25 March 2012

Battle of Mutah, 41 Inclination and desires
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Seerah of Muhammed*
*: May the Peace, Blessings and Mercy of Allah be upon him
TMQ: Translation to the nearest meaning of the Qur’an

Looking after Hamzah’s Daughter - 'Umarah
One day soon after the return to Medina, the Prophet* was woken from an afternoon siesta by the sound of a somewhat heated discussion. He recognised the voices of 'Ali, Zayd and Ja'far, and it was evident that they were all three at odds with each other. It was also evident that the more they argued, the further they were from reaching an agreement. Opening the door of the room he was in, he called them to him and asked what was the cause of their dispute. They exclaimed that it was a question of honour, as to which of them had most right to be the guardian of Hamzah's daughter, who had been in 'Ali's house ever since her arrival from Mecca. "Come to me," said the Prophet, "and I will judge between you." When they were all seated he turned first to 'Ali and asked him what he had to say for himself. "She is mine uncle's daughter," he said, "and it was I who brought her out from Mecca, and I have most right to her." The Prophet* then turned to Ja'far, who said: "She’s mine uncle's daughter, and her mother's sister is in my house." His wife Asma' was 'Umarah's maternal aunt. As to Zayd, he simply said "She is my brother's daughter," for the Prophet* had made the pact of brotherhood between Hamzah and Zayd when they first came to Medina, and Hamzah had made a testament leaving Zayd in charge of his affairs. There was no doubt that each of the three was convinced that he had the best right to the honour in question. So before pronouncing his judgement the Prophet* spoke words of praise to each one of them. It was then that he said to Ja'far: "Thou art like me in looks and in character."? Not until he saw that he had made each one of them happy did he voice his decision, which was in favour of Ja'far. "Thou hast most right to her," he said. "The mother's sister is as a mother." Ja'far said nothing, but rose to his feet and circled around the Prophet* with the steps of a dancer. "Ja'far, what is this?" said the Prophet. He answered: "It is that which I have seen the Abyssinians do in honour of their kings. If ever the Negus gave a man a good reason to rejoice, that man would rise and dance about him."

‘Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah and the whale (Rizq from Allah)
The invasion of Al-Khabt (diluted yoghurt) took place in the year eight Hijri i.e. before Al-Hudaibiyah Treaty. Abu ‘Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah led three hundred horsemen to observe a caravan belonging to Quraish. Because of the inadequacy of food supplies, they began to starve so much that they had Khabt (diluted yoghurt), hence the appellation "The Army of Al-Khabt". One of the men slaughtered nine camels at three times, three each time at different stages of the mission. Abu ‘Ubaidah, the leader of the campaign prohibited him from doing so as they didn't have the means to pay back for the camels. Their rations became one date per day and they realised the value of this when the dates ran out! The sea was generous and presented them with an animal called Al-‘Anbar (sperm- whale) so rich in fat that they subsisted on it for half a month. Abu ‘Ubaida got the tallest person to ride standing up on the tallest camel and yet he could not touch to arched rib bone of the whale. When they came back home, they narrated the story to the Prophet* , who commented that it was provision granted by Allah, and asked them to share him some of its meat. This campaign came chronologically prior to Al-Hudaibiyah Treaty because of and after which the Muslims stopped intercepting Quraishi caravans.

The Battle of Mu'tah
It was the most significant and the fiercest battle during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah*, a preliminary and a prelude to the great conquests of the land of the Christians. It took place in Jumada Al-Ula 8 A.H. / September 629 A.D. Mu'tah is a village that lies on the borders of geographical Syria. The Prophet* had sent Al-Harith bin 'Umair Al-Azdi on an errand to carry a letter to the ruler of Busra. On his way, he was intercepted by Sharhabeel bin 'Amr Al-Ghassani, the governor of Al-Balqa' and a close ally to Caesar, the Byzantine Emperor. Al-Harith was tied and beheaded by Al- Ghassani. Killing envoys and messengers used to be regarded as the most awful crime, and amounted to the degree of war declaration. The Prophet* was shocked on hearing the news and ordered that a large army of 3000 men be mobilized and despatched to the north to discipline the transgressors. It was the largest Muslim army never mobilized on this scale except in the process of the Confederates Battle.
Zayd bin Haritha was appointed to lead the army. Ja'far bin Abi Talib would replace him if he was killed, and 'Abdullah bin Rawaha would succeed Ja'far in case the latter fell. A white banner was raised and handed over to Zayd. The Prophet* recommended that they reach the scene of Al-Harith's murder and invite the people to profess Islam. Should the latter respond positively, then no war would ensue, otherwise fighting them would be the only alternative left. He ordered them: "Fight the disbelievers in the Name of Allah, neither breach a covenant nor entertain treachery, and under no circumstances a new-born, woman, an ageing man or a hermit should be killed; moreover neither trees should be cut down nor homes demolished." At the conclusion of the military preparations, the people of Medina gathered and bade the army farewell. 'Abdullah bin Rawaha began to weep at that moment, and when asked why he was weeping, he swore that it was not love for this world nor under a motive of infatuation with the glamour of life but rather the Words of Allah speaking of Fire that he heard the Prophet* reciting: "There is not one of you but will pass over it (Hell); this is with your Lord, a Decree which must be accomplished." [19:71]
The Muslim army then marched northward to Ma'an, a town bordering on geographical Syria. There news came to the effect that Heraclius had mobilized a hundred thousand troops together with another hundred thousand men of Lakham, Judham and Balqain - Arabian tribes allied to the Byzantines. The Muslims, on their part had never thought of encountering such a huge army. They were at a loss about what course to follow, and spent two nights debating these unfavourable conditions. Some suggested that they should write a letter to the Prophet* seeking his advice. 'Abdullah bin Rawaha was opposed to them being reluctant and addressed the Muslims saying: "I swear by Allah that this very object which you hold in abhorrence is the very one you have set out seeking, martyrdom. In our fight we don't count on number of soldiers or equipment but rather on the Faith that Allah has honoured us with. Dart to win either of the two, victory or martyrdom." In the light of these words, they moved to engage with the enemy in Masharif, a town of Al-Balqa', and then changed direction towards Mu'tah where they encamped. The right flank was led by Qutba bin Qatadah Al-'Udhari, and the left by 'Ubadah bin Malik Al-Ansari. Bitter fighting started between the two parties, three thousand Muslims against an enemy fiftyfold as large.
Zayd bin Haritha, the closest to the Messenger's heart, assumed leadership and began to fight tenaciously and in matchless spirit of bravery until he fell, fatally stabbed. Ja'far bin Abi Talib then took the banner and did a miraculous job. In the thick of the battle, he dismounted, hamstrung his horse and resumed fighting until his right hand was cut off. He seized the banner with his left hand until this too was gone. He then clasped the banner with both arms until a Byzantine soldier struck and cut him into two parts. he was posthumously called "the flying Ja'far" or "Ja'far with two wings" because Allah has awarded him two wings to fly wherever he desired there in the eternal Garden. Al-Bukhari reported fifty stabs in his body, none of them in the back. 'Abdullah bin Rawaha then proceeded to hold up the banner and fight bravely on his horseback while reciting enthusiastic verses until he too was killed.
Thereafter, a man, from Bani 'Ajlan, called Thabit bin Al-Arqam took the banner and called upon the Muslims to choose a leader. The honour was unanimously granted to Khalid bin Al-Waleed, a skilled brave fighter and an outstanding strategist. It was reported by Al-Bukhari that he used nine swords that broke while he was relentlessly and courageously fighting the enemies of Islam. He, however, realizing the grave situation the Muslims were in, began to follow a different course of encounter, revealing the super strategy-maker, that Khalid was rightly called. He reshuffled the right and left flanks of the Muslim army and introduced forward a division from the rear in order to cast fear into the hearts of the Byzantine by deluding them that fresh reinforcements had arrived. The Muslims engaged with the enemies in sporadic skirmishes but gradually and judiciously retreating in a fully organized and well-planned withdrawal.
The Prophet*received instant news of the battle through the Angels. As the Prophet*described the battle the tears were flowing down his cheeks, and when the time came for the prayer he led it and immediately withdrew from the Mosque instead of turning to face the congregation as was his wont. He did the same again at sunset, and yet again after the night prayer.
Meantime he had been to the house of Ja'far. "O Asrna'," he said, "bring me Ja'far's sons." With some misgivings at the gravity of his face she fetched the three boys. The Prophet*kissed them, and then again his eyes filled with tears and he wept. "O Messenger of God," she said, "dearer than my father and my mother, what makes you weep? Hath news reached thee of Ja'far and his companions?" "Even so," he said. "They were struck down this day." She uttered a cry of lamentation, and women hastened to her side. The Prophet*returned to his house, and ordered food to be prepared for the family of Ja'far during the next days. "Their grief doth busy them", he said, "beyond caring for their own needs." Umm Ayman and Usamah and the rest of Zayd's family were in his house. He had already condoled with them; and as he returned, Zayd's little daughter came out into the street in tears, and seeing him she ran into his arms. He now wept unrestrainedly, and as he clasped the child to him his body shook with sobs. Sa'd ibn 'Ubadah happened to pass by at that moment and searching in himself for words of comfort, he murmured: "O Messenger of God, what is this?" "This," said the Prophet*, "is one who loveth yearning for his beloved." That night the Prophet*had a vision of Paradise, and he saw that Zayd was there, and Ja'far and 'Abd Allah and the other martyrs of the battle; and he saw Ja'far flying with wings like an Angel. At dawn he went to the Mosque; his Companions sensed that the weight of his sorrow had left him; and after the prayer he turned as usual to face the congregation. Then he went again to Asrna', to tell her of his vision; and she was greatly consoled.
The Byzantines, seeing this new strategy, believed that they were being entrapped and drawn in the heart of the desert. They stopped the pursuit, and consequently the Muslims managed to retreat back to Medina with the slightest losses. The Muslims sustained twelve martyrs, whereas the number of casualties among the Byzantines was unknown although the details of the battle point clearly to a large number. Even though the battle did not satisfy the Muslims' objective, namely avenging Al-Harith's murder, it resulted in a far-ranging impact and attached to the Muslims a great reputation in the battlefields. The Byzantine Empire, at that time, was a power to be reckoned with, and mere thinking of antagonizing it used to mean self-annihilation, let alone a three-thousand-soldier army going into fight against 200,000 soldiers far better equipped and lavishly furnished with all luxurious conveniences. The battle was a real miracle proving that the Muslims were something exceptional not then familiar. It is said that only 12 Muslims died in the battle.

