SEERAH: THE NOBLE LIFE OF THE pROPHET : SEERAH: THE NOBLE LIFE OF THE pROPHET A Study of Dr. Ali As-Sallaabee’s 3 Volume Set Instructor:
Br. Nadeem Ramjan President of AlMaghrib NY
www.Tayybah.com
Why Study the Seerah? : Why Study the Seerah? What is the definition of Seerah?
The previous generations would study Seerah the way they studied Quran
The wisdom and lessons are universal
This knowledge will help one to properly represent Islam
It should never end for us, every event in our life should be a shadow of the Seerah
It is an act of worship
We will increase our love for the Prophet (sws) [Hadith with Umar (ra)]
Pages 1-9 (TOC, Publisher) : Pages 1-9 (TOC, Publisher) First Edition: 2005
Dar-us-Salaam
Author: Dr. ‘Ali Muhammad As-Sallaabee
Volume 1 of 3 – 640 pages
Different form the Sealed Nectar in showing other civilizations before Islam
This volume ends at Hijrah
Our aim is 35 pages per week to complete all 3 volumes in 1 year, insha-Allah
Page 9-10 (Introduction) : Page 9-10 (Introduction) Everyone needs to study the Seerah (male, female, adult, child, commoner, scholar, etc)
Fulfillment of many Islamic duties reliant on proper understanding of the Seerah
i.e. Everyone must and should love the Prophet (sws) but this can’t be done without studying Seerah
The context of his sayings and deeds are crucial
Seerah is crucial to giving Dawah (manhaj)
Learn how he called and dealt with different people
Page 11 (Introduction) : Page 11 (Introduction) The Prophet (sws) was the best educator who raised a generation of True Muslims
Finest Institution: House of Al-Arqam
We will learn leadership qualities so we can lead
Seerah is needed to understand Quran, Aqeedah, Fiqh, and more! Scholar needs it.
True Zuhd in the example of the Prophet (sws) vs. extremism. How to strike a balance?
Consolation in the face of calamities because no-one faced more trials than the Prophet (sws)
Page 12 (Introduction) : Page 12 (Introduction) Valuable lessons for everyone
Nations fall/rise and the Sunnah of Allah
A stable and prosperous nation can only come through “harmony” with the universal laws
Success lies in following the way of the Prophet both individually and as a nation
Page 13 (Introduction) : Page 13 (Introduction) Was it miracles or hard effort then miracles?
Mu’jizah – miracle. They come after struggle.
We do not have the right to sit back and wait for miracles to happen, that reflects a lack of knowledge and understanding of the Seerah
Example: Hijrah could have happened overnight as a miracle, but instead it was a long painful journey involving risks
Page 14 (Introduction) : Page 14 (Introduction) Prophet (sws) and Companions (ra) had Iman in faith and action. Ibaadah in all daily actions.
Change must begin from within starting with true Iman THEN nations can be formed
We have the following issues and must tackle them because we’re not among the Prophet (sws)
Weakness of faith
Lack of spirituality
Incorrect thinking
Inner confusion, anxiety
We should rely on Quran and Sunnah first and foremost
Extracting wisdom from intellectuals and other sources is beneficial BUT…
Page 15 (Introduction) : Page 15 (Introduction) We must lead according to the Quran and Sunnah
To achieve success we must study the manhaj (methodology) of the Seerah
Seerah was REAL and happened in a REAL world, not a vacuum, so it is the key to any degree of success
Brief idea of the manhaj
First step was education (creed)
Gradual change vs. instant revolution
Cemented love of Deen with proper belief in the heart
Willingness to endure hardships
Page 16 (Introduction) : Page 16 (Introduction) Amazing dedication to learning from the Prophet (sws)
One companion would run 2 businesses in place of his companion, then go study with the Prophet (sws)
They would review what was missed and then the Prophet (sws) would check up on them
Author’s Style of Seerah
Draw lessons and morals from events
Significance of an event
Wisdom behind the Prophet (sws) actions
Islamic Ruling (fiqh) derived from an incident
The impact an incident should have on our character (akhlaaq) and choice of deeds
Author wants to “remedy the problem of how the Seerah has been reduced to a limited subject of study in certain schools and among many students of knowledge”
Page 17 (Introduction) : Page 17 (Introduction) Fiqh-us-Seerah (another book) ends with a warning that you’ve only scratched the surface of the Seerah
Understand; the Seerah is deep and needs lots of time to study alongside a study of Quran
Author: wrote book while away from home spending all energy on understanding Seerah
