30 January 2011

30 January 2011

Seerah of Muhammed*

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

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

Kaab Bin Al-Ashraf

Kaab bin Al-Ashraf was one of the most resentful Jews in Medina at Islam and the Muslims, and the keenest on inflicting harm on the Messenger of Allah* and the most zealous advocate of waging war against him and the Muslims. He belonged to Tai’ tribe but his mother to Banu Nadir. He was a wealthy man known for his handsomeness, and a poet living in luxury in his fort south east of Medina at the rear of Banu Nadir’s habitations, not far from the outskirts of Medina. Among the Arabs he was a gifted poet was like a multitude of men, for his verses were repeated from mouth to mouth. On hearing the news of Badr, he got terribly exasperated and swore that he would prefer death to life if the news was true. When this was confirmed he wrote poems satirising Muhammad*, eulogizing Quraish and enticing them against the Prophet*. He then rode to Mecca where he started to trigger the fire of war, and kindle rancour against the Muslims in Medina. When Abu Sufyan asked him which religion he was more inclined to, the religion of the Meccans or that of Muhammad* and his companions, he replied that the pagans were better guided. With respect to this situation, Allah revealed His Words: “Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Scripture? They believe in Jibt and Taghut, and say to the disbelievers that they are better guided as regards the way than the believers (Muslims).” [4:51]

Poetry was the main media of the day (no TV, radio or newspapers!). He then returned to Medina to start a fresh campaign of slanderous propaganda that took the form of obscene songs and verses with a view to defaming the Muslim women – often by name. At this stage, the situation became unbearable and could no longer be put up with. The Prophet prayed: "O Lord, deliver me from the son of al-Ashraf howsoever Thou wilt, for the evil he declares and the poems he declaims." The Prophet* gathered his men and said to those who were present: "Who is for me against the son of al-Ashraf, for he hath done me great injury?" “Who will kill Kaab bin Al-Ashraf? He had maligned Allah, and His Messenger.” The first to volunteer was a man of Aws, Muhammad ibn Maslamah, of the clan of Saad ibn Mu'adh, The Prophet told him to consult Saad, and four more volunteers were found (Abbad bin Bishr, Al-Harith bin Aws, Abu ‘Abs bin Hibr and Salkan bin Salamah, Kaab’s foster brother, volunteered to do the job). But they realised that nothing could be achieved without deception and lies, and they knew that lying was abhorrent to the Prophet; so they went to him and told him what was in their minds. He said that they were free to say whatever would serve their purpose, for deception was legitimate in warfare, being a part of its strategy, and Kaab had declared war on them. Muhammad bin Maslamah said: “O Messenger of Allah, do you wish that I should kill him?” He said: “Yes.” He said: “Permit me to talk (to him in the way I deem fit).” He said: “Talk (as you like).”

So, Muhammad bin Maslamah came to Kaab and talked to him, saying: “This man (i.e. the Prophet*) has made up his mind to collect charity (from us) and this has put us to a great hardship.” When he heard this, Kaab said: “By Allah you will be put to more trouble by him.” Muhammad bin Maslamah answered: “No doubt, now we have become his followers and we do not like to forsake him until we see what turn his affairs will take. I want that you should give me a loan.” He said: “What will you mortgage (give in security)?” Muhammad answered: “What do you want?” Kaab demanded women and children as articles of security against the debt. Muhammad said: “Should we pledge our women whereas you are the most handsome of the Arabs; and the son of one of us may be abused by saying that he was pledged for two wasq (measurement unit of weight) of dates but we can pledge you (our) weapons.” Kaab agreed.

Salkan bin Salamah, Abu Na’ilah, at another time, went to see Kaab for the same purpose and there were more or less the same subjects, only that Abu Na’ilah would bring him some companions. The plan was successful and provided for the presence of both men and weapons.

