Kilab: first person to expel Khuza’a and other foreigners and united the

Qureshi tribes: o He divided jobs into five:

§ Providing water for pilgrims: well of Zamzam had dried up, b/c when Jurham buried the well when they were expelled: the well became a legend.

§ Helping/taking care: housing, etc. § Guarding Kaaba § Declaration of war and peace § The assembly of Quraish: Al­Nadwa

o Before he died he passed his power to his son, Abdud­Daar, because he was the least known. He wanted to raise his position.

o When Abdu­AlDaar passed away there was a struggle of power between children of Abdul­Manaf and children of Abdu­AlDaar § Mecca was split into two groups § They decided not to fight and to share powers

§ Children of Abdul­Manaf controlled Religious affairs § Children of Abdud­Daar controlled Political affairs­­Assembly

and declaration of war/peace § Amr ibn Abdu­Manaf: took care of pilgrims

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§ During on of the Hajj seasons, he decided to add crushed bread to the soup. It and he became known as “Hashim” (crushed)

§ Amr ibn Abu­Manaf got to be known as Hashim because of this and he became very well known.

§ Abdu­AlDaar family became jealous. § Once Hashim went on a business trip to Sham and passed away. § His wife came back and stayed in Medinah, b/c she was from Bani Najar

§ She was pregnant, gave birth to Shayba (The baby had grey hair and they called him Shayba or ‘old man’ in Arabic)

§ Al­Mutalib, the brother of Hashim, came to Medina and took Shayba back to Mecca to get his position of honor and nobility

§ Shayba (as a boy) decided to go to Mecca, understood the value of this at a young age.

§ The people of Mecca thought he was the servant slave boy of Muttalib and called him slave of Al Muttalib, or Abdu AlMutalib

• Abdul­Mutalib: while sleeping next to the Kaaba he had a 4 dreams: a man came to him and said:

o “Dig up Tibaa!” o “Dig up piety” o “Dig up the hidden treasure” o “Dig up Zamzam!”

§ What is zamzam? Zamzam will never stop producing water and provide water for the pilgrims. In the dream Abdul­Muttalib was told that it would be between guts and blood at the beak of a crow with red feet at the ant colony

o One day while sleeping next to Kaaba, he saw someone slaughter a camel. The guts of the camel are dragged, and he saw an ant colony there, then saw a crow come and peck § He rans home and got his son Al­Harith to go and dig with him. They go

and dig up that area § People are making fun of him: “Why are you digging where people make

Tawaf?” § All of a sudden he strikes Zamzam! The people are stunned! They say

“You found our well!” He replies in the negative and says it is his well. There was a struggle.

o They went to the sorcerer of Banu­Saad in a valley outside of Mecca. They found that the sorcerer had left the Sham, so they decided to go to Sham.

o On the way Abdul­Mutalib ran out of water, asked others for water, but they refused. Eventually they also ran out of water. They knew they were done.

o Abdul­Mutalib said they were all nobles, and told them “let’s dig our graves and have a proper death”. When Abdul­Mutalib was digging, he struck water! The people decided to just let him have the zamzam; this was a sign.

o This became a legendary story. It became easier to give water to the pilgrims. § His reputation skyrocketed!

o He knew that if he had sons he wouldn’t have to go through all this so he swore that if Allah gave him 10 sons, he would slaughter the 10 th one. § He had a 10 th son, Abdullah

o Abdullah’s mom became upset and tried to stop him. The family members came and said we already kill our daughters, if you kill your son, everyone will follow you­ it will set a tradition.

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o Abdul­Mutalib said he wanted to fulfill his vow, so they decide to go to the sorcerer of Banu Saad­ she told them to come back the next day

o She asked them how much is the blood money­ they replied that it was10 camels. § She advised him to pick lots, and for every time he picked Abdullah, he

would have to kill ten camels. § He picked Abdullah’s name 10 times before picking the camel. He had

to slaughter 100 camels to fulfill the vow. § Abdullah became the most famous son of Abdul­Mutalib because this

story became a legend. • Abdullah married Amina. He died in the area around Medinah. The Prophet (Sallah

Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was already considered an orphan when he was born because his father had died prior. Thus, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was of well known lineage.

• The Year of the Elephant: o The governor of Yemen and Abraha (general of Yemen) were having problems;

civil war o Abraha and governor have a duel. Abraha’s nose got cut off and had his men kill

the governor. He got control of Yemen. o He built a great cathedral and started calling the Arabs to come there instead of

the Ka’bah. o A man from Banu­Kinana was angered by this and defecated in the cathedral at

night. He took the feces and smeared it all over the cathedral. o Abraha was furious and called the largest elephant, Mahmood, to destroy the

Kaaba. o When the Arabs heard this they declared jihad­ they called it religious defense o Abraha met a lot of Arab tribes who tried to fight him, but he defeated them o He sent a messenger to Mecca saying they don’t want to fight, just to destroy the

Kaaba­ nothing else o The Meccans knew they couldn’t do anything about it, so Abdul­Mutalib told

everyone to evacuate and go to the mountains. The last person to leave Mecca was Abdul­Mutalib. He was making dua to Allah at the ka’bah to save His House.

o Abraha wanted to speak to the leader of Mecca. When he came to meet, Abdul­ Mutalib’s demeanor showed respect. Abraha sat with Abdul­Mutalib

o On the way to Mecca Abraha captured 100 camels, when they sat Abdul­Mutalib asked for his camels back. Abraha was angered by this

o Abdul­Mutalib said he owned the camels and that the Owner of the House (Allah) would protect it. He got his camels back.

o The elephant refused to move when they pointed it towards Mecca o Allah then sent birds carrying three stones: one in the beak and one in each foot.

Every stone would go through the bodies of Abraha’s army. This army was destroyed. Majority of the army died in retreat.

o This was divine intervention­ this showed the people of Arabia that the Quraysh were the people of Allah.

• Allah was preparing the people for the coming of the Prophet Muhammad (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Waslam)

• Prophet Muhammad (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) o Born on Monday Rabi Al Awal 570

§ Fast on Mondays because he was born on Monday, fast on Thursday because that’s the day the deeds will go up.

o Orphan: anyone who doesn’t have a father and is before puberty

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o He was given the name Muhammad § Not a common name, but the Prophet (saw) was not the first § This time, there were people naming their children Muhammad

§ The people were waiting for the final Prophet named Ahmed (Injil) or Muhammad (Torah)

§ Muhammad means praised greatly, Ahmed means most praised

The First Visit

• Prophet Muhammad lived in the outskirts of Mecca • Reasons for sending children out to desert:

o Mecca was a big city, financial center (around 60,000 people) o Dirty, unhealthy place to live o Learn pure Arabic because many foreigners don’t speak properly, lowered

standard of Arabic within the city. Also many words from other languages mix into Arabic.

• Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) taken by Haleema As­Sa’diya: • Lots of Baraka came:

o Animals fatten, more food • When Haleema took him back to Amina (when he was 3), she asked to extend the period

because there was so much blessing • In this extended period of time with Haleema, Prophet Muhammad (saw) went out with

his foster brother and forgot to bring his lunch. He told his brother to get the lunch. Then Jibrail came down:

o Ripped the Prophet (saw) heart and took out a black clot. Jibreel said “That was the part of Satan in thee”.

o Black clot were the bad inclinations­ jealousy, etc. o It was washed in a gold basin in Zamzam

§ Note: Before drinking Zamzam water you should make dua to Allah o The foster brother saw everything happening and ran back to his mother saying

Muhammad has been murdered! o Prophet Muhammad (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was pale

• Haleema became scared and told Amina to take him back • Amina was confused, Haleema was afraid to tell her what happened afraid it might be

considered negligence on her part. • Amina passed away when he was 6­ he went through a lot of hardship • Why was he an orphan?

o So that being an orphan will not be a stigma, you can still be successful o Allah wanted people to realize the message was coming from Allah, not from the

family­ wasn’t raised to be a prophet § If his father was alive, people would say his father raised him to do this

Seclusion and the Second Visit

At the age of 40, a person reaches mental maturity, because the body matures before this time.

Umm al­Mu’mineen Aisha (radhi Allahu 'anha) reports,

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كان أول ما بدئ به رسول اهللا صلى اهللا عليه وسلم الرؤيا الصادقة في النوم فكان ال يرى رؤيا إال جاءت مثل فلق الصبح

ثم حبب إليه الخالء الليالي ذوات العدد قبل أن يرجع إلى أهله ويتزود لذلك ­ التعبد : والتحنث ­ ن يلحق بغار حراء فيتحنث فيه فكا

ثم يرجع إلى خديجة فيتزود بمثلها حتى فجئه الحق وهو في غار حراء

“The commencement of the Divine Inspiration to Allah’s Apostle (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was in the form of good dreams which came true like bright day light, and then the love of seclusion was bestowed upon him. He used to go in seclusion in the cave of Hira where he used to worship (Allah alone) continuously for many days before his desire to see his family. He used to take with him the journey food for the stay and then come back to (his wife) Khadijah to take his food like­wise again until suddenly the Truth descended upon him while he was in the cave of Hira,” [Bukhari, 4572]

An old woman came to the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) and said, “O Messenger of Allah, do old people go to Paradise?” He said, “No.” She turned around crying. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) called her back, and he said, “The old do not go to Paradise because everyone will be young again when they go to Paradise.” [Shama’il at­Tirmidhi, ch. 35 ‘Joking of the Messenger of Allah’, report 230]

Before revelation, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was already known for his trustworthiness and righteousness. The Quraysh were a very noble tribe, and some of their characteristics were universally accepted to be good traits.

It is important to note that both Muslims and Non­Muslims praise the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam). How do non­Muslims praise the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam)? They do so by praising the noble characteristics that he has. All of the qualities that he had are qualities that are praiseworthy in all cultures.

There was a man who had come to Makkah with merchandise. Al Aas ibn Wa’il was an aristocrat and amongst the nobles of Makkah. He bought from the man some merchandise, but he did not pay him because he thought no one would say anything to him. He did not give the man his right. The man went to the different tribes, and they did not help him obtain his right, so he tried to let it be known. At sunrise, the man stood on top of Abul Qubays (a mountain). The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “When you see Makkah being tunneled and the houses have reached Abul Qubays, then you know that the Day of Judgment is near.” [Musnad Imam Ahmad] In Makkah now, you see tunnels everywhere.

The man stood up on Abul Qubays and called upon the Quraysh: “O people of Fihr (Fihr ibn Al Malik), there are people being oppressed and no one is standing up for them! Is this what you call nobility and righteousness and piety? This is cheating and deceit!” Az Zubayr ibn Abdul Muttalib from Bani Hashim stood up, showing the qualities of his tribe (the best clan as a whole was that of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) in terms of nobility) and said, “Are we going to leave this man to complain and we consider ourselves nobles?” They gathered together and agreed that from then on, they would unite against oppression no matter who the person was. They agreed that there were universal rights that should be given when people were in Makkah. This agreement became known as Hilf al­Fudool.

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When the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) started to call people to la ilaha ilAllah, the same things would happen, and they allowed oppression even though it was against their own accepted principles they had established. The clan members agreed that they would take the hand of the weak and help them. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said that there was an agreement in jahiliyyah that if I were called to it in Islam, I would agree with it and he was speaking of Hilf al­Fudool. Sometimes there are principles established by non­Muslims that are sound and just, and Islam stands up for these rights also.

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), after seeing all of these things going on, secluded himself. One day in the month of Ramadan, he went to the cave of Hira in the mountain of Jabal Noor to reflect. Angel Jibreel came down and grabbed him from the back and squeezed him very hard and then released him and said, “Iqra!” He squeezed him so hard to let him know that it is not something psychological or a hallucination. His fear shows that he was surprised and not expecting to be a prophet. Angel Jibreel squeezed him again and said, “Iqra!” He replied, “I do not know how to read!” Then Angel Jibreel recited from Surah Al Iqra.

اقرأ باسم ربك الذي خلق خلق الإنسان من علق اقرأ وربك الأكرم الذي علم بالقلم

علم الإنسان ما لم يعلم

1. Read! In the Name of your Lord, who has created (all that exists), 2. Has created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood).

3. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous, 4. He who taught (the use of) the pen 5. Taught man that which he knew not

[Surah Al Alaq: 1­5]

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) did not have to read because he had a direct connection to the One who knows all! For us, we must know how to read and write to be able to read the Quran and Sunnah.

Lessons from the first five ayahs: ­ The importance of education in Islam ­ The non­Muslims believed in Allah, but Allah wanted to start from zero. Sometimes

there is so much corruption that people cannot distinguish between right and wrong, and sometimes you must start from the beginning. “Read in the Name of your Lord who created you!” Allah started with the creation of mankind.

When this was revealed, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was afraid and trembling. He was trying to seclude himself and all of these things were happening. He feared for his life and was afraid that something might happen to him, so he ran down the mountain.

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Beginning of Revelation

He returned with the Inspiration and with his heart beating severely. Then he went to Khadjia bint Khuwaylid and said, “Cover me up! Cover me up!” They covered him until his fear was over, and after that he told her everything that had happened and said, “I fear that something may happened to me.” Khadija (radhi Allahu 'anha) replied, “Never! By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You keep good relations with your kith and kin, help the poor and the destitute, serve your guests generously, and assist the deserving calamity­afflicted ones…”

Khadija (radhi Allahu 'anha) knew that her cousin Waraqah was the most religious of her family. Khadija said to Waraqah, “Listen to the story of your nephew. O my cousin!” Waraqah asked, “O my nephew! What have you seen?” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) described what he had seen. Waraqah said, “This is the same one who keeps the secrets (angel Jibreel) whom Allah had sent to Musa. I wish I were young and could live up to the time when your people would turn you out.” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) asked, “Will they drive me out?” Waraqah replied in the affirmative and said, “Anyone (man) who came with something similar to what you have brought was treated with hostility, and if I should remain alive unitl the day when you will be turned out, then I would support you strongly.” [Bukhari]

When the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) heard this, he was happy that he had been chosen as a prophet and messenger. He was surprised that Waraqah said that the people would expel him from Makkah. Waraqah died soon after. According to the majority of the scholars (and Allah knows best), he is considered a Muslim. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) saw him in a dream dressed in all white. When someone is dressed in all white, it is a sign of purity and cleanliness and tawheed and a sign of Islam. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) received the revelation and afterwards was very happy.

The story of what happened in the cave of Hira spread like wildfire in Makkah, and nothing happened for days and weeks and months, and the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was very sad. Some people were making fun of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam). An old lady said, “O Muhammad! Has your Shaytan come back to you?” Some scholars said that revelation did not come for 6 months. Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) then revealed the beginning of Surah Al Muddathir. Allah then revealed Surah Al Muzzamil. You have to strengthen your connection with Allah to see the truth. Educate yourself and convey the message and stand up to pray and strengthen your connection with Allah. Recite the Quran properly and reflect upon the meanings and then you will know what is right and what is wrong and what is good and bad. In order to keep straight during times of trials and tribulations, you need to stick to the Quran. These are principles to live by when living surrounded by kufr.

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) is consoled again when he receives the revelation of Surah Al Dhuha.

والضحى . 1 والليل إذا سجى . 2 ما ودعك ربك وما قلى . 3 ولآلخرة خير لك من األولى . 4 ولسوف يعطيك ربك فترضى . 5ألم يجدك يتيما فآوى . 6

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ووجدك ضالا فهدى . 7 جدك عائال فأغنى وو . 8 فأما اليتيم فال تقهر . 9 وأما السائل فال تنهر . 10 وأما بنعمة ربك فحدث . 11

1. By the forenoon (after sunrise); 2. And by the night when it is still (or darkens); 3. Your Lord (O Muhammad (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam)) has neither forsaken you nor hated you. 4. And indeed the Hereafter is better for you than the present (life of this world). 5. And verily, Your Lord will give you (all i.e. good) so that you shall be well­ pleased. 6. Did He not find you (O Muhammad (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam)) an orphan and gave you a refuge? 7. And He found you unaware (of the Quran, its legal laws, and Prophethood, etc.) and guided you? 8. And He found you poor, and made you rich (self­sufficient with self­ contentment, etc.)? 9. Therefore, treat not the orphan with oppression, 10. And repulse not the beggar; 11. And proclaim the Grace of your Lord (i.e. the Prophethood and all other graces). [Surah Adh Dhuha: 1­11]

“…Your Lord (O Muhammad (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam)) has neither forsaken you nor hated you…” What was the hikmah for Allah not sending the revelation for some time? So that the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) would yearn for it. When you do not have something, you want it back and yearn for it. The hikmah was to strengthen him. Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) also wanted to let him know that when it was cut and then continued, it is not something psychological. If it was continuous, he may have thought it was psychological.

“…And proclaim the Grace of your Lord…” The greatest blessing from Allah is Islam.

Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) has created us for qiyam al­layl. Our bodies are made to wake up in the night to pray. There was an article written by non­Muslim doctors who said that the best way to sleep was to sleep for the beginning of the night for 4 or 5 hours and then set your alarm and wake up and then fall asleep again so that you get into the deep cycle of sleep again. If someone does this, he will have more energy. You have to strengthen your connection with Allah and ask for guidance.

يا أيها المزمل قم الليل إال قليال

نصفه أو انقص منه قليال أو زد عليه ورتل القرآن ترتيال

إنا سنلقي عليك قوال ثقيال

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قيال إن ناشئة الليل هي أشد وطءا وأقوم إن لك في النهار سبحا طويال

واذكر اسم ربك وتبتل إليه تبتيال

Surah Al Muzzamil:

1. O you wrapped in garments (i.e. Prophet Muhammad (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam))! 2. Stand (to pray) all night, except a little. 3. Half of it, or a little less than that, 4. Or a little more; and recite the Qur'an (aloud) in a slow, (pleasant tone and) style. 5. Verily, we shall send down to you a weighty word (i.e. obligations, legal laws, etc.). 6. Verily, the rising by night (for Tahajjud prayer) is very hard and most potent and good for governing (the soul), and most suitable for (understanding) the word (of Allah). 7. Verily, there is for you by day prolonged occupation with ordinary duties, 8. And remember the Name of your Lord and devote yourself to Him with a complete devotion.

The Problem Idols

Amr Ibn Luhayy, the leader of the Khuza’ tribe, was the first to introduce idols to the Arabian Peninsula.

اهللا عليه وسلم قال النبي صلى اعي يجر قصبه في النار رأيت عمرو بن عامر بن لحي الخز

(3521) رواه البخاري

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I saw ‘Amr ibn ‘Aamir ibn Luhayy al­Khuzaa’i dragging his intestines in Hell.” Narrated by al­Bukhaari, 3521; Muslim,

2856.

Amr had become sick and went to Ash­Shaam because he was told that there was a cure there. When he went there, he saw people worshipping statues, and he asked, “What are you worshipping?” He was told that one idol was for rain, another was for victory, etc. He told them that they did not have that in the Arabian peninsula, and he asked for one. He was given an idol by the name Hubal.

In Surah Nuh, Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) talks about the idols:

وقالوا لا تذرن آلهتكم ولا تذرن ودا ولا سواعا ولا يغوث ويعوق ونسرا

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“And they say, ‘Do not abandon your gods. Abandon neither Wadd nor Suwa', neither Yaguth nor Ya'uq, nor Nasr';”

Iblis waited for the next generation before telling the people to worship the idols. At that time, the next generation was hundreds of years. In Islam, we have to be very careful of the things that may lead to shirk even though we may think that they are reminders.

The Quraysh used to worship the idols and make pilgrimage to the idols. The Quraysh called them intercessors who brought them closer to Allah. When asked who created the heavens and the earth, they would say Allah, but they sought to justify their worship of idols by saying that idols helped them become closer to Allah. When the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) saw people doing this and reached close to the age of 40, he started to contemplate and began to seclude himself.

An idol called “Manat,” for instance was worshipped in a place known as al­Mushallal near Qadid on the Red Sea. Another, “al­Laat” in Ta’if, a third, “al­Uzza” in the valley of Nakhlah, and so on and so forth. Polytheism prevailed and the number of idols increased everywhere in Hijaz. It was even mentioned that ‘Amr bin Luhay, with the help of a jinn companion who told him that the idols of Noah’s folk – Wadd, Suwa’, Yaguth, Ya’uk and Nasr – were buried in Jeddah, dug them out and took them to Tihama. Upon pilgrimage time, the idols were distributed among the tribes to take back home. Every tribe had their own idols, and the Sacred House was overcrowded with them. On the Prophet’s (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) conquest of Makkah, 360 idols were found around al­Ka’bah. [Ar­Raheeq al­Makthoum]

In Surah Yunus, Allah Azza wa Jal Says:

ويعبدون من دون الله ما لا يضرهم ولا ينفعهم ويقولون هـؤلاء شفعاؤنا عند الله قل أتنبئون الله بما لا يعلم في السماوات ولا في الأرض بحانه وتعالى عما يشركون س

18. And they worship besides Allah things that hurt them not, nor profit them, and they say: "These are our intercessors with Allah." Say: "Do you inform Allah of that which He knows not in the heavens and on the earth?" Glorified and Exalted be He above all that which they associate as partners with him! [Surah Yunus: 18]

One day, Umar (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) smiled and then cried and then smiled. Some of the companions asked him why, and he said that he was thinking about his time in jahiliyyah. His wife gave birth to a girl, and when he found out, he became sad and dug a grave for his daughter and when he put her in the grave, she started to cough when the dirt was put on her. She coughed dirt onto him. He started to cry because she had done no sin, and he wondered how his heart could have been so hard to have done such things. He smiled because he remembered that once he was traveling and had forgotten his idol, he made one out of dates, and when he ran out of food, he ate his idol.

How the idols were worshipped: 1. Self­devotion to the idols, seeking refuge with them, acclamation of their names, calling

for their help in hardship, and supplication to them hoping that the idols would mediate with Allah for the fulfillment of people’s wishes.

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2. Performing pilgrimage to the idols, circumambulation around them, self­abasement and even prostrating themselves before them.

3. Seeking favor of idols through various kinds of sacrifices.

In this country, there is the same jahiliyyah. There are people who carry rabbit’s feet for good luck amongst a host of other ‘lucky charms’ and superstitions.

May You Perish

In the beginning, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was ordered to make daw’ah.

The first stage is known as the ‘secretive / personal daw’ah’ stage. Some scholars have mentioned that this stage was 3 years long.

The earliest people to accept Islam were those closest to the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam):

§ The first person was Khadija (radhi Allahu 'anha) § The first boy to accept Islam was Ali ibn Abi Talib (radhi Allahu anh’) § The first freed slave to accept Islam was Zayd ibn Haritha (radhi Allahu anh’) § The first free adult to accept Islam was Abu Bakr (radhi Allahu anh’)

Zayd ibn Haritha was a slave brought to Makkah by the nephew of Khadija (radhi Allahu 'anha). He had come with two slaves and offered one to Khadija (radhi Allahu 'anha), and she picked Zayd. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) really liked him and asked for him. She gave him to the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) who freed him and adopted him. He was known as Zayd ibn Muhammad until Allah abolished adoption. During this stage, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) went to individuals and people close to him and made daw’ah, and this was how Islam spread. It was not secret because people knew that he was spreading Islam, but they thought that it was just a phase. In the beginning, they did not feel threatened.

From this secret stage, there is a lesson. If you want to start an organization or daw’ah project, do not go out in the open and call people until you have established a strong core group. Go to people you know will sacrifice their time and effort, and then go to other people and tell them about the organization.

During the first stage, there were some Muslims who accepted Islam but were afraid of persecution, so they hid their Islam. At the beginning during the trials and tribulations, the fitnah was increased and it was difficult to come forward. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said:

بدأ اإلسالم غريبا ٬ وسيعود كما بدأ غريبا ٬ فطوبى للغرباء ) 145 ( رواه مسلم

“Islam began as something strange and will revert to being strange as it began, so give glad tidings to the strangers” [Muslim, 145]

A person may have a neighbor who is Muslim and not know and some day we may come back to that time.

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The second stage was a stage of going out in the open and making daw’ah. Before that, Allah revealed to the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam):

ك الأقربين وأنذر عشيرت

“And warn your tribe of near kindred.” [26:214]

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) called out to his family members. He gathered his family members for a feast and asked who would be with him in his daw’ah and have Paradise. One of his relatives who had already accepted Islam came forward and said that he would. He did this because often it is hard for the first person to come forward. Afterwards, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) continued making his daw’ah.

