BELIEF IN PREDESTINATION
Belief in the Divine Decree (order by a leader) is mentioned in the Imaan-e-Mufassal which says: ‘’I believe in Allah, in His angels, in His books, in His prophets, in the Last Day and in the fact that everything, good or bad, is decided by Allah Almighty and in the life after death.’’
This means that everything, good or bad, is decided by Allah, is an article of faith and without this our faith is not complete. Faith in predestination means that we believe in our heart and confess with our tongue that the Most High Allah has decreed all things; whatever happens in the world whether it is concerning the conditions and operations of things, good and evil, obedience and disobedience, faith and infidelity (unfaithful), sickness and health, wealth and poverty, life and death is contained in the written tablet of the decrees of Allah which is called the Loh-e-Mahfooz.
The belief in Divine predestination includes belief in 4 things:
1. Allah is the creator of everything.
2. Allah knows everything; what has, is and will happen.
3. Allah has recorded all that has passed, all that is happening and all that will happen.
4. Whatever Allah wills, happens and whatever He wills not, does not happen.
According to the Muslim Faith, Allah is the sole Creator and Cherisher (care for something or someone) of the universe. His power is not limited in any sphere. The Qur’an says: ‘’ verily Allah has power over everything.” Therefore it will not be wrong to say that God not only has knowledge of each and every affair of the entire universe but also all the matters and occurrences are under His control. We ourselves can see the Divine Will in many objects and phenomena around us. The Qur’an invites us to appreciate by saying: ‘’It is not permitted to the sun to catch up to the moon, nor can the night outstrip the day; each just swims along in its own orbit (according to the Divine Will)’’ (36:40). These are demonstrations of Allah’s unlimited power and command.
Similarly, man, the most supreme creation of Allah is no exception to this Divine Will. Humans have been granted liberty and free will, but at the same time they are subservient (submissive) to the laws of nature. We should know that that our Creator has knowledge of everything and has command over us and so it should be our duty to submit to His Will. The Qur’an reminds us by saying: ‘’We indeed created man and We know what dark suggestions his soul makes to him; for We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.’’ (50:16). This simply means that Allah knows even the innermost desires and motives of man better than man himself so it becomes clear that in spite of enjoying free will, our destinies and decisions are under the ultimate Divine predestination. Allah has predestined the span of every person’s life, their share of good and ill fortune and the fruits of their efforts in accordance with His eternal knowledge. This is to say that He has ordained (designed) the things as they were to take place in this world and in the life to come. This however does not imply that whatever we do is predestined to be done by us and we have no freedom of action. For example, if Allah has predestined an evil thing to Zaid, it was so because Zaid had chosen to commit that evil thing when he had a choice of not doing it. If he were to do a pious deed, All-Knowing Allah would have predestined that pious deed to have been done by Zaid. No one is forced to do a certain thing because of its predestination. Allah has given every human the ability to do good or bad in life. People decide what to do, but Allah has knowledge of our deeds even before we were created. He knew what we could and would do but does not make us do it.
While Allah has given free choice to people, man has also been shown the correct way by means of revelation through His prophets. Man has the final choice to accept or decline this Divine guidance. His choice rests on his will as the Qur’an says: ‘’ Surely, We have shown him the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful (rests on his will)’’ (76:3).
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WEEK 8 (HADITH 6)
HADITH 6
“Whosoever of you sees an evil action let him change it with his hand. And if he is not able to do so, then with his tongue. And if he is not able to so, then with his heart. And that is the weakest form of faith.”
Teachings
Islam stresses upon the need to eradicate all evil elements from society. It imposes this duty on each individual according to our might. When we are in power we must use force against evil. It is, however the government which has the authority to use force. When we are before an evil or tyrant ruler, we must express our opinion by either speaking the truth or writing about it publically. Islam teaches us to strive against evil practices and stop them by all possible means. The last portion of the Hadith states that the least a Muslim can do in the case of witnessing an evil act is to consider it evil in his heart. This means that he should dislike the evil when he comes across it.
In an Islamic society Allah (SWT) demands that there should be a group of people who should encourage the good and discourage the evil. The Holy Quran says “You are the best community ever raised for humanity; you order what is right, forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah...” (3:110)
How to put these teachings into action
We as Muslims are commanded to take action against evil practices according to our level. When we say that this duty is according to our level, we acknowledge the fact that we exercise our authority only when and where we have authority. For example we do not go in another person’s house and make it our business to criticize the wrong in his/her house; we should only try to make him aware of the problem by giving positive suggestions without offending the other person. We should know our boundaries and abide by them. If everyone applied the teachings of this Hadith in his own circle of influence, the society would automatically correct itself while preserving the privacy of each household, neighbourhood, city etc.
For example, in the glorious days of Holy Prophet (SAW), the Islamic society in Madinah was taking active steps against evil practices of the Jews and other non Muslim rulers to tell them to be obedient to Islam and leave evil ways. Hazrat Abu Bakr also used force against the false prophets because he was the head of the state and had the legal power to do so. On the other hand, the Muslim minority at Makkah who could not migrate and at the same time could not do anything against the Quraish, quietly bore their evil practices.
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WEEK 8 (HADITH 7)
HADITH 7
‘’It was asked: O Messenger of Allah, who is the most excellent of men? The Messenger of Allah said: The believer who strives hard in the way of Allah with his person and his property.’’
Teachings:
Fighting in the way of Allah and His religion, according to the principles laid down for such a war with the objective of bringing an end to the oppression and aggression against Islam, is known as Jihad. It involves sacrifice of a person’s life and property for Allah. Islam is a practical religion and emphasises upon the need of taking practical steps against evil with all human and material resources. The struggle against evil practices is the top priority of every Muslim. There is great importance of Jihad through wealth and through personal acts. Where wealth is needed, financial sacrifice is appreciated and where the sacrifice of life is needed, to do so in the path of Allah, is considered to be a great honour. To fight against evil is the requirement of Islam. This practice pleases Allah and He says in the Qur’an:
‘’....and struggle in God’s way with your possessions and your persons: this is better for you, if you only knew.’’(9:41)
How to Put These Teachings into Action
In this Hadith two types of Jihad are mentioned. Jihad may be in the form of fighting for the cause of Allah according to the laid down principles with the object of bringing an end to aggression, terrorism, mischief and wickedness. A person may also perform Jihad with wealth and this may take different forms. It may be, spending his wealth for a social cause, welfare of the society or the spread of Islam. It can also be, spending his wealth for supplying arms and ammunitions to the warriors who fight the enemies of Islam.
The history of Islam is full of examples on Jihad. On the occasion of Tabuk expedition almost all of the companions of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) contributed something for the sake of Jihad for example Abu Bakr donated all his wealth while Omar donated half of his. The companions then also participated personally in the battle against the Roman Empire. This event is unparalleled in the whole history of mankind.
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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011
WEEK 8 (SURAH 7)
SURAH 7: Al Baqrah (2:21-22)
21: O people! Adore your Guardian-Lord,
Who created you and those who came before you,
So that you may have the chance to learn righteousness;
22: Who has made the earth your couch, and the heavens your canopy;
And sent down rain from the heavens;
And by it brought forth fruits for your sustenance;
Then do not set up rivals to Allah, when you know.
The Main Theme(s)
These two verses describe some of Allah’s special bounties for the whole mankind that provide certain essential means of sustenance. The verses particularly mention the productivity of the earth and the protective shield provided by the heavens and the virtue of rain to activate the process of the production of variety of fruits. The main purpose of mentioning these visible favours of Allah remind us to worship Allah, avoid shirk in order to lead a righteous life.
The Presentation of the Theme.
Man needs to acknowledge the bounties of Allah by way of expressing gratitude to Him and by bowing down before Him. The whole mankind, the heavens and the earth with their respective roles of serving mankind, are the greatest signs of Allah’s creative power and His relation with His creatures. Now it is man’s duty to identify his Lord by worshipping none but Him, by praising Him through regular prayers and by obeying the rules of conduct determined by Him. This is the greatest benefit of belief in Tauhid—developing Taqwa or piety and refuting Shirk. For the same reason, a whole Surah of the Qur’an, Surah 55 (Al-Rahman) repeatedly asks mankind to acknowledge the countless blessings of Allah. ‘’Which, then, of your Lord’s blessings do you deny?’’
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Monday, March 7, 2011
Week 7
BELIEF IN THE LAST DAY
Belief in life after death, bodily resurrection, final judgment and the eternal life in Paradise and (or) Hell is one of the articles of faith. This world as we know it will come to an end one day and the dead will rise from their resting place for their final and fair trial. Muslims believe that the time of Qiyama is preordained by Allah but is unknown to man. The trials and problems preceding and during the Day of Resurrection are described in detail in the Quran and Hadith. The Quran says:
“Anyone who denies God, His angels, His books, His messenger and the Day of Judgment has gone far, far astray.”(4:136)
Islam teaches us that there are four definite stages of every human life.
The first is in the womb of our mother. There, the flesh is united with the spirit. According to a tradition of the Holy Prophet, this joining takes place some time after the fortieth day of conception.
The second stage of our life begins in this world. We are born, grow from children to adults and then reach old age and die. Some people die in their youth while others live longer than most.
The third stage starts after our death. A person’s life on this earth ends with his/her death, after which another life begins in the state of Barzakh, which is an intermediate state in which the soul is placed after death till resurrection. The state of grave is therefore, the same state as that of Barzakh. Immediately after death the lesser Judgement or Qiyamat-e-Sughra takes place, after which the righteous are spoken of as tasting the fruit of their good deeds while the evil doers have to taste the evil consequences of their wrong deeds.
The fourth and final stage of our existence is eternal. It will begin with the end of the world. The entire universe with all forms of life will be brought to its ends by its Creator. At many places in the Quran the details of the onset and outcome of the Day of Judgment have been given. That Day will start by the first blow of Trumpet by Hazrat Israfil. The Quran says:
“When the Trumpet is sounded a single time. When the earth and its mountains are raised high and then crushed to powder with a single blow. On that Day the Great Event will come to pass.” (69:13-15)
The second Trumpet will be blown and there will be resurrection of everything that existed in this world. A new world will emerge with a new sky. All human beings who had lived on this earth since its inception (start) will come back to life, this is called Hashr.
Now all humans will stand before Allah for accountability of all their deeds in the worldly life. Allah will set the Scale of Ultimate Justice. The account of our deeds will be examined in many ways. Some people will be interrogated in secrecy and if the person concerned confesses his/her sins honestly, fearing Allah, they will be pardoned. Some will be subjected to a very severe interrogation during which they will have to explain their each and every deed and utterance. The people undergoing such an interrogation will be sent to Hell. No injustice will be done on the Day of Judgement. People’s hands, feet and tongue will bear witness against them. There will be no bargaining, no friendship or intercession. Our good and evil deeds will be sorted out. If we persecuted or harmed anyone in any way, we may lose some of our good deeds to them by way of compensation and if we have no good deeds left then the other person’s bad deeds will be transferred to our account. Then our deeds will be weighed on the scale mentioned before and the true weight of our conduct will be shown to us.
People will be given their book of deeds which they will be asked to read. The good will be given their record in their right hand, while the sinners in their left hand or from behind their backs. The Qur’an says: ‘’then he who is given his record in his right hand will have an easy reckoning (calculation) and return to his people well pleased. But whoever is given his record from behind his back will cry out for destruction and he will enter a blazing fire.’’ (84:7-12)
Finally according to the deeds people will be awarded forever and ever. The Quran promises eternal dwelling place as a reward in Paradise for the pious and the righteous. The evildoers and the sinners, on the other hand will be given horrible punishment.
When the judgement is finished, a bridge will be stretched over the top of the pit of Hell. This bridge, called the Sirat, will lead to Paradise which will be on the other side. Everyone will have to cross this bridge. The Prophets and the righteous people will zoom right over and enter Paradise. The treading of the bridge by the people will be based on the nature and enormity of their good or bad deeds. The two states of Heaven and Hell are not spiritual. They will be experienced in physical forms by the new bodies with which Allah will raise men up.
Belief in life after death, bodily resurrection, final judgment and the eternal life in Paradise and (or) Hell is one of the articles of faith. This world as we know it will come to an end one day and the dead will rise from their resting place for their final and fair trial. Muslims believe that the time of Qiyama is preordained by Allah but is unknown to man. The trials and problems preceding and during the Day of Resurrection are described in detail in the Quran and Hadith. The Quran says:
“Anyone who denies God, His angels, His books, His messenger and the Day of Judgment has gone far, far astray.”(4:136)
Islam teaches us that there are four definite stages of every human life.
The first is in the womb of our mother. There, the flesh is united with the spirit. According to a tradition of the Holy Prophet, this joining takes place some time after the fortieth day of conception.
The second stage of our life begins in this world. We are born, grow from children to adults and then reach old age and die. Some people die in their youth while others live longer than most.
The third stage starts after our death. A person’s life on this earth ends with his/her death, after which another life begins in the state of Barzakh, which is an intermediate state in which the soul is placed after death till resurrection. The state of grave is therefore, the same state as that of Barzakh. Immediately after death the lesser Judgement or Qiyamat-e-Sughra takes place, after which the righteous are spoken of as tasting the fruit of their good deeds while the evil doers have to taste the evil consequences of their wrong deeds.
The fourth and final stage of our existence is eternal. It will begin with the end of the world. The entire universe with all forms of life will be brought to its ends by its Creator. At many places in the Quran the details of the onset and outcome of the Day of Judgment have been given. That Day will start by the first blow of Trumpet by Hazrat Israfil. The Quran says:
“When the Trumpet is sounded a single time. When the earth and its mountains are raised high and then crushed to powder with a single blow. On that Day the Great Event will come to pass.” (69:13-15)
The second Trumpet will be blown and there will be resurrection of everything that existed in this world. A new world will emerge with a new sky. All human beings who had lived on this earth since its inception (start) will come back to life, this is called Hashr.
Now all humans will stand before Allah for accountability of all their deeds in the worldly life. Allah will set the Scale of Ultimate Justice. The account of our deeds will be examined in many ways. Some people will be interrogated in secrecy and if the person concerned confesses his/her sins honestly, fearing Allah, they will be pardoned. Some will be subjected to a very severe interrogation during which they will have to explain their each and every deed and utterance. The people undergoing such an interrogation will be sent to Hell. No injustice will be done on the Day of Judgement. People’s hands, feet and tongue will bear witness against them. There will be no bargaining, no friendship or intercession. Our good and evil deeds will be sorted out. If we persecuted or harmed anyone in any way, we may lose some of our good deeds to them by way of compensation and if we have no good deeds left then the other person’s bad deeds will be transferred to our account. Then our deeds will be weighed on the scale mentioned before and the true weight of our conduct will be shown to us.
People will be given their book of deeds which they will be asked to read. The good will be given their record in their right hand, while the sinners in their left hand or from behind their backs. The Qur’an says: ‘’then he who is given his record in his right hand will have an easy reckoning (calculation) and return to his people well pleased. But whoever is given his record from behind his back will cry out for destruction and he will enter a blazing fire.’’ (84:7-12)
Finally according to the deeds people will be awarded forever and ever. The Quran promises eternal dwelling place as a reward in Paradise for the pious and the righteous. The evildoers and the sinners, on the other hand will be given horrible punishment.
When the judgement is finished, a bridge will be stretched over the top of the pit of Hell. This bridge, called the Sirat, will lead to Paradise which will be on the other side. Everyone will have to cross this bridge. The Prophets and the righteous people will zoom right over and enter Paradise. The treading of the bridge by the people will be based on the nature and enormity of their good or bad deeds. The two states of Heaven and Hell are not spiritual. They will be experienced in physical forms by the new bodies with which Allah will raise men up.
Week 6
BELIEF IN PROPHETS
Boys! the information given about the belief in prophets in your text book( Farkhanda Noor) is good enough. Please study this topic from the book. All the quotes are also very good :-)
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WEEK 6 (SHAHADAH)
THE SHAHADAH
It is the first pillar of Islam. The declaration: ‘’there is no god but Allah and Mohammad (pbuh) is His Messenger’’, opens the door for a person into Islam. By declaring thus, a person not only testifies to the truth of this statement, but also declares his or her faith in the principles of Islam. The first part refers to Tauheed or the Oneness of Allah and the second part relates to the prophethood of Mohammad as His last and true Prophet. The Shahadah literally means to bear witness. In Islamic Shariah, it refers to bearing witness that ‘’there is no god but Allah and Mohammad is his (last) Messenger’’. It is evident from this expression that the Shahadah consists of two separate but closely interlinked components.
The first component is Tauheed. Tauheed or the belief in the Oneness of Allah is the first and the main principle of Islam. It means that Allah is the Only Creator and Sustainer of the universe. He is Ever-Living without a beginning or an end (the first and the last). He is Independent while others are dependent on Him for their existence and survival. He is the source and support of all life. He is the only one worthy of worship. Allah is Omnipotent (having unlimited authority or power). He knows everything; the hidden and the manifest (obvious, apparent). He is not bound by space and time; He is everywhere and has knowledge of the past, present and future. Surah Ikhlaas proclaims this in the most comprehensive way: '' Say He is Allah, the One. Allah, the Eternal. He does not beget nor is He begotten, and there is none like Him'' (112:1-4). Surah Ikhlaas is also called one-third of the Qur'an which means that one-third of the subject matter of the Qur'an revolves around Tauheed. The mention of Tauheed occurs repeatedly in the Qur'an in slightly different shades. For example the Verse of Throne begins as: ''there is no God but He...'' (2:255). The first Surah of the Qur'an begins as: ''Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds" (1:1). At the same time the Qur’an warns that any kind or degree of associating partners with Allah (Shirk) is the only unpardonable and most condemned sin: ‘’Indeed Allah forgives not that a partner should be associated with Him, but less than that, He forgives whomsoever He wills.’’ (4:48)
The second component of Shahadah is declaration that Mohammed (pbuh) is His Messenger. The expression means that the Prophet Mohamed (pbuh), like all other chosen people of Allah, was a specially selected human being who received Divine message through the arch angel Jibril. He too was opposed by his community while spreading the same message of Tauheed as was done by all his predecessors. He, however, had combined in himself, qualities and merits of all the Prophets to the degree of perfection by Allah’s command and that he became a symbol of mercy for all. ‘’It was only as a mercy that We sent you (Prophet) to all people.’’(21:107) The message of Islam was perfected and completed on Mohammad for all the communities and races for all times to come. The Qur’an elaborates this important point in these words: ‘’this day I have perfected your religion for you, completed my favour upon you and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.’’(5:3) not only this, but Allah assured of the protection of the originality of His message in the Qur’an: ‘’We indeed sent down the Message and We will assuredly guard it(against corruption)’’ (15:9). This means that the Qur’an revealed on the Hoy Prophet will always retain its original contents, quite unlike the previous scripts. These two facts necessitated the closure of the process of sending messengers, as the Final Message did not need any renewal. The Prophet himself said ‘’I am the seal (last) of Prophets and there will be no prophet after me.’’
