25 October 2009

Seerah of Muhammed*
*: May the peace blessings & Mercy of Allah be upon him
TMQ: Translation to the nearest meaning of the Qur’an
Migration of the Early Muslims to Abyssinia

In total there were two migrations, the first as a group in the 5th year of Prophethood. This consisted of 12 men + 4 women; whereas the second migration totalled 83 men and 19 women over a period of time. The second migration was after a rumour that Mecca (& the Quraish) had become Muslims following their sujjood. The Prophet* had recited Surah an-Najm and ayah of Sujjod caused all Muslims & non-Muslims to prostate.

The Prophet* had asked the Muslims to go to Habasha (Abyssinia) ‘because there is a king that does not oppress anyone’. He knew of his justice.

Even though there were only a few Muslims the Quraish plotted to get them back to Mecca: they selected Amr bin Aas and Abdullah bin Rabiyyah. Amr was well connected and career diplomat and good at scheming & making conspiracies. So Amr went and gave gifts to all the kings courtiers & officials to get them on his side and they would agree with any request from him. He preferred the Muslims to be handed over without them meeting the an-Najashi (Negus). After presenting their gifts to him Amr said: ‘Mighty King, some of our foolish people have abandoned their ancestral religion and have adopted a new faith which is opposed to your religion also. These people have created great disorder in our country, and now some of them have fled from our country and have taken refuge here. We request that you may be pleased to direct that they should be sent back to us.’ Some of the officials supported their request, but Najashi, refused and said: ‘These people have sought my protection. I will not decide anything without hearing them.’

The Muslims were summoned. After a Shura’a (consultation amongst themselves) they appointed Jafar bin Abi Talib as spokesman and decided to only tell the truth. An-Najashi asked them what they had to say and what was the religion they had adopted. (Umm Salamah narrates this Hadith) Jafar bin Abi Talib replied:

‘Gracious King, we were an ignorant people, given to idol-worship, the eating of meat from dead animals, and to all manner of vices such as bloodshed. We had no regard for ties of kinship, we misbehaved towards our neighbours, and the strong among us suppressed the weak and ignored matters of right & wrong. In this situation, God raised among us His Messenger whose noble descent; truth, honesty and integrity were well known to all of us. He called us to the worship of the One True God without associate, forbade idol-worship, He ordered us to be truthful in our speech, honesty and beneficence towards kindred and honour right s of hospitality and to fast for our God. He urged us to behave well towards neighbours, and abandon things forbidden, forbade vice and do anything immoral, to tell lies, to kill or shed blood, and devouring the substance of the orphan, or to make accusations against women of virtue. He ordered us to pray to the One God and turn away from the false stones our forefathers worshipped, give alms and fast. We believed in him and followed him, on account of which our people turned against us, persecuted us, afflicted us and tormented us in diverse ways. They tried to wean us away from our faith by force and turn us back to the worship of idols instead of God and to again consider permissible the abominations we had forsaken. Thus, they treated us with violence& persecution, beseeched us and prevented us from performing our religion we were compelled to leave our home and to seek asylum in your country and chose you above others. We desired your hospitality and hoped that under you we shall be safeguarded against tyranny in your domain.’

Then, An-Najjashi asked Ja'far," Would you tell me something of the revelation that came upon your Prophet?" Ja'far recited segments of Surat Maryam. He went on reciting until An-Najjashi's beard was wet with tears and his officials had wet their bibles. Then An-Najjashi said to Ja'far "Go in peace, for I will never let them harm you".

Amr was in a rage. He decided to try once more after vowing to put an end to the Muslims. He went to An-Najjashi on the second day telling him that the Qur'an insults Isa by calling him a slave. An-Najjashi then called for the Muslims again asking them if that was true – and this was a troubling time. Ja'far said, “Isa is a servant and messenger of Allah. He is a Word that Allah cast forth to Maryam the virgin". An-Najjashi then drew a line on the ground and said, "I swear that Isa has never said anything more than what you have just said. "Nobody would ever harm you in my land, and I swear that I would rather lose a mountain of gold than having you harmed in any way". Then he turned to Amr and said, "Go Amr and take your gifts back. I would never accept such a bribe, while Allah Is He Who Granted me this reign"

Reasons for Migration

These Muslims were leaving the best place (Mecca) for elsewhere, where there would not be the Prophet*. Some of the reasons were:

• Flee from persecution and harm
• Safeguard their Iman (Belief) as not everyone can resist torture
• Embarrass the Quraish - Both the weak Muslims and strong & noble families went, including some who had given protection to the Prophet*, and Abu Sufyan’s daughter (Umm Habibah). There may have been a need to shake the foundations of the beliefs & practices of the noblest Quraishi families with their people escaping for conscientious & religious reasons
• A secondary base outside Mecca – in case of devastating attack on the Muslims in Mecca or later in Medina. The Muslims only returned 7 years after the Prophet* established the Islamic State in Medina.

Why Abyssinia and not other Empires chosen

• For reasons of receiving justice in that kingdom
• Arabs familiar with Habasha (trade routes & customs)
• An-Najashi knew Arabic
• Abyssinians were Christian (not polytheists)

Hadith (Riyadh as-Salihin): On Repentance (seeking Forgiveness)

Abu Sa'id ibn Sa'd ibn Malik ibn Sinan al-Khudri reported that the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Among those before you there was a man who killed ninety-nine people. He asked who was the most knowledgeable man in the world and was directed to a monk. He went to him and said that he had killed ninety-nine people and was repentance possible for him? The monk said, 'No,' so he killed him and made it a hundred. Then he again asked who was the most knowledgeable man on earth and was directed to a man of knowledge. He said that he had killed a hundred people, so was repentance possible for him? The man said, 'Yes, who can come between you and repentance? Go to such-and-such a land, where there are some people worshipping Allah Almighty. Worship Allah with them and do not return to your own country. It is an evil place.' So he went and then, when he was half way there, he died. The angels of mercy and angels of punishment started to argue about him. The angels of mercy said, 'He came in repentance, turning with his heart to Allah Almighty.' The angels of punishment said, 'He has not done a single good action.' An angel came in a human form and they appointed him arbitrator between them. He said, 'Measure the distance between the two countries and whichever one he is nearer to, that is the one he belongs to.' They measured and found he was nearer to the land to which he was going, so the angels of mercy took him." [Bukhari & Muslim]

In the variant in the Sahih, "He was a hand-span nearer to the virtuous land, so he was put among their people." In the variant in the Sahih, "Allah revealed to this country to distance itself and that one to come nearer. He said, 'Measure the distance between them,' and they found that he was nearer to the good one by a hand-span and he forgave him." In one variant, "He was nearer it by a short neck."