When he was ordered to come out with his daw’ah, he went to the middle of Safa, which was the place where people gathered. He stood up and called out:

يا صباحاهThis was a calling out to all of the people to come at once. So all of the Quraysh gathered around

him and he said:

أرأيتم إن حدثتكم أن العدو مصبحكم٬ أو ممسيكم أكنتم تصدقونيIf I told you all that the enemy was going to attack you in the morning, or in the evening, would

you all believe me?

They all replied in the affirmative. This is because the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) had an established reputation amongst the people for his honesty and trustworthiness.

So he said to them:

فإني نذير لكم بين يدي عذاب شديدVerily, I am a warner (sent) to you all before the coming of a severe torment. [Bukhari]

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) then called out to each tribe and individuals and said, “Save yourselves from the Hellfire.” The wisdom is that people do not listen unless it is personal.

When Abu Lahab heard the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) telling the people to accept Islam, he said, “O Muhammad, is this what you called us to? May you perish!” Abu Lahab was angry because he was busy with his business and duniyah. Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) revealed Surah Al Lahab:

تبت يدآ أبى لهب وتب مآ أغنى عنه ماله وما كسب سيصلى نارا ذات لهب وامرأته حمالة الحطبفى جيدها حبل من مسد

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1. Perish the two hands of Abû Lahab (an uncle of the Prophet), and perish he! 2. His wealth and his Children (etc.) will not benefit him! 3. He will be burnt in a Fire of blazing flames! 4. And his wife too, who carries wood (thorns of Sadan which she used to put on the way of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), or use to slander him). 5. In her neck is a twisted rope of masad (palm fibre). [Surah Lahab, 111:1­5]

The Opponents The Intimate Opponent

Sometimes the harshest and sternest against your daw’ah may be those closest to you. There are examples from Prophet Ibrahim and Prophet Nuh, may Allah’s peace be upon them both. The Prophet Muhammad (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was no exception to this rule, and his uncle Abu Lahab became one of the most ardent opponents to the da’wah of Islam.

Abu Lahab’s opposition manifested itself in many ways: 1. Physical abuse 2. Forcing his two sons to divorce the Prophet’s (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) daughters 3. Gloating at the Prophet’s (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) son’s death 4. Shadowing the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) to belie him and incite the Arabs

against him.

Abu Lahab was the neighbor of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) and would throw garbage in front of the Prophet’s (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) house.

Ibn Abi Hatim said that his father and Abu Zur`ah both said that `Abdullah bin Az­Zubayr Al­ Humaydi told them that Sufyan informed them that Al­Walid bin Kathir related from Ibn Tadrus who reported that Asma' bint Abi Bakr said, "When

تبت يدآ أبى لهب

(Perish the two hands of Abu Lahab and perish he)!) was revealed, the one­eyed Umm Jamil bint Harb came out wailing, and she had a stone in her hand. She was saying, `He criticizes our father, and his religion is our scorn, and his command is to disobey us.' The Messenger of Allah was sitting in the Masjid (of the Ka`bah) and Abu Bakr was with him. When Abu Bakr saw her he said, `O Messenger of Allah! She is coming and I fear that she will see you.' The Messenger of Allah replied,

» إنها لن تراني «

(Verily, she will not see me.) Then he recited some of the Qur'an as a protection for himself.

So she advanced until she was standing in front of Abu Bakr and she did not see the Messenger of Allah . She then said, `O Abu Bakr! Verily, I have been informed that your friend is making

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defamatory poetry about me.' Abu Bakr replied, `Nay! By the Lord of this House (the Ka`bah) he is not defaming you.' So she turned away saying, `Indeed the Quraysh know that I am the daughter of their leader.'' Al­Walid or another person said in a different version of this Hadith, "So Umm Jamil stumbled over her waist gown while she was making circuits (Tawaf) around the House (the Ka`bah) and she said, `Cursed be the despised one (Mudhamam).'

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “O Abu Bakr! Do you see how Merciful Allah is! They used to scold me and call me names, and now they are doing it to someone else (i.e. Mudhamam, meaning ‘the despised one’). Always try to be positive.

When the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) started making daw’ah, Ruqiyyah and Umm Kulthum were married to the sons of Abu Lahab. When the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) started making daw’ah, he called his family members first. Both the wife of Abu Lahab and Abu Lahab ordered their sons to divorce the daughters of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam).

Utbah brought back his wife to the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) and said that they are no longer related. He ripped his shirt and tried to spit in his face but missed him. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) made du’a and said, “May Allah send one of His dogs (vicious animals) against you.” When Abu Lahab heard this, he was saddened because he knew that Muhammad was a prophet of Allah and that Allah would accept his du’a. They were about to go on a trip to Ash Shaam. Abu Lahab knew in his heart that the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was a prophet of Allah, and if eman was only in the heart, then he would have been a Muslim, but eman consists of belief in the heart, sayings of the tongue, and actions.

Abu Lahab tried to prevent his son Utbah from going on the trip. Utbah replied not to worry about Muhammad. They went and on their way back when they reached an area close to Shaam, there was a lion that came in the afternoon while they were getting ready to settle for the night. The lion sniffed everywhere. The narrator of this story was with them and said that he thought he was going to die when the lion came. The lion sniffed Utbah and then left. Abu Lahab said that they should place all of their belongings in one place and Utbah would sleep on top of it while everyone else would sleep around him. When the sun went down, the lion came back and jumped over everyone and ripped Utbah apart.

Both of these daughters married Uthman ibn Affan (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu).

Abdullah, the son of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was born after revelation and died as an infant. Abu Lahab started to make fun of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) and told him that he had no lineage because he did not have a surviving son. Abu Lahab shadowed the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) wherever he went to tell the people that he was spreading lies. The Quraysh did not feel threatened, but when more people started to accept Islam, they began to feel threatened. They knew that Abu Talib loved his nephew, so some of the ways they tried to oppose the daw’ah of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was to try and convince Abu Talib to leave the protection of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam).

They told him, “O Abu Talib, if you do not stop him, then we will stop him.” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) heard what they had said and was saddened by this meeting. When his uncle was coming to him, he sensed that his uncle may have changed his mind. He started to cry because he loved his uncle very much. He thought that his uncle would forsake him, and he said, “O uncle! By Allah, if they put the sun in my right hand the moon in the left on the condition that I abandon this course, I would not do so until Allah has made me victorious or I

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will perish therein.” When he said this, he got up and turned away. His uncle said, “O nephew! I will never forsake you.” [Al­Seerah Al­Nabaweyyah, Ibn Hesham, vol. 1, pp. 265­266]

The External Opponent

Ways in which they opposed the daw’ah: 1. The use of ridiculing labels such as liar, madman, possessed, poet, magician, and

soothsayer. 2. Questioning the origin of the Quran such as their statements that it is ancient stories or

fiction or that which was taught by someone else. 3. Contrasting Islam with the mythology of ancient nations. 4. Compromise; they will give up part of their teachings if the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi

Wasalam) gives up part of his. 5. Physical ridicule. 6. Physical torture of the Muslims who had no tribe to protect them.

The hadeeth is: "By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, there is no­one of this ummah, Jew or Christian, who hears of me then dies without believing in that with which I have been sent, but he will be one of the people of Hell." (Reported by Muslim, may Allaah have mercy on him, in al­Saheeh, 153). The father of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) had the deen of Ibrahim and Ismail to follow. If someone did not receive the message at all, then what will happen? On the Day of Judgment, Allah will call those people (ahl al fitra) and test them. This test is a very difficult test. Allah will tell them to jump in the Hellfire. If they jump into the Hellfire, then they will enter Paradise, and if they do not, then they will enter the Hellfire.

On the authority of Ibn Jareer and At­Tabarani, the idolaters offered that Muhammad (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) worship their gods for a year, and they worship his Lord for a year. In another version, they said: "If you accept our gods, we would worship yours." Ibn Ishaq related that Al­Aswad bin Al­Muttalib, Al­Waleed bin Al­Mugheerah, Omaiyah bin Khalaf and Al­‘As bin Wa’il As­Sahmy, a constellation of influential polytheists, intercepted the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) while he was circumambulating in the Holy Sanctuary, and offered him to worship that they worshipped, and they worship that he worshipped so that, according to them, both parties would reach a common denominator. They added "Should the Lord you worship prove to be better than ours, then it will be so much better for us, but if our gods proved to be better than yours, then you would have benefit from it." Allah, the Exalted, was decisive on the spot and revealed the following chapter:

"Say: "O Al­Kafirun! I worship not that which you worship, nor will you worship that which I worship. And I shall not worship that which you are worshipping, nor will you worship that which I worship. To you be your religion, and to me my religion (Islamic Monotheism). [Al­ Qur'an 109]

One of the ways to answer the non­Muslims is to read the Quran, especially the Makkan period, because the answers to the questions the non­Muslims will ask you are in the surahs. When they asked, “Who is your Lord?” Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) revealed Surah Al Ikhlaas. The natural instinct of humans is that they turn to Allah (subhanahu wata'ala). It is instilled in them that in times of need they turn to Allah alone.

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The Year of Grief

A few months, or some scholars mention one month, Abu Talib and Khadija (radhi Allahu 'anha) both passed away within the span of a month. When Abu Talib was on his deathbed, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) went to him and told him to say la ilaha ilAllah. Abu Jahl was also present. Some narrations mention that Abu Talib wanted to say it, but the aristocrats who were around him said, “Are you going to leave the religion of Abdul Muttalib?” Abu Talib said, “I am on the religion of Abdul Muttalib. O Muhammad, if I didn’t think that the Quraysh would think that I said this out of fear of death, then I would have said it to please you.” He died without saying la ilaha ilAllah. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was very sad and continued to ask Allah for forgiveness for him. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was married to Khadija (radhi Allahu 'anha) from the age of 25 until three years before the hijrah. His external protection and his internal comfort were both gone. He was so saddened, and the scholars of seerah call this the Year of Grief. It became worse because the physical aggression increased.

The next person in line after Abu Talib in the leadership of Banu Hashim was Abu Jahl. For the first month, Abu Jahl said that he would take over the protection of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) for tribal reasons even though he hated him. Others instigated him to ask the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) to ask where Abdul Muttalib is, and he (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) replied, “He is in the Hellfire.” Abu Jahl then relinquished his protection. The Arabs had a saying, “Help your brother whether he is the oppressor or the one being oppressed.”

The tenth year after the revelation was a very difficult year for the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam). When his uncle passed away, he no longer had his protection. Abu Jahl was an instigator. One day in the assembly of the Quraysh, he said, “I have had enough. Tomorrow I am going to get a big boulder, and when Muhammad smears his face on the dust, I will throw the boulder on his head.” Abu Jahl went the next morning and put a big boulder next to the Kab’ah and was waiting for the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) to come. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) heard about this and was hesitant to pray in front of the Kab’ah that day, and then Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) revealed the end of Surah Alaq and ordered the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) to pray. When the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) made sujood, everyone was waiting to see what would happen. Abu Jahl took the boulder and then his face became pale and he dropped the boulder and ran. Others around asked him what he was doing, and he said, “The biggest camel I had ever seen was running after me!” After hearing this ayah, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said that if Abu Jahl had continued carrying the rock, the angels would have ripped him to pieces.

The next time, Abu Jahl said, “Who dares to finish Muhammad?” Uqbah, the neighbor of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), took his izhar while the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was praying and grabbed him by the neck trying to strangle him. The people were watching. Abu Bakr (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) came and pushed him aside and said, “Are you going to kill someone who says, ‘My Lord is Allah?’” The humiliation and physical aggression increased towards the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam). The next time Abu Jahl saw someone slaughter a camel with a fetus inside, he challenged who would throw it on the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam). Uqbah, the neighbor of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) threw the camel fetus on top of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) while he was in sujood, and the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) did not move. People came knocking on Fatima’s door and told her what had happened, and she came running and crying and

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the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was still in sujood. She cleaned off everything from him, and he said, “Do not weep, my daughter, Allah will verily protect your father.”

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) went to Ta’if thinking of the possibility of having a base there to launch the message from, but they refused and tortured him so much. He escaped Makkah to go to Ta’if in this year and went straight to the leaders. He did not speak with the normal public first. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) called the leaders to Islam, but they made fun of him and said, “If you are indeed a prophet and messenger, then you are too good for us. If you are not a prophet and messenger, then you are a liar, and we do not want to follow a liar.” Before leaving, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) asked them for one thing. “If you are not going to accept the message, do not let the Quraysh know.” He is trying to get them on the side of the Muslims. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) leaving and going to another town to them was considered treachery. The leaders of Ta’if betrayed him. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) left Ta’if and told the children in the streets, and they started to stone him. Zayd ibn Haritha was trying to protect the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam). There was so much blood on him that his shoes were soaking in blood.

Finally , he jumped over a wall from a home. The slave from the home came out and gave him some food and water. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was given some grapes to eat and said ‘bismillah’ when he ate. The slaves who had given him the grapes asked what he had said because it was not what people in the area had said. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) asked him where he was from and then said, “That is the land of my brother Yunus.” The slave accepted Islam and was the only one to accept Islam on his trip.

When the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) left Ta’if, Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) wanted to console the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) because he was very sad. Angel Jibreel came and said, “These are the angels from the mountains, and they have been given orders to ask you. If you want, these two mountains can be raised up and crush those people.” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said that maybe the descendents would grow up worshipping Allah (subhanahu wata'ala). This was the mercy of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) and his tolerance and love for his ummah. He returned to Makkah and made a du’a. The chain for the du’a that we have is considered a very weak chain. In the morning before entering Makkah, Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) revealed Surah Al Jinn. Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) revealed the ayah to console the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) because he was so sad by the rejection of the people of Makkah and Ta’if. “O Muhammad, even if all of the people on earth do not accept your message, another world has heard this message you are conveying, and they have believed in you, so your trip was not in vain.” When the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) prayed fajr, the jinn were looking for something going on in the world and were already wondering what was going on because things had been happening that they did not understand. Before they were able to go up into the heavens and listen to what was going to be decreed, but now, the gates of the heavens were closed and they would be chased by shooting stars and meteors when they tried to go up to listen, and they did not know why. They used to listen to the angels talk about what was going to happen and then spread it to fortune tellers. Before Islam, magic was very widespread, and fortune tellers were more accurate because they worked with the jinn. If something was decreed, Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) would tell the angels what would happen, and this was how Firawn knew that he was going to be killed by someone from Bani Isra’il. They accepted Islam and went back to their people and made daw’ah to their people. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was consoled and told that even though the people had rejected him, the jinn had accepted him.

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Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) revealed the end of Surah Al Ahqaf. “We have heard a book revealed after Musa….” Why did they not mention the Injeel? Some of the scholars have said that these jinn were Jews.

Entering Makkah was going to be difficult because if he entered Makkah, they would kill him because he no longer had the protection of anyone. He decided to stay in the outskirts of Makkah and sent Zayd ibn Haritha to ask different people to offer protection. If someone offers protection, the Arabs honor it. Everyone rejected the offer except for Al Mu’tim ibn ‘Adiy. He had many sons, and he told them to wear their armor so that they could bring the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) back. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was surrounded by the sons of Mu’tim ibn ‘Adiy with full armor and weapons. Al Mu’tim ibn ‘Adiy told the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) to go ahead and make tawaaf around the Kaba’ah. Abu Jahl hears about the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) coming in and Al Mu’tim ibn ‘Adiy offering protection. He asks Mu’tim ibn ‘Adiy if he is following the religion of Muhammad, and he replied no. Abu Jahl then said that his protection would be honored. The reason why he asked is because if Mu’tim was a Muslim, then he would have lost all of his rights.

What are some of the lessons we can extract from this incident? Some people sympathize with Muslims. If you are in a non­Muslim country and are in trouble and need the help of someone and they are able to help, it is fine to accept the help. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) treated him appropriately because he helped him a lot. In the Battle of Badr, when the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was faced with 70 captives from the Quraysh, he said, “If Al Mu’tim ibn ‘Adiy was alive and he came here and he spoke to me on their behalf, I would have let them all go free for nothing.” You love your Muslim brothers more than anyone because they have not committed shirk, which is the greatest sin and most detested by Allah.

Ibn Hajar commented on the example of the prostitute who helped a dog and said that this was a dog, so if a person helps a human, they receive more reward, and even more reward if the person is a Muslim.

The Sanctions

The Muslims were able to worship Allah much more freely, which angered the Quraysh and aristocrats. They had to think of a new method of opposing the daw’ah, and they decided to write up a decree to ostracize Banu Hashim and Banu Abdul Muttalib. They said, “If you are not with us, then you are against us.” They would punish people even if they were not Muslim. They wrote up a decree and decided to not sell to the Muslims. All of Banu Abdul Muttalib decided to settle the sanction against them, but Abu Talib gathered Banu Hashim and Banu Abdul Muttalib together, both Muslims and non­Muslims. They had given permission for anyone to kill Muhammad if they could do it without anyone finding out who had done it. Abu Talib decided to bring Banu Hashim and Banu Abdul Muttalib to a mountain pass, and they were to settle there. He said that the only way to protect Muhammad was to bring him and live between the mountain passes because if you are between two mountains, there are only two ways to come in, and if everyone is there and the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) is there, then they cannot murder the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), and it is easier to protect him. The non­ Muslims and the Muslims were living together and tested together because of tribal reasons.

From the seerah of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), we do not see the Muslims looking down upon the non­Muslims when they were helping them. In a non­Muslim society,

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there are many non­Muslims who will stand side by side with the Muslims. Some of the agreements in the decree were that they forbade all of the Quraysh to buy or sell to Banu Hashim. They wrote all of the conditions and hung it inside of the Kab’ah to make it more sacred and make it seem like it was a religious obligation. They would not buy or sell from them, and they also forbade visiting Banu Hashim and Banu Abdul Muttalib. The visitation was forbidden so that the non­Muslims would not sympathize with the Muslims because they were starving while they were living in the mountain pass. Abu Jahl would speak to the leaders of the caravans before they arrived and told them not to sell to the Muslims.

Sa’ad ibn Abi Waqas mentioned that these times lasted for three years. He said that they were so hungry, sometimes they would eat leaves. One time in the dark night, he stepped on something wet, and he was so hungry that he ate it and until that day he did not know what he had eaten. He found leather pieces from shoes and boiled it and cut it into pieces and ate it. The Muslims were suffering.

How were the Muslims able to get some food? They had relatives who would sometimes sneak in a little bit of food. After three years, some of the leaders, including Mut’im ibn ‘Adiy, who sympathized with the Muslims said that it was enough. They had planned it to make it seem that everyone thinks the same way. When they went to take down the paper they had hung inside the Kaba’ah, they discovered that with the exception of the words “In Thy Name, O Allah”, the rest of the document had already been eaten up by white ants. Al Mut’im ibn ‘Adiy never accepted Islam but was always nice to the Muslims. After that, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) and the companions were able to leave the mountain pass and went back into their houses.

Isra’ & Miraj

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was consoled also by isra wa al­miraj. The angel Jibreel (alayhi salaam) came down from the roof of the house. During times of hardship, you need eman to strengthen yourself. Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) sent Jibreel down and opened the chest of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) and filled it with eman. Isra is the night journey. Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) said, “Pure is that Being who transported His slave by night from Masjid al­Haram to Masjid al­Aqsa, the vicinity of which We have blessed to show him Our ayat….” He rode Buraaq from Makkah to Jerusalem only. He led the prayer there. All of the prophets prayed with the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) to show that he is the best of the prophets and most noble of the prophets. We do not distinguish between the prophets in terms of belief. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) is the highest in status.

On this night: 1. The Messenger of Allah’s (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) heart was extracted and

washed in Zamzam. 2. He was given the choice between milk and wine and chose milk. A sign his followers

would be choosers of good. At this time in Makkah, alcohol was not prohibited. It was an indication that it would later be prohibited.

3. He saw two hidden rivers and two manifest rivers, the Nile and Euphrates. A sign that from those fertile lands his followers would come.

4. He met the gatekeeper of Hell and saw the punishment. 5. He witnessed the kingdom of Paradise.

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The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was ordered to pray 50 times. When he came back, he met Musa (alayhi salaam) who told him that his followers would not be able to pray 50 times, so ask Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) to decrease the number. His ummah had only been given two prayers, and they were negligent. He went back and Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) decreased it from 50 to 45 to 40 until there were only 5 left. We know that Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) knows what is going to happen. Why did He have the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) go back and forth? Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) wanted us to know and realize that He created us to worship Him. Because of His Mercy, He decreased the number of prayers to 5 obligatory prayers, but if we pray them properly, we will receive the reward of 50. Allah made the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) go back and forth to make us realize that we have been ordered to do this.

The Plan Move Away – Habashah (Abyssinia)

During the fourth and fifth year before the hijrah, the Muslims were being persecuted so severely, and the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) gave permission to the Muslims to make hijrah to Habashah. Before they left for Habashah, Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) revealed Surah Al Kahf.

In this surah, there are many lessons for us to reflect upon and learn, especially during our time. It is sunnah to read Surah Al Kahf every Friday. Allah will give a person who reads it light from one Friday to the next Friday. This is a surah revealed for a community living among non­muslims who are being persecuted, so it is doubly important for us.

Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) speaks at the beginning about young men: 18:16 (Asad Translation) ”Hence, now that you have withdrawn from them and from all that they worship instead of God, take refuge in that cave: God will spread His grace over you, and will endow you ­ whatever your [outward] condition ­ with all that your souls may need!” These young men lived in a very hostile environment and everyone around them were non­ Muslims who did not believe in Allah, and they were being persecuted for believing in Allah (subhanahu wata'ala). There are similarities between the people of the Cave (Ahl al Kahf) and the group of Muslims migrating to Habashah. The people of the cave were being persecuted because they believed in Allah alone. When they came back after the long sleep of 300 years they found that everyone was saying La Ilaha Illah Allah but before they went to the cave everyone did not. The Muslims who left to Habashah left at a time when very few people said La Illaha Illah Allah. So there was a lesson for the migrants to Habashah in Surat al Kahf. When the migrants to Habashah came back they saw Bilal making athan in the Kaa’bah.

In Surah Al Kahf, Allah also speaks about the story of Musa and Khidr. From this story, we learn that things are not always what they seem. At the end of Surah al Kahf is the story of Dhul Qarnayn, and the lesson is that Allah will allow the true believers of Allah to be victorious and the inheritors of this earth. Allah is preparing the Muslims and teaching them to take care of themselves so that they can worship Allah properly.

If you cannot practice Islam properly in the place where you live, then find another community where there is knowledge and where you will have friends who will

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strengthen you to become better Muslims even if it is a non­Muslim country. Sometimes it is harder to raise our children in Muslim countries. We need to be reading Surat Al Kahf each Friday, and even better to memorize it, so you can listen to it or recite it every day on the way to work. It is a complete surah to energize you.

There were two groups that went to Abyssinia, first a small group and then a larger group. The first group consisted of 12 men and 4 women. One of the first people to go to Habashah was Ruqiyyah, who was married to Uthman ibn Affan. Uthman ibn Affan was tortured severly by roasting which is why he migrated to Habashah. The group was led by Ja’far ibn Abi Talib. They left secretly in the night because the Makkans would not let them leave so easily. When arrived in Jeddah, they were blessed to find a ship that was going across the Red Sea to Abyssinia.

