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.

 

31 October 2010

31 October 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 Day before Badr

The Caravan Escapes

Abu Sufyan was very alert scouting the area near the wells of Badr and he asked the people there if they saw somebody here who seemed foreign. Abu Sufyan went to where their camels were and he then held some of the camel manure in his hand and he crushed it and this was the food of the camels in Medina. He rushed towards the coast changing his course thus was able to evade the Muslims and sends a letter back to Mecca saying: You came out to do battle in order to protect your caravan, people and wealth. Allah has now saved these, so go back.

But Abu Jahl said: By Allah we will not turn around until we reach Badr. We sill stays there three days, slaughter some camels eat well, drink whine, and entertainers will play music for us. The Bedouin will get to hear of our journey and our gathering there and they will respect us for it. Let us proceed ahead.

Allah says: And do not be like those who came forth from their homes insolently and to be seen by people and avert [them] from the way of Allah. And Allah is encompassing of what they do. TMQ (Sural Al-Anfal) 8:47

A Second Shura about fighting

The Prophet* realised that the caravan is trying to get away and instead of facing around 40 men with the caravan they might have to face an army of a thousand men. The Prophet* held a shura and asked the companions what they think. Abu Bakr Siddiq (ra) stood and spoke, Umar (ra) did the same, then Maqdad said something and in response: ‘O Messenger of Allah go forth to what Allah has commanded you to do and we are not going to say like the children of Israel told Musa (as): Go and fight with your Lord we are going to stay here. But we will fight in front of you, behind you, on your right, and to your left. And we will say ‘go forth and fight with your Lord, we will fight with you’. On hearing this the face of The Prophet* lit up, shined and then he stood up.

Some of the troops were not prepared to fight a war because they had left Medina with the intention to raid a caravan, though they were armed, they were not mentally prepared to face an army. That is why some were reluctant and inside their heart they wished they could just raid the caravan. Allah knows what is in the hearts of people: (A historian can only write what he observes he can never know about the thoughts or feelings of people).

[It is] just as when your Lord brought you out of your home [for the battle of Badr] in truth, while indeed, a party among the believers were unwilling (TMQ 8:5)

This was because fighting is something disliked and this was their first time, some of them may not have had to face an enemy before.

Fighting has been enjoined upon you while it is hateful to you. But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not. (TMQ 2:216)

Arguing with you concerning the truth after it had become clear, as if they were being driven toward death while they were looking on. Remember, O believers], when Allah promised you one of the two groups - that it would be yours - and you wished that the unarmed one would be yours. But Allah intended to establish the truth by His words and to eliminate the disbelievers That He should establish the truth and abolish falsehood, even if the criminals disliked it. (TMQ 8: 6-7)

Preparing for the battle

The Prophet* stopped near Badr by an old man and inquired about, Quraish and about Muhammad and his Companions and what he had heard about them. The old man said, “I won't tell you before you tell me which party you belong to”. The Prophet* said, "If you tell us we will tell you." The man said, "Should this be for that?" Yes, he replied. The man said, “I have heard that Muhammad and his Companions went out on such-and-such a day. If that is true, today they are in such-and-such a place; and I heard that Quraish went out in such-and-such a day, and if this is true, today they are in such-and-such a place.” Meaning the one in which they actually were. “When he had finished he said, ‘Of whom are you?’ the Prophet* said, “We are from Mar."

The Prophet* returned to his Companions and he sent Ali Ibn Abi Talib, Az-zubair and Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqas with a number of his Companions in quest for news. They arrested a servant belonging to the army of the Quraish. They asked him who he belongs to; he responded that he belonged to the army of Quraish, so they then beat him up and asked him about the location of Abu Sufyan, but the servant did not know where Abu Sufyan was. The sahabah then asked asked him who he knows about. He said that he knows the whereabouts of Abu Jahl, Abu Ummayya bin Khalaf, Utba bin Rabi’a and some other prominent members of the army of Quraish. They then would start beating him up to know about Abu Sufyan, so the man would agree to give information about Abu Sufyan, when the beating stopped he would then say that he doesn’t know. Having completed his Prayer, the Prophet* said, "When he told you the truth, you beat him: and when he lied, you leave him alone.” The Prophet* interrogated himself because the sahabah were not asking the right questions. The Messenger of Allah (saw) asked him how many are they, and he said, "Many," The Prophet* wanted then asked them how many camels do they slaughter every day, so the man said one day they would slaughter 10 camels and the next day they would slaughter nine, the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, 'The people are between nine hundred and a thousand.”

