8 July 2012
Seerah
of Muhammed*
*:
May the peace blessings and Mercy of Allah be upon him
TMQ: Translation to the nearest meaning of the Qur’an
Reconnoitring
The Weapons of The Messenger Of Allah*:
The
spies that Malik had already dispatched to spy Muslim forces, returned with
their limbs smashed. “Woe unto you! What happened to you?” Said Malik. They
said: “We have seen distinguished people on spotted horsebacks. What you see,
would not have happened if we had been firmly together.”
Reconnoitring
The Enemy's Weapon:
News
about the enemy’s marching were conveyed to the Messenger of Allah* , so he
sent out Al-Aslami with orders to mix with people, stay with them so that he
would be able to know their news and to convey it to the Messenger of Allah*
when he turns back. That was exactly what he managed to do.
The
Messenger Of Allah* Leaves Mecca For Hunain
On
Shawwal, the ninth, the captive day, the Messenger of Allah* left Mecca
accompanied by twelve thousand Muslims. Ten thousand of those had previously
shared in Mecca Conquest. A great number of the other two thousand, who were
Makkans, had recently embraced Islam. That march was on the nineteenth day of
his conquest to Mecca. He borrowed a hundred armours with their equipment from
Safwan bin Umaiyah. Before setting out, the Prophet had sent to Safwan to
borrow a hundred coats of mail which he was known to possess, and the weapons
that went with them. "O Muhammad," said Safwan, "is it a
question of 'Give or I will take?'" "It is a loan to be returned,"
said the Prophet, whereupon Safwan agreed to provide the camels for the
transport of the armour and arms which he handed over to the Prophet when they
had reached their final camp. He appointed ‘Itab bin Usaid as a governor over Mecca
and appointed Mu'adh ibn Jabal, a young but well informed man of Khazraj, to
instruct converts in all matters that concerned the religion. When it was
evening time, a horseman came to the Messenger of Allah* and said: “I have
climbed up so and so mountains and came across Hawazin with their riding
camels, livestock and sheep. Hawazin wholly were gathered together there.” The
Messenger of Allah* smiled then and said: “They will all be Muslims’ spoils
tomorrow, if Allah wills.”
The
Tree and superstitions
On
their way to Hunain they saw a great green Nabk plant, that was called
Dhat-Anwat (the one with suspenders). That was because the Arabs used to hang
their weapons on it, slay beasts under it and keep to it. So some of army
members asked the Messenger of Allah* to make them a Nabk with suspenders as
the one they had. “Allah is the Greatest of all!” He said, “I swear by the One
in Whose Hand is Muhammad’s soul, that you have just said what the people of
Moses said to him. They said ‘Make us a god as the one they have.’ Surely you
are ignorant people. These are Sunnah, but you will follow and comply with the
modes of life of those who preceded you.” Seeing how great in number the army
was, some of them said: “We shall not be defeated.”
Guarding
the Muslims before battle
That
night Anas bin Abi Murthid Al-Ghanawi volunteered to guard (Ribat) after the
Prophet* gave him specific instructions on where to go and what to do. When the
nigh was over, at Fajr time, he returned and told the Prophet* that he didn’t
see anything, nor did he leave his station except to pray or answer the call of
nature. The Prophet* praised him and said that his reward for standing guard
that nigh was Jannah!
