Sunteți pe pagina 1din 450

FROM

THE BEGINNING
TO
THE HEREAFTER

Compiled by
Hajjah Ihsan Ghazzawi
A Book about the First Creations,
the Prophets,
the Signs of the Day of Judgment,
and the Day of Judgment
2
Table of Contents
OUR HISTORY AND FUTURE ..................................................................... 9
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 15
Notes about the Arabic words and other items used in this book: ... 18
CHAPTER 1: GOD IS OUR CREATOR ................................................. 21
CHAPTER 2: THE FIRST CREATIONS ................................................. 23
God Created the Earth and the Heavens in Six Days ...................... 24
THE HONORABLE PROPHETS OF GOD, ......................................... 29
CHAPTER 3: PROPHET ADAM (ADAM), ............................................. 31
The Creation of Adam ...................................................................... 31
Adam Becomes Alive........................................................................ 33
The Objection of Satan .................................................................... 34
Adam and Eve Live in Paradise ....................................................... 36
Satan Whispered to Adam and Eve .................................................. 37
Adam and Eve Descend to Earth ..................................................... 38
Adam and Eve live in an Honorable Way ........................................ 38
The First Murder ............................................................................. 41
The Death of Prophet Adam ............................................................ 42
CHAPTER 4: PROPHET SETH (SHITH), ............................................... 43
CHAPTER 5: PROPHET ENOCH (IDRIS),............................................. 44
Enoch is the Third Prophet .............................................................. 45
The Story of Prophet Enoch and the Devil ...................................... 47
CHAPTER 6: PROPHET NOAH (NUH), ................................................ 49
Blasphemy Occurs among Humans ................................................. 49
Prophet Noah, the First Prophet to Call Blasphemous People ....... 50
The Great Flood .............................................................................. 52
We Come From the Three Sons of Noah .......................................... 54
CHAPTER 7: PROPHET HUD, ............................................................... 57
Shaddad, the Unjust ......................................................................... 57
Hud, a Prophet From His Own People ............................................ 60
Torture is Sent on Those Who Rejected Prophet Hud...................... 62
The Delegate of ^Ad ......................................................................... 65
CHAPTER 8: PROPHET SALIH, ............................................................. 69
The Many Endowments on the Tribe of Thamud ............................. 69
The Blasphemers Challenge Prophet Salih ..................................... 72
The Killing of the Camel .................................................................. 74
The Blasphemers are Warned of the Torture ................................... 75
CHAPTER 9: PROPHET ABRAHAM (IBRAHIM), ................................ 79
The Birth of Prophet Abraham ........................................................ 79
Prophet Abraham Calls his Father to Islam .................................... 80
Abraham Never Worshipped the Sun, Moon, and Stars................... 80
Prophet Abraham Smashes the Idols ............................................... 82
Prophet Abraham Confronts the Evil Nimrod ................................. 83
The Miracle of the Birds .................................................................. 84

3
Nimrod Tries to Burn Prophet Abraham ......................................... 85
Prophet Abraham and Lot Leave Babylon ....................................... 87
Abraham and Sarah Go to Egypt ..................................................... 88
The Birth of Ishmael ........................................................................ 89
Abraham Receives the Good News of Isaac..................................... 90
Prophets Abraham and Ishmael Rebuilt the Ka^bah ....................... 91
CHAPTER 10: PROPHET LOT (LUT), ................................................... 94
Prophet Lot is Sent to Evil People ................................................... 94
The Origin of Sodomy ...................................................................... 96
Angels Come To Help ...................................................................... 96
The Torture of the Blasphemers ....................................................... 99
CHAPTER 11: PROPHET ISHMAEL (ISMA^IL), ................................ 102
Ishmael and Hagar are Left in Makkah ......................................... 102
An Angel Comes as a Mercy to Hagar........................................... 104
The Establishment of the City of Makkah ...................................... 105
Prophet Abraham was Ordered to Slaughter Ishmael ................... 106
The Sacrifice from Paradise .......................................................... 108
The Wives of Prophet Ishmael ....................................................... 109
Prophets Abraham and Ishmael Rebuild the Ka^bah .................... 110
One Branch of Arabs ..................................................................... 111
CHAPTER 12: PROPHET ISAAC (ISHAQ), ......................................... 113
CHAPTER 13: PROPHET SHU^AYB, ................................................... 115
Prophet Shu^ayb is Sent to Tree-Worshippers............................... 115
Prophet Shu^ayb Spoke Beautifully ............................................... 117
God Punishes Those Who Did not Follow Prophet Shu^ayb ......... 118
CHAPTER 14: PROPHET JACOB (YA^QUB), ..................................... 120
CHAPTER 15: PROPHET JOSEPH (YUSUF) AND PROPHET
BENJAMIN (BINYAMIN), ......................................................................... 121
Jealous Brothers ............................................................................ 122
The Capture of Joseph ................................................................... 124
A Woman Tries to Seduce .............................................................. 125
Joseph is Put in Prison Unjustly .................................................... 129
The Dreams of the King ................................................................. 130
Joseph is Freed from the Prison, Cleared of the Accusations ....... 132
Joseph is the Treasurer of Egypt ................................................... 133
The Brothers Come to Egypt .......................................................... 133
The Brothers’ Second Trip to Egypt .............................................. 135
The Brothers’ Third Trip to Egypt ................................................. 138
Prophet Joseph is Re-united with His Blessed Father ................... 140
CHAPTER 16: PROPHET JOB (AYYUB), ............................................. 143
The Afflictions upon Prophet Job .................................................. 143
The Patient Wife of Job .................................................................. 144
CHAPTER 17: PROPHET EZEKIEL (DHUL-KIFL), ........................... 147
CHAPTER 18: PROPHET JONAH (YUNUS),....................................... 148
Prophet Jonah is Swallowed by a Whale ....................................... 149
CHAPTER 19: PROPHET AL-KHADIR, ............................................... 151

4
Prophet Al-Khadir has a very Long Life........................................ 152
The Story of a Pious Man Meeting Al-Khadir ............................... 153
CHAPTER 20: PROPHETS MOSES (MUSA) AND AARON (HARUN),154
A Man is Killed .............................................................................. 157
Prophet Moses leaves Egypt .......................................................... 158
The Staff of Moses .......................................................................... 159
Prophet Moses Heard the Eternal Speech of God ......................... 160
Prophet Moses Returns to Egypt.................................................... 162
The Magicians Believe ................................................................... 163
Other Believers .............................................................................. 164
Afflictions on the Disbelievers ....................................................... 166
Prophet Moses Takes the Children of Israel out of Egypt ............. 167
Prophet Moses Goes to Mt. Sinai and Some Followers Worship the
Calf ....................................................................................................... 171
The Story of the Cow...................................................................... 176
Prophets Moses and Aaron Bear Patiently with the Lost People .. 177
The Fascinating Story of Prophet Moses Meeting Prophet Al-Khadir
.............................................................................................................. 181
Qarun, the Evil Cousin .................................................................. 185
Prophet Moses was Full of Merits ................................................. 188
The Death of Aaron and Moses ..................................................... 189
CHAPTER 21: PROPHET JOSHUA (YUSHA^), ................................... 191
CHAPTER 22: PROPHET ELIJAH (ILYAS) AND PROPHET ELISHA (IL-
YASA^), ....................................................................................................... 193
CHAPTER 23: PROPHET DAVID (DAWUD), ..................................... 195
The Evil Goliath is Killed and David Becomes King ..................... 196
The Piety of David ......................................................................... 197
The Opinion of David’s Son, Solomon ........................................... 198
The Story of the Saturday People................................................... 199
CHAPTER 24: PROPHET SOLOMON (SULAYMAN), ........................ 204
The Magnificent Reign of Prophet Solomon .................................. 204
The Real Flying Carpet.................................................................. 205
The Story of Prophet Solomon and Lady Bilqis ............................. 208
Prophet Solomon and the Angel of Death ...................................... 212
The Real Version of the Story of the Vow of Prophet Solomon...... 212
The Death of Prophet Solomon ...................................................... 213
CHAPTER 25: THE HONORABLE ANGELS, HARUT AND MARUT . 216
The Cunning Ways of the Devils .................................................... 216
Satan Lies about Prophet Solomon ................................................ 217
God Made Two Angels Descend Showing the Truth ...................... 219
CHAPTER 26: PROPHET ZACHARIAS (ZAKARIYYA) AND PROPHET
JOHN (YAHYA), ......................................................................................... 221
Prophet Zacharias is the Custodian of Lady Mary ........................ 221
The Birth of Prophet John ............................................................. 223
The Unjust Killing of Prophets John and Zacharias ..................... 224
CHAPTER 27: OTHER PROPHETS, .................................................... 225

5
CHAPTER 28: PROPHET JESUS (^ISA), ............................................. 227
Lady Mary is Born ......................................................................... 227
Lady Mary Becomes Pregnant with a Blessed, Father-less Child . 228
Prophet Jesus is Born .................................................................... 229
Baby Jesus Speaks to the People ................................................... 231
Jesus Follows the Torah before Receiving a New Book ................ 232
The Story of the Spread of Food from the Sky ............................... 233
Prophet Jesus is Raised to the Heavens ......................................... 237
Prophet Jesus is Still Alive and Will Come Back to Earth ............. 238
Jurayj, the Pious Follower of Prophet Jesus ................................. 240
The People of the Cave .................................................................. 242
Other Followers of Prophet Jesus ................................................. 247
THE GLORIOUS LIFE OF THE LAST PROPHET: MUHAMMAD,
......................................................................................................................... 249
O MUHAMMAD! ................................................................................... 251
CHAPTER 29: THE PARENTS AND GRANDFATHER OF PROPHET
MUHAMMAD (MUHAMMAD), ....................................................................... 254
CHAPTER 30: THE STORY OF THE YEAR OF THE ELEPHANT ................. 257
CHAPTER 31: THE BIRTH OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD, ........................... 260
CHAPTER 32: THE NURSING OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD ....................... 264
CHAPTER 33: SOME EVENTS IN THE PROPHET’S EARLY LIFE ............... 267
CHAPTER 34: THE TRADING AND MARRIAGE OF THE MESSENGER OF GOD
.................................................................................................................... 271
CHAPTER 35: THE CHILDREN AND HOUSEHOLD OF OUR BLESSED
PROPHET AND LADY KHADIJAH ................................................................... 274
CHAPTER 36: THE REBUILDING OF THE KA^BAH................................... 277
CHAPTER 37: RECEIVING THE REVELATION ......................................... 279
CHAPTER 38: LADY KHADIJAH COMFORTS PROPHET MUHAMMAD ...... 282
CHAPTER 39: THE FIRST CONVERTS .................................................... 284
CHAPTER 40: STORIES OF EARLY COMPANIONS ................................... 286
CHAPTER 41: THE HARM OF THE BLASPHEMERS UPON ABU DHARR ..... 289
CHAPTER 42: THE PUBLIC CALL .......................................................... 292
CHAPTER 43: IMMIGRATION TO ABYSSINIA ......................................... 297
CHAPTER 44: THE BOYCOTT AND THE YEAR OF SORROW .................... 299
CHAPTER 45: THE TRIP TO TA’IF .......................................................... 301
CHAPTER 46: ABOUT THE MIRACLES OF OUR PROPHET, ...................... 304
CHAPTER 47: ISRA' (THE NIGHT JOURNEY) .......................................... 309
CHAPTER 48: MI^RAJ (THE ASCENSION), (PART 1) ............................... 313
CHAPTER 49: MI^RAJ (THE ASCENSION), (PART 2) ............................... 315
CHAPTER 50: THE PROPHET MEETS WITH SOME OF THE PEOPLE OF
MADINAH ..................................................................................................... 318
CHAPTER 51: THE HIJRAH (MIGRATION) TO MADINAH ......................... 320
CHAPTER 52: THE CITY OF MADINAH ................................................... 324
CHAPTER 53: THE FASCINATING CONVERSION OF THE TOP JEWISH
SCHOLAR..................................................................................................... 326

6
CHAPTER 54: GOOD CONFRONTS EVIL AT BADR (PART 1) ................... 329
CHAPTER 55: GOOD CONFRONTS EVIL AT BADR (PART 2) ................... 332
CHAPTER 56: REFLECTIONS ON OUR BLESSED PROPHET AND HIS
HONORABLE COMPANIONS ......................................................................... 336
CHAPTER 57: DEALING WITH BANU QAYNAQA^ .................................... 339
CHAPTER 58: EVENTS IN THE FIRST PART OF THE THIRD YEAR AND THE
ENEMIES OF TRUTH COME TO UHUD (PART 1) ............................................ 341
CHAPTER 59: THE ENEMIES OF TRUTH COME TO UHUD (PART 2) ........ 346
CHAPTER 60: THE AGGRESSION OF AL-AHZAB (THE ALLIED FACTIONS)
.................................................................................................................... 353
CHAPTER 61: EVENTS BETWEEN THE BATTLE OF KHANDAQ (TRENCH)
AND THE SIGNING OF THE TREATY OF HUDAYBIYAH .................................... 358
CHAPTER 62: THE TREATY OF HUDAYBIYAH ......................................... 362
CHAPTER 63: LETTERS SENT TO RULERS ............................................. 366
CHAPTER 64: JUSTICE AT KHAYBAR ...................................................... 369
CHAPTER 65: APPROACHING THE DESERT BEDOUINS .......................... 374
CHAPTER 66: BRAVE MEN GO TO MU'TAH ........................................... 376
CHAPTER 67: OPENING OF MAKKAH (PART 1) ...................................... 380
CHAPTER 68: THE OPENING OF MAKKAH (PART 2) ............................... 383
CHAPTER 69: EVENTS AT HUNAYN (PART 1) ......................................... 385
CHAPTER 70: EVENTS AT HUNAYN (PART 2) AND EVENTS BEFORE TABUK
.................................................................................................................... 388
CHAPTER 71: MORE MIRACLES OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD, ................. 391
CHAPTER 72: OFF TO TABUK ................................................................ 394
CHAPTER 73: EVENTS UPON THE RETURN FROM TABUK AND THE
FAREWELL PILGRIMAGE.............................................................................. 398
CHAPTER 74: EVENTS OF THE YEAR 11 H AND THE DEATH OF OUR
BELOVED PROPHET, .................................................................................... 402
CHAPTER 75: EVENTS AFTER THE DEATH OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD ... 406
THE COMING DAY OF JUDGMENT ................................................ 410
CHAPTER 76: SMALL SIGNS OF THE COMING OF THE DAY OF JUDGMENT
.................................................................................................................... 412
The Guided One is Coming ............................................................ 413
A Great Battle to Come.................................................................. 415
CHAPTER 77: THE TEN MAJOR SIGNS OF THE COMING OF THE DAY OF
JUDGMENT .................................................................................................. 417
The Imposter .................................................................................. 417
Prophet Jesus Will Come Back to Earth ........................................ 418
The Appearance of Gog and Magog .............................................. 419
The Sun will Rise from the West, and an Animal will Appear ....... 419
A Fog ............................................................................................. 420
Three-Earth Splits .......................................................................... 420
A Spreading Fire............................................................................ 420
CHAPTER 78: THE DAY OF JUDGMENT ................................................. 423
CHAPTER 79: THE QUESTIONING (AL-HISAB) ....................................... 427

7
CHAPTER 80: THE BALANCE (AL-MIZAN) ............................................. 433
CHAPTER 81: THE BRIDGE (AS-SIRAT) .................................................. 436
CHAPTER 82: INTERCESSION (SHAFA^AH) ............................................. 438
CHAPTER 83: THE BASIN (AL-HAWD) ................................................... 440
CHAPTER 84: HELLFIRE (JAHANNAM) ................................................... 441
CHAPTER 85: PARADISE (AL-JANNAH) .................................................. 443

8
From The Beginning To The Hereafter

Our History and Future

Listen dear people as we relate history,


Events of the past, told as they ought to be.

Before God created and made things arranged,


He was as He is. He does not change.

The first thing He created (and He has no needs)


Is water, and from it comes all other things.

Then He made the Throne, the largest creation,


Paradise, Hellfire, Angels and Jinn.

In six days He created the Earth and the heavens,


Then animals and plants, without seeds to be planted.

On the end of the sixth day, which was a Friday,


He created the first man in such a good way.

An angel came down to take soil from the Earth.


Dark, light, soft and hard were all taken up.

This soil was mixed with the water of Paradise.


From this clay Adam was made so nice.

From Adam’s rib God made Eve,


The first woman who would conceive.

She had many children from Adam, her husband.


Their children married. More children came then.

All were believers; no human blasphemed.


But some of the humans did sins that were mean.

After Adam, two more Prophets were seen.


After the third, humans blasphemed.

9
From The Beginning To The Hereafter

They worshipped idols instead of God.


Then Noah came saying, “Don’t do this wrong!”

All the idol worshippers died in the flood.


The new humans came from Noah’s three sons.

After time again, men worshipped unrightly,


And Abraham came, whom they took lightly.