Hadith 41 (of Nawawi's Forty Hadith)
Hadith 41: Inclinations and Desires according to Islam
Abu Muhammad 'Abdullah bin Amr bin al-'As reported that the Messenger of Allah*, said: "None of you (truly) believes until his desire or inclination is in accordance with what I have brought or subservient to what I came with." [al-Maqdidsi]
This hadith is similar to His statement   "But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith [Iman] until they make you (O Muhammad) judge in all disputes between them" [Surah an-Nisaa', 65].   In Surah al-Ahzab Ayah 36, Allah says: It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision.
The reason for the revelation of the first ayah, as related by al-Bukhari, was as follows :  Az-Zubair had a quarrel with a man from amongst the Ansar over the use of water from a stream, so they both went to the Messenger of Allah* for judgement between them. So he* said: "O Zubair, irrigate your land and then let the water flow to [the land of] your neighbour." Through this, he* encouraged az-Zubair to pardon his neighbour and to make affairs easy for him. However, the Ansari then said : "[You have judged in his favour] because he is the son of your uncle". So the colour of the face of the Messenger of Allah* changed [from anger], and he said : "O Zubair, hold back the water [in your land] until it rises to the level of the stems [of the trees], and then let it flow [to your neighbours land]". And by this the Messenger of Allah* indicated to az-Zubair the means by which the Ansari could be corrected from his error [of not submitting to the judgement of the Prophet*].
And it has been authenticated from the Prophet* in another hadith that he* said : "By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, none of you believes until I am more beloved to him than his father or child or the whole of mankind". Abu az-Zinaad said that this is from the Comprehensive Speech of the Prophet*, as he has combined in these few, simple words great meaning and import. This is so since the types of Love are three: the Love which arises from a feeling of respect and greatness, such as the Love of ones parents; the Love which arises from compassion and mercy, such as the Love of ones child; and the Love which arises from seeing in another [person] traits which are similar to ones own, such as the Love of the whole of mankind in general. Thus all the types of Love have been enumerated [by the Prophet* in this hadith].
And the import of the hadith is that one must not surrender ones soul to [any person] other than the Messenger*. And the Companions used to be alongside the Prophet* in fighting their own fathers and sons and brothers [who were polytheists], and Abu 'Ubaydah killed his own father due to his harming the Messenger of Allah*. And on the Day of Badr, Abu Bakr faced his own son, 'Abd-ur-Rahmaan, in the hope that he would be able to overcome him and kill him. So whosoever finds similar to this in his self then he can be assured that his desires are subservient to that which the Prophet* brought.
It is an obligation on every single believer to love what Allah loves and to hate what Allah hates to a degree that will motivate them to fulfill his or her obligations. If that love is increased above the level which will lead to fulfilling the preferable acts (mandoub), this is considered an additional preferable level. At the same time, he should hate or dislike what Allah hates or dislikes to the extent that will lead him to avoid all the prohibitions. If that level leads him to avoid what needs to be avoided, then that is an additional level that Allah will reward him for.
In the two Sahihs of Al-Bukhari and Muslim it is related that the Prophet*, said: "None of you will be truly a believer until I become more beloved to him than himself, his children, his family, and all the people." The true love necessitates that one has to follow whatever has been commanded by Allah and the Prophet*, as stated in Surah al-Imran Ayah 31-32: Say (O Muhammad*): "If you (really) love Allah then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." Say (O Muhammad*): "Obey Allah and the Messenger." But if they turn away, then Allah does not like the disbelievers.
The true believer is one who loves Allah and the Prophet*, truly and sincerely from his or her heart, and loves whatever Allah loves and whatever the Prophet*, loves, and hates whatever Allah hates and whatever the Prophet*, hates or dislikes. This love will lead him to act in accordance with these likes and dislikes. If someone acts in a different way, the obligatory love to Allah and the Prophet*, is not complete and has a defect. In this case, he has to repent and do his best to fulfill all the obligatory levels to achieve complete love to Allah and towards His Prophet*. All the sins or disobedience that take place as a result of desires happen because self-desire is given a higher degree or outweighs the love of Allah and the love of the Prophet*. Allah attributes this in the Qur'an to the disbelievers. In Surah al-Qasas Ayah 50, Allah says: But if they answer you not, then know that they only follow their own lusts. And who is more astray than the one who follows his own lusts, without guidance from Allah?
Allah also commanded one of his Prophets not to follow his desires. In Surah Saad Ayah 26, Allah says: And follow not your desire, for it will mislead you from the Path of Allah. Allah has made restraining desires one of the conditions to be fulfilled in order to enter Paradise. Allah says in Surah al-Nazi'at Ayah 40-41: But as for him who feared standing before his Lord, and restrained himself from impure evil desires and lusts. Verily, Paradise will be his abode.
Anyone who does anything that contradicts with the Message that Allah sent His Prophet*, with and violates any of the instructions or prohibitions, is a person who is following his own desires. It should be noted that desire has to do with likes and dislikes. Likes and dislikes are not the main goal. Scholars say that the main point here is not to be influenced by those likes or dislikes. If someone likes something that violates the shari'ah, this person is following his own desires. If that person is influenced by those likes or dislikes, this will lead to an act. The act will lead to forms of actions which either pleases or displeases Allah. In both cases, the person has full responsibility and accountability. The responsibility and accountability are not for the likes or dislikes. They are for what the likes or dislikes lead him to. It is known that following the desires is the reason behind many evil acts and it is also the basis for bid'ah (heresy). When someone follows his desires without evidence or truth, this will lead him to fall into bid'ah easily. And those who are misled by their desires are the first to follow misconceptions, as stated by many scholars. Whenever there is a misconception they easily fall into problems or troubles.
Muslims must be sincere in their efforts to fight self-desires. The issue is not to like or dislike but what the result of this likes or dislikes is. For instance, if someone is sleeping before dawn in the early morning and then he hears the call for Fajr prayer but is too lazy or sleepy to wake up to perform the salah, this is considered following his self-desires. Everyone likes to sleep but the problem is the result of this leads us to delay or miss the Fajr prayer ( a wajibat). Another example is food. There are many things that we can eat but if they are not halal, we have to refrain from consuming them. A third example is the love of money. To like money is one thing but to be misled by money is a problem because this will lead the heart to be enslaved to money and the worldly life. This explains why the scholars say that committing sins is actually a result of desires. We should make the shari'ah as the judging authority for everything we do. Before we do something, we should ask ourselves: Is this act based on a sound reason? If the answer is not, then we are following the desires. This is why Allah labels the Qur'an as Al-Furqan or as the criterion that distinguishes what is right and what is wrong.
Tips to Control your Desires
There are signs of following desires. One of the signs is neglecting or turning away from seeking beneficial 'ilm (the needed knowledge of Islam). Another sign of following desires is turning one's back from the guidance that the Prophet*, has come with. One scholar mentions that the objective of shari'ah is to keep Muslims away from desires so that the believer will be a servant to Allah willingly and become an honest servant of Allah. He also states that following one's desires with regard to the rulings of shari'ah is a problematic issue where a person might use tricks to fulfill his desires, using deception in order to evade the rulings of shari'ah. With regards to how one can control and deal with one's desires, firstly Al-Imam Al-Shatibi says that the main thing is to make the law of shari'ah and its rulings as a judging authority that every Muslim should respect, appreciate, and comply with. Secondly, some other scholars mention feeling Allah's presence, seeking knowledge, and the continuance remembrance of Allah are the ways of controlling self-desires. Thirdly, Imam Ibn Qayyim mentions about 50 ways of dealing with self-desires. Even those who are already influenced by self-desire can use any of these ways to get rid of their self-desires. He mentions this in his book Rawdat al-Muhebin (Garden of Lovers). The following are 15 selected ways:
1. Strong resolution.
2. Patience.
3. Self-courage.
4. Considering consequences.
5. Reflecting that Muslims have been created for a great mission which cannot be fulfilled except by controlling one's desires.
6. Not to be enslaved by self-desires.
7. To know that Satan is the enemy that gets through the servants of Allah. Satan uses desires to influence people.
8. To know that following self-desires will lead to someone's destruction and punishment by Allah.
9. To know that fighting desires by making an effort in order not to be influenced by the desires is one of the greatest forms of jihad. Fighting desires is the essential message of Islam. Muslims are required to make every effort to adhere to the teachings of the Qur'an and Sunnah.
10. To know that the one who lets the desires take over and lead him will spoil his intellectual opinion.
11. To know that following desires will weaken the eagerness for performing good deeds. The opposite is also true in this case - that is, not following desires leads to strengthening one's motivation to perform good deeds.
12. To know that not being misled by desires will lead to the honour in this life and the Hereafter.
13. To know that following desires is the main cause of the spiritual heart disease and the remedy of the disease is to not follow desires. We have to make jihad to fight desires otherwise we will not be able to fight our enemies.
14. To know that seeking knowledge and feeding it by performing the preferable acts will strengthen one's faith.
15. To know that we need to be enlightened by the Qur'an and Sunnah. This requires us to make the effort to recite the Qur'an in order to know the meaning and the wisdom behind the ayahs.