Thus the second portion of Shahadah completes the most fundamental belief of the Muslims, and together both aspects of the Shahadah form the basis of all the articles of faith and the practical demonstration of these in various actions and practices.
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WEEK 6 (ARTICLES OF FAITH)
Articles of Faith
The word faith is synonym of the Arabic word ‘’Iman’’. To have strong belief or trust in someone or something is known as Faith. The fundamental (basic) beliefs, which serve as the foundation of a religion, are called articles of faith. All the messengers of Allah tried their best to transfer these beliefs to their followers. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) too began propagating his message by focusing attentions on these beliefs. These beliefs are related in Iman-e-Mufasil in these words:
"I believe in Allah, in His Angels, in His Books, in His messengers, in the Last Day and in the fact that everything good or bad, is decided by Allah, the Almighty Allah, and in the life after death". These articles of Faith are as under:
1 Belief in the Oneness and Unity of Allah or Tauheed.
2. Belief in the Angels.
3. Belief in Revealed Books.
4. Belief in the Prophets.
5. Belief in the Last Day of Judgment.
6. Belief in Life after Death.
7. Belief in Predestination.
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WEEK 6 (TAUHEED)
TAUHEED
Tauheed or the belief in the Oneness of Allah is the first and the main principle of Islam. It means that Allah is the Only Creator and Sustainer of the universe. He is Ever-Living without a beginning or an end (the first and the last). He is Independent while others are dependent on Him for their existence and survival. He is the source and support of all life. He is the only one worthy of worship. Allah is Omnipotent (having unlimited authority or power). He knows everything; the hidden and the manifest (obvious, apparent). He is not bound by space and time; He is everywhere and has knowledge of the past, present and future. Surah Ikhlaas proclaims this in the most comprehensive way: '' Say He is Allah, the One. Allah, the Eternal. He does not beget nor is He begotten, and there is none like Him'' (112:1-4). Surah Ikhlaas is also called one-third of the Qur'an which means that one-third of the subject matter of the Qur'an revolves around Tauheed. A person becomes a Muslim just by believing and uttering the expression: '' There is no god but Allah and Mohammad (pbuh) is the Messenger of Allah''. The first part of this message occurs repeatedly in the Qur'an in slightly different shades. For example the Verse of Throne begins as: ''there is no God but He...'' (2:255). The first Surah of the Qur'an begins as: ''Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds" (1:1).
According to the leading scholars of Islam, there are three kinds of Tauheed:
• Tauhid-ar-Rabubiya (Oneness of Lordship of Allah)
• Tauhid-al-Auluhiya (Oneness in the Worship of Allah)
• Tauhid-al-Asma-wa-Sifat (Oneness of the names and qualities of Allah)
Tauhid-ar-Rabubiya refers to the belief that Allah is Self-Existent; He is the Creator and the Sustainer of the universe. ‘’ Allah is the Creator of all things and He is the Guardian over all things’’ (39:62). Allah is Omnipotent, the Law Giver and the Judge. The verse of the Throne says: ‘’….who is there who can intercede in His presence except as He permits…’’ (2:255). It also to the belief that He is entirely immune to all forms of human weaknesses and needs such as hunger, thirst and the need to rest or sleep etc. ‘’…no slumber ca seize Him nor sleep…’’ (2:255). He is above the grip of space and time, ‘’ He is the First and Last, the evident and the hidden…’’ (57:3).
Tauhid-al-Auluhiya refers to the belief that since Allah is the creator, He is the only one worthy of worship. All supplication, beseeching (Pleading) and imploring (begging) are due only to Allah. So we as Muslims, must observe all the religious practices such as prayers, Hajj, fast and giving alms to the poor etc. for His sake only. ‘’I created Jinn and mankind only to worship me’’ (51:56). ‘’ You alone we worship and Your aid we seek’’ (1:4).
Tauhid-al-Asma-wa-Sifat refers to the belief that Allah is matchless not only in His Essence but also in His names and Attributes. This belief includes that we must not name or qualify Allah except with what He and His Messenger have named or qualified Him. None can be named or qualified with the names or qualifications of Allah, for example Karim, Raheem, Rehman etc. ‘’And there is none like unto Him” (112:5). We must believe in all the qualities of Allah which He has stated in His Book or mentioned through His Messenger without changing, twisting or ignoring their meaning.
The acknowledgement of Tauheed is the fundamental belief in Islam and is the basis of salvation (rescue). The basic message of all the prophets was the same i.e. there is no god but Allah. All the previous scriptures preached the Unity of Allah but due to alterations made in their text over the passage of time, the doctrine (set of guidelines) of Tauheed was changed. Finally when the need arose for final and universal guidance, Allah sent His last Messenger with the Qur’an to set the people on the straight path and correct their beliefs. We cannot see Allah but His existence is confirmed when we ponder over the universe, that such an organized and well coordinated world could not have come into existence on its own; just like a letter cannot be written without an author. ‘’who created the seven heavens, one above the other. You will not see any flaw in what the Lord of mercy creates. Look again! Can you see any flaw? Look again! And again! Your sight will turn back to you, weak and defeated.’’ (67:3-4).
SHIRK:
The Arabic word ‘’shirk’’ means ‘’to share’’. In religious sense it means associating partners with Allah. There is an Arabic proverb, ‘’things become known through their opposites.’’ In the light of this saying, it is necessary to understand the nature of Shirk for the better knowledge of the oneness of Allah. The avoidance of Shirk is the fundamental teaching of the Qur’an, because Shirk is nothing but the reverse side of Tauheed. Given the fact that the proclamation of Tauheed is the first pillar of Islam and Tauheed itself is the first principle of Islam, one begins o understand why Shirk is so strongly criticized and why. According to the Holy Qur’an it is the only unforgiveable sin: ‘’indeed Allah forgives not that a partner should be associated with Him, but less than that, He forgives whomsoever He wills.’’ (4:48)
The acknowledgement of the Unity of Allah is bound in human nature, since humans were created with the knowledge that ‘’there is no god but Allah.’’ The prophets were sent as a reminder of what was already in their original nature. Hence to associate others with Allah is to go against the most basic instincts of the human species. It is, so to speak, to go against human nature.
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WEEK 6 (ANGELS)
BELIEF IN ANGELS
Belief in the existence of angels is an article of Islamic faith. The non-believers considered angels to be deities and Allah’s daughters. This article of faith purifies the belief in the unity of Allah. Allah has appointed many of His Angels for the management of this Universe. Angels have been created from light and are not visible to ordinary mortals. They belong to the category of the unseen unless they appear in human form. They perform their assigned duties according to the Decree (order) of God. They are sent to protect men, to administer Allah’s punishments, to carry His messages and to perform various other functions. Allah describes their entire submission to Him in the following words:
"They never disobey Allah's Command and do as they are commanded."(16:50) The Angels are also called messengers in the Holy Book as they conveyed the Divine message of Allah to the Prophets. The Angels were also appointed duties in the human form; they appeared before Abraham to give him the glad tidings of a son. Hazrat Lut was also warned about impending doom of his town. Hazrat Maryam was also blessed with the news of a Holy son by an angel Gabriel. Hazrat Zakriya also experienced the same experience of visiting of an angel. Angels are Allah's creation having necessary powers and qualities. They are not His daughters nor are they objects of worship. They have no knowledge except that what Allah has taught them. They prostrated before Adam when Allah commanded them to do so. Angels glorify and praise Allah. They never get tired. They neither need sleep nor do they require the things needed by human beings. Angels are the guardians of Hell-fire. They will welcome in Heaven all those who obey Allah's commands and will throw the wrong doers into Hell. The name of the angel in charge of Paradise is Rizwan while Malik is in charge of Hell. There are many Angels like Kiram-an-katibeen i.e. angels on our shoulders having records of our good and bad deeds. They are many in numbers. The Qur’an says: ‘’But verily, over you (are appointed angels) to protect you- kind and honorable, writing down (your deeds)’’. (82:10-11) There are also Munkar and Nakeer, they go to the graves of the newly dead to ask them questions. Besides, there are many angels having various assignments with them they are as under;
1. Hazrat Gabriel, who brought revelations from Allah to the Prophets including Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) He is called 'Rooh-ul-Allah' or ‘Rooh-ul-Ameen’ because he never changes the messages of Allah.
2. Hazrat Izrael, the angel of death. He is responsible for taking our souls upon death.
3. Hazrat Israfeel, who will blow the trumpet at the time of the end of the world, i.e. on the Day of Judgment. With his second blow everyone will rise again for the Day of Judgment.
4. Hazrat Mekaeel, who is responsible for rainfall and distribution of ‘rizq’( means of sustenance).
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WEEK 6 (BOOKS)
BELIEF IN REVEALED BOOKS
Human beings are the servants of Allah and need guidance to carry out their various duties and responsibilities. This guidance is mentioned in Books revealed to various Prophets. So for this guidance Muslims are required to believe in the Books. Allah says in the Holy Book:
"Those who believe in the revelation sent down to you (Mohammad) and in what was sent before you…" [2:4]
There were several revealed books but only four out of them are famous"
1. The Holy Quran, revealed to the Holy Prophet (pbuh).
2. Injil or the Gospels was revealed to Isa. The Christians failed to act upon it; they distorted it and introduced the doctrine (policy) of trinity and redemption through crucification; although Isa clearly told his followers that Allah was his and their Lord. According to the Quran Injil confirms the Torah.
3. Zubur or Psalms, revealed to David.
4. Torah was revealed to Moses for the guidance of Bani Israel. It contained Allah’s command, warning and mercy. The original book was changed. Its followers distorted the words of Allah. Allah says, ‘’they change the words from their (right) places and forget a good part of the message that was sent.’’(5:13)
The Qur’an also mentions the Suhuf of Ibrahim. Books were also revealed to other messengers, who were sent at different times among different nations having different languages. Their teachings were in the language they spoke and they were for the guidance of that particular community. The teachings contained were, the Uniqueness and Oneness of Allah, the concept of reward and punishment for one's deeds in the life after death.
All the heavenly books were from Allah and whatever Allah said in them is to be believed in. However due to changes and alternations, their originality and purity has been brought into question. The preservation of the Holy Scriptures was the duty of their respective followers. The basic purpose of these books was the acknowledgment of the Oneness of Allah. These books made it clear to the people that they should believe in the prophets of their times. If anyone failed to do so, their faith in Allah would not merit any rewards. These books also testified that all the Prophets were truthful and they should not differentiate among them. Each Prophet (pbuh), after all, was sent by Allah with guidance, and the primary message of each was the same. These books also reformed the wrong beliefs of people concerning Allah’s Essence, His Messengers, books, and the life after death and acts of worship. Instead of preserving the scriptures in their memories and on tablets, they distorted them. The outcome is that these scriptures cannot be relied upon to be the same as when they were sent down.
Since Islam is based on the Quran, and the Qur’an is Allah’s last book, Allah took the responsibility of preserving whatever is contained in it. The following holy verse testifies this, “We have sent down the Quran Ourself and We Ourself will guard it…” (15:9)
It is the living miracle of the Quran that no one ever produced even a verse like that of the Quran. The Qur’an, unlike the other divine books which were meant for a particular community, is a guide book for all communities for all times to come. The Qur’an is a universal book, sent to the entire mankind for all ages.
Boys! the information given about the belief in prophets in your text book( Farkhanda Noor) is good enough. Please study this topic from the book. All the quotes are also very good :-)
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WEEK 6 (SHAHADAH)
THE SHAHADAH
It is the first pillar of Islam. The declaration: ‘’there is no god but Allah and Mohammad (pbuh) is His Messenger’’, opens the door for a person into Islam. By declaring thus, a person not only testifies to the truth of this statement, but also declares his or her faith in the principles of Islam. The first part refers to Tauheed or the Oneness of Allah and the second part relates to the prophethood of Mohammad as His last and true Prophet. The Shahadah literally means to bear witness. In Islamic Shariah, it refers to bearing witness that ‘’there is no god but Allah and Mohammad is his (last) Messenger’’. It is evident from this expression that the Shahadah consists of two separate but closely interlinked components.
The first component is Tauheed. Tauheed or the belief in the Oneness of Allah is the first and the main principle of Islam. It means that Allah is the Only Creator and Sustainer of the universe. He is Ever-Living without a beginning or an end (the first and the last). He is Independent while others are dependent on Him for their existence and survival. He is the source and support of all life. He is the only one worthy of worship. Allah is Omnipotent (having unlimited authority or power). He knows everything; the hidden and the manifest (obvious, apparent). He is not bound by space and time; He is everywhere and has knowledge of the past, present and future. Surah Ikhlaas proclaims this in the most comprehensive way: '' Say He is Allah, the One. Allah, the Eternal. He does not beget nor is He begotten, and there is none like Him'' (112:1-4). Surah Ikhlaas is also called one-third of the Qur'an which means that one-third of the subject matter of the Qur'an revolves around Tauheed. The mention of Tauheed occurs repeatedly in the Qur'an in slightly different shades. For example the Verse of Throne begins as: ''there is no God but He...'' (2:255). The first Surah of the Qur'an begins as: ''Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds" (1:1). At the same time the Qur’an warns that any kind or degree of associating partners with Allah (Shirk) is the only unpardonable and most condemned sin: ‘’Indeed Allah forgives not that a partner should be associated with Him, but less than that, He forgives whomsoever He wills.’’ (4:48)
The second component of Shahadah is declaration that Mohammed (pbuh) is His Messenger. The expression means that the Prophet Mohamed (pbuh), like all other chosen people of Allah, was a specially selected human being who received Divine message through the arch angel Jibril. He too was opposed by his community while spreading the same message of Tauheed as was done by all his predecessors. He, however, had combined in himself, qualities and merits of all the Prophets to the degree of perfection by Allah’s command and that he became a symbol of mercy for all. ‘’It was only as a mercy that We sent you (Prophet) to all people.’’(21:107) The message of Islam was perfected and completed on Mohammad for all the communities and races for all times to come. The Qur’an elaborates this important point in these words: ‘’this day I have perfected your religion for you, completed my favour upon you and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.’’(5:3) not only this, but Allah assured of the protection of the originality of His message in the Qur’an: ‘’We indeed sent down the Message and We will assuredly guard it(against corruption)’’ (15:9). This means that the Qur’an revealed on the Hoy Prophet will always retain its original contents, quite unlike the previous scripts. These two facts necessitated the closure of the process of sending messengers, as the Final Message did not need any renewal. The Prophet himself said ‘’I am the seal (last) of Prophets and there will be no prophet after me.’’
Thus the second portion of Shahadah completes the most fundamental belief of the Muslims, and together both aspects of the Shahadah form the basis of all the articles of faith and the practical demonstration of these in various actions and practices.
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WEEK 6 (ARTICLES OF FAITH)
Articles of Faith
The word faith is synonym of the Arabic word ‘’Iman’’. To have strong belief or trust in someone or something is known as Faith. The fundamental (basic) beliefs, which serve as the foundation of a religion, are called articles of faith. All the messengers of Allah tried their best to transfer these beliefs to their followers. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) too began propagating his message by focusing attentions on these beliefs. These beliefs are related in Iman-e-Mufasil in these words:
"I believe in Allah, in His Angels, in His Books, in His messengers, in the Last Day and in the fact that everything good or bad, is decided by Allah, the Almighty Allah, and in the life after death". These articles of Faith are as under:
1 Belief in the Oneness and Unity of Allah or Tauheed.
2. Belief in the Angels.
3. Belief in Revealed Books.
4. Belief in the Prophets.
5. Belief in the Last Day of Judgment.
6. Belief in Life after Death.
7. Belief in Predestination.
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WEEK 6 (TAUHEED)
TAUHEED
Tauheed or the belief in the Oneness of Allah is the first and the main principle of Islam. It means that Allah is the Only Creator and Sustainer of the universe. He is Ever-Living without a beginning or an end (the first and the last). He is Independent while others are dependent on Him for their existence and survival. He is the source and support of all life. He is the only one worthy of worship. Allah is Omnipotent (having unlimited authority or power). He knows everything; the hidden and the manifest (obvious, apparent). He is not bound by space and time; He is everywhere and has knowledge of the past, present and future. Surah Ikhlaas proclaims this in the most comprehensive way: '' Say He is Allah, the One. Allah, the Eternal. He does not beget nor is He begotten, and there is none like Him'' (112:1-4). Surah Ikhlaas is also called one-third of the Qur'an which means that one-third of the subject matter of the Qur'an revolves around Tauheed. A person becomes a Muslim just by believing and uttering the expression: '' There is no god but Allah and Mohammad (pbuh) is the Messenger of Allah''. The first part of this message occurs repeatedly in the Qur'an in slightly different shades. For example the Verse of Throne begins as: ''there is no God but He...'' (2:255). The first Surah of the Qur'an begins as: ''Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds" (1:1).
According to the leading scholars of Islam, there are three kinds of Tauheed:
• Tauhid-ar-Rabubiya (Oneness of Lordship of Allah)
• Tauhid-al-Auluhiya (Oneness in the Worship of Allah)
• Tauhid-al-Asma-wa-Sifat (Oneness of the names and qualities of Allah)
Tauhid-ar-Rabubiya refers to the belief that Allah is Self-Existent; He is the Creator and the Sustainer of the universe. ‘’ Allah is the Creator of all things and He is the Guardian over all things’’ (39:62). Allah is Omnipotent, the Law Giver and the Judge. The verse of the Throne says: ‘’….who is there who can intercede in His presence except as He permits…’’ (2:255). It also to the belief that He is entirely immune to all forms of human weaknesses and needs such as hunger, thirst and the need to rest or sleep etc. ‘’…no slumber ca seize Him nor sleep…’’ (2:255). He is above the grip of space and time, ‘’ He is the First and Last, the evident and the hidden…’’ (57:3).
Tauhid-al-Auluhiya refers to the belief that since Allah is the creator, He is the only one worthy of worship. All supplication, beseeching (Pleading) and imploring (begging) are due only to Allah. So we as Muslims, must observe all the religious practices such as prayers, Hajj, fast and giving alms to the poor etc. for His sake only. ‘’I created Jinn and mankind only to worship me’’ (51:56). ‘’ You alone we worship and Your aid we seek’’ (1:4).
Tauhid-al-Asma-wa-Sifat refers to the belief that Allah is matchless not only in His Essence but also in His names and Attributes. This belief includes that we must not name or qualify Allah except with what He and His Messenger have named or qualified Him. None can be named or qualified with the names or qualifications of Allah, for example Karim, Raheem, Rehman etc. ‘’And there is none like unto Him” (112:5). We must believe in all the qualities of Allah which He has stated in His Book or mentioned through His Messenger without changing, twisting or ignoring their meaning.