They hurt Abraham and Sarah his wife.


They rejected his message and threatened his life.

Abraham had two sons, peace be upon them,


Ishmael and Isaac, and Prophets came from them.

From Isaac came Jacob, called Israel.


Israel is a Prophet, guided so well.

From Israel came twelve male children.


Joseph and Benjamin are Prophets from him.

From the descendants of Israel came a Prophet named Moses,


Saving the children of Israel from injustice.

Moses taught the same Prophetic creed,


And received new laws his people would need.

Prophets David and Solomon ruled with the same laws,


Great laws from God that had no flaws.

Zacharias came, then John and Jesus,


Teaching the creed that greatly pleases us.

Jesus never said that he was God’s son.


He said to worship God, and God is One.

Jesus is like Abraham and Moses,


A Prophet of God, performing true worship.

10
From The Beginning To The Hereafter

He was born from dear Mary and had no father.


Jesus loved his mother and was so good to her.

After Jesus grew and became a man,


Some hateful ones made a plan to kill him.

But the man they killed was one who looked like him,
And God brought Jesus up to the heavens.

So the truth is that Jesus did not yet die.


To say he is crucified is saying a lie.

After Jesus went up, more than five hundred years passed,
Then born was the Prophet who was last.

He came from the children of Prophet Ishmael.


And he was an Arab, born on Makkan soil.

He was the one all other Prophets told of,


The seal in this great line we spoke of.

His beliefs were not new; Jesus had them,


The same beliefs as Moses and Adam.

All the Prophets taught only one Religion.


To submit to God was their blessed mission.

The name of the last Prophet is Muhammad.


The meaning of his name is “the praised one”.

When he called, the head Jew heeded his message,


And the Christian king knew he was well guided.

Both Christian and Jew became Muslim believers.


They submitted to God, the only Creator.

On the Day of Judgment they will be saved.


They accepted the truth, not lies that were made.

11
From The Beginning To The Hereafter

They knew well that God does not need to rest,


And that God has no son; they passed the great tests.

After the death of Muhammad, so many believed.


The true Religion was so well received.

It spread across Arabia, Persia and Egypt,


Across Africa and east to Indonesia.

The land of the believers was truly shining,


While the reign of the blasphemers was greatly declining.

The glitter of Persia and Rome would not last,


For the worship of false gods will ruin man fast.

No man will prosper who worships a fire.


He must submit to God and not be a liar.

After the state of Islam was well established,


Men from Europe came to the land of the Prophets.

They called it a Crusade to take the land of Jesus.


They need the belief that really saves us.

They saw an empire so fine, so inspiring.


They looked well around; they were really admiring.

They went back to Europe and started to trade.


They couldn’t forget the great Empire made.

Since Muhammad so many years have passed.


We live in a time near the days that are last.

Soon, the believers will be led by a man.


He’s called “The Guided”; his mission is grand.

He will spread justice, for now injustice is spread.


He will help many people. Keep these words that we said.

12
From The Beginning To The Hereafter

While the Guided is helping, then comes the impostor.


He is called antichrist and great evil he’ll foster.

Before the Guided leads some good ones in prayer,


Prophet Jesus will come back down through the air.

Prophet Jesus will kill that evil liar,


The impostor calling many to the fire.

The guided one and the other believers


Will gather with Jesus, who will never deceive us.

They will live in his guidance right here on this Earth.


So much we love Jesus; we know his great worth.

When Gog and Magog break down the wall,


God supports Jesus and the believers all.

With Jesus among us great peace will be spread.


This time will continue until he is dead.

After Jesus dies, then so will all the believers.


Then this Earth will be filled with ugly deceivers.

Blasphemers will roam on the Earth


When the horn that is blown, is blown at first.

All who are living, they will die,


Then the angel who blows, will be revived.

The angel will blow a second time.


Then all who lived will rise up alive.

We will be assembled on that Day,


On this same Earth that will be changed.

All the people will be of three types.


Two will be saved, but one has great fright.

13
From The Beginning To The Hereafter

The best type will be happy on that Day,


And thousands of years will pass in a good way.

The second type are those who believed,


But were careless to follow the laws received.

They will find this great Day hard to endure.


They will wish they had followed when they felt secure.

But the third type is really the worst type of all.


They rejected the Prophets; don’t they know of the fall?

For towards the end of this Day, to a bridge we will come.


It crosses Hellfire, the dreadful home of some.

Yet those Muslims who will fall into Hell


Will finally get out of that place so dreadful.

Then they will enter the blessed land


With a new body that does no bad.

We call this great land Paradise.


It is the Heaven mentioned that is so choice.

Paradise is light without needing a sun.


It is the reward for the patient believing ones.

The best humans will never fall in Hell,


But will swiftly pass to Paradise to dwell.

Strive, O listeners, listen well.


You would never enjoy a stay in Hell.

Hold on tight, dear friends, ask your Lord for the best things.
For after your death, you’ll know this was a short time.

Make your life a good part of this history.


Stand firm against evil, and blessings you’ll see.

14
From The Beginning To The Hereafter

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim

INTRODUCTION
We praise God and thank Him. We ask God to raise
the rank of Prophet Muhammad and protect his nation
from that which he fears for them.
This book was written to give the English speaker a
sound, full view of history and what we know will
inevitably occur in the future. We began this work
asking for God’s help in this endeavor.
The most important knowledge is the knowledge
about our Creator, praise and thanks to Him. Hence, this
book begins with this supreme knowledge. After that,
the knowledge about the Prophets is of utmost
importance, as well as knowledge about the angels, the
Books, and the Day of Judgment. We ask God to keep us
firm in our correct belief.
This book tells about your history as a human. All
humans come from one first man, Adam. Adam was a
great man, a Prophet and Messenger. From this first man
came all the humans of this Earth. After the death of this
great man, God made other men Prophets and
Messengers as well. Prophets and Messengers receive
Revelation from God.
God made many men Prophets until the last Prophet
was born. He is Prophet Muhammad (Muhammad). No
Prophet will be born after the birth of Prophet
Muhammad. The Holy Book, the Qur’an that God gave

15
From The Beginning To The Hereafter

to Prophet Muhammad, is the book for all people until


the Day of Judgment.
Let us narrate about our Creator, the first things God
created, and the glorious stories of the best of creation:
the righteous, pious Prophets of God. We conclude with
the true teachings about our future.
Prophet Muhammad, (we ask God to raise his rank
and protect his followers from that which he fears for
them), was made a Prophet when he was forty years old,
about the year 610 in the western calendar. From that
time, until now Prophet Muhammad is the “Prophet of
the time” and this continues until the Day of Judgment, a
great event that will happen in the future.
God revealed the Qur’an to Prophet Muhammad and
many other things as well. Prophet Muhammad patiently
and diligently told his Companions the things that God
revealed to him. The recorded sayings from Prophet
Muhammad are in the tens of thousands.
Concerning the stories of the Prophets before Prophet
Muhammad, we know them from what was revealed
from God to Prophet Muhammad. No Prophet lived too
long ago for us to know about, for God knows all things,
and revealed to Prophet Muhammad whatever He willed.
We are narrating what God revealed about these
Prophets, to Prophet Muhammad, translating it into the
English language.
We did not go to any untrustworthy book and add
information to what our Prophet said. If some of the
stories seem similar to the stories of the Christians and
the Jews, we say, “God willed it”. But what we present
in this book is not from any of the books of the Christians

16
From The Beginning To The Hereafter

or the Jews. We present what God revealed to Prophet


Muhammad.
The books of the Jews and Christians nowadays are
not the real books given to Moses and Jesus, so we do not
use them as a reference at all. The Jews and Christians
both degrade God and His Prophets. Any Westerner who
is truthful will see that what we present is pure and free
of ugly attributions to God and His Prophets.
We ask our merciful Creator to make this book of
lasting benefit. Amin.

17
From The Beginning To The Hereafter

Notes about the Arabic words and other items used


in this book:

Arabic is the best language, the language of the last


and best Prophet, the language of the Qur’an, and the
language the people will speak in Paradise (we ask God
to enter it).
No matter what the mother tongue of the believer is,
the good Muslim loves to learn the Arabic language.
Yet, we understand that there are people searching for the
knowledge in this book, who do not yet speak Arabic.
With this consideration in mind, and in the hopes that
this book will be of benefit to the most English-speaking
people possible, the amount of Arabic words is limited.
When an Arabic word is used, or any word that is not an
English word, the word is in italics. If the author knows
the corresponding word in English, then the English word
is used most frequently.
Concerning the Arabic words in italics, we are
following a consistent transliteration system, consistently
assigning the same English letter or symbol for the
Arabic letter we wish to represent. The key to this
system is located in the back of this book for your
reference.
If a person has more that one name, the author takes
the liberty to interchange names while relating a story,
but the reader is first informed of the multiple names for
one person.
Although this text basically adheres to Standard
English, some changes were made. In the dictionary you
do not find the word “Prophethood” and yet we use it,

18
From The Beginning To The Hereafter

hoping that the reader would quickly understand that this


means “the state of being a Prophet”. Also, although in
English the words “Prophet” and “Messenger” are not
capitalized, even when referring to these religious
figures, we have taken the liberty to capitalize them.
This is out of respect to the status referred to, and to
distinguish their meaning from the mundane usages of
the same words.
Some Islamic terms and concepts do not have one-
word equivalents in English. One example is the Arabic
word “Zakah”. We keep the word Zakah in Arabic and
explain the meaning to you. Zakah is a specific
obligatory payment upon certain Muslims who own a
certain amount of wealth. As well, those whom they pay
are specific, and not all of them are poor. Another is the
Arabic word “salaf”. This refers to the Muslim followers
of Prophet Muhammad who lived in the first three
Islamic centuries after the immigration of the Prophet. A
third Arabic word used very often is the word “Ash-
Sham”. Ash-Sham is the region of the Earth that is now
made up of Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestinian areas and
what is called Israel. In the past all these areas were
considered one area called Ash-Sham.
In the text you will find many references to the Holy
Qur’an. We chose to keep the transliterated spelling for
our Holy Book because the word ‘Koran’ is far from the
proper pronunciation. The Qur’an has 114 chapters,
each with a name or names. A chapter in Arabic is called
a “surah”. Each surah is made up of verses (ayahs) that
are numbered. Hence, when we make a specific
reference to the Holy Qur’an, we refer to the surah by
name, and then the number/s of the verse/s.

19
From The Beginning To The Hereafter

When citing the chapter and verses of the Qur’an, we


are not encouraging you to go to various “translations” of
the Qur’an in English. The reason being is that, at this
writing, there is no reliable translation of the meaning of
the whole Qur’an in English on the market. The books
on the market typically mislead the reader to believe that
the Qur’an likens God to His creation, degrades the
Prophets, and contains other atrocities. We ask God that
a reliable book, with the true meaning in English of the
Holy Qur’an will be forthcoming. In the mean time, you
will find this book you are holding containing the
meanings of part of the Holy Qur’an.

20
From The Beginning To The Hereafter

Chapter 1: GOD IS OUR CREATOR

Someone might write all of the following:


God (Allah) exists with no beginning. He always
existed. No one created God. God is the Creator. God
brought into existence you, us, and created everything.
God is not created, glory to Him. God is not made up of
atoms. Everything other than God is God’s creation.
You and we are creations. We must worship God, our
Creator and obey Him. We know what God orders, by
learning what God revealed to the Prophet of our time.
God is not a body taking up space, nor is God a body
not taking up space. God existed before creating places,
and after creating places God is, as He was. God exists
without being in, or needing places. We cannot imagine
God. We imagine by thinking about ourselves or other
creations we have seen or sensed in some way. God is
not similar to us in any way, (Suratul-Ikhlas, verse 4 and
Suratush-Shura, verse 11). God is not like anything we
have seen. God is not similar to humans, or any other
creation.
Our Prophet Muhammad (Muhammad) said that God
existed and there was no thing else. Hence God does not
need any of the creation, considering that He existed
before creating anything. Hence, God does not take up
places, because He existed before He created places. If
the person says, “I cannot imagine that”, to him we say,
“Yes, the Creator is the One Who cannot be imagined”,
because the Creator Whom we worship is not like any
creation in any way.

21
From The Beginning To The Hereafter

We know about God and His attributes, but there is no


such thing as a creation “experiencing the condition of
being God” or having God’s attributes. Hence we do not
find any similarities between the Self of God and
ourselves, nor do we find any similarities between our
attributes and the attributes of God. We are not similar to
our Creator in any way, Glory be to Him.

22
From The Beginning To The Hereafter

Chapter 2: THE FIRST CREATIONS

Many, many years ago, God created the first creation,


without it coming from something. The first thing God
created was the original water. From this water, God
created everything else, without God needing that water.
With that first creating, time was created and started.
The next thing God created was what is called the
Great Throne (Al-^Arshil-^Adhim). It is presently
existing, high above us, beyond ‘outer space’. Although
is called ‘The Throne’ it is not a place for any one to sit.
It is much bigger than Paradise and only part of it serves
as the ceiling of Paradise, with part of it extending past
Paradise.
The Throne is the largest creation, and only God
knows the boundaries of this limited creation. The
Throne, with its gigantic size, gives us an indication of
the Power of God. God has full Power over this Throne,
keeping it from falling down upon us. Obviously, since
God has control over this gigantic creation, God has
Power over everything smaller than it.
The Throne has four pillars. An angel holds each
pillar. It would take a fast flying bird 700 years to fly
from the earlobe of one of these angels to his shoulder.
The next thing that God created is the High Pen. This
Pen is in the form of light. After this Pen, God created
the Guarded Tablet. This Tablet is very large. It is one
giant pearl surrounded with rubies. God has the Power to
create a pearl without an oyster before. The height of the
Guarded Tablet is the distance between the Earth and the

23
From The Beginning To The Hereafter

first heaven. Some scholars said that the Guarded Tablet


is above the Throne, and some said that it is below it.
God ordered the High Pen to write on the Guarded
Tablet. The Pen wrote all that would occur until the Day
of Judgment. The Pen wrote, with no one holding it.
The Pen wrote for 50,000 years.
God created light and darkness. He created Paradise
and Hellfire. Another huge creation is called the “Chair”
(Kursiyy). The Prophet said that the size of the seven
heavens compared to the size of the Kursiyy, is like the
size of a ring compared to the size of a vast open land.
The size of the Kursiyy, compared to the ^Arsh, is like
the size of a ring compared to a vast open land.

God Created the Earth and the Heavens in Six


Days

God created the Earth and seven heavens above it.


Under our Earth where we reside, there are six more
earths, (Suratut-Talaq, 12). These six earths have water,
insects, plants, jinn, but no humans on them. Under the
seventh earth is Hellfire.
After God created the Earth and six others, God
created the seven heavens. Each of these heavens is a
solid body held up without pillars. Each of these heavens
is separated from the other. From one heaven to another
is a traveling distance of 500 hundred years.
Each heaven has a gate, by which our Prophet
Muhammad entered into the interior of the heaven. The
blue that we see of the sky is the outside of the first of
these seven heavens. The sun, moon, stars, and planets

24
From The Beginning To The Hereafter

that we see are all below the first heaven and are not
contained within it.
Prophet Muhammad ascended through the sky and
had to gain admittance from an angel in order to enter
into the first heaven. Then, our Prophet exited from the
first heaven and entered into the second heaven and so on
until he had entered and exited from each of the seven
heavens.
Some people call the everlasting dwelling place of the
Muslims “Heaven”. When we say “heavens” we are not
talking about the everlasting dwelling place of Muslims
in the Hereafter. The name we will give to the
everlasting dwelling place of Muslims in the Hereafter is
“Paradise” (Al-Jannah).
The seven heavens (sab^u samawat) we are telling
you about are places under the land of Paradise. These
seven heavens may also be referred to as “the seven
skies”.
Each of the seven heavens is created as a solid
material. The stars, sun and moon are created as
decorations to the first heaven. Each heaven is full of
angels praying. Some are in the standing position of
prayer, some are in the bowing position, and some are in
the position of prostration. You will not find a space of
four fingers width in the heavens, except there is an angel
worshipping God. The heavens are the residence of the
angels, and the Earth is the residence of the humans and
jinn.
Surat Fussilat, verse 12 means God created the
heavens as seven heavens in two days. Also in Surat

25
From The Beginning To The Hereafter

Fussilat is the information that this Earth was created in


two days.
God created the Earth and the seven heavens in six
days. Each of these particular days was equivalent to
1000 years that we know. In Suratu Qaf, God says that
He created the seven heavens and the Earth and what is
in between them in six days, after which God did not get
tired. In Suratul-Hajj, verse 47, God says that one of
those days is equivalent to 1000 years that we know and
count. In Suratul-‘A^raf, verse 54, God says that He
created the heavens and Earth in six days, and He has full
control over the Throne. This last verse cited does not
mean that God then went on the Throne after the creating
the Earth and the heavens. This is how we talk about a
changing creation. This is not how we talk about God.
God created the Earth in two days, the first two of the
six, Sunday and Monday. On the next two days, Tuesday
and Wednesday, God created the seven heavens. Then
on Thursday and Friday, God created the landmarks of
this Earth upon which we live, like the mountains, rivers,
valleys, the trees, and other things.
In Suratun-Nazi^at, verse 30 God said that [after
creating the Earth and heavens] He made the Earth
suitable for the residence of humans, making rivers and
springs, and what we need.
God created the oceans, in which He placed fish as
food for us. God created the mountains. The mountains
hold the Earth in place so that it does not shift. In
Suratun-Nahl, verse 15 is the information that God
created the mountains as stakes that hold the Earth in
position, so that it does not turn around while you are on

26
From The Beginning To The Hereafter

it. In Suratun-Nazi^at, verse 32, God said He laid down


the mountains as holding pillars.
God has the Power to create the heavens and Earth in
less time than He did. The wisdom of God creating the
Earth and the seven heavens in six days is to teach the
people to be patient. It teaches us to take time in our
affairs, and not to rush into doing things. In verse 82 of
Suratu Yasin, God told us that if He willed to create
something, it should come. Nothing delays His Creating.
God does not need to say a word in order to create.
Creating is easy for God. God creates every thing, as
God knew it would be created, and as God willed it
would be created.
On the last of these six days, Friday, close to its
beginning, God created angels. All the angels were
created at the same time, from light. They are extremely
numerous, and only God knows their number.
Also, on the sixth day, God created Iblis, (the devil
known as Satan), the first of the jinn. This first jinni was
created from the pure flame of fire (that does not produce
smoke). Satan was not an angel that went bad, as some
people say. No angel “goes bad”. Satan was always a
jinni, a totally different creation from an angel.
The first man was created towards the end of the sixth
day. In one of his traditions (hadiths) Prophet
Muhammad said that the creation of Adam was finalized
in Paradise on Friday. It started when an angel gathered
a mixture of soils of the Earth. Then the mixture of soils
was taken to Paradise. In Paradise, the soil was kneaded
with the water of Paradise. Then, the soul was put into
Adam, after which he became a living human.