Abu Nujayd 'Imran ibn al-Husayn al-Khuza'i reported that a woman from Juhayna came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who was pregnant as a result of fornication. She said, "O Messenger of Allah, I have broken a hadd, so carry out the punishment on me. The Prophet of Allah summoned her guardian and said, "Treat her well. When she gives birth, bring her back to me." He did that and the Prophet of Allah commanded that her garment be tied tightly about her and then he commanded that she be stoned. Then he prayed over her. 'Umar said to him, "Do you pray over her, Messenger of Allah, when she committed fornication? He said, "She repented with such a repentance that if it were to be divided out among seventy of the people of Madina, it would be enough for all of them. Can you think of anything better than her offering herself to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic?" [Muslim]

Ibn 'Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "If the son of Adam possessed a valley full of gold he would want to have two valleys, yet his mouth will only be filled by earth. Allah turns towards those who turn in repentance." [Bukhari & Muslim]



Parents in Islam

"Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or more attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honor. And out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say, "my Lord! Bestow on them Thy Mercy, even as they cherished me in childhood." [TMQ 17: 23,24]

When Allah made forbidden the tribalism of Jahiliyah (time before islam) He only forbade that tribalism should be the bond between the people of the Muslim Ummah, and He forbade that it is the main relationships amongst the Muslims. Islam came with a new brotherhood of belief. However, He ordered people to maintain contact with relatives and show kindness to them. It has been reported that a man asked the Prophet*: “who shall I show kindness to?” He said: “Your mother, father, sister and brother.” In another version: “And your (Mawla) relation who is closer to you, as a right and duty and a tie of relationship (Rahm) which you should be kind to.”

All religions and all societies have given parents a high status. From a purely material viewpoint, we find ourselves indebted to our parents, particularly our mother. She not only nourished us in her womb, but went through pain and suffering. She loved us even before we were born. She toiled when we were totally helpless infants. She spent sleepless nights caring for us. Our parents as a team provided for all our needs: physical, educational, psychological, and in many instances, religious, moral, and spiritual. Our indebtedness to our parents is so immense that it is not possible to repay it fully. Hence, it becomes obligatory for us to show the utmost kindness, respect, and obedience to our parents. The position of parents, and the mutual obligations and responsibilities, have been addressed in Islam in great detail. The Qur'anic commandments, as well as the sayings of Prophet Muhammad guide us in this matter. The parent-child code of behaviour in Islam is unique, since rules were laid down by divine command. In addition, Muslims do not stick their elderly parents in an 'old people's home' when they are old but have a duty to look after them. Muslim society respects the elderly and refers to them for wisdom and guidance if they are knowledgeable. This contrasts with the lack of respect that many older people face in Western countries such as the UK.

The mother is the first and most important teacher of every human being in every society. If the mother plays her role and is dutiful to Allah concerning her child in the light of Islamic teachings then the children adopt the way of Jannah (paradise), which is the way towards peace and tranquillity of our life in this world and in the world here after.

"And We have enjoined on man (to be good) to his parents. In hardship upon hardship did his mother bear him, and in two years was his weaning. Show gratitude to Me and to thy parents; to Me is thy final goal. But if they strive to compel thee to associate with Me that of which thou hast no knowledge, do not obey them; but keep company with them in this life in a kind manner and follow the way of those who turn to Me. Then to Me will be your return and I will inform you (of the meaning of) all that you did." [TMQ 31:14-15]

"We have enjoined on man kindness to his parents; in pain did his mother bear him, and in pain did she give him birth." [TMQ 46:15]

"We have enjoined on man kindness to his parents; but if they strive (to force) thee to join with Me anything of which thou hast no knowledge, obey them not." [TMQ 29:8]

“People ask you (O Prophet) how they should spend. Say, ‘whatever you spend should be spent on Allah (in good cause), on parents, near relatives, on orphans, destitutes and travelers” [TMQ]


Some of the Hadith of Prophet Muhammad* are:

"Paradise lies under the feet of the mother."

"God's pleasure is in the pleasure of the father, and God's displeasure is in the displeasure of the father."

"He who wishes to enter Paradise through its best door must please his parents."

"It is a pity that some people may not attain Paradise, on account of not serving their old parents."

"If a person looks with love at his parents, God writes in his favour the reward equal to the performance of one Hajj. Someone asked, "will this promise be good if one looks at his parents one hundred times a day?" The Holy Prophet (pbuh) replied, "even if one does so a hundred thousand times a day, God gives the reward accordingly."

"A man or woman is bound to be good to his or her parents, even though they may have injured him or her."

Once a man came to the Prophet (peace be on him) and asked, 'Who is most deserving of my good companionship?' 'Your mother,' replied the Prophet*. 'Who next?' the man asked. 'Your mother,' replied the Prophet*. 'Who next?' he asked. 'Your mother,' replied the Prophet*. 'Who next?' asked the man. 'Your father,' replied the Prophet. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Asmaa bint Abu Bakr said: “My mother who was a pagan, came to see me during the period of the treaty between the Muslims and Quraish. I went to seek the advice of the Prophet saying: ‘My mother has arrived and she is hoping (for my favour).” The Prophet said: “Yes, be good to your mother”.

'Shall I not inform you about the three major sins?' Those who were present replied, 'Yes, O Messenger of Allah.' He said 'Associating partners with Allah and disobedience to parents,' and sitting up from the reclining position, he continued, 'and telling lies and false testimony; beware of it.' (Bukhari & Muslim)

"Allah defers (the punishment of) all sins to the Day of Resurrection excepting disobedience to parents, for which Allah punishes the sinner in this life before his death."

