The prophet’s biography

Subject: The prophet’s biography Wed Jan 19, 2011 10:20 pm

[b]Assalamu Alikum

One day, while travelling north, one of the Arab tribes from Mecca met a hermit in the desert.

Some of the men stopped to speak with him.

Hermits were known to be wise and the Arabs often asked their advice.

The hermit asked where they had come from

. When they replied that they
were from Mecca, he told them that Allah would soon send a prophet,
who would come from their people.

They asked the name of this
prophet and the hermit answered that his name would be Muhammad and that
he would guide them to a new way of life.

Meanwhile in Mecca, Aminah, although saddened by the loss of her
husband, felt especially well and strong as she awaited the birth of
her baby.

During this time she dreamt of many things.

On one occasion it was as if a
great light were shining out of her, and on another she heard a voice
telling her that she would have a boy and that his name would be
Muhammad.

She never forgot that voice but she told no one about it.

On Monday, the twelfth day of Rabi al-Awwal in the Year of the Elephant, Aminah gave birth to a son.

Allah sends man many signs
when one of His chosen Prophets is born and on that twelfth day of Rabi
al-Awwal in the year 570 A.D, many such signs were seen.

Some were seen by Jewish scholars who had read in their scriptures of a coming Prophet.

One of these learned men in
Yathrib, for instance, saw a brilliant new star he had never seen
before as he studied the heavens that night.

He called the people around him and,Pointing the star out to them, told them a Prophet must have been born.

That same night another Jew was passing by the meeting place of the leaders of Quraysh in Mecca.

He asked them if a baby boy
had just been born and told them that if it were true, this would be
the Prophet of the Arab nation.

Aminah sent news of the birth to her father-in-law, 'Abd al-Muttalib, who was sitting near the Ka'bah at the time.

He was very happy and began at once to think of a name for the boy.

An ordinary name would not do. Six days came and went and still he had not decided.

But on the seventh day, as he
lay asleep near the Ka'bah, 'Abd al-Muttalib dreamt that he should
give the baby the unusual name of Muhammad, just as Aminah herself had
dreamt.

And the child was called Muhammad (pbuh), which means 'the Praised One'.

When 'Abd al-Muttalib told
the leaders of Quraysh what he had named his grandson, many of them
asked, 'Why did you not choose the sort of name that is used by our
people?' At once he replied, 'I want him to be praised by Allah in the
heavens and praised by men on earth.

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To be continued Insha'allah
[/b][b]Episode 2 | A Time with Halimah

Like many other women in Mecca, Aminah decided to send her son away
from the city for his early years to the desert where it was more
healthy. Women from the desert used to come to Mecca to collect the new
babies and they would then keep them until they developed into strong
children, for which they were well paid by the parents.

Among the women who traveled to Mecca to fetch a new baby at the time
Aminah's son was born, was a Bedouin woman called Halimah. With her was
her husband and baby son. They had always been very poor but this year
things were harder than ever because there had been famine. The donkey
that earned Halimah on the journey was so weak from hunger that he
often stumbled. Halimah's own baby son cried all the time because his
mother could not feed him properly. Even their she-camel did not give
them one drop of milk. Halimah did not know what to do.

She thought to herself, 'How can I possibly feed another baby when I haven't got enough milk even for my own son?'
At last they reached Mecca. All the other women of the tribe to which
Halimah belonged, the Bani Sa'd, found a child to take back with them,
but not Halimah. The only baby left was Muhammad (pbuh). Usually the
father paid the wet-nurse but Mohammed's father was dead. So no one
wanted to take him, even though he was from one of the noblest families
of Quraysh. Halimah did not want to take him either, but she did not
want to be the only woman to go back to her tribe without a baby to
bring up. She asked her husband whether she should take Muhammad (pbuh)
or not. He advised her to do so, adding, 'Perhaps Allah will bless us
because of him.' They started on the return journey and as soon as
Halimah began to feed Muhammad (pbuh) her milk suddenly increased and
she had enough for him as well as her baby son. When they were back
home, everything began to change.
The land became green,

and the date palms , one of their main sources of food, gave lots of
fruit. Even the sheep and their old she-camel began to give plenty of
milk.
Halimah and her husband knew that this good fortune had come because
they had the new baby, Muhammad (pbuh), whom they had come to love as
if he were their own son.
When Muhammad (pbuh) was two years old, Halimah took him back to his
mother. She pleaded with Aminah, however, to let her keep him for a
little longer, and to her great joy the mother agreed. During his time
with Halimah's family in the desert, Muhammad (pbuh) played with her
children and together they would take the sheep out to graze. At other
times, however, Halimah would often find him sitting alone. It is said
that on one occasion, two angels came to Muhammad (pbuh) and washed his
heart with snow. In this way Allah made his heart pure for He intended
Muhammad (pbuh) to be greater than any man ever born and to become the
Seal of the Prophets.