Ribat
means standing in guard of the borderlines, at the places feared to be attacked
by the enemies of Islam, and a Murabit is the person garrisoned there, who has
dedicated himself to Jihad (striving / fighting) in the Cause of Allah and
defending His Deen (Religion) and his Muslim brothers. There are many Hadith
that have been mentioned on the merits of staying in guardian and defence of
the Muslim frontiers in the Cause of Allah for you Muslim brothers who are
yearning to stand guarding the frontiers in the Cause of Allah such as: It is
narrated on the authority of Sahl ibn Sa'd that the Messenger of Allah* said, "Ribat
(guarding the Muslim frontiers) in the Cause of Allah for one day is better
than this world and whatever is on it; and the place occupied by the whip of
one of you in Paradise is better than this world and whatever is on it; and a
morning or an evening's journey that a Servant travels in the Cause of Allah is
better than this world and whatever is on it. " [Al-Bukhari, Muslim,
Al-Tirmidhy, and others]. It is also narrated on the authority of Salman that
he heard the Messenger of Allah* saying, "Ribat (guarding the Muslim
frontiers) for one day and night is better than Sawm (Fasting) for one month
and standing its nights in prayer. Anyone who dies doing it will continue to
receive the reward for that deed he used to do and will continue to have his
Rizq (sustenance) and will be safe from Fitan (trials of death and within the
grave). " [Muslim]
The
Ambush And Panic: The Islamic Army Stunned The Archers And The Attackers
The
Muslim army arrived at Hunain. Malik bin ‘Awf, who had previously entered the
valley by night, gave orders to his army to hide inside the valley and lurk for
the Muslims on roads, entrances, narrow hiding places. His orders to his men
were to hurl stones at Muslims whenever they caught sight of them and then to make
a one-man attack against them.
The
sky was overcast, so that it was still almost dark as they descended into the
valley bed. Khalid was in the van as before, commanding Sulaym and others. Next
came the Muslim part of the new Meccan contingent. The Prophet, mounted on
Duldul, was this time in the midst of the army, with the same squadron of
Emigrants and Helpers, but surrounded by more members of his own family than
ever before, including his cousins Abu Sufyan and 'Abd Allah, who had joined
him on his way to Mecca, and the two eldest sons of 'Abbas, FadI and Qitham,
and the two sons of Abu Lahab. In the rear of the army were those of the
Meccans who had not yet entered Islam. At early dawn the Messenger of Allah*
started mobilizing his army and distributing posts and flags to people. In the
dark and just before dawn the Muslims moved towards Hunain Valley. They started
descending into it unaware of the presence of an enemy lurking for them inside
the valley.
The
van had almost finished its descent when in the half-light the stationary host
of Hawazin loomed into view above them on the opposite slope. It was a
formidable spectacle, the more so because in the rear of the army itself there
were thousands of camels, unmounted or mounted by woman, and in the dimness of
dawn they appeared to be part of the army itself. The road was clearly barred
in that direction; but before any new instructions could be sought or any new
orders given, Malik gave his signal. The squadrons of Hawazin suddenly wheeled
out of the ravines and swept down upon Khalid and his men. The onslaught was so
fierce and so sudden that he could do nothing to rally the Bani Sulaym, who
made little or no resistance, but turned and fled headlong, scattering the
ranks of the Meccans who were behind them and who now followed them in flight
up the slope that they had just descended. The terrible stampede of horses and
camels choked the defile in its narrowest parts, but the Prophet was at a point
where he could withdraw a little to his right, and he now made a firm stand at
the side of the road with a small body of those who had been riding near him
-Abu Bakr, 'Umar and others of the Emigrants, some of the Helpers (Ansar), and
all the men of his family who were present.
Hawazin
arrows began showering intensively at them, whereas the enemy’s battalions
started a fierce attack against the Muslims, who had to retreat in disorder and
utter confusion. It was such a shatteringly defeat that Abu Sufyan bin Harb,
who had recently embraced Islam, said that their retreat would not stop till
they got to the Red Sea. Jablah or Kildah bin Al-Juna commented on that by
saying: “Surely magic has grown inactive today.”
The
Messenger of Allah* turned to the right and said: “Come on, people! I am the
Messenger of Allah. I am Muhammad, the son of Abdullah.” Those who stood fast
by him were only few Emigrants (Muhajir) and some of his kinsmen. The matchless
bravery of the Prophet* was then brought to light. He went on and on in his
attempts to make his mule stand fast in the face of the disbelievers while
saying loudly: “Truly saying, I am the Prophet I am the (grand) son of Abdul
Muttalib.” However, Abu Sufyan bin Harith, who was then holding the rein of the
Prophet’s mule, and Al-‘Abbas, who was holding its stirrup; were endeavouring
to make it halt. The Messenger of Allah* dismounted and asked his Lord to
render him help. “O, Allah, send down Your Help!” He then asked for some dirt
or sand to throw at the enemy…
Fiqh Topic (part 8): Daleel in Detail
We
talked about Conclusive and 'Doubtful' sources and Conclusive and 'Doubtful' /
ambiguous meanings whilst trying to explain Daleel (Evidence).