The acknowledgement of Tauheed is the fundamental belief in Islam and is the basis of salvation (rescue). The basic message of all the prophets was the same i.e. there is no god but Allah. All the previous scriptures preached the Unity of Allah but due to alterations made in their text over the passage of time, the doctrine (set of guidelines) of Tauheed was changed. Finally when the need arose for final and universal guidance, Allah sent His last Messenger with the Qur’an to set the people on the straight path and correct their beliefs. We cannot see Allah but His existence is confirmed when we ponder over the universe, that such an organized and well coordinated world could not have come into existence on its own; just like a letter cannot be written without an author. ‘’who created the seven heavens, one above the other. You will not see any flaw in what the Lord of mercy creates. Look again! Can you see any flaw? Look again! And again! Your sight will turn back to you, weak and defeated.’’ (67:3-4).
SHIRK:
The Arabic word ‘’shirk’’ means ‘’to share’’. In religious sense it means associating partners with Allah. There is an Arabic proverb, ‘’things become known through their opposites.’’ In the light of this saying, it is necessary to understand the nature of Shirk for the better knowledge of the oneness of Allah. The avoidance of Shirk is the fundamental teaching of the Qur’an, because Shirk is nothing but the reverse side of Tauheed. Given the fact that the proclamation of Tauheed is the first pillar of Islam and Tauheed itself is the first principle of Islam, one begins o understand why Shirk is so strongly criticized and why. According to the Holy Qur’an it is the only unforgiveable sin: ‘’indeed Allah forgives not that a partner should be associated with Him, but less than that, He forgives whomsoever He wills.’’ (4:48)
The acknowledgement of the Unity of Allah is bound in human nature, since humans were created with the knowledge that ‘’there is no god but Allah.’’ The prophets were sent as a reminder of what was already in their original nature. Hence to associate others with Allah is to go against the most basic instincts of the human species. It is, so to speak, to go against human nature.
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WEEK 6 (ANGELS)
BELIEF IN ANGELS
Belief in the existence of angels is an article of Islamic faith. The non-believers considered angels to be deities and Allah’s daughters. This article of faith purifies the belief in the unity of Allah. Allah has appointed many of His Angels for the management of this Universe. Angels have been created from light and are not visible to ordinary mortals. They belong to the category of the unseen unless they appear in human form. They perform their assigned duties according to the Decree (order) of God. They are sent to protect men, to administer Allah’s punishments, to carry His messages and to perform various other functions. Allah describes their entire submission to Him in the following words:
"They never disobey Allah's Command and do as they are commanded."(16:50) The Angels are also called messengers in the Holy Book as they conveyed the Divine message of Allah to the Prophets. The Angels were also appointed duties in the human form; they appeared before Abraham to give him the glad tidings of a son. Hazrat Lut was also warned about impending doom of his town. Hazrat Maryam was also blessed with the news of a Holy son by an angel Gabriel. Hazrat Zakriya also experienced the same experience of visiting of an angel. Angels are Allah's creation having necessary powers and qualities. They are not His daughters nor are they objects of worship. They have no knowledge except that what Allah has taught them. They prostrated before Adam when Allah commanded them to do so. Angels glorify and praise Allah. They never get tired. They neither need sleep nor do they require the things needed by human beings. Angels are the guardians of Hell-fire. They will welcome in Heaven all those who obey Allah's commands and will throw the wrong doers into Hell. The name of the angel in charge of Paradise is Rizwan while Malik is in charge of Hell. There are many Angels like Kiram-an-katibeen i.e. angels on our shoulders having records of our good and bad deeds. They are many in numbers. The Qur’an says: ‘’But verily, over you (are appointed angels) to protect you- kind and honorable, writing down (your deeds)’’. (82:10-11) There are also Munkar and Nakeer, they go to the graves of the newly dead to ask them questions. Besides, there are many angels having various assignments with them they are as under;
1. Hazrat Gabriel, who brought revelations from Allah to the Prophets including Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) He is called 'Rooh-ul-Allah' or ‘Rooh-ul-Ameen’ because he never changes the messages of Allah.
2. Hazrat Izrael, the angel of death. He is responsible for taking our souls upon death.
3. Hazrat Israfeel, who will blow the trumpet at the time of the end of the world, i.e. on the Day of Judgment. With his second blow everyone will rise again for the Day of Judgment.
4. Hazrat Mekaeel, who is responsible for rainfall and distribution of ‘rizq’( means of sustenance).
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WEEK 6 (BOOKS)
BELIEF IN REVEALED BOOKS
Human beings are the servants of Allah and need guidance to carry out their various duties and responsibilities. This guidance is mentioned in Books revealed to various Prophets. So for this guidance Muslims are required to believe in the Books. Allah says in the Holy Book:
"Those who believe in the revelation sent down to you (Mohammad) and in what was sent before you…" [2:4]
There were several revealed books but only four out of them are famous"
1. The Holy Quran, revealed to the Holy Prophet (pbuh).
2. Injil or the Gospels was revealed to Isa. The Christians failed to act upon it; they distorted it and introduced the doctrine (policy) of trinity and redemption through crucification; although Isa clearly told his followers that Allah was his and their Lord. According to the Quran Injil confirms the Torah.
3. Zubur or Psalms, revealed to David.
4. Torah was revealed to Moses for the guidance of Bani Israel. It contained Allah’s command, warning and mercy. The original book was changed. Its followers distorted the words of Allah. Allah says, ‘’they change the words from their (right) places and forget a good part of the message that was sent.’’(5:13)
The Qur’an also mentions the Suhuf of Ibrahim. Books were also revealed to other messengers, who were sent at different times among different nations having different languages. Their teachings were in the language they spoke and they were for the guidance of that particular community. The teachings contained were, the Uniqueness and Oneness of Allah, the concept of reward and punishment for one's deeds in the life after death.
All the heavenly books were from Allah and whatever Allah said in them is to be believed in. However due to changes and alternations, their originality and purity has been brought into question. The preservation of the Holy Scriptures was the duty of their respective followers. The basic purpose of these books was the acknowledgment of the Oneness of Allah. These books made it clear to the people that they should believe in the prophets of their times. If anyone failed to do so, their faith in Allah would not merit any rewards. These books also testified that all the Prophets were truthful and they should not differentiate among them. Each Prophet (pbuh), after all, was sent by Allah with guidance, and the primary message of each was the same. These books also reformed the wrong beliefs of people concerning Allah’s Essence, His Messengers, books, and the life after death and acts of worship. Instead of preserving the scriptures in their memories and on tablets, they distorted them. The outcome is that these scriptures cannot be relied upon to be the same as when they were sent down.
Since Islam is based on the Quran, and the Qur’an is Allah’s last book, Allah took the responsibility of preserving whatever is contained in it. The following holy verse testifies this, “We have sent down the Quran Ourself and We Ourself will guard it…” (15:9)
It is the living miracle of the Quran that no one ever produced even a verse like that of the Quran. The Qur’an, unlike the other divine books which were meant for a particular community, is a guide book for all communities for all times to come. The Qur’an is a universal book, sent to the entire mankind for all ages.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
WEEK 5
FAREWELL PLIGRIMAGE AND THE LAST SERMON (10AH):
In the tenth year of Hijrah, the Prophet declared his intension to go for pilgrimage. When this news spread outside Medina, people flocked to the city wanting to accompany him. Throngs of people also joined him on the way. Its reported 111400 followers accompanied him in the farewell pilgrimage. The Prophet left Medina on the 25th of Zul-Qa’dah after offering his Zuhur prayers.
The party reached Makkah on the 4th of Dhul Hajj after a journey of 19 days. He went straight to Masjid al-Haram and performed Tawaaf of the Kabah and sa’ey between Safa and Marwa. He stayed in Makkah for 4 days and then on the 8h of Dhul Hajj went to Mina with his companions. He offered the Zuhur and Asr prayer there and spent the night. At sunrise on the 9th he left Mina for Arafat followed by all the pilgrims. It was a Friday. Down in the valley he delivered a great sermon to the people while sitting on his camel. The Prophet said: ‘’ O people! Listen to my words. I don’t know whether after this year I shall be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you carefully and take these words those who could not be present here today.’’
Protection of life, property and honour: ‘’O people! Just as you regard this month, this day and this city as sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord and that He will indeed reckon your deeds.”
Usury prohibited: ‘’Allah has forbidden you to take usury therefore all interest obligations shall henceforth be waived (ignored)....’’
Beware of Satan: ‘’ He (Satan) has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.’’
Rights of women: ‘’O people! It is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have a right over you. If they abide by your right, then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and your committed helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with anyone of whom you do not approve, as well as never to commit adultery.’’
Pillars of Islam: O people! Listen to me in earnest. Worship Allah, say your five daily prayers, fast during the month of Ramadan and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to.’’
Brotherhood and equality: ‘’ You know that every Muslim is a brother of another Muslim. You are all equal nobody has superiority over other except by piety and good action.’’
Rights of slaves: ‘’ See that you feed your slaves such food as you eat and clothe them with what you wear; if they commit a fault which you are not inclined to forgive then part from them and do not treat them harshly.’’
Day of Judgement: ‘’Remember one day you will appear before Allah and answer for your deeds. So beware, do not astray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.’’
Finality of the Prophet: ‘’ O people! No prophet or apostle will come after me and no new faith will be born.’’
Adherence to Qur’an and Sunnah: ‘’I leave behind me two things, the Qur’an and my example, the Sunnah; and if you follow these, you will never go astray.’’
Message to be conveyed: ‘’ all those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness O Allah! That I have conveyed Your message to them”
When the sermon was over, the Prophet said his Zuhur and Asr prayers combined. At this time the last revelation came ‘’....This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed my blessing upon you and chosen as your religion, Islam (total devotion to God)....’’ (5:3). After sunset he left Arafat for Muzdalifah. At Muzdalifah he offered the Maghrib and Isha prayers combined and then slept until morning. At dawn he offered Fajr prayer and then rode until he came to Mash’ar al-Haram the sacred site at Muzdalifah. He faced the Qiblah and began to make supplications. He left Muzdalifah before sunrise and travelled quickly to the Jamrat-ul-Aqabah at Mina where he threw pebbles at the symbol of Satan. Then he went to the place of sacrifice where he sacrificed 63 camels, one for each year of his life. After this he shaved his head. Then he rode to Makkah and performed Tawaf-al-Ifadah. He came back the same day and spent 3 days at Mina to perform the ritual stoning of Satan. After the completion of the pilgrimage he went back to Medina.
On his return to Medina, he organised the provinces and tribal communities. He appointed officers to collect Zakah from the newly converted tribes and people of the peninsula. Meanwhile many more deputations arrived at Medina to accept Islam.
This farewell Pilgrimage of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) may rightly be called the culminating point in his prophetic career. The Holy Prophet's mission, had, by this time, been completed to all intents and purposes. To a people steeped in ignorance, he gave light and inspired them with belief in Allah, the sole Creator, Master and Sustainer of the Universe. In short Muhammad had delivered to the human race the final truth with all its necessary implications. The completion of his prophetic mission implied his departure from his earthy home to his heavenly abode. The Holy Prophet had clearly visualized it. He therefore decided to give the finishing touch to his massive work and to imprint its salient points on the minds of his devoted followers so that they might always keep before them the system of life given by Islam.
The sermon of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) is not only remarkable for its eloquence, but it contains a sublime (inspiring) message for the whole of the human race. The world has not been able to lay down better principles of ethics and morality than those expressed. Every word of it breathes a spirit of magnanimity (generosity) and aims at establishing righteousness and fair dealing among people on a workable basis. It establishes brotherhood among Muslim irrespective of the divergences of their geographical, racial and colour background and provides an outline of a social order, perfectly free from oppression and injustice. The address of the Prophet encompasses all the requisite ingredients of an Apostle's perfect message meant for the Muslim as well as the rest of mankind. It is remarkable for its length, lucidity (simplicity) and enthusiasm. He declared the inviolability (holiness) of a Muslim's life property and honour. Everyone who had received a deposit was asked to return his trust. The charging of interest on loans or capitals was condemned.
In social relationships the Holy Prophet laid emphasis on the rights of women or wives and their obligations towards their men or husbands. They were to be regarded as trusts form God and not maltreated unnecessarily or deal with illegally. Likewise, Muslims were forbidden to steal others’ assets or take away their property without permission or agreement. From the above analysis of the Holy Prophet's Address, it should not be difficult to conclude that touched the chords of realism, justice and equity and that it could offer enough guidance for an ideal human life.
DEATH (11AH): Read from the book
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FEB WEEK 5 (SURAH FATIHA)
SURAH 6: Al-Fatiha
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds,
Most Gracious, most Merciful,
Master of the Day of Judgment.
You alone we worship, and Your aid we seek.
Show us the straight way,
They of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace,
Those whose portion is not wrath (anger), and who go not astray.
The Main Theme(s)
This is the opening Surah of the Quran and its theme is Tauheed or absolute oneness of Allah, and man’s relationship with Allah. It tells us that Allah alone deserves worship because He has the power to ensure sustenance of all, extend mercy to all and dispense ultimate justice because He alone will be the Judge and Master on the day of judgement. We need to seek his guidance in order to receive His favour by following the path of righteousness; and avoid the ill fate of misguided communities by deviating from the straight way. This guidance is contained in the Quran and the Prophet’s Sunah.
The Presentation of the Theme in a distinctive way.
The focal point of the Surah is the Guidance in the light of which man can guarantee success for himself in this world and Hereafter. This guarantee lies in treading path of righteousness designed and shown by Allah as contained in the Quran and the Sunah of the Holy Prophet (pbuh). This is the first Surah of the Qur’an in the form of a supplication or plea; and the answer to this plea is the rest of the Book, which is a complete code of life. This path has been given the name in 3:103 as the “Rope of Allah” that ensures collective survival of the believers. The Surah also stresses on seeking Allah’s help and kindness in all affairs of life because Allah alone is the source of help. The last two Surahs of the Quran (al- Muawwazatain) provide similar guarantee by asking the believers to seek Allah’s refuge against all evils.
In the tenth year of Hijrah, the Prophet declared his intension to go for pilgrimage. When this news spread outside Medina, people flocked to the city wanting to accompany him. Throngs of people also joined him on the way. Its reported 111400 followers accompanied him in the farewell pilgrimage. The Prophet left Medina on the 25th of Zul-Qa’dah after offering his Zuhur prayers.
The party reached Makkah on the 4th of Dhul Hajj after a journey of 19 days. He went straight to Masjid al-Haram and performed Tawaaf of the Kabah and sa’ey between Safa and Marwa. He stayed in Makkah for 4 days and then on the 8h of Dhul Hajj went to Mina with his companions. He offered the Zuhur and Asr prayer there and spent the night. At sunrise on the 9th he left Mina for Arafat followed by all the pilgrims. It was a Friday. Down in the valley he delivered a great sermon to the people while sitting on his camel. The Prophet said: ‘’ O people! Listen to my words. I don’t know whether after this year I shall be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you carefully and take these words those who could not be present here today.’’
Protection of life, property and honour: ‘’O people! Just as you regard this month, this day and this city as sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord and that He will indeed reckon your deeds.”
Usury prohibited: ‘’Allah has forbidden you to take usury therefore all interest obligations shall henceforth be waived (ignored)....’’
Beware of Satan: ‘’ He (Satan) has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.’’
Rights of women: ‘’O people! It is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have a right over you. If they abide by your right, then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and your committed helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with anyone of whom you do not approve, as well as never to commit adultery.’’
Pillars of Islam: O people! Listen to me in earnest. Worship Allah, say your five daily prayers, fast during the month of Ramadan and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to.’’
Brotherhood and equality: ‘’ You know that every Muslim is a brother of another Muslim. You are all equal nobody has superiority over other except by piety and good action.’’
Rights of slaves: ‘’ See that you feed your slaves such food as you eat and clothe them with what you wear; if they commit a fault which you are not inclined to forgive then part from them and do not treat them harshly.’’
Day of Judgement: ‘’Remember one day you will appear before Allah and answer for your deeds. So beware, do not astray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.’’
Finality of the Prophet: ‘’ O people! No prophet or apostle will come after me and no new faith will be born.’’
Adherence to Qur’an and Sunnah: ‘’I leave behind me two things, the Qur’an and my example, the Sunnah; and if you follow these, you will never go astray.’’
Message to be conveyed: ‘’ all those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness O Allah! That I have conveyed Your message to them”
When the sermon was over, the Prophet said his Zuhur and Asr prayers combined. At this time the last revelation came ‘’....This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed my blessing upon you and chosen as your religion, Islam (total devotion to God)....’’ (5:3). After sunset he left Arafat for Muzdalifah. At Muzdalifah he offered the Maghrib and Isha prayers combined and then slept until morning. At dawn he offered Fajr prayer and then rode until he came to Mash’ar al-Haram the sacred site at Muzdalifah. He faced the Qiblah and began to make supplications. He left Muzdalifah before sunrise and travelled quickly to the Jamrat-ul-Aqabah at Mina where he threw pebbles at the symbol of Satan. Then he went to the place of sacrifice where he sacrificed 63 camels, one for each year of his life. After this he shaved his head. Then he rode to Makkah and performed Tawaf-al-Ifadah. He came back the same day and spent 3 days at Mina to perform the ritual stoning of Satan. After the completion of the pilgrimage he went back to Medina.
On his return to Medina, he organised the provinces and tribal communities. He appointed officers to collect Zakah from the newly converted tribes and people of the peninsula. Meanwhile many more deputations arrived at Medina to accept Islam.
This farewell Pilgrimage of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) may rightly be called the culminating point in his prophetic career. The Holy Prophet's mission, had, by this time, been completed to all intents and purposes. To a people steeped in ignorance, he gave light and inspired them with belief in Allah, the sole Creator, Master and Sustainer of the Universe. In short Muhammad had delivered to the human race the final truth with all its necessary implications. The completion of his prophetic mission implied his departure from his earthy home to his heavenly abode. The Holy Prophet had clearly visualized it. He therefore decided to give the finishing touch to his massive work and to imprint its salient points on the minds of his devoted followers so that they might always keep before them the system of life given by Islam.
The sermon of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) is not only remarkable for its eloquence, but it contains a sublime (inspiring) message for the whole of the human race. The world has not been able to lay down better principles of ethics and morality than those expressed. Every word of it breathes a spirit of magnanimity (generosity) and aims at establishing righteousness and fair dealing among people on a workable basis. It establishes brotherhood among Muslim irrespective of the divergences of their geographical, racial and colour background and provides an outline of a social order, perfectly free from oppression and injustice. The address of the Prophet encompasses all the requisite ingredients of an Apostle's perfect message meant for the Muslim as well as the rest of mankind. It is remarkable for its length, lucidity (simplicity) and enthusiasm. He declared the inviolability (holiness) of a Muslim's life property and honour. Everyone who had received a deposit was asked to return his trust. The charging of interest on loans or capitals was condemned.
In social relationships the Holy Prophet laid emphasis on the rights of women or wives and their obligations towards their men or husbands. They were to be regarded as trusts form God and not maltreated unnecessarily or deal with illegally. Likewise, Muslims were forbidden to steal others’ assets or take away their property without permission or agreement. From the above analysis of the Holy Prophet's Address, it should not be difficult to conclude that touched the chords of realism, justice and equity and that it could offer enough guidance for an ideal human life.