27
From The Beginning To The Hereafter

28
The Honorable Prophets of
God,
God’s blessings and peace be upon all of them
The Honorable Prophets of God

30
The Honorable Prophets of God

Chapter 3: PROPHET ADAM (ADAM),


blessings and peace be upon him

Adam (Adam) is the first human God created. He was


a Prophet. God favored the human kind over the other
kinds of creations. However, that does not mean that all
humans are better than all other creations. It means that
from the humans, God made some of them Prophets.
The Prophets are better than any other creation.
All Prophets have the best human attributes. They are
Muslim all their lives. They never blaspheme, lie, cheat,
betray, or commit any other major sins, both before and
after receiving Prophethood. The only sin that is possible
for them to commit is a small sin without meanness in it.
If a Prophet committed one of these non-mean sins, he
immediately repented of this sin before others followed
him in it. Hence, the Prophets were and are the perfect
examples for us to follow. They all are our guides,
showing us the way.

The Creation of Adam

The creation of Adam occurred in the last hour of the


last of the six days, a Friday. Our Prophet, Muhammad,
said that Friday is the best of the days; it is the day Adam
was created.
God ordered an angel to gather soil from the Earth,
different colors, white, black, red, and yellow, and types,
soft, firm, good and bad, and what is in between. This

31
The Honorable Prophets of God

made the children of Adam come like the soil, black,


white and what is in between, and have their natures,
hard and soft and what is in between. The Prophet, as
reported by Ibn Hibban, said this. The angel took the soil
to Paradise and it was kneaded with the water of Paradise
until it became clay. God made the form of Adam from
the clay. God created Adam as an adult, not as a baby.
Adam is called “Adam” because he was created from
the soil of the Earth, which is called adimul-ard in
Arabic. It is narrated that Adam had a swarthy
complexion, as opposed to a white complexion. God
created Adam in the form that is honorable to God.
Saying that Adam was created having “God’s image”
means that Adam was created with an image that God
created and made honorable. God owns this image, so it
belongs to God. It does not mean that God Himself has
an image and man’s image looks like it.
Adam was sixty cubits high, and was seven cubits
wide, as Abu Hurayrah heard from Prophet Muhammad,
which is reported in the Musnad of Ahmad. The people
of Paradise will have this height and width. Mankind did
not come from an ape that developed. To say that man
came from apes is sheer blasphemy.
When Adam’s form dried in Paradise, the first jinni
(Satan) was in Paradise and went around the form of
Adam. At that time, Satan was still a believer. Imam
Ahmad in his Musnad said that the Prophet said, “Verily
God created the form of Adam as He willed. He left him
for the period of time that God willed, and the first jinni
went around the form of Adam. The first jinni noticed
that the body had cavities in it. It was not solid.” Adam
was not like angels, who have no hollow parts and do not

32
The Honorable Prophets of God

sleep, eat, or drink. This jinni wondered why God


created this creation. This jinni deduced that this type of
creation would not survive without support from others
things, like food and drink.
Abu Ya^la said that the Prophet said that Satan would
pass by the form of Adam and say “God created you for
an important matter.” This jinni had hollow parts, thus
he needed food, water and other things for survival and
sustenance.
Satan (a jinni) then was a Muslim, worshipping God.
Satan saw himself as great and objected to the order of
God. Satan was made out of the pure flame of fire. The
name of Satan, before he became a disbeliever was
^Azazil. When he disbelieved his name became Iblis,
which means the one who is driven away from goodness.

Adam Becomes Alive

God made the soul go into the form of Prophet Adam,


after which he became alive, with blood and flesh. He
was an unimpaired human. Immediately, he became sane
(^aqil). God endowed Prophet Adam with a lot of
knowledge, without Adam learning from a teacher. The
first thing that Adam did was that he sneezed. The first
thing that he said was, “Al-Hamdulillahi Rabbil-
^Alamin” (praise and thanks to God, the Lord of the
worlds).
God ordered the angels to prostrate to Adam, and they
all did. The prostration of the angels to Adam was not a
prostration of worship, but one of salutation and
honoring.

33
The Honorable Prophets of God

All of the angels submitted to the order of God, but


they did ask God a question, for the sake of
understanding, and not out of objection. They asked
about why God assigned the children of Adam the
responsibility of being on Earth, to benefit from the
things that God created for them on Earth, and to live
their lives according to certain norms. The angels asked
God about the wisdom behind giving the humans that
role, when they are going to shed blood and do ill doings
on Earth.
God ordered the angels to ask Adam about the names
of everything. The angels realized that they did not have
that knowledge, and that Adam was given that
knowledge. God ordered Adam to tell the angels about
the names of things. This is how the angels knew that
Prophet Adam was better than their kind.
The scholars said that the Prophets and Messengers
are better than all the angels. The special angels like
Gabriel (Jibril) and Michael (Mika’il) are better than the
highly righteous beings (awliya’), among the Muslim
humans and jinn. Awliya’ are better than the other angels
who do not have a special rank.

The Objection of Satan

Satan, who is a jinni, was ordered to prostrate with the


angels. However, he refused. God told us in the Qur’an
in Suratul-Kahf, verse 50 that He ordered the angels to
prostrate to Adam and they did. However, Satan the
jinni, who was among them and was ordered, refused to
prostrate. Satan not only did not do what God ordered,

34
The Honorable Prophets of God

but Satan objected to God making the order itself. This


was the first blasphemy Satan committed.
From Suratul-‘A^raf, 12, we know that God sent an
angel to convey from Him to Satan, “What stopped you
from prostrating when I ordered you to prostrate?” Satan
said to God, “I am better than him. You created me from
the pure fire and You created him from clay”.
After Satan was damned, being taken away from
goodness, he asked God to let him live until the Day of
Resurrection. However, God did not grant him that. God
granted him life until the time angel Israfil blows the first
blow in the horn. At this first blow, Satan will taste
death, as well as all others from the humans and jinn who
are still alive.
Imam Muslim and others narrated from Abu Hurayrah
that the Prophet said, “The son of Adam may recite an
ayah of sujud (when a person recites the Qur’an there are
times when he prostrates) and prostrates to God, and for
that prostration he earns Paradise. At that Satan is
alienated and cornered crying. Satan will say to himself,
‘I shall expect a severe punishment. The son of Adam
was ordered to prostrate and he did. For that he will be
rewarded with Paradise, whereas I was ordered to
prostrate and I refused. I earned for myself Hellfire.’”
God created Eve (Hawwa’) the wife of Adam, from
the shortest left rib of Adam. This was narrated in the
hadith in the books of Al-Bukhariyy and Muslim, from
Ibn ^Abbas and Abu Hurayrah. God did not create Eve
as a baby either. God created Eve as an adult, suitable in
height to the height of Adam.

35
The Honorable Prophets of God

Adam and Eve Live in Paradise

Adam stayed in Paradise from the early afternoon to


sunset. This was one hundred thirty years by our
measure, because back then, a day was 1000 years long.
God had ordered Adam and Eve to live in Paradise,
the same Paradise the believers will enter on the Day of
Judgment. God made Eve married to Adam when He
created her.
When Satan blasphemed, God ordered him to leave
Paradise. Satan did not leave immediately, and stayed
for a period of time whispering to Adam and Eve, so they
would disobey God and leave Paradise.
God allowed Adam and Eve to eat from the fruits of
Paradise, drink from its waters, and enjoy the pleasures
of Paradise without hardships, tiredness, or toil.
However, God ordered them not to eat from one specific
tree. God gave them a warning about the enmity of Satan
and his whispers. It is not cited in the Qur’an or in a
sahih hadith the type of this tree. Hence, scholars hold a
difference of opinion about it. An apple, fig, palm tree,
among others were cited.
Adam and Eve moved from one tree to another,
picking fruits, eating them and drinking from the rivers
of Paradise. However, Adam disobeyed God by eating
from the forbidden tree.

36
The Honorable Prophets of God

Satan Whispered to Adam and Eve

Satan whispered to Adam and Eve. Satan wept and


said, “I feel pity for you because God ordered you not to
eat from that tree. If you do eat from that tree, you will
be immortal.” Lady Eve encouraged Adam to eat from
that tree, and they both ate from it. Then, their private
parts appeared because they lost their clothes of light.
They started covering these parts with the leaves of
Paradise.
God punished them for that sin, in this life only, by
making them descend from Paradise to Earth. This sin
occurred before Adam became a Prophet. Adam became
a Prophet after leaving Paradise. Both Adam and Eve
repented of that sin immediately, before anyone followed
them in it. It was neither a great sin, nor was it a small
sin with meanness. Prophets never commit great sins or
small sins with meanness, both before and after
Prophethood.
The Christians claim that Adam committed an
enormous sin, the consequence of which remained a
burden on his offspring, and that Prophet Jesus came to
save the people from these consequences. Their claim is
a fabrication. Prophet Adam's sin was a small sin of
which he rushed to repent. Adam’s offspring do not bear
any sin as a consequence of that.

37
The Honorable Prophets of God

Adam and Eve Descend to Earth

God made Adam, Eve, and Satan descend onto Earth.


The descent of Adam was in Sri Lanka. The place where
Prophet Adam landed remains a very fragrant, healthy
place. After that, God gave him the Revelation, sending
him as a Prophet and a Messenger to his wife and their
children.
Eve conceived many times, each time carrying twins,
a boy and a girl, except for Seth (Shith). At that time, it
was permissible for the man to marry his sister, but not
his twin. The brother was allowed to marry his sister
from another delivery. The laws revealed to Prophet
Seth, the son of Adam, abrogated this law.

Adam and Eve live in an Honorable Way

God imparted to Adam the knowledge of all


languages. However, most of his conversations with his
children were in the Syriac language. From him, the
people learned cultivation, planting, harvesting,
kneading, baking, and making clothes. Prophet Adam
taught even the coining of money, the dirham and dinar.
They made these coins from gold and silver. Adam and
his children had the first monetary system.
Adam did not stay in Sri Lanka, but went to different
places on Earth. When Adam was in the location of
^Arafah (near Makkah), God took from his back the souls
of all the people. God shaped them in a size as small as

38
The Honorable Prophets of God

ants, however, with human forms. God gave these small


bodies comprehension. All of them testified and
admitted that God was our Lord, both the souls of the
Muslims and the souls of the blasphemers. We all made
the oath to believe and stay steadfast.
An-Nasa’iyy, Al-Hakim, Imam Ahmad, and Ibnu Jarir
reported that Ibn ^Abbas narrated that the Prophet said,
“God brought all the offspring of Adam from his back, in
^Arafah, and God took the oath from the people. Then
he said verse 173, of Al-‘A^raf that has the meaning that
God said, ‘Am I not your Lord?’ They took the oath
saying, ‘Yes, You are our Creator’.” God said “Alastu bi
Rabbikum (Am I not your Lord?)” Hence, it is called the
Yawm (day) Alastu. Another name for that day is
“Yawmudh-Dharr”. Dharr is the small particle. God
brought the offspring of Adam from Adam’s back and
shaped them into very small bodies, like small particles.
When the souls join the body in this life, people forget
that event. Then, after death and on the Day of
Judgment, the veil is lifted. We then remember the event
of making that oath. Imam ^Aliyy and other scholars
said, “The people are sound asleep; when they die, they
wake up.” After the soul is separated from the body in
death, then the person remembers the oath that he took.
On the Day of Judgment, the blasphemers will not be
able to say, “O God, if you had sent us Messengers, we
would have followed them”, because God did send the
Messengers and Revelation to them.
The Prophet said that every child is born with fitrah;
meaning that every child is born with the readiness to
believe in God, in accordance to the oath that one took.
Then, the parents of the child train him and teach him.

39
The Honorable Prophets of God

Those taught by their parents the correct belief, grow


with the correct belief, and those taught Judaism, or
another false belief, adopt that. This is in general.
Even though some Prophets were born to
blasphemers, they never adopted the blasphemy of their
parents, and were Muslims their entire life, like all the
other Prophets. Also, some people who are not Prophets
are born to blasphemous parents, but reject their parents’
blasphemy and embrace Islam, like the Companion of
Prophet Muhammad, ^Aliyy.
During Adam's time, the Ka^bah in Makkah was built
for the first time and Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem was
built forty years after it.
Adam had a beard, but his body did not have hair. He
did not have a single hair on his body, totally unlike what
the ignorant liars say is the “first man”.
He who holds the conviction that humans originated
from an ape or a similar animal has belied the Qur'an, the
hadith, the consensus of the Muslims, and belied a matter
that is equally known to the knowledgeable and the
layman among the Muslims. This is blasphemy.
Adam had a beautiful shape, as it is cited in Suratut-
Tin, verse 4. This verse means that God created the
humans in the best of forms.
The fact that Adam was the first of the Prophets is
well established in the Religion, and its evidences can be
taken from the texts of the Qur'an, the hadith and the
unanimous agreement of the Nation.

40
The Honorable Prophets of God

The First Murder

The first murder that happened on the Earth was the


murder of Abel (Habil) by Cain (Qabil), both sons of
Prophet Adam. Cain was a farmer, and Abel was a
shepherd. One day they were ordered by God to give an
offering. Cain gave fruit that was not of good quality,
and Abel gave his best lamb.
God accepted the offering of Abel, but not the
offering of Cain. Also, Cain could not marry his twin
sister and Abel could marry that girl because she was not
his twin. All of this made Cain jealous of Abel. Cain
decided to kill Abel. Cain said, lying to his brother Abel,
“I have a surprise for you. It is over there.” Once Abel
turned his back, Cain hit him in the back of the head. A
lot of blood flowed and Abel died.
Cain left the body of Abel for some time. Then a
crow came and scratched on the Earth, to show him to
hide the dead body of his brother. Cain said, “Woe to
me, am I not even able to be as this crow, to hide the
dead body of my brother?” Cain did not the regret the
killing. However, it is related that he missed his brother
and felt bad that he did not think to bury him.
This sin of murder did not make Cain a blasphemer,
but it was a great sin. Cain bears the weight of that sin,
and because he was the first to do that sin, he set the
example for all the others who murdered after him.
Hence, every time someone murders another, they are
following the example of Cain, and number of Cain’s bad
deeds increases.

41
The Honorable Prophets of God

The Death of Prophet Adam

Prophet Adam lived on Earth for eight hundred


seventy (870) years, thus completing one thousand
(1000) years (when you add to it the 130 years that he
lived in Paradise). He did not die until he saw forty
thousand (40,000) of his offspring. The location of
Adam’s burial is not confirmed and is a case of
difference in opinion. Some said that he was buried in a
cave in Mount Abu Qubays in Makkah, and others said
something else. It is narrated that Eve lived one year
after him. Then she was buried next to him in the same
cave.

