28 August 2011

28 August 2011

Seerah of Muhammed*

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

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

Battle of the Trench / Confederates (Coalition) [part2]

Seerah: Miracles during the Battle of the Trench

A cry for help came from Jabir, who had dug down to a rock which none of their implements could loosen. The Prophet* called for some water and spat into it; then having prayed, he sprinkled the water over the rock, and they were able to shovel it out like a heap of sand.'

Another day it was the Emigrants who needed help. After many vain attempts to split or dislodge a rock he had struck, 'Umar went to the Prophet*, who took the pickaxe from him and gave the rock a blow at which a flare as of lightning flashed back over the city and towards the south. He gave it another blow and again there was a flash but in the direction of Uhud and beyond it towards the north. A third blow split the rock into fragments, and this time the light flashed eastwards. Salman saw the three flashes and knew they must have some significance, so he asked for an interpretation from the Prophet*, who said: "Didst thou see them, Salman? By the light of the first I saw the castles of the Yemen; by the light of the second I saw the castles of Syria; by the light of the third I saw the white palace of Kisra' at Mada'in. Through the first hath God opened unto me the Yemen; through the second hath He opened unto me Syria and the West; and through the third the East. "

On another day the Prophet* saw a girl enter the camp with something in her hand, and he called her to him. It was the niece of 'Abd Allah ibn Rawahah, In her own words: "When I told the Messenger of God that I was taking some dates to my father and mine uncle, he bade me give them to him. So I poured them into his hands, but they did not fill them. He called for a garment, which was spread out for him, and he threw the dates upon it in such wise that they were scattered over its surface. Then he bade those who were with him invite the diggers to lunch, and when they came they began to eat, and the dates increased and they were still overflowing from the edges of the garment when the men turned away from them."!

Jabir had been struck by the Prophet*'s exceeding leanness the day he had needed his help at the trench, and that evening he asked his wife if she could not cook him a meal. "We have naught but this ewe," she said "and a measure of barley." So he sacrificed the ewe, and the next day she roasted it and ground the barley and made some bread. Then, when it was too dark to continue working, Jabir went to the Prophet* as he was leaving the trench and invited him to the meal of mutton and barley bread. "The Prophet* put his palm against mine", said Jabir, "and knotted his fingers through my fingers. I wanted him to come alone, but he told a crier to call out: 'Go with the Messenger of God unto the house of Jabir, Respond, for Jabir inviteth you.''' Jabir uttered the verse which the faithful are recommended to utter at a moment of disaster: Verily we are for God, and verily unto Him are we returning, and he went on ahead to warn his wife. "Didst thou invite them or did he?" she said. "Nay, he invited them," said Jabir. "Then let them come," she said, "for he knoweth best." The meal was placed in front of the Prophet* and he blessed it and uttered the Name of God over it and began to eat. There were ten sitting down with him, and when they had all eaten their fill they rose and went to their homes, making room for ten more, and so it went on until all the workers at the trench had satisfied their hunger, and there still remained some mutton and some bread.

Some Fighting

There were a few skirmishes. Only a few managed to cross the Trench at its weakest point. One of these, 'Amr, shouted a challenge to single combat. When 'Ali offered himself he refused, saying: "I hate to kill the like of thee. Thy father was a boon companion of mine. Therefore go back, thou art but a stripling." But 'Ali insisted, so 'Amr dismounted and both men advanced. A cloud of dust soon hid them from view; then they heard 'All's voice raised in magnification and they knew that 'Arnr was dead or dying. Sa'd ibn Mu'adh was struck in the arm by an arrow which severed a vein, and many of the horses of Quraish and Ghatafan were wounded.

During the process of fighting, Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh was shot by an arrow that pierced his artery. Perceiving his end approaching, he invoked Allah saying: “Oh, Allah, you know nothing is closer to my heart than striving in Your way against those people (disbelievers) who belied Your Messenger and banished him from his town. Oh, Allah, I deeply believe that You have decreed that we should fight them, so if there is still more fighting to go with them, let me stay alive in order to strive more against them. If it has settled down, I beseech you to ignite it again so that I breathe my last in its context.”

Banu Quraizah's treachery

The Bani Qurayzah's renunciation of their pact did not remain hidden. Many of the hypocrites were undetermined as to which side they belonged to, and they were ready to betray the secrets of either side to the other. 'Umar was the first of the Companions to hear that the Jews were now a potential enemy. He went to the Prophet*, who was sitting in his tent with Abu Bakr. "O Messenger of God," he said, "I have been told that Bani Qurayzah have broken their treaty and are at war with us." The Prophet* was visibly troubled; and he sent Zubayr to find out the truth of the matter. On hearing this bad news, the Messenger despatched four Muslim prominent leaders Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh, Sa‘d bin ‘Ubada, ‘Abdullah bin Rawaha and Khawat bin Jubair for investigation but warning against any sort of spreading panic amongst the Muslims and advising that they should declare in public that the rumours are groundless if they happen to be so: "Go and see if it be true. Ifit be false, then say so plainly. But if it be true, then tell me in some subtle way that I shall understand." Unfortunately the four men discovered that the news was true and that the Jews announced openly that no pact of alliance existed any longer with Muhammad*. and when they saw that they were wasting their words they returned to the Prophet*. "'Aqal and Qarah," they said to him, these being the two tribes who had betrayed Khubayb and his companions to the men of Hudhayl. The Prophet* understood and magnified God: "Allahu Akbar! Be of good cheer, O Muslims." The Messenger of Allah was briefed on this situation, and the Muslims understood their critical position with the horrible danger implied therein. Their back was vulnerable to the attacks of Banu Quraiza, and a huge army with no way to connive at in front, while their women and children unprotected standing in between. They reached the fortresses of Qurayzah soon after Zubayr and found that they had indeed renounced the pact. They adjured them by God to revert to it again before it was too late, but they only answered: "Who is the Messenger of God? There is no pact between us and Muhammad* nor any agreement." In vain they reminded them of the fates of the Bani Qaynuqa and the Bani Nadir. Ka'b and the others were now too confident of the victory of Quraish to listen to them;