In the Name of Allah the Beneficent, the Merciful "Did We not expand
thy breast for thee And eased thee of thy burden Which weighed down thy
back; And exalted thy fame? So truly with hardship comes ease, Truly
with hardship comes ease. So when thou art relieved, still toil And
strive to please thy Lord. " (Koran xciv.1-
When Halimah finally took Muhammad (pbuh) back to Aminah, he was a
healthy, strong boy. Later he would look back with joy on the time he
had spent with Halimah, and he always thought of himself as one of the
Bani Sa'd.
[/b]Episode 3 | The Orphan's Childhood

Muhammad (pbuh)
returned to live with his mother in Mecca when he was about three years
old. Three years later Aminah decided to take her son to visit his
uncles in Yathrib. She told her maid, Barakah, to prepare everything
they would need for the long journey, and then they joined one of the
caravans going there. They stayed in Yathrib a month and Muhammad
(pbuh) enjoyed the visit with his cousins. The climate there was very
pleasant and he learned to swim and to fly a kite.

On their way back to Mecca, however, Aminah became ill and died. She
was buried in the village at al-Abwa not far from Yathrib. Muhammad
(pbuh) returned sadly to Mecca with his mother's maid He was now six
years old and had lost both his father and mother. He was then adopted
by his grandfather, 'Abd al-Muttalib, who loved him dearly and kept him
by his side at all times. It was the custom of 'Abd al-Muttalib to sit
on a blanket near the Ka'bah. There he was always surrounded by people
who had come to speak to him. No one was allowed to sit on the blanket
with him, however, except his grandson Muhammad (pbuh), which shows
how close they were to each other. Many times 'Abd al-Muttalib was
heard to say: 'This boy will be very important one day.'
Two years later 'Abd al-Muttalib became ill and Muhammad (pbuh) stayed
by him constantly. 'Abd al-Muttalib told his son, Abu Talib, to adopt
Muhammad (pbuh) after his death, which he did. Abu Talib had many
children of his own,

but Muhammad (pbuh) immediately became part of his family and the
favorite child. The time came for Quraysh to prepare a caravan to go to
Syria. Abu Talib was going with them and he took Muhammad (pbuh)
along. It was Mohammed's first journey to the north. After days of
travel, the caravan arrived at a place near Syria where the Romans used
to come to trade with the Arabs. Near this marketplace lived a monk
called Bahira'. His cell had been used by generations of monks before
him and contained ancient manuscripts.
Bahira' saw the caravan in the distance and was amazed to see that over
it was a large white cloud. It was the only cloud in a clear blue sky
and it appeared to be shading one of the travelers. The monk was even
more surprised to see that the cloud seemed to follow the caravan but
disappeared when the person it was shading sat down under a tree.
Bahira' knew from the scriptures that a prophet was expected to come
after Jesus and it had been his wish to see this prophet before he
died.

Realizing that what he had just seen was a miracle, he began to think that his wish might, after all, come true.
The monk sent an invitation to the Meccans to come and eat with him.
The Arabs were surprised because they often passed by and Bahira' had
never invited them before. When the group was all together for the
meal, the monk said, 'Is this everyone?' 'No', someone said, 'a boy was
left watching the camels.' Bahira' insisted that the boy should join
them. The boy was Muhammad (pbuh). When he arrived Bahira' said
nothing, but watched him all through the meal. He noticed many things
about his appearance which fitted the description in the old
manuscripts. Later on he took him aside and asked Muhammad (pbuh) many
questions. He soon found out how he felt about the idols in the Ka'bah.
When Bahira tried to make him swear by them, as the Arabs used to do,
Muhammad (pbuh) said, 'There is nothing in this world that I hate
more'. They talked together about Allah and about Mohammed's life and
family. What was said made Bahira certain that this was indeed the
Prophet who would come after Jesus.