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13 November 2011

Zainab, Adoption and Uraynah Thieves

Seerah of Muhammed*

*: May the Peace, Blessings and Mercy of Allah be upon him

TMQ: Translation to the nearest meaning of the Qur’an

The Prophet* Marries Zainab with Zaid

Zainab bint Jahsh came from a wealthy tribe and influential background, whereas Zaid, Muhammad’s adopted son, was poor and had at one time been Muhammad’s slave. She had married Zaid on the orders of Muhammad since he wanted to use this marital bond for the purpose of destroying class barriers. The Prophet* had arranged the marriage with the idea of shattering the ancient Arabian barrier against a slave or even a former slave marrying a "free-born" woman. Tradition says that Zainab and her brother were at first against the marriage, but in deference to the Prophet* and with great reservation, Zainab and her brother (acting as Zainab’s guardian) finally consented to it. Zaid was also not disposed to the union, for he was already happily married to another freed slave, Umm Ayman. As much as the Prophet* wanted to use the marriage to break down class barriers, the betrothed were still conditioned by them. On several occasions the couple were about to divorce, but each time the Prophet* persuaded them to persevere and not to separate. He had said on another occasion: "Of all things allowed the most hateful unto God is divorce." And when Zaid came again with the same proposal again the Prophet* insisted that he should keep his wife. But the marriage between Zaid and Zainab had not been a happy one, and Zaid found it no longer tolerable, so by mutual agreement with Zainab he divorced her.

The Prophet* Marries Zainab and Clarification of Adoption

Some months passed and then one day when the Prophet* was talking with one of his wives the power of the Revelation overwhelmed him; and when he came to himself his first words were: "Who will go unto Zainab and tell her the good tidings that God hath given her to me in marriage, even from Heaven?" Salma was near at hand-Safiyyah's servant who had long considered herself a member of the Prophet*'s household -and she went in haste to Zainab's house. When she heard the wonderful tidings, Zainab magnified God and threw herself down in prostration towards Mecca. Then she took off her anklets and bracelets of silver, and gave them to Salma, Zainab was no longer young, being almost in her fortieth year, but she had retained her remarkable beauty. She was, moreover, a woman of great piety, who fasted much and kept long vigils and gave generously to the poor. As a skilled worker in leather she could make shoes and other objects, and all that she earned in this way was for her a means of charity. There could be no question in her case of any formal wedding, for the marriage was announced in the revealed verses as a bond already contracted: “We have married her to thee”. It remained for the bride to be brought to the bridegroom, and this was done without delay.

The verses also said that in future adopted sons should be named after their fathers who begot them; and from that day Zaid was known as Zaid ibn Harithah instead of Zaid ibn Muhammad, as he had been called ever since his adoption some thirty-five years previously. But this change did not annul his adoption as such, nor did it affect in any way the love and the intimacy between the adopter and the adopted, who were now nearing their sixtieth and fiftieth years. It was merely a reminder that there was no blood relationship; and in this sense the Revelation continued: Muhammad is not the father of any man amongst you, but he is the Messenger of God and the Seal of the Prophet*s.

Some argue that this marriage served more than one purpose. First, the Prophet* was responsible for arranging Zainab's marriage to Zaid. In a sense, then, he was also indirectly responsible for the unhappiness she felt in her marriage. Her marriage to the Prophet* now provided her the honour she felt she deserved, and exonerated the Prophet*. Second, Zaid had been adopted as the Prophet*'s son. Eventually, however, the Qur'an prohibited the practice of changing the parental identity of adopted persons. Zaid, then, was to no longer be called "son of Muhammad" but rather "a close friend." The Prophet*'s marriage to the divorced wife of Zaid was a practical demonstration that the adopted relationship was not equal to a real blood-relationship. A man cannot marry the divorced wife of his real son but he can marry the divorced wife of his adopted son. The abolishment of the age-old practice was a positive improvement for the adopted persons. People outside of Islam still continue this practice for their own benefit. They adopt children and rob them of their real identity, making them believe they are real children of the household in which they grow up. When such children realize the truth they suffer much disappointment and grief. The adoptive process continues for the selfish gain of the adoptive parents.

At the same time other Revelations stressed the great difference between the Prophet* and his followers. They were not to address him ever by his name as they addressed each other. The permission which God had given him, in virtue of his new marriage, to have more than four wives, was for him alone, and not for the rest of the community. Moreover, his wives were given the title of the mothers of the faithful, and their status was such that it would be an enormity in the eyes of God if, having been married to the Prophet*, they should ever be given in marriage to another man. If the believers wished to ask a favour of one of them -for their intercession with the Prophet* was often sought -they must do so from behind a curtain. They were also told: O ye who have faith, enter not the dwellings of the Prophet* unto a meal without waiting for its time to come, except if leave be given you. But if ye are invited then enter, and when ye have fed then disperse. Linger not in hope of discourse. Verily that would be irksome unto the Prophet*, and he would shrink from telling you, but God shrinketh not from the truth.

Later, the Prophet* would talk about which wife would die first. He replied: "She of the longest reach will be the soonest of you to join me," whereupon they set about measuring their arms, one against another. Presumably, though it is not recorded, Sawdah was the winner of this contest, for she was the tallest of them and in general the largest. Zainab, on the other hand, was a small woman, with an arm to match. But it was Zainab who died first of them all, some ten years later. Only then did they realise that by "she of the longest reach" the Prophet* had meant the most giving, for Zainab was exceedingly generous, like her predecessor of the same name who had been called "the mother of the poor".

