9 September 2012

Summary:
Seerah: Between Hunain and Tabuk
The Prophet* dispatched a number of smaller armies to consolidate the surrounding tribes and areas, and to demolish the last remnants of idolatry
If the Prophet* leads the army it is known as a Ghazwah, and a Sirayah if lead by the Sahabae
One tribe was fought as they refused to pay the Jizyah
This tribe then had a poetry and speech contest with the Muslims in the mosque precinct
Adi bin Hatim’s sister was captured and released by the Prophet*, who knew more about his religion than Adi
The Prophet* prophesised the conquering of Persia, the immense wealth of the early Muslims and the security provided to the Ummah by the early Khulafah (Caliphs)

Main Topic: Naveed's Belief Pathway
Answering the 3 fundamental questions makes us think and ponder - which if done sincerely leads us to realise that the Creator exists and He created us. Then we look for our purpose in life to define our relationship with the Creator and come across Islam - after realising that the Creator would send us messages on how to live and where to get these answers from. We then study and realise that the Qur'an is the Word of Allah and tells us how to live our life - forming the Actions we do based on the fact that only Allah has the right to make laws for us. These laws are authentically preserved in Islam and by following them, every action being linked to Allah's Word with the right intention, we will please Allah and seek the afterlife which answers the 3 fundamental questions!

Shahnam Charity Event
Well done to the children (supported by their parents) as the money keeps rolling in: the provisional amount raised is OVER £13,000 so far. You can still donate by visiting the charity website: www.shahnam.org




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


Events Between Hunain & Tabuk: Missions and Platoons After The Conquest
Upon returning from this long successful travel, the Prophet* stayed in Medina where he received delegates and dispatched agents and appointed preachers and callers to Islam everywhere. Those whose hearts were still full of prejudice against Islam and therefore were too proud to embrace Allah’s religion, were decisively muffled on their non-acquiescence in the status quo prevalent then in Arabia. Here is a mini-image about the believed ones. We have already stated that the Messenger’s arrival in Medina was by the last days of the eighth year of Al-Hijra. No sooner the crescent of Muharram of the ninth year turned up than the Prophet* dispatched the believed ones, to the tribes as shown in the list below:
1. ‘Uyaina bin Hisn to Bani Tamim.
2. Yazeed bin Husain to Aslam and Ghifar.
3. ‘Abbad bin Bishr Al-Ashhali to Sulaim and Muzainah.
4. Rafi‘ bin Mukaith to Juhainah.
5. ‘Amr bin Al-‘As to Bani Fazarah.
6. Ad-Dahhak bin Sufyan to Bani Kilab.
7. Basheer bin Sufyan to Bani Ka‘b.
8. Ibn Al-Lutabiyah Al-Azdi to Bani Dhubyan.
9. Al-Muhajir bin Abi Omaiyah to Sana‘a’ (Al-Aswad Al-‘Ansi called at him when he was in it).
10. Ziyad bin Labid to Hadramout.
11. ‘Adi bin Hatim to Tai’ and Bani Asad.
12. Malik bin Nuwairah to Bani Hanzalah.
13. Az-Zabraqan bin Badr to Bani Sa‘d (a portion of them).
14. Qais bin ‘Asim to Bani Sa‘d (a portion of them).
15. Al-‘Ala’ bin Al-Hadrami to Al-Bahrain.
16. ‘Ali bin Abi Talib to Najran (to collect Sadaqa & Jizya).
 
Some of these agents were despatched in Muharram, 7 A.H., others were sent later until the tribes they were heading for had completely converted into Islam. Such a move clearly demonstrates the great success that the Islamic Da‘wah (Call) enjoyed after Al-Hudaibiyah Treaty. However, shortly after the conquest of Mecca, people began to embrace Islam in large hosts.
 