Then the monk went to Abu Talib and asked him how he was related to
Muhammad (pbuh). Abu Talib told him that Muhammad (pbuh) was his son.
Bahira replied that this could not be so because the boy was destined
to grow up an orphan, and he ordered Abu Talib to watch over Muhammad
(pbuh) with great care. There are many stories told about Mohammed's
youth. Some tell of how he used to take the family's sheep to graze and
was always kind to them. While they grazed he would sit thinking about
the mysteries of nature. Unlike those around him, he never worshipped
the idols and never swore by them.
He also wondered why people were always struggling for power and money,
and this saddened him and made him feel lonely, but he kept his
feelings to himself. He was a quiet, thoughtful boy, and rarely played
with other boys of his age. On one occasion, however, Muhammad (pbuh)
went with some of the boys to a wedding in Mecca.

When he reached the house he heard the sounds of music and dancing but
just as he was about to enter he suddenly felt tired and, sitting down,
fell asleep. He didn't wake up until late the next morning and thus
missed the celebrations. In this way Allah prevented him from doing
anything foolish for He was keeping Muhammad (pbuh) for something much
more important
Episode 4 | The Prophet's Marriage

Assalamu Alikum dear members,

The reports of the seerah (Prophet’s biography) indicate that Khadeejah
bint Khuwaylid (may Allaah be pleased with her) was a determined and
intelligent woman, and she was also rich and had several kinds of trade.
The men of her people were keen to marry her. She did not engage
directly in trade herself, rather she used to employ men to work on her
behalf.

Khadijah was a sensible, noble, pious, chaste, and generous woman. She
was given glad tidings of entering Paradise. Allah (the Almighty)
ordered His Messenger Muhammad (Peace be upon him) to give her glad
tidings of having a palace in Paradise which is built from jewels with
neither noise nor toil in it.

Of all Prophet Muhammad's wives, Khadijah had a special place in his
heart. `Aishah said: "I did not feel jealous of any of the wives of the
Prophet (peace be upon him) as much as I did of Khadijah though I did
not see her, but the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to mention her
very often, and when ever he slaughtered a sheep, he would cut its
parts and send them to the women friends of Khadijah. Once when I said
to him, "(You treat Khadijah in such a way) as if there is no woman on
earth except Khadijah," he would say, "Khadijah was such-and-such, and
from her I had children."

`Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said that Allah's Messenger
(peace be upon him) praised Khadijah every time he remembered her
before he would leave the house. One day he (peace be upon him) praised
Khadijah, then `Aishah felt so jealous and said: "Why do you remember
an old woman, dead long ago, while Allah has given you a better one in
her stead?" The Prophet (peace be upon him) got very angry and told her
that Allah had not given him a better one in her stead as she
(Khadijah) was the only person to believe in him when all people
disbelieved, the only person to believe him when all people belied him,
and the only one to bear him children when all his wives did not bear
him children. Upon hearing this, A'ishah decided never to speak bad of
Khadijah again.

News reached Khadeejah of the honest and trustworthy Muhammad (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him); she heard a great deal about his
honesty and trustworthiness, so she wanted to hire him to work for her
and do trade on her behalf. She sent someone to him with an offer of
work, and he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) agreed to
that.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went out to do
trade with the money of Khadeejah (may Allaah be pleased with her), and
there was with him a slave of Khadeejah’s whose name was Maysarah.
Maysarah saw the signs that happened to the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him).

For example, when the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) came to the city of Busra in Syria, he stopped in the shade of a
tree, and one of the monks said to Maysarah, “No one ever stops under
the shade of this tree but a Prophet.” And Maysarah used to see two
angels shading the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
when the heat of the sun grew too intense.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came back from
that journey, and he had made far more money in trading for Khadeejah
than anyone else ever had before. Khadeejah was impressed with the
personality of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
and she wanted to marry him. So she sent her friend Nafeesah bint
Maniyyah to tell the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
about that. He (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) agreed, and
the marriage of Khadeejah (may Allaah be pleased with her) was
arranged by her father Khuwaylid, according to the most sound reports,
as mentioned by the scholars of seerah.