'Among the major sins is a man's cursing his parents.' The people who were present wondered how a sane and believing individual could curse his own parents, and enquired, 'How is it possible for a man to curse his own parents?' The Prophet (peace be on him) replied, 'He insults another man's father, and then the other insults his father, and he insults the other's mother, and the other returns the insult to his mother.' (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Umamah reported that a man asked: "O messenger of Allah! What are the rights of parents over their children?" He* replied: "They (mum and dad) are your paradise and your hell" (Ibn Maja)

A man of Banu Salma came to the Prophet* and asked: "Ya RasulAllah! Is there any obedience to parents left that I can show to them after their demise?" He* said: “Yes! by praying for them, to seek forgiveness for them by fulfilling their instructions after their death, by keeping affinity to those who are not connected with you but through them and to honour their friends" (Abu Dawud and Ibn Maja)

“If any one of you is poor let him start with himself and if any one of you has surplus (wealth) let him spend on his family, and if any of you has further surplus let him spend it on his relatives.”

“The one who severes ties with the relations will not enter Paradise”.

“The Al-wasil (the one who keeps good ties with kith and kin) is not the one who recompenses the good done to him by his relatives, but Al-Wasil is the one who keeps good relations with those relatives who had severed the bond of kinship with him.”

The Silat ar-Rahm (keeping good relations) indicates the importance of what Allah has said regarding the keeping of good and friendly relations within one's relatives and the Islamic community., In the maintaining of good relations and co-operation between relatives, and the extent of the Shari’ah concern to organise the meeting of men and women and organise what results from this meeting in terms of the relationships. Hence the Islamic Shar’a, through the rules which it legislated for the social aspect in the society, provides the best social system for mankind protecting the children and parents, thus the famliy and the society.

18 October 2009

Seerah of Muhammed*

*: May the peace blessings & Mercy of Allah be upon him
TMQ: Translation to the nearest meaning of the Qur’an

The Reaction to the Dawa

There were many different ways in which the Quraish responded to the Dawa (spreading of the message of Islam) of the Prophet*. Some of these are listed below. These are not in any order and neither are they comprehensive, just some examples…

• Mockery, jealousy and hatred
• Insults, bullying and harassment
• Slander (character assassination)
• Corrupting the message
• Bargaining, negotiations and Temptations
• Setting challenges
• Pressurising
• Persecution and torture
• Attempted Assassination

Mockery, jealousy and hatred

Some of the people of Mecca used to mock the Prophet* and question if he was the best person among them to be the Messenger of Allah, despite being well respected & truthful, he was not wealthy or powerful. Al Walid bin Mughira had said that if Allah wanted to choose a prophet why didn’t he choose me? I am more wealthy, wise and older. Even outside Mecca people used to say this: In Ta’if the 3 men mocked him saying didn’t Allah find anyone better to send than you?

Allah says in response: “Why wasn’t this Qur’an revealed to a great man from one of the two towns?” [TMQ]

Allah says: “when they see you they ridicule you and say ‘is this the one Allah has sent as a messenger’?” [TMQ]

‘…Verily, those who committed crimes used to laugh at those who believed; and whenever they passed them , used to wink one to another (in mockery); and when they returned to their own people, they would return jesting…’ [TMQ 83: 29-31]
“And they say, O you (Muhammed) to whom the Dhikr (Quran) has been sent down: ‘Verily you are a mad man’. [TMQ 15:6]
‘….a sorcerer & a liar’ [TMQ 38:4]

Abu Jahl mocked the Prophet* that his sons died and he was ‘a man cut off with offspring.’

Al Mughira bin Shuyba was visiting Mecca and walking with Abu Jahl and the Prophet* came up to Abu Jahl and said ‘why don’t you follow me and believe in Allah, & Islam..?’. O Muhammed, when are you going to stop cursing our gods? If you want us to testify you have delivered your message we can; and if I knew you were telling the truth I would have already followed you!’
The Prophet* left. Then Abu Jahl looked at Al Mughira and said: I know he is telling the truth, but there is something holding me back. The descendants of Qusay said they wanted to have hijaba (guardianship Kaaba) and we gave it to them, then they wanted saikaya & nifahda (providing pilgrims food & water) and we gave it to them, then they asked for an-nadwah (council) and we gave it to them, and then the lu’ah (banner of war) we gave it to them…and now when we started picking up and competing with them and running neck to neck, they now have a prophet – how can we compete with that? By God, we will never accept it!

Insults, bullying and harassment

Usually the Prophets appointed by Allah are noble and dignified people – but they are also sensitive and easily hurt by the reaction of their people. Allah said the to Prophet* to ‘ignore the ignorant’ and get on with the message because the people are against the message not him personally, especially those people in power (the Malla).

Abu Jahl asked Quraish: are you allowing the Prophet* to rub his face in the dirt? If I see him do that I will trample his neck and rub his face in the dirt! Then Prophet* was praying in front of Kaaba and Abu Jahl went to Prophet* when he was in sujjod, then Abu Jahl falling back and waving his hands.
What happened? Asked the Quraish leaders when he returned
Didn’t you see it?
No?
There was a trench in front of me with fire, wind and terror
The Prophet later mentioned that these were the angels & if he had come any closer they would have tore him to pieces.

Utbah bin Abi Muaith come to the Prophet* next Kaaba and grabbed his clothes trying to choke him. Abu Bakr pushed him away saying ‘do you want to kill a man just because he says my Lord is Allah?’

Abu Jahl came to the leaders of the Quraish after someone had slaughtered some camels and asked if there was anyone who would take the intestines and dump them on Prophet* when he is praying. Uqbah bin Abi Muaith went and did it in sujood. The Prophet* carried with his prayer and Fatima saw this and rushed to clear all the mess off her father. Then the Prophet* made a public du’a (to punish) against 7 of the leaders – who were all killed in the battle of Badr.

Umaiyah bin Khalaf would follow the Prophet* and slander him
‘Woe to every sanderer and backbiter’ [TMQ 104:1]

Slander (character assassination)

There was an organised campaign to discredit and slander the Prophet* in order to discredit his message. Some of the main accusations were that he was:

• insane / mad
• a magician
• a liar
• a soothsayer

Allah says: “They do not disbelieve you, but they are rejecting the signs of Allah” [TMQ]

The Quraish would place people on the entrance to Mecca to warn people about the Prophet, especially at times of pilgrimage or when there were prominent trade fairs and camps, such as: Dhul Majaz, Ukaz and Majannah.