Author: combined from many previous works and notes different scholars drew different lessons
Page 18 (Introduction) : Page 18 (Introduction) This book is a compilation of efforts spanning countries
Afforded the use of some rare manuscripts
Read paragraph “To be sure…”
Note the author’s humility, so as students we should also be humble to the knowledge and because of it
“Knowledge is an ocean that has no shore”
Page 19 (Introduction) : Page 19 (Introduction) Man is imperfect and everyone questions the work they do
Ikhlas
Barakah
Istighfaar
The righteous see only their shortcomings in front of them…SubhanAllah
The transgressor see only their good deeds
Page 20-21 : Page 20-21 From, Some Important Historical Events Before the Advent of Islam
Until, The Beginning of Revelation
Page 23 (The Dominant Empires of the World Prior to the Advent of Islam) : Page 23 (The Dominant Empires of the World Prior to the Advent of Islam) The Roman Empire
Eastern part – Byzantine Empire (Asia, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, North Africa)
Capital: Constantinople
An evil empire abusing its citizens and attacking native inhabitants to subdue and control them
Syrian’s sold children to pay debts, dire
Contraction: monasticism and gladiators in stadiums
Huge separation between wealthy and common man
Page 24 (The Dominant Empires of the World Prior to the Advent of Islam) : Page 24 (The Dominant Empires of the World Prior to the Advent of Islam) Persian Empire
Greater and stronger than the Byzantine
Zoroastrianism – god of evil and good
Mithraism – a particular style of pagan worship
Nepotism – crown form father to son
Believed to be descends from Gods
Farmers fled to avoid taxes and to worship freely
People of Persia were pawns in war gaining no benefit, only the kings did
Page 24-25 (The Dominant Empires of the World Prior to the Advent of Islam) [continued] : Page 24-25 (The Dominant Empires of the World Prior to the Advent of Islam) [continued] India (the 6th Century)
Women had no value
Women burned at death of husband
Forbidden to remarry
India’s isolation led to its widespread ignorance
Made strict dietary rules upon themselves
Caste system
Brahmans – priests and scholars
Kshatriyas – warriors and rulers
Vaisyas – merchants, traders, famers
Sudras – artisans, laborers, servants, slaves (no land)
Untouchables – hard menial labor
Page 25 (The Dominant Empires of the World Prior to the Advent of Islam) : Page 25 (The Dominant Empires of the World Prior to the Advent of Islam) It was one of the worst periods in human history (6th century)
Belief in trinity gained momentum, outnumbering monotheism
Polytheism and idol worship was widespread
Almost all the inhabitants of the earth were living in a state of darkness and ignorance, both Arab and non-Arab
Page 26 (The Dominant Empires of the World) : Page 26 (The Dominant Empires of the World) Judaism
became a soulless set or rituals
Book became corrupted with polytheism and superstitions
Chistrianity
Became polytheistic (trinity)
A Christian martyr became a statue and worshipped
Saints were like the idols of the Quraish
Page 27 (The Dominant Empires of the World) : Page 27 (The Dominant Empires of the World) Magianism
Worship elements, mainly fire
Priests
worship sun 4 times a day
Protected fire in houses of worship
Two gods: one of good, one of evil
Buddhism
Carried idols everywhere they went
Polytheistic religion of India
All major religions of world were polytheistic
Page 28 (The Dominant Empires of the World) : Page 28 (The Dominant Empires of the World) Prophet (sws) explains:
Mankind is born inclined towards Tawheed, monotheism (Fitrah)
Shaytaan lead people towards Shirk (polytheism)
There were only remnants of the People of the Book who still followed monotheism prior to Islam
Page 29 – The Early Arabs and Their Civilizations : Page 29 – The Early Arabs and Their Civilizations 3 Categories of Arabs
Al-Baaidah Arabs
They were wiped out before Islam
Had kings in Ash-Sham (Syria) and Egypt
Al-’Aaribah Arabs
Also known as southern Arabs
Kings of Yemen, Ma’een, Saba, and Himyar
Also known as Qahtaaniyah from Ya’rob ibn Yashjub ibn Qahtan
Page 30 – The early Arabs and their civilizations : Page 30 – The early Arabs and their civilizations ‘Adnaaniyaah Arabs
Descended from the line of Ismail ibn Ibrahim (as)
Known as Arabized Arabs
Arabs of the North
Ismail grew up with tribe of Jurham and married
Descendants of Ismael
Adnaan – forefather of the Prophet (sws)
Some say only 2 categories of Arabs
Adnaaniyah
Qahtaaniyah
Page 31 – The early Arabs and their civilizations : Page 31 – The early Arabs and their civilizations Qahtaaniyah also from Ismail?
