Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa SAW
Allah humma sallayalah Muhammad wa aal e Muhammad SAW
The Birth of Prophet Muhammad SAW
Prophet Muhammad SAW was born in Makkah, around 570 C.E. He is the model for humanity for all walks of life to follow until the Last Hour. God sent him as a mercy for the worlds.
He was born into a family belonging to a clan of Quraish, the ruling tribe of Makkah. The city of Makkah was dominated by powerful merchant families among whom the men of Quraish were prominent. Prophet Muhammad SAW’s father, ‘Abd Allah ibn’Abd al-Muttalib, died before he was born, his mother, Bibi Aminah, died when he was six. Just before his birth, Bibi Amina had a dream wherein she saw a light issuing forth from her and illuminating the palaces of Basra. As was the custom in those days, upon his birth he nursed from Halima Al-Saadia. He lived for two years with her. In addition to enduring the hardships of desert life, he acquired a taste for the rich language so loved by the Arabs, whose speech was their proudest art, and learned the patience and forbearance of the herdsmen, whose life of solitude he first shared and then came to understand and appreciate. After the death of his mother Bibi Amina, Prophet Muhammad SAW was consigned to the care of his grandfather Abdul Muttalib, the head of the clan of Hashim. After the death of his grandfather, Prophet Muhammad SAW was raised by his uncle, Hazrat Abu Talib.
Prophet Muhammad SAW Manners and Disposition
By nature he was gentle and kind hearted, always inclined to be gracious and to overlook the faults of others. Politeness and courtesy, compassion and tenderness, simplicity and humility, sympathy and sincerity were some of the keynotes of his character. In the cause of right and justice he could be resolute and severe but more often than not, his severity was tempered with generosity. He had charming manners which won him the affection.
He always received people with courtesy and showed respect to older people. He was always the first to greet another and would not withdraw his hand from a handshake till the other man withdrew his. If one wanted to say something in his ears, he would not turn away till one had finished.
He always stood up to receive Bibi Haleema, who had reared him in infancy and had spread his own sheet for her. His foster-brother was given similar treatment. Whenever he visited a person he would first greet him and then take his permission to enter the house. He advised the people to follow this etiquette and not to get annoyed if anyone declined to give permission, for it was quite likely the person concerned was busy otherwise and did not mean any disrespect. There was no type of household work too low or too undignified for him.
Prophet Muhammad SAW Wisdom
About the year 590, Prophet Muhammad SAW, then in his twenties, entered the service of a widow named Khadija al-Kubra as a merchant actively engaged with trading caravans to the north. Sometime later Prophet Muhammad SAW married Bibi Khadija al-Kubra, by whom he had two sons – who did not survive – and four daughters.
One of the first signs of Prophet Muhammad SAW wisdom and diplomacy came when he was thirty five years old. The tribes of Quraish found it necessary to rebuild the Kaaba in order to prevent it from collapse. When they got to the point in the construction when it was necessary to insert the “Black Stone”, the tribes began to contend with one another for the honor of placing the stone in its place. This continued for a number of days until the situation became extremely volatile. Blood pacts were consummated between the various tribes to fight to the death and all-out war was on the verge of breaking out between them over this matter. At this point they came to a peaceful compromise. They agreed that the first person to enter the door of the holy mosque shall choose the one who shall receive this honor and they shall all abide by his judgment.
As it happened, the first person to enter the holy mosque was Prophet Muhammad SAW. Upon seeing him the tribes all breathed a sigh of relief and proclaimed: “It is Al-Ameen (The trustworthy), we accept him! It is Muhammad (PBUH)!.” Prophet Muhammad SAW called for a garment, laid it upon the ground, and then placed the stone in the middle of it. He then asked all of the tribes to select a single representative from their tribe who was then asked to grasp an edge of the garment. All of the chosen representatives then carried the stone together to the Kaaba. When they reached it Prophet Muhammad SAW rolled it in place.
Prophethood
It is narrated that the first signs of Prophet Muhammad SAW prophet hood was a series of visions he would receive at night which would then come true exactly as he had envisioned them.
During this period of his life Prophet Muhammad SAW traveled widely. Then, in his forties he began to retire to meditate in a cave on Mount Hira outside of Makkah, where the first of the great events of Islam took place. One day, as he sat in the cave, he heard a voice, later identified as that of the Angel Gabriel, which ordered him to:
Recite: In the name of thy Lord who created, Created man from a clot of blood.