The Prophet* would go to the market place (town centre) where they would trade and have competitions in poetry (cultural centre) where renowned speakers visit Souk Ahkaaf, and the best poems are pinned up on the wall of Kaaba and known as al-Mualakaat (hanged poems).

Rabia bin Abbad saw the Prophet* in Dhul Majaz saying to all foreigners: o you people, say there is no God but Allah and you would prosper. But Abu Lahab would follow each group and say don’t listen to him he is a liar & don’t let this man entice you away from the religion of your forefathers – I am his Uncle.

Al-Walid bin Mughira convened a special emergency council before the Hajj season (an-Nadwa) saying thta the Arabs will visit soon so they need to have a unified position about the Prophet* and should not contradict each other as this would undermine the slander. They asked for each others opinion in this specially convened emergency meeting (like a security council or emergency debate/assembly). Some of the opinions were that the Prophet* is:
- Kahin ~ Soothsayer (rejected as there isno rhymed mumbling)
- Majnun ~ Insane (rejected as he is not erratic nor mumbles like a crazy person)
- Poet – they were the experts in poetry and the Quran is not poetry
- Sorcerer/Witchcraft – he doesn’t do their habits of tying & blowing
Eventually settled on sorcerer that divides families, religion & tribes
Allah said in response to al-Walid’s deliberations: ‘Verily he plot & plotted, and let him be cursed how he plotted, and once more let him be cursed how he plotted. Then he thought, then he frowned and looked in a bad tempered way; then he turned back and was proud then he said this is nothing but magic from that of old, this is nothing but the word of a human being’. [TMQ 74: 18-25]

Corrupting the message

An-Nadr bin Harith went to Persia to learn stories and bring them back to Mecca to call the people saying: come to me, I have better stories to tell, and I provide dancing girls!
“And of mankind is he who purchases idle talks (music singing etc) to mislead men from the path of Allah! [TMQ 31:6]

‘This (Quran) is nothing but a lie that he (Muhammed) has invented and others have helped him at it. Tales of the ancients, which he (Muhammed) has written down, and they are dictated to him morning & afternoon.’ [TMQ 25:4-5]

Bargaining, negotiations and temptations

Quraish came to the Prophet and wanted to make a deal: let’s worship Allah for a day & you worship our gods for a day then decide; Prophet* said he would never agree to that
Later, a better offer: one week for 1 day
Later, a better offer: month for 1 day
Allah said: ‘They wish that you would compromise so that they can compromise with you’ [TMQ]
And then later: Surah Kaforoon was revealed.

They became upset because they were always compromising and the Prophet would refuse to compromise any part of the message of Islam. They thought this was very unreasonable! They would set up meetings to discuss how to deal with the Prophet and the Muslims and even get specific (think-tank) groups to come up with ways of tackling the 'problems' of the Muslims.

Setting challenges

The following long narration / story incorporates the above section (Bargaining, negotiations & temptations) together with the setting of challenges for the Prophet* to prove he is a prophet:

Leaders of Quraish sent for Prophet* to speak with him and wanted to exhaust all avenues of reason and negotiation. The Prophet* came rushing eagerly and was hopeful before this special meeting.
Then Utbah started: O Muhammed we sent for you to reconcile with you. By God, we know of no Arab man who has ever brought his people as much trouble as you have done. You have reviled the forefathers, criticised the religion, ridiculed our values, cursed the gods and divided our community. Every unpleasant thing you have done to make a rift between you and us. Never has a person brought on so much evil on his people like you have.
O Muhammed, if you are presenting this message because you are in need of money we will collect all our money and make you the richest amongst us;
If you are seeking power then we will appoint you king over us;
If you are desiring women we will chose the best 10 women in Quraish and marry them to you;
If you are possessed by demons then we will spend all our money to find you a cure even if we go broke
The Prophet replied: what you have said does not apply to me, I do not want money, or sovereignty…Allah has sent me as a Messenger and has ordered me to bring this message to you from my Lord. If you accept it you will benefit in this life and the next. If you reject it I will await Allah’s decision until he decides between me and you.

If you are turning down our offers, you know how narrow our land is – why don’t you ask Allah to level the mountains and give us more space & land, and make some rivers flow live Iraq & Syria; and bring back to life some of our forefathers like Qusay bin Kalab as he was very wise, and we want to ask him if you are true – if you agree to all that and our forefathers agree to it them we will follow you…
The Prophet replied: this is not why I have been sent and I have only brought you what Allah ahs sent me with. Accept or reject it

Then ask your Lord to send down an angel who will witness to the truth; and build us castles, treasures of gold & silver. And why don’t you ask him to fulfil your needs as we see you struggling every day. If you are so close to Allah then ask him to give you wealth so we can see how prestigious you are – if you are claiming to be a messenger.
The Prophet replied: I am not going to do so, I am not one to ask such things of his Lord. I have been sent to announce & warn: accept it or reject it

Ask your Lord to bring down this punishment you have been promising then on our heads now!
The Prophet replied: that is up to Allah, if He wishes He will do that

Oh Muhammed, doesn’t your Lord know we are going to ask you these questions? We know who is teaching you all this, you are being taught by a man in Yamama call Ar-Rahman and we are never going to believe in that man!

There were further insults before they all left and one man returned who was the cousin of the Prophet*.
Abdullah ibn Ummaiya said: O Muhammed, your people have offered you the best offers and you have turned them down, then they asked you to perform miracles and you refused, then they asked you to bring punishment on them and you didn’t. I tell you what – I’m not going to believe in you bring a ladder that goes all the way to heaven and then you climb it whilst I am watching you and you ask Allah for a letter saying you are a prophet, have Him sign it and that letter should be sent down with four angels to witness it. Even then I think I will not believe in you!
The Prophet* returned home dejected.


The Quraish would also sent ‘experts’ to deal with the Prophet* about how to tackle him and his ideas, for example they sent a delegation to Yathrib to discuss with the Jews and came back with trick questions.