It was now necessary to reduce the strength of the forces at the trench and to keep a garrison within the town itself, so the Prophet* sent back a hundred men. Then the warning came to him that Huyay was urging Quraish and Ghatafan to send by night each a thousand men to the fortresses of Qurayzah and from there to raid the centre of the town and break into the fortresses of the Muslims and carry off their women and children. The appointed night, for various reasons, was put off more than once, and the project was never realised; but as soon as the Prophet* heard of it he sent Zayd with a troop of three hundred horse to patrol the streets, magnifying God throughout each night, and it was as if the city was filled with a mighty host.

Hadith:

Sadly, no time for Hadith this week too (outvoted)

News

Hurricane Irene

A brief review of the hurricane currently lashing New York and the Eastern Part of the USA. A short reflection on what disasters tend to make the news and a reminder of how the Qur’an mentions the destruction of the people of Aad through a strong wind, and the message of Prophet Hud to his dead people. Also, a reminder of how Muslims should seek to help all people suffering from disasters.

Feedback

Visit to Mecca and Medina

A lovely explanation of a recent trip to the Holy Land and the rituals involved in Umrah and the feelings the trip evokes.

21 August 2011

21 August 2011

Seerah of Muhammed*

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

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

Seerah: Battle of the Trench / Confederates (Coalition) [part1]

The Jews make alliance with the Quraish

The exiled Jews of Bani Nadir who had settled in Khaybar were determined to recover the land they had lost. Their hopes were centred on the preparations of Quraish for a final attack on the Prophet*; and towards the end of the fifth year of Islam -it was about the New Year of AD 627 -these preparations were brought to a head by a secret visit to Mecca of Huyay and other Jewish leaders from Khaybar. "We are one with you," they said to Abu Sufyan, "that we may eradicate Muhammad*." "The dearest of men to us", he replied, "are those who help us against Muhammad*." So he and Safwan and other chiefs of Quraish took the Jews inside the Ka'bah, and together they swore a solemn oath to God that they would not fail one another until they had achieved their end and aim. Then it occurred to Quraish that they should take this opportunity of asking the opinion of the Jews about the rights of their conflict with the founder of the new religion. "Men of the Jews," said Abu Sufyan, "ye are the people of the first scripture, and ye have knowledge. Tell us how we stand with regard unto Muhammad*, Is our religion the better or his?" They answered: "Your religion is better than his, and ye are nearer the truth than he is."

Gathering the Coalition (Confederacy)

On this harmonious basis the two allies laid their plans. The Jews undertook to rouse up all the nomads in the plain of Najd who had grievances against Medina; and where desire for revenge was not sufficient the matter was to be clinched by bribery. The Bani Asad readily agreed to help them; as to the Bani Ghatafan, they were promised half the date harvest of Khaybar if they would join the confederacy, and their agreement to do so increased the army by nearly six thousand men, from the Ghatafanite clans of Fazarah, Murrah and Ashja', The Jews also succeeded in securing a contingent from the Bani Sulaym seven hundred strong, which would no doubt have been larger but for the fact that ever since the massacre at the well of Ma'unah a small but increasing party within this tribe had been favourable to Islam. As to the southerly neighbour of Sulaym, the Bani'Amir, they remained altogether faithful to their pact with the Prophet*.

Quraish themselves and their closest allies were four thousand strong. Together with one or two other contingents from the south, they were to march out from Mecca along the west coastal route to Medina, the same route which they had taken to Uhud. The second army, which was considerably less of a unity, was to close in on Medina from the east, that is, from the plain of Najd. Together the two armies were estimated at a total of more than three times the strength of Quraish at Uhud. There the Muslims had been defeated by a force of three thousand. What could they now hope to do against ten thousand? Moreover, instead of a troop of only two hundred horse, Quraish had this time three hundred and could rely on Ghatafan for another troop of the same strength.

They marched forth from Mecca-according to plan; and about the same time, possibly with the connivance of 'Abbas, a number of horsemen from the Bani Khuza'ah set out with all speed for Medina to warn the Prophet* of the impending attack and to give him details of its strength. They reached him in four days, thus giving him only a week to make preparations. He at once alerted the whole oasis and spoke words of encouragement to his followers, promising them the victory if only they would have patience and fear God and obey orders.

The Prophet Plans the Defence of Medina

Then, as he had done at Uhud, he summoned them to a consultation (Shura) at which many opinions were expressed as to what would be the best plan of action; but finally Salman rose to his feet and said: "O Messenger of God, in Persia when we feared an attack of horse, we would surround ourselves with a trench, so let us dig a trench about us now." Everyone agreed to this plan with enthusiasm, the more so as they were averse to repeating the strategy of Uhud.

Time was short and all efforts would have to be strained to the utmost if no dangerous gap was to be left in the defences. But the trench did not need to be continuous; at many places a long stretch of fortress-like houses at the edge of the city was adequate protection; and to the north-west there were some masses of rock which in themselves were impregnable and merely needed to be connected to each other. The nearest of these, known as Mount Sal', was to be brought within the entrenchments, for the ground in front of it was an excellent site for the camp. The trench itself would bound the camp to the north in a wide sweep from one of the rocky eminences to a point on the eastern wall of the town. This was to be the longest single stretch of trench and also the most important.