Three times Prophet Muhammad SAW pleaded his inability to do so, but each time the command was repeated. Finally, Prophet Muhammad SAW recited the words of what are now the first five verses of the 96th surah or chapter of the Quran – words which proclaim God the Creator of man and the Source of all knowledge.
Immediately after receiving this visit, Muhammad (PBUH) ran back home to his wife, trembling and in a state of terror crying “Cover me! Cover me!”.
When he had had a chance to calm down, Bibi Khadija al-Kubra asked him what had happened and he told her the whole story. Bibi Khadija al-Kubra was very well acquainted with his character and when this story was narrated to her and she saw the terror in his eyes she said: “No, by Allah! God shall not disgrace you. You do good by your kin, carry the burdens of others, give to the needy, aid the weak, and assist in all good things.” However, as she did not know exactly what to make of this matter, she decided to ask the advice of her Christian cousin, Waraka the son of Nawfal.
When Waraka heard what had happened he said: “By Him in whose hands my soul rests, you are the prophet of this nation, and the one who visited you is none other than the chief of the angels who visited Moses. Verily, your people shall call you a liar, abuse you, expel you, and wage war against you. If I were to live to that day, I shall stand by you and assist you mightily.” However, Waraka died shortly thereafter.
The first people to believe in Prophet Muhammad SAW were his closest of kin and some of his close friends. Among them were his wife Bibi Khadija, his cousin Hazrat Ali ibn Abi-Talib (AS), his close friend Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq, and his adopted son Zaid ibn Haritha, as well as many of the poor and weak such as Bilal, and Abdullah ibn Masood, among others. Some of those who accepted Prophet Muhammad SAW’s call were nobles and leaders in the tribe of Quraish, such as Uthman ibn Affan, Abdulrahman ibn Auf, Saad ibn Abi-Wakkas , and Talha ibn Ubaidallah. However, Prophet Muhammad SAW’s call to Islam continued in secret for a period of three years
Not everyone accepted God’s message transmitted through Prophet Muhammad SAW. Even in his own clan there were those who rejected his teachings, and many merchants actively opposed the message. The opposition, however, merely served to sharpen Prophet Muhammad SAW’s sense of mission and his understanding of exactly how Islam differed from paganism. The belief in the unity of God was paramount in Islam; from this all else followed. The verses of the Quran stress God’s uniqueness, warn those who deny it of impending punishment, and proclaim His unbounded compassion to those who submit to His will.
The idolaters maddened at Bani Hashim and other Meccans for accepting Islam, singled out some Muslims for severe torture. When the Messenger of Allah felt the growing danger threatening the very lives of the infant Muslim community and its helplessness against the infidels, he instructed some of them to migrate to Abyssinia.
Prophet Muhammad SAW and his companions who had chosen to remain behind in Makkah continued to endure the punishment and torture of Quraish. However, their numbers continued to increase with every passing day in spite of the best efforts of Quraish. Many of those who converted to Islam were nobles among them such as Umar ibn al-Khattab.
Alarmed at the growing number of Muslims and fearing to do bodily harm to the Prophet, because of Abu Talib’s towering personality, the Meccan Jahilliyyah devised a plan of social boycott of the whole Bani Hashim clan. Steadfastly, the Muslims borne the consequences of the siege, enduring pain, hunger and other difficulties for three long years, and ultimately frustrated the infidel’s efforts, which forced Makkan Jahiliyyah to lift up the social boycott
Shortly after the Bani Hashim and other Muslims emerged from the social boycott, a double calamity struck Prophet Muhammad SAW. Umm al-Momineen (mother of believers) Khadija al-Kubra who had given her husband-unflinching support, sacrificing her great wealth and property for the cause of Islam, finally succumbed to the hardships and breathed her last. It was a sad time for Prophet Muhammad SAW to lose his faithful beloved companion and the mother of his illustrious progeny. But another calamity was in store for Prophet Muhammad SAW and three days later that another great benefactor and sincere guardian, Uncle Abu Talib passed away from this mortal world. These sad events occurred in the holy month of fasting Ramadhan , three years before Prophet Muhammad SAW historic migration to Medina . Accordingly the year is known in the annals of Islamic History as the ‘Year of Grief.
Shortly afterwards, one night Gabriel descended with the heavenly mount Buraq whose speed as the name suggests is far greater than the speed of light, and took Prophet Muhammad SAW to the highest and furthest point of the heavens where no creature has ever set foot, and thence the wonder-struck Prophet Muhammad SAW proceeded alone to the very presence of the ‘Magnificent Light’, that only a curtain divided him from the Omnipotent Almighty. Then Allah spoke with his servant and showed him the signs of His Majesty. The event also known as Me’raj confirms that no creature ever, not even the past prophets or any heavenly being either, like the Arch-angel Gabriel, had been so near to the Almighty’s proximity, as the Habibullah (beloved of Allah) SAW.