On another occasion, Utbah bin Rabiah (an expert in magic & negotiations) asked the Prophet* who is better, Muhammed or Abdul Muttalib? What about Muhammed’s father? If you (Muhammed) claim they are better than you they worshipped the gods you criticise, and if you are better than them speak! By Allah, we have never seen any fool more harmful to his people than you, caused division & dissention between us, criticised our religion, and disgraced us in the eyes of the Arabs that they say there is a sorcerer amongst Quraish. We are just waiting for the cry of a pregnant woman and we will be at each others necks. What do you want – wealth, stature, kingship?
When Utbah returned he told the Quraish that he didn’t understand the Prophet’s response and recitation, and what he way saying other than the Quraish would be punished.
The leaders of the Quraish scalded him and said Muhammed was speaking in Arabic and you didn’t understand? Woe to you, you have fallen under his spell!

Pressurising

The Quraish also tried to put external pressure on the Prophet* by talking with those who had influence over him. The other leaders (like community leaders) who were protecting him.

Quraish tried to pressure Abu Talib to get Prophet* to stop, saying he was disturbing their meetings and worships, so tell him to stay away from them. Abu Talib asked Aqil to bring the Prophet* to him and he found the Prophet* and went to Abu Talib. ‘Your people are complaining so why don’t you stop?’
The Prophet* looked at the sun and said that I am no more capable of stopping the message than you are from getting a flame from the sun. With this Abu Talib gave the Prophet permission to carry on his Dawa as he believed he was telling the truth about his preaching.

Later the Quraish would boycott and isolate the Prophet* was when Banu Hashim refused to hand over the Prophet.

Persecution and torture

Initially the Prophet* was protected through Abu Talib and provided for by Khadija. The followers were viciously persecuted and this would hurt the Prophet* a lot.

Some of the persecutions and tortures were:

• Wrapping up the Muslims in shields of iron and leaving them in the desert sun
• Bilal would be placed in the hot desert and rocks put oon him but he would say ‘Ahad’. Later when asked why he would say Ahad he replied that this statement would anger (his master) Umaiya bin Khalaf the most! Bilal was also dragged by a rope through the streets
• Even the nobility were tortured: Uthman bin Affan was wrapped in a carpet & jumped upon, or wrapped in palm leaves and fire set underneath
• Abu Bakr sought to emigrate
• Umer was harassed
• Mus’ab ibn Umair: was rich but then starved and thrown out of his house
• Sumaiya (the first martyr in Islam) and her husband Yasir were killed by Abu Jahl, and Ammar recanted some beliefs but then went to the Prophet* and Allah revealed: ‘Whoever disbelieved in Allah after his belief, except him who is forced thereto and whose heart is at rest with Iman’ [TMQ 16:106].

Abu Jahl was the spearhead and would threaten or torture all newcomers to Islam. The Quraish would spy on all the Muslims and who they would meet and talk to (outsiders would try to visit Prophet* secretly)

Khabab bin Arrat asked the Prophet* to make du’a for victory when by the Kaaba. The Prophet* got angry stating that there was a people before them who were combed in iron combs getting the flesh off from their bones, others sawn in half for their deen. Khabab needed to have patience. Later Umer asked all to talk about their experiences in Mecca, and Khabab lifted his shirt showing deep black holes in his back. These were due to hot red rocks placed on sand and he was thrown on it & he could smell the grease & flesh burn.

Attempted Assassination

These occurred after the death of Abu Talib. Allah mentions in the Qur’an: ‘They attempted to drive you out of your land, to imprison you and to kill you.’ [TMQ]


News

This Saturday's The Guardian contained many articles about Muslims and Islam. Many of them showed how similar many Muslims are now to the earlier times in Islam. There are parallels between the Meccan period of Dawa and today:

On the front page there is the main article (Government anti-terrorism strategy 'spies' on innocent) that talks about how the UK government is spying on Muslims of all ages, gathering information about their beliefs, ideas, people they meet with and what they do. Compare with the Seerah section on ‘Insults, bullying & harassment’ and ‘Persecution and torture’ where they would spy on Muslims.

On page 4, there was an article on torture of Muslims (Judges overrule attempt to suppress torture evidence) and on page 5 an attempt to justify the torture of Muslims (MI5 chief defends links with foreign agencies accused of torture).

Also on these pages, an article about putting pressure on Muslims in the UK through spying, slander, changing the message of Islam and pressurising the leaders of Muslims to change their ideas and setting them challenges tpo prove they are loyal (through the Preventing Violent Extremism government project): ‘Communities fear project to counter extremism is not what it seems’. Some Muslims have accepted money and succumbed to temptations through bargaining and justify these actions (Spying morally right, says thinktank).

Far-right MP basks in limelight after overturning ban to enter Britain was the headline on page 10, about an elected politician who says “the Qur'an should be banned”. This article highlights the slander of the Prophet*, corrupting the message of Islam and trying to pressurise the Muslims.

Page 17 had an article about the recent Gaza War (Israel rejects UN council backing for Gaza war crimes report) that highlights how Muslims are still being boycotted, pressurised and persecuted.

11 October 2009

Seerah of Muhammed*

*: May the peace blessings & Mercy of Allah be upon him
TMQ: Translation to the nearest meaning of the Qur’an

The Conversion of Hamzah

Abu Jahl insulted the Prophet* and threw a stone on his head, causing some bleeding. This was witnessed by a slave girl. Hamzah, Muhammed's uncle was very strong and fear-inspiring. He was an avid hunter who would circumambulate the Ka'bah every time he returned from a hunting trip and before he entered his home.

On hearing of this abuse he became furious and went straight to the Ka'bah, straight to Abu Jahl and hit him very hard with his bow. Some members of Banu Makhzum rose to the help of Abu Jahl, but Abu Jahl calmed them down by admitting his error. Hamzah then declared his conversion to Islam out of pride. When he reached home he was confused and made a du’a to Allah to guide his decision – and the next day he went to the Prophet* to declare his Islam properly.

The Conversion of `Umer ibn al Khattab

[This happened after the Muslims had migrated to Abyssinia.]
Umer was a strong, capable and passionate man. He loved wine and amusement, and despite his very harshness of character, he was gentle and compassionate toward his loved ones. As for the Muslims, he was one of their strongest opponents in the early years.