The Platoons:
In the same way that the believed ones were dispatched to the tribes, we understand that dispatching some more platoons to all regions of Arabia is a necessity for the prevalence and domination of security on all lands of Arabia. Here is a list of those platoons:
1.     ‘Uyaina bin Hisn Al-Fazari’s platoon in Al-Muharram, the ninth year of Al-Hijra to Bani Tamim. It consisted of fifty horsemen, none of them was an Emigrant or a Helper. This expedition was dispatched due to the fact that Bani Tamim had already urged other tribes not to pay tribute (Al-Jizya) and eventually stopped them from paying it. Therefore, ‘Uyaina bin Hisn set out to fight them. All the way long he marched by night and lurked by day. He went on that way till he overtook them and attacked them in the desert. They fled back for their lives. Eleven men, twenty-one women and thirty boys were captured then. He drove them back to Medina and were housed in Ramlah bint Al-Harith’s residence. Ten of their leaders, who came to the Prophet’s door, called out unto him saying: “O Muhammad come out and face us.” When he went out they held him and started talking. He exchanged talk with them for a while then left them and went to perform the noon prayer.
After prayer he sat in the mosque-patio. They proclaimed a desire to show boasting and self-pride. For this purpose they introduced their orator ‘Utarid bin Hajib who delivered his speech. The Prophet* asked Thabit bin Qais bin Shammas — the Muslim orator — to respond. He did that. In return, they brought forth their poet Az- Zabraqan bin Badr who recited some boastful poetry. Hassan bin Thabit, the poet of Islam, promptly replied back. When talks and poet came to an end, Al-Aqra‘ bin Habis said: “Their orator is more eloquent than ours, and their poet is more poetically learned than ours. Their voices and sayings excel ours, as well.” Eventually they announced their embracing Islam. Consequently, the Prophet* acknowledged their Islamisation, awarded them well, and rendered them back their women and children.
2.     A platoon headed by Qutbah bin ‘Amir to a spot called Khath‘am in Tabalah, a plot of land not far from Turbah. That was in Safar, 9 A.H. Accompanied by twenty men and only ten camels to mount alternatively on, Qutbah raided them and fought so fiercely that a great number of both parties were wounded and some others were killed. The Muslims drove back with them camels, women and sheep to Medina.
3.     The mission of Dahhak bin Sufyan Al-Kilabi to Bani Kilab in Rabi‘ Al-Awwal in the year 9 A.H. This mission was sent to Bani Kilab to call them to embrace Islam. Refusing to embrace Islam, they started to fight against the Muslims, but were defeated and sustained one man killed.
4.     The three hundred men expedition of ‘Alqamah bin Mujazziz Al-Mudlaji to Jeddah shores in Rabi‘ Al-Akhir. This expedition was dispatched to fight against some men from (Al-Habasha) Abyssinia (Ethiopia), who gathered together near the shores of Jeddah and exercised acts of piracy against the Meccans. Therefore he crossed the sea till he got to an island. But as soon as the pirates had learned of Muslims’ arrival, they fled.
5.     The task of the platoon of ‘Ali bin Abi Talib was to demolish Al-Qullus, which was an idol that belonged to Tai’ tribe. That was in Rabi‘ Al-Awwal in the year 9 A.H. ‘Ali was dispatched by the Prophet* with o ne hundred fifty men. A hundred of them were on camels. The other fifty were on horseback. He held a black flag and a white banner. • At dawn they raided Mahallat Hatim, demolished the idol and filled their hands with spoils, camels and sheep booties, whereas ‘Adi fled to Ash-Sham. The sister of ‘Adi bin Hatim was one of the captives. Inside Al-Qullus safe, Muslims found three swords and three armours. On the way they distributed the spoils and put aside the best things to the Prophet*. They did not share the Hatims.