In Abyssinia, An­Najashi was a just king who welcomed them. It was a Christian kingdom. During this time Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) revealed Surah Maryam, which is preparation for the Muslims because they are going to a Christian country. Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) is teaching them the beliefs of the Christians and how to speak to them. If living in a Christian country, then it is incumbent upon a da’ee to know their beliefs also. We should also learn the beliefs of those who are around us. Part of hikmah is understanding who you are speaking with so that you know how to address them and build on common grounds. There were rumors circulating that some of the Makkans had accepted Islam. Some Muslims returned to find out that this was not true. The origin of the rumors came from the incident where the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wslam) made sujood and the non­Muslims joined him and made sujood. They did not become Muslim they just made sujood. The second group consisted of 83 men and 19 women. When the people of Makkah heard about the Muslims leaving, they sent two people, Amr Ibn Al ‘As and Abdullah Ibn Rabi’ah, to retrieve the Muslims and bring them back. The two went to Al­ Najashi and brought with them fine leather as a gift to Al­Najashi to bribe him. Makkah was known for fine leather. When Amr Ibn Al Aaas and Abdullah Ibn Rabee’ah arrived in Habashah, the Muslims were afraid that the king, would force them to leave. They began discussing the matter. Their leader, Ja’far ibn Abi Talib, was also their spokesman. Lesson: as Muslims we need to organize ourselves and have a designated person who will speak when something happens. The night before going to An­Najashi, Amr Ibn Al ‘As went to the ministers and people close to An­Najashi and gave them presents and said, “Tomorrow, when we see An­Najashi, I want you to tell An­Najashi that these people are foolish youths and criminals from Makkah and they do not follow your religion and have left our religion, and the elders in Makkah want them back. Speak to An­Najashi and make sure that he does not meet the Muslims.” He knows that if the Muslims speak to An­Najashi, he will decide on the affair justly. Amr Ibn Al­‘As was making sure that An­Najashi does not hear the Muslim side of the story. Amr Ibn Al­‘As spoke to An­Najashi. Upon hearing this, all of An­Najashi’s advisers said that these two people from Makkah know their people better. An­Najashi said that he would not expel anyone from his kingdom before speaking with them. He called for the Muslims. Ja’far Ibn Abi Talib represented the Muslims. An­Najashi told them what Amr Ibn Al­‘As said that he wants to hear their side. Ja’far said, “We used to worship idols and we used to eat meat that was not slaughtered properly and we used to commit fornication and adultery and used to cut relations and harm people until a man came, the best of us, with a message from the Lord of the Universe and he ordered us to worship Allah alone and not worship any idols”. Notice the words of Ja’far. He used hikmah when speaking. He began by mentioning things that the Muslims have in common with the Christians. Christians also do not worship statues and

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idols, and they also did not eat non­zabihah meat. His words show that he knows a lot about the beliefs of the Christians, and he is building on common grounds.

Lesson 1: When speaking to a Christian, mention the things you have in common first. So, if speaking to a Christian, The first thing you want to say to them is no Muslim is a Muslim until he/she believes in Jesus. Yes, we believe he is a prophet and a Messenger of God, and we believe in the miracle birth, and mention things we have in common with Christians. Many of them don’t realize this and think that this is a barbaric religion. An atheist is a ½ muslim, how? Because they say Laa ilaaha – all you have to do is get them to say the 2 nd half ­­ illa Allah! (Some say there is no deity worthy of worship. Help them complete it with except for Allah). Lesson 2: Designate a speaker and a person in charge. Even though the Muslims were immigrants and a very small minority they were organized and had a designated speaker.

Amr ibn Al­‘As said that he would meet An­Najashi the next day again to tell him what the Muslims believe. He went to An­Najashi and said, “O king, do you know what the Muslims say about Jesus?” Al Najashi said addressing the Muslims, “What is it that I hear that you say about Jesus? Do you have anything that your Prophet has given to you?” Ja’far ibn Abi Talib started to recite Surah Maryam. When An­Najashi heard the words in Surah Maryam, he started to cry, and there was commotion in the court. An­Najashi took his stick and hit it against the ground and said, “You may fret and fume as you like, but Jesus is nothing more than what Ja’far has said about him.” There was a split in the court because some of them thought it was blasphemy, and some said that An­Najashi has apostated. An­Najashi said, “These people can live in my kingdom for as long as they want, and anyone who harms them will be severely punished. Go and live freely and worship God freely in this land.” Abdullah Ibn Rabi’ah and Amr Ibn Al ‘As had failed in their task. They made An­Najashi understand Islam even more. There was a split in the court and the Muslims heard of a plan of a coup against An­Najashi and they feared he would be overthrown. So they made du’aa for him to get victory.

Lesson: you can make du’aa for someone who favors the Muslims even though they themselves aren’t Muslim.

When the Muslims heard that An­Najashi had defeated his enemies, the Muslims said “Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar!”

Lesson: This is sunnah. They did not say: “Takbeer!”. You just say Allahu Akbar and everyone says it with you when some good news comes.

In the beginning, An­Najashi did not openly proclaim his Islam because there would have been a coup. For the protection of the Muslims, he did not proclaim his Islam. One of the reasons why Abu Talib never accepted Islam was that the Makkans would no longer have honored his protection.

The Muslims found a place to settle temporarily. When the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) settled in Madinah, he did not call everyone back. Ja’far ibn Abi Talib stayed in Habashah until the 8 th year after the hijrah. The majority of the Muslims did not come to Madinah. Why did the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) not call all of the Muslims to Madinah? As a Muslim, when you have some plans, you should always have a back­up plan. The reason why the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) did not call Ja’far was so that if it did not work out in Madinah, then they would still be able to go to Habashah. As Muslims, put trust in Allah (subhanahu wata'ala). We should always have a back­up plan. The Muslims found a place to settle and settled there.

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When Mu’sab ibn Umayr (the young companion) was imprisoned in his own house by his mother, and when he escaped, he went to Habashah.

When this occurred, something in Makkah also happened. The uncle of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was returning from a hunting trip and passed by the assembly of the Quraysh and by Safa. At Safa, there was a slave girl who had just witnessed Abu Jahl cursing the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam). When she saw Hamzah ibn Abdul Muttalib, she said, “Do you know what Abu Jahl just said to your nephew?” When Hamzah heard these words, he became very angry and went to the assembly of the Quraysh where Abu Jahl and many of his clansmen were. He took his bow and went straight to Abu Jahl and hit him and told him that he is also a Muslim. Hamzah said he was a muslim out of anger. Abu Jahl knew how strong Hamzah was, and he did not want any more problems and said, “Stay back. I did say bad things about his nephew, so leave him alone.” Hamzah ibn Abdul Muttalib began reflecting upon what he had just said about being a Muslim. He finally went to the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) and spoke to him and accepted Islam.

Lesson: when you want someone to accept Islam, you want them to make that conviction as soon as possible because as soon as they label themselves as Muslim, it will bring them into the fence.

Some companions would come to the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) and say that they wanted to accept Islam on certain conditions. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) would tell them to just say la ilaha ilAllah. When they accepted la ilaha ilAllah, he would teach them. Once they called themselves Muslims, they would give up their conditions. The Muslims were strengthened by the acceptance of Islam by Hamzah ibn Abdul Muttalib. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “O Allah, strengthen Islam with one of the two Umars.” The du’a referred either to Abu Jahl of Umar ibn Al Khattab. Umar (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) accepted Islam around the same time as Hamzah. When he accepted Islam, he went to dar ul­arqam, which was the meeting place of the Muslims located in the middle of Makkah next to Safa. It was an appropriate and strategic place to have meetings. It was a busy area and more common for people to be in that area. If someone was heading in that direction, no one would ask where the person was going. Many new Muslims learned their deen there. When Umar (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) accepted Islam, he asked why they were hiding there because they had the truth. Umar and Hamzah led the Muslims in two rows, and it was the first time that they publicly prayed in Masjid Al­Haram. The methods that the non­Muslims were using against the Muslims were less effective, and they could not persecute the Muslims like they did before. Islam became very strong with their acceptance of the message. Many people in Habashah came back after that because Islam was much stronger.

The Pledge of Allegiance

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) during each Hajj season would try to take advantage and make daw’ah to the people. He would call every group that came to Islam. He asked, “Who is there who will protect me and allow me to convey the message of Allah, and they will have paradise.” The majority said, “Your own people have rejected you. How are we going to accept you?” By tradition, you help your own tribal members. Arabs would help their tribesmen regardless if they were the oppressed or the oppressors. The other tribes also did not want to become Quraish’s enemies so no one helped him Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wslam. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) kept asking people and was always shadowed by his uncle.

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Lesson: Prophet Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wslam never stopped making dawa to people. He took every opportunity speaking to even the visitors of Makkah.

Finally, the Prophet Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wslam found a group of six people from Madina, of Al Khazraj tribe, who wanted a leader. Background: The ‘Aws and the Khazraj were arch­rivals in Madinah, and they had been fighting each other for a long time. In the 5 th year after revelation, there was a great civil war in Madinah between the Aws and the Khazraj tribes. It was called the day of Buaath. The majority of the leaders of the Aws and Khazraj died in this civil war. The Aws and Khazraj were tired of fighting and wanted to talk and set a treaty. They had to pick a leader and become one nation, but could not pick one from Aws or Khazraj because they would fight again.

A group of six people from Madina, from Al Khazraj tribe, met the Prophet Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wslam. He spoke to them and called them to Islam. One of the members of the group said “this man is the same man that the Jews have been talking about all along”.

Background: The Jews were living in Madinah because they were waiting for the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) to come. They had read in their books that it was the place of the final messenger. They used to look down upon the Aws and Khazraj and considered them second class people. Every time they had wars and conflicts and battles, the Jews would always say, “The time will come when the final prophet will come and will fight with us side by side, and we will destroy you polytheists.” The Aws and Khazraj knew of the coming of the final prophet from the Jews, and one of them said that this man was the same man they had been waiting for and talking about. They know that whomever is with him will be victorious.

So, one of the khazraj men in that group said that they should beat the Jews to the him (the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam)) and be on his side. They saw the leadership qualities of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) and immediately knew that he was a person who could bring them together. They then accepted Islam and went and made dawa in Madina. The next year twelve people came from Madina and met the Prophet Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wslam and accepted Islam.

First Bay’aat Al Aqabah بيعة العقبه االولى

In the 12th year, another group came from Madinah the majority of which were from Al­Khazraj tribe. They accepted Islam and affirmed their belief. They took a pledge in Aqabah, a place between the Jamaraat in Mina and Makkah. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) met them in the night because he did not want the Quraysh to know. They pledged to:

• Believe in Allah • Not to steal • Not to falsely accuse • Not to commit fornication or adultery

If they fulfilled this pledge, they would get paradise. They then returned to Madinah.

When they returned back to Madinah, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) sent Musab ibn Umayr who had returned from Habashah. He had memorized a lot of the Quran. He was sent to teach and make daw’ah and to lead the Muslims in prayer. In the time that Musab ibn Umayr was

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in Madinah, by the next year almost everyone in Madinah had someone in their family who had accepted Islam. Musab ibn Umayr is considered the first ambassador in Islam. Why was Musab ibn Umayr sent to lead them in prayer? He had memorized a lot of the Quran, and the Aws and Khazraj were enemies, so if there was a leader from amongst the Aws, then the Khazraj would not have followed, and if the imam was from the Khazraj, then the Aws would not have followed.

Second Baya’at Al Aqabah بيعة العقبه الثانيه

The next year, 13 th year after revelation, Musab ibn Umayr came back with a group of pilgrims part of which were non­Muslims. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) decided to meet with the new Muslims in a secret meeting. In the middle of the night, the Muslims (72 total) in the Madinah camp snuck out and went to Aqabah where the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) requested to meet them. When they went to meet with the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), he was with Al Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib. Al Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib was not a Muslim at the time. He protected the prophet Sallah Allahu Alyhi Waslam because it was his tribal obligation since he was the next elder in the family after Abu Lahab which had forsaken the Prophet SAW.

Al Abbas was the first to speak, and he said, “O you people of Khazraj, you all know the position that Muhammad holds amongst us. We have protected him from our people as much as we could. He is honored and respected among his people. He refuses to join any party except you. So if you think you can carry out what you promise while inviting him to your town, and if you can defend him against the enemies, then assume the burden that you have taken. But if you are going to surrender him and betray him after having taken him away with you, you had better leave him now because he is respected and well defended in his own place.” The Aws and Khazraj pledged allegiance:

1. To listen and obey in all sets of circumstances. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was going to Madinah as a leader and not as a follower.

2. To spend in plenty as well as in scarcity. The effort is physical and financial.

3. To enjoin good and forbid evil. 4. In Allah’s service, you will fear the censure of none. 5. To defend me [Prophet Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wsalam] in case I seek your help, and protect

me from anything you protect yourself, your spouses and children from.

In return, they would get Jannah! This became known as Bayat Al Aqabah Al­Thaniyah الثانيه العقبه بيعة ,The Second Pledge of Alaqabah. Right when they finished the Bay’ah, the Ansar said “ O’ Messenger of Allah should we take our swords from the sheath now? (i.e. start fighting)” and the prophet said “not yet…” because it was not time to fight and he told them to disperse.

That morning Abu Lahab confronted the medina camp about the rumors of Bayaa and protection. The non­Muslims who didn’t go out at night and had no knowledge of the accusation denied it and the Muslims among them said nothing. So Abu Lahab went back and the Quraysh then thought that they were just rumors that they had heard.

The Ansaar, people of Madinah, returned back to Madinah after Hajj, and the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) gave permission to the companions to start the hijrah to Madinah. The

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Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) spent 13 years in Makkah establishing tawheed. This was a stage in which there was peaceful daw’ah and tolerance. People accepted Islam but not in large numbers. Additionally, there were no hypocrites in Makkah because hypocrites are those people who pretend to be Muslims, and this only occurs if the Muslims have the upper hand.

Hijrah to Madinah

One of the early people to make hijrah was Abdullah ibn Umm Makhtoum. Abu Salamah had his wife and child on a camel. When they found the family of Umm Salamah, they attacked Abu Salamah and Umm Salamah and held her back and said that they would not allow him to take her to Madinah. Abu Salamah tried to fight and was overcome, but he eventually went to Madinah without his wife. When Abu Salamah’s family found out what had happened, they took the child and said, “This child is our family also.” Umm Salamah was separated from her son and her husband. Umm Salamah was so saddened by this that every day after asr, she would look towards the direction of Madinah and cry. They had returned from Abyssinia and thought that they would be able to worship Allah without any persecution. Sometimes families are separated.

The majority of the companions snuck out of Makkah. After one year, one of Umm Salamah’s relatives pleaded on her behalf to let her go. They let her go, and she was re­united with her child. She had a camel, but she did not know how to go to Madinah. Abu Talha saw her and asked her where she was going. He offered to bring her to her husband. She said that he was one of the most noble of people. Every time they would rest, he would put them under the shade and take care of them and go and when it was time to leave, he would come back. Abu Salamah was re­united with his wife, and then the Battle of Badr occurred. Just after being re­united with her husband, he was martyred. She faced so much hardship and was very emotional and said, “I am so saddened by this that I will wail and cry for a whole year so that the Arabs would know how much I loved my husband and how good a person he was.” When the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) heard this, he sent someone to tell her to be patient and not do this act. He told her a du’a to say and Allah would replace him with someone better. “O Allah reward me in this calamity of mine and replace me with something better.” When Umm Salamah heard this advice, she said it, but she wondered who was better than Abu Salamah. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) married Umm Salamah (radhi Allahu 'anha).

‘To Allah we belong and unto Him is our return. O Allah, recompense me for my affliction and replace it for me with

something better.’

Suhaib ibn Sinan Ar­Rumi was an Arab who was captured very young as a slave by the Romans and grew up speaking their language. When he returned back to Makkah, he was a poor slave who was then freed and worked his way up society and became wealthy. He was captured, and they asked, “O Suhaib, do you think that you are going to come to Makkah and become rich from us and then we will let you go?” They refused to let him go, and Suhaib said, “If money is the reason you are preventing me from going, then if I were to give you all of my money, would you let me go?” They agreed, and he showed him where his money was and let him go. The Prophet

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(Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) heard about this and said, “You have embarked on a profitable transaction.”

There is a lesson in this for us to learn. Many of us came from foreign countries and were poor when we came. We earn degrees and then are over­educated to return home and have good jobs and homes. There might come a time when they will say to you, “You came here as a poor student and studied here and became rich off of us, and we do not want you anymore. Go back to your home country. We will freeze your bank account.” Do you go back or do you live here and be tested?

Many companions left secretly. Abu Bakr (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) would often come to the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) and ask him if he could go, but the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) would tell him to wait and maybe Allah would give him someone to go with. When the Makkans realized that people were leaving, they decided to not let the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) go. They had a big meeting which was so important that all of the tribal leaders of the Quraysh were at the meeting and refused to let Abu Lahb attend the meeting because he was from Bani Hashim even though he hated the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam).

All of the leaders gathered together and tried to decide what to do because the Muslims were leaving Makkah, and they know that he will be leaving as well. At the same time, they could not just kill him because it would cause a civil war. Bani Hashim was very strong, and if one tribe killed another, then they would crush that tribe, and they did not want that to occur. This meeting was such an important meeting that Iblis attended in the form of an old man from Najd. They were discussing the matter and what to do with Muhammad. They could not let him go freely because if he received the protection of the people of Madinah, then they would fight against them. The people of Madinah were known warriors. One of them said, “Let’s keep him and lock him up and not let him go.” The man from Najd (Iblis) said, “If you lock him up, then his followers will eventually free him.” They said, “Why don’t we kick him out and not let him return to Makkah?” The man from Najd (Iblis) said, “His words are like magic, and he will mesmerize the Arabs with his words and they will follow him and they will come back and crush all of you.” Abu Jahl said, “Everyone choose one strong young man from your tribe, and strike him with one strike at once. If we do that, then Bani Hashim would have to accept the blood money.” The man from Najd (Iblis) said, “That is the plan.”

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was told of their plan by Jibreel. In the middle of the day, people are sleeping. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) left at noon time and covered up his face so that he would not be recognized, and he went to the home of Abu Bakr (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu). One of the daughters opens the door, and Abu Bakr (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) immediately said that something was important because no one comes at that time of the day. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “Tell everyone to leave the house.” Abu Bakr (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) said, “O Messenger of Allah, this is just your family.” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) let them stay.

“And (remember) when the disbelievers plotted against you (O Muhammad (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) [8:30]

When we are given the opportunity to teach people this deen, we should be happy. It should not be a burden for us. We should be happy to help out Muslim organizations and that Allah is giving us the opportunity and the will and the desire to want to help Islam. This in itself deserves thanking and praising of Allah (subhanahu wata'ala). Abu Bakr (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) knew

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how important the journey was in Islamic history. He broke down and started crying and could not stop crying because he wants to serve. If you are given the opportunity to do anything for Islam, you should be happy and not look at it as a burden. It is a blessing that Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) has given you this opportunity.

Abu Bakr (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) loved the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) so much and had already been preparing for the journey. He said, “O Messenger of Allah, I have two camels that I have fattened and prepared since Aqabah just for this journey.” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “O Abu Bakr, I will pay for them.” He (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) refused except to pay, showing that a da’ee should always try to be as self­sufficient as possible. He should not be depending on other people for his sustenance. He should not depend on the people of the community if possible. A da’ee should always try his best to live as simply as possible and at the same time try not to depend on other people if at all possible.

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) and Abu Bakr (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) planned what to do. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) hired a man by the name of Abdullah ibn Urqud who was a non­Muslim polytheist as a guide for this journey. Why would he hire a non­ Muslim for such an important journey? This is another lesson for us to learn that the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) wanted to hire the best. As Muslims, our daw’ah should use the best method possible. We should not settle for second class. Islam is a precious commodity, and you want to give it to other people. In daw’ah projects, you may have a Muslim who can provide services for a cheaper fee, but he may not do as high quality a job as the Muslim who is professional. It is ok to hire someone if it is for the best. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) told him after three days to meet him at a certain place and did not tell him the plan. When you do things, try to make them as professional as possible because you want to do the most professional job that you can.

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was going to go south instead of north. He (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) went back home and spoke to Ali (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu). He (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) told him to sleep in his bed in his green cloak. Ali (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) knew that the Quraysh were trying to kill the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), and he knew that the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was asking him to pretend to be him. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “Do not worry. Allah will protect you.” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) told Ali (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) to return all of the amanah before leaving. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was very trustworthy, and the non­Muslims knew that he was trustworthy and left their possessions with him, but they did not trust them with their deen because of their arrogance. Why did the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) not return the possessions himself? If he did so, then everyone would know that he was leaving.

The non­Muslims started to surround the house of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), and Abu Jahl was present to make sure that nothing was wrong. After sunset, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) snuck out from the back door. He took a handful of sand and dust and tossed it in the air. The dust goes into the eyes of the non­Muslims. This was a miracle from Allah (subhanahu wata'ala).

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) snuck out through the back and began reciting Surah Ya Sin. “And We put a barrier before them, and a barrier behind them, and We have covered them up, so they cannot see.” [36:9]

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The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) sneaks out, and when he leaves, he looks back and misses Makkah. He said, “I wouldn’t leave you because I know that you are the most beloved place on the face of the earth to Allah. If my people did not kick me out, I would not leave you.” The plan was that the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) would spend three days in a cave towards the south of Makkah. He knows that the Quraysh will be looking for him towards the north and if after three days they cannot find him, then the search would calm down and they would stop searching. He (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) wanted to wait until they stopped searching.

The Quraysh had surrounded his home and were waiting for him to leave. A woman came to them and asked them why they were outside because she had heard that the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) had already left. Then they decided to go in the house and removed the blanket and found Ali (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu). They beat him and took him to the Kaba’ah, but Ali (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) did not tell them anything. He did not know which way they had gone. Abu Jahl went straight to Abu Bakr’s home and asked Asma for her father. She replied that she did not know. She did know because she was part of the plan, and her job was to bring the food to the cave. Abu Jahl slapped her so hard that her earrings flew off. Is she lying? It is permissible to lie in warfare.

Where we left off: We were speaking about the hijrah of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam). When he (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) started the hijrah, he received warning from Jibreel (alayhi salaam) telling him that it was time for him to leave and that night he should not sleep on his bed. When he (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) snuck out from the back, he went towards the cave of Thawr, which was the opposite direction of Madinah so that the non­Muslims would be deceived. The non­Muslims started a wide­spread search for the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) and set a bounty. They said that whoever finds Muhammad dead or alive would receive 100 camels. They also gave word to the people around the area, and the bedouins started to search for the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam).

Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) promised His Messenger victory. He (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) took many precautionary measures. He was going to stay for three days in a cave. He hired a guide to take him from Makkah to Madinah. In the cave, they needed food and water, and Asma bint Abi Bakr was responsible for bringing the food. She used to tie the food from her girdle to bring it. Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr was responsible for bringing the news to the cave. The problem with people coming back and forth from the cave to Makkah was that trails would be left where the people would walk. They used to leave in the night but even then trails would be left. Aamir ibn Fuhayrah, the freed slave of Abu Bakr, was responsible for bringing the flock of sheep to that area everyday to graze. By going to that area to graze, two purposes were achieved: 1) footprints would be covered and 2) it would provide the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) with milk. Because he was a shepherd, no one would be suspicious of him being in that area. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) put his trust in Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) but also planned this trip very well and very carefully.

When you put your trust in Allah (subhanahu wata'ala), you do all that you can first and then hope for the Mercy of Allah (subhanahu wata'ala). Do not just sit and not plan for things. If you are planning to enter Jannah, then you cannot just live life haphazardly. Plan things and set your goals for what you want. Think about what you can do to please Allah (subhanahu wata'ala). Try to be consistent. Write out what you need to do and the minimum requirements to maintain consistency. Consistency is what will keep your eman high. Hadeeth: “The best of deeds are those which are consistent even if it is a little.”

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When living in the desert, one needs to be a professional, which is why the bedouins were the best. The man hired to bring the non­Muslims to look for the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) brought them to the mouth of the cave. There are narrations about the cave and many have weaknesses. It has been established in the seerah of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) that the non­Muslims did come near the cave.

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was not worried, but Abu Bakr (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) was worried. He (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “What do you think of two people when Allah is the third?” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) did all that was humanly possible and after that, he made du’a to Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) and putting his trust in Allah (subhanahu wata'ala). We learn over and over again that putting your trust in Allah means doing all that you can first. If you fully put your trust in Allah, Allah will take care of you.

Hadeeth: “If you were to truly put your trust in Allah as you should, then Allah would provide for you just as he provides for the bird. It leaves in the morning on an empty stomach and comes back everyday with a full stomach.” In this hadeeth, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said that the bird leaves. The bird does not stay and wait for the worms to come to it. Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) said, “Indeed those who believe and those who migrate and those who make jihad in the cause of Allah (subhanahu wata'ala), those are the ones who hope in the Mercy of Allah. Indeed Allah is Oft­Forgiving, Most Merciful.” Most people say Allahu Ghafoor ar­ Raheem but do not take the steps to please Allah (subhanahu wata'ala). From the sunnah, we learn that putting trust in Allah means doing all that you can first.

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) stays in the cave for three days, and afterwards, he heads in the direction of the coast. The first day, there were many people searching for the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam). By the third day, they would not longer search in the nearby areas because they thought that he would be far away. On his way to the Red Sea, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) took the coastal route and then the interior route and would criss­cross rather than taking the normal route.