Just over 300

The muhajirun were 86 in number, Al-Aus were 61, and Al-Khazraj were a 170. In Bukhari Al-Baraa bin Aazib (ra) said: We the companions of The Prophet*, when we would talk about the battle of Badr, we would say that ‘the number of people who participated in the Battle of Badr is equal to the number of people who participated with Talut, after they passed the trial of the river. And the only ones who passed were the believers; we were al little over 310.’”

The Prophet* had banners, flags, slogans, and battle cries; this was all to encourage the soldiers to fight. The banner for the army during the Battle of Badr was white and it was handed to Musab ibn Umair. The Prophet* also had two black flags; one of them was called Al-Uqab, this was standard it was carried by Ali ibn abi Talib and the other black flag was given to one of the Ansar.

The entire army had only two horses one was with Zaubair and the other with Al-Maqdad bin Amr (ra). The Muslims had 70 camels; each camel as shared by three people. The Prophet* shared his camel with Ali Ibn Abi Talib and Marthad Ibn Abi Marthab.

Is this Wahy or Tactics?

When The Prophet* chose the location of the army Al-Habbab bin Al-Mundhir (ra) (one of the ansar) said: O Messenger of Allah! Is this the place about which Allah revealed to you, that; we should not advance beyond or stop before, or is this a question of opinion in warfare tactics?

The Prophet* told him that it is a matter of warfare tactics. Al-Mundhir suggested that the army should go ahead till they get to the well of Badr and stop there, stop up the wells beyond it, and construct a cistern so that they would have plenty of water; then they could fight their enemy who would have nothing to drink. The Prophet* agreed that this was an excellent plan and they acted accordingly.

The night before battle

The night before the battle started The Prophet* saw a dream that the army of Quraish very few in number than what it really was.

Remember, O Muhammad], when Allah showed them to you in your dream as few; and if He had shown them to you as many, you [believers] would have lost courage and would have disputed in the matter [of whether to fight], but Allah saved [you from that]. Indeed, He is Knowing of that within the breasts. (TMQ 8:43)

The following morning it rained, though it was not a rainy season. Ibn Ishaq said that the valley was soft brown; the water from the sky dampened the earth for The Prophet* and his force but did not impede their progress but the Quraish had such rain fall upon them that they could not move ahead.

Also some of the Muslims woke up in a state of impurity. So to spare the Muslims of this uncomfortable feeling, Allah sent down water to cleanse them. This was spiritual cleaning in addition to the Earth becoming firm for them to march over.

 [Remember] when He overwhelmed you with drowsiness [giving] security from Him and sent down upon you from the sky, rain by which to purify you and remove from you the evil [suggestions] of Satan and to make steadfast your hearts and plant firmly thereby your feet. (TMQ 8:11)

Ali ibn abi Talib said about the night before the battle that all of the Muslim army was asleep; this sleep was a blessing from Allah as mentioned in the ayat ‘He overwhelmed you with drowsiness’. Hence, some scholars say that sleeping before a battle is a sign of Iman, while sleeping during salah is a sign of hypocrisy

Ali ibn abi Talib said that the only one who was awake that night was The Prophet*.

[Remember] when you were on the near side of the valley, and they were on the farther side, and the caravan was lower [in position] than you. If you had made an appointment [to meet], you would have missed the appointment. But [it was] so that Allah might accomplish a matter already destined - that those who perished [through disbelief] would perish upon evidence and those who lived [in faith] would live upon evidence; and indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing. (TMQ 8:42)


Dhikr (Zikr) of Allah
Autumn is a special time of year and very beautiful - especially with all the leaves turning different colours. In ancient Britain the pre-Christian religions (pagans) believed it to be a special time of year too and had major festivals (such as Samhain) marking the transition into the colder winter. The Christians adopted this festival and remodelled it for a celebration of their saints - All Saints Day (hallows) and the night before was the Eve of Hallows. Hence, we find today people celebrating this event still - unaware of its pagan origins. Even some Muslims partake in the same celebrations.