Uraynah Robbers

A group of people from 'Ukl (Eight members B. Uraynah , a Bedouin tribe) came to the Prophet*, embraced Islam and then they were living with the people of As-Suffa, but they became ill as the climate of Medina did not suit them, so they said, "O Allah's Apostle! Provide us with milk." The Prophet* said, I see no other way for you than to use the camels of Allah's Apostle." So they went and drank the milk and urine of the camels, (as medicine) and became healthy and fat. The Prophet* gave them some camels to take with them; instructed them to drink the camel’s milk and urine as medicines. They took the camels in the plain south of Quba for grazing. Following Muhammad’s prescription, they soon recovered from their stomach problem. Then they escaped with the camels by killing the camel herdsman by cutting off his hands and legs and poking thorny spikes into his tongue and eyes. When this news reached Muhammad, he dispatched twenty horsemen in hot pursuit of the robbers. They caught the robbers and recovered all the camels except one. The eight captives were then brought to Muhammad. On Muhammad’s order their arms and legs were cut off and their eyes were put off. The trunks of these wretched victims were then laid side by side in the hot sun in the plain of Al-Harra until they died. On this occasion the verses on the punishment of waging war against Allah and for theft were released (5:39, 33). Abu Qilaba said, "Those people committed theft and murder and fought against Allah and His Apostle."

According to the Muslim scholar Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, the eight men were killed "according to the law of equality/reciprocity" in Islam. Although the punishment seems severe we must remember that these people left Islam, killed and mutilated a person, stole (highway banditry) things despite being treated kindly by the Prophet* and getting better after following his orders. Some scholars say that other verses later clarified (or abrogated) punishments and we do not find any similar punishments in Islam.

Scholars also derive lessons from the Prophet*’s order to ‘herd the camels and to drink their milk and urine (as a medicine)’. Whilst urine is usually forbidden (Haram) it was allowed for medicinal reasons. Some scholars extrapolate a general principle that, for medicinal reasons or care, things which were haram become permissible based upon this incident. Other scholars are more confined in their interpretation of this incident and what medicines or cures are allowed.

We should also note that modern medicine uses urine ingredients: PREMARIN (name stands for PREgnant MARe urine). This Estrogen product is given to postmenopausal Women (as Hoemone Replacement Therapy – HRT).

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Quiz: 

Prophets on the different levels of Heaven:
In the First Heaven he saw Adam being shown the souls of his descendents both good and bad. In the Second Heaven he saw Isa (Jesus) and Yayha (John), son of Zachariah. In the Third Heaven he saw the handsome Yusuf (Joseph), son of Yaqub (Jacob). In the Fourth Heaven he saw Idris, the prophet from before the flood. In the Fifth Heaven he saw Moses' older brother, Harun (Aaron), with his long white beard. In the Sixth Heaven Muhammad met a tall man with a hooked nose and Gabriel said it was Musa (Moses). In the Seventh Heaven Muhammad saw an old man with his back against al-Bayt al-Mamur - the gate to Paradise where 70,000 angels pass through each day but do not return until Judgment Day. Gabriel identified him as Ibrahim (Abraham).

30 October 2011
10 days Dhul-Hijjah; Ibrahim & a few battles

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

Some other Expeditions and Battles
After the Battle of the Trench, the Messenger* was in a position to confidently declare that thenceforth he would take the initiative in war and would not wait for the land of Islam to be invaded. Hence, shortly after the conclusion of the battle with the Coalition and Quraiza, the Prophet* began to despatch punitive expeditions to force the aggressive tribes and rebellious Arabians to come to peaceful terms with the rising state of Islam.

Bani Bakr Expedition
A platoon of thirty believers under the leadership of Muhammad bin Maslamah was despatched on a military mission in Muharram, the sixth year Hijri. It headed for the habitation of Bani Bakr sept. The Muslims attacked and dispersed them in all directions. Plenty of spoils fell to the lot of the Muslims who returned home with a terrible disbeliever, Thumamah bin Uthal Al-Hanafi, chief of Bani Hanifa, who had gone out by order of Musailama, the Liar, to assassinate the Prophet*. The Prophet’s Companions tied him to a pole of the Prophetic Mosque. To a question posed by the Prophet*, Thumamah used to say: "If you were to kill someone, then you would have to choose one of noble descent, if you were to be gracious, then let it be to a grateful man and if you were to ask for money, you would have to ask for it from a generous man." He repeated that three times on three different occasions. On the third time, the Prophet* ordered that he should be released. He soon went nearby, washed and then came back to profess the new faith addressing the Prophet*: "No face had been more awful to me than yours but now it is the closest to my heart, no religion had ever been more repugnant to me than yours, now it is the dearest in my heart. Now I want to perform the ‘Umrah (lesser pilgrimage)." The Prophet* gave him good tidings and asked him to do that. On his arrival in Mecca, the Quraishites accused him of apostasy. He denied it and affirmed that he had embraced Islam, and then swore that they would never get a grain from Yamama, a suburban area around Mecca, unless the Prophet* would allow it. In fact, he did it and refused to send food supplies to Mecca until the Prophet* interceded at the Makkans’ earnest plea.
Bani Lihyan Invasion
Bani Lihyan had acted treacherously towards ten of the Prophet’s Companions and had them hanged. Their habitation being situated deep in the heart of Hijaz on the borders of Mecca, and due to deep-seated blood-revenge between the Muslims on the one hand, and Quraish and the Arabians on the other, the Prophet* deemed it unwise to penetrate deep and come close to the greatest enemy, Quraish. However, when the power of the allied Coaltion collapsed and they began to slacken and resign to the current unfavourable balance of power, the Messenger of Allah* seized this rare opportunity and decided that it was time to take revenge on Bani Lihyan. He set out in Rabi‘ Al-Awwal or Jumada Al- Ula in the year six Hijri at the head of two hundred Muslim fighters and made a feint of heading for Syria, then soon changed route towards Batn Gharran, the scene of his Companions’ tragedy, and invoked Allah’s mercy on them. News of his march reached Bani Lihyan, who immediately fled to the mountain tops nearby and thus remained out of his reach. On his way back, the Prophet* despatched a group of ten horsemen to a place called Kura‘ Al-Ghamim, in the vicinity of the habitation of Quraish in order to indirectly confirm his growing military power. All these skirmishes took fourteen days, after which he left back for home.

Expeditions and Delegations continued
1. A platoon led by ‘Ukasha bin Al-Mihsan was despatched to a place called Al- Ghamir inhabited by Bani Asad in the year six Hijri. The enemy immediately fled leaving behind them two hundred camels which were taken to Medina.
2. A platoon led by Muhammad bin Maslamah set out towards the habitation of Bani Tha‘labah in Dhil Qassa. But a hundred men of the enemies ambushed and killed all of them except Muhammad bin Maslamah who managed to escape but badly wounded.
3. In retaliation against Bani Tha‘labah, Abu ‘Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah, at the head of forty men, was despatched to Dhil Qassa. They walked that night and took the enemy by surprise in the morning. Again, they fled to the mountains except one who was injured, and later embraced Islam. A lot of booty fell to their lot in that particular incident.
4. A platoon, under the leadership of Zaid bin Haritha, was sent to Al-Jumum, the habitation of Bani Saleem, in the same year. A woman from Bani Muzaina showed them the way to the enemy’s camp. There the Muslims took some captives and gained a lot of booty. Later on, the Messenger of Allah* granted the woman her freedom and married her to one of his followers.
5. Zaid bin Haritha, in Jumada Al-Ula 6 Hijri, at the head of a hundred and seventy horsemen, set out to a place called Al-‘Ais, intercepted a caravan of Quraish led by Abul-Aas, the Prophet’s relative and looted their camels. Abul-Aas escaped and took refuge in Zainab’s (his wife and the Prophet’s daughter) house. He begged her to ask the Prophet* for the restitution of his wealth. The Prophet* recommended, but without coercion, that the people do that. They immediately gave the man back all his wealth. He went back to Mecca, gave over the trusts to those entitled to them, embraced Islam and emigrated to Medina where the Prophet* reunited him with his wife, Zainab, after three and a half years of their first marriage contract. The verse relating to prohibition of marriage between women Muslims and disbelievers had not been revealed then.
6. In Jumada Ath-Thania, the same year, Zaid at the head of fifteen men raided Bani Tha‘labah and captured twenty of their camels but the people had fled.
7. In Rajab of the same year, Zaid, at the head of twelve men, set out to a place called Wadi Al-Qura in a reconnaissance mission to explore the movements of the enemy. The people there attacked the Muslims, killed nine of them, while the rest including Zaid bin Haritha managed to escape.