DEATH (11AH): Read from the book
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FEB WEEK 5 (SURAH FATIHA)
SURAH 6: Al-Fatiha
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds,
Most Gracious, most Merciful,
Master of the Day of Judgment.
You alone we worship, and Your aid we seek.
Show us the straight way,
They of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace,
Those whose portion is not wrath (anger), and who go not astray.
The Main Theme(s)
This is the opening Surah of the Quran and its theme is Tauheed or absolute oneness of Allah, and man’s relationship with Allah. It tells us that Allah alone deserves worship because He has the power to ensure sustenance of all, extend mercy to all and dispense ultimate justice because He alone will be the Judge and Master on the day of judgement. We need to seek his guidance in order to receive His favour by following the path of righteousness; and avoid the ill fate of misguided communities by deviating from the straight way. This guidance is contained in the Quran and the Prophet’s Sunah.
The Presentation of the Theme in a distinctive way.
The focal point of the Surah is the Guidance in the light of which man can guarantee success for himself in this world and Hereafter. This guarantee lies in treading path of righteousness designed and shown by Allah as contained in the Quran and the Sunah of the Holy Prophet (pbuh). This is the first Surah of the Qur’an in the form of a supplication or plea; and the answer to this plea is the rest of the Book, which is a complete code of life. This path has been given the name in 3:103 as the “Rope of Allah” that ensures collective survival of the believers. The Surah also stresses on seeking Allah’s help and kindness in all affairs of life because Allah alone is the source of help. The last two Surahs of the Quran (al- Muawwazatain) provide similar guarantee by asking the believers to seek Allah’s refuge against all evils.
Week 4
THE HOLY PROPHET AND THE JEWS OF MEDINA:
The Jews were well settled in Medina long before the advent of Islam there In spite of inter marrying and mingling with the Arabs with whom they had many customs in common, they adhered firmly to their religion. But mutual business interests bound them close to all Arab tribes in and near Medina. There were three main Jewish tribes settled in Medina at that time: Banu Qainqah, Banu Nazir and Banu Quraiza. As soon as the Holy Prophet arrived in Medina, he tried to win over the Jews living there. He made a treaty with them which is known as the Charter or Treaty of Medina. Besides this treaty, which gave them political rights, the Holy Prophet made several religious concessions to them in order to win their loyalty to the new Muslim state. Jerusalem was made the Qiblah of the Muslims. Following the practice of the Jews the Muslims kept the fast of the Ashura; the Holy Prophet gave verdicts according to the Torah till the time the Muslim laws were revealed. He permitted Muslims to eat food with the Jews and to marry Jewish women. Before the Prophet’s coming to Medina, the Jews knew from their Book that it was time of coming of a prophet in their midst and when he came to Medina; they recognized him to be the promised prophet. However, they were not ready to accept him as he was not from the line of Bani Israel. The increasing power of the prophet and the victory of the Muslims in the battle of Badr, made the Jews extremely hostile. The growing power of Islam was against their economic interests. The Jews were also very furious when one of their scholars, Abdullah bin Salam of Banu Qainqah, accepted Islam.
Banu Qainqah were mainly goldsmiths and they lent money to the Aus and Khazraj and charged heavy interest. They were the first tribe to break the treaty with the Muslims. During the battle of Badr they did not help the Muslims according to the Charter of Medina. Then an incident occurred that became the immediate reason for their expulsion from Medina. A Muslim woman was insulted in the market and the Jews jeered at her. A skirmish took place and as a result a Jew and a Muslim were killed. When the matter was brought to the Prophet, he immediately raised an army and laid siege to their fortress. The siege lasted for 15 days and finally the Jews surrendered. The Prophet decided to execute them but then changed the punishment into exile on the request of Abdullah bin Ubbay. They were forced to leave Medina taking their wives and children within three days, leaving behind their tools. They went to Syria.
Banu Nazir and Banu Quraizah were agriculturists and possessed some of the richest lands in Medina where date palms were grown.
In 4AH (625AD), the Banu Nazir broke their treaty with the Muslims by not helping them in the battle of Uhad. Then the incident of Bir Mauna and its after math caused the Prophet to exile them from Medina. The Prophet went to their fortress to ask for their share of the blood money for the tragedy of Bir Mauna and they asked the Prophet to wait under the wall of their stronghold. The Prophet was divinely informed of the Jewish designs to kill him by rolling of a big stone from above the wall. He immediately left for Medina. He then sent them an ultimatum asking them to leave Medina within 15 days with their belongings and pay half of the agricultural produce of their lands. Upon their resistance the Prophet laid siege to their fortresses which lasted for 15 days. The Jews began to lose hope especially when the Muslims began to destroy their palms. Finally they gave in and they were told to leave their weapons and to have nothing from their lands. They left for Khyber.
In 5AH, the battle of trench took place. The Quraish, along with the Jews of Khyber and the desert Bedouin tribes, attacked Medina. The Jewish tribe of Banu Quraiza which still lived in Medina openly sided with the Quraish and tried to attack the Muslims from the rear. If they had succeeded the results would have been fatal for the Muslims. After the battle the Prophet laid siege to their fortress which lasted for 25 days. They offered to surrender on the condition that their former ally Saad bin Muaz gave the verdict. Saad gave the verdict according to the Torah; their men were killed and their women and children were made slaves and their property divided amongst the Muslims.
Reasons for the change in the Prophet’s attitude towards the Jews:
There were a number of reasons and developments that led to drastic changes in the relations between the Muslims and the Jews. The Holy Prophet had made every sincere effort to make friends with the Jews. He tried to highlight similarities between the two communities by declaring the Jews and Muslims as a single Ummah, by granting them religious liberty and equal status in the Charter of Medina, and by declaring them as the People of Book. The Jews, however, did not reciprocate, and never accepted the Holy Prophet whole heartedly. As a matter of fact, rise of the Holy Prophet and Islam in and around Medina had seriously threatened their designs of establishing their supremacy over Medina and then all of Arabia. During the early days of Hijrah, they tried to exploit Islam for promoting their own interests, but the gradual popularity of Islam and the Muslim victory at Badr frustrated them a lot. So, they had religious, socio-economic and political reasons to remain hostile towards Islam. The monetary position of Banu Qainnuqa was affected, as the Muslims turned against them after the verses against Riba (usury) were revealed. The economic interests of Banu Nazir and Banu Quraiza were threatened as pressure on land increased after the arrival of Muhajireen in Medina. The two Jewish tribes possessed some of the richest and fertile lands in Medina. They could not take the arrival of Muslims from Makkah lightly. Similarly, the Jews used to find defects in the Holy Prophet and the teachings of Islam. They would mock the Muslims for adopting Jerusalem as their Qiblah and for sharing a number of other religious rites of Jews such as Ashura fast. They would compose anti-Islamic verses and mispronounce the Qur’anic verses with the intention of changing their meanings. Thus, the relations between the Holy Prophet and the Jews began changing for the worse.
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JAN WEEK 3 (TRENCH)
BATTLE OF TRENCH (AHZAB):
Causes:
1. After the battle of Uhad, Abu Sufyan had threatened the Prophet and the Muslims that he would attack Medina the following year. According to this challenge the Holy Prophet took 1500 men the next year and went to Badr and waited for the Quraish for eight days. This embarrassed the Quraish who then began to prepare themselves for the next war.
2. The growing power and influence of the Muslims frightened the Quraish and threatened their trade.
3. The loss of the Muslims at Uhad also encouraged the Quraish to attack Medina.
4. The role of the Jews was an important factor which led to the war because they not only invited the Makkans to attack Medina but also instigated other tribes to fight against the Muslims. The Jewish tribes that had been driven out of Medina to Khyber also started plotting against the Muslims. A Jewish delegation went to Ghaftan and other desert tribes and asked them to join hands with the Quraish. The Jews agreed to give one year’s harvest of Khyber to the Ghaftan for their participation in the battle against Muslims. For this reason it was given the name of battle of Ahzab or confederate (partner in crime). It was also called the battle of Khandak or Trench as the Muslims had dug a trench around Medina to protect its inmates.
Events:
All the Jews, idolaters, Quraish and their allies combined and an army of 10,000 men started towards Medina to uproot Islam. The Qur’an refers to this battle in the following verses: ‘’they massed against you from above and below: your eyes rolled (with fear), your hearts rose into your throats; and you thought (ill) thoughts of God. There the believers were sorely tested and deeply shaken.’’ (33:10-11)
When the Holy Prophet learned about the preparations of the Quraish, he consulted his companions. Sulaiman Al-Farsi, a companion from Persia, suggested that a ditch be dug around the city. The proposal was readily accepted. Medina was safe on three sides on account of population and oasis. The fourth side that was on the Syrian route was unsafe. The Holy Prophet, therefore, decided that a trench be dug on the side that was open to attack. 3000 companions worked along with the Prophet in digging the trench. They worked for eight days and nights and made the trench broad enough to be impassable by man or horse. The enemy arrived and settled on the other side of the trench finding no way to approach the Muslims, hopeless against the superior planning of the Prophet. The first effort to cross the trench was made by Amr bin Abd Wud. He crossed the trench and challenged the Muslims to a duel. Hazrat Ali stepped forward and killed him. Two others followed but one of them met the same fate and the other escaped. Whenever the enemy came near the trench the Muslims hurled stones and arrows at them. The Muslims had to remain vigilant all the time and could not assemble for prayers. Meanwhile Banu Quraiza, the Jewish tribe broke the treaty with the Muslims. They conspired with the Quraish and planned to attack the Muslims from the rear. The Prophet put a small detachment near their forts to watch their movements. The Prophet also used secret agents to cause a sense of insecurity among the Banu Quraiza and mistrust was built between them and their allies. At the same time the Holy Prophet succeeded in winning over the majority of Banu Ghaftan who started to consider some kind of compromise with him. He sent a man from Ghaftan tribe who enjoyed a good relationship with both the Quraish and the Muslims and told the Quraish that the Jews were trying to enter into an understanding with the Muslims which would leave the Quraish isolated. Similarly a spy was sent to the Jews and the seed of mistrust was planted. As a result, a split developed between the allies that broke their unity.
More than three weeks passed and the pagans faced shortage of food particularly fodder for their animals. The harsh climate provided help to the Muslims and stormy winds started to blow. Finally, one night strong winds blew which overturned the enemy’s camp and forced them to retreat. The next day none of them could be seen anywhere. The supreme strategy of the Holy Prophet and the unprecedented unity of the Muslims proved superior to the lack of discipline and effort among the allies. The Prophet was also informed by Allah that it was the last attack by the Makkans. Allah says: ‘’ O you who believe! Remember Allah’s blessing on you when mighty armies massed against you. We sent a violent wind and invisible forces against them’’ (33:9). Again He says: ‘’God sent back the disbelievers along with their rage—they gained no benefit and spared the believers from fighting. Surely Allah is strong and mighty’’ (33:25).
Results:
1. The reason why the Quraish failed in their designs was the superior strategy of the Prophet. Such a way of defence was unknown to the Arabs who were baffled to see a formidable (difficult) obstacle that they failed to cross. He knew that his opponents would not be logistically prepared for a long drawn battle. He also took full advantage of agents and sowed the seeds of mistrust between the two allies which broke their will to fight.
2. After this battle the people of Medina recognized the Holy Prophet as the absolute ruler of the city.
3. The victory over a disproportionate superior force produced a great effect on the neighbouring tribes, who recognizing the emerging power of the Muslims voluntarily became their allies. Henceforth Islam began to spread rapidly among the neighbouring tribes.
4. After this battle the Holy Prophet had to lead 17 expeditions against the Bedouin tribes because the Quraish had made agreements with them before the war.
5. The influence of the Quraish amongst the Arab tribes received a serious blow.
6. Trade of the Quraish with Syria stopped and their position was damaged beyond repair.
7. The Prophet took action against Banu Quraiza who had helped the enemy in the battle.
8. It was clear that if the Muslims would remain firm on faith nobody could harm or defeat them.
9. For the first time, spying was used during the war.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 22, 2011
JAN WEEK 3 (UHAD)
THE BATTLE OF UHAD:
Causes:
Some of the causes of the Battle of Uhad were the same as that of Badr.
1. The pagans wanted to take revenge.
2. The people of Makkah wanted to regain their lost prestige.
3. The Jews and the hypocrites of Medina again invited the people of Makkah to attack the Muslims.
4. Some of the Makkans had vowed they would not take a bath until they had taken their revenge.
5. After Badr the business community of Makkah set aside a certain amount of their income for the next battle.
6. Ka’ab bin Ashraf of Banu Nazir went to Makkah to participate in the mourning for those killed at Badr. He and other Jewish poets wrote poems to instigate the Quraish to fight against the Muslims.
7. The Jews of Banu Nazir promised to help the Makkans.
8. After the battle of Badr there was a constant threat to the trade caravans of Makkah from the people of Medina.
9. Hind (Abu Sufyan’s wife) vowed she would take revenge for her brother and father killed in the battle of Badr and thus inspired the Makkans to fight too.
Events:
The Makkan army comprised of three thousand fully armed warriors with camels. Fifteen women were also allowed to accompany the army. Amongst them were Hind, Umme Hakim, Abu Jahal’s granddaughter and Fatimah, Khalid bin Waleed’s sister. They reached the Uhad Mountain on Friday, 6th Shawal 3AH. Their general was Abu Sufyan while the cavalry command was under Khalid bin Waleed who was assisted by Ikramah, Abu Jahal’s son.
The Prophet held a meeting with the companions after receiving the news of Makkan Army’s advancement towards Medina. The prophet along with other senior companions, suggested they should stay in Medina and defend it. He wanted the enemy to exhaust itself outside and save the Muslims from the risk of open war. The men could fight from the mouths of the lanes and the women could help them from the roof tops of the house. The chief of the hypocrites, Abdullah bin Ubay, supported the Prophet’s suggestion. But the younger men were eager to fight in the open. The Prophet yielded to the opinion of the majority and soon one thousand men joined him.
The next the Muslim army marched towards Uhad and encamped on the rising ground with Uhad behind it. This had the advantage that it became difficult for the Makkan army to approach them thus reducing the numerical superiority. The Prophet divided his army into three battalions. The Muslim army consisted of a thousand fighters out of which only one hundred were armed. The women also participated in the battlefield for the first time. Amongst them were Ayesha, Umme Salma and Umme Ammara who supplied water to the wounded soldiers and dressed their wounds.
The first Muslim army was arranged in two rows and fifty skilful archers were ordered to stay on the mountain so that the enemy could not attack from behind. The Holy Prophet strictly advised them not to leave their place unless the Prophet ordered them to do so. When the Muslim army was very close to the Makkan army, Abdullah bin Ubay rebelled against the Prophet and separated 300 of his fighters from the Muslim army claiming that his opinion about fighting from inside Medina was not accepted and he found no reason to fight. Thus the Prophet was left with an army of 700. When the two armies were face to face, the Holy Prophet appointed one man on the right and one on the left and advised them to keep an eye on Khalid bin Waleed’s squad. When the fighting started, the Quraish attacked first. The Muslims fought bravely and killed and wounded many warriors of the Quraish. The news of the martyrdom of Hazrat Hamza, the dearest uncle of the Holy Prophet, by Wahshi bin Harb with a spear which went through his stomach, saddened them. Soon they recovered from this grief and the situation remained under control. The idolaters began to flee from the battlefield and their womenfolk; particularly Hind was seen running back to Makkah. The Muslims pursued the enemy putting them to the sword and collecting the spoils. At the same time the archers who were appointed on the mountainside committed a fatal mistake. They left their post against the orders of the Holy Prophet to collect the spoils until only nine of them were left behind. Khalid bin Waleed found a chance and took them by surprise. The nine archers fought bravely but could not stop the advance of the idolaters. So the main army of the Muslims was attacked from behind which took the Muslims by surprise. The pagans gathered again and the Muslims were sandwiched between the pagan army from both sides.
As a result confusion was created in their ranks and they started to flee the battlefield. Some retreated to the top of the mountain. The Quraish attacked the Prophet who was surrounded and was being protected by some of his companions. He suffered wounds on the face, lost a tooth and became unconscious. A rumour spread that he had been killed. This totally disheartened the Muslims some of whom threw away their arms in despair. Later, when the Muslims came to know that the Prophet was alive, they started to fight with renewed vigour. Seeing this, the Quraish lost their will to press on and started retreating. The pagans thought that they had taken the revenge of Badr and were successful but actually they had failed in their aim to destroy the Muslims as a whole. A total of 74 Muslims were martyred while 20 Makkans were killed. The loss of Hamza was the greatest. Hind returned and sought the body of Hazrat Hamza, cut his abdomen, took out his liver and chewed it. But afterwards threw it out of her mouth.
Allah says about this battle: ‘’God fulfilled His promise to you. You were routing them with His permission, but then you faltered, disputed the order and disobeyed, after he had shown you that for which you longed. Some of you desire the gains of this world and others desire the world to come...’’ (3:152). The Makkans before their departure declared that this day was in return for Badr and they challenged the Muslims to meet them the next year. The Muslims returned to Medina, but the next day when the Prophet heard that the enemy was still lurking in the vicinity of Medina; he led out a force against them. When the Quraish learned about this, they retreated to Makkah. The Prophet stayed outside Medina for several days, thus demonstrating to the desert tribes that the Quraish’s victory was a hollow triumph.
Results:
1. Defeat in the battle of Uhad came as great shock to the Muslims. They could not understand how they could achieve victory at Badr, when they were heavily outnumbered and shabbily equipped and then suffer defeat at the hand sof an army which they had already forced to retreat. Their defeat, however, made it clear to the early Muslims that victory was not theirs by right and they could not expect to win every battle they fought.
2. A mistake was made the men on the mountains left their positions against the Prophet’s orders. It was a moment of weakness which overcame those believers who wanted to get a share in the booty. This battle convinced the Muslims that Allah supported them only as long as they supported his cause.
3. Another sign of weakness exposed at that time was that when the rumour of the Prophet’s death was spread, some of the Muslims dropped their weapons thinking that there was no more reason for them to continue fighting. It was not proper for a people who believe in Allah to stop fighting if the Prophet was killed. The Qur’an says: ‘’Mohammad is no more than a messenger. Many were the messengers that passed before him. If he died or were slain will you then turn back on your heels?’’
4. The loss of the Muslims had a negative effect on the relations with the neighbouring tribes who started to make plans against the Muslims.
5. Many tribes broke their treaties with the Muslims because they took their defeat as a sign of their weakness.
6. Some of the tribes became treacherous (disloyal) like Banu Salma who invited seventy missionaries to preach Islam among them and then killed them.
7. The Holy Prophet had to lead many campaigns to bring treacherous tribes back to submission.
8. During the battle, the Jewish tribe Banu Nazir, broke their treaty with the Muslims and sided openly with the Quraish. They also tried to kill the Prophet and after the battle they started showing their hostility openly. They were asked to leave Medina. They settled in Khyber while some of them went to Syria.