The Emigration to Al-Madinah
Islam began to take roots and spread in Yathrib, which was destined to be Prophet Muhammad SAW seat of power and would eventually become famous as Medina . When the Muslims received authorization from Prophet Muhammad SAW to emigrate to Al-Madinah, they began to flee in droves under the cover of night for fear that they might be discovered by Quraish. Those who fled Makkah were from that day forward named “Al-Muhajireen” (The Emigrators). When they departed from Makkah they left behind all of their wealth, their livestock, and their homes. The people of Quraish wasted no time in claiming this property and their zeal in amassing their newfound wealth helped to occupy them from setting out in pursuit of the Muslims who had fled with only the clothes on their backs, enough provisions for their trip, and an undying love of God burning brightly in their hearts.
Although the Muslims had forsaken all of their worldly possessions to the people of Quraish, still, this did not prevent many of them from being captured and tormented by Quraish.
All of the Muslims in Makkah emigrated in secret and under the cover of night out of fear of the persecution of Quraish. All, that is, except Umar ibn Al-Khattab. Umar was a powerful man and greatly respected by Quraish. He was ambidextrous and highly skilled in matters of war. When he resolved to emigrate he stood up in the middle of the holy mosque in Makkah in front of it’s nobles and proclaimed: “I have resolved to emigrate. Let he who wishes his parents to lose their child or wishes to make his children orphans, let him meet me behind this hill,” and he departed. Of course, no one followed him.
After Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) authorized the Muslims to emigrate to Al-Madinah, all able bodied Muslims departed until there was no one left behind except himself, his close friend Abu-Bakr, his cousin Mola Ali (AS), and those who had been persecuted and imprisoned.
When Quraish saw that Prophet Muhammad SAW had found a strong ally and a tribe that would protect him and his followers from their persecution they began to fear that he might leave and join them. They decided that extreme measures were necessitated in order to prevent this from happening. It was time for Prophet Muhammad SAW to die (Naouz Billah).
Gabriel visited Prophet Muhammad SAW and informed him of this plot, so Prophet Muhammad SAW requested from his cousin Mola Ali (AS) that he take his place in his bed and to return the belongings of people next morning kept with Him (PBUH) as Amanat. He informed him of this plot. He consoled him not to worry, no harm shall befall him.
When the young men of Quraish collected outside Prophet Muhammad SAW home, Allah momentarily took away their sight. Prophet Muhammad SAW then scooped up a handful of dust, sprinkled it upon their heads, and then departed. As he did this he read the first verses of Surah Yaseen(36):
“YaSeen. By the Qur’an full of Wisdom, Truly you [O Muhammad] are one of the messengers. On a straight path. [This is] a Revelation sent down by the All-Mighty, the Most Merciful, that you may warn a people that which their forefathers were warned, but they are heedless” until he reached the verse “And We have set a barrier before them and a barrier behind them, and [thus] we have covered them so that they see not.”
A man then passed by them and said “what are you waiting for here?” They replied “For Muhammad” (PBUH) He responded “He has already departed and left dust on your heads.” They then placed their hands upon their heads and found the dust. So they peered inside the house and saw Mola Ali (AS) in the bed and thought he was Prophet Muhammad SAW. The next morning Mola Ali (AS) got up out of the bed and they realized that Prophet Muhammad SAW had indeed escaped just as that man had told them. They quickly set out in his pursuit.
Prophet Muhammad SAW set out with Abu-Bakr towards Yethrib. When the two reached the cave of Thor at the edge of Makkah, Prophet Muhammad SAW and Abu-Bakr remained inside the cave for three days while Abdullah the son of Abu-Bakr brought them news of the plotting of Quraish. His daughter, Asma, would also bring them food every day. After three days, they took a guide by the name of Abdullah ibn Arqat and set out for Madina.
When Prophet Muhammad SAW drew near Al-Madinah, he came upon the city of Quba (two miles away from Al-Madinah). He remained in Quba for four days. During his stay he laid the foundations for the first mosque to be built in Islam, Masjid e Quba.