As well as being the originator of the strategy, Salman knew exactly how wide and how deep the trench would have to be; and having worked with the Bani Qurayzah, he knew that they possessed all the implements that were needed. Nor were they averse to lending them in the face of the common danger; for although they had no love for the Prophet* the majority of opinion amongst them had been that their pact with him was a political advantage, not to be thrown away. So mattocks, pickaxes and shovels were borrowed from them. They also supplied date-baskets which were strongly woven of palm-fibre and could thus be used for carrying the excavated earth. The Prophet* made each section of his community responsible for a part of the trench and he himself worked with them (10 men to forty feet of Trench).

The Prophet* worked now with the Emigrants, and now with the Helpers, sometimes with a pickaxe, sometimes with a shovel and sometimes as a carrier. But wherever he might be, it was understood that he must be informed of any unusual difficulty. Most of the diggers at the trench had not normally enough to eat, and the hard work increased the pangs of hunger. Anas relates that the food they had was rotten animal fat mixed with barley that stuck in their throats.

The Meccan army and their allies pitched separate camps not far from Uhud. Quraish were dismayed to find that the crops of the oasis had already been harvested. Their camels would have to subsist on the acacias of the valley of 'Aqiq. Meantime the camels of Ghatafan were living on the two kinds of tamarisk which grow in the thicketed parts of the plain near Uhud. But there was nothing for the horses of either army except the fodder they had brought with them. It was therefore imperative to make an end of the enemy as quickly as possible, and with this intention the two armies joined together and advanced in the direction of the city. Abu Sufyan was commander-in-chief, but by turns each of the various leaders was to have his day of honour in which he would direct the actual fighting. Khalid and 'Ikrimah were again in command of the Meccan cavalry, and 'Amr was in Khalid's troop. As they approached they were heartened to see the enemy camp in front of them outside the town. They had been afraid that they would find them garrisoned behind their battlements; but out in the open they should be able to overwhelm them by sheer weight of numbers. When they drew nearer, however, they were amazed to see that a broad trench lay between them and the archers who were lined the whole way along it on its further side. Their horse would only be able to reach it with difficulty, and then would come the greater difficulty of crossing it. Even now a shower of arrows told them that they were already within range of the enemy, so they drew back to a safer distance.

Meantime Khalid and 'Ikrimah were examining the trench, albeit from a distance, to see where it might most easily be crossed. "This piece of trickery!" they exclaimed in exasperation. "Never have Arabs resorted to such a device. There must surely be with him a man of Persia." To their disappointment they saw that the work had been all too well done, except for a short section which was slightly narrower than the rest, and this was closely guarded. One or two attempts to storm it were a total failure. Their horses had never seen anything like the trench and manifested a strong aversion for it. This might change, but for the moment the fighting could be no more than an interchange of archery.

News topic:

Funeral of 3 Birmingham Muslims killed in riots

We talked about how dignified the Muslims were in the funeral prayer – over 20,000 people attended this sad event. Nevertheless, the Muslims showed what the community in Britain is really like – not how it is portrayed in the media. Special mention was made of the parents and brothers of the dead young men and what a wonderful example they have been showing to the Muslims and Non-Muslims in their time of grief.

Hadith:

No time to complete the Hadith

Feedback Section:

Why we are created differently

Looking at the different features of the many ‘tribes’ and ‘races’ Allah created in the world – ‘so that we may get to know each other’. Also we talked about the dangers of nationalism and how this contradicts Islamic principles of brotherhood and One Ummah.

Eid-ul Fitr and Eid-ul Adha

Looking at the reasons why we celebrate these days and what all Muslims should do on the auspicious days of Eid.

14 August 2011

14 August 2011

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

Zayd bin Thabit learns Hebrew in 15 days

"Zayd, learn the writing of the Jews for me," instructed the Prophet. "At your command, Messenger of Allâh," replied Zayd who set about learning Hebrew with enthusiasm. He became quite proficient in the language and wrote it for the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam when he wanted to communicate with the Jews. Zayd also read and translated from Hebrew when the Jews wrote to the Prophet. The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam instructed him to learn Syriac also and this he did. Zayd thus came to perform the important function of an interpreter for the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam in his dealings with non-Arabic speaking peoples.

The Invasion of Badr, the Second 

When the Muslims destroyed the power of the Arab-desert tribes and guarded themselves against their evils, they started preparations to encounter their great enemy. A year elapsed since they fought Quraish at Uhud. So it was due time to meet them and start war again in order to determine which of the two parties was worthy of survival. But it was a year of drought, and Abu Sufyan saw that there would be not a blade of greenery for their camels and horses to eat on the way. All the fodder for the expedition would have to be brought with them from Mecca, and their stores were already depleted. But he shrank from the dishonour of breaking the tryst which he had himself proposed. It was desirable that Muhammad should be the one to break it, but reports had come from Yathrib that he was already making preparations to set out. Could he be induced to change his mind? Abu Sufyan went into consultation with Suhayl and one or two other leaders of Quraysh, and they formed a plan. There happened to be in Mecca at that time a friend of Suhayl's named Nu'ayrn, one of the leading men of the Bani Ashja', a clan of Chatafan. They felt they could trust him, and since he was not of Quraysh he could pose as a neutral and objective onlooker. They offered him twenty camels if he could induce the Muslims to renounce their project of marching out to Badr. Nu'aym agreed and set out at once for the oasis, where he drew an alarming picture of the forces which Abu Sufyan was preparing to lead out to Badr. He spoke to all the different sections of the community, Emigrants, Helpers, Jews and hypocrites, and he would close his assessment of the danger with the urgent counsel: "Therefore stay here and go not out against them. By God, I do not think a single one of you will escape with his life." The Jews and the hypocrites were glad at the news of Meccan preparations for war, and they helped to spread the tidings throughout the city. Nor did Nu'aym fail to make an impression on the Muslims themselves, many of whom were inclined to think that it would indeed be most unwise to go out to Badr. News of this attitude reached the Prophet*, and he began to fear that no one would go out with him. But Abu Bakr and 'Umer urged him on no account to break his tryst with Quraysh. "God will support His religion," they said "and He will give strength to His Messenger." "I will go forth," said the Prophet*, "even if I go alone."