The leader of the non­Muslims was Suraqa ibn Maalik and was sitting with his friends. A man came into their gathering and said that he thought he saw Muhammad and his companion on the horizon. Suraqa ibn Maalik knew it was them and was thinking about the 100 camels and did not want to share them, so he told the man that he did not see Muhammad. He sat for a little while more and did not go immediately so that the people would not be suspicious. He then went home and told his slave girl to go behind the sand dune and bring the horse with her. He headed in the direction the man had told him. When he came near them, he saw them and could hear the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) reciting Quran. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) told Abu Bakr not to fear because Allah is with them. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) knew that the man was coming from behind. When Suraqa was coming from behind, he was dragging his spear so that no one would see the spear. When he came close to the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), Abu Bakr (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) was worried, but the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was not worried. Suraqa saw Abu Bakr turning around back and forth but the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) kept walking. He (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) continued walking because he had done all that he could and fully put his trust in Allah.

Suraqa tried to come closer, and then his horse fell. He continues, and the front two legs of the horse go deep into the sand, and he falls again. He starts to have doubts and decided to pick lots to decide what to do in the matter. Every time he did so, he would pick the one indicating he should give up and go back. Suraqa did not follow it.

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When a Muslims asks a question, he should ask sincerely those whom he trusts, and when he receives the answer, he is obligated to follow the answer. Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) says, “Ask the people of knowledge if you do not know.” It is foolish to ask someone and not follow.

Suraqa continued, and a large black cloud came. He then became afraid and thought that the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was protected. He calls out, “O Muhammad, I come in peace!” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) told him to come. Suraqa asked, “O Muhammad, I come in peace, and I want your protection. I want a promise that when you are victorious that you do not harm me and your followers do not harm me.” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) agreed. He asks for the promise in writing. Aamir ibn Fuhayrah wrote down the promise and gave it to him. Suraqa asked if there was anything that they needed that he had with him which he could give, and the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said that they did not need anything, but he (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) asked him to try to make people stop searching for them. Suraqa changed from trying to kill the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) to becoming a helper.

This is a lesson for us in daw’ah that we should always try to be self­sufficient because the strength in daw’ah is stronger if you are not dependent upon people. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “O Suraqa, how would it be on that day when you would wear the bracelets of Qisra?” In the middle of trials and tribulations, one thing that can strengthen a person is to think of the eminent promise of victory ahead. In the ummah, many things have happened from the beginning until our time. There have been many trials and tribulations. In times of trials and tribulations, read the hadeeth about the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) about the promise of victory. During the time of Umar (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu), the treasures and jewels of Persia were brought to Madinah. Suraqa came and reminded him, and Umar (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) put the bracelets on Suraqa. Suraqa said, “Alhumdulillah. All praises to be to Allah who has guided Suraqa to this position.” He is about to turn around and leave, and Umar (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) calls him back to give the bracelets back. Suraqa said that the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said that he would have them, and Umar (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) said that the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) had told him that he would wear them and not keep them and that they belonged to the Muslims.

During this trip, many people knew Abu Bakr (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu), but they did not all know the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) because Abu Bakr (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) was a merchant. Aisha (radhi Allahu 'anha) said that he was the best of the merchants of the Quraysh. The people would ask Abu Bakr (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) who was with him, and he (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) said, “He shows me the way.” He is not lying. The people think that he means that he is guiding him on the road, but he meant that the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) is guiding him to the straight path. This shows that if you do not need to lie, then do not even in times of warfare.

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) continued on his trip, and upon reaching near the coastal area, they saw a place belong to Umm Ma’bad who was known for her generosity. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) asked if they had any provisions, and she said, “If I did have anything, you would not have to ask. You know how we are.” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) saw a small, skinny goat, and he (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) asked if he could milk the goat. She tells him that the goat is sick and cannot follow the flock, which is why it was there. He asks for a container, and Umm Ma’bad gives a small container. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) asks for a larger container. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) says ‘Bismillah’ and puts his hand on the udder, and the udeer starts to swell. He

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(Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) gave everyone there enough milk to drink until they were full, and then he filled the bucket for them to use afterwards. The companions were well­mannered and would not drink before the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), but he said, “The person who is serving is the last person to drink.” This is good manners. If you are serving someone, do not drink first.

The hadeeth of Umm Ma’bad is one of the best descriptions of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) in the seerah. She described the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) when her husband came home and saw the milk. She told him the story of what happened, and Abu Ma’bad asked her to describe him. She said, “I found him a man with a bright face. He did not have the defect of the tummy and was of smooth skin, heavy but good looking. Dark of eyes. Eye lashes drooping down long. Soft voice. Thick beard and thick eyebrows. Dignified when quiet. Graceful when speaking. Most beautiful of men when seen from a distance, and most loving when close. Sweet tongue, clear of talk, precise in expression, of average height or slightly taller whose tallness could not be contended nor short for eyes to look down upon. A branch between two branches. The best between the three to look at and the most respected.” There were four people with the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) but not all were there at the same time. His companions were quick in his service and then he spoke, they were quite, They stayed close and served him well and he was neither scowling nor oppressive with them.” [This is in Sharh As­Sunan, and in books of seerah such as Mustadrak Al Hakim. Reported by Baghawai, Sharh us­Sunnah Hadeeth no. 3704.]

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) continued on the journey, and on the way, he met two thieves. He inquired about them and said, “Who are you?” They said, “We are the two despised ones.” When the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) saw them, he made daw’ah, and they accepted Islam. When they accepted Islam, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) changed their names to ‘respected ones.’ From this action of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), we learn several lessons:

1. There is always time for daw’ah no matter who the person is. 2. Even if the society has lost hope in people, do not lose hope in making daw’ah to

them. 3. If someone has a name with a bad meaning, it should be changed.

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) also met Buraydah, the leader of the Aslam tribe, and he accepted Islam.

Lessons from the Hijrah § We should always have hope no matter the situation. Make du’a to Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) and do all that you can, but always have hope. The hijrah was a time of hope because through all of the hardship they endured, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) met people and made daw’ah and there was an entire city that had accepted Islam. These events occurred quickly in the span of less than 3 years the majority of people in Madinah accepted Islam. § Hijrah: when you leave sins. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “A Muslim is whom other Muslims are safe from their hands and their tongues.” People feel safe and secure from them. They are peaceful people who do not harm other Muslims physically or verbally. The person who makes hijrah is the one who leaves that which Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) has forbidden. Worshipping Allah during times of trials and tribulations is like making hijrah to Allah because it is very difficult and the reward is very great. The greater the hardship, the greater the reward. The harder it is for you to hold onto Islam, the more reward you receive.

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When the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was close to Madinah, he met Buraydah Al­ Aslami, and when he asked them where they were from, they replied that they were from Aslam. The word ‘aslam’ means, ‘to surrender’ / ‘to accept Islam’. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) thought good of the word. When a person sees something in daw’ah, always be positive. When Buraydah Al­Aslami accepted Islam, a large group of people (in one narration over 70) accepted Islam. The lesson is to never forget daw’ah no matter where you may be. You never know when and how people will accept Islam.

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) arrived in Quba’ before reaching Madinah. The Muslims in Madinah were waiting for the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) and were anxious to see him coming, and every morning they would go out and look towards the horizon to see if they were coming. When the sun came out and it was hot, they would go back inside. On Monday, the 12 th Rabi’ al­Awwal in the 14 th year after revelation, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) arrived in Qubah. He stayed in Qubah for four days. A Jewish man said, “O Arabs, this is your grandfather who has come!” When the Muslims heard this at noon time, and they all come out with their armor and swords as if they were ready for battle. Why did the Jewish man say that this is their grandfather? Hashim married from Bani Najar in Madinah, so he has relatives in Madinah. Anas ibn Maalik said, “I have never seen what I did when the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) entered Madinah. There was no day like that day. The children and women all came out to greet the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam). There is no day that was brighter and better than this day.” The reason why they loved the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) so much was that they had heard so much about him. His action of leaving last showed his love for his companions in making sure that they were all safe.

Some of the scholars said that it was the tradition of the Arabs that if a delegate from far away would come they would dress in full armor. Other scholars said that when they left Al Aqabah, the last condition of the pledge was that they would protect the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) like they would protect their wives and children, so they came out in full armor.

The Masjid

Upon arriving in Quba’, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) established the masjid. This shows how important it is to establish the masjid. On Friday morning, he (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) left Quba’ to go towards Madinah. In the valley before entering Madinah and after setting up the foundation for the masjid in Quba’, the first jumu’ah was held. The masjid of Quba’ has virtues also. If a person perfects wudu and goes to Masjid Al­Quba’, it is the equivalent of making umrah. This was the first masjid built in Islam. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) stayed in Quba for the first four days. When he was in Quba’, he asked to meet his relatives from Bani Najar. This shows that keeping ties of kinship is encouraged by Islam. The first words that the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said upon arriving in Madinah: “O people, spread the salaam, feed the poor,…”

People belittle spreading the salaam, but it is the beginning of creating a bond with other Muslims. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love each other. Would you like me to show you something that if you do it you will love each other? Increase in your salaam.” One of the signs of the Day of Judgment is that people only say the salaam to people they know. Feeding the poor also increases love between people.

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There are three things that the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) did upon arriving in Madinah.

1. Establish the masjid. 2. Establish the brotherhood. 3. Setting the rules and regulations in the constitution of Madinah.

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) is entering Madinah as a leader and is establishing the rule of the land.

When the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) arrived, everyone wanted to take the reigns of the camel. He (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) told the people to leave the camel alone because it is being guided. The camel sat in an open area belonging to two orphans from Bani Najar which was used to dry dates. When the camel stayed there, he (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was in front of the house of Abu Ayyoub Al Ansar An­Najari. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) decided to make his home where the camel sat, but it belonged to two orphans. The two orphans wanted to give the land to the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), but the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) did not take it. He called the guardians of the orphans. An orphan is someone who has not reached the age of puberty, and whatever wealth he has is his own and cannot be used by others. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) did not take the land and said he would pay for it. The reason why he called the guardians was because orphans do not have full control over their wealth. The land used to be a graveyard that the non­Muslims used and then it became a place to dry dates. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) ordered that the bones be dug up and buried somewhere else because a masjid cannot be built on the grave. The house and the masjid were built.

In the beginning, the masjid was very small. It took one month to build the masjid. During this time, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) stayed with Abu Ayyoub Al Ansari. The masjid of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was very simple. It was made of clay. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) also participated in building the masjid. Some were responsible for carrying bricks and others were responsible for other tasks like making the bricks, showing that in Islam, it is permissible to let people do what they are best at. The leader has to look at the responsibilities and assign tasks to those who are good at it. Ammar ibn Yasir was very diligent and would carry two slabs rather than one. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “Son of Sumiyyah, for other people there is one reward, and you will have two rewards. Your provision will be a drink of milk and the people who will kill you are the ones who are the transgressors.” Ammar ibn Yasir was killed when he was fighting on the side of Ali (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu), which is a proof that Ali was in the right.

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) ordered the companions to build the masjid and two rooms next to the masjid. He (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) had one wife during the hijrah whom he lived with and another he did not live with. Sawdah and Aisha. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) married Sawdah (radhi Allahu 'anha) after Khadija (radhi Allahu 'anha) died, and he lived with her. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) spent over 25 years with Khadija (radhi Allahu 'anha) alone and married his other wives after he was 50 years old.

In the house of Abu Ayyoub Al Ansari, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was initially staying downstairs. Two events occurred. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was downstairs one day at night, and Abu Ayyoub Al Ansari spilled a glass of water and was so afraid that the water would seep through the floor so he used his blanket to soak the water, and they slept without a blanket. Also, Abu Ayyoub Al Ansari in the night told his wife to move to the side because he said that it was not appropriate for them to sleep above the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam). Abu Ayyoub told the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) that he

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was above them in his status and morals, so he should also be above them physically. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said that the lower floor was easier for him because he received many visitors, but Abu Ayyoub Al Ansari felt uncomfortable. It was not haraam for Abu Ayyoub to sleep above the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), but it was about manners. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was a guest and respected the feelings of Abu Ayyoub Al Ansari.

Abu Ayyoub Al Ansari brought food to the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), and he (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) did not eat it. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) never complained about food. This food was the best food of Abu Ayyoub Al Ansari. He asked if the food was haraam, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said that it was not haraam but he did not like it because it had garlic. He (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) wanted to be in the best state all of the time because angel Jibreel (Alyhi al salam) could come at any time, so he did not eat garlic. Abu Ayyoub never ate that food again because the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) did not like it.

If you truly love someone, then you emulate them. As Muslims, if we love the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), we should learn more about him and try to emulate him as much as possible.

When the masjid was finished, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) moved to the two rooms, and later, this is where he lived with Aisha (radhi Allahu 'anha). The masjid was very simple and had palm fibres covering the top. Whenever it rained, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) would say ‘pray in your houses.’ The floor of the masjid would become muddy.

What is the lesson we can learn from this masjid? It is not what the masjid looks like, but what makes a masjid blessed is the activities in the masjid. The masjid was a place of worship, education, social gatherings, a dwelling place for the poor, the place where the army was sent from, a place of daw’ah, a place to keep prisoners. The prisoners were kept in the masjid so that they could learn about Islam and see how the Muslims lived. It was a form of daw’ah. Remember that the purpose of jihad is to call people to the worship of Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) alone. When a person is captured, you want them to see the Muslims. Many non­Muslims who were captured in battles accepted Islam while they were prisoners because they saw the actions of the companions. The companions would cook food and give the best portions to the prisoners.

When you love for the sake of Allah (subhanahu wata'ala), you do all that you can to bring people closer to Allah (subhanahu wata'ala). The love for Allah is the greatest love. The strongest bond of eman is loving for the sake of Allah and disliking for the sake of Allah.

Brotherhood

Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) praised the ansar and mentions that they are true in their eman. When the muhajiroon came, they did not have a place to stay. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) set up a system where the ansar were responsible for the muhajiroon financially and to help and provide advice for them.

The brotherhood that the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) established was very unique. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) paired up the companions. This pairing was done even before Madinah. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) started in Makkah and would look for people who complemented each other. For example, Hamzah (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu)

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was very noble, and he was paired with his freed slave Zayd ibn Harith. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was paired with Ali (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu). The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) continued doing this even though it was the 8 th year. When Jaffer ibn Abi Talib came from Habashah, he was paired up with one of the ansar.

This is something that we should try to do. This should be done especially with new Muslims. Many people accept Islam, but they need support. People should be competing with each other to try to take care of the new Muslims. When you do this, you realize that Allah provides for you and strengthens you with more. The foundation of brotherhood is loving for your brother what you love for yourself. This is the minimum.

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.”

The praiseworthy level is that you love for your brother more than what you love for yourself. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) established this brotherhood. Part of the brotherhood has to do with naseehah. Salman al Farsi and Abu Darda were paired together. Abu Darda was a pious man, and when Salman al Farsi visited, he noticed that Umm Darda did not take care of herself. He asked her why she did not adorn herself, and she replied that he fasts in the day and prays at night. Salman went to the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) and Abu Darda was called. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “O Abu Darda, everyone has their rights. Your Lord has His rights upon you, and your family has their rights, and your body has its rights, so give everyone their rights.”

It is important to have partners to seek knowledge with for encouragement and motivation. We need to remind each other and help each other.

In Madinah, the muhajiroon left their family members and homes. The establishment of relationships helped each other. AbdurRahman ibn Awf and Salman ibn Rabi’ah: AbdurRahman did not have anything when he came to Madinah, and Salman was a very wealthy companion and told AbdurRahman to take half of his wealth and to choose one of his wives. AbdurRahman said, “May Allah bless you in your wealth and family. Show me where the marketplace is.” AbdurRahman went to the marketplace and a few weeks later he went to the masjid and the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) saw some traces of zaffaran on him, which women used at that time for make­up. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) asked him about it, and he replied that he married. He was asked what he gave her as mahr, and he replied that he gave her a nugget of gold. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) half the feast of the walima even if it is just one lamb. AbdurRahman ibn Awf did not take advantage of the situation.

In the beginning, the ansar were very generous with the muhajiroon. They said that they would let the muhajiroon have half of their land. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) told them that it would not work because the Makkans were not farmers. The ansar said that they would work the land and give the muhajiroon money. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) suggested that they work the land and tell the muhajiroon to help them and then share the profits.

When Jaffer ibn Abi Talib came to Madinah, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) paired him with Mu’adh ibn Jabal. Whenever it was needed, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) paired people.

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The Madinah Constitution (Sahifatul Madinah) The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) established the first written constitution. The Jews and the Muslims were gathered.

1. They are one nation to the exclusion of other people. One nation based upon la ilaha il Allah. The arch­rivals of the Aws and Khazraj live in Madinah, and this puts the rivalry to the side.

2. The emigrants of Quraysh unite together and shall pay blood money among themselves, and shall ransom honorably their prisoners. Every tribe of the Helpers unite together, as they were at first, and every section among them will pay a ransom for acquitting its relative prisoners. In accordance with tribal tradition, the people would support each other. The social system was to continue.

3. Believers shall not leave anyone destitute among them by not paying his redemption money or blood money in kind. The establishment of the system of helping each other socially and economically.

4. Whoever is rebellious or whoever seeks to spread enmity and sedition, the hand of every God­fearing Muslim shall be against him, even if he be his son. The rule of Allah is above tribal traditions.

5. A believer shall not kill another believer, nor shall support a disbeliever against a believer.

6. The protection of Allah is one (and is equally) extended to the humblest of the Believers. 7. The Believers are supported by each other. 8. Whosoever of the Jews follows us shall have aid and succor; they shall not be injured,

nor any enemy be aided against them. 9. The peace of the Believers is indivisible. No separate peace shall be made when

Believers are fighting in the way of Allah. Conditions must be fair and equitable to all. 10. It shall not be lawful for a believer, who holds by what is in this document and believes

in Allah and the Day of Judgment, to help a criminal nor give him refuge. Those who give him refuge and render him help shall have the curse and anger of Allah on the Day of Resurrection. Their indemnity is not accepted.

11. Whenever you differ about a matter, it must be referred to Allah and to Muhammad.

The Jews of Bani ‘Awf are one community with the believers. The Jews will profess their religion and the Muslims theirs. The Jews will be responsible for their expenditure, and the Muslims for theirs. If attacked by a third party, each shall come to the assistance of the other. Each party shall hold counsel with the other. Mutual relation shall be founded on righteousness, sin is totally excluded. Neither shall commit sins to prejudice of the other.

The Madinah constitution was established so that there would be law and order with the Muslims and non­Muslims.

Badr

Allah also gave the Muslims permission to fight along with the permission to go to Madinah. Earlier, they were ordered to be patient. The first stage was the stage of patience. From the hijrah onwards, Allah gave the Muslims permission to fight. In the beginning, it was permission to retrieve that which was lost. They were given permission to retrieve the wealth lost to the non­ Muslims.

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When Abu Bakr (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) heard the ayah revealed giving them permission, he said that he knew it was the time to fight. The first stage was the stage of sabr, the second stage is the permission to fight, the third stage was the order to fight, and the fourth stage was to fight all those who were disbelievers. The order to fight is only to establish la ilaha ilAllah on earth. If it can be achieved without fighting, then it must be done without fighting. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) upon arriving to Madinah and settling there started sending out sirayah. In Arabic, sareeya is an expedition the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) sent out without joining in the fight himself. A ghazwa is a fight which the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) joined.

Reasons why the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) would go out with the companions: 1. To establish allies with those around Madinah. The trading route between Makkah

and Shaam had been occupied by the Quraysh. Neighbors had to be befriended so that when enemies attacked, there would be no attack from the side of the neighbors.

2. To stop and weaken the Qurayshi trade route. Weakening the enemy economically would give them the upper hand. Whenever the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) would hear about a caravan from Makkah, he would try to intercept it. Permission had already been given to fight and retrieve the wealth that was lost.

In Ghazwat Ushayrah, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) heard that there was a big caravan led by Abu Sufiyyan, and the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) wanted to intercept it on the way to Shaam. If at war with a certain country, it is permitted to weaken that country to get the upper hand. When the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) arrived at the interception point, it was too late because the caravan had already passed. In the process, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) made a peace treaty with the people around the area.

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) also wanted to put pressure on the trade routes going to Yemen. On the 17 th of Rajab, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) sent eight people led by Abdullah ibn Jash. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) told the scribe to write their destination in a sealed letter. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) told Abdullah ibn Jash to go south and after two days open the letter to find out where they were going. The only people who knew where they were going were the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) and the scribe. If the companions knew where they were going, they might have been asked by others in Madinah.

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) told them to go south towards Makkah, and after two days they read in the letter that they should go to a place called Nakhlah, which was a place between Ta’if and Makkah. The letter also told them that anyone who wanted to go to Madinah could do so freely. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was not forcing anyone to go if they did not want to. It was a dangerous journey because they were close to their enemy. Everyone agreed to go.

Abdullah ibn Jash continued, and when they arrived in Nakhlah, they saw a caravan led by Ibn Al Hadhrami and Uthman ibn Abdullah ibn Mughirah and his brother Nawfal and AlHakm ibn Kaysan. Abdullah ibn Jash consulted with the companions on the last day of Rajab because it was the last day of one of the sacred months, and it was allowed to defend yourself but not to fight. The four sacred months are: Dhul Qidah, Dhul Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab. When the companions saw this caravan, they wanted to take it over. They were so close to Makkah that if they allowed the caravan to continue, it would reach Makkah and be safe.

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Abdullah ibn Jash and the companions decided to take over the caravan. Wahid ibn Abdullah At­ Tamimi shot the first arrow. He hit Al Hadhrami and killed him. They captured Uthman ibn Abdullah ibn Mughirah and AlHakm ibn Kaysan, but Nawfal escaped. Abdullah ibn Jash and his companions returned back. When the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) saw what they had brought and knew what they had done, he was very angry because he did not send them to take over the caravan. The expedition was for gathering information on the caravan routes. The orders were only to go there and spy on them.

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) refused to take the two captives. In Makkah, the Makkans started propaganda immediately and said that the Muslims did not respect their tradition and laws and have killed in the sacred month. They spread word all over the Arabian peninsula that the Muslims do not respect the sanctity of life or the sanctity of the sacred months.

In Madinah, the companions were sad because they knew that they had made a mistake. Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) revealed in Surah Al Baqarah v. 217:

يسألونك عن الشهر الحرام قتال فيه قل قتال فيه كبير وصد عن سبيل الله وكفر به والمسجد الحرام اتلونكم حتى يردوكم عن دينكم إن وإخراج أهله منه أكبر عند الله والفتنة أكبر من القتل وال يزالون يق

استطاعوا ومن يرتدد منكم عن دينه فيمت وهو كافر فأولـئك حبطت أعمالهم في الدنيا واآلخرة 2:217 وأولـئك أصحاب النار هم فيها خالدون

217. They ask you concerning fighting in the sacred months (i.e. 1st, 7th, 11th and 12th months of the Islamic calendar). Say, "Fighting therein is a great (transgression) but a greater (transgression) with Allah is to prevent mankind from following the Way of Allah, to disbelieve in him, to prevent access to Al­Masjid­al­Haram (at Makkah), and to drive out its inhabitants, and Al­Fitnah is worse than killing. And they will never cease fighting you until they turn you back from your religion (Islamic Monotheism) if they can. And whosoever of you turns back from his religion and dies as a disbeliever, then his deeds will be lost in this life and in the Hereafter, and they will be the dwellers of the Fire. They will abide therein forever." [Surah Al Baqarah: 217]

Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) is telling them to look at the bigger picture and see what is justifiable. The Quraysh used this incident to beat up the war drums against the Muslims. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) ordered the companions to intercept the caravans in Ghazwat Ushayrah, but they were too late, and he (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) set up treaties. In the summers, caravans would go north, and in the winters, caravans would go south to Yemen. The further they went, the more money that could be made. When the caravan of Abu Sufiyyan was coming from the north, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) would send spies to see where they were. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) sent some spies and found out that they were coming.

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “Go, this is the caravan of the Quraysh! In it is your wealth. Go to them, and maybe Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) will give us victory.” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) set a condition that if someone was not ready for at that moment, then they will not wait for them. 313 companions (in some narrations 317) were ready to go. There were 82­86 muhajiroon, 170 from the Khazraj, and 61 ‘Aws. Why was there such a large discrepancy? Both the ‘Aws and Khazraj accepted Islam, but the Khazraj was generally the larger tribe, but this does not explain the large discrepany because the difference in number was not that great. The masjid was in the area of the Khazraj, and the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi

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Wasalam) told them that if they needed to go home, then they would not be waiting. The Khazraj lived closer to the masjid.