9. The Muslims lost their great commander Hamza.
The Jews were well settled in Medina long before the advent of Islam there In spite of inter marrying and mingling with the Arabs with whom they had many customs in common, they adhered firmly to their religion. But mutual business interests bound them close to all Arab tribes in and near Medina. There were three main Jewish tribes settled in Medina at that time: Banu Qainqah, Banu Nazir and Banu Quraiza. As soon as the Holy Prophet arrived in Medina, he tried to win over the Jews living there. He made a treaty with them which is known as the Charter or Treaty of Medina. Besides this treaty, which gave them political rights, the Holy Prophet made several religious concessions to them in order to win their loyalty to the new Muslim state. Jerusalem was made the Qiblah of the Muslims. Following the practice of the Jews the Muslims kept the fast of the Ashura; the Holy Prophet gave verdicts according to the Torah till the time the Muslim laws were revealed. He permitted Muslims to eat food with the Jews and to marry Jewish women. Before the Prophet’s coming to Medina, the Jews knew from their Book that it was time of coming of a prophet in their midst and when he came to Medina; they recognized him to be the promised prophet. However, they were not ready to accept him as he was not from the line of Bani Israel. The increasing power of the prophet and the victory of the Muslims in the battle of Badr, made the Jews extremely hostile. The growing power of Islam was against their economic interests. The Jews were also very furious when one of their scholars, Abdullah bin Salam of Banu Qainqah, accepted Islam.
Banu Qainqah were mainly goldsmiths and they lent money to the Aus and Khazraj and charged heavy interest. They were the first tribe to break the treaty with the Muslims. During the battle of Badr they did not help the Muslims according to the Charter of Medina. Then an incident occurred that became the immediate reason for their expulsion from Medina. A Muslim woman was insulted in the market and the Jews jeered at her. A skirmish took place and as a result a Jew and a Muslim were killed. When the matter was brought to the Prophet, he immediately raised an army and laid siege to their fortress. The siege lasted for 15 days and finally the Jews surrendered. The Prophet decided to execute them but then changed the punishment into exile on the request of Abdullah bin Ubbay. They were forced to leave Medina taking their wives and children within three days, leaving behind their tools. They went to Syria.
Banu Nazir and Banu Quraizah were agriculturists and possessed some of the richest lands in Medina where date palms were grown.
In 4AH (625AD), the Banu Nazir broke their treaty with the Muslims by not helping them in the battle of Uhad. Then the incident of Bir Mauna and its after math caused the Prophet to exile them from Medina. The Prophet went to their fortress to ask for their share of the blood money for the tragedy of Bir Mauna and they asked the Prophet to wait under the wall of their stronghold. The Prophet was divinely informed of the Jewish designs to kill him by rolling of a big stone from above the wall. He immediately left for Medina. He then sent them an ultimatum asking them to leave Medina within 15 days with their belongings and pay half of the agricultural produce of their lands. Upon their resistance the Prophet laid siege to their fortresses which lasted for 15 days. The Jews began to lose hope especially when the Muslims began to destroy their palms. Finally they gave in and they were told to leave their weapons and to have nothing from their lands. They left for Khyber.
In 5AH, the battle of trench took place. The Quraish, along with the Jews of Khyber and the desert Bedouin tribes, attacked Medina. The Jewish tribe of Banu Quraiza which still lived in Medina openly sided with the Quraish and tried to attack the Muslims from the rear. If they had succeeded the results would have been fatal for the Muslims. After the battle the Prophet laid siege to their fortress which lasted for 25 days. They offered to surrender on the condition that their former ally Saad bin Muaz gave the verdict. Saad gave the verdict according to the Torah; their men were killed and their women and children were made slaves and their property divided amongst the Muslims.
Reasons for the change in the Prophet’s attitude towards the Jews:
There were a number of reasons and developments that led to drastic changes in the relations between the Muslims and the Jews. The Holy Prophet had made every sincere effort to make friends with the Jews. He tried to highlight similarities between the two communities by declaring the Jews and Muslims as a single Ummah, by granting them religious liberty and equal status in the Charter of Medina, and by declaring them as the People of Book. The Jews, however, did not reciprocate, and never accepted the Holy Prophet whole heartedly. As a matter of fact, rise of the Holy Prophet and Islam in and around Medina had seriously threatened their designs of establishing their supremacy over Medina and then all of Arabia. During the early days of Hijrah, they tried to exploit Islam for promoting their own interests, but the gradual popularity of Islam and the Muslim victory at Badr frustrated them a lot. So, they had religious, socio-economic and political reasons to remain hostile towards Islam. The monetary position of Banu Qainnuqa was affected, as the Muslims turned against them after the verses against Riba (usury) were revealed. The economic interests of Banu Nazir and Banu Quraiza were threatened as pressure on land increased after the arrival of Muhajireen in Medina. The two Jewish tribes possessed some of the richest and fertile lands in Medina. They could not take the arrival of Muslims from Makkah lightly. Similarly, the Jews used to find defects in the Holy Prophet and the teachings of Islam. They would mock the Muslims for adopting Jerusalem as their Qiblah and for sharing a number of other religious rites of Jews such as Ashura fast. They would compose anti-Islamic verses and mispronounce the Qur’anic verses with the intention of changing their meanings. Thus, the relations between the Holy Prophet and the Jews began changing for the worse.
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JAN WEEK 3 (TRENCH)
BATTLE OF TRENCH (AHZAB):
Causes:
1. After the battle of Uhad, Abu Sufyan had threatened the Prophet and the Muslims that he would attack Medina the following year. According to this challenge the Holy Prophet took 1500 men the next year and went to Badr and waited for the Quraish for eight days. This embarrassed the Quraish who then began to prepare themselves for the next war.
2. The growing power and influence of the Muslims frightened the Quraish and threatened their trade.
3. The loss of the Muslims at Uhad also encouraged the Quraish to attack Medina.
4. The role of the Jews was an important factor which led to the war because they not only invited the Makkans to attack Medina but also instigated other tribes to fight against the Muslims. The Jewish tribes that had been driven out of Medina to Khyber also started plotting against the Muslims. A Jewish delegation went to Ghaftan and other desert tribes and asked them to join hands with the Quraish. The Jews agreed to give one year’s harvest of Khyber to the Ghaftan for their participation in the battle against Muslims. For this reason it was given the name of battle of Ahzab or confederate (partner in crime). It was also called the battle of Khandak or Trench as the Muslims had dug a trench around Medina to protect its inmates.
Events:
All the Jews, idolaters, Quraish and their allies combined and an army of 10,000 men started towards Medina to uproot Islam. The Qur’an refers to this battle in the following verses: ‘’they massed against you from above and below: your eyes rolled (with fear), your hearts rose into your throats; and you thought (ill) thoughts of God. There the believers were sorely tested and deeply shaken.’’ (33:10-11)
When the Holy Prophet learned about the preparations of the Quraish, he consulted his companions. Sulaiman Al-Farsi, a companion from Persia, suggested that a ditch be dug around the city. The proposal was readily accepted. Medina was safe on three sides on account of population and oasis. The fourth side that was on the Syrian route was unsafe. The Holy Prophet, therefore, decided that a trench be dug on the side that was open to attack. 3000 companions worked along with the Prophet in digging the trench. They worked for eight days and nights and made the trench broad enough to be impassable by man or horse. The enemy arrived and settled on the other side of the trench finding no way to approach the Muslims, hopeless against the superior planning of the Prophet. The first effort to cross the trench was made by Amr bin Abd Wud. He crossed the trench and challenged the Muslims to a duel. Hazrat Ali stepped forward and killed him. Two others followed but one of them met the same fate and the other escaped. Whenever the enemy came near the trench the Muslims hurled stones and arrows at them. The Muslims had to remain vigilant all the time and could not assemble for prayers. Meanwhile Banu Quraiza, the Jewish tribe broke the treaty with the Muslims. They conspired with the Quraish and planned to attack the Muslims from the rear. The Prophet put a small detachment near their forts to watch their movements. The Prophet also used secret agents to cause a sense of insecurity among the Banu Quraiza and mistrust was built between them and their allies. At the same time the Holy Prophet succeeded in winning over the majority of Banu Ghaftan who started to consider some kind of compromise with him. He sent a man from Ghaftan tribe who enjoyed a good relationship with both the Quraish and the Muslims and told the Quraish that the Jews were trying to enter into an understanding with the Muslims which would leave the Quraish isolated. Similarly a spy was sent to the Jews and the seed of mistrust was planted. As a result, a split developed between the allies that broke their unity.
More than three weeks passed and the pagans faced shortage of food particularly fodder for their animals. The harsh climate provided help to the Muslims and stormy winds started to blow. Finally, one night strong winds blew which overturned the enemy’s camp and forced them to retreat. The next day none of them could be seen anywhere. The supreme strategy of the Holy Prophet and the unprecedented unity of the Muslims proved superior to the lack of discipline and effort among the allies. The Prophet was also informed by Allah that it was the last attack by the Makkans. Allah says: ‘’ O you who believe! Remember Allah’s blessing on you when mighty armies massed against you. We sent a violent wind and invisible forces against them’’ (33:9). Again He says: ‘’God sent back the disbelievers along with their rage—they gained no benefit and spared the believers from fighting. Surely Allah is strong and mighty’’ (33:25).
Results:
1. The reason why the Quraish failed in their designs was the superior strategy of the Prophet. Such a way of defence was unknown to the Arabs who were baffled to see a formidable (difficult) obstacle that they failed to cross. He knew that his opponents would not be logistically prepared for a long drawn battle. He also took full advantage of agents and sowed the seeds of mistrust between the two allies which broke their will to fight.
2. After this battle the people of Medina recognized the Holy Prophet as the absolute ruler of the city.
3. The victory over a disproportionate superior force produced a great effect on the neighbouring tribes, who recognizing the emerging power of the Muslims voluntarily became their allies. Henceforth Islam began to spread rapidly among the neighbouring tribes.
4. After this battle the Holy Prophet had to lead 17 expeditions against the Bedouin tribes because the Quraish had made agreements with them before the war.
5. The influence of the Quraish amongst the Arab tribes received a serious blow.
6. Trade of the Quraish with Syria stopped and their position was damaged beyond repair.
7. The Prophet took action against Banu Quraiza who had helped the enemy in the battle.
8. It was clear that if the Muslims would remain firm on faith nobody could harm or defeat them.
9. For the first time, spying was used during the war.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 22, 2011
JAN WEEK 3 (UHAD)
THE BATTLE OF UHAD:
Causes:
Some of the causes of the Battle of Uhad were the same as that of Badr.
1. The pagans wanted to take revenge.
2. The people of Makkah wanted to regain their lost prestige.
3. The Jews and the hypocrites of Medina again invited the people of Makkah to attack the Muslims.
4. Some of the Makkans had vowed they would not take a bath until they had taken their revenge.
5. After Badr the business community of Makkah set aside a certain amount of their income for the next battle.
6. Ka’ab bin Ashraf of Banu Nazir went to Makkah to participate in the mourning for those killed at Badr. He and other Jewish poets wrote poems to instigate the Quraish to fight against the Muslims.
7. The Jews of Banu Nazir promised to help the Makkans.
8. After the battle of Badr there was a constant threat to the trade caravans of Makkah from the people of Medina.
9. Hind (Abu Sufyan’s wife) vowed she would take revenge for her brother and father killed in the battle of Badr and thus inspired the Makkans to fight too.
Events:
The Makkan army comprised of three thousand fully armed warriors with camels. Fifteen women were also allowed to accompany the army. Amongst them were Hind, Umme Hakim, Abu Jahal’s granddaughter and Fatimah, Khalid bin Waleed’s sister. They reached the Uhad Mountain on Friday, 6th Shawal 3AH. Their general was Abu Sufyan while the cavalry command was under Khalid bin Waleed who was assisted by Ikramah, Abu Jahal’s son.
The Prophet held a meeting with the companions after receiving the news of Makkan Army’s advancement towards Medina. The prophet along with other senior companions, suggested they should stay in Medina and defend it. He wanted the enemy to exhaust itself outside and save the Muslims from the risk of open war. The men could fight from the mouths of the lanes and the women could help them from the roof tops of the house. The chief of the hypocrites, Abdullah bin Ubay, supported the Prophet’s suggestion. But the younger men were eager to fight in the open. The Prophet yielded to the opinion of the majority and soon one thousand men joined him.
The next the Muslim army marched towards Uhad and encamped on the rising ground with Uhad behind it. This had the advantage that it became difficult for the Makkan army to approach them thus reducing the numerical superiority. The Prophet divided his army into three battalions. The Muslim army consisted of a thousand fighters out of which only one hundred were armed. The women also participated in the battlefield for the first time. Amongst them were Ayesha, Umme Salma and Umme Ammara who supplied water to the wounded soldiers and dressed their wounds.
The first Muslim army was arranged in two rows and fifty skilful archers were ordered to stay on the mountain so that the enemy could not attack from behind. The Holy Prophet strictly advised them not to leave their place unless the Prophet ordered them to do so. When the Muslim army was very close to the Makkan army, Abdullah bin Ubay rebelled against the Prophet and separated 300 of his fighters from the Muslim army claiming that his opinion about fighting from inside Medina was not accepted and he found no reason to fight. Thus the Prophet was left with an army of 700. When the two armies were face to face, the Holy Prophet appointed one man on the right and one on the left and advised them to keep an eye on Khalid bin Waleed’s squad. When the fighting started, the Quraish attacked first. The Muslims fought bravely and killed and wounded many warriors of the Quraish. The news of the martyrdom of Hazrat Hamza, the dearest uncle of the Holy Prophet, by Wahshi bin Harb with a spear which went through his stomach, saddened them. Soon they recovered from this grief and the situation remained under control. The idolaters began to flee from the battlefield and their womenfolk; particularly Hind was seen running back to Makkah. The Muslims pursued the enemy putting them to the sword and collecting the spoils. At the same time the archers who were appointed on the mountainside committed a fatal mistake. They left their post against the orders of the Holy Prophet to collect the spoils until only nine of them were left behind. Khalid bin Waleed found a chance and took them by surprise. The nine archers fought bravely but could not stop the advance of the idolaters. So the main army of the Muslims was attacked from behind which took the Muslims by surprise. The pagans gathered again and the Muslims were sandwiched between the pagan army from both sides.
As a result confusion was created in their ranks and they started to flee the battlefield. Some retreated to the top of the mountain. The Quraish attacked the Prophet who was surrounded and was being protected by some of his companions. He suffered wounds on the face, lost a tooth and became unconscious. A rumour spread that he had been killed. This totally disheartened the Muslims some of whom threw away their arms in despair. Later, when the Muslims came to know that the Prophet was alive, they started to fight with renewed vigour. Seeing this, the Quraish lost their will to press on and started retreating. The pagans thought that they had taken the revenge of Badr and were successful but actually they had failed in their aim to destroy the Muslims as a whole. A total of 74 Muslims were martyred while 20 Makkans were killed. The loss of Hamza was the greatest. Hind returned and sought the body of Hazrat Hamza, cut his abdomen, took out his liver and chewed it. But afterwards threw it out of her mouth.
Allah says about this battle: ‘’God fulfilled His promise to you. You were routing them with His permission, but then you faltered, disputed the order and disobeyed, after he had shown you that for which you longed. Some of you desire the gains of this world and others desire the world to come...’’ (3:152). The Makkans before their departure declared that this day was in return for Badr and they challenged the Muslims to meet them the next year. The Muslims returned to Medina, but the next day when the Prophet heard that the enemy was still lurking in the vicinity of Medina; he led out a force against them. When the Quraish learned about this, they retreated to Makkah. The Prophet stayed outside Medina for several days, thus demonstrating to the desert tribes that the Quraish’s victory was a hollow triumph.
Results:
1. Defeat in the battle of Uhad came as great shock to the Muslims. They could not understand how they could achieve victory at Badr, when they were heavily outnumbered and shabbily equipped and then suffer defeat at the hand sof an army which they had already forced to retreat. Their defeat, however, made it clear to the early Muslims that victory was not theirs by right and they could not expect to win every battle they fought.
2. A mistake was made the men on the mountains left their positions against the Prophet’s orders. It was a moment of weakness which overcame those believers who wanted to get a share in the booty. This battle convinced the Muslims that Allah supported them only as long as they supported his cause.
3. Another sign of weakness exposed at that time was that when the rumour of the Prophet’s death was spread, some of the Muslims dropped their weapons thinking that there was no more reason for them to continue fighting. It was not proper for a people who believe in Allah to stop fighting if the Prophet was killed. The Qur’an says: ‘’Mohammad is no more than a messenger. Many were the messengers that passed before him. If he died or were slain will you then turn back on your heels?’’
4. The loss of the Muslims had a negative effect on the relations with the neighbouring tribes who started to make plans against the Muslims.
5. Many tribes broke their treaties with the Muslims because they took their defeat as a sign of their weakness.
6. Some of the tribes became treacherous (disloyal) like Banu Salma who invited seventy missionaries to preach Islam among them and then killed them.
7. The Holy Prophet had to lead many campaigns to bring treacherous tribes back to submission.
8. During the battle, the Jewish tribe Banu Nazir, broke their treaty with the Muslims and sided openly with the Quraish. They also tried to kill the Prophet and after the battle they started showing their hostility openly. They were asked to leave Medina. They settled in Khyber while some of them went to Syria.
9. The Muslims lost their great commander Hamza.
Week 3
BATTLE OF HUNAIN (8AH):
When the news of the conquest of Makkah reached the leaders of Hawazin and Saqeef tribe, two very strong and warring tribes of Taif, they became enraged. They could not allow the Muslims to control the Kabah, the house of their idols. They decided to make a last effort against Islam. When the Prophet received the news of the declaration of a war against the Muslims, he raised an army of 12000 men and set out to meet the enemy. When the Muslims were marching through a steep and narrow valley the enemy suddenly sprang upon them. This unexpected attack broke the Muslims’ formation and many of them turned back and fled in panic.
The Prophet with a handful of companions stuck to his place and shouted at the Muslims to come back. They soon came back and rallied around the Prophet and fighting was renewed with vigour. The enemy fled and most of them took refuge in Taif. The initial reason for the Muslims’ defeat was that some of them were over confident because of their strength and number forgetting that victory came only from Allah. The Quran talks about this battle in the following verses: ‘’ assuredly Allah did help you in many battlefields even on the day of Hunain. You were well pleased with your large numbers, but they were of no use to you. The earth seemed to close in on you despite its spaciousness and you turned tail and fled. Then God sent His calm down to His messenger and the believers and sent down invisible forces. He punished the disbelievers—this is what disbelievers deserve.’’ (9:25, 26)
Consequences of the battle: This was an important battle fought by the Prophet. The Hawazin was mainly a nomadic tribe which was war like and stubborn. No other tribe posed such a threat to the Prophet as the Hawazin. Their defeat convinced the other nomadic tribes that the Prophet was invincible. Thus the supremacy of Islam and sovereignty of Medina was established all over Arabia.