Khadijah, the faithful supporter for Allah's Messenger in his pursuit
of promulgating Islam, died three years before Hijra (the Prophet's
immigration from Mecca to Madinah). She was sixty five years old then.
Allah's Messenger interred her in the grave with his own hands.
Khadijah's death was a big disaster to Allah's Messenger (peace be upon
him) which, however, he faced with patience and total surrender to the
Will of Allah (the Almighty).

To be continued Inshala
Episode 5 | The Coming of the Archangel Gabriel

Muhammad
(pbuh) believed that there was only one Allah, Creator of the sun, the
moon, the earth, the sky, and of all living things, and that all people
should worship only Him. Muhammad (pbuh) would often leave the crowded
city and go to the cave in Mount Hira'. He liked to be alone there,
away from all thoughts of the world and daily life, eating and drinking
little. In his fortieth year, Muhammad (pbuh) left Mecca to spend
Ramadan, the traditional month of retreat, in the cave. In the second
half of Ramadan, Allah began to reveal His message for mankind through
Muhammad (pbuh). This first Revelation occurred as follows. The
Archangel Gabriel came to Muhammad (pbuh) in the cave and commanded him
to 'Read'. Muhammad (pbuh) replied 'I cannot read.' At this the
Archangel took Muhammad (pbuh) in his arms and pressed him to him until
it was almost too much to bear. He then released him and said again
'Read.' 'I cannot', replied Muhammad (pbuh), at which the Archangel
embraced him again. For the third time the Archangel commanded Muhammad
(pbuh) to read, but still he said he could not and was again embraced.
On releasing him this time, however, the Archangel Gabriel said:
"Read: In the Name of thy Lord who createth, Createth man from a clot.
Read: And thy Lord is the Most Generous Who teacheth by the pen,
Teacheth man that which he knew not. (Koran xcvi.1-5) Muhammad (pbuh)
repeated these verses, just as the Archangel had said them.

When the Archangel was sure Muhammad (pbuh) knew them by heart, he went
away. Now that he was alone Muhammad (pbuh) could not understand what
had happened to him. He was terribly afraid and rushed out of the cave.
Perhaps the cave was haunted? Perhaps the devil had taken a hold of
his mind? But he was stopped by a voice from heaven which said;
Muhammad (pbuh) you are the Messenger of Allah, and I am Gabriel.' He
looked up at the sky and wherever he turned he saw the Archangel
Gabriel.
In a state of confusion he returned home to Khadijah. When his wife saw
him she became very worried as he began to shiver, as though in a
fever. He asked her to wrap him in blankets, which she did. After a
while he recovered sufficiently to tell her what had happened at Hira'.
Khadijah believed all that he told her and with great respect said:
'Be happy, 0 son of my uncle and be confident. Truly I swear by Allah
who has my soul in His hands, that you will be our people's Prophet.'
Muhammad (pbuh),

the Messenger of Allah, was eased by her faith in him, but after all that had happened he was exhausted and felt fast asleep.
Khadijah left the Prophet (pbuh) sleeping and went to see her cousin,
Waraqah Ibn Nawfal, to ask him what he thought about all that had
happened. Waraqah was a very wise man who had read many books and had
become a Christian after studying the Bible. He told Khadijah that
Muhammad (pbuh) had been chosen by Allah to be His Messenger. Just as
the Archangel Gabriel had come to Moses before and had ordered him to
guide his people, so, too, would Muhammad (pbuh) be the Prophet of his
people. But Waraqah warned that all the people would not listen to the
Prophet and some would mistreat his followers. He must, however, be
patient because he had a great message for all the world. From that day
on, the Archangel Gabriel came often to the Prophet (pbuh) and the
verses he taught him, the message from Allah to man, were later written
down, and are known to us as the Holy Koran.
[b][b]Episode 6 | The First Muslims