On Rabi‘ Al-Awwal 14th, at night, the year 3 A.H. the people said good bye to the Prophet* and set out in the Name of Allah to implement the carefully drawn plan. The Prophet* stayed back praying for them and supplicating Allah to render them success. The men went and called upon him at night. He came down although his wife warned him not to meet them alleging that: “I hear a voice which sounds like the voice of murder.” He said: “It is only Muhammad bin Maslamah and my foster brother Abu Na’ilah. When a gentleman is called at night even if he be pierced with a spear, he should respond to the call.” Abu Na’ilah said to his companions: “As he comes down, I will extend my hand towards his head to smell and when I hold him fast, you should do your job.” So when he came down, they talked together for about an hour. They then invited him to go out and spend a nice time in the moonlight. On the way out, Abu Na’ilah remarked: “I smell the nicest perfume from you.” Kaab said: “Yes, I have with me a mistress who is the most scented of the women of Arabia.” Abu Na’ilah again said: “Allow me to smell (the scent on your head)”. He said: “Yes, you may smell.” So he caught it and smelt. Then he said: “Allow me to do so (once again).” He then held his head fast and said to his companions: “Do your job.” And they killed him. The group of men came back after fulfilling their mission. One of them Al-Harith bin Aws was wounded by mistake with the swords of his men, and was bleeding badly. When they reached Baqi Al-Gharqad, they shouted, “Allah is Great”. The Prophet* heard them and realized that they had killed the enemy of Allah. As they saw him, he said: “Cheerful faces are yours.” In reply, they said: “And yours, O Messenger of Allah.” They handed the head of the tyrant over to him. He entertained Allah’s praise for their success. He then applied his saliva to Al-Harith’s wound and it healed on the spot.

When the Jews of Medina learned about the death of their tyrant, Kaab bin Al-Ashraf, they were scared and even their stonelike hearts were in the grip of inexpressible panic. They realised that the Messenger of Allah* would thenceforth never hesitate to use force when good words and admonition failed. The Prophet knew well that most of them were as hostile to Islam as Kaab had been, and with great disappointment he had come to accept this. But it was vital to show them that if hostile thoughts were tolerable, hostile action was not. "If he had remained as others of like opinion remain," he said, "he would not have been killed by guile. But he did us injury and wrote poetry against us; and none of you shall do this but he shall be put to the sword."! He then invited them to make a special treaty with him in addition to the covenant, and this they did.
The Prophet* would only ask his companions to undertake these special operations in very specific instances, which included the defamation of the Messenger and Islam (not a constructive dialogue or discussion but outright lies and slander) and if a charismatic leader was preparing an army to fight the The Prophet* and the Muslims, an operation like this would prevent much needless bloodshed.

Hadith:

On the authority of Abu Dharr Jundub ibn Junaada, and Abu Abdur-Rahman Mu'adh bin Jabal that the Messenger of Allah* said: Have Taqwa (Fear) of Allah wherever you may be, and follow up a bad deed with a good deed which will wipe it out, and behave well towards the people. [at-Tirmidhi]

Taqwa

Taqwa is one of the most important and comprehensive Islamic concepts. The term is derived from its root "waqayya" which means “to protect.” Taqwa therefore means to protect one own self from the severe punishment of Allah by following His guidance. Some translate Taqwa as “to fear Allah” or to have “God Consciousness”. However, fearing Allah is only one aspect of this comprehensive concept. Ali ibn Abi Talib defines it as: “Fearing Allah, adhering to His commandments, being content with what He provides one with, and getting ready for the Day of Judgement.”

Mohammad Asad translates it as “to be conscious of Allah.” The term has been mentioned many times both in Qur’an and Sunnah. Allah the Almighty says: "O believers! Have Taqwa of Allah as is His right to have Taqwa. And die not except while you are Muslims" [3:102]

By realisation of Taqwa a Muslim is granted many bounties and blessings which he/she may gain. Among them are: the Love of Allah, a criterion by which to judge and distinguish between right and wrong, a way out of difficulties, matters will be made easier for him/her, sins will be remitted, guidance, help to acquire beneficial knowledge, prosperity and success.

This hadith contains comprehensive instruction concerning the rights of Allah and rights of people. The first of these is an admonition to fear Allah at every time and place, whether among others or alone; more specifically, to fear the displeasure and anger of Allah and to fear His punishment. The general meanings embodied in the verb "ittaqa" are protection and prevention, caution and avoidance; thus, the believer is advised to prevent and protect himself from the consequence of unlawful deeds by avoiding them altogether. It is accomplished by obeying Allah conscientiously and constantly, remembering that He sees everything one does and is aware of his innermost secrets. Taqwa in itself is commanded repeatedly by Allah in the Qur'an and is therefore a primary obligation upon every Muslim.

The righteous caliph, 'Umar bin 'Abdul-'Azeez, said, "Taqwa is not fasting by day, praying by night and other such things, but taqwa is refraining from what Allah has prohibited and doing what Allah has commanded. And whoever has been provided with good beyond that - it is additional good." And he wrote to someone, saying, "I recommend to you the fear [taqwa] of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, who accepts only that, has mercy upon its people, and rewards for it; for those who advise it are many, and those who practice it are few. May Allah make us and you among those who have taqwa."