42
The Honorable Prophets of God

Chapter 4: PROPHET SETH (SHITH),


blessings and peace be upon him

Seth (Shith) was born to Adam and Eve, after Cain


killed Abel. God gave the Revelation to Seth after the
death of Adam. God revealed 50 booklets to Seth, as
narrated by Ibn Hibban that Abu Dharr al-Ghifariyy
heard this from Prophet Muhammad. Seth conveyed the
message of Islam to the people, telling the people the
correct belief in God and the way to perform acceptable
worship. All the humans were Muslim at that time, but
still God gave the Revelation to Seth, and he taught and
reminded the people.
Seth received a new ruling from God, different from
the time of Prophet Adam. This ruling was that it is
forbidden for the brother to marry his sister, whether she
is his twin sister, or his sister who is not his twin.
Prophet Adam was ill for eleven days before he died.
Prophet Adam passed a will to his son Seth, ordering him
to keep it sealed from Cain and Cain’s son, due to their
envy. Prophet Seth lived in Makkah and performed Hajj
and ^Umrah (a pilgrimage with some similarity to Hajj)
and stayed there until he died. Seth passed on the will to
his child, Anush, and Anush passed the will to his son,
Qaynan. Qaynan passed it to his son Mahlayil, and then
to his son Yard, and then to his son Akhanukh, also
known as Enoch (Idris).

43
The Honorable Prophets of God

Chapter 5: PROPHET ENOCH (IDRIS),


blessings and peace be upon him

In Surah Maryam, verses 56 and 57 there is praise of


Prophet Enoch (Idris) that he was highly upright, pious,
and that God raised him to a high place. Some said this
place was the fourth heaven and some said the sixth.
What is confirmed is that Prophet Enoch then came back
to Earth after being raised to the heavens. He came back
to Earth and died on Earth. Enoch was a Prophet and
Messenger, confirmed in the Qur’an. We must have a
firm belief that Enoch was a Prophet of God and that he
conveyed the message from God.
There is a difference in opinion about the lineage of
Enoch, but the famous one is the one we said. He was
given the name “Idris” with the root of “Idris” coming
from the Arabic word “dirasah” which means lengthy
studying. He is called Idris because he studied a lot what
was revealed to Prophet Adam and Prophet Seth.
As to his physical appearance, Al-Hakim said in his
Mustadrak, copying from Samurah, the son of Jundub,
that Enoch was tall, with a white complexion. He had a
wide chest. Enoch had little body hair, and a lot of hair
on his head. He had a light discoloration on his chest,
different than skin diseases like leprosy.
When injustice and enmity occurred among people on
the Earth, God raised Enoch to the heavens. It was cited
that Enoch was the first to use the pen after Adam (Adam
had the knowledge of how to use the pen.) and the first to
cut material and sew it. Ibn Hibban said in his book As-

44
The Honorable Prophets of God

Sahih, from Abu Dharr, that the Prophet said, “O Abu


Dharr, four among the Prophets spoke a language called
Syriac: Adam, Seth, Akhanukh (Enoch), the first to use
the pen (after Adam) and Noah.

Enoch is the Third Prophet

Enoch is the third of the Prophets. There is difference


of opinion as to his place of birth. Some said he was
born in Babylon and some said Egypt. The correct saying
is that he was born in Babylon, in Iraq. In the first years
of Enoch, he followed the knowledge spread by Adam
and Seth. Then God made him a Prophet and Messenger.
God revealed 30 short booklets (suhuf) to Enoch, as
stated in the hadith, narrated from Abu Dharr, by Ibn
Hibban. Enoch taught the people about God, and called
them to implement the rules of the Religion. He
emphasized that the only One Who deserves worship is
God. All the people were Muslim during the life of
Prophet Enoch.
Some people were disobedient in following certain
rules of the Religion. Enoch made the decision to leave
Iraq and go to Egypt. When Prophet Enoch became in
sight of the great Nile river of Egypt, he started to think
of the great power of God. He praised God, as he looked
pensively at the Nile.
Prophet Enoch stayed in Egypt with his people for a
period of time, calling people to follow the rules of the
Religion. It is said that he lived 82 years on Earth. Then
God raised him to the heavens. Then he descended and
died on Earth.

45
The Honorable Prophets of God

There are several wise sayings known about Prophet


Enoch. Prophet Enoch called the people to be good
Muslims, following all the rules of the Religion revealed
to him. He called the people to a non-luxurious life, as
our Prophet Muhammad did also. Prophet Muhammad
told Mu^adh ibnu Jabal, “Leave luxury alone, the
righteous are not people who live luxuriously.”
Prophet Enoch told his people to be just with each
other. He told them to perform the prayers and showed
them how to pray. They were ordered to fast certain days
every month. They were ordered to pay Zakah (an
obligatory payment from some to help others who
deserve it) from their money to help the poor. He was
very strict about teaching the people about taharah
(specific ablutions) and to clean one’s self after having
sexual intercourse. He made it clear that alcohol was
forbidden.
At the time of Enoch, the people spoke 72 languages.
God made Enoch know all the 72 languages, so that he
could teach all of the people in their own language. Surah
Ibrahim, verse 4, states that, “God did not send a
Messenger except that he spoke the language of his
people, in order to make the teachings clear to them.”
God gave Prophet Enoch the knowledge of sciences,
which he taught the people. God gave him the
knowledge of Astronomy. He was the first to look into
the science of medicine. He was the first to warn that a
flood would come as a punishment (as it did come in the
time of Noah). Enoch was the first to set down the rules
of city planning. It is said that Prophet Enoch built the
two famous pyramids of Egypt.

46
The Honorable Prophets of God

Among his famous wisdoms were that he said, “Being


patient, while believing in God, leads one to victory.”
This was engraved on the stone of his ring. He said to
have a sincere intention when you make a supplication to
God, pray, and fast. Enoch told the people not to swear
by God when lying, and not to lie.

The Story of Prophet Enoch and the Devil

Abu Ishaq al-Isfarayiniyy, in his book At-Tartib fi


^Usulil-Fiqh, (The Order in the Matters which Pertain to
the Fundamentals of Fiqh) said that the first to present
the concept of an “intellectual impossibility” was Prophet
Enoch. He narrated the following incident:
Satan came to Prophet Enoch, who was sewing.
Prophet Enoch was saying “Subhanallah” (God is free of
imperfections) each time he put the needle through. Each
time he took it out he would say “Al-Hamdulillah”
(praise and thanks to God). Satan came to him and
brought a peel. Satan said “Does God have the power to
put this entire universe in this small peel?” Prophet
Enoch said, “If God willed, He has the power to make
this entire universe be inside of the opening of this needle
I am using for sewing.” Then Prophet Enoch poked the
eye of Satan with the needle. Satan became one-eyed.
Abu Ishaq explained the meaning of the saying of
Prophet Enoch to Satan: If God willed to make the entire
universe tiny enough to go inside the eye of a needle,
then God has the power to do it. However, if one is
talking about taking the entire universe with the size that

47
The Honorable Prophets of God

it has, and putting it through the eye of a needle, with the


size that it has, then this is intellectually impossible.
Abu Ishaq said that Prophet Enoch did not give the
details of that to Satan because Satan was a stubborn
creature. Satan only posed the question to confuse.
Satan did not want a correct answer. He only asked the
question to be evil, and in a fruitless endeavor to take
Enoch out of the Religion.
Abu Ishaq said that this concept did not spread very
widely at the time of our Prophet, but later the
understanding of this became so widespread that it
cannot be refuted. Al-Ash^ariyy took from the answer of
Prophet Enoch a lot of judgments about things which are
intellectually impossible.

48
The Honorable Prophets of God

Chapter 6: PROPHET NOAH (NUH),


blessings and peace be upon him

After the death of Prophet Enoch several events


occurred over time that led to humans committing the
first human blasphemy. There were five pious people
who had died. Their names are cited in Surat Nuh, verse
23. They were Wadd, Suwa^, Yaghuth, Ya^uq, and Nasr.
Satan came to the people in the shape of a man and told
them to build statues of these five men. Building statues
of men was permissible in the rules given to Prophet
Enoch. Later this was abrogated. In the rules of Prophet
Muhammad, it is forbidden to build a statue of a living
thing.
The people responded to the whispers of the devil and
built these statues to remember and honor these five good
men. After a long period of time Satan reappeared.
Ignorance had spread widely and many tribulations had
occurred among the people. The statues had become
very common among the people.

Blasphemy Occurs among Humans

When Satan came again, to a later generation, he


ordered the people to worship these idols unrightfully,
becoming blasphemers. Satan told them to put the
statues in the places that people used to worship properly.
He told them to worship the statues instead, and they did.
Satan told them that their ancestors had worshipped the

49
The Honorable Prophets of God

statues, which was a lie. All this took place after the
death of Prophet Enoch. At that time, there was no
Prophet among the people. This first blasphemy
occurred one thousand years after Prophet Adam died.
Surah Nuh, verse one, means that God sent Prophet
Noah (Nuh) to his people and ordered him to warn them
to return to Islam and leave out this blasphemy, before a
severe torture would befall them. Noah was the son of
Lamak, the son of Mattushalakh, the son of Enoch.
The time span between Enoch and Noah is one
thousand years, that being the first era of ignorance. In
these years, the first blasphemy was committed and
spread among humans. Noah was the first Prophet and
Messenger God sent to the blasphemers.
There were sins during the time of Adam, Seth and
Enoch, but no blasphemy among the people. These three
Prophets dealt with Muslims only. When it is said that
Prophet Noah was the first Messenger, it means the first
Messenger to blasphemous people. Definitely, Prophet
Adam is the first Prophet, not Prophet Noah.

Prophet Noah, the First Prophet to Call


Blasphemous People

God sent Prophet Noah to the blasphemers to call


them to the true Religion, with its true and valid worship.
In Suratul-‘A^raf, verse 65, God said that Prophet Noah
said, “O my people worship God, He is the only God
Who deserves to be worshipped. Be God-fearing.” He
said, “I fear for you a day that will bring a severe torture,
if you do not leave blasphemy”. Prophet Noah

50
The Honorable Prophets of God

endeavored during the day and night. He spoke to them


of the great rewards of being Muslims, the rewards of the
Hereafter, about Paradise and all the rewards prepared for
the pious, and the severe tortures of Hellfire. He used
many methods and spent a lot of time calling them back
to Islam. Most did not respond to his call, and did not
come back to Islam.
In fact they has an extreme hatred for Prophet Noah
and his few followers. Prophet Noah stayed among the
people for 950 years, teaching the people Islam. Only
about 80 believed in Prophet Noah. Surah al-^Ankabut,
verse 14 means, “He stayed among them for one
thousand years less fifty.” The people were extremely
harsh to Prophet Noah, and inflicted a lot of harm on
him. They were so nasty that they tried to strangle him,
until he fainted. Each century exercised more enmity to
Prophet Noah and his followers.
Prophet Noah eventually told them (Hud, 34) that God
is the One Who guide to the light of Islam whomever He
willed. God is the One Who makes people misguided.
Noah said, “My role is to convey, but God is the only
One Who creates the guidance in the hearts of the
people.” Prophet Noah did not get desperate, even
though so few people responded to his call. It was when
God revealed to Noah that those who believed have
believed, and no one else of his people would believe,
that Prophet Noah made a du^a’ (supplication) to God for
their destruction.

51
The Honorable Prophets of God

The Great Flood

Prophet Noah asked God not to leave any


blasphemers on the Earth. God answered the request of
Noah and revealed that He would drown them all in a
great flood. God ordered Prophet Noah to built an ark.
Prophet Noah gathered the wood, tar, and iron for that
ark. The people mocked Prophet Noah on account that
he was making an ark on dry land, away from water.
Those blasphemers got worse and worse. God ordered
Noah that when he saw a sign to start loading the ark.
The sign was seeing water flowing out of an oven made
of stones that belonged to Lady Eve.
God made the skies rain. As a result God made the
beasts gathered near the ark. Prophet Noah took a male
and female pair of each kind of animal. The believers
also went on the ark. Water sprang out of Earth in large
quantities. The rain fell for a long time and it was cited
that it was for 40 days. After lifting up on the water, the
ark went to the location of where the Ka^bah was and
circled around that location seven times. After being on
the water for a long time, the ark went to a mountain in
Mosul, Iraq, called al-Judiyy, where it rested.
God protected Prophet Noah and his believing
followers, and inflicted the punishment on the
blasphemers. All the blasphemers drowned including the
son of Noah, Kan^an.
Kan^an rejected the teachings of his father Noah. He
did not respond to the warning of his father that the flood
would drown the disbelievers. Kan^an said, “I will climb

52
The Honorable Prophets of God

the mountain and escape the flood”. Prophet Noah said


that there was no way to escape the flood if one was a
disbeliever. The water kept rising until it covered the
peak of the mountain Kan^an was on, then he drowned.
In Surah Hud, 42-43, God said that Noah told his son,
“Ride with us on the ark and do not stay with the
blasphemers. Become Muslim and come on board the
ark.” Kan^an told his father “I will resort to a mountain
that will protect me from the water”. Noah told his son
“Today there shall be no one to protect you from the
torture of God, except for whomever God willed mercy.”
The waves separated Noah from Kan^an, and Kan^an
drowned. The waves were very high, like mountains.
Noah’s wife also died as a blasphemer. Noah’s wife
is cited in the Qur’an in Suratut-Tahrim. Noah’s wife
betrayed him by not believing in him. She would tell the
people that her husband was crazy. However, she did not
commit adultery. No wife of a Prophet betrayed her
husband with adultery. It is said that the name of this
wicked woman is Walighah.
God told us the details of the water coming from the
sky, springing from the Earth, and the ark floating, in
Surat Al-Qamar, verses 11-14. God told us that He
ordered the gates of the sky to open up, so that pouring
water would come down. God ordered the Earth to
release its water within itself. Both water from the sky
and water that sprang out from the Earth met together.
God lifted Noah and his companions on planks of wood
and nails (the ark) and rescued them. God said that the
ark ran and floated under His protection. The ark moved
and floated on waves as high as mountains (Hud, 42).

53
The Honorable Prophets of God

We Come From the Three Sons of Noah

The three sons of Noah on the vessel were Sam, Ham,


and Yafith. God willed that only those three sons of
Noah would have children, and that no one else on the
ark would have children. Surah As-Saffat, verse 77,
means that God made the children of Prophet Noah the
ones from whom the people come. All the people
nowadays go back to those three sons.
Imam Ahmad Ibn Hambal narrated from the route of
Samurah, the son of Jundub that the Prophet said, “Sam
is the forefather of the Arabs, Ham is the forefather of the
Abyssinians, and Yafith is the forefather of the first
Romans (Greeks).” Sa^id the son of Musayyab said that
the three sons of Noah each gave birth to three. As to
Sam, he gave birth to the Arabs, Persians and Romans.
He said that Yafith gave birth to the Turks, Sicilians, and
Gog and Magog. He said that Ham gave birth to the
Copts of Egypt, the Sudanese and the Berbers (of North
Africa).
As to the day on which the ark landed on Mt. Judiyy,
Qatadah and others cited that the believers went on the
ark on the 10th day of Rajab. They floated for 150 days
and the vessel landed on Mt. Judiyy, staying for one
month before the people got out. The day they went off
the ark was the 10th day of Muharram. Ibn Jarir narrated

54
The Honorable Prophets of God

a similar piece of information and that they fasted on the


day they got out.1
When Prophet Noah was about to die, he was asked a
question by the angels, “How did it feel to spend so many
years on Earth?” Prophet Noah replied, “I saw this life
on Earth like a house with two doors. I entered into that
life from one door and I left through the other.” He
meant that it went so quickly. Our Prophet said that this
world is like the farm for the Hereafter. Here you plant
your deeds, and in the Hereafter you harvest. It was
narrated that Prophet Noah lived for 1400 years, as well
as other narrations.
When Prophet Noah ate he would say “Al-
Hamdulillah” (praise and thanks to God), and he said this
when he drank, put on his clothes, and rode an animal as
well. He was very thankful to God, as cited in Suratul-
Isra’, verse 3, “Prophet Noah was a thankful slave of
God”. God said in Surah Saba’, verse 13, that one would
find among the slaves of God few that are truly thankful
to God. This does not mean that only a few people are
Muslim. It means that the majority of Muslims are not
highly pious Muslims. Most Muslims use their

1
Ahmad narrated in the Musnad (his book of Hadith) from Abu Hurayrah
that the Prophet passed by a group of Jews. They had fasted the 10th day of
Muharram. The Prophet asked, “Why are you fasting this day?” They said this
was the day that God rescued Prophet Moses and the Children of Israel from
Pharaoh who drowned on that day. It was the day the ark landed on Mt. Judiyy.
Noah and Moses fasted that day to be thankful. The Prophet said, “I am the one
to fast that day”. He told the followers to fast on the 10th of Muharram to be
thankful. He said, “Moses is ours (Muslim like us), and we will fast it.” The
Prophet fasted out of thankfulness each year, commemorating that date. This
shows that we can commemorate the Prophet’s birth, thanking God for the
blessing of sending Prophet Muhammad to us.

55
The Honorable Prophets of God

endowments to do some sins, and hence they are not truly


thankful.