These few words cost Nu'ayrn his camels, making vain all his efforts just when he was beginning to think that he had succeeded. But despite himself, he was impressed by the total failure of his mission: some power was at work in Medina which was altogether beyond his influence, and beyond his experience, and the seeds of Islam were sown in his heart. The Prophet* set out as originally planned with fifteen hundred men on camels and ten horsemen. Many of them took merchandise with them, intending to trade at the fair of Badr.

In Sha‘ban 4 A.H., January 626 A.D., the Messenger of Allah* set out to Badr accompanied by one thousand and five hundred fighters and ten mounted horsemen, and with ‘Ali bin Abi Talib as standard bearer. ‘Abdullah bin Rawahah was given authority over Madina during the Prophet*’s absence. Reaching Badr, the Muslims stayed there waiting for the idolaters to come.

Meantime Abu Sufyan had said to Quraysh: "Let us go out and spend one night or two nights on the road, and then return. If Muhammad go not out he will hear that we set forth and that we then returned because he came not out to meet us. This will be counted against him and in our favour." Abu Sufyan’s forces comprised two thousand footmen and fifty horsemen. They reached Mar Az-Zahran, some distance form Mecca, and camped at a water place called Mijannah. Being reluctant, discouraged and extremely terrified of the consequences of the approaching fight, Abu Sufyan turned to his people and began to introduce cowardice-based flimsy pretexts in order to dissuade his men from going to war, saying: "O tribe of Quraish! Nothing will improve the condition you are in but a fruitful year — a year during which your animals feed on plants and bushes and give you milk to drink. And I see that this is a rainless year, therefore I am returning now and I recommend you to return with me." It seems that his army were also possessed of the same fears and apprehensions, for they readily obeyed him without the least hesitation.

But as it happened, the Prophet* and his Companions spent eight days at the fair of Badr, and those who attended it reported the news far and wide that Quraysh had broken their word but that Muhammad and his followers had kept theirs and had come to fight Quraysh as they had promised. When the news reached Mecca of the great moral victory of their enemy and of their own moral defeat in the eyes of Arabia, Safwan and others bitterly upbraided Abu Sufyan for ever having proposed the second encounter at Badr. But this mortification none the less served to intensify their preparations for the final and lasting revenge which they were planning to inflict on the founder and followers of the' new religion.

The Muslims, who were then at Badr, stayed for eight days waiting for their enemy. They took advantage of their stay by selling goods and earning double as much the price out of it. When the idolaters declined to fight, the balance of powers shifted to rest in favour of the Muslims, who thus regained their military reputation, their dignity and managed to impose their awe-inspiring presence over the whole of Arabia. In brief, they mastered and controlled the whole situation. This invasion had many a name. It is called ‘Badr the Appointment’, ‘Badr, the Second’, ‘Badr, the Latter’, and ‘Badr Minor’.

Salman al-Farsi (Salman the Persian)

This is a story of a seeker of Truth, the story of Salman the Persian, gleaned, to begin with, from his own words: I grew up in the town of Isfahan in Persia in the village of Jayyan. My father was the Dihqan or chief of the village. He was the richest person there and had the biggest house. Since I was a child my father loved me, more than he loved any other. As time went by his love for me became so strong and overpowering that he feared to lose me or have anything happen to me. So he kept me at home, a veritable prisoner, in the same way that young girls were kept. I became devoted to the Magian religion so much so that I attained the position of custodian of the fire which we worshipped. My duty was to see that the flames of the fire remained burning and that it did not go out for a single hour, day or night. My father had a vast estate which yielded an abundant supply of crops. He himself looked after the estate and the harvest. One day he was very busy with his duties as dihqan in the village and he said to me: "My son, as you see, I am too busy to go out to the estate now. Go and look after matters there for me today."

On my way to the estate, I passed a Christian church and the voices at prayer attracted my attention. I did not know anything about Christianity or about the followers of any other religion throughout the time my father kept me in the house away from people. When I heard the voices of the Christians I entered the church to see what they were doing. I was impressed by their manner of praying and felt drawn to their religion. "By God," I said, "this is better than ours. I shall not leave them until the sun sets." I asked and was told that the Christian religion originated in Ash-Sham (Greater Syria). I did not go to my father's estate that day and at night, I returned home. My father met me and asked what I had done. I told him about my meeting with the Christians and how I was impressed by their religion. He was dismayed and said: "My son, there is nothing good in that religion. Your religion and the religion of your forefathers is better."