Umer learned of the Prophet*’s meeting one day and went there after he decided he would kill Muhammed* and thus relieve the Quraysh of its burden, restore its ravaged unity, and re-establish respect for the gods that Muhammed* had castigated. On the way there, carrying his sword, he met Nu'aym ibn `Abdullah (who was secretly a Muslim). After he learned what `Umer was about to do Nu'aym said, "By God, you have deceived yourself, O `Umer ! Do you think that Banu `Abd Manaf would let you run around alive once you had killed their son Muhammed*? Why don't you return to your own house and at least set it straight?" When `Umer learned that Fatimah, his sister, and her husband, Said ibn Zayd, had already been converted to Islam he stormed over to her house.
Umer asked her what she was reciting but she refused to cooperate. Flying into a rage Umer attacked Said but managed to hit his sister as she protected her husband. She then exclaimed: Yes, indeed! We have become Muslims. Do what you will!". After calming down a little Umer asked his sister to let him see the manuscript which she and her husband had been reading together. He became impressed and was directed to where the Prophet* was teaching and became a Muslim despite the initial doubts of the other companions.


Hadith (Riyadh as-Salihin): On Repentance (seeking Forgiveness)

Allah Almighty says, "Turn towards Allah, O believers, every one of you, so that perhaps you will have success," TMQ 24:31
the Almighty says, "Ask your Lord for forgiveness and then turn in repentance to Him," TMQ 11:3
the Almighty says, "O you who believe! Turn in sincere repentance to Allah." TMQ 66:8

Abu Hurayra said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'By Allah, I ask Allah's forgiveness and turn towards Him in repentance more than seventy times a day."

Al-Agharr ibn Yasar al-Muzani said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "O people! Turn in repentance towards Allah and ask His forgiveness. I turn towards Him a hundred times a day."

Abu Hamza Anas ibn Malik al-Ansari, the servant of the Messenger of Allah reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Allah is happier about the repentance of one His slaves than one of you would be about finding your camel which had strayed away from you in the middle of the desert."
In the variant of Muslim, "Allah has greater joy at the repentance of one His slaves when he turns towards Him than one of you would have over his mount, which, having escaped from him with his food and drink in the middle of the desert so that he has despaired of finding it and gone to a tree to lie down in its shade, suddenly appears standing by him while he is in that state, so that he takes its reins and then says out of the intensity of his joy, 'O Allah, You are my slave and I am Your Lord!' getting confused because of his intense joy.'"

From Abu Musa 'Abdullah ibn Qays al-Ash'ari is that the Prophet*, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Allah Almighty will stretch out His hand during the night, turning towards the one who did wrong during the day, and stretch out His hand during the day, turning towards the one who did wrong during the night, until the day the sun rises from the place it set."

Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Allah will turn towards anyone who turns in repentance before the time that the sun rises from the East."


The Second Phase of the Prophet*’s Dawa: Public Interaction

The following Quranic verse marked the transition of the call from its Private stage to that of public interaction: "Therefore proclaim (openly) that which you are commanded, and turn away from the polytheists. Verily, we are sufficient unto you against the scoffer. Who take with Allah another god but they will come to know." [TMQ 94-96]

Why did the Prophet* receive such a violent reaction?
This was because he challenged the major corrupt practices in the Meccan society, especially those practised by the ruling elite (the Malla’). He would, in straight-forward language, outline their evil ways with no compromise to the message or the audience. He was challenging the very order of society and their values by talking about Islam, believing in One Allah alone and submitting only to Allah (and His Messenger) and to no-one else. The ruling classes were threatened by these ideas. After all, the Prophet* was only challenging their ideas and did not physically fight against their evil practices. This was a struggle of ideas.

Hence, the Prophet* began to openly confront the system of ignorance (jahiliyah) within Quraysh.
Following the conversion to Islam by Hamza and Umer ibn al-Khattab the Prophet* arranged the Muslims into two columns, with Hamza heading one column and Umer heading the other, and then they marched around the Kaaba. This shocked the people of Mecca. For the first time they were confronted with the reality of the solid basis of the Muslims. Prior to this the Muslims prayed in private but now they prayed in the courtyard of the Kaaba.

So, the Prophet* presented the Muslims as an organised group that was challenging and changing the society, its values, ideals, practices, emotions and system of ruling and the organisation of life's affairs.

He attacked the aristocratic and money conscious values of the society:
"Woe unto every slander, traducer who accumulates wealth and counts it. He thinks that his wealth will render him immortal. Nay he will indeed be flund into the destroyer." [TMQ Al-Humazah: 1-4]
"Rivalry in worldly increase has distracted you. Until you visit the graves (as dead bodies). But nay, you soon shall know (the dire consequence of this practice)." [TMQ At-Takathur:1-3]

Concerning the hypocrisy & miserliness:
"Have you seen him who gives the lie to religion? That is he who repels the orphan. And urges not the feeding of the needy." [TMQ Al-Maun: 1-3]
"Woe unto the defrauders. Those who when they take the measure from mankind demand it in full, but if they measure unto them or weigh for them, they cause them loss." [TMQ Al-Mutaffifin: 1-3]

The leaders of Quraysh:
"The power of Abu Lahab will perish, and he will perish. His wealth and gains will not exempt him. He will be plunged in flaming fire. And his wife, the wood-carrier. Will have upon her neck a hacker of palm-fibre." [TMQ Al-Masad: 1-5]
"therefore obey not thou the rejectors. Who desire that thou would compromise, that they may compromise. Neither obey thou any insignificant oath monger. Slander, going out with calumnies. Hinder of the good; transgressor, deeply steeped in sin. Coarse (and thick) therewithal, ignore. It is because he is possessed of wealth and children. That, when our revelations are recited unto him, saith: mere fables of the men of old. We shall brand him on the nose." [TMQ Al-Qalam: 8-16]
“The pursuit of wealth has exhausted all your energies and preoccupied your life to the very end? But you will surely come to know-and you will surely come to know it well!-that your wealth will not avail a thing. Had you known it with certainty, you would have known of hell and you would have convinced yourselves of it. But it is on the Day of Judgment that you will be 'questioned concerning the moral worth of your deeds." [TMQ, 102:1-8]
“And whosoever does an atom's weight of good shall be rewarded therefore, and whosoever does an atom's weight of evil shall be punished therefore." [TMQ, 99:7-8]

Concerning society’s practice of killing their daughters:
“When the female (infant), buried alive, is questioned, for what crime she was killed.” [TMQ 17:31]
“Kill not your children on a plea of want. We provide sustenance for you and for them. Come not near shameful deeds, whether open or secret. Take not life which Allah has made sacred”. TMQ :151