Just over month after Ramadhan we should still be focussing on how best to worship Allah - in a consistent manner. And the richness of Autumn provides lots of opportunities for Muslims to Praise & Glorify Allah. We do it formally in our Salat (prayers) like in Sajood, Rukuh or standing up from Rukuh - but we should also do it outside of prayer time.

The other creation of Allah (mountains, trees, ocean, birds etc) all glorify and praise Allah continuously. How this happens we cannot always understand or comprehend. Just as we may work out the mechanism of what creates thunder & lightning - we may not understand the language of the clouds and how they communicate and praise Allah. Just as an alien or other creature studying Muslims as they say 'Alhamdulillah' may work out the mechanism of how the sound is produced but fail to undestand what is being said.

We should remember Allah often and be thankful to Allah for all His Bounties and Mercies. We should be praising & glorifying Allah morning and evening. Allah says in the Qur'an:
"Therefore remember Me (by praying, glorifying). I will remember you, and be grateful to Me (for My countless Favours on you) and never be ungreateful to Me" TMQ 2:152

The Prophet* said: "Two words/phrases are light for the tongue but heavy in the scale and are dear to Ar-Rahman: Glorified & Praised be Allah [SubhanAllah Wa-bi Hamdi] and Glorified be Allah, The Almighty [SubhanAllah-il Azeem]". He also asked: "Are any of you capable of gaining a thousand good deeds everyday?" nad the companions asked how this could be done. The Prophet* replied "If one glorifies Allah a hundred times (saying SubhanAllah) - then one thousand good deeds will be registered to him."

Part of this glorification is the realisation that not a single leaf falls from a tree without the permission and knowledge of Allah. Indeed, Allah is worthy of All Praise. And we should remember Him as often as we can.

News Topic:

Indonesian Events ~ Earthquake, Tsumani & Volcano 

The Muslims of Indonesia, the modern country with the most Muslims living there, are being tested very much at the moment. As Muslims living far away - we should not be ignorant or uncaring of the plight of fellow Muslims. Indeed, we should be aware of all the less fortunate or oppressed people in earth. There are many things we can do - and the least of them is to remember them in our prayers and to ask Allah to make their lives easier. Also, we should not forget their plight even if it is not being mentioned on the news - because it take many years for communities to recover.

17 October 2010

17 October 2010

Seerah of Muhammed*

*: May the peace blessings & Mercy of Allah be upon him

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

Prelude to the Battle of Badr

A few lessons from the sarayah:

• These sarayah were to establish the military presence of the Prophet* & the Muslims being sent out in all directions to let people know that the Muslims have forces and are capable of using it and as a deterrent for others, for the Bedouins who surrounded Medina who still have respect for the Quraish in their hearts being the custodians of the Ka’aba. The Prophet* was trying to break that, he tried to tell the people that there was now a rival power in the area
• The Prophet* was winning over tribes and establishing alliances.
• These sarayah were mostly for economic reasons to attacked the economical network of the Quraish and this was a serious threat to Quraish and this is what lead to the Battle of Badr.
• These sarayah was training for the Muslims learning methods of reconnaissance, and learn how to ambush. They would get to know the area, and the tribes around them.

The Prophet* wasn’t totally secure in Medina. The number of Muslims was not that large. One night he couldn’t sleep, and he wished that someone could guard him during this night and said: Were there a pious person from amongst my companions who should keep a watch for me during the night? He then heard the noise of arms, whereupon he said: Who is it? And Sa’d b. Abi Waqqas said: Allah's Messenger. I have come to serve as your guard.

This lasted for many years until Allah revealed the ayat of surah AL-MAIDAH (5:67): ”And Allah will protect you from the people..”