"No, their religion is better than ours," I insisted.My father became upset and afraid that I would leave our religion. So he kept me locked up in the house and put a chain on my feet. I managed however to send a message to the Christians asking them to inform me of any caravan going to Syria. Before long they got in touch with me and told me that a caravan was headed for Syria. I managed to unfetter myself and in disguise accompanied the caravan to Syria. There, I asked who was the leading person in the Christian religion and was directed to the bishop of the church. I went up to him and said: "I want to become a Christian and would like to attach myself to your service, learn from you and pray with you." The bishop agreed and I entered the church in his service. I soon found out, however, that the man was corrupt. He would order his followers to give money in charity while holding out the promise of blessings to them. When they gave anything to spend in the way of God, however, he would hoard it for himself and not give anything to the poor or needy. In this way he amassed a vast quantity of gold. When the bishop died and the Christians gathered to bury him, I told them of his corrupt practices and, at their request, showed them where he kept their donations. When they saw the large jars filled with gold and silver they said. "By God, we shall not bury him." They nailed him on a cross and threw stones at him. I continued in the service of the person who replaced him. The new bishop was an ascetic who longed for the Hereafter and engaged in worship day and night. I was greatly devoted to him and spent a long time in his company. (After his death, Salman attached himself to various Christian religious figures, in Mosul, Nisibis and elsewhere. The last one had told him about the appearance of a Prophet* in the land of the Arabs who would have a reputation for strict honesty, one who would accept a gift but would never consume charity (sadaqah) for himself. Salman continues his story.)

A group of Arab leaders from the Kalb tribe passed through Ammuriyah and I asked them to take me with them to the land of the Arabs in return for whatever money I had. They agreed and I paid them. When we reached Wadi al-Qura (a place between Madina and Syria), they broke their agreement and sold me to a Jew. I worked as a servant for him but eventually he sold me to a nephew of his belonging to the tribe of Banu Qurayzah. This nephew took me with him to Yathrib, the city of palm groves, which is how the Christian at Ammuriyah had described it. At that time the Prophet* was inviting his people in Mecca to Islam but I did not hear anything about him then because of the harsh duties which slavery imposed upon me. When the Prophet* reached Yathrib after his hijrah from Mecca, I was in fact at the top of a palm tree belonging to my master doing some work. My master was sitting under the tree. A nephew of his came up and said: "May God declare war on the Aws and the Khazraj (the two main Arab tribes of Yathrib). By God, they are now gathering at Quba to meet a man who has today come from Mecca and who claims he is a Prophet."

I felt hot flushes as soon as I heard these words and I began to shiver so violently that I was afraid that I might fall on my master. I quickly got down from the tree and spoke to my master's nephew. "What did you say? Repeat the news for me." My master was very angry and gave me a terrible blow. "What does this matter to you'? Go back to what you were doing," he shouted. When it was evening, I took some food with me and went to the Prophet**. The Prophet* was in Quba at the time. I said, “Word has reached me that you are a very pious man, and that you have some travellers in your company. I had some charity and thought that you would be most deserving of it. This is it; you may have some to eat.” The Prophet* withdrew his own hand, not eating from it, but told his Companions to eat. At the time, I thought, “This is one of the characteristics my Mentor told me of.” On my way back, I saw that the Prophet* was heading to Madinah . Thus, I took the food to him, saying, “I saw that you were not eating from this charity. As a matter of fact, I presented it as a gift and not charity.” This time, the Prophet* ate with his Companions. “That makes two signs,” I thought. Later on, I approached the Prophet* as he was walking behind the corpse in a funeral. I remember that at the time, he was covered in two sheets, and that his Companions were with him. I was trying to steal a look at the Seal on his back, when the Prophet* saw me glancing. Realising that I wanted to verify what someone had told me, he let his cloak drop a little, and I managed to see that the Seal between his shoulder blades was exactly the way my Mentor had described it. I threw myself down before the Prophet* kissing (his blessed hands/feet) and started to cry. The Holy Prophet* said, “O Salman! Reveal your story.” So I sat in front of him, relating my story to him and hoping that his Companions could also hear it. When I had finished, the Prophet* said, “O Salman! Make a deal with your owner to free you.”

Consequently, my master did agree to free me, but in exchange for the following: ‘Three hundred date trees, as well as one thousand, six hundred silver coins.' Hence, the Sahaba helped by providing around twenty to thirty date plants each, and a tenth of every man's land in accordance to how much he owned. The Prophet* said to me, “Dig a hole for each date-plant. When you are finished, let me know so that I can personally fix all the date-plants into place with my own hands.” Thus, with the help of my friends, I dug holes wherever the date-plants were to be put. Later on, the Prophet* came. We stood by his side holding the plants as he fixed them into the ground. I swear by The Being Who sent the Prophet* with the Truth, not a single plant died out. Nevertheless, I still had the silver to pay. A man came to the Prophet* bringing from the mines some gold which was roughly the size of a pigeon's egg. The Prophet* said, “O Salman! Take this and pay off whatever you have to.” I replied, “O Messenger of Allah! How will this be enough for my debt?” He said, “Allah will surely make it sufficient for your debt.”

As a result to this statement, I swear By Allah, it outweighed the one thousand, six hundred coins. I not only paid off my dues, but what I had left with me was equivalent to what I had given them. The strict honesty of the Prophet* was one of the characteristics that led Salman may Allah be pleased with her to believe in him and accept Islam. After accepting Islam, Salman would say when asked whose son he was: "I am Salman, the son of Islam from the children of Adam." Salman was to play an important role in the struggles of the growing Muslim state. At the battle of Khandaq, he proved to be an innovator in military strategy. He suggested digging a ditch or khandaq around Madina to keep the Quraysh army at bay. When Abu Sufyan, the leader of the Makkans, saw the ditch, he said, "This stratagem has not been employed by the Arabs before." Salman became known as "Salman the Good".

Hadith: Not done

News

English Riots:
The moral decay of our society is as bad at the top as the bottom

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/peteroborne/100100708/the-moral-decay-of-our-society-is-as-bad-at-the-top-as-the-bottom/#.TkRJmZOIA68.facebook

By Peter Oborne Politics
August 11th, 2011
Peter Oborne is the Daily Telegraph's chief political commentator.