Many scholars say that Taqwa is to fulfil obligations and avoid prohibitions and doubtful matters. It is the advice of Allah to all humankind, and it is the advice of all prophets to their people. The Prophet* used to advise and continuously remind his Companions about Taqwa in all his talks and on different occasions. Those who define Taqwa as “fearing Allah” look at the concept as a motive, because according to early scholars the minimum level of fearing Allah is what motivates a Muslim to fulfil obligations and keeps him/her away from prohibitions.

Doing Good

Taqwa does not imply perfection. Those who have Taqwa are subject to commit sins. However, if they do so, they repent right away and follow up the bad deed they have done with a good deed to wipe the bad one out as mentioned in this hadith. This clarifies the debatable issue between some scholars: whether or not avoiding minor sins is considered an aspect of Taqwa. Allah the Almighty and all Merciful has left the door of forgiveness opened to many means by which the punishment for a sin might be removed. Since every servant of Allah is ordered to have taqwa both openly and privately in spite of the fact that he is bound to commit sins, the Prophet* directed the believer how to eliminate his misdeeds by following them with good ones, primarily, repentance as soon as one realises his error and apology to Allah. Hence, taking account of the self continuously is also prescribed so that one may rectify his condition before it is permanently inscribed in his record. To do good deeds right after bad ones to wipe them out is one mean. This is mentioned in Surah Hud, ayat 114: "Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds."
There are other ways and means by which sins are forgiven as stated in the Qur’an and Sunnah such as:

- Istighfar (seeking forgiveness by supplication)

- Tubah (repentance)

- Du'a’ of Muslims for one another

- The intercession by the Prophet

- Performing the daily five prayers regularly and on time

- Afflictions

- The torment in the grave

- The horrible scenes and events of the Last Day

- The mere Mercy and Forgiveness from Allah

It is possible that in this hadith the Prophet* was referring to other good deeds beyond repentance or to the acts of worship, such as performance of ablution and prayer, praising Allah, going for hajj and 'umrah, fasting, etc., which serve as a kaffarah (expiation for sins). He* stipulated in several other narrations, however, that such deeds remove the errors and lesser sins for those who avoid all the major sins. A major sin can be annulled only by immediate, complete and sincere repentance, which is in itself ordained by Allah for every believer. This consists of intense regret and the realisation that one has angered his Lord, immediate cessation of the transgression, and earnestly seeking the forgiveness of Allah through prayer, supplication and the performance of additional good deeds. Allah has confirmed: "Indeed, I am the Perpetual Forgiver of whoever repents and believes and does righteousness and then remains rightly guided."[20:82]

If we do a good deed, Allah will reward us by guiding us to do another good deed. Hence, doing a good deed will lead to doing another good deed. Doing a bad deed without regretting it or without istighfar or wiping it out by doing a good deed will most likely lead to doing another bad deed, whether of the same type or of a different type. By doing a bad deed with that attitude makes the person subject to repeat it again and again and doing other bad deeds becomes possible until the heart of that person is “sealed” and the person turns into a transgressor.

Treating others well

It is an obligation that every Muslim should treat others, deal with them, and interact with them in a good manner. Ibn Rajab says in his commentary: “Having good character is a characteristic of Taqwa. Taqwa cannot be complete without it. It was mentioned here by itself due to the need for explicitly explaining that point. Many people think that Taqwa implies fulfilling the rights of Allah without fulfilling the rights of humans. Therefore, the Prophet* explicitly stated that he/she must deal with people in a kind manner.” This ruling is stressed in many other hadith, of which the following are some:

- “Piety and Righteousness is being of good character.” [Muslim]

- “The believer with the most complete Iman (faith) is the one with the best behavior.” [Ahmad and Abu Dawud]

- “There is nothing heavier in the scales than good character.” [Ahmad and Abu Dawud]

- The Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, made Iman (faith) and good character as the main basic criterion whether or not to accept a man for marriage.

Behaving well toward people is in reality one aspect of taqwa; indeed, without it taqwa is deficient. Allah has described people with taqwa as: "...Those who spend [on others] during ease and hardship and restrain anger and pardon the people." [3:134]

The Prophet* mentioned good behaviour separately in this hadith because there is a need to emphasize this particular aspect of taqwa, for many people are of the opinion that righteousness means attention to Allah's rights alone. Thus, they devote themselves to worship while often neglecting the rights of their fellow men. Therefore, on numerous occasions the Messenger* stressed the importance of good character, saying, "The best of the believers is the best of them in character," and "Indeed, the believer, through good character, reaches the ranks of one who fasts (by day) and prays (by night).”