The Prophet* ordered a census to count the number of souls that profess Islam. The total number of men of fighting age was 1500. The sahabah then wondered that if their number is 1500 then they shouldn’t be afraid.

The Vision of Aatika

In Mecca, Aatika bint Abdul Muttallib, the aunt of the Prophet* saw a dream where a man rushes into Mecca riding his camel and he screams to gather the people of Mecca around him. His camel stands on top of Al-Ka’aba and after that it stands on top of a mountain in Mecca. He then warns the people of Quraish that: In three days you will perish. This man then takes a rock and throws it from on top of the mountain; it explodes as it lands in the valley of Mecca. Every house in Mecca is hit by a fragment of that explosion.

Aatika told her brother Al-Abbas about it, but told Abbas not to tell anyone about it. Al-Abbas heard the dream and said that it was a vision, he told Aatika to keep quiet about it. However Al-Abbas told his friend Waleed bin Utba and tells Waleed not to tell anybody about it. Waleed bin Utba goes and tells his father and soon the news is all over Mecca. Later, Abu Jahl saw Al-Abbas he asked him to join him and Abu Jahl said: How long has your family of Abdul Muttalib had this female prophet? Abbas pretended he didn’t know what Abu Jahl was talking about. Abu Jahl said that he was talking about Aatika’s vision. Abu Jahl then sarcastically asked that: aren’t you Abdul Muttalibs satisfied with your men becoming prophets, has it got to be your women now? Abu Jahl then said that Aatika gave the time of three days. Abu Jahl warned Abbas that the Quraish will keep a close eye on them for three days and if what she said is true, so be it. But if it turns out to be false then they will call him one of the biggest liars of Arabia.

Al-Abbas went back home and every woman of Abdul Muttalibs visited and said: Have you agreed to let that dirty old reprobate attack first your men and then your women while you just listened? Didn’t anything you heard, offend you? Al-Abbas said: I would have done something but I never had a problem with him before. I swear I will confront him. If he repeats this, I will confront him for you. So after three days Abbas goes to haram and walks by Abu Jahl so that Abu Jahl can call him, and then he could get a chance to argue back and take revenge for what happened.

Al Abbas says: On the morning of the third day after Aatika’s vision, I was extremely angry feeling that I have let him get away with something I should have put a stop to. I went into the mosque and saw him; I swear I was moving towards him to confront him, to get him to retract what he had said. He was a slight man with a sharp face, a sharp voice and a sharp gaze. When he hurried of towards the door of the mosque, I asked myself, ‘what could be the matter with the fellow?’ and whether he was doing this because he feared I was about to confront him? But actually he had heard something I had not; he had heard the voice of Damdam Ibn Amr Al-Ghafari, who was out in the centre of the valley standing by his camel.

The caravan of Abu Sufyan

The Quraish were sending out their major caravan to Ash-Sham headed by Abu Sufyan. The Prophet* heard of this through his network of spies. Having heard the news, the Prophet* came out hurriedly, spoke to the people and said: We are in need (of men); whoever has an animal to ride upon ready with him should ride with us. People began to ask him permission for bringing their riding animals which were grazing on the hillocks near Medina. He said: No. (I want) only those who have their riding animals ready. In total there were between 310 – 320 men. The purpose of this army was to take over the caravan of Quraish led by Abu Sufyan. The Prophet* told the people that: This caravan is of the Quraish and will carry much wealth, attack it, may Allah present it to you.

Abu Sufyan was very careful and also had sent out spies to gather the whereabouts of the Prophet*. Abu Sufyan reached Badr, which is 150 km from Medina. He held some camel manure in his hand and crushed it. He sensed that the manure had the animal feed of Medina in it. He figured out that Muhammed’s followers were pursuing him. Abu Sufyan sent out an urgent message to the Quraish, informing them about the threat to the caravan and called them to come and protect it. He sent the message with Damdam Ibn Amr Al-Ghafari.