When Prophet Muhammad SAW entered the city of Al-Madinah its entire people vied for the honor of having him as their guest in their home. However Prophet Muhammad SAW released the reins of his camel and allowed it to roam freely. Finally the camel of Prophet Muhammad SAW came to a stop and sat down at a location in the city where the mosque of Prophet Muhammad SAW stands today. The nearest home to that location was the home of Khalid the son of Zaid Al-Najjari Al-Khuza’i, more popularly known as Abu-Ayyoob. So Abu Ayyob had the honor of the best of guests, the messenger of Allah.
The land that Prophet Muhammad SAW’s came had come to a stop upon was at that time owned by two orphans. This land was used as a “Marbad” (a place to dry their dates). Prophet Muhammad SAW asked them to sell it to him but they insisted that he accept it as a gift. Prophet Muhammad SAW refused to take it without paying for it and insisted on paying for it until they finally sold it to him. He then commanded that the mosque be built on that spot. This mosque was later named “The mosque of the Prophet Muhammad SAW. Prophet Muhammad SAW worked with the Muslims in the construction of this mosque, transporting the bricks, and laying them in place. Not long after the mosque was built, the Muslims began to go to it five times a day to attend the five daily prayers. Not long after, Abdullah ibn Zayd received a vision at night revealing to him how to call the people to prayer. He came to Prophet Muhammad SAW and recounted to him what he had heard and seen in his dream. Prophet Muhammad SAW told him that this was a revelation from God and then he ordered Bilal to call to the five daily prayers as Abdullah had been taught. To this day, in Muslim countries throughout the world, when the time of prayer arrives we can hear the “Adhan” recited all over the city from the tops of the mosques.
Sixteen months after Prophet Muhammad SAW arrived in Al-Madinah, he was commanded to change the direction of prayer of the Muslims from the holy mosque in Jerusalem to the Kaaba in Makkah. From that day forward all Muslims have directed their prayers towards the Kaaba.
After the Hijra Prophet Muhammad SAW established the Islamic State. Prophet Muhammad SAW presented to the dark world seething under tyranny and oppression, the most perfect ever constitution – spiritual, social and political – and a key to their salvation both in this mortal life and the hereafter.
Battles:
The first ever battle between Islam and blasphemy occurred in the second year of the Hijra at a place called Badr in which the newfound Islamic State, assembling a modest force of only 313 Muslims defeated a vastly outnumbering army of disbelievers. The victory led to many other battles and skirmishes with the Makkan infidels, who each time came out in larger numbers to avenge their previous setbacks, but by Allah’s Grace suffered defeat after defeat at the hands of the faithful. The victories brought strength and courage to the Muslims and helped facilitate the spread of Islam.
Treaty of Hudaibiyah:
Another important landmark in Prophet Muhammad’s SAW life and progress of the Islamic call was the treaty of Hudaibiyah. It was in the sixth year of the Hijra, Prophet Muhammad SAW and his companions wanted to go to Makkah to perform Umrah. When they arrived at a place called Hudaibiyah, the infidels confronted them and blocked all routes to Makka. After some deliberations the infidels and the Prophet concluded a treaty, stipulating that the Muslim party would for the moment go back to Medina , but would return the next year for performing the pilgrimage. There were some other terms too. As per the treaty the Messenger and his companions turned back to Medina , but the next year Prophet Muhammad SAW along with a group of Muslims entered Makkah – 7 years after his historical migration – to perform the Umrah.
Next followed the great event in the history of Islam, which was the conquest of Makkah, the then bastion of ignorance and disbelief. With it, idolatry was purged from the greater part of Arabia once and for all, and Allah’s Sacred House the Ka’ba was cleansed of the filth of man-made objects. The event took place during the month of Ramadhan, in the year 8 A.H. and Makkah was liberated without a fight. All idols and statues were removed from the Kaaba and destroyed. Makkah was, and is to this day, the capital of Islam in the world. It is the home of the Kaaba, the birthplace of the message of Islam, and the birthplace of Prophet Muhammad SAW himself. When Prophet Muhammad SAW was finally blessed with the opening of Makkah the Muslims of Al-Madinah (the Ansar) feared that he would leave them and return to his hometown. However, out of loyalty to the Ansar for all they had done and sacrificed for Islam, Prophet Muhammad SAW chose to return with them and live in Al-Madinah .
Allah bestowed victory upon His Prophet in his many battles, and the Muslims were now strong. Since the light of Islam had expelled ignorance from the greater part of the Arabian Peninsula , the Messenger of Allah now felt it his duty to enlighten neighboring peoples about the truth of Islam. Accordingly he sent envoys to the Emperors of Persia , Byzantine and Abyssinia ( Ethiopia ) and to other heads of state and tribes inviting them towards guidance and reform. Some accepted, some gave polite ‘diplomatic replies’.