News Topic

Demonstrations in Egypt - People's Revolution ?

When a young graduate, trying to sell fruit on the street was pushed around and told he can’t sell here by the police, he lit himself on fire which echoed the sheer frustration of daily life in Tunisia. It was this which broke the final straw in the camel’s back and sparked thousands to get onto the streets. The ruler had no choice but to leave the country in humiliation.
In the Glorious Qur’an Allah (swt) refers to the drowning of Pharaoh and his army as follows: And neither heaven nor earth shed a tear over them. [44:29]  And neither did the Muslims of Tunisia shed any tear on the leaving of this tyrant from their land.
Witnessing this, Muslims in Egypt, Jordan, Syria. Kuwait and Libya rose with this momentum against their regimes which have denied them their rights and distances them from Islam and brought them much harm.

These protests in the Arab World need to have a clear vision for change. It’s not just any change with a new face, but a radical change in system where Islam should be the guiding force for the politics and not Western inspired slogans.

Homework from 30 January 2011:
1. Explore some of the reasons why the Battle of Uhud happened?
2. What do you understand from the next (number 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]
3. News Topics from this week: Any interesting news articles from the week that relate to Islam or the Muslims? Bring a clipping or print out if you can...

8 November 2009

Seerah of Muhammed*

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

Death of Abu Talib

About 6 months after the end of the boycott (embargo/siege) the Uncle of the Prophet* became very ill and was lying on his deathbed. He had supported the Prophet* for 42 years since the Prophet* was 8 years old and the Prophet* was very close to Abu Talib. Unsurprisingly, the Prophet* was at the bedside. Again, unsurprisingly, so was Abu Jahl on the other side.

The Prophet* would say: “oh my uncle! Say ‘la illaha illallah’ so I can witness for you on the day of Judgement.” Then Abu Jahl would say: “oh son of Abdul Muttalib! Are you going to die on another religion and denounce the religion of your father?” Abu Talib had mentioned to the Prophet* that if it were not for the Quraish insulting him (and his honour) after his death he would have professed Islam just to please the Prophet*. He was too proud to admit this up until the end and the exchanges between the Prophet* and Abu Jahl continue until Abu Talib spoke his last words before dying: “I am dying on the religion of my father Abdul Muttalib.”

The Prophet was distraught after losing someone so close and the Quraish were ecstatic with their propaganda coup claiming that the Prophet* could not even convert his Uncle. The Prophet* would then say that he would continue to ask Allah for the forgiveness of his Uncle Abu Talib unless he was forbidden from doing so. Indeed, Allah did send down a revelation stating: “It is not befitting for the Prophet and those that believe that they should invoke Allah for the forgiveness of the pagans even though they are relatives, after it has become clear to them that they are the companions of the fire.”

Other verses revealed to the Prophet* highlighted the fact that is was not the job of the Prophet* to convert the people but only to convey the message: “You cannot give guidance to those who love but it is Allah who gives guidance to the ones He Wills.” There is no compulsion in religion and people should be free to choose Islam and so judgement would be fair on the Day of Resurrection. Hence, Muslims have never had a history of forcing people to convert to Islam like the Christians used to convert people to Christianity.

Shortly after the death of Abu Talib, Khadija - the beloved wife of the Prophet* died. She had supported the Prophet* throughout his mission both emotionally and financially. She was 65 years old and this death, combined with the death of his uncle who had provided physical support to the message, made the Prophet* and Muslims very vulnerable to the Quraish. They had to become reliant solely upon Allah and develop ‘tawakkul-Allah’. This time was know as the ‘Year of Grief’ and later the Prophet* would say that they worst time of his mission was this period shortly after the death of these two. But Allah would then reveal a verse reassuring the Prophet* that ‘with every difficulty comes ease.’



Hadith (Riyadh as-Salihin): On Steadfastness

Suhayb reported hat the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Among those before you there was a king who had a sorcerer. When he was old, he said to the king, 'I am old, so send me a lad to whom I can teach sorcery.' He sent him a lad for him to teach. When the boy was on the way, he came upon a monk. He sat down to listen to his words and liked what he heard. Whenever he went to the sorcerer, he would pass by the monk and sit with him. When he came to the sorcerer, the sorcerer would beat him. He complained about that to the monk who said, 'When you are afraid of the sorcerer, say, "My family kept me." And when you are afraid of your family, say, "The sorcerer kept me."'