There were only two horses and 70 camels. Because there were only 70 camels, people took turns. Every camel had three people with it, and they would take turns. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) rode with Ali (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) and Abu Lubabah. When it was time for the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) to walk, they told him to ride the entire time, and he (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “Both of you are not stronger than me, and I am no less in need of reward than both of you.” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) had humbleness and humility. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) realized that because he was in a hurry to leave Madinah to intercept the coming caravan, he forgot to appoint someone to be in charge in Madinah, so he sent Abu Lubabah back and Abdullah ibn Umm Makhtoum to lead the prayer. Abdullah ibn Umm Makhtoum was blind and one of the most versed in the Quran.

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) continued further, and Abu Sufiyyan heard the news of the approaching army, and he immediately sent Dham Dham to Makkah to ask for assistance. When Dham Dham went to Makkah, he chopped off the camel’s nose and ripped his shirt and got on top of the mountain overlooking Makkah and stood on the camel and flipped it backwards. Everyone looked at him, and he said, “O Quraysh! This is disaster! Your wealth with Abu Sufiyyan is in danger of being taken by Muhammad and his companions. Help! Help!” At this moment, Abu Jahl and Al Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib were arguing about a dream that Atiqa ibn Abdul Muttalib had seen about a man standing on the mountain with a boulder and telling the people of Makkah to come to their death in three days, and the man pushed the rock off the mountain and it broke and the pieces went to all of the houses in Makkah. The news of this dream spread all over Makkah. Abu Jahl was laughing that now Bani Hashim has a female prophet also. While they were talking, Dham Dham came, and Abu Jahl was then quiet.

In Makkah, everyone was gathering their people. In the beginning, they had 1,300 fighters. Everyone went except Abu Lahab, who sent Al­‘As ibn Hisham in his place because Al­‘As owed him 4,000 dirhams and Abu Lahab told him that he would drop the debt if he went in his place. They had over 100 horses and 600 armored men. Before leaving Makkah, the leaders of Makkah gathered and asked how they would protect themselves. Suraqa came and told them that he would protect them against Banu Bakr. This was not actually Suraqa, but it was Iblis in his form. They continued on their way. They left in arrogance thinking that they would destroy the Muslims.

Abu Sufiyyan heard about the coming of the Muslim army, but he did not know their exact position. He met Majdi ibn Umar and asked him about the Muslims. Majdi told him that he saw two riders over the hill. He went to check out the area and went on the hill and saw a pile of camel dung. He took the camel dung and squeezed it to pieces and found in it date seeds. When he found the date seeds, he knew that the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) knew his position. He immediately went back to the caravan and took the coastal route, which was a different route. He was able to bring the caravan to safety. When he realized he had brought the caravan to safety, he sent another messenger to Makkah. When the messenger approached the army, Abu Jahl refused to go back and said, “W’Allahi, we will not return until we reach Badr and spend three days and three nights there slaughtering our camels and drinking and have our women sing to us so that the Arabs of Arabia know that we are serious and no one will mess with the Quraysh.”

Why did he choose Badr? Badr was a place used for an annual fair. There are many wells there.

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Everyone obeyed Abu Jahl with the exception of Al Akhlas ibn Shareeq, who brought Banu Zuhra back, and Talib ibn Abi Talib. They continued all the way to Badr. When the Messenger of Allah (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) heard the news of the army, he consulted with the companions and wanted to see what the companions would say and do. Abu Bakr (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) stood up and agreed that they would always be with the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam). Why did he consult with them? Because there was a change in plans. When they left Makkah, they had planned to overtake a caravan. Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) had promised them victory. Allah says,

وإذ يعدكم الله إحدى الطائفتين أنها لكم وتودون أن غير ذات الشوكة تكون لكم ويريد الله أن يحق الحق بكلماته ويقطع دابر الكافرين

When Allah promised you (Muslims) that one of the two groups (either the caravan or the mushrikeen army) will certainly be yours, and you wished that the one without strength (the caravan) be yours (rather than fighting a heavily armed army). (On the contrary), Allah desired that the truth (of Islam) be established (recognized) as the truth, by His decree (as He had predestined) and that the roots of the disbelievers be cut. [Surah Al Anfaal: 7]

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) always consults. Consultation is an integral part of leadership. If you are a leader and do not consult, then there is no barakah in the decision that you make. If you want barakah in the decision that you make, consult. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) is supported by Wahy and still consults. Abu Bakr spoke, Umar spoke, and others spoke. One said, “Go whichever way Allah takes you. Indeed, we are with you. When Bani Isra’il was promised victory when they would enter the Sacred Land, they did not go and were cowards and said to Musa, ‘Go you and your Lord, O Musa, for we will be hear sitting.’ We will not say that O Messenger of Allah. Go you and your Lord and fight, for we will be with you side by side fighting! By He who sent you with the truth, if you were to bring us to [a place near the Red Sea], we would go with you.” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was very happy with what the companions were saying, but he was missing the voice of the ansar, which were a large part of the army, and he said, “O people, advise me on what we should do!” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) wanted to hear the opinion of the ansar. He wanted to hear the opinion of the ansar because when you scrutinize the pledge of Aqabah, the wording was that the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) would come to Madinah and they would protect him with their lives just like they would protect their children and their wives. This applied to when the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) applied to Madinah, but now they were outside of Madinah. He (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) kept saying this until Sa’ad ibn Mu’adh who was carrying the banner of the ansar spoke. Musab ibn Umayr was carrying the banner of the muhajiroon. Sa’ad said, “By Allah, I sense that you want us to talk.” He (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “Of course!” Sa’ad said, “Indeed we believe in you and have faith in you and we bear witness that what you have brought is the truth and we have given our covenant to listen and obey, so go forth O Messenger of Allah for by He who has sent you with the truth, if you were to go into the sea, we would still go with you, and you will see that we are a people who are patient and strong and we are a people who are sincere and truthful when it comes to fighting.” The people of Madinah were warriors, and they knew about warfare. At the same time, they were also known for their generosity. Before Islam, there was conflict with some of the tribes from Yemen. The tribes came and fought the people of Madinah and left, and the reason why they left was that in the morning they would fight each other and at night the people of Madinah would cook food for them and bring it out to their camps.

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When the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) came back from Ta’if and during isra wa al­ miraj, this was the time when he did not know what to do and where to go. When the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) met the six from the Khazraj before the first Aqabah pledge, it was the beginning of the light at the end of the tunnel. The Battle of Badr is the end of the tunnel. The Jews did not put pressure on the Muslims in the beginning because they hoped that the Quraysh would crush them. The Battle of Badr was the turning point and is called Yawm Al Furqan and The Great Battle. Al Furqan is the distinguisher between right and wrong. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was very happy with what Sa’ad ibn Mu’adh said. He (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “Go forward and have the news of glad tiding because Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) has already promised one of the two. It is as if I can see the places of their death now.” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) continued on his way and was sending out spies to listen to the position of the Quraysh. When the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was headed towards Badr, they were coming from the north, and the non­Muslims were coming from the south. The Muslims settled near the bank of the valley, and the non­ Muslims settled at the farther bank of the valley near Yemen.

There was a conflict amongst the leaders of the Makkan army. Utbah ibn Rabi’ah stood up and began talking. He said, “After today, you will no longer look at each other in the face the same way any more if we continue this because you will be killing your own relatives. I think it is better for us to return to Makkah because the caravan is already safe.” Abu Jahl, the Firawn of this ummah, began instigating and called Utbah ibn Rabi’ah a coward and said that he was afraid of fighting his own relatives. He went to the family of Amir Al Hadhran and said, “Will you let the people of Makkah return back and let your family member die in vain?” The majority of the

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people wanted to go back, but Abu Jahl used propaganda and was able to convince the people to continue.

Sometimes the majority of the people are good, but it only takes one bad leader to lead them to destruction.

When the battle started, Utbah ibn Rabi’ah wanted to prove that he as not a coward. When the battle began, he was the one who came out first. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) settled in an area before the wells of Badr. When he (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) reached the location, he told the army to camp there, and Al Habbab ibn Mundhir said, “Ya Rasulullah, do you see that this place where we have stopped, is it the place where Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) has told us to camp or is it your own opinion in your war strategy? If Allah told us to stay here, then we will not move forward another inch.” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “This is my own strategy.” Al Habbab said, “This is not the place O Rasulullah. We should move forward and have the wells behind us because when the battle begins, we will have the wells behind us, and we will fill up all of the wells in front of us with dirt and dust, and the only available wells will be that which is ours, and we will bring the water in a large area where we can drink.” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “That is the correct decision.” He (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) took the advice.

When he (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) saw the Makkans, he (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “If they were to follow the man on the red camel, they would have been fine.” He (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was referring to Utbah who was riding the red camel. Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) sent down rain the night before the battle. The Muslims were in a higher area. The rain came down on the area where the non­Muslims were, and the area became muddy. Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) also sent down a slumber and made the Muslims sleepy. When something is going to be happening, it is difficult to sleep. Without sleep, they would not have energy.

Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) said, “And when the slumber came upon you and Allah sent water from the heavens to purify and cleanse you…” Anas ibn Maalik (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) said, “Sleep came upon us, and we could not hold up our swords.”

Before starting the battle, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) made du’a to Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) and said, “O Allah! Should this group (of Muslims) be defeated today, You will no longer be worshipped.” He (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) is already promised victory, and he is asking Allah. Abu Bakr (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) sees the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) supplicating so much and says, “Ya Rasulullah, Allah has already promised us victory.” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) even though he took all of the precautionary measures, he made du’a. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) had an area where he stayed so that he could see the fighting. During that day, Ali (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) said, “I saw ourselves on the day of Badr, and we were seeking the protection of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), and he is the closest one to the enemy, and on that day, he was the fiercest of all of us in his fighting.” From this, you may wonder how the companions end up seeking the protection of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) and would not be in front of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam). The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) is in front of them and they are behind because he (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was so brave, and he was so quick to the enemy that he ended up protecting them because they were not as fast as him.

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) made du’a to Allah and asked Allah for help. Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) sent down the angels, but before the beginning of the battle, Utbah ibn

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Rabi’ah, Shaybah ibn Abi Rabi’ah, and Al Waleed ibn Utbah came forward. Utbah came forward because he was called a coward. One of the worst things to say to Arabs is that they are cowards or they do not protect their women. Utbah insisted on having a duel first even though he was the first one to want to return to Makkah.

The two sons of Afrah Mu’awith and Abdullah ibn Fawaha came out to fight and another. When Utbah saw them, he did not want to fight them because they were youth from Madinah and not related. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) sent three people from his own family: Hamza, Ali, and Ubaydah al Harith. When the duel began, Hamzah defeated Utbah quickly, and Ali defeated al­Waleed quickly. Both Shaybah and Ubaydah were injured. Because Hamzah and Ali had finished off their foes, they helped Ubaydah kill Shaybah. Both of them carried Ubaydah back to their camp, and eventually he was martyred.

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) lined up the Muslims in rows, which was different from the way the Arabs were used to fighting. The Arabs were used to fighting in groups in an attack and retreat method. They would go forward and when the group needed rest, they would take turns. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) ordered the companions to line up in a straight row. In Surah As­Saff, Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) says, “Indeed Allah loves those who fight in His path in rows as if they are one strong structure going together.”

Later on, this method was used all over the world. Sawad ibn Ghuziyyah was out of the line, and the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) told him to stand back in line and touched his stomach. The man said that he wanted revenge because it hurt. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) lifted up his armor and told him to do the same thing. This shows the kindness of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam). Sawad hugged the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), and the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) asked him why he did that, and Sawad replied that he wanted the comfort of having his skin touch the skin of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) last because he did not know if he was going to live until the next day.

Before the battle began, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) grabbed a handful of dust and tossed it towards the enemy. Before the battle began, the enemy was already rubbing their eyes from the dust. The angels also participated in this battle. Iblis saw the angels coming down to help the Muslims and ran and jumped into the ocean. Some of the companions would raise their swords in the battle and would hear: “Faster, Haizoom!” and then the enemy’s head would be chopped off because the angels had come. The companions could distinguish between those the angels killed and those they had killed. If it was a clean cut with burn marks, they knew that the angels had done it.

During the battle, there was a companion who brought Al Abbas, and the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) had told the companions not to kill Al Abbas because he was helping the Muslims a lot. The man from the ansar brought Al Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib tied up in front of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) and said, “Ya Rasulullah, I captured Al Abbas.” Al Abbas said, “He did not capture me. A very beautiful man came on a horse and captured me.” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) told the ansari to be quiet because an angel had come and packaged Al Abbas for him. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “Give glad tidings, O Abu Bakr, the help of Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) has come. This is Jibreel, and he has taken the reigns of his horse and has come forward with the help that Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) has promised.” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) during this battle would recite, “The multitudes will be defeated and they will turn their backs and flee.” Umar (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) said that he had heard this ayah but did not understand it until the Battle of Badr.

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The angels who fought in Badr are considered the best of the angels. The angels who fought at Badr also have a special position. Ukashah ibn Mihsan was a brave fighter who fought until his sword broke, and he was next to the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam). The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) gave him a wooden stick. Ukashah was known for his piety and righteousness and trust in Allah. He took the stick and waved it and strikes it, and when he struck it, it turned into a real sword. When you put your trust in Allah, you will see miracles.

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “Seventy thousand will enter Paradise without reckoning…” One of the groups was those who put their trust in Allah, and Ukashah asked, “Ya Rasulullah, make du’a that I may be amongst them.” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “Ya Ukashah, you are amongst them.”

Iblis took the form of Suraqa ibn Maalik. How do we know that it was Iblis? Suraqa became Muslim, and they knew that he was not there.

The Muslims were victorious from the beginning. The majority of the leaders of the Quraysh were killed in this battle.

Abu Jahl, the leader of the Makkan army, was killed in the Battle of Badr. Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim mention how he was killed. AbdurRahman ibn ‘Awf said he was next to two young ansar when the Muslims were lined up, and he was not comfortable with it. In battle, you want the people next to you to be strong fighters so that they can protect your back. He looked towards his right and left and saw two young men and was uncomfortable until one of them said, “O uncle, show me who Abu Jahl is.” AbdurRahman said, “What do you want with Abu Jahl?” He replied, “I was told that Abu Jahl used to curse and harm the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam).” AbdurRahman said, “If I see him, I will let you know who he is.” The other young man next to him said, “O uncle, when you see Abu Jahl, can you show me where he is?” AbdurRahman said, “What do you want with Abu Jahl?” He replied, “My brother and I have a competition to kill him.” When the battle began, AbdurRahman saw Abu Jahl surrounded by a group of his men, and he was on a horse. AbdurRahman told both of them where Abu Jahl was, and they both ran to Abu Jahl, and one hit him on the top and the other hit him on the leg. They both went to the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) to tell him that they killed Abu Jahl. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “Di d you wipe your swords?” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) saw their swords and said that both of them killed Abu Jahl. Abu Jahl was killed in this battle, but at the end of the battle, he was on his last breath. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) asked, “Who will bring me Abu Jahl?” Abdullah ibn Masood replied that he would. He went looking for Abu Jahl, and when he saw him, Abdullah ibn Masood sat on his chest and slapped him. Abu Jahl said, “This is a high position for a little shepherd.” Abdullah ibn Masood chopped off the head of Abu Jahl. This incident is what the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was referring to when he said, “An ear for an ear, and the head is extra.”

When the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) saw that Abu Jahl was killed, he said, “Allahu Akbar! In each ummah, there is a firawn, and the pharaoh of this ummah is Abu Jahl.” Umayyah ibn Khalaq was also killed in this battle. He used to torture the companions. He had tortured Summiyyah and Yasser. Abdullah ibn ‘Awf caught Umayyah ibn Khalaq and tied him and was about to bring him to the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), and when Bilal saw him, he said, “The leader of kufr, Umayyah! May I not be saved today if he is saved today.” Umayyah ibn Khalaq was a large man, and when he was killed, his body swelled, and when the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) ordered for his body to be thrown into the well, they could not fit his body into the well. They tossed him aside, and the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam)

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told the companions to stone him just as he had ordered the children to stone the Muslims. He was covered in stone and not buried.

Al Asif ibn Hisham Al Mughirah was also killed. He was the maternal uncle of Umar (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu). Umar (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) during the battle was looking for his relative. Some of the companions during the battle were looking for their relatives because they did not want to take any chances of thinking bad towards another Muslim if he killed their relatives. Umar (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) went straight to his uncle and killed him.

When the battle was over, the Muslims were victorious and were able to kill 70 Makkans and capture 70 Makkans. Only 14 of the Muslims were martyred (6 from the muhajiroon and 8 from the ansar). The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) ordered Uqbah ibn Abi Mu’eed be killed. He had been very harsh towards the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) and had physically tried to kill him many times. He had placed the camel fetus on the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) when he was praying. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) told Ali (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) to kill him. These people were considered war criminals. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) also ordered that An Nadhr ibn Harith also be killed. He would shadow the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) and tell stories to the people. He was trying to make fun of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam).

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) ordered the companions not to kill those who were kind to the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam). The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “If Mu’tim ibn Adi was still alive, and he spoke to me concerning these scoundrels, I would have let them all go.” The lesson is that if non­Muslims are nice to you, then treat them nicely. If they are harsh, then treat them the same way.

When the battle was over, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) gathered the companions and consulted them on what to do with the spoils of war and prisoners. Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) revealed Surah Anfal concerning the spoils of war and the prisoners. Abu Bakr (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) said that they were a weak nation, so they should ransom the prisoners to strengthen themselves. Umar (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) said that their position should be established first, so all of the prisoners should be killed. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) agreed with Abu Bakr, and he took 4,000 from those who could afford it. From those who could not afford it, then they had to teach 10 Muslims how to read and write proficiently. This shows the importance of learning to read and write.

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) still took ransom from Al Abbas because it does not matter what he said, but from his actions he was from the side of the non­Muslims even though he said he was Muslim.

When the Muslims decided to take ransom, Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) revealed the ayah concerning the action. Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) says, “It is not appropriate for a prophet that he should have captives until he has established himself firmly on earth.” This ayah means that it is not appropriate for a prophet to take captives if he is only trying to establish his reputation. The strength should be established firmly and then after that it is fine. This is very wise if you are a teacher. At the beginning, a teacher should not be easy and very nice because if a teacher is nice and then becomes strict, they won’t appreciate it. When strict in the beginning and then nice, they appreciate it.

Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) is telling leaders to set the boundaries first.

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The Plan Fails? Rejected

On the authority of the Mother of Believers Safiyyah radiAllahu ‘anha narrated, “Safiyyah, daughter of Huyayy bin Akhtab said, ‘I was the closes child to my father and my uncle Abi Yasir’s heart. Whenever they saw me with a child of theirs, they would pamper me so tenderly to the exclusion of anyone else. However with the coming of the Messenger of Allah salAllahu alayhi wasalam and the setting in Quba’ with Bani ‘Amr bin ‘Awf, my father (Huyayy bin Akthab) and my uncle (Abu Yasir bin Akhtab), went to see him and did not return until sunset. They came back walking lazily and fully dejected. I, as usual, hurried to meet them smiling, but they would not turn to me for the grief that caught them. I heard my uncle Abu Yasir ask Ubayy and Huyayy, “Is it really him (i.e Muhammad salAllahu alayhi wasalam)?” The former said, “It is he, I swear by Allah!” “Did you really recognize him?” They would ask. He answered, ‘Yes, and my heart is burning with enmity towards him.’”

The Jewish tribes of Madinah (Banu QaynuQa, Banu Nadheer, Banu Quraydah) were expecting the coming of a Prophet, but they thought he would come from amongst themselves. They wanted to fight against the Arabs with their prophet. However, when the Prophet saw came the Arabs of Madinah accepted him before the Jewish tribes, so the Jewish tribes rejected him out of arrogance and only a few Jews accepted the message. Due to this hostility between the Arabs and the Jews the two parties came up with a treaty.

The Madinah Treaty: 1. The Jews of Bani ‘Awf are one community with the Believers. The Jews will

profess their religion and the Muslims theirs. 2. The Jews shall be responsible for their expenditure, and the Muslims for

theirs. 3. If attacked by a third party, each shall come to the assistance of the other. 4. Each party shall hold counsel with the other. Mutual relation shall be

founded on righteousness; sin is totally excluded. 5. Neither shall commit sins to the prejudice of the other. 6. The wronged party shall be aided. 7. The Jews shall contribute to the cost of war so long as they are fighting

alongside the believers. 8. Madinah shall remain sacred and inviolable for all that join this treaty. 9. Should any disagreement arise between the signatories to this treaty, then

Allah, the All­High and His Messenger shall settle the dispute. 10. The signatories to this treaty shall boycott Quraysh commercially; they shall

also abstain from extending any support to them. 11. Each shall contribute to defending Madinah, in case of a foreign attack, in its

respective area. 12. This treaty shall not hinder either party from seeking lawful revenge.

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The victory of Badr was the tipping point for people on the verge of accepting Islam, even those who did not believe in Islam like the hypocrites. While the love for Islam increased in the hearts of the Arabs after Badr, it had the opposite effect in the hearts of the Jews. Animosity grew to the point where Banu QaynuQa began to increase the market prices and tried to put hardship on the Muslims. After seeing this hostility the Prophet told the Jewish tribes “You will follow the same fate as Quraysh”. This was not a threat (as the treaty between the Arabs and Jews was still honored); rather it was merely a factual statement. The Jews responded by saying “Don’t be deceived by Badr, if you were to fight us you would see what real men look like on the battle field”.

The animosity grew until it finally burst. One day a Muslimah was shopping for jewelry in a store that belonged to someone from Banu QaynuQa, there were some Jews around and they decided to play a trick on the Muslimah. She sat down, and the Jews began to make fun of her asking to let them see her. She refused, and one of them tied the end of her dress to her neck, and when she stood up, her awrah showed, and they started to laugh at her. A Muslim man was walking by and saw this so he got into a fight with the store owner and killed him. The store owner’s friends saw this and jumped in and fought the Muslim and killed him. This was a breach of the treaty so when the Prophet heard about this he immediately gathered some troops and laid siege on Banu QaynuQa.

Hypocrites

هم ويقول الذين آمنوا لولا نزلت سورة فإذا أنزلت سورة محكمة وذكر فيها القتال رأيت الذين في قلوب ) 47:20 ( مرض ينظرون إليك نظر المغشي عليه من الموت فأولى لهم

20. those who believe say: "Why is not a Sûrah (chapter of the Qur'ân) sent down (for us)? but when a decisive Sûrah (explaining and ordering things) is sent down, and fighting (Jihâd ­ Holy fighting In Allâh's Cause) is mentioned (i.e. ordained) therein, you will see those In whose hearts is a disease (of hypocrisy) looking at you with a look of one fainting to death. but it was better for them (hypocrites, to listen to Allâh and to obey Him). (47:20 Muhammad )

فما لكم في المنافقين فئتين والله أركسهم بما كسبوا أتريدون أن تهدوا من أضل الله ومن يضلل الله ) 4:88 ( فلن تجد له سبيال

88. Then what is the matter with you that you are divided into two parties about the hypocrites? Allâh has cast them back (to disbelief) because of what they have earned. Do you want to guide him whom Allâh has made to go astray? And he whom Allâh has made to go astray, you will never find for him any way (of guidance). (An Nisaa' 4:88)

يا أيها النبي اتق الله ولا تطع الكافرين والمنافقين إن الله كان عليما حكيما

1. O Prophet (Muhammad Sal­Allaahu 'alayhe Wa Sallam)! keep your duty to Allâh, and obey not the disbelievers and the hypocrites (i.e., do not follow their advices). Verily! Allâh is ever All­Knower, All­Wise. (Al Ahzab 33:1)

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لو خرجوا فيكم ما زادوكم إال خباال وألوضعوا خاللكم يبغونكم الفتنة وفيكم سماعون لهم والله عليم المين بالظ

47. Had they marched out with you, they would have added to you nothing except disorder, and they would have hurried about In your midst (spreading corruption) and sowing sedition among you, and there are some among you who would have listened to them. and Allâh is the All­ Knower of the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong­doers, etc.). (At Taubah 9:47)

After advancing on Banu QaynuQa and laying siege for two weeks they surrendered. At this surrender, the leader of the hypocrites, Abdullah ibn Ubayy went to the Prophet and interceded on behalf of Banu QaynuQa. He claimed that the tribe of Banu QaynuQa would always help him during his period of Jahiliyah and begged that they be dealt with mercy. He asked the Prophet “Are you going to just kill them all? Please just let them live as they were our allies in the period of Jahiliyah”.