Main Topic: The Greatness of first 10 days Dhul-Hijjah
 
Praise be to Allah Who has created Time and has made some times better than others, some months and days and nights better than others, when rewards are multiplied many times, as a mercy towards His slaves. This encourages them to do more righteous deeds and makes them more eager to worship Him, so that the Muslim renews his efforts to gain a greater share of reward, prepare himself for death and supply himself in readiness for the Day of Judgement. This season of worship brings many benefits, such as the opportunity to correct one’s faults and make up for any shortcomings or anything that one might have missed. Every one of these special occasions involves some kind of worship through which the slaves may draw closer to Allah, and some kind of blessing though which Allah bestows His favour and mercy upon whomsoever He will.  The intelligent person is the one who makes the most of these special months, days and hours and draws nearer to his Lord during these times through acts of worship Alhamdulillah, the blessed days of the Hijri month of "Dhul Hijjah" are upon us. "By the ten nights." [TMQ Al-Fajr 89:2]
The "ten nights" which Allah is swearing by here, are the first 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah. Allah swears an oath by them, and swearing an oath by something is indicative of its importance and great benefit. Ibn ‘Abbas narrated that Prophet* said: "There is no deed more precious in the sight of Allah, or greater in reward, than a good deed done during the ten days of Sacrifice." He was asked: "Not even jihad for the sake of Allah?" He said: "Not even jihad for the sake of Allah, except in the case of a man who went out to fight giving himself and his wealth up for the cause, and came back with nothing." [Bukhari]
It is a great chance to collect uncountable hasanat . It is a great chance to renew your relation with Allah. Prepare now so you can start from the first night/day of the month [i.e. as soon as Dhul-Hijjah is announced]. You don't want to miss a moment of the best days in the sight of Allah.
Since the Prophet* referred to the 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah as: "...no days better than these days in the sight of Allah." [Ahmad], the scholars have said that these are better than Ramadan.
These texts and others indicate that these ten days are better than all the other days of the year, with no exceptions, not even the last ten days of Ramadaan. But the last ten nights of Ramadan are better, because they include Laylat al-Qadr ("the Night of Power"), which is better than a thousand months. Thus the various reports may be reconciled. Therefore, be very vigilant and don't waste these precious moments. Ask Allah to help you to benefit from this period of His special Grace.
•    Ask yourself these questions [non-rhetorical]:
•    Did you intend to benefit from these days?
•    What have you done to prepare for these 10 days?
•    Did you prepare a program?
•    What is your plan of action?
A brief guide to help you to prepare for the best days of the year:

1. Read the Qur'an:
Plan to complete the reading of the Qur'an within this period. If you read three juz a day, it can be accomplished. It is not difficult. Ask Allah to make it easy for you. We know reciting one letter is equal to ten hasanat . If you read three juz everyday, it translates to thousands of millions of hasanat. And this calculation is just based on the 1=10 ratio. These are special days of His Grace. Therefore, don't even think about how much Allah can/will increase and add it for you. You cannot fathom it. He is Kareem. He knows that you have ikhlas ; He will not count it as 1=10. He could raise it to 1=700 or even more. And this is what you can earn every day of these special days. Keep in mind that reciting the Qur'an is a good deed and Allah specially loves the good deeds done in these days: "And if He loves the good deeds, He will love the doer of those good deeds." If Allah loves someone, He will not punish them. Remember this concept so that the deeds you do come from your heart [don't be like a machine]. Honour the rights of the Qur'an when reciting it.

2. Increase in Nawafil Prayers:
Increase your supererogatory prayers. Do you really want to be closer to Allah? Do you really love Allah and seek His closeness? If, you want this, then know that Allah teaches you the means to gaining His qurb. Allah says: "Fall prostrate and draw near to Allah!" [TMQ Al-Alaq 96:19]
This is the way! Prostrate in sujud to Him and you will be closer to Him. The Prophet* said: "The closest that a person is to his Lord is when he is prostrating, so say a great deal of du'a then." He* is commanding us to make a lot of du'a while in sujud. We need to do more. For he* said to: "...make lots of du'a." Remember, the Prophet* loved us and he knew that we have a lot of needs from Allah. This is why he taught us the way to get those needs fulfilled. Therefore, if you have needs, then you cannot leave sujud. Any sajdah without khushu' and without du'a is a big khasara . When the Prophet* instructed us to do a lot of sujud, it means to perform a lot of salah . "With each sajdah for Allah, He will raise you a level with it. And cancel a sin with it." So, the more you increase in your sujud, the closer you are to being a winner.
Examples for increasing nawafil salah:

• Salat Dhuha: Also known as al-Awwabeen, may be offered as 2, 4, 6 or 8 rak'at, prayed after the sun has risen and before the time for Dhuhr approaches. [Muslim] "Al-Awwab' means one who is obedient, or one who turns to obedience.
• 4 rak'at before and 4 after Dhuhr: "Whoever regularly performs four rak'at before Dhuhr and four after it, Allah will forbid him to the Fire." [Tirmidhi]
• 4 rak'at before ‘Asr - The Prophet* said: "May Allah have mercy on those who pray four rak'at before ‘Asr prayer." [Tirmidhi] You stand to gain the mercy of Allah because of the du'a of Prophet*.
• Tahhiyatul masjid: Greet the masjid with two rak'at: "If any one of you enters a mosque, he should pray two rak'at before sitting." [Bukhari and Muslim]
• Salat at-Tawbah: It could be any bad deed, any sin, you hear something bad , you see something bad, you feel your heart constricted because of something you have done and you didn't mean it, etc, you can erase it immediately with your prayer of repentance. Make a good wudhu' and offer two sincere rak'at of repentance. Ask Allah to forgive you. If it's from your heart, then know that Allah will cancel your sin.
• Qiyam al-Layl: With this prayer, we hope that Allah will illuminate our graves; will bestow nur on our faces; will cancel our bad deeds. Pray at least 2 rak'at. If you are able to follow the Sunnah, then pray all 11 rak'at.

Remember that in these special days and nights, Allah is sending His special mercy. Do you think that this special mercy will reach everybody? Do you think that it will reach the one who is in front of the TV watching a movie? Or playing on their compute / video games? Or do you think it will reach the one who is making sujud, ruku', tilawah, making istighfar, etc.? We have to show Allah that we want this special mercy. We need to make ourselves eligible for it.
Allah swears by the night [Surah Fajr]. Therefore, take care of the nights. Don't be among the losers. Write this in bold and make it your motivational factor for the special days: "We won't be among the losers!" Remember: "Our Lord, may He be blessed and exalted, comes down to the lowest heaven every night when the last third of the night is left, and He says: ‘Who will call upon Me, that I may answer him? Who will ask of Me, that I may give him? Who will ask Me for forgiveness, that I may forgive him?'." [Bukhari and Muslim] And, now that it is winter, we get really long nights. So it's a good chance to maximise our hasanat. Don't forget while you are praying qiyam that Allah Loves this deed. Therefore, He loves the doer of this deed also.
If we were lazy before, we will be active and good from now on. We will not be among the losers. If these days and nights are we were to distributing gifts (£10 or £50) during the study circles and ask people to "Come take this money", you will find people standing in long queues and hordes to collect them. Subhana'Allah, Allah is spreading mercy during these days. He is accepting supplications. He is offering unimaginably wonderful blessings that we don't even know of. So will we not work to get in those lines to gather Allah's gifts?

3. Makes lots of Dhikr:
Do a lot of dhikr, especially in these days. "There are no days greater in the sight of Allah..." [Ahmed] So what did the Prophet* tell us to do in these days? The Prophet* commanded us to oft recite Tasbeeh ("Subhan-Allah"), Tahmeed ("Al-hamdu Lillah") and Takbeer ("Allahu Akbar") during this time. As soon as the announcement of Dhul-Hijjah is made, start your dhikr: "Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, la ilaha ill-Allah, Wallahu Akbar. Walilahilhamd."
Many people mistakenly believe that you chant this only on the day of Eid. But, it is meant to be recited from the beginning of Dhul-Hijjah. Bukhari related that Ibn ‘Umar and Abu Hurayrah said that they used to go out in the streets making loud takbir. They did not think that this was riya. They were busy with declaring the signs of Allah. This practice has now become a forgotten Sunnah. Why do people feel shy to follow this Sunnah? These are the days of takbir, tahlil and tahmid with raised voices. Therefore revive this Sunnah by doing audible tasbih during all of the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. For women, when you are in your homes, raise your voices. You will remind your children, husbands, brothers, etc. Make it like a habit so that you will find yourself doing dhikr automatically. While walking, reclining, working, eating, just keep doing dhikr.
Send a lot of blessings and salam upon the Prophet* consistently. Just one hadith should be enough for the believer who loves Prophet*. It is enough honour that when you send your salam to Prophet*, Allah returns his soul to him in order to answer you: "There is no one who sends salam upon me but Allah will restore to me my soul so that I may return his salam." [Abu Dawud] Men are encouraged to recite these phrases out loud and women quietly. Therefore, send your darud and salam from your heart. Feel that special honour in doing that deed.