"While all this was going on, he came upon a great beast which was barring the people's way and said, 'Today I will find out who is better, the sorcerer or the monk.' He took a stone and said, 'O Allah, if what the monk does is preferable to You to what the sorcerer does, then turn this beast aside so that the people can pass.' He threw it and killed the animal and the people went on. He went to the monk and told him and the monk said to him, 'O my boy, today you are better than I am. I see the point that your business has reached. You will be tested and, when you are tested, do not point me out.'

The boy used to heal the blind and the lepers and treat people for all their ailments. A companion of the king who was blind heard this and brought him many gifts. He said, 'All that I have gathered for you here is yours if you heal me.' He said, 'I do not heal anyone. It is Allah Almighty who heals. If you believe in Allah Almighty, I will pray to Allah to heal you." So he believed in Allah Almighty and Allah Almighty healed him.

He went to the king and sat with him as he used to do. The king said to him, 'Who has returned your sight to you?' He said, 'It was my Lord.' He said, 'You have a Lord other than me?!' He said, 'My Lord and your Lord, Allah.' So he seized him and did not stop torturing him until he pointed out the boy. The boy was brought and the king said to him, 'O boy, your sorcery has reached the point where you heal the blind and the lepers, and you do such-and-such and such-and-such.' He said, 'I do not heal anyone. It is Allah Almighty who heals.' He seized him and did not stop torturing him until he pointed out the monk.

The monk was brought and told, 'Renounce your religion.' He refused. He called for a saw and placed the saw on the centre of his head and split it until the two halves fell apart. Then the companion of the king was brought and told, 'Renounce your religion!' He refused, and the the saw was placed on the centre of his head and split it until the two halves fell apart. Then the boy was brought and told, 'Renounce your religion,' and he refused. He handed him over to a group of his companions and said, 'Take him to such-and-such a mountain, and take him up the mountain. When you reach its summit, if he has not renounced his religion, throw him off.' They took him and brought him up the mountain and he said, 'O Allah, save me from them in whatever way You will.' The mountain shook and they fell. He walked to the king and the king said to him, 'What has happened to your companions?' He said, 'Allah Almighty saved me from them.'

He handed him over to a group of his companions and said, 'Take him and put him in a ship and take him to the middle of the sea. If he does not recant, then throw him into it.' They took him and he said, 'O Allah, save me from them in whatever way You will.' The ship capsized and they were drowned. He walked back to the king and the king said to him, 'What has happened to your companions?' He said, 'Allah Almighty saved me from them.' He said to the king, 'You will not kill me until you do what I command you.' He said, 'What is that?' He said, 'You should gather the people together on one plain and crucify me on a palm trunk. Then take an arrow from your quiver and put the arrow in the centre of your bow and say, "In the name of Allah, the Lord of the boy," and then shoot it. If you do that, you will kill me.'

So he gathered the people together on one plain and crucified him on a trunk and then took his arrow from his quiver and placed the arrow in the middle of the bow and then said, "In the name of Allah, the Lord of the boy," and then shot it and the arrow struck his temple. He put his hand on his temple and then died. The people said, "We believe in the Lord of the boy." The king was brought and told, "Do you not see that, by Allah, your fear has brought about the very thing you were afraid of! The people have believed." So he commanded that a trench be dug with openings onto it and had fires lit in it. He said, 'Throw into it, anyone who does not renounce his religion or tell him to jump.' They did that until a woman came with one of her children. She hesitated to jump into it and the child said to her, 'Mother, be steadfast! You have the truth.'" [Muslim]


How we see ourselves as Muslims today

Allah mentions a story about Musa (Moses) in the Qur’an, after Musa had taken the children of Israel out of Egypt and on the way to the Holy Land. He wanted the people to go and fight to get the land that Allah had promised them. Allah says: “And when Musa said to his people: Oh people! Remember the blessings of Allah upon you, for He has designated Messengers & Prophets from amongst you, and kings from amongst you and He gave you that which He did not give to the other people around your time. Oh my people, Go to the Holy Land that Allah has promised you and do not turn your backs on the commands of Allah otherwise you will be the losers” and the people replied: “Oh Musa! In it (the Holy Land) are men who are exceedingly powerful, and we will not enter that land until they leave. If they leave we will enter the city. As long as they are therein we will not attempt to go to that city.”