56
The Honorable Prophets of God

Chapter 7: PROPHET HUD,


Blessings and peace be upon him

The next Prophet to speak of is Prophet Hud. Prophet


Muhammad said in a long hadith reported by Abu Dharr
in the Sahih of Ibn Hibban that four Prophets were
Arabs: Hud, Salih, Shu^ayb and Prophet Muhammad
himself.
The lineage of Prophet Hud is as follows: He is Hud,
the son of ^Abdullah, the son of Rabah, the son of al-
Jalud, the son of ^Ad, the son of ^Aws, the son of Iram,
the son of Sam, the son of Noah. Other lineages were
cited as well.
In Suratul-‘A^raf, 65, God told us about sending a
Prophet to the tribe of ^Ad. This Prophet told them, “O
my people worship God. No one is God but Him. Won’t
you be God-fearing? This Prophet is Prophet Hud. Let
us tell some history leading up to the call of Prophet Hud.

Shaddad, the Unjust

The man “Iram” had a city named after him, built by


Shaddad, the son of ^Ad. This city was between
Hadramawt and San^a’ in Yemen. The tribe of ^Ad had
thirteen branches. The people of the tribe of ^Ad were
very tall and strong. The tallest among them was 100
cubits in height and the shortest was 60 cubits in height
(~90 feet). Shaddad established himself as king of his
people and he ruled unjustly, oppressing his people.

57
The Honorable Prophets of God

Shaddad kept conquering other countries, until he was


the dominant ruler at that time, with the other kings
submitting to him.
Shaddad was fascinated with old books. Whenever he
read about Paradise that the Prophets spoke of, he
imagined that he could build such a “Paradise” here on
Earth (which of course is not true).
Shaddad assembled a huge team of men to build what
he claimed would be another “Paradise”. He first
appointed one hundred men, each having one thousand
assistants, to search the land of Yemen. They were to
find a spot with the finest soil and freshest air. The spot
they determined was the spot where Shaddad wanted to
build his city.
Then Shaddad wrote all the kings under him, and
ordered them to gather all the gold, silver, gems, musk,
amber, and saffron that their land contained, and to send
it all to him. Shaddad had divers go to the sea to bring
up pearls and other jewels. He commissioned miners to
bring out sapphires, emeralds, and topaz from the Earth.
Once having rich materials, Shaddad ordered that his
city be built in that lovely spot. He ordered that the walls
of the buildings be made out gold and silver bricks,
covered with gems. Wide marble pillars were also to be
employed.
Canals were dug, bringing fresh water to flow along
side the streets. Shaddad ordered that the banks of these
streams be painted with gold and that gems be scattered
in the streams. Shaddad also ordered his craftsmen to
construct trees of gold, with jewels hanging off the
branches.

58
The Honorable Prophets of God

Many palaces were built, with the largest being for


Shaddad, in the center of the city. Nut sided balls of
musk and saffron were scattered in the streets giving their
good scent. A huge rock wall, painted with gold and
embedded with jewels, was built around the city, 140
meters high. On it were two golden gates, richly
decorated, opening to a beautiful valley. The city was 32
kilometers long and wide.
On the outskirts of the city, hills were made, enclosing
thousands of high gold and silver towers. These were to
be the living quarters of the soldiers.
This city took five hundred years to build. God gave
Shaddad a long life and he was still alive when it was
completed. In the midst of this, God gave Revelation to
Prophet Hud, one of the people of the tribe of Shaddad.
Hud went to Shaddad, calling him to Islam. Shaddad
was arrogant, occupied with building this city. Hud came
to Shaddad after Shaddad had been the ruler for seven
hundred years.
Hence after rejecting the call from Prophet Hud, and
remaining blasphemous, Shaddad set out to see his city,
when his workers told him it was finished. Shaddad
went out in a great procession, with his princes,
ministers, followers, guards and servants. Shaddad left
his son, Marthad, in charge of Hadramawt and other
lands in his absence. It is said that Marthad did follow
Prophet Hud.
When Shaddad approached the city he had built,
being only a night and day away, a great scream came
from the sky, killing Shaddad and all his companions.
Hence, Shaddad died at the age of nine hundred years,
without ever entering this city. As well, all the workers

59
The Honorable Prophets of God

who constructed the city, died, and the city became


hidden from the sight of people.

Hud, a Prophet From His Own People

In Ash-Shu^ara’, verses 123-5, God told us that the


tribe of ^Ad rejected the Messengers. Hud was from their
tribe, and conveyed to them, “Won’t you be God-
fearing? I am a trustworthy Messenger to you from
God”. The people did not accept Hud, except those
whom God willed to be saved.
In Suratul-Ahqaf, verse 21 we know that God sent
Prophet Hud to his own tribe, that of ^Ad, who were
Arabs. He warned them and told them that they had to
worship God alone, or there would be a day with severe
torture for them. Hud warned them in a place called Al-
Ahqaf, in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula. The
dunes stretching from Oman to Hadramawt today is Al-
Ahqaf where ^Ad lived.
In verse 69, of Suratul-‘A^raf, we know that God
reminded them of making them the vicegerents after the
people of Noah. (A vicegerent in this context is one
ordered to live on the Earth, benefit from the facilities
and abide by rules. If one obeys, one will be rewarded.
If one disobeys, one deserves punishment.)
These people that Hud called were arrogant
blasphemers. Part of their arrogance was from having
such huge bodies, bigger than the people at the time of
Prophet Noah.
The people of ^Ad made idols and worshipped them.
The idols were called Sada’, Samud, and Haba’. Their

60
The Honorable Prophets of God

land had abundant water at that time. They planted many


crops and orchards, and built high-rise castles. Despite
all of their riches, they were not thankful to God. They
were the first nation to blaspheme after the great flood of
the time of Noah.
Hud was the best among them in manners and they
knew him. Still when Prophet Hud told them that they
should stop worshipping idols, most rejected him. They
said, “You are only one among us and we think that you
are a liar. One of our gods got angry with you and that is
why you talk like you do!”
Hud told them, “I am not a ridiculous person. I am a
Messenger sent by God. I am sent to teach you that those
idols do not benefit or harm. They cannot harm or
benefit themselves. God is the only One Who deserves
to be worshipped. If you do not submit, you will face a
severe torture from God.”
From Surah Fussilat, verse 15, we know these
blasphemers said, “Who is stronger than ourselves?” In
the same verse, we are told, “Didn’t they see that God
has great Power over all things?”
Hud said, “Remember the people of Noah and what
befell them. They were made the vicegerents; but they
blasphemed, and were drowned. You must worship God
and clear yourself of blasphemy, or God will destroy you
as God destroyed the disbelievers in Noah. Look at your
bodies. Some of you are as tall as 100 cubits in height
and some of you are 60 cubits in height. God gave you a
great strength in your bodies, fertile land, crops, and
high-rise castles, but you do not thank God by
worshipping God alone.” Prophet Hud told them about
the Day of Resurrection and the Day of Judgment. They

61
The Honorable Prophets of God

said, “Look, we are so powerful. How could we die, be


reborn and reconstructed, and face an everlasting
torture?” They rejected believing that they would be
resurrected after their bones turn to soil.
In Suratush-Shu^ara’, verse 127, we are told that
Prophet Hud told them, “I do not ask any reward from
you. I only seek the reward from the Lord of the
Worlds.” Hud was not asking them for leadership or a
high social status. He only was conveying the message.
Still, the tribe of ^Ad were snobs to Prophet Hud and
those who believed in him. In verses 136-8 of Suratush-
Shu^ara’, we know what these blasphemous people of
Prophet Hud told him, “This religion that we have is the
religion of our forefathers. We shall not divert from
that.” For that they deserved the punishment of God.
They insisted on worshipping the idols, and told Prophet
Hud, “We shall not be tortured”. Prophet Hud told them,
“You await the extreme torture of God that is inevitable.”
Only a handful of people followed Hud in the
message of Islam, and those followers would conceal
their belief out of fear of affliction by those people.

Torture is Sent on Those Who Rejected Prophet


Hud

When the people of Hud disbelieved in God, and the


signs of the proof of Prophet Hud’s truthfulness, God
sent the torture upon them. In Suratul-Mu’minun, in
verses 49-50 there is the meaning, “Prophet Hud made a
supplication to God”. He said, “O God support me over
them since they rejected me and belied the message.

62
The Honorable Prophets of God

Only shortly they will wake up in great regret.” Suratul-


‘A^raf, verse 71, means that Prophet Hud told them,
“Await the torture of God and I shall be waiting with you
to see the torture befall you.”
God ordered that the rain be withheld from the people
of ^Ad until they were exhausted from the state of
drought. Each time they suffered from the drought,
Prophet Hud reminded them about Islam, and about the
importance in believing in his message and quitting
blasphemy.
Hud told them that the only way to escape the torture
of the drought is for them to clear themselves of
blasphemy, and to adhere to the Religion of God. Yet
Hud’s reminders only made them more persistent in their
disbelief. Each time he reminded them, they rejected
more and more. They drowned more and more in their
blasphemy. Each time they did that, the intensity of the
drought increased, up to a point that they made a plan to
ask for rain.
They sent a delegate on their behalf to go to Makkah,
to make a supplication, so for rain to come down and
rescue them from the drought. When the delegate did
that, God sent black clouds over the people of ^Ad. They
came from the direction of some valley. When they saw
the black clouds they thought that they would receive the
rain that will save them from the drought. They thought
that these were clouds of mercy, but really they were
clouds of great torture.
God told us in Suratul-Ahqaf, verses 24-25, that He
sent to them a very strong wind, which drove the black
clouds to them. They said to their selves “Ha, this is the
rain coming to us. These are the clouds of mercy. The

63
The Honorable Prophets of God

rain shall come down. God responded to our delegate


who went to Makkah.” God told them that this was a
strong wind that carried with it a severe torture. It would
destroy most of the things.
The first to recognize and acknowledge what the
cloud and the wind were bringing was a woman from
^Ad. When she realized what it brought, she screamed
and fainted. When she woke up, they asked her, “What
did you see?” She said, “I have seen a wind with flames
of fire in front of it, with men leading it.” That strong
wind carried their luggage and animals far away to the
desert. Their hearts were gripped with extreme terror.
They rushed into their houses, thinking by doing so, that
they would be rescued. However, this wind was so
severe that they were totally destroyed. Truly, their
delegate was not answered.
In Suratul-Haqqah, verses 6-8, God told us that He
sent on the blasphemous people of ^Ad a strong, cold
wind for seven nights and eight days, until that wind
destroyed them and they died. God likened their
situation to the trunks of the palm trees that have no
heads on them. This is so because that wind would come
to one of the blasphemers and carry him up into the air.
Then he would be turned upside-down and be launched
back to the ground. He would be smashed, his head
would pop off of his body, and his dead corpse would
remain. When they were destroyed, God sent birds to
carry these corpses into the sea. In Suratul-Ahqaf, verse
25, we are told that only their houses were seen, empty of
people. God put an end to those who belied Him and His
signs.

64
The Honorable Prophets of God

God saved Prophet Hud and those who believed in his


message, as God informed us in the Qur’an in Suratul-
‘A^raf, verse 72 and Surat Hud, verse 58. The meaning
of these verses is that God rescued and saved Hud and
the believers with him, as a mercy from Him. Prophet
Hud and the believers who were with him were isolated
in a specific spot, and they were not touched by that
wind. They received a pleasant thing.
After all of this, Prophet Hud performed Hajj, as
narrated by Imam Abu Ya^la in his Musnad. As to the
place of the grave of Prophet Hud, there is a difference of
opinion. Some say it is in Hadramawt in Yemen and
some say it is in Makkah. Some said it was in Damascus.
Take note that the land of the people of ^Ad nowadays
is a complete desert that is extremely dry. There is no
construction there. Yet, truly that land used to be full of
vegetation and abundance of water.

The Delegate of ^Ad

After the destruction of ^Ad, the Arabs used to say,


when they sent a delegation, “Be careful. Don’t be like
the delegate of ^Ad”, with this becoming a proverb
among them.
Some of the story of the tribe of ^Ad was related by
Imam Ahmad, Ibn Jarir and others from the route of the
Companion Al-Harith Ibn Hassan Al-Bakriyy.
Al-Harith said, "I left to go to the Messenger of God
(Prophet Muhammad) and passed by a location called ar-
Rabdhah. There, I found an old woman from the tribe of

65
The Honorable Prophets of God

Tamim who did not have an animal to ride to get to her


destination.
(The one who knows the history of that era would
realize that the narrator of the story belonged to the Bakr
tribe and that old woman belonged to the Tamim tribe.
Those two tribes used to engage in fighting occasionally
in the Era of Ignorance.)
“She said, ‘I have a need for the Messenger of God,
so would you take me to him?’ I let her ride on an
animal and I took her with me.
When I arrived in Madinah, I saw black banners
flying. I said, ‘What is the story with the people?’ They
said, ‘The Prophet wants to send ^Amr Ibnul-^As as the
head of a Muslim army to fight.’ I sat down until the
Prophet was done then he went into his house. I asked
permission to come in and it was given.
I went in and sat. Then the Prophet asked me, ‘Was
there any fighting between you and the tribe of Tamim
during the Era of Ignorance?’ I answered the Prophet,
‘Yes, we defeated them. I passed by the location of ar-
Rabdhah and I found an old woman among the Tamim
tribe that did not have an animal to ride to come to her
destination and asked me to take her to you. She is
standing by the door.’ The Prophet gave permission for
the woman to come in and she did.
As she went in, Al-Harith was addressing the Prophet
by saying, ‘O Prophet of God, let the desert of ad-Dahna'
stand as a barrier between us and the Tamim tribe, so that
there would not be any more fighting.’
The woman was provoked when she heard these
words and asked the Prophet, ‘If you let this desert of ad-

66
The Honorable Prophets of God

Dahna' stand as a barrier, then where would Mudar go to


graze animals?’ She referred to herself as belonging to
Mudar—in reference to a grandfather of the Prophet, to
tell him that ‘we and you, Quraysh and Tamim, go back
to the same grandfather’.
At this, Al-Harith Ibn Hassan Al-Bakriyy said a
proverb in Arabic that indicates a person sometimes
would do something, unsuspecting of harm coming out of
it, and he ends up being harmed by it. (He brought this
woman along with him, and he did not expect her to
stand as an adversary in front of the Prophet as she did).
He said, ‘I seek refuge with God and His Prophet from
being like the delegate that ^Ad sent to the Ka^bah to
supplicate for water.’
The Prophet asked, ‘Who is the delegate of ^Ad?’ Al-
Harith told the Prophet, ‘You have asked the expert in
this story.’ Al-Harith proceeded to say that the Prophet
made him tell the story. (The Prophet already knew that
story, but he wanted Al-Harith to say it aloud).
Al-Harith said, ‘The tribe of ^Ad suffered a great
drought. They sent Qil, a man among them, as a delegate
to supplicate for water. On the way, he went in as a guest
at a person called Bakr Ibnu Mu^awiyah. This man kept
him occupied for an entire month, offering him wine to
drink, and having two young women singing to him.
This man was kept busy and forgot all about his people.
Then the host himself reminded him of his own
people, saying to him, ‘Did you not come this way for
your people’s need?’ Then he remembered and left the
man's house. He called out and said, ‘O Lord, I did not
come to cure an ill person, nor to expiate a prisoner of

67
The Honorable Prophets of God

war. O God, provide the water for the tribe of ^Ad,


whatever You willed to provide.’
God sent three clouds, one white, the other red, and
the third black. A voice called to Qil from the clouds,
addressing him. It said, ‘Qil, choose for yourself and
your people from among these clouds.’ Qil said, ‘I
choose the black cloud, because it bears the most water.’
A caller called to him saying, ‘You have chosen that
which will destroy the entire ^Ad, that is, except those
whom God excluded.’”
We ask God not to be like the delegate of ^Ad!

68
The Honorable Prophets of God

Chapter 8: PROPHET SALIH,


blessings and peace be upon him

After Prophet Hud, came Prophet Salih. In Suratul-


‘A^raf, in verse 73, we are told that God sent to the
people of Thamud a Prophet called Salih who belonged
to the tribe of Thamud. Salih told them, “O people
worship Allah, there is no God but Him Who deserves to
be worshipped.”
As to the lineage of Prophet Salih, it is cited that he is
Salih, the son of ^Ubayd, the son of Masih, the son of
^Ubayd, the son of Hadir, the son of Thamud, the son of
^Athir, the son of Iram, the son of Noah. God sent Salih
to Thamud, a tribe named after their famous grandfather
Thamud.
They were Arabs who lived in the area called Al-Hijr.
This is an area stretching from the Hijaz to Jordan. Our
Prophet passed by that land, when he was heading
towards Tabuk. He had a group of Muslims with him.
The traces of the tribe of Thamud still remain until today.
They were there when the Prophet passed. It is called
Mada’in Salih.

The Many Endowments on the Tribe of Thamud

God enabled the tribe of Thamud to live in this area.