Upon arrival in Medina, the sister of ‘Adi bin Hatim begged the Prophet* to have mercy on her and said: “O Messenger of Allah, my brother is absent and father is dead, and I am too old to render any service. Be beneficent to me so that Allah may be bountiful to you.” He said: “Who is your brother?” She said: “It is ‘Adi bin Hatim.” “Is he not the one who fled from Allah and his Messenger?” Said the Prophet* then went away from her. Next day she reiterated the same thing as the day before and received the same answer. A day later she uttered similar words, this time he made benefaction to her. The man who was beside the Prophet, and whom she thought to be ‘Ali, said to her: “Ask for an animal from him to ride on.” And she was granted her request.
She returned to Ash-Sham where she met her brother and said to him: “The Messenger of Allah* has done me such noble deed that your father would never have done it. Therefore, willy-nilly, frightened or secure, you should go and see him.” Unsecure neither protected by someone, not even recommended by a letter as a means of protection, ‘Adi came and met the Prophet. The Prophet* took him home with him. As soon as he sat before him, the Prophet* thanked Allah and praised him, then said: “What makes you flee? Do you flee lest you should say there is no god but Allah? Do you know any other god but Allah?” “No” he said, then talked for a while. The Prophet went on saying: “Certainly you flee so that you may not hear the statement saying ‘Allah is the Greatest.’ Do you know anyone who is greater than Allah?” “No” he said. “The Jews are those whose portion is wrath, and the Christians are those who have gone astray,” the Prophet retorted. “I am a Muslim and I believe in one God (Allah).” ‘Adi finally proclaimed with a joyous face. The Prophet ordered him a residence with one of the Helpers. From that time he started calling at the Prophet* in the mornings and in the evenings.
On the authority of Ibn Ishaq, when the Prophet* made him sit down in front of him in his house, the Prophet said, “O ‘Adi, were you not cast in disbelief?” “Yes”. ‘Adi said. “Did you not share one quarter of your people’s gains?” “Yes”. Said ‘Adi. The Prophet* said: “It is sinful in your religion to do such a thing, and you should not allow yourself to do it.” “Yes, by Allah, that is true”, said ‘Adi. “Thus I worked out that he was a Prophet inspired by Allah, and sent to people. He knows what is unknown.”
In another version, the Prophet* said: “‘Adi, embrace Islam and you shall be secure.” “But I am a man of religion.” Said ‘Adi. “I know your religion better than you.” Said the Prophet. “Do you know my religion better than me?” ‘Adi asked. The Prophet replied, “Yes”. He said: “Are you not cast in disbelief because you appropriate to yourself the fourth of your people’s gains?” “Yes”. Said ‘Adi. “It is unlawful in your religion to do such a thing.” The Prophet said, and ‘‘Adi added: “He did not need to say it again for I immediately acquiesced it.”
Al-Bukhari narrates that ‘Adi said: While we were with the Prophet*, a man came in and complained to him about poverty. Then another man came in and complained about highway robbery. The Prophet* then said: “O ‘Adi, have you ever been to Al-Hirah? If you were doomed to live long life, you would be able to see a riding camel woman travel from Hirah till it circumambulates Al-Ka‘bah fearing none but Allah; and if you were to live long enough you would open the treasures of Kisra. And if you were to live long you would be able to see man offering a handful of gold or silver to others but none accepts to take it.” At the end of this Hadith ‘Adi later on says: “I have seen a riding camel woman travel from Al-Hirah till it circumambulates the Ka‘bah fearing none but Allah, I have also been one of those who opened the treasures of Kisra bin Hurmuz. If you were to live long life you would witness what the Prophet, Abul Qasim,* had already said about ‘offering a handful of …’ i.e. the Prophet’s prophecies did really come true.”