As per Hadith in Bukhari, yes, people of Yemen are also from the line of Ismail (ra)
The Prophet (sws) was from the descendents of Mudar who was from ibn Kinaanah
The Quraish were also from Kinaanah and had various sub-tribes
Jumh, Sahm,
Adee
And among the subgroups was Haashim (the Prophet’s tribe)
Page 32 – The early Arabs and their civilizations : Page 32 – The early Arabs and their civilizations Yemen was civilized due to plethora of rain and building of dams
Most famous dam: Ma’rib dam
Yemen used irrigation techniques
Yemen had amazing vegetation, fruits
they were ungrateful so Allah punished them with a flood
Page 33 – The early Arabs and their civilizations : Page 33 – The early Arabs and their civilizations There were many inhabited cities in the land of Hijaz extending from Ash-Sham to Yemen passing through Makkah and Madinah
There was a trade route along this vertical line
People of Ad’
Lived in northern part of Hadramoont
Lofty buildings
Skilled in trade
Also blessed with gardens
Sent with Prophet Hood (who they rejected)
Page 34 & 35 – The early Arabs and their civilizations : Page 34 & 35 – The early Arabs and their civilizations People of Thamood
Lived in lands of Al-Hijr
Carved homes in the mountains
Also blessed with lush gardens
Denied the Prophet Salih
They were successors to Ad and were warned of how they were destroyed for being ungrateful
People of Ad and Thamood were destroyed long ago.
There gardens are now dry barren lands
Seerah: Session #2 September 28, 2010 (Pages 36-71) : Seerah: Session #2 September 28, 2010 (Pages 36-71) Review of Session #1
Introduction to Seerah
Benefits of Seerah
Importance of knowing the Methodology
The different tribes of Arabia
Thamood
Ad
Preview of Session #2
The religion, economics, and politics of Arabia
Jahileeyah of Arabs (7 points)
Positive traits of Arabs (7 points)
Story of Zamzam
Intro to the People of the Elephant
Page 36 – Religion of Arabs Prior to Islam : Page 36 – Religion of Arabs Prior to Islam Blindly followed forefathers
They followed superstitions and worshipped idols
Every tribe had its own idol
Al-Laat was in Thaqeef and Al-Uzzaa was above Dhaat ‘Ariq. Quraish’s 2 greatest idols
Worshipped countless idols and had idols they would take on journeys
Page 37 – Religion of Arabs prior to Islam : Page 37 – Religion of Arabs prior to Islam Abu Rajaa’ Al-Utaaridee’s statement in Bukhari
They claimed that idols were only intermediaries and that they believed in Allah
Unacceptable excuse (Ulooheeyah only for Allah)
Remnants of the religion of Ibrahim remained and there were distortions as well
Hajj was done but to worship idols and boast of worldly accomplishments
They were more similar to the polytheists of India than the People of the Book
Page 38 - Religion of Arabs prior to Islam : Page 38 - Religion of Arabs prior to Islam Haneef (sing), Hunafaa (plural) – those who worshipped Allah alone, very few in number. Allah calls Ibrahim Haneef in the Quran
Zaid ibn Amir ibn Nufail
Refused to worship idols
Did not eat dead meat, or haram meat
Qiss ibn Saa’idah al-Iyaadee
Followed Prophet but died before the wahi started
Some Arabs accepted Christianity or Judaism, but MOST were idol-worshippers (Mushrikoon)
Page 39 – Political Situation of the Arabs prior to Islam : Page 39 – Political Situation of the Arabs prior to Islam Inhabitants of Arabia were of two types
Desert dweller (Bedouin)
City dweller
Tribal law ruled Arabia even in civilized nations like Yemen
Tribe – group of people linked through blood
Chief of tribe was chosen based on his status, generosity, character, and bravery
Chief had final say in matters
Page 40 – Political Situation of the Arabs prior to Islam : Page 40 – Political Situation of the Arabs prior to Islam ¼ of spoils of war belonged to the chief but during peace time he was expected to be generous
In war chief had to fight in front lines
Under tribal law much individual freedom, so Arabs came to love freedom and hate injustice and subservience
Downside, they would fight for tribesman whether right or wrong
War was a constant reality among Arabs
Ruthless society where wars had to be fought to gain wealth, so it became a way of life
Villages were often destroyed (instability)
Page 41 – Economic Situation of Arabs prior to Islam : Page 41 – Economic Situation of Arabs prior to Islam Sheep and camel were main source of income because majority of land was desert except for the outskirts and random oases
No industry or manufacturing, they brought in slaves to repair/rebuild Ka’bah
Due to lack of farming and manufacturing they were at an economic disadvantage
Made up by the trade route and great location
Quraish were most successful in trade *Surah Quraish*
Page 42 – Economic Situation of Arabs prior to Islam : Page 42 – Economic Situation of Arabs prior to Islam Quraish had two large caravans
Winter to Yemen
Summer to Ash-Sham
Export – perfume, incense, spices, dates, ivory, beads, skins, silk garments, and weapons
Import – wheat, grains, raisins, oils, and clothing
Yemenis had traveled to Africa, India, Indonesia, Sumatra, and islands
When they became Muslim, they used this knowledge of traveling to spread Islam!