[size=16]Assalamu Alikum dear members,

After that momentous day in the month of Ramadan, Revelation came again
and again to the Prophet (pbuh). He understood now what he had to do
and prepared himself for what was to come. Only a strong and brave man,
helped by Allah, can be a true prophet because people often refuse to
listen to Allah's message. Khadijah was the first to believe the
Prophet (pbuh) and accept as true what he brought from Allah. Through
her, Allah made things easier for the Prophet (pbuh). Khadijah
strengthened him, helped him spread his message, and stood up to the
people who were against him.
Then Revelation ceased for a time. The Prophet (pbuh) was upset and
unhappy, thinking that Allah had left him, or that he might have
angered Allah in some way so that Allah no longer thought him worthy of
His message. However, the Archangel Gabriel came back to him and
brought this surah, or chapter, of the Koran:
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
"By the morning hours,And by the night when it is stillest, Thy Lord
hath neither forsaken thee nor doth He hate thee, And verily the Last
will be better for thee than the First. And verily thy Lord will give
unto thee so that thou wilt be *******. Did He not find thee an orphan
and protect thee? Did He not find thee wandering and guide thee? Did He
not find thee destitute and enrich thee? Therefore the orphan oppress
not, Therefore the beggar drive not away, And as for thy Lord's
blessing, declare it". (Koran: xciii.1-11)

The Prophet (pbuh) began to speak secretly of Allah's message to those
Who were close to him and whom he could trust. At that time Mecca was
going through hard times. There was very little food to be had. Abu
Talib, the Prophet's uncle, who had taken care of him after his
grandfather's death, was finding it very difficult to feed his large
family.

The Prophet (pbuh) said that he and another uncle, al-'Abbas, who was a rich man,

would each bring up one of Abu Talib's children in order to help him. The Prophet (pbuh) took 'Ali and his uncle took Ja'far.
One day, when the Prophet (pbuh) was outside the city, the Archangel
Gabriel appeared to him. The Archangel kicked the side of a hill and a
spring of water began to flow out. He then began to wash himself in the
running water to show the Prophet (pbuh) the ritual ablution to be
made before prayer. Then the Archangel showed him all the positions of
Muslim prayer-the various movements and things to be said with each
movement. The Prophet (pbuh) returned home and taught all these things
first to Khadijah and then to his followers. Since then Muslims have
continued to purify themselves before prayer by performing the ritual
ablution and have followed the same movements and prayers first
performed by the Prophet (pbuh). To begin with, though, only the
Prophet (pbuh) and his wife knew of these things. Then one day 'Ali
entered the room and found the Prophet (pbuh) and Khadijah praying.

He was puzzled and asked what they were doing. The Prophet (pbuh)
explained to him that they were praising Allah and giving thanks to Him.
That night 'Ali stayed up thinking about all that the Prophet (pbuh)
had said; he had great admiration and respect for his cousin. Finally he
came to a decision and the next day he went to the Prophet (pbuh) and
told him that he wanted to follow him. Thus Khadijah was the first
woman to embrace Islam, the teachings which the Prophet (pbuh) brought
from Allah, and 'Ali was the first young man. Shortly after they were
joined by Zayd ibn Harithah, a slave, freed and adopted by the Prophet
(pbuh).
The Prophet (pbuh) began to leave Mecca with Ali in order to pray. One
day Abu Talib happened to pass by and when he saw them he stopped and
asked them what they were doing. The Prophet (pbuh) told him that they
were praying and following the same religion as Abraham. He explained
that, like Abraham, he had been ordered to guide the people to Allah's
truth. Abu Talib looked at his son,

'Ali, and said: 'Muhammad (pbuh) would never make you do anything that was wrong. Go with him.
But I cannot leave the religion I now follow and which was followed by
my father.' Then he turned to the Prophet (pbuh), saying, 'Even so, I
promise you, Muhammad (pbuh), that no one will hurt you as long as I am
alive.' And with that Abu Talib went on his way. At about this time the
news of Muhammad (pbuh) being the Prophet reached an honest, wise, and
respected merchant of Mecca called Abu Bakr. He knew Muhammad (pbuh)
well and believed he could never lie, so he went to find out for himself
if the story were true. The Prophet (pbuh) told him that he had indeed
been sent by Allah to teach everyone to worship the one true Allah. On
hearing this from the Prophet's own lips Abu Bakr knew it to be the
truth and became a believer instantly. Later the Prophet (pbuh) was
reported to have said that everyone he ever invited to accept Islam
showed signs of disbelief and doubt, except Abu Bakr; when he was told
of it he did not hold back or hesitate.