Main Topic: Naveed's Belief Pathway

We talked through the Belief Pathway (see below). This is to help the children (and their parents) understand the processes that we’ve been going through over the past few months. We talked through the Belief Pathway (see below). This is to help the children (and their parents) understand the processes that we’ve been going through over the past few months. This is to show that we have not been doing things in a random fashion but trying to tie together two strands of fundamental understanding of Islam.  These two strands are linked in the pathway shown below, and these two strands are aspects of belief and aspects of actions (through Shariah and Fiqh).
The Belief Pathway demonstrates how all the fundamental questions and issues that we've been discussing after the Seerah section tie together with how we should live our life and where we get these answers from.
Briefly, we started off by talking about the three fundamental questions that every human being thinks about (why am I here, where did I come from, where am I going).  By answering these fundamental questions human beings will set out their plan for life and how they want to live their life.  These answers don't come automatically but every individual needs to go through a certain process.  Some people are told what to believe and do and they leave it there. If people are sincere in trying to answer these questions for themselves they will necessarily stop to think and ponder about themselves and their reality.  The way the body interacts with the reality is through the senses and this is the surface of our reality.  By thinking and pondering people will necessarily come to the conclusion that they could not come into existence by themselves and needed to be created and that is the next step in the realisation of a Creator.
This rational conclusion would then lead them on to trying to find out their relationship with the Creator (as in the three fundamental relationships for every human being = his relationship with himself, his relationship with others, and his relationship with the Creator).  Every sincere individual would then earnestly search for the purpose of life and exhaust themselves in trying to find this.  Hence they would search out everybody or everything that claims to hold the truth.  It is only right that the Creator tells us how to live by communicating with us - through Messengers & Prophets. Even a superficial analysis of many these answers would allow any individual to discredit them and the answers provided by Islam and its holy book (the Qur'an) would be self evidently correct - or at least worth further study (not a superficial analysis as was undertaken by the recent Channel 4 programme!).
Detailed analysis of the Qur'an would demonstrate that this is indeed a miracle and the inimitable Word of God. We defined a miracle as something which is impossible happening as opposed to a rare event.
Having established that the Qur'an is direct from Allah we now have to accept everything that is in there and follow whatever it tells us to do because this is direct communication from our Creator. Hence we find that Allah defines what we should believe in (Aqeeda) and how we should live our life through our actions.  This is non-negotiable!  These latter sections of belief will be tackled in the coming study circles (InshaAllah).
The second strand of what we have been doing in the study Circle is looking at these actions in greater detail.  These actions which form the basis of our law are derived from Allah through establishing the authenticity of the Qur'an and the Hadith - the system of preservation through the oral tradition.  Hence, we have agreed that sovereignty (the right to make the laws) belongs only to Allah and we get these from the Qur'an, Sunnah (Hadith), Ijma-as-Sahabah (Consensus of Companions) and Qiyas (Divine Analogy).
These are the only sources of law for us to learn how to live our life and we have been trying to dissect some of the terminology involved in this process.  Other important aspects of our actions are the fact that every action we do needs to be based on what we are told to do by Allah - which means every action needs an evidence from Islam (Qur'an & Sunnah) and needs to be done for the right intention (Niyah).  If we do this we will be pleasing our Creator which is the reason we live our life - with the desire to get to a pleasant afterlife (rather than the unpleasant place!). Hence the Belief Pathway brings us back to where we started in trying to answer the three fundamental questions - we now have the answer! This process can also be used to talk to or to discuss with other Muslims and non-Muslims about our belief and why we do what we do. In fact, it should be one major way in which we try and do Dawah to the non-Muslims -- all though not exclusively the only way.
As stated, InshaAllah our fight to go through the remaining parts of the pathway over the coming weeks.


No feedback or News topic

Homework:
- Seerah ~ Why did the Prophet* announce publically who he was going to attack when preparing for the Battle of Tabuk. Normally he* would keep it a secret – come up with some reasons why he* may have done this…
[For the older kids to ponder:]
- Belief ~ Whilst talking about ‘thinking’ and realising the Creator’s existence we talked about the mythical child brought up by wolves or in a jungle – why is this child incapable of proper thought??

7 November 2010

7 November 2010

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

The start of the Battle of Badr
The Portico

Then Sa'd ibn Mu'adh came to the Prophet and said: "O Prophet of God, let us build for you a shelter and put thy riding camels in readiness beside it. Then will we meet our enemy, and if God strengthen us and make us victorious over them, that is what we fervently desire. But, if not, then thou canst mount and ride to join those whom we left behind us. For as to some of those who came not out with thee, O Prophet of God, even our love for thee is not greater than theirs, nor had they stayed behind, if they had known thou wouldst meet with war. Through them God will protect thee, and they will give thee good counsel and fight at thy side." The Prophet praised him and invoked blessings upon him, and the shelter was fashioned with branches of palms.

Utbah trying to stop the battle
Umayr al-Hakim, a respected Quraishi, said to Utbah: “"Father ofWalid, thou art the greatest man of Quraysh, and their lord and the one whom they obey. Wouldst thou be remembered with praise amongst them until the end of time?"
"How shall that be?" said 'Utbah.
"Lead the men back," said Hakim, "and take upon thyself the cause of thy slain confederate 'Amr." He meant that 'Utbah should eliminate one of the strong reasons for fighting and pay the blood-wite to the kinsmen of the man who had been killed at Nakhlah, whose brother 'Amir had in fact come to take his revenge on the field of battle. 'Utbah agreed to do all that he said, but urged him to go and speak to Abu Jahl, the man most likely to insist on war. Meantime he addressed the troops, saying: "Men of Quraysh, ye will gain naught by fighting Muhammad and his companions. If you lay them low, each man of you will for ever.look with loathing on the face of another who hath slain his uncle or his cousin or some yet nearer kinsman. Therefore turn back and leave Muhammad to the rest of the Arabs. If they slay him, that is what ye desire; and if not, he will find that ye have shown self-restraint towards him."
He no doubt intended to approach 'Amir al-Hadrami at once with a view of paying the blood-wite for his brother, but Abu jahl was too quick for him. He taunted 'Utbah with cowardice, with being afraid of death for himself and also for his son Abu Hudhayfah, who was in the ranks of the Muslims. And then Abu Jahl said: I swear his lungs are filled with terror when he saw Muhammed and his men, by Allah we will not return until Allah decides the issue between us and Muhammed, Utba is not sincere in what he says. He sees Muhammed and his men as fodder for camels awaiting slaughter and his own son is there among them He is scaring you for his own sake.Then he turned to 'Amir and urged him not to let slip his opportunity of revenge for his brother. "Arise," he said, "and remind them of thy covenant and of the slaying of thy brother." 'Amir leapt to his feet, and frantically stripping off his clothes, he began to utter cries of lamentation at the top of his voice. "Alas for 'Amr! Alas for 'Amr!" So the fire of war was kindled and men's souls were filled with violence and it was in vain for 'Utbah or anyone else to seek to turn them back.