SIEGE OF TAIF (8AH): Read from the book.
TABUK EXPEDITION (9AH):
Causes
The relations between the Muslims and Christians were strained since the Battle of Ma’uta. The byzantine Christians could not view with equanimity the growing unity of Arabia and the spread of Islam. The Emperor Heraclius collected a large force to attack Madinah. When the Holy Prophet (pbuh) learned about it he gave a call for Jihad.
Events
The time of expedition was unfavourable as there was draught and famine in Arabia. The summer was exceptionally hot. The date crop was ready to be harvested. The Arab tribes were reluctant to combat the Byzantinians whom they regarded with awe, particularly after the battle of Ma’uta. It was a long journey through arid desert towards a formidable enemy army. Moreover, the hypocrites under the leadership of ‘Abdullah bin Ubay’ were busy spreading discontentment and fear. They made various excuses not to accompany the Messenger of Allah and said that they feared the enemy and the intense heat. Allah said of them, “Those who were left behind were happy to stay behind when God’s Messenger set out; they hated the thought of striving in God’s way with their possessions and their persons. They said to one another, ‘Do not go (to war) in this heat.’ Say ‘Hellfire is hotter.’ If only they understood!” (9:81)
The Prophet (pbuh) asked the Muslims for contributions for the preparation of the expedition. The Muslims contributed a large number of equipment; Abu Bakr gave all his possessions while Umar gave half of his. Usman gave 300 camels and 1000 dinars, women donated their ornaments.
The Prophet (pbuh) collected an army of 30,000 and marched out of Madinah. The hypocrites joined the Muslim army in the beginning but soon afterwards, they excused and returned.
After seven days of journey, the Muslims reached Tabuk, but the enemy had already dispersed when they heard about the advance of such a huge army. The Prophet (pbuh) sent small expeditions against various Christian and Jewish princes in the neighbourhood. Many Christian tribes entered into alliance with the Muslims and came under their protection and agreed to pay Jizyah. In return The Prophet (pbuh) guaranteed their protection of their borders and territories, their caravans and their ships travelling by land and sea. Agreements to this effect were delivered to all parties.
Then came the news that the Romans had withdrawn from their border towns. They had decided not to encroach on the Muslim land. The Prophet (pbuh) could see no reason to pursue them into their territory as his goal had already been achieved. After staying in Tabuk for twenty days the Prophet (pbuh) returned to Madinah.
Significance of Expedition of Tabuk
• The Tabuk expedition did not achieve any military objectives, it nevertheless indicated the direction, from which Islam would face the greatest danger.
• One indirect result of the expedition of Tabuk was the final extinction of the hypocrites of Abullah bin Ubbay. They always plotted against the Muslims and helped the enemies during the battle. They even built a mosque at Quba. The Prophet (pbuh) on his return from the expedition of Tabuk ordered it to be demolished, as it had become a gathering place for disaffected elements in Madinah. After two months of the return from Tabuk Abdullah bin Ubay died and with his death, the hypocrites ceased to exist.
The expedition to Tabuk in Rajab 9 A.H. was the last campaign of the Prophet. In all, the Muslims had fought in twenty-seven and taken part in sixty forays and expeditions. No conqueror had ever achieved such success with so little loss of life. Throughout all the campaigns, a total of only one thousand and eighteen people from both sides had been killed. Eventually Arabia was so safe that a woman pilgrim could travel all the way from Hirah to Makkah without anyone fearing anyone except Allah.
REVIEW OF THE BATTLES FOUGHT BY THE PROPHET: Read from the book
YEAR OF DEPUTATIONS (10AH): Read from the book
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JAN WEEK 4 ( CONQUEST OF MAKKAH)
CONQUEST OF MAKKAH (8AH):
Causes:
The defeat of the Muslims at Mu’tah encouraged the Quraish to adopt a hostile attitude towards the Muslims. In the treaty of Hudaibiya, it was laid down that anyone who wanted to enter into a treaty with the Prophet (PBUH) or the Quraish could do so. The Banu Bakr entered into an alliance with the Quraish while the Banu Khuza’ah made a pact with the Prophet (PBUH).
Two years after the treaty of Hudaibiya, Banu Bakr attacked and killed the men of Banu Khuza’ah. A deputation of the Banu Khuza’ah came to the Holy Prophet and asked for his aid and protection. The Holy Prophet promised to help them. He sent a messenger to the Quraish offering them three alternatives:
1. To pay compensation or blood money for the men of Banu Khuza’ah.
2. To dissolve their alliance with Banu Bakr.
3. To declare that the treaty of Hudaibiya stood dissolved.
The Quraish opted for the third alternative but soon realized that they were no match for the Muslims and sent Abu Sufyan to settle the affair as best as he could. Abu Sufyan went to Medina and first went to see his daughter Umme Habiba, one of the wives of the Prophet but she refused to help him. Then he went to Abu Bakr, Umar, Usman and Ali, but they all expressed their inability to intercede on his behalf. Then he went to the mosque of the Prophet and shouted that the Quraish would guarantee peace and protection to all, but the Prophet rejected the offer.
Events:
The Prophet prepared an army of 10000 men; he maintained complete secrecy to prevent Quraish from organizing an alliance with their neighbouring tribes. The Holy Prophet set out to Makkah on the 10th of Ramazan 8AH. The Muslims camped outside Makkah. The Quraish were taken by complete surprise. They came to know of it when they saw 10000 fires lit on the hills outside Makkah. The Prophet had ordered his followers to light up these torches so that the Makkans should know what they were up against. The sight of so many fires magnified the size of the Muslim army in the eyes of the Quraish and they were demoralized, over awed and completely unnerved. Abu Sufyan came to spy for the Quraish and was completely taken aback. The guards of Allah’s apostle caught him and brought him to the Prophet. At that point Abu Sufyan embraced Islam.
Before entering Makkah the Prophet proclaimed that whosoever remained in his own house would be safe, whoever was in Kabah would be safe and those who entered the house of Abu Sufyan would be safe. Thus safety was guaranteed to virtually everyone. The Prophet told his army not use arms against anyone when they entered Makkah unless they met with resistance or were attacked. He ordered them to avoid bloodshed; they were to resort to arms if absolutely unavoidable. He ordered that the old, the women and the children should not be harmed. He divided his army into four columns; each column was assigned a specific part of Makkah to capture. They entered peacefully. The column of Khalid bin Waleed was showered with arrows and he had to fight back 13 men from the Quraish. In the skirmish two Muslims were martyred. The Prophet went to the Kabah and performed Tawaaf. He went inside and prayed, then he purified it. There were about 360 idols in the Kabah, while destroying the idols he recited the following verse: ‘’ and say the truth has come and falsehood has passed away, falsehood is bound to pass away’’ (17:81). The Messenger of Allah opened the door of the Kabah. The Quraish had filled the mosque and were waiting to see what he would do. Before the Zuhr prayer the Prophet directed Bilal to ascend the roof of the Kabah and announce the azaan. After the prayers the Holy Prophet proceeded to the Safa Hill and people came in crowds to embrace Islam. He then delivered a sermon on the unity of God, abolition of the customs of the ignorance and practices of the Quraish and laid emphasis on the duty of man to God and Mankind.
At the end of the sermon he asked them ‘’ what do you think I am going to do to you?’’ They said ‘’ you are a noble brother and a son of a noble brother.’’ The Prophet said ‘’ no blame on you be this day. Go, you are free.’’ The Quraish were dumbfounded, they never expected to escape so lightly. The mercy of the Prophet captivated their hearts. Even the bitterest enemy amongst them was convinced of the supreme moral virtues of Islam. The truth of Islam penetrated deep into their hearts. The prophet stayed in Makkah for about 20 days during which he made final arrangements for the administration of the city. He defined the boundaries of Haram of Makkah by erecting pillars of stones at proper places. Most of the offices and the privileges of the Quraish were abolished. The Quran says regarding the conquest of Makkah: : ‘’When God’s help comes and he open up your way [Prophet], when you see people embracing God’s faith in crowds, celebrate the praise of your Lord and ask forgiveness...’’ (110:1-3).
Significance:
The conquest of Makkah was not only due to the superb leadership of the prophet but also due to his magnificent character, his tact, diplomacy, administrative skill and statesmanship that he exhibited as the head of the new Islamic state of Medina as well as his deep faith in his mission and profound trust in Allah. The conquest of Makkah produced the following results:
• The Muslims recovered their native homeland.
• The Kaabah was purified of idols.
• The Muslims conquered the economic, cultural, political, spiritual, social and international centre of Arabia.
• The Holy Prophet pardoned everyone and showed that he was sent as a mercy for the whole world.
• Many people accepted Islam in groups including Abu Sufyan who was a bitter enemy of Islam.
• The Holy Prophet, for the first time appointed someone as the governor of Makkah, and went back to Medina.
• The whole Arabia came under the control of the Muslims.
Allah’s promise proved true that after the Battle of Trench, the Makkans would not attack the Muslims and with the conquest of Makkah their chances of attacking Medina vanished forever.
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JAN WEEK 4 ( KHYBER, UMRAH, MAUTAH)
KHYBER EXPEDITION (7AH):
The Bani Nazir and other Jewish tribes after being exiled from Medina had settled at Khyber where they were always plotting against the Muslims. They had the support of the Ghatafan tribe and the hypocrites of Medina. When they came to know of the terms of Hudaibiya, they took it as a sign of weakness or almost a defeat of the Muslims and began to make preparations for attacking Medina. Khyber was a group of strongly fortified fortresses in the northeast of Medina, the principal of which was called Al Qamas. The Holy Prophet came to know of these developments and marched with an army of 1600 men against the Jews of Khyber. The hypocrites of Medina warned the Jews who at once dispatched the message to the Ghatafan tribe, promising half of the produce of their fruit crop, if they could beat the Muslim expedition. The Muslim army headed by the Holy Prophet marched to Isra Mountain and encamped in a valley called Al-Raji to prevent the mingling of the Ghatafan with the Jews of Khyber.
The Prophet did not want a long siege, so he ordered an attack. The Muslims captured all fortresses without much difficulty, but when they reached the fort of Qamas, the fight prolonged for 20 days. Each day they had to return without success, until one day, the Prophet sent Hazrat Ali as commander of the troops for the day’s fight. Hazrat Ali pledged to fight until the enemy would embrace Islam. Seeing the Muslims under the command of Hazrat Ali, Mahrab, the famous warrior of the Jews came out of the fort to fight. Hazrat Ali killed him in the first attack. Then a fierce battle started in which the Jews were forced to surrender and the Muslims captured the fort. The Jews requested the Holy Prophet to grant them peace and so the Prophet allowed them to stay in Khyber on the condition that they would live in peace and give half of the produce of their land to the Muslims.
UMRAH (7AH):
According to the treaty of Hudaibiya, signed in 6AH, Muslims could perform Umrah the next year. They were also entitled to stay for three days in Makkah. So 2000 men with some women and children having 60 camels for sacrifice advanced towards Makkah. When they were 8 miles away, the Holy Prophet appointed 200 men with weapons there and the remaining Muslims entered Makkah with sheathed swords. The Quraish shifted to their camps on a mountain from where they were watching the caravans of the Muslims. All the rituals were performed with full dignity and freedom by the Muslims. The Quraish were tongue tied for three days. After that as per the treaty, they asked the Muslims to leave Makkah. After Umrah, the next phase of the Islamic revolution started and the glory of Islam increased.
BATTLE OF MU’TAH (8AH):
The Holy Prophet sent a letter to the Roman Emperor who was a Christian, inviting him to Islam. The messenger was killed at Mu’tah, a place in Syria. The Holy Prophet therefore sent an army of 3000 Muslims under the leadership of Zaid bin Haris. The Muslims had not fought such a huge army before. Zaid bin Haris fought bravely but fell due to injuries and Hazrat Jaffar took the flag. His right hand was cut and he seized the flag in his left hand but that too was cut and he seized the flag with both arms until a soldier cut him in two. Then Abdullah bin Rawahah (RA) proceeded reciting the verses of the Holy Qur’an enthusiastically until he was also martyred. The Muslims chose Khalid bin Waleed as the flag bearer and he planned a strategy to terrify the enemy. The enemy was misled because they assumed that a fresh army had joined the Muslims. They believed that they were being entrapped. They stopped pursuing the Muslim army and the Muslims safely retreated to Medina. The number of martyrs was 12 while the casualties of the Byzantines were large in number. Although the Muslims were not satisfied with the result of the war but their reputation in warfare intimidated the non-Muslims when they came to know that only 3000 men with simple equipment had fought so bravely against such a large army.
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JAN WEEK 4 (HUDAIBIYA)
TREATY OF HUDAIBIYA (6AH):
In 6 A.H., the Holy Prophet (pbuh) had a dream that he had entered the Sacred Mosque. Therefore, he decided to go to Makkah for performing Umrah, or the minor pilgrimage. The Quran says: “Allah indeed fulfilled the vision for His Messenger with truth. You shall certainly enter the Sacred Mosque if Allah pleases in security.” (Al-Fath 48:27)
The Holy Prophet (pbuh) washed his clothes, mounted his camel Qaswa and marched towards Makkah in the company of 1400 companions including his wife Umm-e-Salma. When the Quraish heard of the approach of the Muslims they were prepared to resist their entry by force of arm, they sent a force under the command of Khalid bin Waleed and Ikramah bin Abu Jahl. As the Prophet (pbuh) had no intention to fight, he left the main road and led the Muslims towards the less frequented road. They camped at a place called Hudaibiya, which was some miles from Makkah, the Quraish resolved to fight rather than allow Muslims to enter Makkah. The Prophet (pbuh) sent a Messenger to Makkah who was ill-treated by the Quraish. Then, he sent Uthman ibn Affan (RA) who had a powerful clan to protect him in Makkah. Since Uthman ibn Affan (RA) was detained for a long time, a rumour broke out in the Muslim camp that he had been killed by the Quraish.
The Prophet (pbuh) called his companions to take a pledge to fight and avenge the blood of Uthman (RA). This pledge was taken on the hand of Prophet (pbuh) while he stood under a tree, hence it became known as Bayt Al Ridwan, the pledge of tree or the Pledge of God’s Pleasure. Allah says, “Allah indeed was pleased with the believers, when they swore allegiance to you under the tree and He knew what was in their hearts, so he sent down peace on them and rewarded them with clear victory.” (48:18)
The arrogant Quraish now realized that the Muslims were strong enough to defend their faith and evil tactics could not frighten them. So they decided to conclude a treaty of reconciliation and peace with the Muslims. Sohail bin Amir was sent to write a treaty. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) started dictating the treaty with the words “Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Raheem.” At this Sohail insisted upon the customary words “Bismika Allahuma.” The Muslims felt uneasy at these words, but the Holy Prophet (pbuh) agreed to Sohail’s wish. Then he went on to dictate, “This is what Muhammad as the Messenger of Allah, has agreed to with Sohail bin Amr.” Upon that Sohail bin Amr again protested that the Makkans had not acknowledged Muhammad as the Messenger of Allah. He should write his own name and the name of his father. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) himself erased the words and instead dictated “Muhammad the son of Abdullah.” The clauses of the treaty go as follows:
1) The Muslims shall return this year and come back next year, but they shall not stay in Makkah for more than three days. They must be unarmed but can bring with them swords only which should be sheathed and these shall be kept in bags.
2) War activities shall be suspended for ten years, during which both parties will live in full security and neither will raise sword against the other.
3) If a tribe wishes to join the Holy Prophet (pbuh) or enter into a treaty with him, they should have the liberty to do so; and likewise whosoever wishes to join the Quraish or enter in a treaty with them should be allowed to do so.
4) If anyone from the Quraish goes to Muhammad (pbuh) without his guardian’s permission, meaning fugitive, he should be sent back to the Quraish, but should any of Muhammad’s (pbuh) followers return to the Quraish he shall not be sent back.
Many of the Muslims including Hazrat Umar were not happy over the terms of the treaty which were very harsh and against the interest of Muslims. Yet the Holy Prophet (pbuh) accepted them with the command of Allah Who Himself, declared this treaty to be a manifest victory for the believers by saying: “Truly, We have opened up a path to clear triumph for you.” (48:1).
Importance/ effects of Hudaibiya:
• By entering into ten years truce with the Quraish, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) reaped several political and strategic advantages. Firstly, Medina started to be reckoned as an equal power with Makkah in the eyes of the whole of Arabia. Secondly, the Quraish became neutral in the struggle between the Holy Prophet (pbuh) on one side and the Jews and Bedouin on the other. Thirdly, Medina became a centre around which all the tribes were united under the banner of Islam.
• In the two that followed, more people accepted Islam than in the preceding six years. The great Muslim Khalid bin Waleed and Amr bin Aas accepted Islam during this period.
• The Quraish had imposed an unjust term of repatriation (send someone back to their own country), which laid down that the converts from Makkah could not go to Medina. These converts instead of going to Medina fled and settled on a hilly track on road to Syria from where they posed a threat to the trade caravans of the Quraish. The Quraish were forced to beg the Muslim to cancel this clause from the Treaty.
After the Treaty, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) sent messages of Islam to kings and emperors some of whom embraced Islam. The Treaty of Hudaibiya was a turning point in the great struggle of Islamic revolution which laid the foundation of later successes. It ultimately paved the ground for the peaceful and bloodless conquest of Makkah.
When the news of the conquest of Makkah reached the leaders of Hawazin and Saqeef tribe, two very strong and warring tribes of Taif, they became enraged. They could not allow the Muslims to control the Kabah, the house of their idols. They decided to make a last effort against Islam. When the Prophet received the news of the declaration of a war against the Muslims, he raised an army of 12000 men and set out to meet the enemy. When the Muslims were marching through a steep and narrow valley the enemy suddenly sprang upon them. This unexpected attack broke the Muslims’ formation and many of them turned back and fled in panic.
The Prophet with a handful of companions stuck to his place and shouted at the Muslims to come back. They soon came back and rallied around the Prophet and fighting was renewed with vigour. The enemy fled and most of them took refuge in Taif. The initial reason for the Muslims’ defeat was that some of them were over confident because of their strength and number forgetting that victory came only from Allah. The Quran talks about this battle in the following verses: ‘’ assuredly Allah did help you in many battlefields even on the day of Hunain. You were well pleased with your large numbers, but they were of no use to you. The earth seemed to close in on you despite its spaciousness and you turned tail and fled. Then God sent His calm down to His messenger and the believers and sent down invisible forces. He punished the disbelievers—this is what disbelievers deserve.’’ (9:25, 26)
Consequences of the battle: This was an important battle fought by the Prophet. The Hawazin was mainly a nomadic tribe which was war like and stubborn. No other tribe posed such a threat to the Prophet as the Hawazin. Their defeat convinced the other nomadic tribes that the Prophet was invincible. Thus the supremacy of Islam and sovereignty of Medina was established all over Arabia.
SIEGE OF TAIF (8AH): Read from the book.