Page 43 – Economic Situation of Arabs prior to Islam : Page 43 – Economic Situation of Arabs prior to Islam Usury (Riba) became widespread and got as high as 100%
Ukaadh to Majinnah to Dhul-Majaaz then they would do Hajj
They thought it was Haram to trade during Hajj
These three cities used to be centers of poetry and public speaking
Helped advance Arabic poetry and language
Died out over time, though existed in early days of Islam
Page 44 – Arab Society : Page 44 – Arab Society Customs and traditions dictated social norms
Tribal and ancestral pride
They would not intermarry, but Islam abolished this
Obsession with pure speech and eloquence
A single line of poetry could raise status of a tribe
Women were treated like merchandise
Passed down through inheritance
Islam forbade this (Nisa:22)
Page 45 – Oppression of Women : Page 45 – Oppression of Women Women and children could not inherit (custom)
Example of Aus ibn Thaabit
He died leaving wife and two daughets
Nephews came and claimed his estate as per pre-Islamic law
Prophet (sws) told them stop and a verse was revealed
Nisa:7
Page 46 – Oppression of Women : Page 46 – Oppression of Women Arab thought – women are of no use and were a potential problem
They said women can’t fight and they can’t make as much money as men
Men became sad when they had daughters
Again Allah rebukes this mentality
Many men would bury their shame by burying their daughters alive
Page 47 – Oppression of Women : Page 47 – Oppression of Women Some parents buried child alive because they were poor
Others feared they would become poor because of the child
Both sentiments were rebuked by Allah
There were individuals who spoke against infanticide
Page 48 & 49 – More Jahileeyah : Page 48 & 49 – More Jahileeyah 4. Marriage took on many strange forms
Aisha (ra) relates 4 types
Normal Marriage with a gift to bride
Istibdaa – a married man invited another man to impregnate his wife so he’d have a child of noble descent
A woman would be with no more than 10 men and after the child was born she’d select one as father
A woman would hang a banner and sleep with many men then “Kaafahs” would be called after birth to identify the father
All were abolished except the first
Page 50 – Other forms of Marriage : Page 50 – Other forms of Marriage Boyfriends and girlfriends (aka fornication)
Mutah marriage (eventually prohibited)
They would swap wives
Nikah Ash-Shigaar
Two men exchanging daughters with no dowry
Arabs would marry two sisters
No limit on the number of wives (10+)
Limited to 4 that could be treated equally
Islam gave rights to women and established justice for women
Page 51 – More Jahil beliefs : Page 51 – More Jahil beliefs 5. Unlimited divorce and take backs
Men would divorce their wives and take them back over and over
Imagine the torment the women faced
Allah placed a limit and brought seriousness to divorce
Page 52 – Divorce (cont’d) : Page 52 – Divorce (cont’d) Islamic way of divorce
A man can divorce his wife up to two times and take her back
After third time, she must have remarried and divorced for her to take her back and it cannot be pre-planned
Man cannot hastily say “I divorce you”
Islam prohibits Zihaar
A man saying “you are like the back of my mother”
Page 53 & 54 – More Arab customs : Page 53 & 54 – More Arab customs 6. War was a constant reality
Wars were started over petty matters
Examples:
Taghleeb and Bakr tribes fighting for 40 years because someone killed a she-camel, could have just paid the price and resolved the problem
Abas and Dhubyaan tribes fighting because of a horse race gone bad
Aus and Khazraj tribes of Madinah became the Ansar after Islam… Islam changed them into loving people with amazing hospitality
Page 55 – Aus and Khazraj : Page 55 – Aus and Khazraj Actually related through blood
Settled in Yathrib, later called Madinah
Jews also settled there fleeing Romans
These 3 groups fought until Islam came with alliances constantly shifting
Abdullah ibn Ubai never got his crown, became bitter, and became chief of hypocrites
War was a way to get slaves and Islam ended this illogical violence among the Arab tribes
Page 56 – Jahileeyah of Arabs : Page 56 – Jahileeyah of Arabs 7. Arabs were at a near 100% illiteracy level
Very few could read and write
Were skilled in medicine via experience not superstition
They had a natural intelligence such that after Islam came and reformed them they went from 100% illiteracy to 100% literacy
Page 57 – Manners and Morals of Arabs : Page 57 – Manners and Morals of Arabs (1) Natural Intelligence
Powerful memories
Honey 80, fox 90, lion 500, camel 1000, sword 1000
Poetry pushed them to strengthen memory as well especially being illiterate
Lack of distractions like “mind-numbing television screen”
Once they became Muslims, Arabs used this for the service of Islam [Tawheed in personal sense]
Memorized Quran
Memorized thousands of Hadith
Should be no surprise!
Ignorance of philosophy and mythology
They had a simple disbelief unlike Romans, Greeks, Persians, etc.