About their worshipping of idols:
“Have ye seen Lat. and 'Uzza, And another, the third (goddess), Manat? What! for you the male sex, and for Him, the female? Behold, such would be indeed a division most unfair! These are nothing but names which ye have devised,- ye and your fathers,- for which Allah has sent down no authority (whatever). They follow nothing but conjecture and what their own souls desire!- Even though there has already come to them Guidance from their Lord!” TMQ 53.19


News

Another article taken from Saturday’s The Guardian tells the latest in the story of a lady who went to court to overturn her parent’s will. They had left part of their estate (worth £2.3million) in North Yorkshire to the charity RSPCA. She claimed the farm should have gone to her and successfully argued her case in the British courts (see Daughter wins £2.3m left to RSPCA). The RSPCA said it would appeal.
This shows how messy the inheritance laws are in the UK and this is not the first time that someone has left all their (or a lot of) wealth to a charity, or their pets or animals. Then, the surviving relatives have had to go to court to reclaim their inheritance. Very traumatic for all concerned and does not leave a good legacy for those that have passed away.

This problem is generally avoided in Islam as the laws of inheritance are quite well established, so that when someone dies it is known by everyone who is entitled to what wealth, as their wealth is divided according to a set formula. Muslims can stipulate a proportion of their wealth for a given reason or charity etc, but this is not more than a third of their total wealth. This avoids a lot of the nastiness involved in going to court to get your inheritance back.

4 October 2009

Seerah of Muhammed*

*: May the peace blessings & Mercy of Allah be upon him
TMQ: Translation to the nearest meaning of the Qur’an


Private and Secret stage

Ibn Qayyum talks about types of Revelation (Wahi) to the Prophet* ~

1 – Dreams: Before prophethood there was a period of true vision = dreams that came true the next day for 6 months (True Dreams that will happen or need interpreting; Dreams from Shaytan; Meaningless Dreams)

2 – Angel inspires Muhammed* (but does not appear): The noble spirit revealed that no soul will perish until in exhausts its due course so fear Allah and gently request Him and never get so impatient to the verge of disobedience to Allah, what Allah has can never be acquired but through obedience to Him

3 – Angel appears to Muhammed* in physical form of human being: Hadith Jibreel

4 – Angel came to Muhammed* as a toll of a bell: hold him tightly and he would sweat profusely, feel the weight of the angel and the sound like a ringing bell (sound of beating wings like dragging a chain on rocks), bending of the camel or Zaid bin Harithah’s thigh being crushed

5 – Muhammed* would see Jibreel in his actual form: happened twice, his wings would cover the horizon

6 – Allah would speak to Muhammed* directly: al-Miraj


Gap in the early revelation and the Prophet*’s initial doubts, but then Muhammed* went about inviting only close friends & associates and studied in the House of Arqam

Khadijah - first believer, first woman (one of the four greatest women – Khadijah, Maryam, Aasiyah, Fatimah)
Ali - first child
Zaid bin Harithah - first slave
Abu Bakr - first free man (male convert) with no hesitation (as-Saddiq)


Public Stage

“And warn your tribe (O Muhammad) of nearest kindred” TMQ 26:214

Then Muhammed* openly declared Islam. Ali & Muhammed* put on a banquet for elders and then stood on Mount Safa’ and called ‘Yah-Subaaha’ to gather all the people for a critical announcement. In a straight-forward manner he said: “O people! Will you believe me if I say there is an army marching behind this mountain which is about to attack you? They all answered, 'Of course we would, we have not heard a lie from you throughout your life.' Muhammed* then said, 'O people of the Quraish! I warn you to fear God's punishment. Save yourself from the fire…' then Abu Lahab ibn Abd Al-Muttalib, broke the silence saying, 'Give our oath to you? May evil befall you for the rest of the day! Have you gathered us here to tell us such words?'

Hence Allah revealed: “May the hands of Abu Lahab perish, may he (himself) perish. His wealth avails him not, neither what he had earned. Soon will he roast in a flaming fire, and his wife, the bearer of the firewood, upon her neck a rope of twisted palm-fibre." (TMQ, 111:1-5)
Hadith (Riyadh as-Salihin): On Sincerity and having an intention for all actions, words and states, outward and inward

Abu Bakra Nufay' ibn al-Harith ath-Thaqafi said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'When two Muslims clash with their swords, then both the killer and killed are in the Fire.' I asked, "Messenger of Allah, I can understand this with regard to the killer, but what about the murdered man?' He replied, 'He also was eager to kill his companion.

Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The group prayer of a man is some twenty degrees higher than his prayer in his business or his house. That is because when one of you does wudu' thoroughly and then goes to the mosque with no other object than that of doing the prayer, without being impelled by anything other than the prayer, Allah will raise him up a degree with every step he takes, and a wrong action will also fall away from him, until he enters the mosque. When he enters the mosque, he is in prayer the whole time he is waiting for it and the angels pray for him all the time he is sitting there, saying, 'O Allah! Show mercy to him! O Allah! Forgive him! O Allah! Turn towards him!' as long as he has not caused anyone injury and has not broken wudu'." [Muslim]

Abu'l-'Abbas 'Abdullah ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas ibn 'Abdu'l-Muttalib said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said in what he reported from his Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, "Allah wrote good actions and bad actions and then made that clear. Whoever intends to do a good action and then does not do it, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, will write a full good action for him. If he intends to do it and then does it, Allah will write ten to seven hundred good actions multiplied many times over. If he intends an evil action and then does not do it, Allah will write a full good action for him. If he intends it and then does it, Allah will write one bad action for him."

Another Hadith on a topic we talked about last week:

The hairdresser of Pharaoh’s daughter: While she was combing the girl’s hair, the comb fell from her hand, and she, unconsciously, uttered the name of Allah. “You mean father, don’t you?” asked the girl. “No, Allah is my God as well as yours and your father’s,” replied the hairdresser, and, being affected by Musa (AS) as well as following the sorcerers’ example, she spilled out all that she has kept secret. Immediately, the girl told her father, Pharaoh, about this. Consequently, he ordered for her four children to be fetched. Then he asked her, “Do you have another god besides me?” “Allah is my God as well as yours,” she would reply. He kept asking her the same question before he boiled each of her first three children alive, and she would give the same reply. Until the youngest one, who was a baby, was left. She was about to revert when her baby spoke out and told her she is on the right path and she shouldn’t be afraid. Then, they burned them both. Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) narrates that, as he was making al-mi’raj, he smelt the sweetest scent ever. When he asked Jibril (AS) (Gabriel) about it, he told him that it’s the scent of Pharaoh’s daughter’s hairdresser and her four children.