David Cameron, Ed Miliband and the entire British political class came together yesterday to denounce the rioters. They were of course right to say that the actions of these looters, arsonists and muggers were abhorrent and criminal, and that the police should be given more support.
But there was also something very phony and hypocritical about all the shock and outrage expressed in parliament. MPs spoke about the week’s dreadful events as if they were nothing to do with them.
I cannot accept that this is the case. Indeed, I believe that the criminality in our streets cannot be dissociated from the moral disintegration in the highest ranks of modern British society. The last two decades have seen a terrifying decline in standards among the British governing elite. It has become acceptable for our politicians to lie and to cheat. An almost universal culture of selfishness and greed has grown up.
It is not just the feral youth of Tottenham who have forgotten they have duties as well as rights. So have the feral rich of Chelsea and Kensington. A few years ago, my wife and I went to a dinner party in a large house in west London. A security guard prowled along the street outside, and there was much talk of the “north-south divide”, which I took literally for a while until I realised that my hosts were facetiously referring to the difference between those who lived north and south of Kensington High Street.
Most of the people in this very expensive street were every bit as deracinated and cut off from the rest of Britain as the young, unemployed men and women who have caused such terrible damage over the last few days. For them, the repellent Financial Times magazine How to Spend It is a bible. I’d guess that few of them bother to pay British tax if they can avoid it, and that fewer still feel the sense of obligation to society that only a few decades ago came naturally to the wealthy and better off.
Yet we celebrate people who live empty lives like this. A few weeks ago, I noticed an item in a newspaper saying that the business tycoon Sir Richard Branson was thinking of moving his headquarters to Switzerland. This move was represented as a potential blow to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, because it meant less tax revenue.
I couldn’t help thinking that in a sane and decent world such a move would be a blow to Sir Richard, not the Chancellor. People would note that a prominent and wealthy businessman was avoiding British tax and think less of him. Instead, he has a knighthood and is widely feted. The same is true of the brilliant retailer Sir Philip Green. Sir Philip’s businesses could never survive but for Britain’s famous social and political stability, our transport system to shift his goods and our schools to educate his workers.
Yet Sir Philip, who a few years ago sent an extraordinary £1 billion dividend offshore, seems to have little intention of paying for much of this. Why does nobody get angry or hold him culpable? I know that he employs expensive tax lawyers and that everything he does is legal, but he surely faces ethical and moral questions just as much as does a young thug who breaks into one of Sir Philip’s shops and steals from it?
Our politicians – standing sanctimoniously on their hind legs in the Commons yesterday – are just as bad. They have shown themselves prepared to ignore common decency and, in some cases, to break the law. David Cameron is happy to have some of the worst offenders in his Cabinet. Take the example of Francis Maude, who is charged with tackling public sector waste – which trade unions say is a euphemism for waging war on low‑paid workers. Yet Mr Maude made tens of thousands of pounds by breaching the spirit, though not the law, surrounding MPs’ allowances.
A great deal has been made over the past few days of the greed of the rioters for consumer goods, not least by Rotherham MP Denis MacShane who accurately remarked, “What the looters wanted was for a few minutes to enter the world of Sloane Street consumption.” This from a man who notoriously claimed £5,900 for eight laptops. Of course, as an MP he obtained these laptops legally through his expenses.
Yesterday, the veteran Labour MP Gerald Kaufman asked the Prime Minister to consider how these rioters can be “reclaimed” by society. Yes, this is indeed the same Gerald Kaufman who submitted a claim for three months’ expenses totalling £14,301.60, which included £8,865 for a Bang & Olufsen television.
Or take the Salford MP Hazel Blears, who has been loudly calling for draconian action against the looters. I find it very hard to make any kind of ethical distinction between Blears’s expense cheating and tax avoidance, and the straight robbery carried out by the looters.
The Prime Minister showed no sign that he understood that something stank about yesterday’s Commons debate. He spoke of morality, but only as something which applies to the very poor: “We will restore a stronger sense of morality and responsibility – in every town, in every street and in every estate.” He appeared not to grasp that this should apply to the rich and powerful as well.
The tragic truth is that Mr Cameron is himself guilty of failing this test. It is scarcely six weeks since he jauntily turned up at the News International summer party, even though the media group was at the time subject to not one but two police investigations. Even more notoriously, he awarded a senior Downing Street job to the former News of the World editor Andy Coulson, even though he knew at the time that Coulson had resigned after criminal acts were committed under his editorship. The Prime Minister excused his wretched judgment by proclaiming that “everybody deserves a second chance”. It was very telling yesterday that he did not talk of second chances as he pledged exemplary punishment for the rioters and looters.
These double standards from Downing Street are symptomatic of widespread double standards at the very top of our society. It should be stressed that most people (including, I know, Telegraph readers) continue to believe in honesty, decency, hard work, and putting back into society at least as much as they take out.
But there are those who do not. Certainly, the so-called feral youth seem oblivious to decency and morality. But so are the venal rich and powerful – too many of our bankers, footballers, wealthy businessmen and politicians.
Of course, most of them are smart and wealthy enough to make sure that they obey the law. That cannot be said of the sad young men and women, without hope or aspiration, who have caused such mayhem and chaos over the past few days. But the rioters have this defence: they are just following the example set by senior and respected figures in society. Let’s bear in mind that many of the youths in our inner cities have never been trained in decent values. All they have ever known is barbarism. Our politicians and bankers, in sharp contrast, tend to have been to good schools and universities and to have been given every opportunity in life.
Something has gone horribly wrong in Britain. If we are ever to confront the problems which have been exposed in the past week, it is essential to bear in mind that they do not only exist in inner-city housing estates.
The culture of greed and impunity we are witnessing on our TV screens stretches right up into corporate boardrooms and the Cabinet. It embraces the police and large parts of our media. It is not just its damaged youth, but Britain itself that needs a moral reformation.