Lining up to fight

The arab method of fighting was Al-kurru wal'-furh which is to attack and withdraw, then attack again then withdraw… this happens repeatedly. This is a very disorganised attack. The Prophet's* method of fighting was in ranks is called az-Zahf, which also probably employed by the Romans and the Persians. This method gives the leader a greater control over the army rather than just attacking and withdrawing in a disorganised fashion. And that is how The Prophet* fought in the majority of his battles.

The Prophet* now drew up his army, and he passed in front of each man to give them good heart and to straighten the ranks, bearing an arrow in his hand. "Stand in line, O Sawad," he said to one of the Helpers who was too far forward, and he gave him a slight prick in the belly with his arrow. "O Messenger of God, you hurt me," said Sawad, "and God hath sent thee with truth and justice, so give me my revenge." "Take it," said the Prophet, laying bare his own belly and handing him the arrow whereupon Sawad stooped and imprinted a kiss where it was his due to place the point of the shaft. "What made thee do this?" said the Prophet. And he answered: "O Messenger of God, we are now faced with what you see; and I desired that at my last moment with you -if so it be -my skin should touch your skin;" and the Prophet prayed for him and blessed him. The spirit he infused into his men was clearly witnessed by the valour of ‘Umair, a lad of sixteen, who flung away some dates he was eating crying out: "These (the dates) are holding me back from Paradise." So saying he plunged into the thick of the battle and died fighting bravely.

A light slumber came upon him, and when he woke he said: "Be of good cheer, Abu Bakr; the help of God hath come to thee. Here is Gabriel and in his hand is the rein of a horse which he is leading, and he is armed for war."!