He endowed on them a lot of endowments, like those on
the people of ^Ad. The people of Thamud were not any
better than those blasphemers of ^Ad. They did not learn

69
The Honorable Prophets of God

from the lesson of ^Ad. They were not God-fearing and


most did not believe Prophet Salih. They worshipped
idols and were carried away by the luxury of living that
they had.
God made Salih a Prophet from among the most
honorable lineage of their tribe. They knew Salih well.
Salih was the most patient and wise among them, and had
the strongest mind. He urged them to worship God only,
and not to associate partners to Him. Salih told them that
the Creator does not resemble the creation. He told them
to stop worshipping the idols that do not create harm or
benefit. Suratul-A^raf, verse 74 means that God made
the people of Thamud the vicegerents after the people of
^Ad.
They were well off in their means of living and they
lived long lives. They used to build houses that would
collapse before they die, and so they resorted to carving
their houses inside rocks in the mountains. Those houses
would last long enough, and they would die before the
houses collapsed. They became arrogant as a result of
their ability to make those stone houses.
They should have taken a lesson from the people of
^Ad. Thamud planted and harvested crops, but these
people were not thankful to God. They did not believe in
God correctly. They did not respond to the message of
Prophet Salih.
In Suratush-Shu^ara’, verses 141-152, we are told
that Prophet Salih pointed out to his people that God is
the One Who created them, and enabled them to
construct on the Earth, making them vicegerents on
Earth, after the people of ^Ad. God endowed on them the
luxury of good crops and fruits. Prophet Salih explained

70
The Honorable Prophets of God

to them that since God is the true Creator of all of these


things, He is the only One Who deserves to be
worshipped. He is the One Who truly sustains them.
Salih ordered them to quit their blasphemy and to
worship God only. Just as Prophet Hud said to his
people, Prophet Salih told his people, “I do not seek
anything in exchange for teaching you the knowledge. I
do not expect you to pay or feed me. I seek the reward
from God alone.”
The people of Thamud responded to Prophet Salih, as
we know from verse 62 of Surat Hud saying, “O Salih,
we had high hopes for you in the past, before you started
warning us and asking us to worship that which our
forefathers did not worship. We truly doubt that you are
truthful in what you are calling us for. We knew you
before this, as someone with a sound mind and sound
opinion. Yet now you are inviting us to drop that which
our forefathers had worshipped before.”
Prophet Salih told them to follow him, worshipping
God and leaving out the blasphemy. Prophet Salih was
very gentle in conveying the threat to them and drawing
their attention to the fact that they were following the
wrong path. He told them, “You will not have an excuse
on the Day of Judgment if you remain in a state of
blasphemy, because I delivered to you the message from
God. You are accountable. You will not be able to say
on the Day of Judgment ‘O God had You sent us
Prophets and Messengers, we would have believed’,
because God did send me as a Prophet to you.”
Among the many hardships that the people of Thamud
inflicted on Prophet Salih is that they told him that he
was under the effect of witchcraft. This is stated in the

71
The Honorable Prophets of God

Qur’an in verse 153 of Suratush-Shu^ara’. It means,


“They said, ‘O Salih, you are under the effect of
sorcery’.” This was only a reflection of their deep
arrogance and rejection to following the true path that is
supported by the judgment of the sound mind.
Prophet Salih continued calling his people to leave
blasphemy, and his people continued worshipping idols
and following the wrong path. They feared that due to
the persistence of Prophet Salih, that his message would
spread and that some people would start believing in him.
They wanted to picture Salih as someone weak and
powerless, to show that he was not truthful in his claim
of Prophethood. Hence, they requested from him to
perform a miracle. They did this out of ridicule, and not
because they believed in Salih.

The Blasphemers Challenge Prophet Salih

The blasphemers set specifications for this miracle.


They said, “What we knew about you is that you had a
sound mind, but now you are telling us to leave the idols
of our forefathers. You now must be under the effect of
witchcraft.” They pointed at a rock, and said, “Can you
bring a camel and its calf out of this rock?”
In Surat Ash-Shu^ara’, verses 153-156, we are told
that the people of Thamud told Prophet Salih, “You are
only a person under the effect of sorcery. You are only a
human being like us. If you are truthful in your claim,
give us a sign.”
Prophet Salih, knowing their stubbornness, took from
them commitments that should he perform that miracle,

72
The Honorable Prophets of God

they would quit worshipping idols, believe in God,


worship Him correctly, and believe in Prophet Salih and
his message.
When Prophet Salih took these promises from them,
he asked God to make that miracle happen. God fulfilled
the request of Prophet Salih, and a camel and its calf
came out of the rock with the same specifications set by
the people of Thamud.
Some of the people who saw that miracle did believe,
and they accepted Prophet Salih and fulfilled their
commitment. One was named Jundu^ the son of ^Amr.
This man was among their leaders; he had a branch of the
people behind him. However, most of the people of
Thamud did not honor their commitment and still
disbelieved in Prophet Salih, and continued to worship
idols.
Some of the people blocked the way of others to
embrace Islam. One of them was named Du’ab, the son
of ^Amr, the son of Labid. Another was a person who
was the owner of the idols, named Al-Hubab, and others.
When the camel and its calf came out of the rock,
Prophet Salih warned the people of Thamud about
harming that camel. Salih gave them certain restrictions
by which they had to abide. He said that the camel had
to graze on the land and was entitled to the water of the
well for one entire day. Thamud could use the well on
the following day. From then on, it had to alternate like
that. Prophet Salih warned them that if they did not
honor that, they would face a severe punishment from
God.

73
The Honorable Prophets of God

From the Qur’an we know that Prophet Salih told


them, “This is the camel, and note that the camel will
drink from the well one day and you will drink from the
well another day. Do not harm that camel or else you
will be inflicted with a severe torture.”
The camel stayed with Prophet Salih for some time,
and this attracted some people to believe in Salih. This
made the blasphemers more scared, because they saw
that Prophet Salih was more appealing to the people.
They feared for their position, and their leadership in the
tribe. They started lobbying for the non-acceptance of
Prophet Salih.
The followers of Prophet Salih stayed firm. They
responded as we know from Suratul-‘A^raf, verse 75,
saying, “We believe in the message that Prophet Salih
was ordered to convey from God.” This response did not
change the position of the blasphemers. Their hearts
stayed as stiff as stones. They responded to the believers
as said in verse 76 of Suratul-‘A^raf, “What you have
believed in, we have disbelieved in.” They saw that this
camel that Prophet Salih brought was a major threat to
them. They wanted to kill it and get rid of this threat.
Hence, they conspired to kill the camel.

The Killing of the Camel

Those people hesitated for a while to carry out killing


that camel, up to a point of time when two evil women
among them played a role in influencing the people to
carry out the conspiracy. One of them was named Saduq,
the daughter of Mahya. She had a high social status and

74
The Honorable Prophets of God

money. She offered herself to a man named Masra^,


were he to carry out the mission of slaughtering the
camel. The woman ^Unayzah, was elderly, and a
blasphemer with four daughters. She offered anyone of
her four daughters to Qudar if he slaughtered that camel.
These two men got excited about this matter, and
lobbied among the people to slaughter the camel. Seven
joined them and they became nine. God told us about
those nine people in Suratul-Naml, verse 48. In the city,
there were nine who conspired to make trouble. They
were all from the tribe of Thamud. These men killed the
female camel that came out of a rock. The calf climbed a
mountain, entered a rock, and disappeared.

The Blasphemers are Warned of the Torture

God told us in Suratu Hud, that Prophet Salih


informed them after they slaughtered the camel, “Stay in
your houses, enjoying for three days. Then await the
torture of God.” Prophet Salih told them that he had
warned them not to harm the camel and now they did.
He said, “Now God has revealed to me that you stay in
your houses for three days and then you shall receive the
severe punishment. This is a promise that shall come
true.”
Despite the warning of Prophet Salih, those people
did not repent. They had between their hands the stories
of the blasphemers of before, like the people of Noah
who were drowned, and the people of ^Ad who were
killed. Even when Prophet Salih gave them three days
and warning, they did not repent or reconsider. They did

75
The Honorable Prophets of God

not leave out their blasphemy. Instead, they persuaded


themselves that Prophet Salih was not truthful in his
warning.
They challenged, (Suratul-‘A^raf, 77). They said, “O
Salih, deliver to us that torture that you are promising, if
you are truly a Messenger.” Those people came together
and conspired to kill Prophet Salih and his family. They
agreed to kill him during the night and to deny that they
were behind this murder they planned.
God saved his Prophet from that conspiracy. God
sent stones that killed the group of people that wanted to
carry out the scheme of killing Prophet Salih.
The first of the three days was a Thursday. The
people woke up on Thursday, having pale yellow faces.
However, their arrogance grew towards the end of the
day. They said, “One day is over and nothing has
happened”. They woke up the next day and their faces
were red. Then, at the end of Friday they said, “Two
days have passed, and nothing has happened”. They
woke up on Saturday and their faces were black. At the
end of the day they said, “the deadline is over, and
nothing has happened.”
When they woke up on Sunday they got ready to see
what would happen. When the sun started to rise, the
land rocked and shivered, underneath their feet. A very
strong scream was heard, that immediately caused these
blasphemers to drop dead. Their hearts ruptured inside
of their chests. They were fallen corpses on the ground,
empty of souls.

76
The Honorable Prophets of God

Suratul-‘A^raf, 78 means that the rocking of the land


overwhelmed them and they ended up lying down dead
on their own land.
It was cited that when they woke up on the fourth day,
Sunday, the sun rose. However, they did not
immediately receive the torture. At that they said that
God had forgiven them. They had been scared and had
entered into graves that they had dug that evening.
Briefly, they enjoyed thinking that God had forgiven
them and that there would be no torture. Then Angel
Gabriel (Jibril) came down and blocked the rays of the
sun. When they saw that, they ran back into their graves.
Angel Gabriel screamed one scream like thunder and
their hearts ruptured in their chests. They died. The
fortified houses they built inside of rocks dropped down
on top of their graves.
After they were destroyed, Prophet Salih addressed
them. He said, “I endeavored to call you to the Religion
of Islam. I invited you to the belief and to stop
worshipping the idols. I tried to take you out of the
dungeons of blasphemy to the light of Islam. I was keen
in doing that. However, you turned me down and
rejected my advice. You rejected what I called you to,
and this is the result. The strong houses in the
mountains, money, water, fertile land, and crops did not
do you any good. God punished you for your
blasphemy.”
This story of Prophet Salih sheds light that God put us
on this Earth and enabled us to benefit from the facilities
and made us accountable. He sent Prophets and
Messengers to tell us the rules. If people do not respond
to the Prophet of their time, they are at a loss.

77
The Honorable Prophets of God

After the blasphemous people of Salih were


destroyed, it is cited that Prophet Salih moved to the area
of Ash-Sham, and lived in Palestine. Then he moved to
Makkah and resided there worshipping God until he died.

78
The Honorable Prophets of God

Chapter 9: PROPHET ABRAHAM


(IBRAHIM),
blessings and peace be upon him

Abraham (Ibrahim) is one of the Prophets of God. He


is the son of Azar (also called Tarikh), the son of Nakhur,
the son of Sarugh, the son of Arghu, the son of Falagh,
the son of Ghabir, the son of Shalikh, the son of Qaynan,
the son of Arfakhashidh, the son of Sam, the son of Noah.
Prophet Abraham was born in Iraq, under the rulership of
Nimrod. Nimrod ruled a wide area.
The astrologers informed Nimrod at the time that a
child would be born, and at his hands, the destruction of
his reign would occur. They said that the residence of
this child would be in Babil (Babylon) next to Kufah. At
that, Nimrod ordered that any male newborn child would
be slaughtered.

The Birth of Prophet Abraham

The wife of Azar conceived. Her husband took her to


Ur, a village outside of Babil. It is a place between
Kufah and Basrah, all in present day Iraq. He made her
stay in a place that was excavated underground. He used
to supply her with food, drink and the rest of her needs.
After a long period of time passed without anything
happening to the reign of that king, he felt relaxed. Azar
addressed the king regarding the subject. The king

79
The Honorable Prophets of God

permitted them to return. So, they came back with their


children. Abraham grew up rapidly. His father was a
man who carved idols and worshipped them.

Prophet Abraham Calls his Father to Islam

Prophet Abraham forbade his father from doing this


false worship, as indicated in Surat Maryam, verse 42.
Abraham said, “O my father, why do you worship that
which does not hear, see, or benefit you with anything?”
Azar was angry and he said, "O Abraham, if you do
not worship my gods, I will stone you,” as was stated in
Surat Maryam verse 46. Prophet Abraham told his father
that he would ask God to guide him to Islam. Despite the
threat, his evil father did not kill him.
Abraham used many wise techniques to prove to his
father and the rest of the idol worshippers that they were
wrong in worshipping idols instead of their Creator.
The people at that time worshipped the sun, the moon,
and the stars. They sculpted idols representing those
objects in the sky. Abraham wanted them to think about
how these objects move, and that they must have a
Creator Who has Power over them, making them move.

Abraham Never Worshipped the Sun, Moon, and


Stars

We know from verses 76-79 of Suratul-An^am that


one night Prophet Abraham saw a star in the sky and told
the people with denial, “This is my Lord?!” Then he

80
The Honorable Prophets of God

waited and wanted them to observe that the star went


away. After the star went away Abraham told, “I don’t
worship that which goes away”.
Abraham did the same with the moon and the sun.
Concerning the sun he said, "Is this what you want me to
worship, this which is bigger?!” He stressed to the
people that all these things are creations that change, and
that one must worship the Creator of those objects Who
never changes.
Important note: Nowadays you find some people who
misunderstand these verses and commit a serious
mistake. They believe that Prophet Abraham worshipped
the star, then the moon, then the sun. Then he finally
worshipped God. This is totally incorrect. It is not
possible that any Prophet would do such a thing.
These misguided people think that the questions that
Prophet Abraham posed were instead confirmations that
he worshipped the star, moon and sun. In the Qur’an,
there are no exclamation or question marks. However, as
already known, Abraham’s statement was an exclamatory
question posed to confirm an extreme rejection—in
accordance with the Arabic language of the Qur’an.
An example of this is the following: Say someone
came to you and said so-and-so is very gentle and has
good manners. Then, when you associate with that
person you find he is ill mannered and vulgar. You pose
the question, “This person is good mannered?!" Clearly
what you mean is that this person is the opposite.
How could people take those verses to mean that
Abraham first worshipped those things in the sky? God
said in the Qur'an that Abraham was already a believer

81
The Honorable Prophets of God

prior to that incident (Al-Ambiya’, verse 51). The great


Muslim scholar Ibnul-Jawziyy cited this in his book
Zadul-Masir.

Prophet Abraham Smashes the Idols

The people of Abraham used to celebrate a feast


where they went out of the town all together to celebrate
that day. On that day, Prophet Abraham told them, "Inni
saqim” (I will be sick) as it is cited in the Qur'an in
Suratus-Saffat verses 89. Hence Prophet Abraham did
not go with them to their feast.
When they left, Prophet Abraham swore by God to
break their idols, as stated in verse 57 of Al-Ambiya'.
Some of the people who were the last to leave heard
Abraham.
When they left, Abraham went to the idols. Those
idols were in a grand hall, one next to the other. Food
was placed between the hands of the idols. Prophet
Abraham, mocking the idols, asked them, "Won't you
eat?” When they did not reply, he said, “What is the
matter with you? You do not speak.”
Abraham started breaking them, using an ax. He
destroyed them, making them rubble, except for the large
one. Abraham left it intact for the people to see when
they returned. He wanted to show them that the biggest
idol, that they regarded the highest, was truly without
power.
When the people returned and saw what had happened
to their idols, they were extremely distressed, deeming

82
The Honorable Prophets of God

this as a major incident. They said, "Who did that to our


gods? Whoever did that to our gods is unjust!"
Those who were among the last batch to leave, having
heard Prophet Abraham utter those words said, "We have
heard a young man called Abraham speaking ill of them.
We have not heard such words from another person. We
think that this is the person who did that to the idols."
The matter of this incident reached Nimrod and his
close associates. They said, “Bring Abraham in front of
the people to witness what we are going to do to him.”
When they brought Abraham, with the people gathered at
the place of the king, they asked Abraham, “Did you do
this to our gods?”
Abraham said, “If these idols could utter, then it is the
largest idol of them who did that. So ask it, if it can
speak.” Abraham did not say that the big idol did it. He
was proving to the people that the big idol was
powerless.
Those people recognized that the biggest idol did not
speak, as Prophet Abraham was saying. They put their
heads down because they knew that Prophet Abraham
discredited them. Then, Prophet Abraham told them,
"Do you worship other than God, that which does not
benefit or harm you? Woe to you! Come back to your
senses."