Page 58 – Manners and Morals of Arabs : Page 58 – Manners and Morals of Arabs (2) Generosity
This quality was deeply rooted among Arabs
If they had one camel, they’d sacrifice it for a guest without thinking twice
Most famous: Al-Haatim At-Taaee
(3) Bravery
Martyr was praised, natural causes mocked
They would fight for pride but also to defend the weak and ill-treated people
Gave them respect and their tribes
Page 59 – Manners and Morals of Arabs : Page 59 – Manners and Morals of Arabs (4) Love of freedom, hatred of subjugation
Arabs had no kingdoms like the Romans/Persians
They’d kill anyone who humiliated them
Killing over a serving tray due to humiliation
(5) Truthfulness, keeping promises, & honesty
Arabs avoided lying
Abu Sufyaan when visiting a foreign empire said the truth about the Prophet (sws) not wanting to be called a liar
Page 60 – Manners and Morals of Arabs : Page 60 – Manners and Morals of Arabs (5) Truthfulness, keeping promises, & honesty
Faithfulness was deeply ingrained in their souls
Would go to extremes and violence but Islam later placed limits on them never to support a transgressor even if he is a relative
Examples:
Al-Haarith ibn ‘Ibaad let free the killer of his son to maintain his oath
Haani ibn Masoud fighting bravely to protect the possessions of An-No’maan ibn Al-Mundhir
“Oh people of Bakr, fight, for death must come to us all”
Page 61 & 62 – Manners (cont’d) : Page 61 & 62 – Manners (cont’d) (6) Patience in hard times, contentment with bare necessities
Consumed small portions and looked down on overeating
“Gluttony does away with intelligence”
Strong resistance to hardship (desert life)
(7) Showing mercy when revenge was within one’s grasp
They would not kill wounded opponents
Summary
These are some of the good qualities of the Arabs
Islam developed and channeled them in right way
Arabs were chosen to be sent the final Messenger over other nations who were smarter and more skilled (per se)
Page 63 – Important Events Before the Birth of the Prophet (sws) : Page 63 – Important Events Before the Birth of the Prophet (sws) Read intro
Abdul Mutallib Digs the Well of Zamzam
Haajar first found the well
Wicked people buried it later
He reports while sleeping on the northern side of the Ka’bah someone came to him and said “Dig Taibah”
Comes from word Tayyib which means goodness
Page 64 - Zamzam : Page 64 - Zamzam Another day the voice said “Dig Barrah”
Comes from word Birr which means purity
Another day the voice said “Dig Al-Madnoonah”
Another day the voice said “Dig Zamzam”
It is a well that never runs dry
It is fresh and good
It is meant for the Hujjaj
Al-Haarith joined Abdul Mutallib in digging the well
Quraish wanted rights over the well but Abdul Mutallib said he was chosen
He went to meet a representative in Ash-Sham, Banu Sa’d ibn Hudhaim
Page 65 - Zamzam : Page 65 - Zamzam Every sub-tribe traveled to Ash-Sham for the meeting
Abdul Mutallib and his companions ran out of water, so decided to dig their graves and await death
He changed mind and said lets continue walking we might find water and at that moment water started flowing from the hoof of a camel
He invited Quraish to enjoy the water, and they were convinced that Allah was with him so they left him to be the caretaker of Zamzam
Page 66 - Zamzam : Page 66 - Zamzam They left off going to Ash-Sham, returned to Makkah, and Abdul Mutallib was made the owner of the Zamzam well
Messenger (sws) said, “it is blessed and is Ta’aam To’om” (fills the person who drinks it)
Zamzam from authentic narrations is a cure for whatever purpose it is consumed
Page 67 – People of the Elephant : Page 67 – People of the Elephant Surah Fil dedicated to this event
Prophet (sws) was traveling to Makkah and his camel, “Al-Qaswaa” stopped at Ath-Thaniyyah, the mountain leading down to Makkah
He (sws) said He who restrained the elephant of Abraha has restrained Al-Qaswaaa
Page 68 – People of the Elephant : Page 68 – People of the Elephant King of Yemen from Abysinia named Abraha
Built a church in Sinai called Al-Qulais
Wanted Arabs to do pilgrimage there so he had to destroy the Ka’bah
Abraha conquers opposition
Captured Dhu Nafar (king of Himyar)
Captured An-Nufail (Kath’am)
In Taif, Abu Rughaal offers services, dies at Al-Maghmas, people pelt his grave with stones
Page 69 – People of the Elephant : Page 69 – People of the Elephant Abarah sent Al-Aswad ibn Maqsood forward and he captured 200 camels that belonged to Abdul-Mutallib
Abraha sent Hunaatah al-Humairee to tell the people of Makkah that he has come not to fight but to destroy the Ka’bah
Hunaatah meets Abdul Mutallib and he tells him that they won’t fight
Abdul Mutallib went with Hunaatah to meet Abraha to get back his camels and met Dhu Nafar who he knew. Dhu Nafar contacted Anees to intercede for Abdul Mutallaib to get back his camels
Page 70 – People of the Elephant : Page 70 – People of the Elephant Abraha granted permission for Abdul Mutallib to speak to him
Abraha was first impressed by his build and strength, so sat next to him
Abdul Mutallib upon saying he wants his camels back lost the respect of Abraha who said you’re more concerned about your camels then the Ka’bah!
Abarah returned his camels to Abdul Mutallib who then informed the Quraish what to leave Makkah
Then… the elephant of Abraha stops whilst marching to Makkah. It almost fell to the ground.