Umaiya bin Khalaf
From Sa’d bin Mu'adh: Sa’d bin Mu'adh was an intimate friend of Umaiya bin Khalaf and whenever Umaiya passed through Medina, he used to stay with Sa’d, and whenever Sa’d went to Mecca, he used to stay with Umaiya. When Allah's Apostle arrived at Medina, Sa'd went to perform 'Umra and stayed at Umaiya's home in Mecca. He said to Umaiya, "Tell me of a time when (the Mosque) is empty so that I may be able to perform Tawaf around the Ka'ba." So Umaiya went with him about midday. Abu Jahl met them and said, "O Abu Safwan! Who is this man accompanying you?" He said, "He is Sa’d." Abu Jahl addressed Sa’d saying, "I see you wandering about safely in Mecca inspite of the fact that you have given shelter to the people who have changed their religion (i.e. became Muslims) and have claimed that you will help them and support them. By Allah, if you were not in the company of Abu Safwan, you would not be able to go your family safely." Sa’d, raising his voice, said to him, "By Allah, if you should stop me from doing this (i.e. performing Tawaf) I would certainly prevent you from something which is more valuable for you, that is, your passage through Medina." On this, Umaiya said to him, "O Sa’d do not raise your voice before Abu-l-Hakam, the chief of the people of the Valley (of Mecca)." Sa’d said, "O Umaiya, stop that! By Allah, I have heard Allah's Apostle predicting that the Muslim will kill you." Umaiya asked, "In Mecca?" Sa’d said, "I do not know." Umaiya was greatly scared by that news.
When Umaiya returned to his family, he said to his wife, "O Um Safwan! Don't you know what Sa’d told me? "She said, "What has he told you?" He replied, "He claims that Muhammad has informed them (i.e. companions that they will kill me. I asked him, 'In Mecca?' He replied, 'I do not know." Then Umaiya added, "By Allah, I will never go out of Mecca." But when the day of (the Ghazwa of) Badr came, Abu Jahl called the people to war, saying, "Go and protect your caravan." But Umaiya disliked to go out (of Mecca). Abu Jahl came to him and said, "O Abu Safwan! If the people see you staying behind though you are the chief of the people of the Valley, then they will remain behind with you." Abu Jahl kept on urging him to go until he (i.e. Umaiya) said, "As you have forced me to change my mind, by Allah, I will buy the best camel in Mecca. Then Umaiya said (to his wife). "O Um Safwan, prepare what I need (for the journey)." She said to him, "O Abu Safwan! Have you forgotten what your Yathribi brother told you?" He said, "No, but I do not want to go with them but for a short distance." So when Umaiya went out, he used to tie his camel wherever he camped. He kept on doing that till Allah caused him to be killed at Badr. Bukhari: Book-5 Volume-59 Hadith-286)
So Umaiya said that he would not leave Mecca, now when the call came to respond to the battle of Badr, Umaiya didn’t want to leave. So Abu Jahl brings him a mubkhura which is something in which you burn the oudh . Abu Jahl made fun of him by saying that Ummaiya is an old woman, and that he should use this like old women do. Abu Jahl indicated that Ummaiya was a coward. Abu Jahl tried until he convinced Umaiya to go with him. Umaiya went back home to prepare for the journey. His wife asked him if he forgot what his friend from Medina (Sa’d) told him. He responded that he remembers but he will just go with the Quraish and then come back. Ibn Kathir said that whenever the Quraish would stop on their way, Umaiya would make the intention that it was their last stop, but he eventually ended up entering the fray of the battle himself.

Aswad al-Makhzuhm and Utbah
Aswad al-Makhzuhm strode ahead of the others, clearly intending to drink from the wells behind the Prophet's* lines. Hamzah went out to meet him and struck him a blow which severed one of his legs below the knee, and a second blow which killed him.

Then Utbah, still smarting from the taunts of Abu Jahl, stepped from the ranks and gave the challenge for single combat; and for the further honour of the family his brother Shaybah and his son Walid stepped forward on either side of him. The challenge was immediately accepted by 'Awf of the Najjar clan of Khazraj, who had been one of the first six of the Helpers to pledge themselves to the Prophet; and with 'Awf stepped forward his brother Mu'awwidh. The third to accept the challenge was 'Abd Allah ibn Rawahah.
"Who are you?" said the challengers. When the men answered, 'Utbah said: "You are noble and our peers, yet have we no quarrel with you. Our challenge is against none but men of our own tribe." Then the herald of Quraish shouted: "O Muhammad, send forth against us our peers from our own tribe." The Prophet had not intended anything else, but the eagerness of the Helpers (Ansar) had caught him by surprise. Now he turned to his own family, since it was above all for them to initiate the battle. The challengers were two men of mature age and one youth. "Arise, O 'Ubaydah," he said. "Arise, O Hamzah, Arise, O 'Ali." 'Ubaydah was the oldest and most experienced man in the army, a grandson of Muttalib, and he faced 'Utbah while Harnzah faced Shaybah and 'Ali faced Wand.


Hadith

Nawawi's 40 Hadith ~ no.8 (Protection of Islam):

Abdullah bin Umer narrated that the messenger of Allah said: "I have been ordered to fight against people until they testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammed is the messenger of Allah and until they perform the prayers and pay the zakat, and if they do so they will have gained protection from me for their lives and property, unless [they do acts that are punishable] in accordance with Islam, and their reckoning will be with Allah the Almighty."    [Bukhari and Muslim]

This is a very important Hadith but can be easily misunderstood. It reinforces the fact that Jihad is a core aspect of Islam and something that will continue until the Day of Judgement according to other Hadith. This Hadith must be taken into context and in conjunction with other aspects of Islam – such as the verse in Qur’an which states that ‘There is no compulsion in Religion’ [TMQ 2:256]. Muslims cannot force non-Muslims to become Muslims and in the history of Islam this was observed quite strictly. Islam is not tainted like other religions that forced others to convert: e.g., Christian conquests in North America, South America, the Spanish Inquisition etc. Dar-ul Islam (the land where Islam in implimented) has always tolerated its citizens practising other beliefs.