The rioters and bankers have a lot in common
Current Affairs
August 10, 2011


Though apparently worlds apart the driving motivations of the rioters and bankers are more similar than we care to acknowledge.
To dispel the myth that the causes of the riots are racial or part of some class struggle there are similarities between the rioters and the bankers reeking havoc on their respective markets – which therefore points to a more fundamental, underlying cause.
Greed: Whether it’s the latest iphone or the next Porche – pure material greed motivated both the rioters and the bankers
Contagion: The devastation of the rioters just like the bankers spread from one market, one town centre to the next causing millions and billions of economic damage in its wake
Mob rule: Mob rule took over as the markets were attacked in waves by rioting gangs and bankers on mass as soon they felt the vulnerability and weakness in their victims
The thrill of the kill: Common accounts of rioters and bankers getting pleasure from the exhilaration of pushing the limits and going to the extreme
Utter disregard for society: The rioters and bankers both showed utter contempt of society and the impact and consequences of their actions on individuals, families or communities
Failure of policing: The Metropolitan Police failed to control the rioters just as the Bank of England, Financial Services Authority and the UK Treasury were unable to regulate the bankers
The above similarities cut across racial and class boundaries between the rioters and the bankers and illustrates something more deeper underlying the cause of the riots of today and the havoc reeked during the financial crisis of 2008/09.
This deeper underlying cause is the fundamental values system of capitalism founded on individualism and materialism which then “governs” the behaviour of all those who adopt it resulting in the mayhem we’ve seen which seem worlds apart but are more similar than we care to accept.

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English Riots

07 August 2011

07 August 2011

Seerah of Muhammed*

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

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

Marriage to Umm Salamah

Umm Salama, whose real name was Hind, was the daughter of Umayya b. Mughira from Bani Makhzum tribe. Her husband Abd Allah b. Abd al-Asad, migrated to Abyssinia when he was subjected to the oppression and torment by mushriks (idolaters) because of his acceptance of Islam. He returned to Makkah upon the rumor that a lot of people from Quraish became Muslims; however, when he learned that the rumor was wrong, this time he migrated to Madinah undergoing a lot of difficult times. Hazrat Umm Salama was with her husband in both of the migrations to Abyssinia.

Umm Salama was widowed with her four children when her husband died in the forth year of the Hijrah as a result of his injuries in the Battle of Uhud.  Umm Salama told her husband just before his death, As I heard, if a woman deserving heaven, whose husband deserving heaven died, does not marry to someone else later, Allah certainly will bring her with her husband together in the heaven. In the same way, if a man deserving heaven, whose wife deserving heaven died, does not marry to someone else later, Allah certainly will bring him with his wife together in the heaven. Then she made the following offer to her husband: Then, let us promise to each other. Neither you will get married after me, nor shall I get married after you! However, Abu Salama did not accept that offer and he said: You listen to what I tell you, get married after my death. Then, he made the following prayer: O my Allah! Grant Umm Salama a husband, who is better than me, who will not look down on her and who will not hurt her after me!

When she finished the prescribed period of waiting Umm Salama, had rejected  the marriage offers of Abu Bakr and Umar previously. Later on, Our Prophet* made an offer of marriage to Umm Salama in order to take her and her orphan children under his protection. Umm Salama required being excused of that and said. I am both an old and a jealous woman. I also have children and I have none of my elders with me as a witness.

Our Prophet (pbuh) went to Umm Salama, who had given him that answer, and repeated his marriage offer himself. Then he said:  You say that you are an old woman. It is not a shame for an old woman to marry an older man than her. You said that you were the mother of the orphan children. Know that their livelihoods belong to Allah and His messenger. You say that you are a jealous woman. I will also pray Allah to eliminate it from you. You say that there are none of your elders beside you. There are none among them whether they are present here or not that will not consent to me.

The Prophet* give her as a gift for marriage what he had given Zaynab -  a cushion of leather stuffed with fibre, a millstone, a water-skin and two jars

Umm Salama, who was 44 years old when she got married to the Prophet*, died in the 59th year of the Hijrah at the age of 84. Abu Hurayra leaded her salatul-janaza (the funeral prayer) and she was buried in the Baqee Graveyard.  Umm Salama, who could read but not write, was among the ones who knew the Fiqh (Islamic Laws) well. The number of the hadiths she had related from Allahs Most Noble Messenger is 378.

Alcohol banned

 “O ye who believe! Intoxicants and Gambling, (dedication of) stones, and (divination by) arrows, are an Abomination – of Satan’s handiwork; eschew such (abomination), that ye may prosper.” [Al-Qur’an 5:90] When this was revealed the Muslim citizens of Medina immediately began to destroy and empty their alcohol containers into the street.  Even those who were guiltlessly enjoying cups of wine spat the alcohol from their mouths.  It is said that the streets of Medina ran with alcohol.

Dhatur-Riqa

Dhat Ar-Riqa‘ (rags) campaign took place in Najd ( a large area of tableland in the Arabian Peninsula) in Rabi‘ Ath-Thani or Jumada Al-Ula, 4 A.H. They substantiate their claim by saying that it was strategically necessary to carry out this campaign in order to quell the rebellious bedouins in order to meet the exigencies of the agreed upon encounter with the polytheists, i.e. minor Badr Battle in Sha‘ban, 4 A.H.

The rules relating to the prayer of fear which the Prophet* observed at Dhat Ar-Riqa‘ campaign were revealed.