Topic: The Purpose of Knowledge

In this Saturday’s The Guardian there is an interesting article about how the Universities in England about how the UK Government will focus funding in the Universities for courses that can demonstrate they can have commercial benefit and be productive to society. (see In search of the next Stephen Hawking: Physicists warn Britain risks losing the next generation of great minds http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/oct/02/search-for-stephen-hawkings-successor) and so what is the place of knowledge in Islam and the West?

Understanding Western development:

After the decline of the Roman Empire in the 5th Century CE, European feudal states ("Dark Ages"), but the Muslims conquered Spain. Crusades then the Renaissance then the age of Enlightenment (18th Century) due to a weak Catholic Church and the increase in exploration and trade with the Old World nations, Capitalism slowly begun to replace feudalism and modern Science was starting to be developed and its findings were applied to technological advancements. The industrial revolution (19th Century), where changes in agriculture, transport and manufacturing caused a shift from an economy based primarily on manual labour to one based on industry. Political revolutions and the formation of nation-states, using Capitalist values.


Muslim Education

First & powerful words revealed to Muhammed* (and the Muslims) was Iqra (‘Read’ and‘Recite’)

“Read in the name of your Lord who created, created man from a clot. Read, for your Lord is most Generous, Who teaches by means of the pen, teaches man what he does not know.” TMQ 96: 1-5


Muhammed* did not read to ‘read’ but to ‘recite’ as he had direct information from Allah. It was Allah’s plan to ensure Muhammed* was illiterate & unfamiliar with scriptures [‘If you had known scripture before this or were able to write then this would cause doubts in the ones who want to make doubts’ ~ TMQ 29:48].

Reading is the key to knowledge for Muslims but Muhammed* getting taught by Jibreel. Muhammed prioritised learning (e.g., Badr Prisoners of War asked to teach). But there is Knowledge that Benefits: Umer was reading the Torah and Muhammed* criticised him, but later after many years, Muhammed* said ‘I had prohibited you from reading the stories of Bani Israel but now I am allowing you to read it, but do not believe in it and do not disbelieve in it’; Furthermore, Muhammed* used to make du’a: ‘Oh Allah I ask that you give me knowledge that benefits and I seek refuge in you from knowledge that does not benefit’

Knowledge is developmental: need to feed the students what they can understand easily. Then examinations will test the people according to their level

The Muslim world historically excelled in education and made huge contributions to science and technology. It was the Abbasids that first formalised education in the Muslim world setting in motion what is considered the golden age of Islam by historians, where substantial development occurred in many scientific spheres. The Khulufaa' attracted to their courts men of science, poets, physicians and philosophers whom they supported. Learning progressed and developed with differences of creed, colour, race and tribe being no barrier to learning.


The Masjid (Mosque) served as the fundamental educational institution of early Muslims. However, as the demand for learning grew, the Madrassah - modern day college began to appear. Prior to this period education was taught in mosques in an informal manner. At this early stage, people seeking knowledge tended to gather around certain knowledgeable Muslims – shaykhs who began to hold regular religious education sessions - majalis. With the creation of Madrassah's the Jamia (university) emerged. The University of Al-Karaouine (Jami'at al-Qarawiyyin) in Fez, Morocco as the oldest university in the world founded in 859 and Al-Azhar University (Cairo) in the 10th century, offered a wide variety of academic degrees, including postgraduate degrees, and was the first fully-fledged university.

The Islamic form of education, was eventually emulated by the Europeans - of which many of the similarities stand till this day - the term Chair in a university, reflects the Arabic Kursi, upon which the ‘alim (teacher) would sit and teach his students. The modern doctorate in Latin is termed "a licence to teach" and had already developed long before it was transmitted to Europe, being a direct translation of the Arabic Ijazat at-tadris. A permission to teach was granted by an ‘alim, who had studied with an ‘alim after he had resolved a problem by issuing a fatwa, then defending it in front of a panel of ‘alims.

Even the modern day graduation ceremony resembles the Islamic ceremony. The robes worn today, were called Jubba tul faqih, and were given when an ‘alim received his ijazah. The early Islamic State also created the first public hospital (which replaced healing temples and sleep temples) and the psychiatric hospital, the public library and lending library, the academic degree-granting university, and the astronomical observatory as a research institute (as opposed to a private observation post as was the case in ancient times). The first universities that issued diplomas were the Bimaristan medical university-hospitals, where medical diplomas were issued to students of medicine who were qualified to be practicing doctors of medicine from the 9th century.

Sir John Bagot Glubb wrote "By Mamun's time medical schools were extremely active in Baghdad. The first free public hospital was opened in Baghdad during the Caliphate of Haroon-ar-Rashid. As the system developed, physicians and surgeons were appointed who gave lectures to medical students and issued diplomas to those who were considered qualified to practice. The first hospital in Egypt was opened in 872 AD and thereafter public hospitals sprang up all over the empire from Spain and the Maghrib to Persia."

Madrasahs were also the first law schools, and many have suggested that the "law schools known as Inns of Court in England" may have been derived from the Madrasahs that taught Islamic law and jurisprudence.


Islamic purpose for education and learning includes:

- Building the Islamic Personality (aqliya and nafseeyah) by planting the Islamic culture in the hearts and minds of students

- Preparing the future generation to become scientists, specialists in all fields of life (Islamic sciences and natural sciences) so that they give rise to the Ulema and specialists who will lead the Ummah to become a great nation


“And He has subjected to you the night and the day, and the sun and the moon; and the stars are subjected by His command. Surely, in this are proofs for a people who understand.” TMQ An-Nahl 16:12


“And He has subjected to you all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth; it is all as a favour and kindness form Him. Verily, in it are signs for a people who think deeply.” TMQ Al-Jathiyah 45:13