Daleel
Linguistically,
Daleel means a proof, indication, or evidence. As a (Shariah) term, Daleel means the
source or evidence for a thought, concept, or a ruling. Any law or ruling must
have a Daleel, which can be from Qur’an, Sunnah, or a source, which Qur’an and
Sunnah directed us to adopt.
Structure
of Daleel
There
are two aspects related to any Daleel: Riwayah (reportage) and Dalalah
(meaning).
- The Riwayah covers issues related to how the information was relayed to us, which includes the number and the integrity of its reporters.
- The Dalalah is related to the meaning of the text in the Daleel.
There
are also two terms used in connection with Riwayah and Dalalah; Qata’i [üü] and Dhanni [??].
- Qata’i is defined as being conclusive or decisive,
- Dhanni is the opposite of Qata’i and means ambiguous, non-definite, speculative or indecisive.
Riwayah
(report)
Any
Ayah from the Qur’an or Hadith Mutawatir is considered Qata’i (conclusive) [üü] in its Riwayah (report). The
Qata’i in Riwayah implies that the evidence is authentic without any shadow of
doubt. This authenticity is established based on the methodology of
transmission. The methodology by which the Qur’an was transmitted to us
precludes any possibility of fabrication. The report was transmitted generation
by generation in exactly the same manner. It is impossible for an entire
generation to fabricate, erase, or add contents to the Qur’an. It is
inconceivable to believe that every single individual in that generation
assembled together and agreed to add or delete parts of the Qur’an. Everyone in
that generation was reciting the same contents of the Qur’an, thus
authentifying its contents.
Hadith
Mutawatir was not transmitted generation-by-generation, but rather by a large
number of people. Due to the large number of people reporting the Daleel, and
their diversity of residence, their established reliability and conviction, it
is inconceivable that this Daleel could be wrong.
Any
report of information other than through the Qur’an or Hadith Mutawatir, such
as Hadith Ahad, is considered Dhanni (non-definite) [??], meaning that there is a
minute possibility that the Daleel could contain error. To summarise Riwayah
(report) can be:
- Qata’i (Conclusive) [üü] is Qur’an and Hadith Mutawatir (e.g. “Whosoever lies about me deliberately, let him take his place in the Hell fire.”)
- Dhanni (Non-Definite) [??] is Hadith Ahad (e.g. “Leave it, it is rotten”. [Refers to all forms of Asabiyah, racism]. (Bukhari and Muslim))
Dalalah
(meaning)
The
second aspect of the Daleel is the Dalalah (meaning). If the text of Qur’an,
Hadith Mutawatir or Hadith Ahad is clear, specific, and has only one meaning,
then it is considered Qata’i [üü]. The text of a Qata’i
Daleel has to have only one meaning and cannot be open to any other
interpretation. If the text is open to more than one interpretation, then it is
considered Dhanni [??]. Since interpretations are
due to the Arabic language, any interpretation has to be justified through the
Arabic language. To summarise Dalalah (Meaning) can be:
Qata’i
(Conclusive) [üü] Qur’an (One meaning) or
Hadith Mutawatir (One meaning) or Ahad Hadith (One meaning)
- Example of Qur’an with a Qata’i (conclusive) meaning: “What your wives leave, your share is a half, if they leave no child”. (TMQ An-Nisa: 12) or “Those who accuse chaste woman of zina (adultery) and fail to bring four witnesses (to prove it) flog them eighty stripes.” (TMQ An-Nur: 4) The quantitative aspect of these rulings, namely one half and eighty are clear and therefore cannot be open to any other interpretations.