Passing away of Prophet Muhammad SAW
In the tenth year of the Hijra, performed the Hajj with all his wives and a fairly large number of his companions. Two months after his return to Medina , Prophet Muhammad SAW fell ill, Medina wore a look of gloom, because for a fortnight, the Prophet of Islam was confined in bed. The dawning of 28th of the lunar month of Safar proved to be fateful, for on that day the ‘Mercy to the worlds’ although weak with fever made his way to the mosque to lead the prayers, which also proved to be for the last time. When Prophet Muhammad SAW became too ill to lead the daily prayers, Hazrat Abu-Bakr assumed this responsibility himself. Prophet Muhammad SAW was sixty three years old when he passed away, having spent exactly twenty three years in the call to Islam, the belief in one God, and the eradication of all false gods other than He. Shortly after Prophet Muhammad SAW passed away, Hazrat Abu-Bakr was made the first “Khalifa” (Caliph) in Islam. He ruled them until his death and then he was followed by Umar ibn Al-Khattab, then Uthman ibn Affan, and finally by Ameer ul Moemineen Hazrat Ali ibn Abi-Talib. These four were later named the four “Rightly Guided Caliphs.”
Prophet Muhammad SAW is the finest example of a perfect man in every sense of the term. He was a paragon of virtue and is the best exemplar for the human race. The Almighty distinguished him from all and sundry by instilling embling in his sublime personality such fine qualities as modesty, truthfulness, kindness, patience, loyalty, honesty, courage, bravery, generosity, magnanimity, wisdom and the like. By studying his lofty character and the amazingly simple life he led with his household, companions, wives and others. We are apt to learn valuable lessons from his conduct and accordingly mould our own life-style.
Though virtual king of Arabia and an apostle of Allah, he never assumed an air of superiority. Not that he had to conceal any such vein by practice and artifice: with fear of Allah, sincere humility was ingrained in his heart
Prophet Muhammad SAW is the supreme example of a family man. He was a loving husband, an affectionate father and a doting grandfather. As long as the faithful Bibi Khadija was alive, he never took another wife. Even later on in life, when he had remarried, he used to cherish the loving memory of the faithful wife Bibi Khadija.
His marriages were not for pleasure, but were a humanitarian means to further the cause of Islam, as is evident from the women he married. In the case of Sawda, Umm Salama and Zainab bint Khuzaima, it was to take care of poor and helpless widows well in their middle ages, while the marriage to Juwairiyah was to grant her freedom from captivity. Still others such as those to Umm Habiba, Safiya, Ayesha, Hafsa and Maimoona were meant for uniting some prominent Arab tribes, who were often at loggerheads with each other, and also to safeguard the internal political status of the newfound Islamic State. And the marriage to Zainab bint Jahsh was for the sake of enacting a new law, because she was the divorcee of his adopted son Zaid bin Hareth. As the Holy Qur’an testifies, the Prophet married her in order to put an end to the then prevalent belief that adopted sons were like real sons and that wives or widows of adopted sons were like daughter-in-laws. In short, the philosophy behind his marriages was entirely revolutionary and ushered in positive changes in ignorant Arabia.
He was an affectionate father and his only surviving child, daughter Bibi Fatima Zehra (SA), was dearer to him than life. His famous Hadith: ” Fatima is a part of me, and whoever annoys her (in fact) annoys me,” stands as a firm testimony to this fact. History is a witness that he used to stand up to greet his daughter. Many prominent and wealthy Arabs had approached him for Bibi Fatima Zehra (SA)’s hand, but he politely refused them, and according to divine commandment married her to his faithful cousin Mola Ali (AS).
Hence Syyeda Fatima Zehra (SA) and Hazrat Ali (AS) were the parents of his two grandsons Hazrat Imam Hassan Al Mujtaba and Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS) Shaheed e Karbala; through whom the continuity of the Prophet SAW’s noble progeny has been ensured. Imam Hassan (AS) and Imam Hussain (AS) were the apple of his eyes and he affectionately doted on them Thus, Prophet Muhammad SAW behaviour with his illustrious Ahlul-Bait (household) is a lesson for us. It was not blind love of a doting father or grandfather as some may misinterpret but was something divinely ordained as is clear from several verses of the Holy Qur’an. Therefore, it is obligatory for all Muslims to love and respect his chosen family, and adhere to their radiant path, which is the only way to save the Ummah from pitfalls. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.