4. Seeking Forgiveness (Istighfar):
Repentance is obligatory at all times, but when the Muslim combines sincere repentance with good deeds during the days of most virtue, this is a sign of success, in shaAllah. Allah says:
"But as for him who repented, believed and did righteous deeds, then he will be among those who are successful." [28:67]
All kinds of dhikr will make your relation with Allah stronger and stronger. How many Muslim's are there today? 1.5 billion? In one minute it is possible to gain 1.5 billion hasanat. Allahu Akbar! How generous is Allah. No one will give you like Allah gives. So how can you gain 1.5 million hasanat? By making istighfar for all Muslim's. The Prophet* is reported to have said that when a person seeks forgiveness for all believers, Allah will write for him a hasanat for every one of those believers. Just say ‘Astaghfirullah' for yourself and for all the believers, from your heart. Allah is forgiving and generous. On the Day of Judgement, when you will see your book, you will find the record of your sins in it and you will feel regret. But, Subhana'Allah, you will find between these sins, Astaghfirullah, Astaghfirullah, Astaghfirullah. InshaAllah, Allah, the Karim will cancel those sins that have istighfar beside them, around them, after them.
Luqman taught his sons to make istighfar. He said: "Oh my sons, istighfirullaha qaidun, istighfirullah qaimum, istghfirullaha raqibun [make istighfar when you are standing, sitting, reclining]. For the mercy of Allah is descending."
Indeed, rahamat are falling down like rain. So try to be under those rahamat. Look at it this way - there are seasons of mercy during which Allah sends down abundant mercy [like during Ramadan, like the days of Dhul-Hijjah, etc.]. Allah is always generous because that is one of His Attributes, but He says that He gives more during certain periods. Allah is Rahim always, but He says He has more mercy during a certain period. These days are like those special-rate promotions or sale season. Therefore, don't leave or ignore this sale. Go and ask for more. Keep saying ‘astaghfirullah', ‘astaghfirullah', astaghfirullah', keep insisting on it till Allah forgives you. Start from the beginning of Dhul-Hijjah. "...nor will He punish them while they seek (Allah's) forgiveness." [TMQ Al-Anfal 8:33]
We are informed that there is no punishment from Allah on the yastaghfirun. Allah relieves all problems with istighfar. Those who are persistent in istighfar in their lives, disasters and calamities will be repelled from them. Mercy is like a cloud on the head of the mustaghfirin . How do we know this? "Why seek you not the forgiveness of Allah, that you may receive mercy?" [TMQ An-Naml 27:46] Allah is telling us to make istighfar to gain His mercy. Let your istighfar ascend to Him and His mercy will descend upon you.

5. Fasting:
Fast as much as you can during these blessed days. If you can fast all of these days, then do so. Even in any regular day, Allah has promised a great reward for the one who fasts: "Whoever fasts one day for the sake of Allah, Allah will keep his face seventy years distance away from the Fire because of it." [Muslim] So what about these special days for which it is said: "There is no deed more precious in the sight of Allah, or greater in reward, than a good deed done during the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah." The Prophet* has said, "One fast during these days is equal to the fasting of one complete year, and the worship of one night during this period is equal to the worship in the "Lailatul-Qadr" [Tirmidhi]. Allah loves the good deeds in these days. Allah loves siyam. Put these two beloved things together. You are the doer of the things Allah loves. He will Love you, bi-idhnillah. Hafsa, the wife of the Prophet (SA) mentioned that, ‘the Prophet (SA) would never leave the fasting of Ashoora (the 10th of Muharram), Al-Ashr (the first 10 days of this month, excluding Eid) and three days of every month.
Any ‘ibadah, be it salah, dhikr, Qur'an, that is done during some periods of time and with them, are also periods of non action. Also don't forget you have if Allah wills, at least one du'a guaranteed with each siyam - at the time of breaking the fast. So that is nine opportune moments during this period.
These ten days include Yawm ‘Arafaah (the Day of ‘Arafaah), on which Allah perfected His Religion, the greatest day of the entire year and the greatest day of Hajj, which combines acts of worship in a way unlike any other day. Regarding fasting on the day of ‘Arafah, the Prophet* said: "Fasting the day of ‘Arafah, I hope, will expiate the sins of the year before it and the year to come..." [Muslim] So how does this happen? Does this mean that we can fast on that day and for the rest of the year we can do whatever we want of bad deeds? No! It implies that Allah will help us to abstain from sins. And, if you commit a sin by mistake, He will cancel it due to His promise.

6. Charity:
Spending for the sake of Allah! Only Allah knows how many trials and calamities have been pushed away from us, our family and loved ones as a result of our sadaqah. Allah knows how many times relief and ease has come to us due to the sadaqah we gave. Therefore, give in the way of Allah, as much as you can. Don't leave any raised hands return empty. Show Allah that you love Him by spending from that which you love. Show Allah that all these things mean nothing besides gaining His ridha. Don't look and remind yourself of what you have already spent in the past. If Allah wills, He has accepted and written it for you. Now, think of how you can outdo that sadaqah during these days. Spend from what you love and Allah will love you.

7. Preserve the Ties of Kinship:
Preserve the ties of kinship for: "No one who severs the ties of kinship will enter Paradise." [Muslim] If it is difficult for you to call or meet every relative, then send them a message. But write with your heart and with the right intention. There is a man who connects with all of his near and far relatives. It is almost like a mission for him for the sake of Allah. He loves this ‘ibadah. Even those who are far away, he calls and connects them to the rest of the family and brings them all together. And subhana'Allah, Allah has given him a lot of wealth and with such ease and has made his life easy, and as a result of his deeds. The Prophet* promised this reward for the one who connects and maintains kinship: "Whoever would like his rizq to be increased and his life to be extended, should uphold the ties of kinship." [Bukhari and Muslim]
These were just a few of the wonderful things we can do during the forthcoming best days of Dhul-Hijjah. Therefore, if we want Allah's help with these deeds and our schedule for them, we need to do a lot of tawbah. The Salaf as-Salih used to say that they would feel prevented from qiyam al-layl due to their sins. They knew that when they want to do ‘ibadah and they are unable to do it, it is due sins. So, what do we need to do? A lot of istighfar with tawbah, real Tawbah! Ask Allah for help. Make the du'a: "O Allah, help me to remember You, to give You thanks, and to perform Your worship in the best manner." [Abu Dawud]

8. Offering Sacrifice
Zayd lbne Arqam relates that the Companions asked, "O Rasoolullah*, what is Qurbani?" He replied, "It is the sunnah of your father lbraheem." They asked again, "What benefit do we get from it?" He answered, "A reward for every hair (of the sacrificed animal)." "And (what reward is there for animals with) wool, O Rasoolullah*?" they asked. "A reward", he said, "for every fibre of the wool." [Ibn Majah]
There is nothing dearer to Allah during the days of Qurbani than the sacrificing of animals. The sacrificed animal shall come on the Day of judgment with its horns, hair, and hooves (to be weighed). The sacrifice is accepted by Allah before the blood reaches the ground. Therefore sacrifice with an open and happy heart. [Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah].  When a person slaughters a Qurbani animal, he is forgiven at the fall of the first drop of blood, and verily, the animal shall be brought forward on the Day of Judgment with its blood, meat etc, and shall be increased in weight seventy times more than its own weight, and thereafter it will be placed on the scale of deeds.