- Example of Hadith Mutawatir with Qata’i (conclusive) meaning: “Whosoever lies about me (Prophet Muhammad saw) deliberately let him take his place in the hell-fire.” (Bukhari & Muslim) This Mutawatir Hadith is very clear in its subject; thus there is only one understanding from the text that whoever lies about what Prophet* said, intentionally, he will go to hell-fire.
- Example of Hadith Ahad with Qata’i (conclusive) meaning: It is reported from a non-Mutawatir Hadith that the Prophet* fasted 6 days in Shawwal. The conclusive meanings from this Hadith are the permissibility of fasting 6 days in Shawwal (except on the first day of Shawwal, since it is the day of Eid, and it is Haram to fast on Eid).
Dhanni
(Non-definite) [??] Qur’an (More than one
meaning) or Hadith Mutawatir (More than one meaning) or Ahad Hadith (More than
one meaning)
- Example of Quranic Ayah with a Dhanniy (non-definite) meaning: Allah says: “O you who believe! When you intend to offer As-Salat (the prayer), wash your faces and your hands (forearms) up to the elbows, rub (by passing wet hands over) your heads, and (wash) your feet up to ankles. If you are in a state of Janaba (i.e. had a sexual discharge), purify yourself (bathe your whole body). But if you are ill or on a journey or any of you comes from answering the call of nature, or you have been in contact with women and you find no water, then perform Tayammum with clean earth and rub therewith your faces and hands.” (TMQ Al-Maida: 6) The verse says if you ‘lamastum’ the women, it breaks the Wudhu. The word ‘lamastum’ has been interpreted as having two meanings – either ‘Touching’ or ‘being intimate’. Thus the Ayah has a Dhanni Dalalah, i.e. it could mean touching women breaks the Wudhu, or sexual intercourse with a woman breaks the Wudhu.
- Example of Hadith Mutawatir with a Dhanniy (non-definite) meaning: It was reported that the Prophet* used to take off his Ihram in a specific manner. However, when the Sahabah (ra) told the Prophet* that they took it off in a manner different from the way he* took it off, the Prophet* approved of their actions. Though this incident is Mutawatir, the rules to take off one’s Ihram are many.
- Example of a Hadith Ahad with a Dhanniy (non-definite) meaning: It is reported from a non-Mutawatir Hadith that the Prophet fasted 6 days in Shawwal. The non-definite meanings of this Hadith are whether the six days of fasting are consecutive or fasting in which part of Shawwal (other than the day of Eid)?
So
far we have discussed the Qata’i and Dhanni aspects of both Riwayah and Dalalah
separately. However, the method to determine whether the Daleel (both in
Riwayah and Dalalah) is Qata’i (conclusive) or Dhanni (non-definite) is the
following:
1: Qata’i
Riwayah [üü] + Qata’i Dalalah [üü] = Qata’i Daleel [üü]
2: Dhanni
Riwayah [??] + Qata’i Dalalah [üü] = Dhanni Daleel [??]
3: Dhanni
Riwayah [??] + Dhanni Dalalah [??] = Dhanni Daleel [??]
4: Qata’i
Riwayah [üü] + Dhanni Dalalah [??] = Dhanni Daleel [??]
Aqeeda
must be definite / without doubt but the Laws can be from either source
Any
idea, thought, or concept related to the Aqeedah has to be based upon a Qata’i
Daleel. As an example, the concept that Angels exists is based upon a Qata’i
Daleel not Dhanni. Also, in Usul al-Fiqh, to establish a source for extracting
rulings according to the strongest view, the source must base upon a Qata’i
Daleel as well. As an example, to consider Ijma as-Sahabah (consensus of the
Companions) as a source of rulings, the Daleel to prove the authority of Ijma
as-Sahabah has to be Qata’i both in Riwayah and Dalalah, though a ruling can be
derived from either Qata’i or Dhanni Daleel.
Why
is understanding the text of Qur’an and Sunnah so complicated?