The Invasion of Doumat Al-Jandal

The Prophet* was reported that some tribes, in the vicinity of Doumat Al-Jandal, on the borders of Syria, were involved in highway robbery and plundering, and were on their way to muster troops and raid Madinah itself. He immediately appointed Siba‘ bin ‘Arfatah Al- Ghifari to dispose the affairs of Madinah during his absence, and set out at the head of 1000 Muslims in late Rabi‘ Al-Awwal, 5 A.H. taking with him a man, named Madhkur, from Bani ‘Udhrah, as a guide.

On their way to Doumat Al- Jandal, they used to march by night and hide by day, so that they might take the enemy by surprise. When they drew near their destination, the Muslims discovered that the highway men had moved to another place, so they captured their cattle and shepherds. The inhabitants of Doumat Al-Jandal had also fled in all directions for their lives and evacuated their habitations. The Prophet* stayed there for 5 days during which he despatched expeditionary forces to hunt for the enemy personnel but they detected none. He then returned to Madinah but en route he entered into a peace treaty with ‘Uyainah bin Hisn. Doumat Al-Jandal is located at about a distance of fifteen days march from Madinah and five from Damascus. With this decisive and steady progress and wise strict plans, the Prophet* managed to spread security, control the situation and make peace prevail the whole area. He also succeeded in shifting the course of events for the welfare of the Muslims by reducing the incessant internal and external troubles. The hypocrites were silenced, a tribe of the Jews evacuated while the other continued to fake good neighbourliness and seemingly faithful adherence to the covenants, the desert bedouins subdued and finally the archenemy Quraish no longer keen on attacking the Muslims. This secure strategic attitude created optimum circumstances for the Muslims to resume their logical course in propagating Islam and communicating the Messages of the Lord to all worlds.

Conversation between the Prophet* and Jabir

Jabir also recounted how on the way back to Medina most of the troops went on ahead, while the Prophet and a few others were riding in the rear. But Jabir's camel was old and weak, and could not keep up with the main force, so that it was not long before the Prophet overtook him and asked him why he was so far behind. "O Messenger of God," he said, "this camel of mine can go no faster." "Make him kneel," said the Prophet, making his own camel kneel also. Then he said: "Give me that stick," which I did, and  he took it and gave him one or two prods with it. Then he told me to mount, and we went on our way, and, by Him who sent the Messenger with the truth, my camel outstripped his.

"On the way I conversed with the Messenger of God, and he said to me: "Wilt thou sell me this camel of thine?" I said: "I will give him to thee." "Nay," he said, "but sell him to me." jabir knew from the tone of the Prophet's voice that he was expected to bargain. "I asked him," said jabir, "to name me a price and he said: 'I will take him for a dirhem.' 'Not so,' I said, 'for then wouldst thou be giving me too little.' 'For two dirhems,' he said. 'Nay,' said I, and he went on raising his price until he reached forty dirhems, that is, an ounce of gold, to which I agreed. Then he said: 'Art thou yet married, jabir?' And when I said that I was, he said: 'An already married woman or a virgin?' 'One already married,' I said 'Why not a girl,' he said, 'that thou mightst play with her and she with thee?' '0 Messenger of God,' I said, 'my father was struck down on the day of Uhud and left me with his seven daughters, so I married a motherly woman who would gather them round her and comb their hair and look after their wants.' He agreed that I had made a good choice; and then he said that when we reached Sirar, which was only about three miles from Medina, he would sacrifice camels and spend the day there, and she would have news of our home-coming and would set about shaking the dust from her cushions. 'We have no cushions,' I said. 'They will come,' he said. 'So when thou returnest, do what is to be done.'

"The morning after we returned, I took my camel and knelt him outside the Prophet's door. The Prophet came out and told me to leave the camel and pray two prayer cycles in the Mosque, which I did. Then he bade Bilal weigh me out an ounce of gold, and he gave me a little more than what tipped the scales. I took it and turned to go, but the Prophet called me back. 'Take thy camel,' he said, 'he is thine, and keep the price thou wast paid for him.' "

Hadith: Nawawi’s 40 Hadith

Hadith no 30

It was narrated on the authority of Abi Tha'labah Al-Khushani Jurthum bin Nashir, that the Messenger of Allah* said: "Verily Allah the Almighty has prescribed the obligatory deeds, so do not neglect them; He has set certain limits, so do not go beyond them; He has forbidden certain things, so do not indulge in them; and He has said nothing about certain things, as an act of mercy to you, not out of forgetfulness, so do not go enquiring into these."  [Related by Al-Daraqutni]

What has been mentioned in this hadith has been used by all jurists or fuqaha' as a way of categorizing rulings of shari'ah. It is from this hadith that the rules of the five well-known categorizations are derived: The obligatory (wajib), preferable (mandoub), forbidden (muharam), hateful (makrouh), and the permissible (mubah). Not only is the meaning acceptable, this hadith is also used for categorizing rulings of shari'ah (ahkam).

The term Hukm Sharii, in Arabic, means the address of the Legislator related to our actions. Islam addresses all of our actions, whether they are permitted or not. Accordingly, all of our actions have to be guided by the Hukm Sharii.Many Muslims are too quick to conclude that something is either Haram (prohibited) or Fard (compulsory) after a quick reading of an Ayah or a Hadith. Not all commands in the legislative sources are Fard or Haram. the rules which are used to differentiate the types of Hukm Sharii are again related to Usul al Fiqh.There are 5 different categories of Hukm Shariah.They are:

1.Fard or Wajib (obligatory)

2.Mandoub (reccommended)

3. Permitted Actions (Mubah)

4. Makrooh (Disliked)

5. Haram (prohibited)

Also, not to ask too many questions - especially unnecessary ones. Refer to the story of the cow  and Banu Israel in Surah al-Baqara

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