Al Abbas says: On the morning of the third day after Aatika’s vision, I was extremely angry feeling that I have let him get away with something I should have put a stop to. I went into the mosque and saw him; I swear I was moving towards him to confront him, to get him to retract what he had said. He was a slight man with a sharp face, a sharp voice and a sharp gaze. When he hurried of towards the door of the mosque, I asked myself, ‘what could be the matter with the fellow?’ and whether he was doing this because he feared I was about to confront him? But actually he had heard something I had not; he had heard the voice of Damdam Ibn Amr Al-Ghafari, who was out in the center of the valley standing by his camel. The man, who was sent by Abu Sufyan, arrives three days after the dream of Aatika. Damdam Al-Ghafari comes into Mecca in a scene. He came in and he cut the nose of his camel and he turns its saddle upside down, and he tears his shirt. He stands in the middle of the valley screaming calling to the people and saying, ‘Oh Quraish! The caravan! The caravan! Your goods being brought by Abu Sufyan have been raided by Muhammed and his men. I don’t think you can save them. Help! Help!’

Al- Abbas said: ‘and so all this diverted us from our personal conflict.’ This was an emergency situation now; everyone was trying to defend their caravan. The people of Quraish mobilize to go and fight the Prophet* in order to protect their caravan.

The Prophet* asks for advice

The Prophet* made shura (to consult) with the sahabah (ra), he asked for counseling from his troops. Abu Bakr (ra) spoke, Umar (ra) spoke but it seemed as if the Prophet* didn’t take interest in what they had to say. Sa’d ibn Muadh said, that it seems the Prophet* want the Ansar to speak. the Prophet* said yes. Sa’d bin Muadh said: O Messenger of Allah, if you want us to lead our horses towards the sea, we will do that, and if you want us to lead our horses towards Bark ul-Ghamad which was at the tip of Arabia, we will do so. This made the Prophet* very happy. The Prophet*  wanted to know what the Ansar were thinking. The Prophet was very glad with the attitude of Al-Ansar, and it shows us the understanding that the Ansar had, about the importance of the protection of Rusool Allah (saw).

It has been narrated on the authority of A'isha, wife of the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him), who said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) set out for Badr. When he reached Harratul- Wabara (a place four miles from Medina) a man met him who was known for his valor and courage. The Companions of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) were pleased to see him. He said: I have come so that I may follow you and get a share from the booty. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said to him: Do you believe in Allah and His Apostle? He said: No. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Go back, I will not seek help from a Mushrik (polytheist). He went on until we reached Shajara, where the man met him again. He asked him the same question again and the man gave him the same answer. He said: Go back. I will not seek help from a Mushrik. The man returned and overtook him at Baida'? He asked him as he had asked previously: Do you believe in Allah and His Apostle? The man said: Yes. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said to him: Then come along with us.

Every camel was shared by three men. These men would take turns. The Prophet* like everybody else shared a camel with two other sahabah and he said to them that : You are not stronger than I am, and I am in need of reward just as you are.

The caravan is safe but the Quraish carry on

Meanwhile, Abu Sufyan rushed the caravan towards the coast changing his course thus was able to evade the Muslims. He sends a letter back to Mecca saying: You came out to do battle in order to protect your caravan, people and wealth. Allah has now saved these, so go back.

Abu Jahl said: By Allah we will not turn around until we reach Badr. We sill stays there three days, slaughter some camels eat well, drink whine, and entertainers will play music for us. The Bedouin will get to hear of our journey and our gathering there and they will respect us for it. Let us proceed ahead.

So for Abu Jahl this was nothing but a show of the strength of the Quraish. Allah says in the Qur’an: And do not be like those who came forth from their homes insolently and to be seen by people and avert [them] from the way of Allah . And Allah is encompassing of what they do. (8:47)

So the people came out with insolence and arrogance. They wanted to boast there power and strength. Rusool Allah (saw) realised that the caravan is trying to get away and he thought that instead of facing around 40 men with the caravan they might have to face an army of thousand men.

Hadith

Nawawi's 40 Hadith ~ No. 7 (Religion is Advice)

On the authority of Abu Ruqayya Tameem ibn Aus ad-Dari (radi Allahu anhu) that the Prophet* said: 'The Deen (religion) is naseehah (advice/sincerity)'.