Prophet Abraham Confronts the Evil Nimrod

At that point, Abraham’s people debated with him


about God. Nimrod asked Prophet Abraham, "That lord
of yours, what is he?" Nimrod posed that question using

83
The Honorable Prophets of God

the term "what" because he was used to likening the


Creator to the creatures, and worshipping idols
unrightfully.
Abraham stressed that God is not similar to His
creation. He talked to Nimrod about the Power of God,
and about the signs that signify the Oneness of God.
Abraham said, "God, my Lord, is the One Who gives life
and death." Nimrod, out of stubbornness said, "I give life
and death. I can take two men who deserve to be killed.
I will kill one, and I will set the other free. By that I will
have given life to one, and death to the other."
Prophet Abraham, with his sharp brilliance,
immediately realized that Nimrod was stubborn.
Abraham changed his strategy with Nimrod, and told
him, "God brings the sun from the East. If what you say
is true, bring it from the West." That rebuttal startled
Nimrod.
Once, Nimrod told Abraham, “Ask your Lord to
revive the dead or else I will kill you.” Abraham asked
God to show His Power to revive the dead.

The Miracle of the Birds

God revealed to Abraham to take four birds, a red


rooster, a white pigeon, a green peacock, and a black
crow. Abraham slaughtered those four birds, cutting off
their heads. Abraham kept the heads. Then Abraham
mashed together the headless bodies of those four birds,
thoroughly mixing the parts of the four together.
Abraham then divided that mixture into seven parts,
and placed one part on each of seven mountains.

84
The Honorable Prophets of God

Abraham stood so that he could see the whole mountain


range and the seven places where the mixtures were.
Prophet Abraham held the heads of those birds in his
hand and said, “Come by the Will of God”. The parts of
those birds came flying together from the seven places,
and the bodies of the birds were reconstructed. The birds
stood before Ibrahim without heads.
Seeing this amazing miracle strengthened the faith
that Abraham always had. Then Abraham offered the
head to the appropriate bird, and the head attached to the
body. When Abraham offered the inappropriate head,
the bird did not accept it. When these birds were whole
again, they flew away.
In his extreme stupidity, Nimrod still did not believe
in Abraham’s message, despite that amazing scene.
Nimrod imprisoned Prophet Abraham for seven years.
Nimrod also starved two lions to feed them Abraham.
However, when Nimrod sent the starving lions to kill and
eat Abraham, instead they licked him and prostrated to
him.

Nimrod Tries to Burn Prophet Abraham

Then Nimrod and his companions unanimously


agreed to burn Prophet Abraham in support to their false
gods. They collected wood, put it in a big ditch, and they
started a great fire, so great that they needed to use a
catapult to throw Abraham into it.
They did not know the catapult at that time. The
cursed Satan came to them, in the form of a man, and

85
The Honorable Prophets of God

taught those people how to make a catapult. It is said


that man named Hayzin built it. Later, God made the
ground swallow Hayzin.
The fire was so hot that if a bird were to fly above that
fire, it would be burned. The people tied the hands and
feet of Prophet Abraham before sending him off in the
catapult. Prophet Abraham addressed God, “There is no
God but You. Praise to You. You are free of all
imperfections. To You are the thanks. You are the
Owner of everything. You have no partners.”
When they threw Abraham into the fire, God made
that fire cool and peaceful on him. Prophet Abraham
said, “God’s support is enough for me. God is the best to
rely on.” He stayed in it for the time that God willed for
him to stay, without being harmed. He came out of it
safe, without his body or clothes being burnt. The ropes
that tied him did get burnt, without that hurting Prophet
Abraham.
Days went by and Nimrod was sure that Abraham was
dead. Then Nimrod looked and saw Prophet Abraham
there alive and unburnt. Nimrod also saw a man next to
Prophet Abraham who looked like him. Nimrod said, “I
saw as if Abraham is alive. I think I am not seeing well.
Build me a tower so I can be high and see clearly.” They
made that tower, and when Nimrod ascended it, he still
saw Abraham and man next to him identical to Abraham.
Nimrod yelled to Abraham, “O Abraham, can you get out
of the fire?” Abraham said, “Yes”. Then Nimrod asked,
“Are you afraid of being burnt if you stay there?”
Abraham answered “No”.
Then Abraham went out of the fire. Abraham was
asked, “Who was the one with you?” Abraham said,

86
The Honorable Prophets of God

“That was the angel of shades. God sent him to give me


good company”. Since then, Nimrod refrained from
further hurting Abraham. However he still did not accept
the message of Prophet Abraham.
God gave a punishment to Nimrod in this life, and in
the next. Nimrod was ordered to accept Islam three
times, which he refused. Then Nimrod gathered his
army. God sent a lot of insects, attacking the army of
Nimrod. The insects ate their flesh and left them as dead
skeletons. Then, God sent an insect to Nimrod that went
into his nostril. Nimrod felt great pain because of that
and the only thing that he thought would make the pain
go away was for his head to be hit. Nimrod asked for his
head to be hit with hammers and other objects. It is
narrated that he was in that condition for 400 years until
he died.

Prophet Abraham and Lot Leave Babylon

Prophet Abraham left that area of Babylon, along with


his nephew Lot (Lut). Lot was to become a Prophet,
being Muslim all his life, believing Prophet Abraham.
Lot went to an area in present day Jordan.
After leaving Babylon, Abraham first arrived in
Harran, which is a place south of Turkey. He stayed
there for a certain period. It is narrated that the king of
Harran had a beautiful daughter named Sarah (Sarah).
After Sarah believed in Prophet Abraham, he married
her. (Others cited that Sarah was his cousin.) Then
Prophet Abraham immigrated towards the countries of
ash-Sham as it is said in Suratus-Saffat, verse 99. “Ash-

87
The Honorable Prophets of God

Sham” is comprised of present day Syria, Lebanon,


Jordan and Palestine. Many references will be made to
“Ash-Sham” throughout the book.
The verse says that Prophet Abraham went in the
direction of the blessed land of Ash-Sham. Back then it
was the land of the Prophets, whereas Iraq, at that time,
was the land of the tyrants.

Abraham and Sarah Go to Egypt

After living in Palestine, Prophet Abraham and Sarah


then headed towards Egypt. When Abraham arrived in
Egypt there was a Pharaoh who was also an unjust tyrant.
This man used to commit adultery with the beautiful
married women that entered his land. Prophet Abraham
told his wife, “If this tyrant knows that you are my wife,
he will use force against me to get you.”
Abraham told Sarah, “If he asks you, tell him that you
are my sister (which is true, my sister in Islam).” Then,
some of the assistants of this tyrant saw Sarah and told
him, “We have seen a woman that arrived into your land
that should be yours and not anyone else’s due to her
extreme beauty.” That Pharaoh sent his assistants to
bring her, and they did.
When Prophet Abraham learned about that, he started
praying, as is the case with pious Muslims. They resort
to prayers in hard times. When Sarah entered the
quarters where the Pharaoh was present, he could not
hold back.
Because of his ill manners, he stretched his hand
towards her. His hand froze severely. The king told her,

88
The Honorable Prophets of God

“Supplicate God that my hand will be released and I shall


not harm you.” Sarah did, and the king’s hand was
cured. Because of his ill manners, the king attempted
once again to reach for Sarah, and his hand froze, but in a
stronger manner than the first time. The king told Sarah
the same thing as the first time. She made supplication
and his hand was cured.
The king attempted a third time, and his hand froze
much more severely than the first two times. The king
told Sarah, “Make supplication to God to restore my
hand and I swear I will not attempt again.” Sarah made
supplication and the king’s hand was restored. Then, the
king called the man that brought Sarah to him and told
him, "Take her away! You brought a devil to me and not
a human! Take her out of my land! Give her Hagar
(Hajar), (who is a slave woman that he had) as a gift, and
let her go."
When Prophet Abraham saw Sarah, he ended his
prayers and said, “Tell me your news.” She said, "Good
news. God held back the hand of this vulgar man, and
we came back with a servant." Hagar was a beautiful
woman. After a certain period of time, Sarah gave Hagar
to Abraham as a gift. According to the rules given to
Abraham, he could legally have sexual intercourse with
the slave he owned.

The Birth of Ishmael

Sarah reached the age of menopause after having been


barren. Prophet Abraham had intercourse with Hagar
and she gave birth to Ishmael (Isma^il). Hagar is the

89
The Honorable Prophets of God

mother of all the Arabs that came from the offspring of


Ishmael. This is why Prophet Muhammad said to his
Companions, "If you conquer Egypt, then pay good
attention to and treat the people of Egypt well, because
they have a blood tie to me." The Prophet meant that the
relationship between the people of Egypt and the Arabs is
tied to Hagar (who came from Egypt), with her being the
mother of all the Arabs who are from the children of
Prophet Ishmael. Muslim related this hadith.
Whoever calls Ishmael the “bastard son” of Abraham
is making a serious lie. Ishmael was a legitimate son of
Prophet Abraham, for the intercourse that Prophet
Abraham had with Hagar was legal according to Islam.
Abraham went out of Egypt and went to a land called
Bi'rus-Sab^ (Beer Shiva). Then he left to an area
between Ar-Ramlah and Ilya' (Jerusalem), all in
Palestine.
The scholars said that Sarah was jealous after Hagar
gave birth to Ishmael, and that is why Abraham took
Hagar and his son and went to Makkah, as will be
explained.

Abraham Receives the Good News of Isaac

Later, God gave Sarah the ability to have a child


named Isaac (Ishaq). The angels gave her the good news
of his coming birth and they gave her the good news of a
son from him named Jacob (Ya^qub). Sarah gave birth to
Isaac when she was at an old age of 90 years.
Before having Isaac, God subjected Abraham to the
difficult test of slaughtering his son from Hagar, Ishmael.

90
The Honorable Prophets of God

Abraham was fully obedient and did not hesitate, not


even for a second. However, God replaced the son with a
lamb, and Ishmael was not slaughtered. This story is told
in detail in the chapter about Prophet Ishmael.

Prophets Abraham and Ishmael Rebuilt the


Ka^bah

Later, God ordered Prophet Abraham to reconstruct


the Ka^bah. Prophet Abraham did that along with
Ishmael.
When the walls of the Ka^bah were raised, Abraham
stood on a stone which is known as Maqam Ibrahim (this
stone originally came from al-Jannah, just as the Black
Stone was). Each time the walls were raised a level that
stone rose up, carrying Abraham. With each stone they
laid, they made supplication to God as said in Suratul-
Baqarah verse 127. It means “O God, accept this
obedience from us. You are attributed with Hearing and
Knowledge.”
There is a footprint to this day, on the stone that
Prophet Abraham used to stand on while building the
Ka^bah. It is truly Prophet Abraham's footprint.
However, it is not confirmed that there is a footprint of
the foot of Prophet Muhammad on any particular stone.
When Abraham finished reconstructing the Ka^bah,
God ordered him to call, “O people, God ordained Hajj
to this Old House.”
God imparted to Abraham the knowledge of
performing Hajj. Prophet Ishmael also performed Hajj.

91
The Honorable Prophets of God

Hagar, Ishmael's mother, died before Sarah, in the


land of Hijaz (where Makkah is). Then Sarah died in the
land of Ash-Sham. It was stated that after the death of
these two women, Abraham married a woman from the
people of Kan^an, who also bore children for him.
Definitely Ishmael was the first son of Prophet
Abraham. In the perverted Torah, they say that Prophet
Abraham was ordered to slaughter his “first son Isaac”.
Those Jews changed their book, to take away from the
true privilege granted to Ishmael. The facts that Ishmael
was so patient with the order to be slaughtered, and that
Abraham loved Ishmael so much, show the high status of
Ishmael. The Jews wanted to cover that up. The Jews
come from Isaac and they wanted people to think that
Isaac got the honor of that great test of the order to
slaughter. However, they forgot to also take away the
words "his first". According to their Torah, Ishmael was
Abraham’s first son. The fact that they forgot to remove
the words, “the first” shows their grave error.
Abraham is called Khalillullah, which is an exclusive
title for him and Prophet Muhammad. It contains the
meaning of “the one whose heart is full of love for God”,
or “the one who is fully dedicated to God.”
God revealed to Abraham ten booklets. He was the
first person to be circumcised. Abraham was 80 years
old when God ordered him to circumcise himself. To
rush and be obedient to God, Abraham immediately
acted. There was a hammer next to him. He used it to
perform the circumcision. The hammer had a flat head
on one side to hammer nails, and a sharp edge on the
other side. Abraham used the sharp edge for the

92
The Honorable Prophets of God

circumcision. Abraham did not wait to find something


else, out of being quick in obedience to God.
Most of the conversation of Prophet Abraham with his
children was not in the Arabic language. Yet Prophet
Ishmael spoke the Arabic language.
It is known that Abraham was extremely merciful. He
is the best of the Prophets after Prophet Muhammad. He
was buried in al-Khalil (Hebron), in Palestine, next to
where his wife, Sarah, was buried. The place of his
grave is known there. The entire city of al-Khalil was
named after Prophet Abraham.
Much more is related concerning the honorable
Prophet Abraham in the following chapters about
Prophets Lot, Ishmael, and Isaac. We ask God to greatly
bless and honor Prophet Abraham, and grant us being
with him in the Hereafter.

93
The Honorable Prophets of God

Chapter 10: PROPHET LOT (LUT),


blessings and peace be upon him

Prophet Lot (Lut) is the son of Haran. Haran was the


brother of Abraham, with them both having the evil
father, Azar. Prophet Lot immigrated to Sodom (Sadum)
and resided there. God sent him as a Prophet to its
people who were blasphemous.
Prophet Lot is cited 27 times in the Qur’an. He was
cited in Suratul-‘A^raf, Suratu Hud, Suratul-Hijr,
Suratush-Shu^ara’, Suratun-Naml and other chapters as
well.
Some ignorant people think that the name in the
Qur’an “Lut” comes from the Arabic word “liwat”.
Liwat means sodomy. This is totally false. First, Lut is
not an Arabic name. Also, a Prophet would not have a
non-befitting name, derived from the word for a
forbidden, disgusting act. It is blasphemy to believe that
a Prophet would have a name indicating a disgusting act.
Lot accepted the guidance of Prophet Abraham, never
being a blasphemer. Lot believed that Prophet Abraham
was a Prophet and Messenger.

Prophet Lot is Sent to Evil People

In Suratul-^Ankabut, verse 26, God said that Lot


believed in Abraham. Abraham said that he would
immigrate from Iraq to Ash-Sham to teach the people.

94
The Honorable Prophets of God

Abraham and Lot left Iraq. They stayed, journeying


together until God made Lot a Prophet to the people of
the city of Sodom, next to the Dead Sea in what is now
Jordan. Prophet Lot left Abraham with Abraham’s
permission, as God ordered Lot to do.
Sodom had several villages next to it, linked to
Sodom, making five villages in all. The people of
Sodom were so very vulgar, with a disgraceful history
and terrible manners. Their inner selves were evil. They
would not shy away from any sin.
They practiced waylaying, attacking travelers. They
never advised each other to give up their sins. They
innovated a terrible sin. No one before them had done
this sin. It was the sin of sodomy (a man putting his
penis in the anus of another). These men of Sodom
desired other men, and turned away from the women of
the city.
Prophet Lot addressed these people, saying “How
could you approach men sexually and leave out what
God created for you, in having the enjoyment of wives?
Definitely you are an unjust people.”
The men of Sodom were so open and arrogant in
doing their sodomy that they bragged about it. Lot
warned them of punishment and told them to embrace
Islam. He told them that God was the Only Creator and
rest of the great Islamic creed.
The people of Sodom did not accept Prophet Lot, and
continued to associate partners to God. Sodom and the
villages linked to Sodom were full of fruit trees. They
were in the courtyards and outside along the streets.

95
The Honorable Prophets of God

The Origin of Sodomy

Once, the people of Sodom suffered from a drought


and were concerned about having a famine. They said,
“We should prohibit the travelers and strangers that stop
by our territory from consuming our fruits. Every time
we see a stranger, we will attack him, and sodomize him.
Then, we will get such a bad reputation that we will be
left to ourselves.” The devil whispered that to them and
made it seem good.
Hence, they attacked the passersby and sodomized
them. Lot told them “You are ambushers. You stand in
the way of people, take the men and forcibly sodomize
them, sit in the streets throwing pebbles at the people,
and mock those that pass by." Prophet Lot came to them
to call them to Islam, and to leave out their terrible
practices. They did not accept, and became more
stubborn in their blasphemy, despite the advice of
Prophet Lot. They would tell him, in extreme arrogance,
“If you are truthful, let the punishment befall us”. They
threatened to throw out Lot from the city with his family.
Lot asked God for support, “O God, rescue me and my
family members from what they do, and give me victory
over those menacing people who do such ugly things.”
God supported his Prophet and willed for those
blasphemers to be destroyed.