Because of his wisdom, honesty, and kindness people had always turned
to Abu Bakr for advice. He was, therefore, a man of some influence and
through him many people came to Islam. Among these was Sa'd ibn Abi
Waqqas as, the uncle of Aminah, the Prophet's mother. The night before
Abu Bakr came to visit him and tell him about Islam, Sa'd Ibn Abi
Waqqas dreamt that he was walking in darkness. As he walked he saw the
moon and when he looked at it he saw 'Ali, Abu Bakr, and Zayd, the
Prophet's freed slave, beckoning to him to come and join them. When Abu
Bakr told him about the Prophet's religion, he understood the meaning
of his dream and went at once to the Prophet (pbuh) and declared
himself a Muslim. He understood that to be a Muslim means to submit
oneself to Allah's Will and to serve only Him. Another person brought
to Islam by Abu Bakr was Bilal. One night Abu Bakr went to the house of
Umayyah ibn Khalaf, one of the most important men of Quraysh. Umayyah
was out and Abu Bakr found only Umayyah's slave, Bilal, at home. Abu
Bakr talked to the slave about Islam and before he left, Bilal, too,
had become a Muslim. The number of people following the Prophet (pbuh)
began to grow. Sometimes they would all go out of the city to the
mountains around Mecca to hear him recite the Koran and to be taught by
him. This was all done very secretly and only a very few people knew
about Islam in those early days
[/b][b]Episode 7 | The Troubles Begin

Assalamu Alikum,

Below is Episode 7:

Three years passed and one day the Archangel Gabriel came to the
Prophet (pbuh) and ordered him to start preaching openly to everyone.
So the Prophet (pbuh) told the people of Mecca that he had something
very important to tell them. He stood on a hillside in Mecca, called
Safa, and they gathered around to hear what he had to say. He started
by asking them if they would believe him were he to say that an army
was about to attack them. They answered that indeed they would, because
he never lied. He then told them that he was the Messenger of Allah,
sent to show them the right way, and to warn them of terrible
punishments if they did not follow him in worshipping only Allah and
none other. Abu Lahab, one of the Prophet's uncles who was among the
listeners, suddenly stood up and said, 'May you perish! Did you call us
here just to tell us this?' At this, Allah sent to the Prophet (pbuh)
the following Surah:
In the Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful
"The Power of Abu Lahab will perish, and he will perish. His wealth and
gains will not save him. He shall roast at a flaming fire, And his
wife, the carrier of firewood Will have upon her neck a rope of
palm-fibre". (Koran cxi.1-5)
Then the crowd dispersed and the Prophet (pbuh) was left alone. A few
days later the Prophet (pbuh) tried again. A feast was prepared in his
house for all of his uncles. After the meal he spoke to them and said,
'O sons of 'Abd al-Muttalib! I know of no Arab who has come to his
people with a better message than mine. I have brought you the best
news for this life and the next.

Allah has ordered me to call you to Him. So which of you will help me?'
All the men kept silent. Then 'Ali, his cousin, jumped up and said: 'O
Prophet of Allah! I will help you.' Then the men all got up and left,
laughing as they went because only one young boy had agreed to help the
Prophet (pbuh).

His message ignored by most of the people and his uncles, the Prophet
(pbuh) continued to meet his friends secretly in a house near the hill
of Safa. There they prayed together and he taught them about the
religion of Islam. But even though they kept to themselves, they were
sometimes abused by those who would not believe. From one such incident,
however, an unexpected conversion to Islam took place. One day, when
the Prophet (pbuh) was returning home, speaking with his followers, he
met Abu Jahl, a leader of Quraysh, who hated the Prophet (pbuh) and his
teachings. Abu Jahl started to insult him and to speak spitefully of
Islam, but the Prophet (pbuh) made no reply and went on his way.

Later, Hamzah, one of the Prophet's uncles, who was a strong and brave
warrior of whom people were quite afraid, heard how his nephew had been
insulted. Filled with rage, he ran straight to the Ka'bah where Abu
Jahl was sitting among the people and struck him a violent blow in the
face with his bow. Hamzah then shouted, 'Will you insult him when I
follow his religion, and I say what he says? Hit me back if you can!'
Some people got up to help Abu Jahl but he stopped them saying, 'Leave
Hamzah alone, for by Allah, I have insulted his nephew badly. 'From
that moment on Hamzah followed the teachings of the Prophet (pbuh) and
with his conversion to Islam Quraysh realized that the Prophet (pbuh)
had a strong supporter and so for a while they stopped persecuting him.
Soon, however, the leaders of Quraysh became angry again, when they
saw that the Prophet (pbuh) was going ahead with his teaching. A group
of them went to his uncle, Abu Talib, who had promised to protect him.
They told him to ask the Prophet (pbuh) to stop attacking their gods
and their way of life,

and in return they would let him do as he wished with his religion.