We said 'To whom?'

He said 'To Allah and His Book, and His Messenger, and to the leaders of the Muslims and their common folk.' [Muslim]

This is the only hadeeth narrated by Tameem ad-Daaree (radi Allahu 'anhu). 'Naseehah' is a comprehensive word, whose meaning implies the desire for all possible good for the one being advised. And this word 'an-naseehah' is most concise in speech, and there is no other single word in the Arabic language that completely and precisely explains its meaning, just as it is said that regarding the word 'al-Falaah' (the success) that there is no other word in the Arabic language that more precisely and succinctly describes the good of both this world and the next.

And the meaning of this statement "The Deen is Naseehah" is that the main pillar of the Religion and its Straightness lies in this concept of Naseehah. And this is similar to the Prophet's* statement "The Hajj is 'Arafah", meaning the main pillar of the Hajj is the standing in the Plain of 'Arafah.

And giving Naseehah (advice) is a Fardh Kifaayah, such that if a sufficient number of people perform it then the obligation is lifted from the community as a whole, and it is obligatory according to the ability of the individual.

And in the arabic language 'naseehah' means 'purification/clarification', as it is said: "I purified (nasahtu) the honey", and it is said that it means other than that. And Allah knows best.

As for the detailed explanation of Naseehah then al-Khattaabi (rahimhu Allah) and others from amongst the 'ulemaa have said:

Naseehah to Allah refers:

• To sincerity to Allah(SWT)
• To having iman (faith) in Allah, and the denial of misinterpretation with regards to His Attributes.
• Describing Him(SWT) with the qualities of completeness, perfection, and greatness whilst declaring Him completely free from any defects or deficiencies.
• To avoid disobedience to Him & keeping away from sin.
• To love for His sake and to hate for His sake.
• To keep good relations with those who obey Him and to have enmity towards those who disobey Him.
• To perform Jihad against those who disbelieve in Him.
• To recognize His favours and to give thanks to Him for them.
• To have sincerity in all affairs.
• To supplicate to Him with all of His Names and Attributes that He has mentioned
• To call to everything that we have mentioned, and to encourage it.
• To show kindness to all people, to all those whom you are able to, in this call.

Imam al-Khattabi said, “The reality of this attachment refers back to the servant being sincere to himself, since Allah(SWT) has not need of the sincerity of the one doing it.“

And as for the Naseehah to His Book, then this is:

• By believing it to be the Speech of Allah and what He has sent down as Revelation
• Believing that there is no similarity between the Speech of Allah and the speech of mankind
• And that no one from amongst the creation is able to produce anything like it.
• Giving it due respect by reciting it and acting upon it as it should be done, and to do that well.
• And further, glorification of His Book and reciting it as it should be recited and fulfilling its Rights,
• Beautifying the recitation and having khushoo' (humility, submissiveness) while doing so,
• Establishing the correct pronunciation of its letters
• Defending the Qur'an from the false interpretations of the innovators, and having faith in all that is in it, and understanding its sciences and examples, and accepting its mutashaabih (hidden, unclear), and making du'aa by it.
• To believe in what is in it.
• To affirm its rulings.
• That you learn its sciences and examples.
• That you take heed over its warnings and ponder over its amazing matters.
• That you act upon those things that are clear, and that you submit to those that are not so clear.
• That you seek after those matters which are general and specific, abrogated and abrogating.
• To promulgate its sciences and to call to it, all of this being sincerity to it

And as for the Naseehah to His Messenger* then this involves:

• Believing in his Messengership, and having faith in all that he came with
• To obey him in what he ordered and prohibited.
• To help him both in his life and after his death.
• To having enmity with all those who have enmity with him.
• To having allegiance to all those who have allegiance with him.
• To fulfilling his Rights, and honouring him.
• To reviving his manner and Sunnah.
• To responding to his da'wah, and spreading his Sunnah, and his shari’ah (law).
• To expel any doubt that is raised against it.
• To give ones full attention to the sciences of Hadith.
• To understanding its meanings and sciences and calling towards it.
• Being eager in studying it
• To have mildness and kindness in learning and teaching it.
• To give due place and importance to it.
• To display correct manners when reading it.
• To refrain from speaking about it without knowledge.
• Showing respect when it is mentioned because of their attachment to it.
• Mixing amongst the people of the Sunnah
• Behaving with the character taught by the Sunnah
• Showing love towards the members of the Prophet's* household, and his companions
• To avoid those who introduce bida’ (innovations) into his Sunnah, and to avoid those who attack even a single one of his Companions.