TABUK EXPEDITION (9AH):
Causes
The relations between the Muslims and Christians were strained since the Battle of Ma’uta. The byzantine Christians could not view with equanimity the growing unity of Arabia and the spread of Islam. The Emperor Heraclius collected a large force to attack Madinah. When the Holy Prophet (pbuh) learned about it he gave a call for Jihad.
Events
The time of expedition was unfavourable as there was draught and famine in Arabia. The summer was exceptionally hot. The date crop was ready to be harvested. The Arab tribes were reluctant to combat the Byzantinians whom they regarded with awe, particularly after the battle of Ma’uta. It was a long journey through arid desert towards a formidable enemy army. Moreover, the hypocrites under the leadership of ‘Abdullah bin Ubay’ were busy spreading discontentment and fear. They made various excuses not to accompany the Messenger of Allah and said that they feared the enemy and the intense heat. Allah said of them, “Those who were left behind were happy to stay behind when God’s Messenger set out; they hated the thought of striving in God’s way with their possessions and their persons. They said to one another, ‘Do not go (to war) in this heat.’ Say ‘Hellfire is hotter.’ If only they understood!” (9:81)
The Prophet (pbuh) asked the Muslims for contributions for the preparation of the expedition. The Muslims contributed a large number of equipment; Abu Bakr gave all his possessions while Umar gave half of his. Usman gave 300 camels and 1000 dinars, women donated their ornaments.
The Prophet (pbuh) collected an army of 30,000 and marched out of Madinah. The hypocrites joined the Muslim army in the beginning but soon afterwards, they excused and returned.
After seven days of journey, the Muslims reached Tabuk, but the enemy had already dispersed when they heard about the advance of such a huge army. The Prophet (pbuh) sent small expeditions against various Christian and Jewish princes in the neighbourhood. Many Christian tribes entered into alliance with the Muslims and came under their protection and agreed to pay Jizyah. In return The Prophet (pbuh) guaranteed their protection of their borders and territories, their caravans and their ships travelling by land and sea. Agreements to this effect were delivered to all parties.
Then came the news that the Romans had withdrawn from their border towns. They had decided not to encroach on the Muslim land. The Prophet (pbuh) could see no reason to pursue them into their territory as his goal had already been achieved. After staying in Tabuk for twenty days the Prophet (pbuh) returned to Madinah.
Significance of Expedition of Tabuk
• The Tabuk expedition did not achieve any military objectives, it nevertheless indicated the direction, from which Islam would face the greatest danger.
• One indirect result of the expedition of Tabuk was the final extinction of the hypocrites of Abullah bin Ubbay. They always plotted against the Muslims and helped the enemies during the battle. They even built a mosque at Quba. The Prophet (pbuh) on his return from the expedition of Tabuk ordered it to be demolished, as it had become a gathering place for disaffected elements in Madinah. After two months of the return from Tabuk Abdullah bin Ubay died and with his death, the hypocrites ceased to exist.
The expedition to Tabuk in Rajab 9 A.H. was the last campaign of the Prophet. In all, the Muslims had fought in twenty-seven and taken part in sixty forays and expeditions. No conqueror had ever achieved such success with so little loss of life. Throughout all the campaigns, a total of only one thousand and eighteen people from both sides had been killed. Eventually Arabia was so safe that a woman pilgrim could travel all the way from Hirah to Makkah without anyone fearing anyone except Allah.
REVIEW OF THE BATTLES FOUGHT BY THE PROPHET: Read from the book
YEAR OF DEPUTATIONS (10AH): Read from the book
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JAN WEEK 4 ( CONQUEST OF MAKKAH)
CONQUEST OF MAKKAH (8AH):
Causes:
The defeat of the Muslims at Mu’tah encouraged the Quraish to adopt a hostile attitude towards the Muslims. In the treaty of Hudaibiya, it was laid down that anyone who wanted to enter into a treaty with the Prophet (PBUH) or the Quraish could do so. The Banu Bakr entered into an alliance with the Quraish while the Banu Khuza’ah made a pact with the Prophet (PBUH).
Two years after the treaty of Hudaibiya, Banu Bakr attacked and killed the men of Banu Khuza’ah. A deputation of the Banu Khuza’ah came to the Holy Prophet and asked for his aid and protection. The Holy Prophet promised to help them. He sent a messenger to the Quraish offering them three alternatives:
1. To pay compensation or blood money for the men of Banu Khuza’ah.
2. To dissolve their alliance with Banu Bakr.
3. To declare that the treaty of Hudaibiya stood dissolved.
The Quraish opted for the third alternative but soon realized that they were no match for the Muslims and sent Abu Sufyan to settle the affair as best as he could. Abu Sufyan went to Medina and first went to see his daughter Umme Habiba, one of the wives of the Prophet but she refused to help him. Then he went to Abu Bakr, Umar, Usman and Ali, but they all expressed their inability to intercede on his behalf. Then he went to the mosque of the Prophet and shouted that the Quraish would guarantee peace and protection to all, but the Prophet rejected the offer.
Events:
The Prophet prepared an army of 10000 men; he maintained complete secrecy to prevent Quraish from organizing an alliance with their neighbouring tribes. The Holy Prophet set out to Makkah on the 10th of Ramazan 8AH. The Muslims camped outside Makkah. The Quraish were taken by complete surprise. They came to know of it when they saw 10000 fires lit on the hills outside Makkah. The Prophet had ordered his followers to light up these torches so that the Makkans should know what they were up against. The sight of so many fires magnified the size of the Muslim army in the eyes of the Quraish and they were demoralized, over awed and completely unnerved. Abu Sufyan came to spy for the Quraish and was completely taken aback. The guards of Allah’s apostle caught him and brought him to the Prophet. At that point Abu Sufyan embraced Islam.
Before entering Makkah the Prophet proclaimed that whosoever remained in his own house would be safe, whoever was in Kabah would be safe and those who entered the house of Abu Sufyan would be safe. Thus safety was guaranteed to virtually everyone. The Prophet told his army not use arms against anyone when they entered Makkah unless they met with resistance or were attacked. He ordered them to avoid bloodshed; they were to resort to arms if absolutely unavoidable. He ordered that the old, the women and the children should not be harmed. He divided his army into four columns; each column was assigned a specific part of Makkah to capture. They entered peacefully. The column of Khalid bin Waleed was showered with arrows and he had to fight back 13 men from the Quraish. In the skirmish two Muslims were martyred. The Prophet went to the Kabah and performed Tawaaf. He went inside and prayed, then he purified it. There were about 360 idols in the Kabah, while destroying the idols he recited the following verse: ‘’ and say the truth has come and falsehood has passed away, falsehood is bound to pass away’’ (17:81). The Messenger of Allah opened the door of the Kabah. The Quraish had filled the mosque and were waiting to see what he would do. Before the Zuhr prayer the Prophet directed Bilal to ascend the roof of the Kabah and announce the azaan. After the prayers the Holy Prophet proceeded to the Safa Hill and people came in crowds to embrace Islam. He then delivered a sermon on the unity of God, abolition of the customs of the ignorance and practices of the Quraish and laid emphasis on the duty of man to God and Mankind.
At the end of the sermon he asked them ‘’ what do you think I am going to do to you?’’ They said ‘’ you are a noble brother and a son of a noble brother.’’ The Prophet said ‘’ no blame on you be this day. Go, you are free.’’ The Quraish were dumbfounded, they never expected to escape so lightly. The mercy of the Prophet captivated their hearts. Even the bitterest enemy amongst them was convinced of the supreme moral virtues of Islam. The truth of Islam penetrated deep into their hearts. The prophet stayed in Makkah for about 20 days during which he made final arrangements for the administration of the city. He defined the boundaries of Haram of Makkah by erecting pillars of stones at proper places. Most of the offices and the privileges of the Quraish were abolished. The Quran says regarding the conquest of Makkah: : ‘’When God’s help comes and he open up your way [Prophet], when you see people embracing God’s faith in crowds, celebrate the praise of your Lord and ask forgiveness...’’ (110:1-3).
Significance:
The conquest of Makkah was not only due to the superb leadership of the prophet but also due to his magnificent character, his tact, diplomacy, administrative skill and statesmanship that he exhibited as the head of the new Islamic state of Medina as well as his deep faith in his mission and profound trust in Allah. The conquest of Makkah produced the following results:
• The Muslims recovered their native homeland.
• The Kaabah was purified of idols.
• The Muslims conquered the economic, cultural, political, spiritual, social and international centre of Arabia.
• The Holy Prophet pardoned everyone and showed that he was sent as a mercy for the whole world.
• Many people accepted Islam in groups including Abu Sufyan who was a bitter enemy of Islam.
• The Holy Prophet, for the first time appointed someone as the governor of Makkah, and went back to Medina.
• The whole Arabia came under the control of the Muslims.
Allah’s promise proved true that after the Battle of Trench, the Makkans would not attack the Muslims and with the conquest of Makkah their chances of attacking Medina vanished forever.
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JAN WEEK 4 ( KHYBER, UMRAH, MAUTAH)
KHYBER EXPEDITION (7AH):
The Bani Nazir and other Jewish tribes after being exiled from Medina had settled at Khyber where they were always plotting against the Muslims. They had the support of the Ghatafan tribe and the hypocrites of Medina. When they came to know of the terms of Hudaibiya, they took it as a sign of weakness or almost a defeat of the Muslims and began to make preparations for attacking Medina. Khyber was a group of strongly fortified fortresses in the northeast of Medina, the principal of which was called Al Qamas. The Holy Prophet came to know of these developments and marched with an army of 1600 men against the Jews of Khyber. The hypocrites of Medina warned the Jews who at once dispatched the message to the Ghatafan tribe, promising half of the produce of their fruit crop, if they could beat the Muslim expedition. The Muslim army headed by the Holy Prophet marched to Isra Mountain and encamped in a valley called Al-Raji to prevent the mingling of the Ghatafan with the Jews of Khyber.
The Prophet did not want a long siege, so he ordered an attack. The Muslims captured all fortresses without much difficulty, but when they reached the fort of Qamas, the fight prolonged for 20 days. Each day they had to return without success, until one day, the Prophet sent Hazrat Ali as commander of the troops for the day’s fight. Hazrat Ali pledged to fight until the enemy would embrace Islam. Seeing the Muslims under the command of Hazrat Ali, Mahrab, the famous warrior of the Jews came out of the fort to fight. Hazrat Ali killed him in the first attack. Then a fierce battle started in which the Jews were forced to surrender and the Muslims captured the fort. The Jews requested the Holy Prophet to grant them peace and so the Prophet allowed them to stay in Khyber on the condition that they would live in peace and give half of the produce of their land to the Muslims.
UMRAH (7AH):
According to the treaty of Hudaibiya, signed in 6AH, Muslims could perform Umrah the next year. They were also entitled to stay for three days in Makkah. So 2000 men with some women and children having 60 camels for sacrifice advanced towards Makkah. When they were 8 miles away, the Holy Prophet appointed 200 men with weapons there and the remaining Muslims entered Makkah with sheathed swords. The Quraish shifted to their camps on a mountain from where they were watching the caravans of the Muslims. All the rituals were performed with full dignity and freedom by the Muslims. The Quraish were tongue tied for three days. After that as per the treaty, they asked the Muslims to leave Makkah. After Umrah, the next phase of the Islamic revolution started and the glory of Islam increased.
BATTLE OF MU’TAH (8AH):
The Holy Prophet sent a letter to the Roman Emperor who was a Christian, inviting him to Islam. The messenger was killed at Mu’tah, a place in Syria. The Holy Prophet therefore sent an army of 3000 Muslims under the leadership of Zaid bin Haris. The Muslims had not fought such a huge army before. Zaid bin Haris fought bravely but fell due to injuries and Hazrat Jaffar took the flag. His right hand was cut and he seized the flag in his left hand but that too was cut and he seized the flag with both arms until a soldier cut him in two. Then Abdullah bin Rawahah (RA) proceeded reciting the verses of the Holy Qur’an enthusiastically until he was also martyred. The Muslims chose Khalid bin Waleed as the flag bearer and he planned a strategy to terrify the enemy. The enemy was misled because they assumed that a fresh army had joined the Muslims. They believed that they were being entrapped. They stopped pursuing the Muslim army and the Muslims safely retreated to Medina. The number of martyrs was 12 while the casualties of the Byzantines were large in number. Although the Muslims were not satisfied with the result of the war but their reputation in warfare intimidated the non-Muslims when they came to know that only 3000 men with simple equipment had fought so bravely against such a large army.
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JAN WEEK 4 (HUDAIBIYA)
TREATY OF HUDAIBIYA (6AH):
In 6 A.H., the Holy Prophet (pbuh) had a dream that he had entered the Sacred Mosque. Therefore, he decided to go to Makkah for performing Umrah, or the minor pilgrimage. The Quran says: “Allah indeed fulfilled the vision for His Messenger with truth. You shall certainly enter the Sacred Mosque if Allah pleases in security.” (Al-Fath 48:27)
The Holy Prophet (pbuh) washed his clothes, mounted his camel Qaswa and marched towards Makkah in the company of 1400 companions including his wife Umm-e-Salma. When the Quraish heard of the approach of the Muslims they were prepared to resist their entry by force of arm, they sent a force under the command of Khalid bin Waleed and Ikramah bin Abu Jahl. As the Prophet (pbuh) had no intention to fight, he left the main road and led the Muslims towards the less frequented road. They camped at a place called Hudaibiya, which was some miles from Makkah, the Quraish resolved to fight rather than allow Muslims to enter Makkah. The Prophet (pbuh) sent a Messenger to Makkah who was ill-treated by the Quraish. Then, he sent Uthman ibn Affan (RA) who had a powerful clan to protect him in Makkah. Since Uthman ibn Affan (RA) was detained for a long time, a rumour broke out in the Muslim camp that he had been killed by the Quraish.
The Prophet (pbuh) called his companions to take a pledge to fight and avenge the blood of Uthman (RA). This pledge was taken on the hand of Prophet (pbuh) while he stood under a tree, hence it became known as Bayt Al Ridwan, the pledge of tree or the Pledge of God’s Pleasure. Allah says, “Allah indeed was pleased with the believers, when they swore allegiance to you under the tree and He knew what was in their hearts, so he sent down peace on them and rewarded them with clear victory.” (48:18)
The arrogant Quraish now realized that the Muslims were strong enough to defend their faith and evil tactics could not frighten them. So they decided to conclude a treaty of reconciliation and peace with the Muslims. Sohail bin Amir was sent to write a treaty. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) started dictating the treaty with the words “Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Raheem.” At this Sohail insisted upon the customary words “Bismika Allahuma.” The Muslims felt uneasy at these words, but the Holy Prophet (pbuh) agreed to Sohail’s wish. Then he went on to dictate, “This is what Muhammad as the Messenger of Allah, has agreed to with Sohail bin Amr.” Upon that Sohail bin Amr again protested that the Makkans had not acknowledged Muhammad as the Messenger of Allah. He should write his own name and the name of his father. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) himself erased the words and instead dictated “Muhammad the son of Abdullah.” The clauses of the treaty go as follows:
1) The Muslims shall return this year and come back next year, but they shall not stay in Makkah for more than three days. They must be unarmed but can bring with them swords only which should be sheathed and these shall be kept in bags.
2) War activities shall be suspended for ten years, during which both parties will live in full security and neither will raise sword against the other.
3) If a tribe wishes to join the Holy Prophet (pbuh) or enter into a treaty with him, they should have the liberty to do so; and likewise whosoever wishes to join the Quraish or enter in a treaty with them should be allowed to do so.
4) If anyone from the Quraish goes to Muhammad (pbuh) without his guardian’s permission, meaning fugitive, he should be sent back to the Quraish, but should any of Muhammad’s (pbuh) followers return to the Quraish he shall not be sent back.
Many of the Muslims including Hazrat Umar were not happy over the terms of the treaty which were very harsh and against the interest of Muslims. Yet the Holy Prophet (pbuh) accepted them with the command of Allah Who Himself, declared this treaty to be a manifest victory for the believers by saying: “Truly, We have opened up a path to clear triumph for you.” (48:1).
Importance/ effects of Hudaibiya:
• By entering into ten years truce with the Quraish, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) reaped several political and strategic advantages. Firstly, Medina started to be reckoned as an equal power with Makkah in the eyes of the whole of Arabia. Secondly, the Quraish became neutral in the struggle between the Holy Prophet (pbuh) on one side and the Jews and Bedouin on the other. Thirdly, Medina became a centre around which all the tribes were united under the banner of Islam.
• In the two that followed, more people accepted Islam than in the preceding six years. The great Muslim Khalid bin Waleed and Amr bin Aas accepted Islam during this period.
• The Quraish had imposed an unjust term of repatriation (send someone back to their own country), which laid down that the converts from Makkah could not go to Medina. These converts instead of going to Medina fled and settled on a hilly track on road to Syria from where they posed a threat to the trade caravans of the Quraish. The Quraish were forced to beg the Muslim to cancel this clause from the Treaty.
After the Treaty, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) sent messages of Islam to kings and emperors some of whom embraced Islam. The Treaty of Hudaibiya was a turning point in the great struggle of Islamic revolution which laid the foundation of later successes. It ultimately paved the ground for the peaceful and bloodless conquest of Makkah.
WEEK 2
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF THE SOCIETY SET UP BY THE PROPHET (PBUH):
Islam aims at establishing a happy and contented society. Great stress has been laid on man’s ethical behaviour and conduct in life. Before Islam lawlessness, kufr, shirk, blood feuds, gambling, drinking, superstitions prevailed in the society. The Prophet brought changes through the teachings of Islam and set up a society which is unparallel in the history of Islam. The most important quality of Islamic society is to believe in the unity of Allah with all His names and attributes that He is the Creator, The Sustainer, The Majestic and the Supreme Authority. The Prophet (PBUH) taught through his preaching that every believer should have firm belief that there is no god but Allah and He is the sole authority of our accountability and no one can be there like Him.
Another feature of an ideal society is brotherhood. Before Islam blood feuds, enmity and hatred were very common in the society. But the teachings of Islam made them brothers. The prophet said: Muslims are like one man if his eye suffers, the whole body suffers. The Prophet showed a practical example when he gave the hand of each Muhajir into the hand of one Ansar and made them brothers.
People remembered their creator all the time and that kept them away from an unpardonable sin shirk. They loved Allah and His Messenger. The Holy Quran says: “Those who have attained faith love Allah more than anything else” (2:105).
The Prophet gave the footing of such a society where people had fear of Allah and they did not commit evil not for the fear of punishment, but having great love for Allah. Justice was another important feature of that society. Before Islam, ‘might is right’ was the order of the day. But Allah ordained that Muslims must be just in words and deeds without any racial, social, tribal and linguistic consideration. The Prophet (pbuh) said: if Muhammad (pbuh)’s daughter Fatima committed the crime she would have borne the punishment.
Islam taught the lesson of equality to the people of different tribes and different nations. In the construction of the mosque of the prophet and digging the ditch for the battle, the Prophet (pbuh) worked with the Muslims like an ordinary man.