By
examining the text of Qur’an and Sunnah one can see that it is limited in its
volume. With its limited text one can generate rulings to any problems
affecting us anywhere and anytime until the Day of Judgment. It is a miracle
from Allah that the texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah have the ability to express
numerous rulings from a single Ayah and Hadith; whereas, the ability to
understand many meanings from a single text cannot be found in any other legal
text in the world!
The
challenge is for Muslims in each generation to try to understand the text and
relate it to their lives since the Qur’an and Sunnah are relevant to all times
and places.
Besides
the point mentioned above, we have to realise that there are rules and
guidelines related to understanding and deriving laws from the Qur’an and
Sunnah. No one, without being acquainted with these rules (Arabic language,
rules which differentiate one type of text from another, etc.) can understand
the text of Qur’an and Sunnah. Even to understand man-made constitutions, one
has to spend a few years studying and understanding the text. So, how can we
expect an individual who is unfamiliar with the Usul al-Fiqh to open up the Qur’an
and Sunnah and start extracting laws from it?
Shariah:
Why should Muslims follow something 1400 years old?
How can Muslims face today's challenges with an ancient book?
We had a short discussion focusing on aspects of Shariah and what laws do we live our lives by. Essentially, we've been exploring over the last few weeks how Muslims should think deeply about their purpose in life and to think deeply about the universe around them. This process of active interaction and contemplation should necessarily lead to the only sensible conclusion that there is one unique Creator (who we call Allah) and they should give our life some purpose. We, therefore, need to find out how best to conduct ourselves and live our life. This includes practical things like how we should pray to our Creator - if indeed we should pray at all. Why can't we pray kneeling down and putting her hands together in front of our faces or come up with some other way of praying? Surely we can use our mind and intellect to come up with the best way to do these things as we know our reality better than anybody else? Furthermore, if we have insisted on using our mind and intellect to come to the conclusion that Allah exists - surely we can use the same process to work out how we should live! This is the premise behind philosophies like democracy - where mankind can decide what is best.
The criticism that his charged towards the Muslims is why we insist on following something which is over 1400 years old - and, because of its age, is bound to be outdated and not relevant to the 21st-century. Linked to this is the accusation that Muslims are not equipped to deal with the challenges in modern society based on this ancient text. So how do we respond to these accusations and are they true? How can we, in ourselves, justify living by rules and regulations that are over a thousand years old? And a further short discussion explored some of these questions that may occur in the playground or the workplace. These themes will be explored in greater detail in the following weeks, InshaAllah.
We had a short discussion focusing on aspects of Shariah and what laws do we live our lives by. Essentially, we've been exploring over the last few weeks how Muslims should think deeply about their purpose in life and to think deeply about the universe around them. This process of active interaction and contemplation should necessarily lead to the only sensible conclusion that there is one unique Creator (who we call Allah) and they should give our life some purpose. We, therefore, need to find out how best to conduct ourselves and live our life. This includes practical things like how we should pray to our Creator - if indeed we should pray at all. Why can't we pray kneeling down and putting her hands together in front of our faces or come up with some other way of praying? Surely we can use our mind and intellect to come up with the best way to do these things as we know our reality better than anybody else? Furthermore, if we have insisted on using our mind and intellect to come to the conclusion that Allah exists - surely we can use the same process to work out how we should live! This is the premise behind philosophies like democracy - where mankind can decide what is best.
The criticism that his charged towards the Muslims is why we insist on following something which is over 1400 years old - and, because of its age, is bound to be outdated and not relevant to the 21st-century. Linked to this is the accusation that Muslims are not equipped to deal with the challenges in modern society based on this ancient text. So how do we respond to these accusations and are they true? How can we, in ourselves, justify living by rules and regulations that are over a thousand years old? And a further short discussion explored some of these questions that may occur in the playground or the workplace. These themes will be explored in greater detail in the following weeks, InshaAllah.
Homework from 08 July 2012:
- Seerah: The Prophet* threw some dirt / dust at the enemies during the battle of Hunain. What did this do to the enemy and how did it make them feel?
- Shariah - Whilst talking about the need for Laws we wanted to know what things/needs are essential for human survival (without which man[kind] would die) and what instinct does man[kind] have?