And as for the Naseehah to the leaders of the Muslims (refers to the Pious Muslim Leaders / Caliphs who implement Islam & the Shariah), then this involves:

• Helping them in the Truth
• Obeying them in it
• Ordering them with the Truth
• Reminding them of it with kindness and gentle words
• Notifying/advising them of that which they have neglected
• Informing them of the Rights of the Muslims that has not reached them yet
• Not rebelling against them with the sword
• Gathering the hearts of the people upon obeying them
• Praying behind them, and fighting in Jihad along with them
• Making supplication for their correction.

Imam al-Khattabi says, “From sincerity to them is Prayer behind them, Jihad along with them, to give the zakat (charity) to them, and not to rebel against them with the sword when injustice or bad treatment appears from them. And that they are not praised with false praises, and that du’a (supplication) is made for their righteousness.“

All of this is based upon the fact that what is meant by the leader of the Muslims is the Caliph, and other than him from the administrators who take charge of the affairs of the Muslims. Imam al-Khattabi also quotes it, then says, “And it has also been taken to refer to the Imams – who are the scholars of the Religion. And that sincerity to them includes accepting what they report, following them as regards rulings, and to have good thoughts about them.“

And as for the Naseehah to the general Muslims, and they are those who are other than the rulers and scholars, then it involves:

• Guiding them towards that which will correct their affairs of both this life and the next, and helping them in that.
• Protecting them from harm so that he teaches them that which they are ignorant of as regards the Religion
• To help them in this by words and actions.
• Helping them in times of need, and acquiring what is beneficial for them,
• Ordering them with al-ma'roof (good) and forbidding them from al-munkar (evil) with kindness and sincerity,
• Showing mercy towards them.
• To hide their faults and to fulfil their needs and wants.
• Honouring and respecting their elders,
• Showing kindness to their youngsters,
• Supporting them with good advice.
• Leaving cheating them or having jealousy of them,
• That one loves for them what one loves for oneself of goodness,
• That one hates for them what one hates for oneself of evil,
• Protecting their wealth and honour and reputation, and other than that from speech and action.
• Encouraging them upon all that we have mentioned above of the various types of naseehah, and allah knows best.

Summary

That one cannot worship Allah sincerely without being sincere to what He has revealed, and to the people according to their station in life. Also one has to respect and honour His Messenger*, which is to respect and honour what he said, did, approved of or recommended, and to love him for who he was and what he was. 

News Topic:

The Rescue of the miners in Chile

There are a few points about this topic and things related to being in a cave...

• They relied upon their belief to see them through
• Living in a cave for so long is quite difficult
• When we all die, the earth gives us a big hug & squeeze
• It was not their appointed time to die.
• In the past, other people have lived in mountains - the people of Thamud had Prophet Saleh sent to them
• Also, the Juj & Majooj are currently living underground somewhere...waiting...

10 October 2010

10 October 2010

Seerah of Muhammed*

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

Expedition of Abdullah bin Jahsh

He was make the leader of an expedition deep into enemy territory and given a letter to read two days after reaching his destination. The letter said that this dangerous mission was voluntary on him & his group of soldiers, and that if he accepts the mission he should go to a place between Mecca & Taif and take whoever wants to follow him. There he would undergo reconnaissance and gather information about a caravan.