Self sacrifice is the act of seeking the welfare of others at the cost of one’s own self. Quran says, “You shall never achieve piety till you give away from what you love” Hazrat Ayesha was fasting when a beggar asked for food she gave away the only piece of bread she was keeping for herself to break the fast.
It is the duty of every Muslim to guide the other person to the right path. According to Surah Al Imaran “ And let there be among you a body of men who should invite to goodness and enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and it is they who shall prosper”
According to a Hadith “If any one sees an abomination he should change it with his hand if he cannot he should do it with his tongue if he cannot he should do it in his heart, that being the weakest form of faith.”
Another feature of society was peace. Before the advent of Islam corruption, immorality, chaos, disintegration, bloodshed prevailed in the society but because of the teachings of Islam, each person’s life and property became safe and sacred for everyone. Tolerance for other faiths was exercised in that society. The success of the Muslim society depended to a great extent on honesty and trust worthiness manifested by the members of the society both collectively and individually. It not only gave power and glory to the Islamic society but it also enhanced the prestige of the nation. In the age of ignorance, confusion, mistrust and apprehensions had engulfed the society and had ruined it but Islam attached great importance to fulfilment of pledges. Last but not the least is that Islam encouraged people to earn by lawful means. It emphasised on lawful and legal trade and it considered hoarding, games of chance and gambling as illegal.
These were the distinctive qualities of a society that Prophet (pbuh) had given to us and all the Muslims of this world are trying their level best to implement these golden rules among their societies.
CHANGE OF QIBLAH:
The Prophet (PBUH) as well as the Muslims had been facing towards Jerusalem while worshipping. Such practice was followed for one year and four months after migrating to Madinah. It was the wish of the Prophet (PBUH) and the other Arab converts, that the K'abah be made the Qiblah for prayers, for they had been holding the sanctuary at Makkah in a respectful regard since the time of Prophet Ibrahim (RA). To them, the house of worship built by Ibrahim and Ismail was the holiest of the holy ones, incomparable in sanctity to any other sanctum or shrine. They were put to a severe test by being asked to face Jerusalem instead of K’abah and they withstood this trial by dutifully obeying the divine command. Such was their devotion to the Prophet (PBUH) that they always replied, whether they found anything to their linking or not: "...We hear, and we obey..." [24:51] and "We believe in it, it is all from our Lord..." [3:7]. Thus, after the faith of the earliest Muslims had been brought to a test and they had passed it successfully, the Qiblah for prayer was changed to the K'abah. "We have made you (believers) into a just community, so that you may bear witness (to the truth) before others and so that the Messenger may bear witness (to it) before you. We only made the direction the one you used to face (Prophet) in order to distinguish those who follow the Messenger from those who turn on their heels.... “[Qur'an 2:143]. The Muslims changed their direction promptly in prayer, in compliance with divine command, towards the K'abah which was henceforth selected as the Qiblah for all the believers, living in any part of the World, for all
The battle of Badr was the first battle fought between the Muslims and the pagans. It happened on the 17th of Ramazan 2AH.
Causes:
1. The people of Makkah were very furious because they had failed to kill the Holy Prophet (PBUH) before the migration.
2. The Quraish were greatly displeased with the people of Medina for giving shelter to the Prophet (PBUH) and the Muslims. They asked the Medinites to hand over the Prophet (PBUH) and the Emigrants to them, which they refused. Hence they contacted the Jews and the hypocrites and sought their help.
3. There were some skirmishes between the Muslims and the people of Makkah: The Quraish’s cavalry would occasionally reach the borders of Medina and attack the grazing areas used by the Muslims’ animals and carry off some of the camels and cattle of the Muslims. The Prophet (PBUH) also started sending parties to patrol the out skirts of Medina. Once during patrolling a skirmish took place in which some member of Quraish was killed though the Prophet (PBUH) never gave the patrol party such permission, this is known as the incident of Nakhala. This increased the level of hostility in the Quraish who were now eager to avenge the blood of the slain member.
4. Some Jews and hypocrites invited the people of Makkah to attack the Muslims.
5. Trade caravans of the Quraish used to pass through Medina. The Prophet (PBUH) decided to threaten the caravans, which would hurt the Quraish economically. The Prophet (PBUH) started sending parties to watch the caravans. He also made alliance with some of the Bedouin tribes to deny the Quraish safe route to their caravans.
6. Abu Sufyan was returning from Syria with caravan carrying merchandise. He asked the Quraish to send an armed expedition to escort him home safely. The Quraish despatched an army to join Abu Sufyan in Syria. When Abu Sufyan reached Makkah safely he asked the army to return but they refused to do so. Some of the leaders, like Abu Jahal, insisted on advancing towards Medina. In the month of Safar 2 AH, Allah had already given permission to fight against the unbelievers. ‘’Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you.’’ (2:190)
Events:
When the Holy Prophet (PBUH) learnt that the Quraish were advancing towards Medina with the intension to attack, he immediately called the Muslims to take necessary steps. The Muhajirin and the Ansar got together to defend themselves. They were 313 men in all with only 2 horses and a few camels.
The Holy Prophet (PBUH) advanced to the valley of Badr, where he occupied the water sources and rendered others useless except the one nearest to Makkah. It was the first strategic supremacy which the Prophet (PBUH) showed. All night he prayed for Divine help for the Muslims which was granted. A few Muslim soldiers were stationed on firm ground on the slope of a hill. In the morning the sun was on the back of the Muslims. The rainfall at night refreshed the tired Muslim army. Sound sleep at night also made them fresh and ready to fight. The Qur’an describes the scene: ‘’Remember when He gave you sleep as a reassurance from Him, and sent down water from the sky to cleanse you, to remove Satan’s pollution from you, to make your hearts strong and your feet firm ’’ (8:11). As Allah never breaks His promise, divine help which was promised, came to the aid of the Muslims and He sent 1000 angels to assist them in their fight. Allah says in the Qur’an: ‘’you have already seen a sign in the two armies that met in a battle, one fighting for God’s cause and the other made up of disbelievers. With their own eyes [the Muslims] saw [the pagans] to be twice their number, but God helps whoever he will....’’ (3:13)
The great expedition of Badr took place on the 17th of Ramazan 2AH. Allah called this battle the ‘Day of the decision’. Allah says: ‘’....if you believe in Allah and the revelation We sent down Our servant on the day of the decision, the day when the two forces met in battle....’’ (8:41). The Makkans were 1000 in number and armed to the teeth, with several horses and a large number of weapons. All the nobles except Abu Lahab had joined the army.
Before the battle as per the custom of Arabia, Utbah bin Rabiah, his brother Shaibah and his son Waleed stepped forward from the Quraish side and asked the Muslims to send forward their warriors for individual combat. When three youths from the Ansar went out to meet them, they refused to fight with them saying that they wanted to contest with their equals from their own tribe. So the Holy Prophet (PBUH) sent Ubaidah bin Al-Harith (RA), Hamza (RA) and Ali (RA) to fight them. Hamza (RA) killed Shaibah, Ali (RA) killed Waleed while Ubaidah (RA) was seriously injured but before he fell, Hamza (RA) cut the throat of Utbah. Ali (RA) and Hamza (RA) carried Ubaidah (RA) back to their camp. After this some other duels were also fought in which the Quraish were badly beaten which greatly set them back. The Muslims first shot arrows at the attacking Makkans, then threw stones upon them and lastly fought with swords. A total of 70 Makkans including Abu Jahal, Umayyah bin Khalf and other prominent leaders were killed. Also a total of 70 pagans became prisoners including Abbas (Prophet’s uncle) and a son of Abu Sufyan. On the other hand 14 Muslims were martyred. The Muslims got 115 camels, 14 horses and a rich store of clothes and carpets and equipment of war as booty. When the news of this defeat reached Makkah the whole town was struck with grief. Pledges were taken to avenge the blood of their kinsmen. In Medina the captives were dealt with very mercifully. All those captives who could pay were freed after the payment of ransom. Those who could read and write were charged with the duty of teaching 10 Muslims each to get their freedom after a fixed period of teaching.
Results:
1. It was the most important and decisive victory in the history of the Islamic world. It determined the destiny of Islam.
2. It was the first fight between the Muslims and the Makkans which was declared as a fight between truth and falsehood.
3. The victory of this battle encouraged the Muslims and made them strong believers.
4. The victory also strengthened Islam. The Bedouin tribes around Medina were watching the events closely. Seeing the outcome of the battle, they formed alliances with the Muslims and also signed treaties.
5. The hypocrites under the leadership of Abdullah bin Ubay also became more careful.
6. All the prominent leaders of the Quraish were killed in the battle and the leadership passed to Abu Sufyan.
7. The people of Makkah became more furious and grieved because they were not expecting such a result.
8. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) showed his great skill as a military commander.
Islam aims at establishing a happy and contented society. Great stress has been laid on man’s ethical behaviour and conduct in life. Before Islam lawlessness, kufr, shirk, blood feuds, gambling, drinking, superstitions prevailed in the society. The Prophet brought changes through the teachings of Islam and set up a society which is unparallel in the history of Islam. The most important quality of Islamic society is to believe in the unity of Allah with all His names and attributes that He is the Creator, The Sustainer, The Majestic and the Supreme Authority. The Prophet (PBUH) taught through his preaching that every believer should have firm belief that there is no god but Allah and He is the sole authority of our accountability and no one can be there like Him.
Another feature of an ideal society is brotherhood. Before Islam blood feuds, enmity and hatred were very common in the society. But the teachings of Islam made them brothers. The prophet said: Muslims are like one man if his eye suffers, the whole body suffers. The Prophet showed a practical example when he gave the hand of each Muhajir into the hand of one Ansar and made them brothers.
People remembered their creator all the time and that kept them away from an unpardonable sin shirk. They loved Allah and His Messenger. The Holy Quran says: “Those who have attained faith love Allah more than anything else” (2:105).
The Prophet gave the footing of such a society where people had fear of Allah and they did not commit evil not for the fear of punishment, but having great love for Allah. Justice was another important feature of that society. Before Islam, ‘might is right’ was the order of the day. But Allah ordained that Muslims must be just in words and deeds without any racial, social, tribal and linguistic consideration. The Prophet (pbuh) said: if Muhammad (pbuh)’s daughter Fatima committed the crime she would have borne the punishment.
Islam taught the lesson of equality to the people of different tribes and different nations. In the construction of the mosque of the prophet and digging the ditch for the battle, the Prophet (pbuh) worked with the Muslims like an ordinary man.
Self sacrifice is the act of seeking the welfare of others at the cost of one’s own self. Quran says, “You shall never achieve piety till you give away from what you love” Hazrat Ayesha was fasting when a beggar asked for food she gave away the only piece of bread she was keeping for herself to break the fast.
It is the duty of every Muslim to guide the other person to the right path. According to Surah Al Imaran “ And let there be among you a body of men who should invite to goodness and enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and it is they who shall prosper”
According to a Hadith “If any one sees an abomination he should change it with his hand if he cannot he should do it with his tongue if he cannot he should do it in his heart, that being the weakest form of faith.”
Another feature of society was peace. Before the advent of Islam corruption, immorality, chaos, disintegration, bloodshed prevailed in the society but because of the teachings of Islam, each person’s life and property became safe and sacred for everyone. Tolerance for other faiths was exercised in that society. The success of the Muslim society depended to a great extent on honesty and trust worthiness manifested by the members of the society both collectively and individually. It not only gave power and glory to the Islamic society but it also enhanced the prestige of the nation. In the age of ignorance, confusion, mistrust and apprehensions had engulfed the society and had ruined it but Islam attached great importance to fulfilment of pledges. Last but not the least is that Islam encouraged people to earn by lawful means. It emphasised on lawful and legal trade and it considered hoarding, games of chance and gambling as illegal.
These were the distinctive qualities of a society that Prophet (pbuh) had given to us and all the Muslims of this world are trying their level best to implement these golden rules among their societies.
CHANGE OF QIBLAH:
The Prophet (PBUH) as well as the Muslims had been facing towards Jerusalem while worshipping. Such practice was followed for one year and four months after migrating to Madinah. It was the wish of the Prophet (PBUH) and the other Arab converts, that the K'abah be made the Qiblah for prayers, for they had been holding the sanctuary at Makkah in a respectful regard since the time of Prophet Ibrahim (RA). To them, the house of worship built by Ibrahim and Ismail was the holiest of the holy ones, incomparable in sanctity to any other sanctum or shrine. They were put to a severe test by being asked to face Jerusalem instead of K’abah and they withstood this trial by dutifully obeying the divine command. Such was their devotion to the Prophet (PBUH) that they always replied, whether they found anything to their linking or not: "...We hear, and we obey..." [24:51] and "We believe in it, it is all from our Lord..." [3:7]. Thus, after the faith of the earliest Muslims had been brought to a test and they had passed it successfully, the Qiblah for prayer was changed to the K'abah. "We have made you (believers) into a just community, so that you may bear witness (to the truth) before others and so that the Messenger may bear witness (to it) before you. We only made the direction the one you used to face (Prophet) in order to distinguish those who follow the Messenger from those who turn on their heels.... “[Qur'an 2:143]. The Muslims changed their direction promptly in prayer, in compliance with divine command, towards the K'abah which was henceforth selected as the Qiblah for all the believers, living in any part of the World, for all
The battle of Badr was the first battle fought between the Muslims and the pagans. It happened on the 17th of Ramazan 2AH.
Causes:
1. The people of Makkah were very furious because they had failed to kill the Holy Prophet (PBUH) before the migration.
2. The Quraish were greatly displeased with the people of Medina for giving shelter to the Prophet (PBUH) and the Muslims. They asked the Medinites to hand over the Prophet (PBUH) and the Emigrants to them, which they refused. Hence they contacted the Jews and the hypocrites and sought their help.
3. There were some skirmishes between the Muslims and the people of Makkah: The Quraish’s cavalry would occasionally reach the borders of Medina and attack the grazing areas used by the Muslims’ animals and carry off some of the camels and cattle of the Muslims. The Prophet (PBUH) also started sending parties to patrol the out skirts of Medina. Once during patrolling a skirmish took place in which some member of Quraish was killed though the Prophet (PBUH) never gave the patrol party such permission, this is known as the incident of Nakhala. This increased the level of hostility in the Quraish who were now eager to avenge the blood of the slain member.
4. Some Jews and hypocrites invited the people of Makkah to attack the Muslims.
5. Trade caravans of the Quraish used to pass through Medina. The Prophet (PBUH) decided to threaten the caravans, which would hurt the Quraish economically. The Prophet (PBUH) started sending parties to watch the caravans. He also made alliance with some of the Bedouin tribes to deny the Quraish safe route to their caravans.
6. Abu Sufyan was returning from Syria with caravan carrying merchandise. He asked the Quraish to send an armed expedition to escort him home safely. The Quraish despatched an army to join Abu Sufyan in Syria. When Abu Sufyan reached Makkah safely he asked the army to return but they refused to do so. Some of the leaders, like Abu Jahal, insisted on advancing towards Medina. In the month of Safar 2 AH, Allah had already given permission to fight against the unbelievers. ‘’Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you.’’ (2:190)
Events:
When the Holy Prophet (PBUH) learnt that the Quraish were advancing towards Medina with the intension to attack, he immediately called the Muslims to take necessary steps. The Muhajirin and the Ansar got together to defend themselves. They were 313 men in all with only 2 horses and a few camels.
The Holy Prophet (PBUH) advanced to the valley of Badr, where he occupied the water sources and rendered others useless except the one nearest to Makkah. It was the first strategic supremacy which the Prophet (PBUH) showed. All night he prayed for Divine help for the Muslims which was granted. A few Muslim soldiers were stationed on firm ground on the slope of a hill. In the morning the sun was on the back of the Muslims. The rainfall at night refreshed the tired Muslim army. Sound sleep at night also made them fresh and ready to fight. The Qur’an describes the scene: ‘’Remember when He gave you sleep as a reassurance from Him, and sent down water from the sky to cleanse you, to remove Satan’s pollution from you, to make your hearts strong and your feet firm ’’ (8:11). As Allah never breaks His promise, divine help which was promised, came to the aid of the Muslims and He sent 1000 angels to assist them in their fight. Allah says in the Qur’an: ‘’you have already seen a sign in the two armies that met in a battle, one fighting for God’s cause and the other made up of disbelievers. With their own eyes [the Muslims] saw [the pagans] to be twice their number, but God helps whoever he will....’’ (3:13)
The great expedition of Badr took place on the 17th of Ramazan 2AH. Allah called this battle the ‘Day of the decision’. Allah says: ‘’....if you believe in Allah and the revelation We sent down Our servant on the day of the decision, the day when the two forces met in battle....’’ (8:41). The Makkans were 1000 in number and armed to the teeth, with several horses and a large number of weapons. All the nobles except Abu Lahab had joined the army.
Before the battle as per the custom of Arabia, Utbah bin Rabiah, his brother Shaibah and his son Waleed stepped forward from the Quraish side and asked the Muslims to send forward their warriors for individual combat. When three youths from the Ansar went out to meet them, they refused to fight with them saying that they wanted to contest with their equals from their own tribe. So the Holy Prophet (PBUH) sent Ubaidah bin Al-Harith (RA), Hamza (RA) and Ali (RA) to fight them. Hamza (RA) killed Shaibah, Ali (RA) killed Waleed while Ubaidah (RA) was seriously injured but before he fell, Hamza (RA) cut the throat of Utbah. Ali (RA) and Hamza (RA) carried Ubaidah (RA) back to their camp. After this some other duels were also fought in which the Quraish were badly beaten which greatly set them back. The Muslims first shot arrows at the attacking Makkans, then threw stones upon them and lastly fought with swords. A total of 70 Makkans including Abu Jahal, Umayyah bin Khalf and other prominent leaders were killed. Also a total of 70 pagans became prisoners including Abbas (Prophet’s uncle) and a son of Abu Sufyan. On the other hand 14 Muslims were martyred. The Muslims got 115 camels, 14 horses and a rich store of clothes and carpets and equipment of war as booty. When the news of this defeat reached Makkah the whole town was struck with grief. Pledges were taken to avenge the blood of their kinsmen. In Medina the captives were dealt with very mercifully. All those captives who could pay were freed after the payment of ransom. Those who could read and write were charged with the duty of teaching 10 Muslims each to get their freedom after a fixed period of teaching.
Results:
1. It was the most important and decisive victory in the history of the Islamic world. It determined the destiny of Islam.
2. It was the first fight between the Muslims and the Makkans which was declared as a fight between truth and falsehood.
3. The victory of this battle encouraged the Muslims and made them strong believers.
4. The victory also strengthened Islam. The Bedouin tribes around Medina were watching the events closely. Seeing the outcome of the battle, they formed alliances with the Muslims and also signed treaties.
5. The hypocrites under the leadership of Abdullah bin Ubay also became more careful.
6. All the prominent leaders of the Quraish were killed in the battle and the leadership passed to Abu Sufyan.
7. The people of Makkah became more furious and grieved because they were not expecting such a result.
8. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) showed his great skill as a military commander.
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