Page 71 – People of the Elephant : Page 71 – People of the Elephant They tried hitting the Elephant but it would not budge
When the elephant was directed back to Yemen, it started racing back, and when it faced Makkah it stopped
Birds were then sent like the starling birds
3 stones each (beak and two feet)
Size of chickpeas or lentils
Some died instanstly
Some their body parts fells off
Abraha died back in Yemen looking like a baby bird
Pages 72-110 NEXT WEEK, inshaAllah! : Pages 72-110 NEXT WEEK, inshaAllah! Next week, October 5th, 2010 inshAllah.
Please read ahead for maximum benefit
Next week we continue with the People of the Elephant so Read Surah Fil as a preparation. We’ll be extracting lessons from the event and Surah Please, leave your feedback and comments on WizIQ!
Seerah: Session #3 September 28, 2010 (Pages 72-105) : Seerah: Session #3 September 28, 2010 (Pages 72-105) Review of Session #1
Methodology
Arab tribes
Review of Session #2
The religion, economics, and politics of Arabia
Jahileeyah of Arabs (7 points)
Positive traits of Arabs (7 points)
Preview of Session #3
Intro to the People of the Elephant
Early life of the Prophet (sws)
Page 72 – Lessons from People of the Elephant : Page 72 – Lessons from People of the Elephant Ibn Ishaaq and Ibn Hisham narration of the Dua of Abdul Mutallib
Lesson #1 – Ka’bah is inviolable
Despite polytheism the Ka’bah has respect
Lesson #2 – Sacrifices must be made
King of Himyar and An-Nufail tried to fight
Lesson #3 – Traitors bring self-disgrace
Sells outs like Abu Rughaal are hated
Page 73 – Lessons from the People of the Elephant : Page 73 – Lessons from the People of the Elephant Lesson #4 – The Might and Power of Allah
We come to know Allah’s power
Size of the enemy is nothing compared to…
Lesson #5 – Arabs honored the Ka’bah
Quraish were respected because of it
This event was a prelude to the coming
Page 74 – Lessons from the People of the Elephant : Page 74 – Lessons from the People of the Elephant Lesson #6 – Makkah protected for Messenger not for the Quraish
Ibn Taymiyyah says:
This event marked coming of the Messenger
Born ~50 days later
If Abraha had one, the Prophet would have been born a slave
Quraish didn’t deserve protection, the Ka’bah itself did
Abraha was Christian > Polytheism of Quraish
Event paved way for the Prophet (sws)
Page 75 – Lessons from the People of the Elephant : Page 75 – Lessons from the People of the Elephant Lesson #6 (cont’d)
Ibn Katheer says:
Same statement of ibn Taymiyyah
Message was being sent to Quraish that a Messenger was coming who would purify the Ka’bah
Lesson #7 – Makkah is protected form tyranny
We should feel consolation that our holy lands are protected from those who “greedily” look at our lands
Page 76 – More Lessons from the People of the Elephant : Page 76 – More Lessons from the People of the Elephant Lesson #8 – News of Abraha’s demise spread
Arabs dated their calendar based on this event
It was called “The Year of the Elephant”
Corresponds to the year 570 C.E.
This calendar changed to Hijri after migration to Madinah
Page 77 – Lineage of the Prophet : Page 77 – Lineage of the Prophet His lineage is superior to all others
Ismael from Ibrahim, Kinaah from Ismael, Quraish from Kinaanah, and Hashim from Quraish, and the Messenger (sws) from Hashim
Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abdul Mutallib
ibn Haashim ibn Abd Manaaf ibn Quasi ibn Kilaab ibn Murrah ibn Ka’ab ibn Luaiy ibn Ghaalib ibn Faihr ibn Maalik ibn An-Nard ibn Kinaanah ibn Khuzaimah ibn Mudrikah ibn Ilyaas ibn Mudar ibn Nizaar ibn Ma’ad ibn Adnaan
His lineage is known up to Adnaan and to go beyond that is mere speculation
Page 78 – Lineage of the Prophet : Page 78 – Lineage of the Prophet Ibn Qayyim said we know up to Adnaan but beyond that is unknown, however, it is agreed upon that Adnaan is linked to Ismael
Noble lineage allows for easy acceptance as a leader
Allah blessed the Messenger with noble lineage so he’d be readily accepted and followed
He is the answer to Ibraheem’s supplication!