The hypocrites were people who would accept Islam publicly but would mock the Prophet in secrecy. The problems of hypocrites didn’t start until after the Battle of Badr. The reason for this is that the hypocrites do things to please people, not because of true belief. There would have been no materialistic gain to be a Muslim while the Muslims were being tortured in Makkah, but once Islam reached Madinah and Islam flourished then there was popularity to be gained.

The danger of having Hypocrites was that they would destroy their communities (the Muslim communities they are in) from the inside out and it would be hard to tell who they were. However during times of difficulty the hypocrites will expose themselves. For example, when they are faced with trials and tribulations they would complain and hide in their homes instead of working in the name of Islam.

The Battle of Uhud

The Battle of Uhud occurred the year after Badr. The reasons for the battle:

1. The Quraysh wanted to take revenge. 2. The Quraysh wanted to re­claim their

position and reputation in the Arabian peninsula.

3. The Quraysh wanted to free their trade routes from the threats of the Muslims.

4. The Quraysh wanted to crush the Muslims.

The Quraysh decided that the profits earned from the caravan of Abu Sufiyyan would be used for this battle. They gathered 3,000 men to avenge their loss at Badr. They came out if 200 horses and 700 armored men. Khalid ibn Waleed led one cavalry and Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl led the other cavalry.

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When the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) heard the news of their coming, he saw in a dream that he was brandishing the sword, and the front portion of the sword broke. He continued to brandish the sword, and then the front portion came back. Then when he brandished it again, the front portion broke again. He saw a cow that was slaughtered, and he put his hand inside the armor and it was protected. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) interpreted this to mean that if the non­Muslims were to attack, the Muslims should stay in the streets of Madinah and not go out.

After jumu’ah, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) consulted with the companions. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was the ruler, but the followers joined in the process and had direct access to the leader. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “Leadership is consultation.” The elders agreed with the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) that the Muslims should stay in Madinah. Abdullah ibn Ubayy As­Salool also agreed with this decision. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) wanted them to remain in Madinah so that they could stay in the houses and attack from above.

Some of the companions, especially those who did not fight in the Battle of Badr, were anxious to fight and afraid that the Makkans would come and not fight when they saw the Muslims staying in Madinah. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) listened to them and then went inside and put in his armor. Before the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) came back, the elders spoke to the energetic youngsters saying that they should listen to the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam). The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) returned, and they told him that they agreed to stay in Madinah. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “It does not before a prophet that once he has put on armor that he should take it off until Allah has decided between him and his enemy.”

If both decisions are possible, a leader should try to be decisive and not go back and forth. If a decision is made, go forth with it unless something changes or there is a good reason not to. When the Muslims were about to leave, Abdullah ibn Ubayy As­Salool broke off from the army and took 1/3 of the army with him.

Allah says, “What is the matter with you (O sahabah) that you have divided into two groups with regard to the hypocrites when Allah has cast them back…” “Had they marched out with you, they would have added to you nothing except disorder, and they would have hurried about in your midst (spreading corruption) and sowing confrontation among you….”

The best way to go was through the orchard of the munafiq Muba’. When the Muslims passed by through the orchard, he threw dirt. He said that it was not permissible for them to pass through his orchard, and that if he knew that the dust he was throwing was in his face, then he would throw it. After hearing this, the companions knew that he was a munafiq. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) told the companions not to kill him because his eyes were blind and his heart was also blind.

In Islam it is permissible to damage private land if it is for the good of the whole community. By walking through the orchard of Muba’, some of his land was damaged.

Abdullah ibn Jubayr led 50 archers, and the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) told them, “If you see us snatched into pieces by birds, do not leave this position of yours until I send for you. And if you see that we have defeated the enemy and trodden on them, do not desert your position until I send for you.”

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The Makkans came with their men and women. The women of those who had been killed also came to encourage the non­Muslims to fight. Hind bint Utbah wanted Hamzah to be killed because he had killed Utbah in Badr. She led the call to encourage the army. The women were saying, “If you go forward, we will hug you and roll out plush carpets for you. If you turn back and run, we will separate from you.” The Muslims also had their battle cry: “Fight to the death.”

Before the battle began, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) took out a sword and asked, “Who will take this sword and fight and use it correctly?” Many of the companions wanted it, but the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) gave it to Abu Dujanah, who was very brave and known for his courage. He said, “I will take it and give it its right.” He took out his red bandana, which was a sign that he would fight until his death. He walked arrogantly around the Muslim army. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said that this was disliked except in jihad.

The fight began with a duel between Ali and Talha ibn Uthman. Ali (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) killed him and then fighting began vigorously. From the beginning, the Muslims were winning and the non­Muslims were retreating. In the battle, there was an Ethiopian slave Wahshi who belonged to Jubayr ibn Mu’tim, who told him that if he killed Hamzah, then he would be free. Jubayr ibn Mu’tim wanted to kill Hamzah because he had killed his uncle in Badr. Wahshi was very good with the javeline. During the battle, he hid behind trees and rocks to try to find Hamzah.

Wahshi said, “Then I balanced my spear and shook it until I was content with it, then I speare Hamzah and it went down into his stomach and issued out between his legs. He attempted moving towards me but he was overcome by his wound. I left him there with the spear in his entrails until he died. Then I came to him, pulled out my spear and returned to the encampment place. I stayed there and did not go out, for he was the only one I sought. I only killed him to free myself. So as soon as I got back to Makkah, I became a free man.”

When the Muslims conquered Makkah, Wahshi went to Ta’if. He thought of going to Yemen or Shaam because he knew that Muslims had conquered Makkah. Wahshi came to the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) and accepted Islam. He told the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) how he killed his uncle, and every time the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) saw Wahshi, he would be sad because he would remember his uncle. He (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) asked Wahshi to remain in the back if he was talking. During the time of Abu Bakr (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu), Wahshi decided to use the javeline to kill the enemy of Islam at that time. He joined the battle against Musaylimah and used the spear to kill him.

When the Muslims were chasing the Makkans, and the Makkans were retreating, the archers were supposed to protect the backs of the Muslims. Khalid ibn Waleed realized what was happening when he saw the archers coming down. Abdullah ibn Jubayr told the archers to remain in their place, but only five stayed. They thought that the battle was over because they saw Muslims collecting spoils of war. Khalid ibn Waleed then attacked from behind. The other non­Muslims then turned around as well.

There was a rumor that the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) had been killed. When the people heard this, some of them did not know what to do. Some sat down, and Anas ibn Nadhr said, “Why are you sitting? If the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) has been killed, then die for the sake of Allah!” At the end of the battle, he had so many stab wounds that he was unrecognizable. His sister recognized him by his fingers.

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In this battle, some of the women present helped in treating the wounds, showing that it is permissible for women to help in jihad but not to join in the fight. Amongst those who joined the fight was Umm Umarah Nusaybah Bint Ka’ab. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said that when the battle became fierce, she was protecting him everywhere he looked. Ibn Qami’ah Abi Waqas struck her. He returned back to the camp and told Abu Sufiyyan that he killed Muhammad. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was struck and his front teeth broke, and there was blood on him. He said, “How can a people succeed if they injure the prophet who invites them to Islam?” Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) revealed, “You have no say in their affair. Allah may turn them in mercy or He may punish them for they are transgressors.” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) after the revelation of this ayah said, “O Allah, forgive my people, for they have no knowledge.”

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was in a very difficult state. When he led the Muslims in dhuhr salah, he could not pray standing. The Muslims also prayed sitting behind him. When the imam prays sitting, the stronger opinion is that everyone following him should pray sitting unless the imam starts standing.

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was bandaged by Ali (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu). In this battle there are man lessons to be learned.

Lessons: § The effects of sins. When a person commits sins, it affects whether the army is victorious or not. The scholars of before used to say that they could see the difference in the way their families behave because of a sin he committed. If you notice that your children are not listening to you or your spouse is moody, sit down and ask Allah for forgiveness. When a person is obedient to Allah, then others are also obedient to Him. Sins affect those around you. Allah says, “Whatever afflicts you is because of what your hands have earned. Know that Allah forgives a lot.”

§ Preferring the duniyah over the hereafter is dangerous and should be avoided. Abdullah ibn Masood said regarding the ayah: “Amongst you are those who want the duniyah, and amongst you are those who want the hereafter” that he did not realize that there were amongst them those who wanted the duniyah. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “Indeed, the duniyah is sweet and green and Allah put you here to see hwo you would behave. Fear the duniyah and women. The first fitnah in Bani Isra’il came from women.” This is not degrading to women but a testimony to the weakness of men.

The non­Muslims know that if you want to destroy a society, start with the women. If a woman is taken out of her place, then everything else collapses because she is the one who teaches the children morals and manners. If she is not teaching them and taking care of them, then the children become bad, and when they become older, they do not take care of the elders.

§ Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) wants to honor the Muslims because He wants to give them an honorable death.

Mus’ab ibn Umayr was the most respected of the youth in Makkah. When he fought in Uhud, he was the flag bearer. When they cut his hand, he held the flag with the other hand, and when the other hand was cut off, he held it with what he could. On the day that he was martyred, they could not find enough to cover his body because if his head was covered, his feet would show, and if his feet were covered, then his head would show. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) covered his head and used leaves to cover the rest of the body.

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The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) buried the Muslims according to how much Quran they had memorized. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) buried those who had memorized more first. The companions immediately knew how much the others had memorized because they would gather together to memorize Quran. Everyone should have a partner to read the Quran to.

Sa’ad ibn Rabi’ was martyred, and the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) called the companions to look for him. Ubayy ibn Ka’ab saw Sa’ad in his last breath, and he sent his salaams to the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam). When the companions were about to die, they were thinking about the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), showing how much they loved him.

Abdullah ibn Jahsh and Handhalah ibn Abi Aamir was also martyred. The body of Handhalah was wet, and the companions asked the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) about it. Handhalah had just married, and he immediately went to the battle without making ghusl. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) saw him being raised up and washed by the angels. Abdullah ibn Aamir, the father of Jaabir, was also martyred. He went after Abdullah ibn Ubayy as­Salool trying to call him back.

Later, Jaabir realized that the area where his father was buried would flood whenever it rained. He wanted to honor his father by moving his grave. He dug up the grave and he saw his father in the same condition he had seen him in on the day of Uhud. When he moved the hand holding the wound, blood still came out. The ground does not decompose the bodies of the shuhadaa, and they will be raised up on the Day of Judgment in the same state that they died.

Mukhareek, a Jew who had accepted Islam, was also martyred. Before leaving for battle, he went to his people and asked them why they were not following the messenger they were waiting for. The Jews told him to leave because it was their Sabbath. He replied that they would not have their rest after this. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) called him the best of the Jews.

§ The leader of the non­Muslims was Abu Sufiyyan, and later Allah changed his heart, and he became Muslim. Sometimes the worst enemy may become your closest friend later. Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) can guide anyone.

Make du’a that Allah gives people guidance. Never say that a person will be in the Hellfire. It is permissible to say that the kuffar will be in the Hellfire, but do not specify a person in particular if they are still alive.

At the end of the battle, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was on the top of the mountain, and Abu Sufiyyan called out, “Is Muhammad amongst the people?” He did not hear anything. He then asked, “Is Abu Bakr there? Is Umar there? May Hubal be exalted!” Hubal was their god in Makkah. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “Ya Umar! Why don’t you respond?” Umar (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) said, “What should I say?” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “Say, ‘Allah is the Greatest and the Most Exalted!’” Abu Sufiyyan said, “We have Uzza and you do not have Uzza.” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) told Umar to respond and to say, “Allah is our Lord and Protector, and you have no protector.” Before leaving, he said, “Today is an exchange for Badr.” Umar (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) said, “It is not the same! Those who have died amongst us are in Paradise, and those who have died amongst you are in the Hellfire!” Abu Sufiyyan said, “Come down Umar!” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) told him to go. Abu Sufiyyan asked if Muhammad was still alive. Umar replied that Muhammad was still alive for his punishment.

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In the battle, 70 Muslims were martyred and 22 Makkans were killed. After the battle, Hind bint Utbah came to Hamzah. She was making jewelry of the ears and noses of the Muslims and giving them to the women to wear. She opened the stomach of Hamzah and took out his liver. She tried to eat of the liver of Hamzah but could not. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said that if she had been able to eat it, then Hellfire would not have touched her.

When the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) saw the body of Hamzah, he was very sad and said, “If we are to meet again in the battle, I will mutilate thirty of them.” Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) then revealed the ayah forbidding mutilation.

When the Muslims were returning to Madinah, a woman had lost her husband, son, and brother, but she kept asking about the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam). Finally, she asked to be taken to the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam). She said, “Every calamity after you is nothing.” This shows how much the companions loved the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam).

§ The prophets are human and can be harmed also. § The end is the most important. Musayrim was a companion who did not accept Islam from the beginning. The same day the Muslims went to Uhud, he said the shahadah. He fought and was injured. His family members were looking to see who was killed amongst their family members, and they asked him why he was there, and he replied that he had accepted Islam in the morning. He died from the wounds. He never made a single sujood to Allah or prayed a single prayer. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said that he is amongst the people of Paradise. He acquired a lot but did very little. He entered Paradise and he did not make a single sujood to Allah.

As Muslims in the 21 st century living in America have the opportunity to defend the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam). The reward for defending the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) has not stopped. It is incumbent upon us to defend the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam).

The Tragedy of al­Ma’una Well

After the Battle of Uhud, the Quraysh felt that they had won and felt encouraged. Other tribes, such as the Khuza’ tribe, around the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) were encouraged to go against the Muslims. Abu Bara’ ibn Amir ibn Malik from Najd came to visit Madinah, and he asked the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) if he could send some companions who were knowledgeable about Islam to Najd to invite them to Islam. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) expressed fear of the treachery of the people of Najd, and Abu Bara’ offered protection. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) knew the danger especially of sending the scholars. Seventy of the companions who were versed in the Quran were sent to Najd, which was in central Arabia.

When they arrived in an area called the wells of Ma’una, they were ambushed. The non­Muslims killed every companion with exception of Ka’ab ibn Zayd ibn Najjar because he pretended to be dead. Two others of the seventy had lagged behind: Aamir ibn Umayyah and Mundhir, and they were also attacked. Aamir was freed because of a debt that was owed to his mother in jahiliyyah. Aamir ibn Umayyah had witnessed everything. On his return to Madinah, he met two people from Banu Khilab, and when they approached him, he killed both of them out of fear that they

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were from the group that had killed the Muslims. When Aamir ibn Umayyah arrived in Madinah, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) told him that the two men who were killed had a peace treaty with the Muslims. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) had to pay the blood money.

During this tragedy, one of the companions killed was Haram ibn Milhan. When the spear penetrated his body, he saw the blood and said, “Allahu Akbar! By the Lord of al­Ka’bah I have won!”

Lessons from this incident: § Some danger should not stop us from making daw’ah. The message must be conveyed. Do

not be in a state where you are so afraid about speaking about Islam. § If a person is killed in the process of conveying the message, then inshAllah he is a shaheed.

The greatest victory is dying in a state where Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) is pleased with you.

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) had to raise 200 camels to pay the blood money. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) wanted to get some help, and in the treaty in Madinah with the Jews, one of the points is that the Jews should help when there is need. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) went to Banu Nadhir to ask for help. The Jews thought it was an opportunity to get rid of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam). They sent a man to wait on top of a mountain with a big boulder. Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) sent Jibreel to warn him of their intentions. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) left immediately. This act alone should have been an indication to the Jews that the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was a prophet and messenger because they had not told anyone of their plans.

Actions the Jews did to violate the treaty: § After the Battle of Badr, the Jews called the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) to

discuss in a debate, and they said that if he could defeat them, then they would become Muslim. They asked for three rabbis and three Muslims to be alone. They were discussing the matter, and the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) heard about this from one of the women who told her brother who was a Muslim. He told the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) that the three rabbis who were coming would hide their daggers.

§ The Jews went to the Quraysh to incite them to fight. They provided the Quraysh with information.

§ Assassination attempt.

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) besieged Banu Nadhir for six days, and after six days they agreed to leave Madinah because they had breached the contract. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) allowed them to leave and take whatever they had on their camels. Abdullah ibn Ubayy as­Salool went to Banu Nadhir and told them not to leave. He told them that his men would help them. Banu Nadhir continued to stay because of Abdullah ibn Ubayy as­ Salool’s promise to help. Banu Nadhir was besieged even more and Abdullah ibn Ubayy as­ Salool and his men did not help. Allah mentions the situation in Surah Al Hashr.

After the Battle of Uhud, the non­Muslims were encouraged by the victory of the Quraysh. Banu Musdaliq’s leader Haarith ibn Abi Dhiraar was planning to gather the people in his area to attack Madinah to finish the Muslims. Rumor of this meeting reached the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam). The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) sent Buraydah al­Aslam who pretended to join the federation. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) then received confirmation of the situation and mobilized 700 fighters and went to Bani Musdaliq and attacked them before

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they could mobilize. Some of their fighters were killed and captured many men, women, and children, and 500 goats and 2,000 camels.

Amongst Banu Musdaliq was Juwairiyyah bint Haarith ibn Abi Dhiraar. When women and children are captured, they become slaves, which is a form of daw’ah. Islamically, slavery is brotherhood and Allah has put them under your care. They should be fed from what you eat and clothed from what you wear. You are responsible to take care of them and teach them. Once they become Muslim, they can be freed.

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) distributed the slaves to the different companions, and Juwairiyyah was given to Thaabit ibn Al Qays, and she complained to the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) that she was of nobility, and it was not appropriate. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) bought her from Thaabit ibn Al Qays and freed her and married her. When he married her, all of the people in Madinah said that it was not appropriate for them to have slaves from the family of the wife of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), so they were all freed, and they all accepted Islam. Her father came and tried to take her back, and the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) gave her the option of leaving, and she chose to stay. Her father also accepted Islam.

During the campaign of Bani Musdaliq in the 5 th year after the hijrah, two things occurred. On the return trip to Madinah, Abdullah ibn Ubayy as­Salool saw an ansar and muhajir arguing. Abdullah ibn Ubayy as­Salool was trying to bring back the culture of tribalism. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was very angry. Abdullah ibn Ubayy as­Salool went back to the ansar and told them that they should kick out the lowly ones from Madinah. He was trying to instigate the problem and revive tribalism.

When some companions wanted to kill Abdullah ibn Ubayy as­Salool, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) told them not to because he did not want people to say that Muhammad kills his companions. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) knew he was a munafiq, but whatever is in their heart is between them and Allah.

Accusation

• This refers to an instance when the munafiqoon accused Aisha (raddiya Allahu ‘anha) of zina (adulteration).

• On the way back to Medina, Aisha had left the camp to answer the call of nature. • Abdullah Ibn­Ubai Ibn­SalulàLeader of the hyprocrites in Medina

o There were about 700 of the munafiqoon of Medina under him o Abdullah was supposed to be crowned king the day the Prophet (Sallah Allahu

Alyhi Wasalam) arrived in Medina. The people of Medina left Abdullah and chose the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) to be their leader instead. Because the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) “tool away” his worldly title, Abdullah Ibn­Ubai despised him for it.

o After the battle of Al­Khandaq, Ibn Salul realized that the best way to destroy the Muslims was to do it from the inside out: he would join the Muslims, spread rumors, and destroy their society.

• This incident occurred on their way back to Medina from a battle:

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Aisha narrates, “Whenever Allah's Messenger intended to go on a journey, he used to draw lots among his wives and would take with him the one on whom the lot had fallen. Once he drew lots when he wanted to carry out a Ghazwa (battle), and the lot came upon me. When Allah's Apostle had finished his Ghazwa (battle) and returned and we approached Medina, Allah's Messenger ordered to proceed at night. When the army was ordered to resume the homeward journey, I got up and walked on till I left the army (camp) behind. When I had answered the call of nature, I went towards my howdah [the canopy seat she was carried in], but behold! A necklace of mine made of Jaz Azfar (a kind of bead) was broken and I looked for it and my search for it detained me. The group of people who used to carry me, came and carried my howdah on to the back of my camel on which I was riding, considering that I was therein. At that time women were light in weight and were not fleshy for they used to eat little (food), so those people did not feel the lightness of the howdah while raising it up, and I was still a young lady. They drove away the camel and proceeded. Then I found my necklace after the army had gone. I came to their camp but found nobody therein so I went to the place where I used to stay, thinking that they would miss me and come back in my search. While I was sitting at my place, I felt sleepy and slept … Safwan had started in the last part of the night and reached my stationing place in the morning and saw the figure of a sleeping person. He came to me and recognized me, as he used to see me before veiling. I got up because of his saying: "Inna Lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun" (an ayah from the Qur’an). I covered my face, and by Allah, he did not say to me a single word except, "Inna Lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun". He made his she­camel kneel down, whereupon he trod on its forelegs and I mounted it. Then Safwan set out, leading the she­camel that was carrying me, till we met the army while they were resting during the hot midday. After this we arrived at Madinah and I became ill for one month while the people were spreading the forged statements of the people of the Ifk, and I was not aware of anything thereof”.

• Aisha was smart to stay where she was, instead of trying to look for the her husband’s caravan/army. This is because it is very easy to get lost in the Arabian desert, and it is better to stay in one place and let people eventually find you, then wander off and risk losing the path and getting lost.

o This also shows her tawakkul billah ta’alaàshe had faith that Allah would protect her and send her help.

o Narrated that she waited half a day for her rescue • Safwan ibn Al­Mu´attal was the rear­guard of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi

Wasalam)’s army. o Safwan was very respectful in the way he approached the wife of the Prophet

(Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam)àhe recognized her from the days before she wore a niqaab, and spoke so that she would know a man is near, and to cover her face.

o He let her ride his camel while he walked the entire way in the hot midday sun till they reached the rest of the caravan.

• When ibn­Salul heard about this incident, he spread rumors and accused Aisha RA of the commiting the sin of adultery with Safwan ibn Al­Mu´attal

o “ifk:” stronger word for lying; it is the highest level of lying, because you are accusing an innocent

• When the people in Medina heard this disgusting lie, they were divided into four groups:

إن الذين جاؤوا بالإفك عصبة منكم

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“Verily! Those who brought forth the slander (against Aisha RA) are a group among you…[24:11]

1) First group didn’t believe the incident, but they also didn’t deny what people were saying. They kept silent, and this was the majority of the people.

2) Second group vehemently denied it. a. Abu­Ayyub Al­Ansari (RA) (Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam)’s

Companion) asked his wife if she would do something like that if she were in Aisha’s (RA) place (i.e. the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam)’s wife). She swore by Allah (Subhanahu Wata’ala) that she never would have done it, and he told her that Aisha would never do it either, since Aisha—being the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam)’s wife and Um Al­Mu’mineen—is better than her. In return, Abu Ayyub’s wife asked if he would have done it if he was in Safwan’s place. Abud Ayyub said he would never have never betrayed the Messenger of Allah; she then told her husband that Sawfan too is better than him. àthe fact that the husband would “diss” his own wife indicates how highly they thought of Aisha.

3) Third group were like the first, except they helped the scandal to spread through talking about it, or even writing poetry about it.

4) The hypocrites of Medina added more disgusting lies to this foul rumor

• Aisha RA fell ill, but she never heard of the slander surrounding her. o She was staying with her parents, and she only realized something was going on

when she realized she wasn’t receiving the same show of kindness from her husband when the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) came to visit her parent’s house. She didn’t know anything about it until a month later. When she heard, she cried and cried for days and couldn’t sleep.

• The rumors put a difficult stress on the house of Abu Bakr o He was a respected merchant in the times of Jahiliyya, and no one ever spoke ill

of his family. He cried for his daughter, and wondered how this could happen after Allah (Subhanahu Wata’ala) graced the Abu Bakr family and made them Muslims. Of course Abu Bakr wasn’t concerned with the dunya, but he loved the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) and his daughter, and hated seeing them in this difficult situation.

• The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) never believed what the people were saying, but he didn’t have solid proof with which to confront the liars and show that his wife was innocent.

• As a Prophet of Allah, leader of his Ummah, and a husband, he was faced with a difficult dilemma:

o Should he divorce his wife and save his reputation? Should he use his authority and punish those who speak ill of him and his family, or will the munafiqoon and disbelievers manipulate this action and say he’s abusing his powers? His (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) hands were tied until Allah Revealed her innocence.