However, scholars have stated that this hadith refers to the situation where people are being denied the message of Islam. If there are obstacles to the Muslims spreading the word and message of Islam through peaceful dawah (invitation & teaching) and people are being prevented from hearing about the benefits of Islam, and getting to experience the Justice that comes with Islam, then it is permitted for the Amir / leader of the Muslims to remove those obstacles. If this cannot be done peacefully then he may have to resort to fighting. But the fight is not to convert people but to spread the word of Islam and the System of Islam so that people can actually understand the beauty of Islam better. This is not a recipe for all out war against all non-Muslims as history has clearly demonstrated that is not how to live.

The Prophet* also highlights the fact that both prayer  and Zakat are key essentials of Islam and people should not deny these, as did some people after the Prophet* died – hence Abu Bakr (ra) had to wage war against these people.

The rights of Islam are interpreted in many ways. Some scholars say that once a person has declared he/she is a Muslim then we accept that and do not delve into the matters of the heart or intention with these people. If people appear to do good actions that is fine. If people appear to do wrong actions then they should be punished by Islam according to the rules. Whether Allah forgives them or not is left for Allah to decide on the Day of Judgement and we should concern ourselves with how we implement the Law of Allah on earth and not accuse people of hypocrisy or insincerity. Hence, by declaring the Shahadah, the lives, property, wealth & honour of Muslims becomes immediately protected by the Muslim community and upheld by the rightful leader of the Muslims. The rights of Islam could also be interpreted as when a person declares Islam, they must then perform all the duties of a Muslim without missing anything out – of which prayer and Zakat are prominent examples. Hence Allah will reward His servant as needed. The ‘rights of Islam’ could also be interpreted as the laws of Islam that are implemented upon the Muslims by any rightful leader of the Muslims, which includes the Shariah and specific hudood punishments.

Homework: Talut and Jalut

One of the leaders of the children of Israel after Musa was Talut. He wanted to capture the Holy Land as promised to Musa through fighting and warfare. The followers of Musa refused to fight to get the land and so when that generation died a new generation of believers grew up. Talut took 80,000 fighting men to conquer the Holy Land and put the army through a series of tests to get a core dependable army that was firm on belief and Iman. After a long walk in the desert heat the army came across a river and Talut said that only those who didn’t drink (or only had 1 handful) were allowed to carry on. Some narrations say that only 4000 were left in the army!

Next he ordered them to face up to the people of Jalut (Goliath) who were known to be big, powerful and warriors. Many in the army declined to face the enemy, except for 314 hardcore fighters who had firm belief in Allah, and they would say that numbers are not important as sometimes small numbers can easily defeat larger armies. And for the duel with Jalut only 1 person stepped forward on 3 occasions – Prophet Dawud* who was a young boy of about 16.

Hence, the Sahabah would often compare those that fought at Badr with those in the army of Talut. True and firm believers. The best of the best !