“And remind, for indeed, the reminder benefits the believers” [51:55]

Highlights from the Life of Ibrahim [Abraham]
Ibrahim was mentioned in 73 places in the Qur’aan, in 25 surahs of Qur’an. He was born in Babylon/Babil. He was from the Caldanians from modern day Iraq.
Dawa to his father: Ibrahim started his da’wah to his father and was very young when he did this; he was less than 16 years old. The father said: ‘Do you reject my gods, O Ibrahim (Abraham)? If you stop not (this), I will indeed stone you. So get away from me safely before I punish you.’ (19:46)
The Big One Did It: Ibrahim made da’wah to his people also. When he said to his father and his people: ‘What are these images, to which you are devoted?’ (21:52) “Indeed you and your fathers have been in manifest error.” (21:54) He took his axe, went to the temple and destroyed all of their idols except for the biggest one. He hung the axe on the shoulder of the largest.
Allah is Sufficient for Me: They said, “Burn him and help your aliha (gods), if you will be doing.” (21:68 ) So they put Ibrahim in this catapult and threw him in the fire. “O fire! Be you coolness and safety for Ibrahim (Abraham)!” (21:69)
Allah Gives Life and Death: The king of Babylon (Namrud) was a powerful dictator and he debated with Ibrahim. “Allah is the One who gives life and takes it away. Can you do that?” ‘Verily! Allah causes the sun to rise from the east; then cause it you to rise from the west.’
Ayn-ul Yaqeen (Certainty in Faith): “Take four birds, then cause them to incline towards you, and then put a portion of them on every hill, and call them, they will come to you in haste. And know that Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.”
Lut Believed: Ibrahim made da’wah to his people but nobody believed in Ibrahim except his nephew. They had to flee from the persecution and oppression of their land. Ibrahim said: “I will emigrate for the sake of my Lord. Verily, He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.” (29:26)
Place Called Harraan: Dawa to the people of Harraan looking at the stars, moon, sun then Allah! He said: ‘O my people! I am indeed free from all that you join as partners in worship with Allah. Verily, I have turned my face towards Him Who has created the heavens and the earth Hanifa (worshipping none but Allah Alone) and I am not of Al-Mushrikun.” (6:77-79)
Hijrah to Egypt: With his beautiful wife Sarah. The king wanted to place his hand on her, so she made a du’aa` to Allah and said, “Allah, take care of him.” His hand was paralyzed. “You have not presented me with a human woman; you have presented me with a devil.” He let her go. But to ward off her “evil” he gave her a gift – Hajar – as a slave. Sarah went back to Ibrahim with Hajar.
Glad Tidings of Children: Ibrahim received the commandment to circumcise himself from Allah and he did it when he was over 80 years old. Ibrahim married Hajar with the hope that they would have a child. Then Ibrahim was given the glad tidings of ghulaam haleem. Allah has described Ismail [Ishmael] with haleem, which is mild, gentle and forbearing.
Our Mother Hajar: Ismail was about two years of age. Ibrahim commanded his wife Hajar to accompany him in a long trip. Then suddenly in the middle of no where – dry desert, no settlements, no people – Ibrahim stopped. He left with them a sack filled with dates and he left with them some water. When these had finished, she climbed onto a mountain (As-Safa) looking for help then ran in the valley and then she climbed another mountain (Marwa). Then water was coming out of the sand through divine will of Allah (Zam Zam)
Ismail Grows Up: He married into the local tribe. Then Ibrahim would make some visits. One day he knocked on the door. Ismail’s wife opened the door and Ibrahim said, “Where is your husband?” She said, “He’s not here.” He asked, “How is your living?” She said, “We have a miserable life.” She complained – the food is not good; water is not good, etc. Ibrahim said to her, “Deliver my salaam to him and tell him to change his doorstep.” Ismail came home and and he felt something so he asked his wife, “Did somebody visit us?” She said, “Yes. An old man came. He asked about you. And he told me to deliver salaam to you and change your doorstep.” Ismail said, “That was my father and he is ordering me to separate from you. You are the doorstep. So go back home.” And he divorced her. The people of Jurhum loved Ismail so much that they married him another wife. Ibrahim made another trip a while later and he knocked on the door and asked his wife the same questions. She said, “Alhamdulillah! The best living.” She praised the simple lifestyle that they were leading. She was a righteous woman. Ibrahim asked, “What do you eat and drink?” She said, “Meat and water.” Ibrahim made du’aa` for them and said, “Make blessing in their food.” Ibrahim told her, “When your husband comes back, deliver my salaam to him and tell him to keep the doorstep.” So Ismail came back, and asked, “Did anyone visit us?” She conveyed Ibrahim’s message. Ismail told her, That was my father; you are the doorstep; and my father is telling me to keep you.
The Dream and Sacrifice: Ibrahim saw a dream when Ismail was older that he was was slaughtering his own son. Ismail said: “O my father, do what you are commanded to do. If Allah wills, you shall find me patient.” Ibrahim had the knife on the neck of Ismail, and he started to pass the knife over his  neck. Allah said, “O Ibrahim! You have fulfilled the dream!” Allah told him, “Verily, indeed, that was a manifest trial.” It was a test for Ibrahim, and he passed it. Now, we sacrifice on ‘Eid, following the Sunnah of Ibrahim. Ibrahim was told by Allah: “And We left for him (a goodly remembrance) among generations (to come) in later times.” (37:108 ) The tashahud in every salah – we make salaam on Ibrahim in every prayer. We ask Allah to grant Ibrahim peace in every prayer. Millions of believers, throughout the generations, prayed for Allah to grant Ibrahim peace.
Building Al-Ka’bah: Allah says: “And (remember) when Ibrahim (Abraham) and (his son) Isma’il (Ishmael) were raising the foundations of the House (the Ka’bah at Mecca), (saying), ‘Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us. Verily! You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knower. Our Lord! And make us submissive unto You and of our offspring a nation submissive unto You, and show us our Manasik (all the ceremonies of pilgrimage – Hajj and ‘Umrah, etc.), and accept our repentance. Truly, You are the One Who accepts repentance, the Most Merciful. Our Lord! Send amongst them a Messenger of their own (and indeed Allah answered their invocation by sending Muhammad Peace be upon him ), who shall recite unto them Your Verses and instruct them in the Book (this Quran) and Al-Hikmah (full knowledge of the Islamic laws and jurisprudence or wisdom [Sunnah] or Prophethood, etc.), and sanctify them. Verily! You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.’” (2:127-129)

Selected Qualities of Ibrahim

• He is from the 5 greatest Prophets: Muhammad, Ibrahim, Musa, Isa and Nuh. And Ibn Katheer says that the second greatest after them after Muhammad is Ibrahim.
• Ibrahim was mentioned in the Qur’an about 73 times, in 25 places.
• Ibrahim is the one who Allah has called in the Qur’an Khaleel Allah – the friend of Allah.
• Allah gave Ibrahim a name that was not given to anyone else in the Qur’an: Kaana Ummah. He was a nation by himself. He didn’t have anyone with him, but he counts as a nation.
• Allah says that he had khushoo’ of Allah.
• Allah says that he stayed away from all shirk. He had sincerity and understanding.
• Allah says about Ibrahim: “I will make you an imam (a leader / role model) for mankind.”
• Allah says all prophets and messengers that came afterwards came from Ibrahim’s descendants.

Hadith: No time to discuss

Feedback:
Unity of the Muslims - what this means

News:

06 February 2011

06 February 2011

Seerah of Muhammed*

*: May the Peace, Blessings & Mercy of Allah be upon him

TMQ: Translation to the nearest meaning of the Qur’an

Zaid Bin Harithah Leads A Campaign On The Trade Routes Of Quraish:

This was the most successful campaign prior to Uhud Battle. It took place in Jumada Ath-Thaniyah, the year 3 A.H. Summer approached and it was high time for the Meccan trade caravans to leave for Syria. The people of Quraish whose lives depended mainly on a mercantile economy consisting of summer caravans to Syria and winter caravans to Abyssinia (Ethiopia), were now at a loss as to what route they would have to follow in order to avoid the backbreaking military strikes that the Muslims successfully inflicted on the polytheists.

Allah mentioned the journeys of the Quraish in a Surah (revealed in Mecca) about them: (It is a great Grace and protection from Allâh), for the taming of the Quraish, (1) (And with all those Allâh's Grace and Protections for their taming, We cause) the (Quraish) caravans to set forth safe in winter (to the south), and in summer (to the north without any fear), (2) So let them worship (Allâh) the Lord of this House (the Ka'bah in Makkah). (3) (He) Who has fed them against hunger, and has made them safe from fear. (4)

The Quraish held a meeting to discuss the chances of escaping the economic blockade and decided to go along a trade route across Najd to Iraq. Furat bin Haiyan was appointed as a guide for the caravan. Safwan bin Omaiyah led the caravan along the new route. News of the meeting leaked out and it flew fast to Madinah by Sulit bin An-Nu‘man. The Prophet* immediately mustered 100 horsemen under the leadership of Zaid bin Harithah Al-Kalbi and despatched them to intercept and capture the caravan. They caught up with the camels at a place called Al-Qaradah. They took the polytheists by surprise and arrested their guide and two other men. Safwan and his guards fled away without showing the least resistance. The caravan was carrying silver and wares whose value amounted to 100 thousand dirhams. The booty was distributed among the Muslim warriors after one-fifth had been set aside for the Prophet*. Furat bin Haiyan embraced Islam out of his own free will. By blocking off the route to Syria this affected their trade to Yemen too as they had less goods to trade.