• The Prophet (Sallah Allayhi Wasalam) waited for Divine Revelation, for Allah (Subhanahu Wata’ala) is All­Knowing and will surely find the best way to prove Aisha’s innocence.

• Meanwhile, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) sought his Companions for insight into the situation.

o Usama bin Zaid affirmed Aisha’s goodness and reputation

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o Ali ibn Abu­Talib advised the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) to ask Aisha’s slave girl, Barira, for she will tell the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) the truth

• Barira swore to Allah (Subhanahu Wata’ala) that Aisha never did what the people were accusing her Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) also wanted his Ummah to do something to publicly defend Aisha RA (instead of remaining silent, like the majority did).

o The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) stood on the pulpit and asked which of the Muslims will help him against the one who slandered his family.

o Saa’d Ibn Muadh al­Ansari swore that he will the man, whether he be from ‘Aus, or Al­Khazraj (Saa’d’s own tribe)

• The ayahs revealing Aisha’s innocence were revealed to Mohammad (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) after a whole month of this

o P. 32: The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) visited Aisha, testified to the Oneness of Allah Ta’ala [i.e. recited the tashahhud], and said, “If you are innocent, Allah will acquit you, otherwise you have to beg for His forgiveness and pardon. “ She stopped crying, and asked her parents to speak on her behalf, but they had nothing to say [they didn’t know how to respond to the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam)]. Aisha RA took initiative and said, “Should I tell you I am innocent, and Allah knows that I am surely innocent, you will not believe me; and if I were to admit something of which, Allah knows, I am innocent, you will believe me, then I will have nothing to make recourse except the words of the father of Prophet Yusuf:

فصبر جميل والله المستعان على ما تصفون

“So (for me) patience is most fitting. And it is Allah (Alone) Whose help can be sought against that which you assert.” [12:18]

o At this point, Aisha had resigned herself to be patient if no one else believed her. She knew Allah (Subhanahu Wata’ala) knew the truth of her innocence, and she would seek help from Allah Alone, and rely on Him in times of hardships, for only He can alleviate out difficulties.

o Aisha then turned away and laid on her bed, believing that Allah would reveal her innocence: “But, by Allah I never thought that Allah would sent down a Divine Revelation that would be recited (forever), as I considered myself too unworthy to be talked of by Allah with something that was to be recited (i.e. a Qur’anic ayah). All I hoped for was that Allah's Messenger might have a vision in which Allah would prove my innocence.”

o But it was after she spoke these words that the ayaahs revealing her innocence were Revealed.

o The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) smiled at her for the first time in a month, and told her that Allah declared her innocence. Aisha’s mother told Aisha to go to the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) and thank him, but instead Aisha gave thanks to Allah (Subhanahu Wata’ala), for He was the one who proved her innocence, not the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam).

• The ayahs revealed are in Surat Noor (24: 11­17). o They deal with the protection of women in Islam, and how we should defend a

woman’s honor. o Before you accuse someone of zina (adultery), you need 4 witnesses; otherwise

anyone who speaks this accusation is punished with 80 lashes.

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والذين يرمون المحصنات ثم لم يأتوا بأربعة شهداء فاجلدوهم ثمانين جلدة ولا تقبلوا لهم شهادة أبدا وأولئك هم الفاسقون

“And as for those who accuse chaste women [of adultery], and then are unable to produce four witnesses [in support of their accusation], flog them with eighty stripes, and ever after refuse to accept from them any testimony ­ since it is they, they that

are truly depraved!” [24:4]

o Allah ordered 3 to be punished: Hassan Ibn­Thabit (the poet); Mistah Ibn­ Uthatha (Abu Bakr’s nephew); and Hamna Bint­Jahsh, who was the sister of the Prophet’s wife Zainab Bint­Jahsh (she spread rumors because she knew Aisha was the favorite, while Zainab was second).

o Why wasn’t Abdullah ibn Ubay punished? Because he only planted the seeds in people’s mindsàhe told them that Aisha and Safwan came in alone from the desert, and let people’s imaginations go wild; the people/munafiqoon fabricated the rest.

• Why did (Subhanahu Wata’ala) cause this situation for His Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) and his wife? What’s the Divine Wisdom behind this? And why was the Divine Revelation brought down after such a long time?

o The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) and his family were known among the Ummah/society for their good, clean reputations. Something big had to happen for the Ummah to wake up. This occurrence taught us that we should never talk ill about anyone, especially in regards to foul matters, because such talk can be disastrous to a society.

o The fact that the ayahs were delayed for so long proved that the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) did not come up with the ayahs himselfàhe could have created some ayahs on the spot to clear his wife of this charge and restore peace in his home, but this is not the way of the Messenger of Allah Ta’ala

o Allah Ta’ala wanted to test the believers and to strengthen Aishaàwhen she had no one to talk to who would believe her, she could always turn to Allah (Subhanahu Wata’ala). When you get pushed to your limits, you always know you can rely upon Allah, and that He will never bear you with a burden greater than you can handle. In short, trials and tribulations strengthen us.

• We should all strive to be Abu Ayyub when it comes to gossip and slander, and think the best of others and defend your brother or sister in Islam.

Self­Revelation

AHZAB Also known as: the Battle of the Trench, the Battle of the Confederates, Ghazwah al­Khanda, Ghazwah al­Ahzab. Took place in the year 5 after hijrah.

• The Jews of Banu Nadir were expelled from Medina after the Battle of Uhud for their treachery

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o They were bitter at the expulsion and wanted to bring the Muslims to their destructionàso they went to the Quraysh to stir the pot and convince them to help in the attack.

o They went to Banu Quraydah and told them to break off their peace treaty with the Muslims. They said if they don’t, the Quraysh will come after you too, because there’s no guarantee the Muslims will be victorious.

o They managed to get supporters from all different tribes: Bani Assad, Banu Sulaym, Banu Shuja, Banu Murra, Qurayza, Kinana, Ghatafan

• Most of the Confederate Army were the people of Quraysh, led by Abu Sufyan • Confederate army consisted of about 10,000 men and 600 horses • Horsemen from Banu Khuza’a went to Medina to warn the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi

Wasalam) of the invading army. • By the time the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) and the Muslims got this

message, they only had 1 week to prepare until the Confederate army would reach them and attack.

• The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) consulted with the community and Companions on the best mode of warfare: should they meet the enemy in the open, or wait for them in Medina?

o They realized that they would be outnumbered by the Qurayshàthe Muslims only had 3000 people who were able to fight

o The best thing for them to do was build a defense around Medina • The hills and mountains of Medina provided a natural fortress for the city. There was

really only one side through which the enemy could attack from—the Northern side.

• Salman al­Farisi (named so because was from Persia) had the idea to build ditches in this area (which is what they did in Persia against large forces).

o The enemy would get trapped in the ditch, and the dirt would serve as a defense for the Medinians

• Every capable person in Medina, including the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), participated in digging the ditchesàThey were organized into groups of 10 to dig each section

o Banu Quraydah didn’t fight with them; they only supplied materials for digging • This became the main activity they would do all day and night. They dug for 6­24 days

(different narrations). There was also a near­famine in Medina at this time. o Medina was at a standstillàthere was no business or transactions going on, since

they spent all their time digging. They had no food stored, and people were hungry. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) would sometimes not eat for 3 days. Jabir bin Abdullah (a companion) once said he saw the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) put a rock on his stomach (the pressure on his stomach would relieve the pain of hunger). Jabir slaughtered a goat, and his wife made soup for the Prophet. It was enough to feed 10 people, so the companion told the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) to call 10 men so they could all eat. But how can he pick 10 people when the whole city was starving?? So the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) invited over 1,000 people!! He said bism Allah when they started to eat, and was able to feed all the peopleànever ran out of soup! Allah put barakah (blessings) in their food. When you do something good, Allah will put blessings into your actions, inshaAllah. [Also, the more you share food dishes with other people, you’ll become fuller faster.]

o Shouldn’t hoard or count your money or possessionsàAllah will always put barakah in your possessions if you have taqwa and are sincere and work in the

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name of Islam. Always put your trust in Allah that He will provide you with enough.

o Story of Aisha RA and the jar of honey the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) gave her. She didn’t think it would be enough, but He (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) told her to just keep using it and never look into the jar. She used it for years and years and never ran out. When the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) returned to Allah, she opened the jar, and it was empty!

• When they were digging and came across a rock they couldn’t break or an area they couldn’t dig through, they would call the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam)àhe was the strongest of them. He would say bism Allah, and would break the rock.

o Al­Baraa (RA) said, “On the Day of Al­Khandaq, there stood out a rock too immne for our shovels to break up. We therefore went to see the Messenger of Allah (Subhanahu Wata’ala) for advice. He took the spade, and struck the rock, uttering, “In the Name of Allah, Allah is Great, the keys of Ash­Sham are mine, I swear by Allah, I can see its palaces right now. On the second strike, he said, “Allah is Great, Persia is mine, I swear by Allah, I can now see the white palace of Madain,” and for the third time he struck the rock, which turned into very small pieces, he said, “Allah is Great, I have been given the keys of Yemen, I swear by Allah, I can see the gates of San’a while I am in my place.” (p. 34 in book)

o The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was telling the Muslims that they will be victoriousàthe Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) always received and gave glad tidings in times of hardship to encourage the Muslims to have faith and taqwa.

o The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) would also say, “O Allah there is no goodness except for the goodness of the Hereafter, so give blessing to the Ansar and muhajiroon.” They would reply, “We gave our pledge of Islam to Muhammad as long as we are still alive.”

o However, the munafiqoon didn’t understand the glad tidings and were unaffected by itàthey were more anxious about the impending army and worried for their own lives, and didn’t understand why their leaders was saying such things when they were in danger.

o The munafiqoon always looked for ways to get out of the work. They would leave when no one was looking, or ask the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) if they could leave and attend to their homes and family.

وإذ يقول المنافقون والذين في قلوبهم مرض ما وعدنا الله ورسوله إلا غرورا ن إن وإذ قالت طائفة منهم يا أهل يثرب لا مقام لكم فارجعوا ويستأذن فريق منهم النبي يقولو

بيوتنا عورة وما هي بعورة إن يريدون إلا فرارا

[33:12­13]

And [remember how it was] when the hypocrites and those with hearts diseased said [to one another], “God and His Apostle have promised us nothing but delusions!” [12]. and when

some of them said, “O you people of Yathrib! You cannot withstand [the enemy] here: hence, go back [to your homes]!” — Whereupon a party from among them asked leave of the

Prophet, saying, “Behold, our houses are exposed [to attack]!” — The while they were not [really] exposed: they wanted nothing but to flee. [13].

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• When they were done, the trench was 5,000 feet long, 9 feet wide, and 5­7 feet deep • They dug on the Northern side of Medina, with the Muslims army headquartered at Sala’

to give them the advantage if the Quraysh ever crossed the trench

• When the Confederates arrived, they were shocked at the trenchàthey was no way they could go over it, and it stopped their charge.

• The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) knew that the people of Banu Quraydah were being influenced by Banu Natheer, and that they might turn their backs on the Muslims

o This was a problem because it meant the enemy was not only outside of Medinah, but in their very backyard!

o Ka’b ibn Asad was convinced to break the pact. Alzubair heard this, and several Companions confirmed it

o The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) sent calvalry to Banu Quraytha to let them know they are being watched and to keep them from attacking the Muslims from the back.

• The women and children were moved to the inner city to a fort belonging to Bani Haritha for their protection; only those 15 or older engaged in warfare.

o The poet Hasan ibn Thaabit was also with themàhe couldn’t fight because his hand was injured

o A Jewish man from Banu Quraytha got into the fortress and entered the women’s area. One of the women told Hasan ibn Thaabit to kill him. He replied that if he was able to do this, he wouldn’t be in there in the first place (he’d be on the field, fighting). So a woman named Saffiyyah bint Abd Al­Mutallib (the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam)’s aunt) killed and beheaded the enemy. She told Hasan to take his head and throw it back to the Quraysh, to give the Quraysh the enemy that strong, fierce men were protecting the fort, even though only Hasan was there.

o Later the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) sent more forces to protect those in the fort.

• The battle got so heated that once ‘Umar RA said to the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) “I barely prayed ‘Asr on time.” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) replied, “I have not yet prayed ‘Asr! May Allah fill with fire the mouths and eyes of those who caused us to miss ‘Asr!”

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o This was the first time the fardh (canonical) prayers were neglected by the Muslim communityàshows just how fierce this battle was

o Side­note: The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) prayed ‘Asr at Maghrib time. This shows that if a person missed a prayer, they first have to pray what they missed, even if the time for it passed. The order of prayer must be kept.

• Nu’aym bin Mas’ud, one of the respected leaders of Bani Ghatafan, came to Islam during the battle.

o He snuck into the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam)’s camp, and offered to do whatever he can in his power to be beneficial for the Muslims’ cause

o The Prophet told him: “You are one of us, but for the moment, pretend to be an outsider. War is deceit, so go out and deceive them.”

o Nu’aym told Banu Quraydah that the Quraysh are planning on fleeing, and leaving Quraydah alone so that they will be destroyed by the Muslims. He told them the only way to prevent this is for them to ask the Quraysh to send some men to them, to prove they are serious allies.

o Nu’aym then went to the Quraysh (and his own people) and told them he heard Banu Quraydah regretted that they broke the treaty, and that they wanted to prove to the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) that they were sincere, so they will ask the Quraysh for 50 men as ransom, but will kill these men in order to show Muhammad (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) that they want to renew the treaty.

o When Quraydah asked for 50 men, the Quraysh realized Nu’aym was right, and mistrust and suspicion spread between the two tribes.

• The battle took its toll on everyone, and when the Muslims were close to giving up, Allah sent a “miracle storm”

o It became so cold and windy the Quraysh could not light a fire, cook, or stay in their tents.

o The Muslim camp, however, was under Allah’s Protection from these harsh conditions.

o The enemy retreated the next morning. • The Muslims had just defeated the largest army they ever faced, and were the new

“super­powers” of the Arabian Peninsula. o They were no longer on the defensive; rather, they were on the offensive

• After the battle, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) went home and was very tired

o He had taken off his armour, when Jibreel said to him: “You have taken off your armor, but we have not taken off our armor yet”, and he pointed in the direction of Banu Quraydah

• The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) told the Companions to quickly go to Banu Quraydah, and not to pray ‘Asr until they reached it

o They set off, but would not be able to reach Banu Quraydah before ‘Asr finished. o They were faced with a dilemma: do they pray the fardh, or obey the

Messenger’s orders? o Some of the Companions interpreted the order to mean they should just travel

quickly, but they should still pray when it was time (this is the default) o Other Companions delayed the prayer until they reached their destination. o The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) approved both decisions.

• The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) and his troops Messenger laid siege to their forts for 15 days, until Banu Quraydah surrendered.

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• Prophet ordered them to convert, but their response was: “We will follow the Torah until we die.”

• The Prophet consulted with Banu ‘Aws, who were allies with Banu Quraydah, about what their punishment should be.

o Banu ‘Aws said to let Sa'ad ibn Mu'adh (from Banu ‘Aws) to be the arbiter. • Sa’ad ibn Muad, was sick at home from fighting in the battle. When he came to them, the

Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said “Qoomo ila sayidikum” (stand for your sayid [to greet him] )”

o Side­note: It is not permissible to rise out of your seat out of respect for anyone, but it is permissible to get up to greet someone (especially your parents).

• Sa’ad’s opinion was “Kill all their men, and enslave their women and children,” and so the next day they killed all 600 Jews over the age of puberty

o They were taken 10 at a time. • Scholars say that Sa’ad’s decision for their punishment showed that he put his loyalty to

the Muslims above the loyalty for his own tribe. • The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said “You have applied the ruling of the 7

heavens.” o This is what Allah ordered, and it was the punishment prescribed in the Torah for

traitors. They had attacked the Muslims from the inside, betrayed the treaty, and attacked the women, and so they were killed.

• The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam)’s mercy towards defeated enemies was seen as a sign of weakness and contradictory to Arab and Jewish laws at the time.

o His kindness had also been betrayed repeatedly, and so this harsh punishment was carried out in order to make a statement that the Muslims were not weak.

• That was the last tribe of Jews inside medina.

HUDAIBIYYAH

• In the year 6 H, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) had a dream of making tawwaf around the ka’baàthe interpretation of this dream was that they should do Umrah

• The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) announced that they would go to Mecca for Umrah, even though they were still at odds with the Quraysh.

o Arab tradition stated that the Quraysh would allow anyone to enter Mecca for the purposes of Umrah, even if they were at war with each other, as long as they came peacefully.

• 1,400 Muslims and Companions joined the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) for this Umrah.

• The Quraysh, however, prepped themselves for war with the Muslims o Musuf ibn Sufwan was sent ahead to report on the Quraysh’s reaction to the

Muslims’ march. He reported that, “They have put on their leather skin and have marched to Quwa.”

o They wore their war clothes (leopard skin), and shielded the woman and children so they’d be safe, and swore they would not allow the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) to enter.

• As they marched towards Mecca, word got to the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) that Khalid ibn Waleed and his troops were in an area nearby, ready to intercept them

• The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) consulted with his Companionsàif the Meccans don’t let us in for ‘Umrah, do we fight?

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o They had left Medina in the state of ihram, and Abu Bakr RA wanted to continue in peace: “O Messenger of Allah, you have started off intending to visit the Ka’bah and did not intend to kill anyone, so let us keep marching.”

• The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) took Abu Bakr’s advice. The Muslims continued towards Mecca taking a different route so that they would avoid the Quraysh.

• The Muslims reached the area of Hudaibiyyah, which did not have many water wells (the Quraysh were blocking the paths that had more wells)

o The Muslims ran out of water, and some narrations say that the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) threw his quiver in the well, and more water came out

• In Hudaibiyyah, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam)’s camel refused to go any further. It was affected by the same force which held the elephant back from the ka’ba.

o The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “She has been held back by what held back Abraha’s elephant.”

o This was a sign they shouldn’t move any closer, so the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) sent delegates to the Quraysh to tell them they wanted to peacefully make umrah

o He (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) also said, “How unfortunate are the Quraysh, if they had left me alone they would still have their status, but they destroyed themselves” (glad tidings that the Muslims would be victorious yet again)

• The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) initially wanted ‘Umar bin al­Khattab RA to go forward and announce peace to the Quraysh, but ‘Umar declined because he had many enemies in the Quraysh since he joined Islam, and they wouldn’t listen to him.

o Umar instead suggested they send ‘Uthman bin ‘Affaan, who was protected by a tribe of the Quraysh

• The Quraysh allowed ‘Uthman RA to make tawwaf, but he refused to do so until they allowed the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) to do ‘umrah.

o It would have been completely halaal and permissible for ‘Uthman to make tawaaf first, but because of his good adaab (character) and respect and love for the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), he wouldn’t.

• ‘Uthman RA stayed with the Quraysh for some time, and rumors among the Muslims began to spread that he was killed

o The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) gathered the Companions under a tree to take a pledge to fight until death. This pledge is known as Bay’at al­ Radwan (The Pledge of Pleasure), or Bay’at al­Shajara (the Pledge of the Tree):

لقد رضي الله عن المؤمنين إذ يبايعونك تحت الشجرةIndeed, well­pleased was Allah with the believers when they pledged their allegiance unto

thee [O Muhammad] under that tree [48:18]

o Only man who refused the pledge was Ibn Qays, who some scholars say was a hyprocrite

o These 1,399 men were all promised Paradise, and glad tidings. o ‘Uthman RA returned after they had taken the pledge, but the Muslims had

already been tested (when they promised to fight) • Urwah bin Mas’ood al­Thaqafi was sent by the Quraysh to the Muslims.

o He accused the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) of sending his Companions to their own destruction, and that everyone with the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) is untrustworthy: “O Muhammad, you uprooted your own people. Have you heard of another example of an Arab doing so? I only see faces of those who are not sincere with you.”

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o He was mocking him and playing with his beard while he said thisàdisrespectful!

o The Companions could not stand it when anyone made fun of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam)àAbu Bakr was so enraged he slapped his hand away and replied to ‘Urwah to go do something vulgar

• ‘Urwah was impressed with how the Companions respected and defended their Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam).

o When he returned to the Quraysh, he said, “By Allah, I’ve been to Persia ……. And I’ve never seen a king more venerated by his people than the Prophet. By Allah … if he spit they would fight for it.”

o Sahih Bukhari • The Quraysh sent many neogtiators to the Muslims, the best representative was a man

named Suhail ibn ‘Amr o He came to the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), who said, “Here comes

ease,” because “suhail” means easy in Arabic. (The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was always witty and clever, even in times of hardship)

• The Muslims had to compromise a lot with the Quraysh so that they could go to Mecca for ‘Umrah.

• The Quraysh had authorized Suhayl to agree to an armistice, and Ali RA was the scribe for this agreement

• Ali RA started writing wrote down the agreement. He started with Bismillah ar­Rahman ar­Raheem, and Suhayl stopped him and said that they do not know that.

o The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) agreed that it could be changed to bismik Allahuma.

• Ali RA then wrote that it was an agreement with “Muhammad the Prophet of Allah (Subhanahu Wata’ala)”

o Suhail retorted that if the Quraysh agreed with this statement then he would not be there, and they knew Muhammad by his lineage.

o Ali refused to erase this because it was true. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) asked where it was written and erased it with his own hands. He then told Ali to write “Muhammad ibn Abdullah.”

• They had to speak to the Quraysh in the terms that they were familiar with, in order to be allowed into Mecca.

• The conditions of the treaty were as follows: 1) The Muslims shall return this time and come back next year, but they shall not stay in

Mecca for more than three days. • The Meccans wouldn’t allow the Muslims to enter that year, because it

would make the Meccans look weak (i.e. they gave in to the Muslims’ requests)

2) They shall not come back armed but can bring with them swords only sheathed in scabbards and these shall be kept in bags.

3) War activities shall be suspended for ten years, during which both parties will live in full security and neither will raise sword against each other.

• This is the most important clauseàthe Mekkans wanted to end the blockade so they can fix their economy

• The Meccans’ economy was so weak from the other Battles, and they needed time to restore their economy and trade.

4) If anyone from Quraysh goes over to Muhammad (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) without his guardian’s permission, he should be sent back to Quraysh, but should any

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of Muhammad’s (SALLAH ALLAHU ALYHI WASALAM) followers return to Quraysh, he shall not be sent back.

5) Whosoever wishes to join Muhammad (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) or enter into treaty with him, should have the liberty to do so; and likewise whosoever wishes to join Quraysh, or enter into treaty with them, should be allowed to do so.

• Banu Bakr allied with the Quraysh, while Khuza’a joined the Muslims. • The third clause of the treaty was also important because it indicated that Islam is a

peaceful religion that spreads in times of peace, because thousands of people in Mecca “reverted” to Islam in these 10 years.

• The fourth clause was a tricky one that was hard to adhere to: o Right after the agreement was signed, Abu Jandal, the son of Suhail the

negotiator, came to the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) and said the shahada. However, he didn’t have his father’s permission, so under the fourth clause, he would have to be sent back to the Quraysh. Abu Jandal didn’t want to go back and cried, “Am I to be returned to the polytheists that they might entice me from my religion, O Muslims!” Abu Jandal was at first returned to his family, but Muhammad (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) pleaded for an exception to be made in this case, and Abu Jandal was able to return to the Muslims.

o Women who converted and went to the Muslims were able to stay with the Muslimsàthe treaty stated that only men who went to Muhammad (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) would have to be returned.

o Those who converted escaped Mecca and would gather on the caravan routes between Mecca and Medina. They raided the caravans for food, and caused great distress for the Quraysh. When thousands of people began converting, the Quraysh no longer wanted them in Mecca. The Quraysh themselves abolished clause #4, and allowed any Muslim to go to Muhammad (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam).

• The Companions did not want to settle for the humiliating treaty. They thought they were lowering themselves, and didn’t understand why the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) agreed to it.

o The treaty wasn’t fair to the Muslims, plus they had to take out “Bism Allah Al­ Rahman Al­Raheem,” and “Muhammad, the Prophet of Allah (Subhanahu Wata’ala).”

o Umar and Abu Bakr (radiyyah Allahu ‘anhum) asked the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), “Are we on the straight path?” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said “Yes,” so they asked “Why are we accepting these humiliating terms? Being sent back? Allowing people who wanted to follow you to be sent back?”