All of them agreed to go even though they could be killed on the mission. They then encountered a lightly guarded caravan with 4 guards which was carrying loads of raisins (dried grapes), food stuff and other commodities. Notable polytheists were also there such as ‘Amr bin Al-Hadrami, ‘Uthman and Naufal, sons of ‘Abdullah bin Al-Mugheerah. The Muslims held consultations (Shura) among themselves with respect to fighting them as it was the last day of Rajab which was a sacred month (during which, along with Dhul Hijja, Dhul Qa‘da and Muharram, war activities were suspended as was the custom in Arabia then). They agreed to engage with them in fighting. ‘Amr bin Al-Hadrami was shot dead by an arrow, ‘Uthman and Al-Hakam were captured whereas Naufal escaped. They came back with the booty and the two prisoners.

However, the Prophet* and companions were not happy as they violated the sacred months, and the Prophet did not accept the booty or prisoners. The Quraish had a propaganda coup against the Muslims and spread far & wide the news of the caravan battle. They claimed that the Muslims were like terrorists who violated the sacred months, who shed blood in the sacred months, who took prisoners and stole wealth all in the sacred month. Then Allah revealed the verse of Qur'an:

"They ask you concerning fighting in the sacred months (i.e. 1st, 7th, 11th and 12th months of the Islamic calendar). Say, ‘Fighting therein is a great sin but a greater sin with Allah is to prevent mankind from following the way of Allah, to disbelieve in Him, to prevent access to Al-Masjid- Al-Haram (in Mecca), and to drive out its inhabitants, and Al-Fitnah is worse than killing." [TMQ 2:217]

So Allah is putting these actions into perspective comparing the battle with the much greater sins that the Quraish had been doing willfully for over a decade. The message was not to blow things out of proportion to the suffering already endured. The next verse was reassurance for Abdullah bin Jahsh:

"Verily, those who have believed, and those who have emigrated (for Allah's Religion) and have striven hard in the Way of Allah, all these hope for Allah's Mercy. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most-Merciful." [TMQ 2:218]

Hence, the Prophet now accepted the booty and prisoners. He didn't accept the ransom for the two until two fighters who had gone looking for their stray camel returned; and one of those prisoners then became a Muslim.

Lessons:

• The enemies of Allah will always try to portray the Muslims in a negative way and put a negative spin on our actions, even though their own actions are often far worse. Things should always be put in the right perspective - even if Muslims do some actions which are not permitted by Islam.
• Muslims should care for one another and not give each other up
• Allah is the Most Merciful
• Prophet waited for revelation to clarify what to do in this new situation.

Hadith

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

On the authority of Abu `Abdullah an-Nu`maan the son of Basheer (radiAllahu 'anhuma), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah* say: That which is lawful is clear and that which is unlawful is clear, and between the two of them are doubtful matters about which many people do not know. Thus he who avoids doubtful matters clears himself in regard to his religion and his honour, but he who falls into doubtful matters [eventually] falls into that which is unlawful, like the shepherd who pastures around a sanctuary, all but grazing therein. Truly every king has a sanctuary, and truly Allah's sanctuary is His prohibitions. Truly in the body there is a morsel of flesh, which, if it be whole, all the body is whole, and which, if it is diseased, all of [the body] is diseased. Truly, it is the heart. [Bukhari and Muslim]

A very important hadith that has many parts to it. There are many things and actions in Islam that are well known to be allowed and others well known to be haram / forbidden. Some of the allowed things are prayer, fasting, going to the mosque, giving charity etc. Some of the clearly forbidden things are drinking alcohol, eating pork, doing drugs, dealing in interest, having girlfriends or boyfriends. There are others where things may not be so clear cut. The scholars have given names to these categories of actions (Fard - Mandub/Sunnah - Makruh - Mubah - Haram). If people do not know they should either ask people of knowledge or stay clear of doubtful matters - which is a bit like grazing too near land which is not allowed. People could easily stray into the forbidden areas and then develop a habit of this and start to go deeper into the forbidden.

When people start to do this they will disease their hearts (not the physical beating heart but the metaphorical heart of a person). And if the heart becomes diseased then the whole body will eventually suffer...Then a person will not easily be able to distinguish right & wrong and may be inclined to those forbidden things which will harm the person on the Day of Judgment.

Homework:

Some of the reasons the Quraish still wanted to fight at Badr

Nawawi's 40 Hadith No. 7: Religion is Advice