Page 79 – Lineage of the Prophet : Page 79 – Lineage of the Prophet Love of the Messenger should extend to those whom he was sent to
Except where people fought against Islam
The Parents of the Prophet (sws)
Abdullah was of Abdul Mutallibs beloved sons
Abdullah was to be slaughtered but was spared
Abdullah married Aaminah bint Wahb who also had a noble lineage
Abdullah died either before or after the Prophet’s birth (difference of opinon)
Abdullah was buried in Madinah alongside uncles
Page 80 – Parents of the Prophet : Page 80 – Parents of the Prophet Abdullah’s early death was a sign as if his purpose of existence ceased with impregnating his wife
The Prophet’s coming didn’t start in mother’s womb but in the Dua of Ibrahim, and the glad tidings of Isa (as)
Baqarah:129 <~ Dua of Ibrahim (as)
61:6 <~ Glad tidings of Isa (as)
Page 81 – Dream of Aaminah : Page 81 – Dream of Aaminah “and my mother saw that light came out of her…”
Ibn Rajab said this light was a sign of the Messenger taking people out of the darkness of Shirk
“..light will reach Ash-Sham”
Ibn Katheer said Sham will be a stronghold for Islam
Isa ibn Maryam will descend in Damascus
Pages 82 & 83 – Birth of the Prophet (sws) : Pages 82 & 83 – Birth of the Prophet (sws) Born on the 12th of Rabee’ul-Awwal in the Year of the Elephant
Born in house of Abu Taalib in mountain pass of Banu Haashim
His Wet Nurses
Umm Aiman Barakah Al-Habashiyyah
Female slave of his father Abdullah
From Abyssinia
Was freed and married to Zaid ibn Haarithah
She died 5 months after the Prophet (sws)
First to breast-feed was Thuwaibah
Female slave of Abu Lahab
Page 84 – Haleemah As-Sa’diyyah : Page 84 – Haleemah As-Sa’diyyah Why a wetnurse?
Benefits to Infant
Safe from disease
Grow up strong physically and mentally
Learn pure Arabic
Source of Income
No-one wanted the Messenger b/c he was an orphan
Haleemah finally took him after she couldn’t find another
Page 85 – Haleemah As-Sa’diyyah : Page 85 – Haleemah As-Sa’diyyah Barakah of the Prophet (sws) in infancy
She started giving milk enough for him and her son
Old camel became filled with milk
Her husband said, “By Allah, we’ve taken a blessed child”
They had sleepless nights before due to hunger
Donkey became healed and was fast!
Lived well during a drought
Page 86 – Life continues with Haleemah : Page 86 – Life continues with Haleemah When the Prophet was 2 they returned to Makkah but implored Aaminah for him to stay longer
Back in their homeland, his brother witnesses two men in white open his stomach
His father and brother embraced him tightly
They were scared that he had gone mad after he told them what happened
Page 87 – Returning to Mom : Page 87 – Returning to Mom Haleemah returned the Messenger to his mother saying it was Allah’s decree that he be returned now
Lesson #1 – student of Seerah should note the barakah of the Prophet (Sws)
See how Haleemah benefited (milk, animals, comfort)
Page 88 – Lessons from infancy : Page 88 – Lessons from infancy Lesson #2 – What Allah chooses for his Abd is best
Allah chose an orphan for Haleemah whom no-one else wanted
We should be content with what Allah chooses for us, not knowing what will happen in the long-run
Don’t regret what passes us by in this world
Lesson #3 – importance of maintaining the natural purity of a child
Promote correct development for both mind and body
Ghazali says, “stress and nervousness comes from the cramped apartments we grow up”
We’re away from natural settings and immersed in artificiality
Page 89 – Lessons from infancy : Page 89 – Lessons from infancy Lesson #3 (cont’d)
Specialists say a natural environment is better for infants
This brings a harmony with the realities of the universe in which they live
Sadly, this is very difficult to achieve today
Lesson #4 – Splitting of chest
A sign that the Messenger was chosen for a very important mission in life
Narration of Imam Muslim by Anas ibn Maalik
Heart was opened and the portion of Shaytan was removed then heart was washed with ZamZam
Page 90 – Incident of Prophet’s Heart : Page 90 – Incident of Prophet’s Heart Anas said he used to see the marks on his chest
Prophet was shielded from Shirk and major sins
Clot removed to keep Prophet safe from immaturity, foolishness, and recklessness of youth
Incident shows that Allah protected the Messenger from Shaytaan
Page 91 – Childhood : Page 91 – Childhood Aaminah died when the Prophet (sws) was 6
Died in Al-Abwaa during a journey
Abdul Mutallib became guardian of the Prophet (sws)
Preferred him over his own sons
Kept him close
Had extreme love for him like a mother
Died after 2 years, passed him onto Abu Taalib
At age 8, Prophet went to live with his uncle
Prophet (sws) did not have parents
to spoil him
To give him an easy upbringing
Faced many calamities as a child
Never met his father
Lost his mother
Then his grandfather
Page 92 – Wisdom of being an Orphan : Page 92 – Wisdom of being an Orphan His hardships made him sensitive to the pain of others, sadness purifies heart of hardness
He depended on no-one in his affairs
An orphan doesn’t have anyone to influence them
So prophet was not interfered with during his training and development to be a leader
Allah caused his parents to die in 20s because their purpose was met
Allah took care of his spiritual welfare, protecting him from the Jahileeyah of society
Page 93 – Life as a Shepherd : Page 93 – Life as a Shepherd Abu Taalib had financial trouble, so the Prophet (sws) became a shepherd to aid him
Every Prophet was a Shepherd at some point
Peaceful, quiet, time to reflect on creation
Benefits of being a shepherd
1 – Patience
long hours – dawn to dusk
sheep are slow to graze
Very hot weather
Only coarse food (patience to deal with hardship)
2 – Humbleness
Pride and arrogance flee heart amidst caretaking of sheep
Page 94 – Benefits of being a Shepherd : Page 94 – Benefits of being a Shepherd 3 – Bravery
Must fight off predators who may attack sheep!