As a result of this episode, the Muslims foiled Quraish’s plans to find a new trade route. The economic siege laid to Mecca was thus consolidated and had a great impact on the trade economy of Mecca. The Meccans were terribly anxious and worried about their prospects of life now at stake with no hope whatsoever for any possible rehabilitation of commercial life or redemption of former prestige at the socio-political level except through two avenues categorically contrasting: Relinquishing all symbols of arrogance and all attitudes of haughtiness through reconciliation with the new status quo, and peaceableness with the Muslims; or launching a decisive overwhelming war with the aim of crushing down the military forces of Medina. It was apparent through the process of events that Quraish had opted for the second alternative. Loud cries were being heard everywhere in Mecca demanding immediate vengeance and quick retaliatory action. These movements on all levels constituted the direct preliminaries to the battle of Uhud.

Hence, some of the reasons for Uhud were:

Religious – Quraish wanted to stop the advance of Islam, and stop people becoming Muslims. The disbelievers ‘spend their wealth to avert people from the path of Allah’…The non-Muslims did that at the time of the Prophet* and are still doing it today!

Political – the status & reputation of Quraish was weakened. They had been very revered and looked up to by all other Tribes and so they wanted to regain that authority and respect

Social – Quraish wanted to wash away the shame of Badr

Economic – Pressure being but on Quraish to earn their living more creatively. They felt they were being under siege and all their money would dry up with time.

Hadith:

Hadith no 19 of Nawawi’s 40 Hadith: 

Abu al-Abbas Abdullah bin Abbas reported: One day I was behind the Prophet* and he said to me: "O young man, I shall teach you some words [of advice]:
- Be mindful of Allah, and Allah will protect you.
- Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him in front of you.
- If you (have need to) ask, ask of Allah;
- and if you seek help, seek help from Allah.
- Know that even if the Nation (or the whole community) were to gather together to benefit you with something, they would not benefit you with anything except that which Allah has already recorded for you,
- and that if they gather together to harm you with something, they would not be able to harm you with anything except that which Allah has already recorded against you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried." [Al-Tirmidhi]
In a version other than that of al-Tirmidhi it reads: "..Be mindful of Allah, you will find Him before you. Get to know Allah in prosperity and He will know you in adversity. Know that what has passed you by was not going to befall you; and that what has befallen you was not going to pass you by. And know that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and ease with hardship." [at-Tirmidhi]

This hadith implies a very important advice and general ruling in Islam: Allah’s protection. Ibnu Rajab quoted one scholar as saying: “What a pity for the one who is ignorant of this hadith and has little understanding of its meaning.”

The Prophet* starts the hadith by getting the attention of Ibn Abbas by saying “O young man, I shall teach you some words of advice”. By saying “O young man”, Ibn Abbas knows that the Prophet* is talking specifically to him. And by following it with “I shall teach you…” Ibn Abbas knows how important the next words of the Prophet* are going to be. Hence, these words at the beginning have attracted the undivided attention of Ibn Abbas. This teaches us that when we give a talk or speech, it is important that we start with words that will grab the attention of the audience. This is to ensure that our words of advice (contained in our speech) do not fall on ‘deaf ears’.

The phrase “Be mindful of Allah” means:

- To observe or fulfil Allah’s obligations

- To adhere to His commandments

- To avoid His prohibitions

Some of the things we have to fulfil - to attain Allah's protection - include:

- The daily prayers (salah) – by praying in the best way we can and by performing it on time.

- Maintaining cleanliness and purity.

- Observing our oath – we have to be careful if we swear by Allah that we will do something, because we have to abide to this commitment we make.

- Guarding our senses – we should ensure that what we see or hear or say pleases Allah. We should fear Allah and not use these senses in the wrong manner.

- Ensuring that we do not consume, via food or drink, anything that is not halal.

- Observing that our dealings and transactions are halal.

If we are “mindful of Allah”, i.e. we observe and fulfil His obligations/commandments, “Allah will protect us”. There two kinds of protection from Allah:

1. Allah will protect or look after His servants in this world / in worldly matters. For example, our health and our senses. We will be enjoying Allah’s mercy and bounty for our sight, hearing and speech all of our lives – even as we grow old, Allah will still allow us to see and hear properly, or he will take care of our intellect and mental health. Another example is Allah will protect our family and our property, belongings and money. Also, if one is mindful of Allah during his youth, Allah will protect him during his adult years.

2. Allah will protect His servants’ deen (religion) and iman (faith). He will protect us from misunderstandings and being misled or influenced by misconceptions and self-desires. He will help us and give us guidance so that we are protected from negative influences. Allah will also protect our deen when we leave this world. When we leave this world, we will leave with iman for being a mua'min (believer). We will be protected from shaitan’s influence to lead us astray right at the very last moment in our life. We may not be aware of when Allah is protecting our deen. It may even cause us to be unhappy. There may be a situation where Allah prevents us from doing something (something which we want to do) – this is actually a protection from Allah, preventing us from a disaster or problem or from committing a sin.

If we are mindful of Allah, we will find Him close to us or beside us or in front of us. Allah is close to His servants (the mua'minin) by giving them guidance, support, help, protection, victory, etc. The other narration of this hadith states that if we become beloved to Allah during times of ease, He will know us during times of hardship. During our times of ease or prosperity, if we use it for the pleasure of Allah, He will be with us to look after us in our times of hardship, weakness, sickness, etc. Even in terms of receiving reward from Allah. If we are sick and are no longer able to do something which we used to do during our times of ease, we will be given the reward for that act.

Seeking Help from Allah

The statement in which the Prophet* tells Abdullah bin Abbas to “ask of Allah” and to “seek help from Allah” is the fundamental basics of Tawhid. This is something we say in every salah (“iyya ka na’budu wa iyya ka nasta’in”). This shows us the importance of du’a, the importance of continuously asking Allah for His support and guidance. We need to show our need for Allah and our total dependency on Him by performing such forms of ibadah.

Qadr

Allah has already written in Al-Lauhulmahfuz what is going to take place. There are events or occurrences that happen which we have no control over (e.g. being sick, losing someone we love, falling into hardship, etc.) and to face these events correctly we need to practice contentment (redha) which is the highest level of action required where we are pleased or contented with whatever Allah has chosen for us, whether it is positive or negative. The second highest level is tolerance (sabr), where we need to be patient and not panic or say anything that displeases Allah.

Al-qadar can be broadly broken down into two categories:

1. There are actions that take place which we do not have any control over. We have to surrender to the will of Allah and be patient.

2. There are actions that take place which we had control over. These events happen as a result of our recklessness, laziness, of not being alert, etc. Even though the minute these things happen they already become qadar, those who are responsible for the actions will be held responsible. Thus, whatever we do, we should do it carefully, completely and to the best of our abilities. For example, construction workers building a site, doctors taking care of patients, driving, etc.

Generally speaking, we are responsible for what we do, whether it is in worldly matters or whether it is in our ibadah. We should always strive to improve ourselves and to constantly tell ourselves that we can do better. Also, we should avoid things that can be avoided, e.g. avoiding disasters, avoiding trouble, etc. It doesn’t contradict with qadar if someone is sick that he seeks treatment. If we are faced with a problem, we should try our best to solve it or minimise it and not do things which will worsen the situation. Many Muslims tend to interpret this hadith (on qadar) negatively. We should understand qadar in a positive sense. We should differentiate between things which we don’t have control over and things which we do. Instead of just accepting things that happen as qadar, we should see how we can improve the situation and how we can avoid things which can be avoided. We should accept the fact that we are responsible for whatever we do and the choices we make.

News Topic:

Multiculturalism

We discussed David Cameron’s speech in Munich to the European Leaders where he criticised multiculturalism and Muslim extremists, and tried to connect terrorism with multiculturalism. Most people have criticised the Prime Minister for this speech, especially on the same day as the EDL march in Luton –and the fact that he did not criticise the EDL. A few points we talked about:

- What is multiculturalism? Britain has previously had a proud tradition of allowing people from overseas come to the UK and would not force them to give up their culture and way of life

- Some of the reasons why people criticise multiculturalism – include people living together and not mixing or understanding other communities

- Exploring the concept of a ‘melting pot’ where all cultures are mixed and the predominant one ‘wins’

- How people don’t criticise British or American people for setting up their own communities and not integrating into society when they live abroad, like in Spain, or Dubai or Iraq. Yet these same people criticise Muslims who have their halal shops in Small Health !

Conclusion: Muslims in the UK should do more to interact with other communities whilst maintaining their unique identity and view of life.