After a time they saw that there was no change, so they went back to
Abu Talib and this time they told him that if he did not stop his
nephew, they would fight them both. Abu Talib was very upset by this
quarrel among his people, but he could not break his word to his
nephew. He sent for the Prophet (pbuh) and told him what had happened,
saying, 'Spare me and spare yourself; do not put a greater burden on me
than I can bear.' The Prophet (pbuh) thought that his uncle might
abandon him and that he would no longer have his support, but
nevertheless he answered, Ɔ my uncle, by Allah, if they put the sun in
my right hand and the moon in my left in return for my giving up this
cause, I would not give it up until Allah makes Truth victorious, or I
die in His service. Abu Talib was deeply moved by this answer. He told
the Prophet (pbuh) that he would support him for as long as he lived and
encouraged him to go on spreading Allah's message.

From that time on, however hard the leaders of Quraysh tried to
convince Abu Talib to stop protecting his nephew, he always refused to
listen to them. In order to get rid of the Prophet (pbuh) and his
followers, his enemies started persecuting those Muslims who were poor
or weak, or had no powerful friends. One such person was Bilal, the
slave of Umayyah ibn Khalaf. His master would take him out into the
desert, tie him up, and leave him in the sun with a large stone on his
chest. Fortunately Abu Bakr was passing by one day and saw Umayyah
torturing Bilal, so he bought him from his master for a large sum of
money and then set him free. But not all persecuted Muslims were as
fortunate as Bilal. Many suffered, but all of them endured it
patiently, knowing that they were doing the right thing and that their
reward in the life to come would be greater' than any happiness they
could find on earth.

Assalamu Alikum[/b]

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Subject: Re: The prophet’s biography Wed Jan 19, 2011 10:24 pm

Episode 8 | The King who Believed

Assalamu alikum

Below is Episode 8:

As the number of the Prophet's followers increased so the enemies of
the Muslims grew more and more angry. At last some of the Muslims
decided to go to another country in order to live in peace. It was only
five years since the Archangel Gabriel had first come to the Prophet
(pbuh) and two years since the Prophet (pbuh) had spoken out in public.
The Muslims asked the Prophet (pbuh) to allow them to leave Mecca. He
agreed, saying 'It would be better for you to go to Abyssinia. The king
there is a just man and it is a friendly country. Stay there until
Allah makes it possible for you to return. The Muslims prepared for the
journey. They decided to wait until night so that they could leave
without being seen. The first sixteen left Mecca and, after reaching
the shore of the Red Sea, crossed over to Abyssinia. Another
eighty-three men and nineteen women followed, all hoping to be welcomed
by the king and people of that country. This was the first hijrah, or
migration, in Islam.

The Meccans were furious when they discovered that these Muslims had
secretly left the city for among them were the sons and daughters of
many of the leading families of Mecca.

The anger of the Meccans was even greater when they found out that the
Muslims had been warmly welcomed in Abyssinia. The leaders of Quraysh
decided to send two men to the Abyssinian king in hopes of persuading
him to send the Muslims back. These were 'Amr ibn al-'As, a very clever
speaker, and 'Abd Allah ibn abi Rabi'ah. Before they met this king,
they gave each of his advisers a gift, saying: 'Some foolish men from
our people have come to hide in your country. Our leaders have sent us
to your ruler to persuade him to send them back, so when we speak to
the king about them, do advise him to give them up to us.' The advisers
agreed to do what the Meccans wished.