4 – Mercy and Compassion
Must be caretaker and doctor for sheep
Learn to be same way with human beings
5 – Love of Halal Rizq
There is great honor in lawful work
Da’ee must be independent of others
Every Prophet worked! (amazing gem)
Page 95 – Refuting Accusation of Kuffar : Page 95 – Refuting Accusation of Kuffar Disbelievers accuse Prophets of wanting power and money!
That’s because that’s all they think about
BUT all the Prophets earned their own living
Example: Firaun thought Musa wanted power
See 11:29
Prophets ate from what they worked for
Reminds me of Imam Nawawi….
When one is self-sufficient depending only on Allah
Free to speak the truth
Don’t be dependent on the fasiq or dhalim for livelihood
Pages 96,97,98 – How Allah Protected The Prophet (sws) During His Early Years : Pages 96,97,98 – How Allah Protected The Prophet (sws) During His Early Years Prophet (sws) was protected from idol worship
Also protected from minors sins
Two occasions he went out during the night
Lesson 1: Prophet (sws) knew what youth would do at night
Lesson 2: despite natural inclination, was protected
Buhaira The Monk Meets with the Prophet
On a business trip to Sham, they camped near a monestary
Buhaira came out to meet them surprisingly
Page 99 – The Meeting with Buhaira : Page 99 – The Meeting with Buhaira Buhaira said he is a Prophet and knew so because of the trees that bowed in respect
Buhaira pointed out shade of tree moving
Buhaira warned against the Romans
Romans actually came seeking the Prophet
Buhaira urged them to leave and then convinced Abu Taalib to return the Prophet to Makkah
Page 100 – The Meeting with Buhaira : Page 100 – The Meeting with Buhaira Lesson #1
Not all priests and rabbis distorted the wahi
Knew the Prophet clearly from signs in wahi
Lesson #2
Inanimate objects would honor the Prophet
Stones prostrating, a stump crying
Lesson #3
Prophet learned a lot from these journeys with the chieftains of Quraish and other tribes
Lesson #4
Roman empire extended into Sham
They knew the Messenger would threaten their power so they sought to kill him
Pages 101/102 – The Fijaar War : Pages 101/102 – The Fijaar War Quraish vs Hawaazin tribe
Started over trivial matter (Fijaar means wicked)
Prophet fought alongside the Quraish (minor role)
Called Fijaar because they broke rules of not fighting in Makkah
Prophet said he handed stray arrows to his uncles (age 14/15 )
Page 102 – Fudool Alliance : Page 102 – Fudool Alliance A Zubaid man from Yemen came to sell goods
He he sold to a Quraishi who then refused to pay
The Quraish refused to oppose their own man so they did not come to the Zubaidi man’s aid
Zubaid stayed by Kaabah displaying his anger
Finally, an uncle of the Prophet (sws) Zubair asked if anyone would help the man
Page 103 – The Fuddol Alliance : Page 103 – The Fuddol Alliance In Dhul-Qai’dah the clans met and agreed to defend any victim against his wrongdoer
Al-Aas ibn Waail had the merchandise taken and returned to the Zuabaidi man
Alliance happened in the house of ibn Jud’aan
Fudool means nobility, superiority, and virtue
Prophet said later that alliance was worth more to him than millions
And if he was invited to something similar in Islam he’d accept it
Page 103/104 – Lessons from the Fudool Alliance : Page 103/104 – Lessons from the Fudool Alliance Lesson #1
Messenger felt honor over this allegiance
Justice prevails over everything else
Lesson #2
It stood out in the age of Jahileeyah
Proves that even amidts evil, good can be done
Should inspires Da’ees to continue good works
Lesson #3
Whoever commits a wrong should face justice
Lesson #4
Permissible to form alliance with non-Muslims if justice is being served
Page 105 – More Lessons from the Fudool Alliance : Page 105 – More Lessons from the Fudool Alliance Lesson #5
While permissible to form such alliances one should consider short-term and long term benefits for Islam
We can form alliance with similar aims
Lesson #6
Muslims must strive to make positive impact in society
Prophet was known for contributions before Prophethood
Quraish called him Al-Ameen (the trustworthy)
People love the Prophet for his kindness
Next Week: Pages 106-140 : Next Week: Pages 106-140 Project: Think of some good you can do in your society – Volunteer