The Bible contains the same story and has some additional information that does not contradict or disagree with the Qur’anic version. The Bible adds that the Jews said to Moses that the Holy Land contained ‘people who are exceedingly powerful, and to them we [the Jews] are like grasshoppers, and they see us the way we see ourselves’.

Here, despite having the power and might of Allah behind them, the followers of Musa (who had delivered them from the evil Pharaoh) refused to obey Musa’s commands partly because they had such a negative image of themselves. Their self-esteem and self-belief was very low. They did not value themselves nor believe strongly in their message and the power of their Lord.

Today, many Muslims see themselves in a similar way. We have a negative and apologetic opinion of ourselves and are always defending our beliefs, distancing ourselves from the evil actions of a few bad people. Our confidence in ourselves, beliefs and each other is low, and battered by the media constantly picking upon Muslims in the UK and abroad. How can we change this and start to feel good about ourselves and our Islam?

The media and politicians are always attacking Muslims and we often say that we cannot change it because they are too powerful. We are saying that we are like grasshoppers to them! This attitude is wrong.

Allah mentions in the Qur’an: “Pharaoh has indeed transgressed on the land. He made the people with dignity humiliated”. And in another verse, talking about evil kings: “And when the kings move into a locality they spread corruption and made the dignified amongst the most humiliated and dishonoured”.

These verses talk about how the ruling elite target those with some self-dignity and pride. This may be because those who have self-confidence may stand up to tyranny and oppression and stand up for their beliefs. These people will not ‘go with the flow’ but stand for what is right. These people are potentially rebellious to the ruling people.

How do we feel good about ourselves? The Western media & society tells us that if we look good we deserve to feel good about ourselves. It promotes physical beauty for both men & women: you have to be a certain figure, or have muscles, or dress in a suggestive skimpy manner to look attractive. There are many programmes that promote the physical look, and how to look better. Hence, we should get our self-worth and confidence from the way we look. This is how many adverts sell their products. The side effect is that if you do not look good you shouldn’t feel good about yourself. Thus, we see many people with eating diseases (such as anorexia & bulimia) or people may go to the extreme and start harming themselves because they don’t look or feel good. Those that can afford it then have cosmetic surgery whilst the others feel worse. Again, we are like grasshoppers to this onslaught! Some others then derive their self-belief from their place of birth (e.g., ‘English’), others from their skin colour (‘proud to be black’), or their football team, or their looks. And should we take pride in these things that we made little effort in – how hard did we try to be born where we were or to be ‘black’ or ‘asian’?! So, how did the early Muslims see themselves…

A few short lesser known stories can shed some light on this: Haakim bin Hizam was a non-Muslim and he gave the Prophet* a beautiful gown that had once belonged to the ruler of Yemen. The Prophet* wore this and Haakim said that he had never seen someone more beautiful and handsome as when the Prophet* was wearing this gown. The next day, whilst in the street of Medina he came across Ussama bin Zaid wearing that gown. Ussama was not known for his good looks! Haakim said that is must have been an honour for Ussama to wear the gown that had once belonged to the ruler of Yemen. Instead of being apologetic Ussama replied: ‘By Allah! I am better than that king, and my mother is better than his mother, and my father is better than his father because we say la illaha illalah whereas none of his family ever did’.

On another occasion, Ubaid ibn Samit had been invited by an emperor to talk and explain Islam. He approached on a horse and the courtiers said that he could not address the king on his horse. He said that he had been invited and he will address him as he sees fit. The emperor allowed Ubaid to enter and he was asked what the Muslims were about and what they wanted, Ubaid replied to the emperor’s face: ‘We came to take the creation of Allah out of serving other creatures to the worship of Allah; out of the injustice of other religions to the justice of Islam, and out of the narrowness of this life to the vastness of this life and the Hereafter’.

A quote from the last century goes: ‘no-one can make you feel inferior without your permission and consent’. That is, no-one can actually physically go inside your heart and force you to feel inferior unless there is something for them to feed off. As Muslims, we should be feeling positive about our deen (Islam) and positive about ourselves. Next week we will cover this topic in greater detail (I/A).

18 October 2009

Seerah of Muhammed*

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

The Reaction to the Dawa

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

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

Mockery, jealousy and hatred

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

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

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

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

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

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

Insults, bullying and harassment

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

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

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

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

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

Slander (character assassination)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Corrupting the message

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

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

Bargaining, negotiations and temptations

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

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

Setting challenges

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

Pressurising

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

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

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

Persecution and torture

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

Some of the persecutions and tortures were:

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

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

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

Attempted Assassination

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


News

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

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

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

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

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

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