Amr ibn al-'As and 'Abd Allah ibn abi Rabi'ah then went to the king and
presented him also with a gift, saying: 'Your Highness, these people
have abandoned the religion we have always followed in Mecca,

but they have not even become Christians like you.' The royal advisers,
who were also present, told the king that the Meccans had spoken the
truth and that he should send the Muslims back to their own people. At
this, the king became angry and said, 'No, by God, I will not give them
up. Those who have come to ask for my protection, settled in my
country, and chosen me rather than others, shall not be betrayed. I
will summon them and ask them about what these two men have said. If
the Muslims are as the Meccans say, I will give them up and send them
back to their own people, but if the Meccans have lied I will protect
the Muslims.' 'Amr was very upset by this for the last thing he wanted
was for the king to hear what the Muslims had to say. The king then
sent for the Muslims. When they entered, they did not kneel before him
as was the custom of the Abyssinians. 'Why do you not kneel before our
king?' they were asked by one of the advisors. 'We kneel only to
Allah', they replied.

So the king asked them to tell him about their religion.
Ja'far ibn abi Talib, Ali's brother and a cousin of the Prophet (pbuh),
was chosen to speak for the Muslims. He replied, Ɔ King, at first we
were among the ignorant. We and our ancestors had turned from the faith
of Abraham, who, with Ishmael, rebuilt the Ka'bah and worshipped only
Allah. We used idols in our worship of Allah; we ate meat that had not
been killed in the right way; we did not respect the rights of our
neighbors; the strong took advantage of the weak. We did terrible
things of which I dare not speak. This was our life until Allah sent a
Messenger from among us, one of our relatives, whom we have always
known to be honest, innocent, and faithful. He asked us to worship only
Allah, and to give up the bad customs of our forefathers. He asked us
to be truthful and trustworthy, to respect and help our neighbors, to
honor our families, and to put a stop to our bad deeds and endless
fighting. He asked us to look after orphans. He ordered us not to
slander or speak evil of women or men.

He ordered us to worship Allah alone and not to worship anyone or
anything else alongside Him. He ordered us to pray, to give alms, and
to fast. We believe he is right and therefore we follow him and do as
he has commanded us.
The Meccans began to attack us and come between us and our religion. So
we had to leave our homes and we have come to you, hoping to find
justice.'

The king, who was a Christian, was moved by these words. 'Amr had to
think quickly of a way to win the argument. Cunningly he said to the
king, 'These people do not believe in Jesus in the same way as you'.
The king then wanted to know what the Prophet (pbuh) had said about
Jesus. Ja'far replied by reciting a Surah from the Koran which tells
the story of Jesus and his mother Mary. These are a few of the lines he
recited:
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
"And make mention of Mary in the Scripture,

when she had Withdrawn from her people to an eastern place, And had
chosen seclusion from them. Then We sent unto her Our spirit and it
assumed for her the likeness of a perfect man. She said: Lo! I seek
refuge in the Beneficent One from thee, if Thou fearest God. He said: I
am only a messenger of thy Lord, that I may bestow on thee a faultless
son. She said: How can I have a son when no mortal hath touched me,
neither have I been unchaste? He said: 'Even so thy Lord saith: It is
easy for Me. And (it will be) that We may make of him revelation for
mankind and a mercy from Us, and it is a thing ordained. And she
conceived him, and she withdrew with him to a far place. Then she
brought him to her own folk, carrying him. They said: O Mary! Thou hast
come with an monstrous thing. Oh sister of Aaron! Thy father was not a
wicked man nor was thy mother a harlot. Then Mary pointed to the child
(Jesus); But they said, 'How can we speak to one who is still in the
cradle, a young child?' He said, 'Lo, I am Allah's servant; He has
given me the Book,

and made me a Prophet.
He has made me Blessed, wheresoever I may be; and He has enjoined me to
pray, and to give alms, so long as I live, and likewise to cherish my
mother; he has not made me arrogant, unblest Peace be upon me, the day I
was born, and the day I die, and the day I am raised up alive!" (Koran
xix:16-33) . When the king heard this, his eyes filled with tears.
Turning to his advisers, he said, 'These words have surely come from
God; there is very little to separate the Muslims from the Christians.
What both Jesus and Muhammad, the Messengers of Allah, have brought
comes from the same source.
So the Muslims were given the king's permission to live peacefully in
his country. 'Amr was given back the gift he had presented to the king
and the two Meccans returned home, bitterly disappointed.

To be continued inshala

» The prophet’s biography
» biography of the Prophet Muhammad in TEN Languages
» Our Prophet Muhammad
» The Prophet's Last Sermon
» Muhammad (sws) Truly Is the Prophet of Allah