26 September 2010

26 September 2010

Seerah of Muhammed*

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

Review of some of the early expeditions / skirmishes

The Prophet *engaged in numerous expeditions and battles, and also sent out his companions on numerous expeditions and battles. The Prophet himself led 19 campaigns (Ghazwat) and sent out 55 expeditions led by his companions (Siraiya).
The following is a resume of these missions and errands:
1. Saif Al-Bahr Platoon sent in Ramadan 1 A.H., i.e. 623 A.D. led by Hamzah bin ‘Abdul Muttalib and comprising 30 Emigrants with a definite task of intercepting a caravan belonging to Quraish. It was a caravan of 300 people including Abu Jahl bin Hisham. The two parties encountered each other and aligned in preparation for fighting. Majdi bin ‘Amr, on good terms with both sides, happened to be there and managed to prevent an imminent clash.
On that occasion, the Prophet [pbuh] accredited the first flag in the history of Muslims. It was white in colour and was entrusted to Kinaz bin Husain Al-Ghanawi, to carry.
2. In Shawwal, 1 A.H., i.e. April 623 A.D. The Messenger of Allâh* despatched ‘Ubaidah bin Al- Harith bin Al-Muttalib at the head of 60 horsemen of Emigrants to a spot called Batn Rabegh where they encountered Abu Sufyan at the head of a caravan of 200 men. There was arrow shooting but no actual fighting.
It is interesting to note that two Muslims, Al-Miqdad bin ‘Amr Al-Bahrani and ‘Utbah bin Ghazwan Al-Mazini, defected from the caravan of Quraish and joined the ranks of ‘Ubaidah. The Muslims had a white flag carried by Mistah bin Athatha bin Al-Muttalib bin ‘Abd Munaf.
3. In Dhul Qa‘dah 1 A.H., i.e. May 623 A.D. the Prophet [pbuh] dispatched Sa‘d bin Abi Waqqas at the head of 20 horsemen, and instructed them not to go beyond Al- Kharrar. After a  five-day march they reached the spot to discover that the camels of Quraish had left the day before; their flag, as usual, was white and carried by Al-Miqdad bin ‘Amr.
4. Ghazwa Al-Abwa’ or Waddan. It was in Safar 2 A.H., i.e. 623 A.D. The Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] set out himself at the head of 70 men, mostly Emigrants, to intercept a camel caravan belonging to Quraish, leaving behind Sa‘d bin ‘Ubadah to dispose the affairs in Madinah. When he reached Waddan, a place between Makkah and Madinah, he found none.
In the process of this campaign, he contracted a non-aggression pact with ‘Amr bin Makhshi Ad-Damari. The provisions of the pact go as follows: "This is a document from Muhammad, the Messenger of Allâh concerning Bani Damrah in which he established them safe and secure in their wealth and lives. They can expect support from the Muslims unless they oppose the religion of Allâh. They are also expected to respond positively in case the Prophet sought their help."
This was the first invasion under the leadership of the Messenger of Allâh. It took fifteen days, with a white flag carried by Hamzah bin ‘Abdul Muttalib.
5. Buwat Invasion. It took place in Rabi‘ Al-Awwal 2 A.H., i.e. 623 A.D. The Prophet [pbuh], at the head of 200 companions, marched for Buwat to intercept a caravan belonging to Quraish comprising 100 Quraishites, Omaiya bin Khalaf among them, and 2500 camels. When he reached Buwat, the caravan had left. Before leaving Madinah, he mandated Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh to dispose the affairs until his return.
6. Safwan Invasion. In Rabi‘ Al-Awwal 2 A.H., i.e. 623 A.D. Karz bin Jabir at the head of a small group of polytheists raided the pastures of Madinah and looted some animals. The Prophet [pbuh] at the head of 70 men left Madinah to fight the aggressors. He went in their pursuit till he reached a place called Safwan near Badr but could not catch up with them. This invasion came to be known as the preliminary Badr Invasion. During his absence, the Prophet [pbuh] entrusted Zaid bin Harithah with the disposition of the affairs in Madinah. The standard was white in colour and entrusted to ‘Ali bin Abi Talib to carry.
7. Dhil ‘Ushairah Invasion. It was in Jumada- al-Ula and Jumada- al-Akhirah the first or second 2 A.H., i.e. November-December 623 A.D. The Prophet [pbuh] at the head of 150-200 Muslim volunteers, with 30 camels which they rode turn by turn, set out to intercept a Quraishite caravan. He reached Dhil ‘Ushairah but the camels had left some days before. These camels were the same that he went out to intercept on their return from Syria, and were the direct reason for the break out of the battle of Badr. In the process of this campaign, the Prophet [pbuh] contracted a non-aggression pact with Bani Madlij and their allies Bani Dhumrah. Abu Salama bin ‘Abd Al-Asad Al-Makhzumi was mandated to rule Madinah in his absence.

Hadith

Nawawi's 40 Hadith ~ No. 5 (Innovation)

On the authority of the Mother of the Faithful, Umm `Abdillaah `Aaishah (radi Allahu 'anhaa) , who said: The Messenger of Allah* said: “He who innovates something in this matter of ours [i.e. Islam] that is not of it will have it rejected [by Allah]”. [Bukhari & Muslim]
In one version by Muslim it reads: He who does an act which we have not commanded, will have it rejected [by Allah].

News Topic:

More people becoming Muslim in America over the last decade

Homework:

Lessons from the expedition of Abdullah bin Jahsh

Nawawi's 40 Hadith No. 6 (Halal & Haram are Clear)

Update soon I/A