• The Companions didn’t see the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah as a victory, but Allah (Subhanahu Wata’ala) revealed in Surat al­Fath:

إنا فتحنا لك فتحا مبينا

“Indeed we have granted you a clear victory.” [48:1]

o This Surah also revealed other glad tidings • After signing the treaty, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) ordered the Muslims to

remove their ihrams because they were going back to Medina. o Still stunned and upset at the terms of the treaty, the Muslims did not do as he said.

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o The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) went to his tent and consults with his wife Umm Salamah, and asks why the people are not following him: “Umm Salama, they’ve stopped listening to me.” Umm Salamah replied, “O Messenger of Allah, go back out there and do not say anything. Get out of ihram yourself, and they will follow.” She told him that leaders should lead by example.

o The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) went back out and did this; everyone else did the same, and they returned to Medina

Equilibrium Nations Invited to Islam

• The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) began calling other nations outside the Arabia peninsula to Islam

o He took advantage of peaceful times to call different countries to Islam • Many kings wouldn’t accept a letter from the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam)

unless it had an official seal o The Prophet’s seal read “Muhammad rasool Allah,” but was written from the

bottom up, so that Allah was on top. o After the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) returned the Allah, this seal

was passed onto Abu Bakr, then Umar, then Uthman bin ‘Affan, who lost it down a well

o We know what it looks like today from letters • The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) invited the king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia)

The letter the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) sent read: “This letter is sent from Muhammad, the Prophet, to Negus al­Ashama, the king of Abyssinia. Peace be upon him who follows true guidance and believes in Allah and His Messenger. I call you unto the fold of Islam; if you embrace Islam, you will find safety. Should you reject this invitation, then you will be held responsible for all the evils of the Christians of your people.” [Narrated by Al­Bayhaqi, on the authority of Ibn Ishaq]

قل يا أهل الكتاب تعالوا إلى كلمة سواء بيننا وبينكم أال نعبد إال الله وال نشرك به شيئا وال يتخذ سلمون بعضنا بعضا أربابا من دون الله فإن تولوا فقولوا اشهدوا بأنا م

Say: "O followers of earlier revelation! Come unto that tenet which we and you hold in common: that we shall worship none but God, and that we shall not ascribe divinity to aught beside Him, and that we shall not take human beings for our lords beside God." And if they turn away, then say: "Bear witness that it is we who have surrendered ourselves unto Him." [3:64].

• The king Negus (or An­Najashi) gave a lot of support to the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam)

o When the Muslims were being terrorized in Mecca, and the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) gave them the approval to emigrate in 615 CE, Negus offered many Muslims safe haven in his country.

o Emissaries from Quraysh came and tried to convince the king to send the Muslims back, because they followed the “wrong” religion, and would spread mischief in Abyssinia. However, Negus was moved by the words of the Muslims

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when Ja’fasr ibn Abu Talib explained their beliefs, and recited the ayahs from Surat Maryam (that talk about how Jesus is the son of Mary, and the slave of Allah)

o Instead of turning the Muslims over to Quraysh, he vehemently promised they would always be protected under him.

• Negus had accepted Islam, but didn’t publicly proclaim itàthe King believed in the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam)’s Message, but let his people believe he was still Christian (so he could have peace as a ruler).

• In 9 hijra, Negus passed away, and the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) led the salat al­janaza (funeral prayer) for Negus, and ordered everyone to pray it. Upon hearing the news of his death, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said: “Today a pious man has died. So get up and offer the funeral prayer for your brother Ashama” – narrated by Jabir (Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 58, Number 217)

o An­Najashi is considered the highest level of tabi’ee (mukhadram), because he lived during the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam)’s time, but never met him.

o Tabi’ee is a high ranking, but it’s beneath sahaba

• Sidenote: Question: What is the ruling for praying janazah when the body isn’t present? Two strongest opinions:

o 1) It’s allowed if the person is widely known, like a great scholar. Also, Ibn Taymiyyah and some of the Hanabila say that if no one has already prayed for the person, or the body cannot be retrieved, then it’s ok to pray for that person.

o 2) However, during the calipha of Umar RA, many great Companions passed away while they were in Al­Sham (Syria), but Umar never ordered the people to pray for them.

Conquest of Makkah

One night after seventeen or eighteen months, Banu Bakr attacked Khuza’. The Khuza’ sought help from the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), and the Quraysh wanted to give blood money because they were also involved in the attack. The people of Khuza’ had run to al Masjid al Haram for safety and were even killed there. We learn from the breaking of the treaties that the breaking of a treaty is equal to a declaration of war.

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) wanted to surprise the Quraysh, and when Abu Sufiyyan came to Madinah, he sent an expedition to the north to make them think that the Muslims will not attack. The Makkans were not expecting any attack. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) quietly gathered over 10,000 men.

Haatim ibn Abi Qanda, a sahabah who had fought in Badr, wrote a letter and sent it with a woman to warn the Quraysh. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was informed about this and sent Ali (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) and some other companions to chase the woman. Ali and some companions caught up with the woman and asked for the letter. When she saw that they were serious, she gave them the letter. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) brought Haatim ibn Abi Qanda, and Umar (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) asked the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) if he could cut off his head. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) asked Haatim what he had to say. Haatim said, “O Messenger of Allah, do not be hasty with me. My family is poor and has no protection, and I was just looking after them.” The Prophet (Sallah

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Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “O Umar, leave him alone because Allah has already forgiven those who have fought in Badr.”

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) left on the 10 th of Ramadan. On his way to Makkah, he met Abu Sufiyyan who came and took the shahadah. Al Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib also came and took the shahadah. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said that when they were about to enter, the Makkans were surprised at the size of the Muslim army. In less than two years of peace, the numbers of the Muslims had grown from 1,400 to 10,000. Islam prospers in peace and not in war.

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) came into Makkah and made an announcement: “Anyone who enters the house of Abu Sufiyyan is safe! Anyone who is in his own house and locks his door is safe! Anyone in Al Masjid Al Haram is safe!” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) is using hikmah.

When he (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) came into Makkah, there were 360 idols, and he (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) ordered all of the idols to be destroyed.

The Messenger of Allah (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) recited the following ayah as he broke the idols in the Ka’bah: [17:81]

He (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) sent others to destroy idols elsewhere also.

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) came into Makkah as a conqueror. He (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “I speak to you in the same words as Yusuf spoke unto his brothers: He said, ‘There shall be no blame on you this day,’ go on your way, for you are freed.”

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) ordered Bilal to make the adhaan from on top of the Ka’bah. Some of the new Muslims said, “Allah was kind to Sa’eed that he died before he could see a black man on top of the Ka’bah doing this.” They still had some of the tribalism still in them, but the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) wanted to let them know that there was no difference between the Arab and non­Arab.

People then started to come in tribes and groups to accept Islam. They had been waiting to see who would be victorious in the struggle between the Makkans and the Muslims because whoever was victorious was in the right. The bedouins started to accept Islam.

Lessons for Life

The people of some cities such as Ta’if decided to take all of their possessions with them to fight until the death. They took all of their possessions so that they would not flee because there was nothing to return to. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) heard of them coming. They had 20,000 men. The Muslims left for Hunayn on the 16 th of Shawwal after the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) had spent 19 days in Makkah.

Victory does not come in numbers but because of the help of Allah (subhanahu wata'ala). When the fight started, the non­Muslims were strategically placed in a valley, and the Muslims were stunned by the strength of the enemy. Some people started to flee, and Al

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Abbas and Abu Sufiyyan were calling them back. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was going forward and the sahabah saw him moving forward.

لقد نصركم الله في مواطن كثيرة ويوم حنين إذ أعجبتكم كثرتكم فلم تغن عنكم شيئا وضاقت عليكم األرض بما رحبت ثم وليتم مدبرين

25. Truly Allah has given you victory on many battle fields, and on the Day of Hunain (battle) when you rejoiced at your great number but it availed you naught and the earth, vast as it is, was straitened for you, then you turned back in flight. 26. Then Allah did send down His Sakinah (calmness, tranquility and reassurance, etc.) on the Messenger (Muhammad), and on the believers, and sent down forces (angels) which you saw not, and punished the disbelievers. Such is the recompense of disbelievers. [9:25­26]

Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) gave them victory. There had never been as many spoils of war because no one came with all of their possessions. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) started to distribute the war booty. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) heard of some of the ansar complaining and was angry. He said, “Sometimes I give people wealth, but it does not mean that they are more beloved to me. Are you not happy that these people go back with their camels and goats and you go back with the Messenger of Allah?” They began to cry and replied that they were pleased.

The people returned and told others to enter the religion because Muhammad gives without fearing poverty, and people began lining up saying the shahadah.

Farewell Hajj

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) returned for the final pilgrimage. Over 140,000 people were present at the final pilgrimage listening to the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam).

إذا جاء نصر الله والفتح ورأيت الناس يدخلون في دين الله أفواجا فسبح بحمد ربك واستغفره إنه كان توابا

1. When comes the help of Allah (to you, O Muhammad (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) against Your enemies) and the conquest (of Makkah), 2. And you see that the people enter Allah's Religion (Islam) in crowds, 3. So glorify the praises of your Lord, and ask for His forgiveness. Verily, He is the One who accepts the repentance and forgives.

When Abu Bakr (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) heard this surah, he started to cry because he knew that it was time for the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) to go.

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) spoke about rights and the kind treatment of women and the system of riba.

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Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) revealed in Surah Al Ma’idah: [5:3]

After the revelation of this ayah, there were no more ayat revealed relating to rulings. There are other ayat revealed, but they were all regarding the Hereafter.

The Last Days

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) returned back after the farewell pilgrimage and began to feel sick. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) once told Abu Muwayhibba after saying salaams to the people of the grave: “O Abu Muwayhibba, I have been given the keys of this world to stay in it and ultimately enter Paradise or I can enter Paradise.” Abu Muwayhibba told him to choose this world and then Paradise. He (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “No, I have chosen to meet my Lord and then Paradise.

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “If I have wronged anyone, here is my back. If I owe anyone anything, then come forward now.” A companion stood up and said, “O Messenger of Allah, you owe me 3 dirhams.” He (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) gave him the money. These three dirhams was money he had lost in the masjid and he later found it.

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) continued and said, “A slave was given the choice between this world and what is with Allah, and he chose what is with Allah.” The companions listened and thought the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was referring to a slave. Abu Bakr (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) understood and knew he was referring to himself. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “O Abu Bakr, do not cry. If I were to take a khalil in this world, it would be you.” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) became very sick. Four days before his death, he decided to write something for the people so that they will never be astray. Umar (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) saw the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) in so much pain and told him to be left alone. Others disagreed that the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) should write it. Umar (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) said that we have the Quran and Sunnah and that is enough. Because of this argument in his room, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) told everyone to leave. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) instructed that the Jews, Christians, and pagans be expelled from the Arabian peninsula.

One of the last advices was to take care of the prayers. These are the connection with Allah (subhanahu wata'ala). If you want to be with the Messenger of Allah in Paradise, then increase your sunnah. Rabi’ ibn Ka’ab was asked what he wanted, and he said that he just wanted to be with the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) in Paradise. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) told him, “Then help me in that matter by increasing in sujood.” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) ordered Aisha (radhi Allahu 'anha) to tell her father to lead the prayer after making wudu three times and fainting. Aisha (radhi Allahu 'anha) said, “O Messenger of Allah, Abu Bakr is a soft­hearted man, and if he takes the position, people will barely hear him, so let Umar lead.” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “Ask Abu Bakr to lead the prayer.”

At noon the same day, the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) felt a little better, and Abu Bakr was leading the people in prayer. Ali (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) and another companion were helping the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) to the prayer area, and Abu Bakr upon seeing

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the Prophet stepped back to let the Prophet lead in prayer. When he stepped back, the Prophet tried to push him forward but Abu Bakr stayed and then the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) prayed sitting while they prayed standing because they had started standing.

When the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was about to pass away, he freed all of his slaves and gave away all of his money in charity. He said, “We are not inherited by anyone. Whatever we leave behind goes to charity.” The inheritance of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) is in the knowledge. In the last days, many people came to visit. When Fatima (radhi Allahu 'anha) saw him in such pain, she started to cry and said, “O pain of my father.” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “Your father will not suffer anymore when the day is over.”

The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) was in Aisha’s (radhi Allahu 'anha) lap and said, “Al Rafeeq Al ‘Ala.” The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) died on Monday, the 12 th of Rabi’ Al Awwal at the age of 63.

When the people of Madinah heard about the death of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), they were sad. Umar (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) said, “Allah’s Messenger has not died, but has been taken away into solitude just as Musa was in solitude. By Allah, I expect the Prophet to live long enough to cut off the hands and tongues of the hypocrites who say he is dead.” He was very angry that anyone would say such things.

Abu Bakr (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) got up and made one of the most famous speeches of men and said, “And now, he who worships Muhammad, (let him know that) Muhammad is now dead. But he who worships Allah, (let him know that) He is Ever Living and never dies. Allah says,

‘Muhammad is no more than a Messenger, and indeed (many) Messengers have passed away before him. If he dies or is killed, will you then turn back on your heels (as disbelievers)? [3:144]

Abu Bakr had cried more than anyone before this, but when it came time for strength, he was the strongest. When the companions heard Abu Bakr’s statement, there was silence. Umar fell to the ground upon realizing that the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) had died.

The people did not know what to do with the body of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam). Umar (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) was in total disbelief and shock. Anas (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) said that he had never witnessed two days that were so different: the day the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) came to Madinah everything was light and the day the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) died everything was gloomy.

Bilal (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) said, “O Makkah, I cannot make the adhaan anymore.” Every time he would say ash hadu anna Muhammadan rasulullah, he would start crying. He decided to go fight in jihad fisabilillah. At the time of Umar (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) as the khalifah, and the Muslims entered Quds, the Muslims asked Umar to ask Bilal to make the adhaan one more time so that they could remember the time of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam). Bilal asked Umar to excuse him from doing it, and Umar told him that the people want him to do it one more time. Bilal started the adhaan and started crying and all of the companions in Jerusalem cried. The last two adhaans of Bilal were in Makkah and Jerusalem. Everyone cried because they rememberd the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), and they loved the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) so much.

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Abu Bakr (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) would go after fajr in a certain direction, and Umar was wondering where he went every morning and followed him to a small tent on the outskirts of Madinah. Umar entered after Abu Bakr left and saw a blind woman. He asks her if she knew who that was. She said, “I don’t know, but he comes every morning and cleans my house and gives me milk and helps me with whatever I need for that day.” Umar (Radhya Allahu ‘anhu) started to cry because he knew that it is what the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) used to do, and he said, “O Abu Bakr, you have tired the khulafa’ who will come after you.”

If we love the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), we have to continue studying the seerah and learning the hadeeth of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) and memorizing the ahadeeth in Arabic while knowing the meaning. Be consistent and every day learn one hadeeth. Revive the sunnah and follow the sunnah of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) and love those who follow the sunnah of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam). When you hear the words of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), try to instinctively follow them.

The greatest calamity is the death of the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam). Every calamity after this is insignificant.

Books to read:

The Biography of the Prophet of Islam in Light of the Original Sources (An Analytical Study) by Dar us Salaam by Dr. Mahdi

Always ask Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) to be with the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam). Even if you are not able to follow the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) exactly, have love for him. The Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam) said, “A person will be raised with those whom he loves.” If we truly loved the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), then when we hear this hadeeth we should say that we love Allah, we love the Prophet (Sallah Allahu Alyhi Wasalam), we love Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali and be happy.

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الرحيم الرحمن اهللا بسم

The Shepard’s Path

Who’s Who

This is not an exhaustive list, but a short one meant to be used for your assistance.

Abdul‐Muttalib – The son of Haashem (Amr Ibn Abdul Manaaf) the grandfather of the Prophet peace be upon him. Father of Abdullah, father of Muhammad, peace be upon him. He was given the name “Shaybah” at birth, which means “old man”, due to some strands of gray hair he had. As a boy in Medinah, Al‐Mutallib came to Madina and wanted “Shaybah” to come with him to Mecca where he can take his position of honor and nobility, Shaybah the son of late and very well known and respected Haashem. Given the decision, “Shaybah” agrees, and when people saw him coming into Mecca with Al‐ Muttalib, they assumed he was a slaved, and thereafter the name stuck and he was called and known as “Abdul‐Muttalib”. After having visions, he dug up the well of ZamZam with his son Haarith, and went on to have control of it and his story and reputation sky‐rocketed. He vowed to sacrifice his 10 th son if Allah granted him that many, and so Abdullah was born. He was about to slaughter him but was convinced not to, and drew lots, until 100 camels were slaughtered in place of Abdullah. Abdullah went on to be the most well‐known child of Abdul‐Muttalib, and Abdullah would later go on marry Aamina, and they would be the parents of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Abdullah died before the Prophet, peace be upon him was born, and after around 4 years with Haleema in the desert, and 2 with his mother before she passed away, he lived from the ages of 6‐8 with his grandfather Abdul‐ Muttalib, before the latter finally passed away. Young Muhammad, peace be upon him, went on to the care of his uncle Abu Taalib

Abu Taalib – the uncle of the Prophet, peace be upon him, who took care of Muhammad after the grandfather, Abdul‐Muttalib, passed away while the Prophet peace be upon him was around 8 years old.

Abdullah – the father of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and the son of Abdul‐Muttalib, the Prophet peace be upon him’s grandfather. He was the most famous son of Abdul‐Muttalib (see “Abdul‐ Muttalib” in “Who’s Who – Seerah”), and the 10 th , and was saved from sacrifice and 100 camels were slaughtered in his place. He marries Amina, they go to Madina, and on the way back near Madina, he dies, and his wife was pregnant with the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.

Aamina – the mother of the Prophet peace be upon him. She gave birth to him, peace be upon him, after her husband Abdullah had died. She allowed her son to be raised up in the pristine environment of the desert in its cleanliness and pure Arabic environment, with Haleema, up until around the age of 4 years old when he was returned to her in Mecca. She passed away when the young boy, Muhammad, peace be upon him, was only around 6 years of age, leaving him without a father or mother.

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Abraha – the governor of Yemen, who, seeing the respect the Arabs had for Mecca, tried to build a cathedral to avert their pilgrimage to his place. They were insulted, and someone came and defecated in the cathedral and smeared it. Abraha got so angry and got one of the biggest elephants and marched toward’s Mecca. When they tried to attack, the elephant would not move in the direction of Mecca, and Allah sent his soldiers, each bird had 3 stones and the stones would go from the head to the bottom and burn, and anyone who was hit, their limbs would fall off due to the heat, and on the way back, Abraha died and his limbs fell off. This year became known as the Year of the Elephant, and the Quraysh became known as the people of God, and it was a preparation for the Messenger, peace be upon him.

Haleema – the caretaker of young Muhammad, peace be upon him, in the desert. He, peace be upon him, stayed with her until he was 3 years old, and she then brought him back to his mother Aamina, but Haleema loved him so much and wanted him to stay more so she begged Aamina to let him stay longer. Soon after his return, the young boy Muhammad, peace be upon him, had his chest opened and heart taken out, and angel Jibreel alay salam took out the “part of Satan” in him. Very scared, Haleema returned him, peace be upon him, back to his mother in Mecca at around the age of four years old.

Maysara – the slave of Khadija RA, through whom Khadija RA got to know the qualities of Muhammad, peace be upon him, and who eventually would also initiate the marriage proposal to him for Khadija RA.

Khadija RA – the first wife of the Prophet peace be upon him. He was 25, peace be upon him. She was 40 one narration says, another narration of similar strength that Ibn Ishaq mentioned is 29 years of age. So you have 2 narrations and both have weaknesses, one narration is popular but doesn’t make it stronger, so you go back to the default. She was already 40, the possibilities of her having that many children are difficult. Because most women reached menopause at that age, but also Allah can make it happen on the other hand. Sarah was over 80 years year when she had Ishaaq, alay salam. She would go on to bear all his children but one, and would die in the Year of Sadness, RA.

Zayd Ibn Haaritha RA – When Khadija RA married the Prophet, peace be upon him, she received a slave, and one of the two was Zayd Ibn Haaritha, and the Prophet, peace be upon him, saw him and he loved him very much and saw that he was a very good person, and Khadijda gave Zayd to the Prophet peace be upon him, and he freed Zayd and took him as an adopted, and so people came to call him Zayd Ibn Muhammad, until Allah abolished adoption (note: taking care of others was not abolished, but calling someone your son when he is not, was.)

Amir Ibn Luhay – the first to introduce idol worship to the Arabs and to taint the religion of Ibrahim and Ismaa’eel alay salam. It was during the time of Khuzaa’3, who had expelled Jurham. Ibn Luhay was a strong leader in terms of people’s opinion, and if he said something people would follow him. He became sick and people told him if he went to Ash’Sham he would find a cure there. He went and found people worshipping idols, and he inquired about them, the Arabs didn’t do that. The explained to him ask such and such idol for this or such and such idol for that, and Ibn Luhay was interested and asked for some so he could go back and tell his people to do it so they could maybe get some benefit. He got Hubal, one of the biggest they had, and he took it back to Mecca. On the way back, with the help of

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Jinn/shayaateen [Hosna Master Notes, Majd Notes], they showed him where the idols of the time of Nuh alay salam were, and these were scattered all around the Arabian peninsula.

Hajar – the freed slave of the king of Egypt, given to Sarah as a gift, and then to Ibrahim alay salam, who married her and had Ismaa’eel. She migrated to the barren valley of Mecca with Ibraheem alay salam and her son, and stayed there with her son. In her search for water in the valley of Mecca, she was shown the ZamZam well by the angel Jibreel alay salam. Today, her running between Safa and Marwa in her search for water, is repeated by millions upon millions 24/7, 365 days a year, and they will continue to do so for however long Allah wants.

Ibraheem alay salam – the Friend of Allah, the father if the anbiyyah. He migrated with his wife Hajar and son Ismaa’eel and settled them in the barren valley of Mecca. He would later return periodically to check up on his son. He also would later return to build the Kabah with his son, Isma’eel, alay salam.

Jurham – a tribe originating from Yemen. They found Hajar and Ismaa’eel alay salam in the valley of Mecca after they latter had tapped the well of ZamZam. Juhram sought to permission to stay and Hajar allows them, but tells them on the condition that we control the water, and they accept. They later went on to control political affairs while the family of Ismaa’eel controlled the religious affairs in Mecca.

Ismaa’eel alay salam – son of Ibrahim alay salam and Hajar, who was settled there with his mother when he was a child. He would grow up to build the Kabah with his father and he would look for the stones. His children did not get involved in the struggle for Mecca, and remained guardians of the Kabah and controlled religious affairs.

Khab’baab RA – the sahaabah with whom the Quraysh would put their fires with his back, and you could hear the skin sizzling, but he never left his Islam, may Allah the Most High be pleased with him.

Khuzaa’a– the tribe that took over and expelled Jurham (check for more info on years, other’s notes)

Qusay Ibn Kilaab – considered a legend, he helped expell Khuzaa’a and united Arab tribes, and for the first time control of the political and religious affairs were under the control of the Children of Ismaa’eel.

Abdul‐Manaaf Ibn Qusay – the son of Qusay, given power by his father before the latter died, because he was the least known, all other sons were famous for something, so Qusay Ibn Kilaab wanted to raise his son’s position, and they all agreed, so there was no struggle for power. When he (Abdul Manaaf, see Sealed Nectar) passed away, there was a struggle for control of power.

Amr Ibn Abdul Manaaf, aka “Haashem” – the great grandfather of the Prophet, peace be upon him. The father of Abdul‐Muttalib, the father of Abdullah, the father of Muhammad, peace be upon him. He was the leader of Abdul Manaaf, who controlled the religious affairs of Mecca, such as taking care of the pilgrims and guarding the Kabah. The used to provide food and water, with soup and meat. Amr decided to add crushed bread to the soup. Because of this he became known as “Haashem” (from “to crush”). The Arabs appreciated generosity and considered it a part of nobility, and as a result Haashem’s reputation rose among the Arabis and he became very well respected and known, as news spreads very

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easily when people would go home and tell their Hajj stories. Haashem later went on a business trip with his wife to Ash’Sham, and passed away.

Places:

Al‐Nadwa (a place): Assembly in the Quraysh. If there were any disputes they would come to Al‐Nadwa and have meetings