Angels Come To Help

God sent the powerful angels Gabriel (Jibril), Michael


(Mika’il), and Israfil in the form of men. First they came

96
The Honorable Prophets of God

down to Abraham as guests. Prophet Abraham was


delighted, because he took great delight in receiving
guests, and liked to be generous with them.
Abraham liked the behavior of these guests very
much. He went out and brought a young calf that was
well nourished. Abraham slaughtered and cooked it.
Then he presented it to his guests to eat. However, they
did not put their hands forward to eat (because angels do
not eat). Prophet Abraham was concerned, because
usually if one did not take the food of his host, then he
was an enemy. They told him, “Do not be afraid. We
are angels that God sent to the people of Lot.”
Abraham’s wife Sarah was there. She laughed
because she knew how stubborn the people of Lot were.
The angels gave Sarah the good tidings that she would
deliver Isaac (Ishaq), and after Isaac, Jacob (Ya^qub) will
be his child. In Surat Hud in verse 72, Abraham's wife
expressed her surprise that she would be delivering a
child at such an old age (90 years) with her husband
being an older man (of 120 years).
Prophet Abraham felt relaxed when he knew that they
were angels. Moreover he was happy after they gave him
the good news of the coming of his son Isaac. Abraham
started talking to them regarding the people of Lot.
Abraham asked them, “Would you destroy a village with
one hundred believers in it?" They said, “No.” He said,
“If there were fifty?” They said, “No.” Abraham
decreased the number until he reached one believer.
They said, “No.” At that point, he said, "Lot is in that
village (and he is a believer).”
In Suratul-^Ankabut, verse 32, we are told that the
angels said, “We know who is in that village, and we

97
The Honorable Prophets of God

shall save Prophet Lot and his believing followers. The


wife of Lot will not be saved. She will receive the torture,
because she was a blasphemer." They added, "O
Abraham, leave talking about that subject. The orders of
God were given to inflict the torture on those people, and
that which God willed cannot be stopped."
Then the angels left from the home of Abraham,
towards the city of Lot. They came in as guests of Lot.
Lot felt very worried because of their arrival. He feared
what the people would do to those men, especially when
he saw their level of beauty and the goodness of their
shapes. He said, "This is a difficult day."
The wife of Lot helped the people of Sadum to
perform sodomy. Lot’s wife betrayed him and continued
to help her people sin. Although she was an evil woman,
she never betrayed Lot by committing adultery. Lot’s
wife went out and told her people that Lot had received
guests. She told the people that she had never seen
anyone more beautiful than these ones. The people
quickly came to Lot’s home, wanting to commit sodomy
with the guests.
Lot told the people what is said in Surat Hud, verse 78
that means, “O my people come and marry my daughters.
Do not attempt to commit this ugly sodomy." He added,
"Be God-fearing and do not attack or disturb my guests.
Is there not a wise man among you that would guide you
to the proper behavior?" They told him, "We do not need
your daughters, and you know what we want."
Prophet Lot was extremely mature and wise. Prophet
Lot wished for a group of people to support him because
he did not have a group to back him against those people,
as is cited in Surat Hud, verse 80. The evil people were,

98
The Honorable Prophets of God

by this time, pushing on the door of the house of Prophet


Lot from the outside, demanding to get to those men.
At that point, Gabriel told Prophet Lot, "O Lot, we are
sent from your Lord. Open your door to them, and no
harm shall reach you from them." Prophet Lot knew now
that these were really angels. They were sent to test the
unjust people of Lot. Angel Gabriel asked God if he
could punish the people now.
Lot opened the door. When the people came in,
Gabriel hit them with his wing, and caused them all to
become blind. Their eyes became totally gone without a
trace of an eye left. They left fearful, screaming that in
the house of Lot are the strongest magicians on Earth.
They started threatening Lot by saying, “Wait until
morning comes in and you will see what we are going to
do with you.”
Then the angels told Prophet Lot, "Take your family
away from here during the night, and let none of you
look behind. The torture shall befall them in the
morning." Prophet Lot expressed that he wished the
torture came to them earlier. They said, "Is the morning
not soon enough?" The believers were not to look behind
them, so as not to see the intensity of the torture hitting
their people.

The Torture of the Blasphemers

Prophet Lot left with his wife and two daughters.


When the morning came, the torture was sent on his
people. Angel Gabriel raised their five cities and turned
them upside down. This was for those who were inside

99
The Honorable Prophets of God

the cities. As for those who were outside, God made


stones of cooked, burning clay, with markings on them
rain down on them. These stones rained consistently.
Each stone bore the name of the person it was to hit.
That destroyed all of them. At that point, Lot’s wife
turned around and called out for her people, expressing
pity for them. A stone hit, and killed her. God saved Lot
and his daughters.
In Surah Hud, verses 82 and 83, we know the torture
that came down on the people of Lot. Angel Gabriel,
with one feather of one of his 600 wings, pulled the
entire five villages out, like one wrenching out a thing.
Angel Gabriel took all that to the first heaven. The
angels of the first heaven heard their screams, the
crowing of their roosters, and the barking of their dogs.
Then, angel Gabriel turned it all upside down. A strong
scream roared throughout the sky that ruptured the hearts
of those wicked people, within their chests.
It is said that the five cities of Lot were Sadum,
Say^ah, ^Amrah, Dumah, and Sa^wah. The largest of all
was Sadum (Sodom).
By the time the sun rose, all the villages were
destroyed. Prophet Lot was patient with the fact that his
wife did not believe and was destroyed. Her name was
Walihah. The scholar, Hakim, said in his book
“Mustadrak” that Ibn ^Abbas explained verse 10 of
Suratut-Tahrim as follows: “The wives of Prophets Noah
and Lot betrayed them. This does not mean that they
committed adultery, but that Noah’s wife said that Noah
was crazy, and Lot’s wife told her people about the
guests they received, so her people could sodomize
them.”

100
The Honorable Prophets of God

Hakim said that Lot was beautiful, with a white face,


thin nose, small ears, long fingers, a lovely mouth, and
the best of the smiles. We ask God to meet the great
Prophet Lot.

101
The Honorable Prophets of God

Chapter 11: PROPHET ISHMAEL


(ISMA^IL),
blessings and peace be upon him

Ishmael (Isma^il) is the Prophet of God, who is the


son of the Prophet of God, Abraham.

Ishmael and Hagar are Left in Makkah

Abraham took Ishmael and his mother, Hagar, to the


land of Ash-Sham (Palestine), along with his wife Sarah.
Then Prophet Abraham received the Revelation to take
only Ishmael and Hagar to Makkah. Prophet Abraham
put them in a location that is inside the boundaries of
Masjidul-Haram (the holy mosque of Makkah with the
Ka^bah in it) as it stands today.
Yet at that time there were no evident buildings there.
The Ka^bah had been there until the flood of Noah, but
the Ka^bah came down in that flood. No people were
living there and there was no water source.
Abraham left his two dear ones, in that barren area,
with a bag of dates and a leather bag filled with water.
Then, Prophet Abraham left and went back to Palestine.
Hagar (the mother of Ishmael) followed him.
She said, “O Abraham, where are you going, leaving
us in this valley that has no water, food, companions, or
anything?” She kept saying that repeatedly to him.
When she realized he was not answering, she said, “Is it

102
The Honorable Prophets of God

that God ordered you to do this?” He said, “Yes.” She


said, “Then we will not be lost.” Then, she returned.
When Prophet Abraham reached a location where
Hagar and Ishmael could not see him any more, Abraham
turned and faced the location where the Ka^bah stands
today. He lifted his hands and made a supplication to
God.
This is the meaning of verse 37 of Surat Ibrahim.
Prophet Abraham addressed God, “O our Lord, I have
settled part of my family in a valley that does not have
any cultivation, by the House of God, to perform the
prayers and worship. O God make people with loving
hearts come to them and give them sustenance to be
thankful to You”.
Abraham did not leave Hagar and Ishmael out of
harshness. He deeply loved these two dear ones.
Abraham left them upon the order of God. Prophet
Abraham loved God most. He obeyed God at all times.
Hagar started nursing Ishmael, drinking from the
water, and eating from the dates. When the water ran out
from that container, she and her blessed son became
thirsty. She observed him struggle from thirst. She hated
to see her son in that situation. So, she left and went
towards a mountain closest to her called Mount As-Safa.
Hagar climbed the mountain and looked over the
valley to see if there was anyone there. She did not see
anyone. So, she climbed down that mountain. When she
reached the valley, she raised her dress and trekked her
way through the valley, the way an exhausted person
would do, until she crossed that valley and reached a
corresponding mountain called Mount Marwah. Then,

103
The Honorable Prophets of God

she went on that mountain and looked to see if she could


see anyone. She did not.
Hagar did that seven times. The Prophet said in what
was related by Al- Bukhariyy that this is why Muslims
perform As-Sa^y between As-Safa and Al-Marwah.
When she reached the last lap, she heard a sound. She
silenced herself and listened carefully.

An Angel Comes as a Mercy to Hagar

Hagar called out, “If you can rescue us, then I have
heard your sound.” She saw an angel. He drilled into the
ground until water came out. She made a basin for that
water. She put it into her container any water that
collected inside the basin. This was replenished from its
source.
Because Hagar made a basin, the water was contained
and did not flow freely on the ground. Prophet
Muhammad, peace and blessing be upon him, said, “May
God endow the mother of Isma^il with His Mercy. Had
she left the water flowing, without containing it into a
basin, the well of Zamzam would have been flowing on
the surface of the Earth, and people would have taken
their needs from it.”
Hagar drank and nursed her child. The angel said,
“Do not fear. You will neither be lost nor be destroyed in
this location.” The angel told her that in this location her
son and his father would build a House of God, and that
God does not make those who are pious get lost.
It is interesting to note that all the Muslims that make
Hajj, from the most high on down, reenact the

104
The Honorable Prophets of God

movements of Lady Hagar. Look at her social status.


Hagar was a woman slave. Despite that, every Muslim,
both men and women, reenact her movements. Many
lessons are contained in this, for those who have hearts to
understand.

The Establishment of the City of Makkah

Hagar and Ishmael remained as such for a period of


time, until people from the tribe of Jurhum passed by.
They came from the direction of Kada', a place south of
Makkah.
Those people saw a wandering bird, circling in the
sky, not landing but wanting to come down. They said,
“This is a sign of water in that location”. This is what
birds do when they fly over water. The tribesmen found
this interesting; for their knowledge of that valley was
that it was without water. They sent one or two men to
check it out, and those men saw the water.
They went to the mother of Ishmael and asked for
permission to stay with her. Hagar agreed, but she said
that the water was hers, and not under their control. They
accepted. They decided to reside in that location and sent
after their people to come join them.
A group of them resided there, and Ishmael grew up
among them. He learned the language of the Arabs from
them. During that time, Prophet Abraham regularly
visited Hagar and Ishmael. Prophet Abraham would ride
al-Buraq, an animal of Paradise, leaving the land of Ash-
Sham early in the morning. He would arrive in Makkah
quickly enough that he would take his siesta there. Then

105
The Honorable Prophets of God

he would leave Makkah, arriving that night to sleep in the


land of Ash-Sham.

Prophet Abraham was Ordered to Slaughter


Ishmael

Ishmael grew up to an age where Prophet Abraham


felt hopeful that he would see a lot of goodness from
him, in terms of obedience to and worship of God. When
Ishmael grew up to be a young man, with the signs of
intelligence on him and the readiness to obey, God
subjected Prophet Abraham to a difficult test. Then was
the first son of Abraham, a son so loved and cherished by
him, and yet Abraham was ordered to end the life of this
awaited child. God subjected Prophet Abraham to this
difficult test to expose to Abraham, and us, the quickness
on the part of Abraham to obey God.
Abraham had a dream that he was slaughtering his
son. Abraham knew that this was an order from God, as
the dreams of the Prophets are part of Revelation.
Abraham told his son to bring a rope and a knife, and
to come with him, on a certain route of Makkah. On their
way, Satan appeared to them, wanting to block Abraham
from fulfilling the order of God.
Prophet Abraham threw pebbles at him. This is where
the Muslims throw pebbles during Hajj. The significance
contained in our act is that if the devil appears to us, as
he appeared to Prophet Abraham, we shall degrade,
reject, and throw pebbles at him like Abraham did.
When Satan became hopeless of distracting Abraham,
he appeared to Ishmael, who was carrying the rope and

106
The Honorable Prophets of God

the knife behind Prophet Abraham. Satan said, “Young


man, do you know where your father is taking you?” He
said, “To get wood for our family from that route.” (This
is what he thought.) The devil said to him, “By God, he
only wants to slaughter you.” Ishmael asked, “Why?”
The devil said, “He claims that his Lord ordered him to
do that.” Ishmael said, “Then let him do that which his
Lord ordered him to do.”
When Ishmael did not listen to the devil, he went to
Ishmael’s mother and told her, “Do you know where
Abraham took Ishmael? She said, “He went to bring us
wood”. The devil told her, “He only took him there to
slaughter him.” She said, “No, he is very loving to his
son and too merciful to slaughter him.” The devil said,
“He claims God ordered him to do that.” She said, “If
this was the order of God, then we are subject to the
orders of God.”
The enemy of God, Satan, left as a loser, not
achieving anything from Abraham, Ishmael, or Hagar.
By the Will of God they did not listen to him. They
unanimously stood obedient to the orders of God.
When Prophet Abraham was alone with his son on
that route, which is known as the route of Thabir,
Prophet Abraham addressed his son by saying, “I have
seen in my dream that I am slaughtering you, so what do
you have to say?” He said, “O father, do that which you
are ordered and, God willing, you will find me patient.”
Then Ishmael said, “O father, if you want to slaughter
me, and then tie me well so that none of my blood would
splash you, because the pains of death are strong and I
probably would shake under the throes of death (for
death has a lot of pain). Sharpen your blade to be quicker

107
The Honorable Prophets of God

in finishing me. When you want to slaughter me, do it in


a way that you cannot see my face, and that I do not see
the blade (and get scared as a result). If you want to take
my clothing back to my mother to make it easier for her,
then do so.”
Prophet Abraham told him, “You are such a good
assistant to me in carrying out the orders of God!”
Abraham tied Ishmael down and sharpened his blade, as
Ishmael suggested. Abraham made sure not to look at
Ishmael’s face, and he placed the blade on his throat.

The Sacrifice from Paradise

At that point an angel called Abraham and told him,


“O Abraham, you have fulfilled the orders of God.” The
angel told him “Take this sacrifice instead of your son”,
as it is cited in Suratus-Saffat 107.
Instead of Ishmael being slaughtered, a hefty lamb
with horns and red wool was slaughtered. The lamb had
grazed in Paradise for forty years. God made that lamb
come down to Earth, and Prophet Abraham slaughtered it
in Mina. This is the reason people slaughter a sacrifice at
that place in Hajj. The people making the pilgrimage
spend of their money to buy an animal and the meat of
that animal is given to the poor of Makkah.
The two horns of that lamb from Paradise hung on the
Ka^bah for the people to see for many hundreds of years.
They were still there when Prophet Muhammad lived,
and continued to be there until the rulership of ^Abdullah
Ibnuz-Zubayr. At that time the Blessed House was set on
fire by the unjust. These two horns burned in that fire.

108
The Honorable Prophets of God

The Wives of Prophet Ishmael

When Ishmael grew older, the tribe of Jurhum liked


what they saw of him. When he became adolescent, they
had him marry one of their women. Also, Lady Hagar
died. After Ishmael got married, his father Prophet
Abraham came to check their situation. He did not find
Prophet Ishmael at home. Abraham asked the wife of
Ishmael about him. She said, “He went out hunting for
us.” Then Abraham inquired about their situation and
their way of living. She started complaining, saying that
they were humans facing great hardships. She did not
realize that she was talking to her husband's father.
Prophet Abraham told her, “Once your husband comes
back, give him my salutations, and tell him to 'change the
step at his door'.”
When Ishmael came back, he felt that someone came
to visit them. He asked his wife, “Did anyone come?”
She told him, “Yes, an older man came, and his
description is such and such, and he asked about you. I
answered him, and he asked about how we were
managing. I told him that we are facing a great hardship.”
Ishmael said, “Did he give you advice?” She said, “Yes,
he asked me to give you his greeting, and he said that you
should change the step at your door.” At that, Ishmael
said, “That was my father. He ordered me to separate
from you, so go to your parents.” Ishmael divorced her,
and married another woman from that tribe.
Prophet Abraham visited again after a period of time.
He did not find Ishmael. He asked the new wife about

109
The Honorable Prophets of God

him. She said, “He went out hunting for food.” Abraham
asked her, “How are you doing, and how is your standard
of living?” She said, “We are doing fine, and we are
living well.” She started praising God. Abraham said,
“What kind of food do you eat?” She said, “Meat.” He
said, “What do you drink?” She said, “Water.” He said,
“O God, bless their meat and their water.”
Prophet Muhammad said that they did not have grains
there, and if they had, then Prophet Abraham would have
asked God to bless their grain as well.
Then Abraham told the wife of Ishmael, “Once your
husband returns, give him my greeting, and order him to
keep the step at his door.” When Ishmael came back, he
asked his new wife “Did anyone come?” She said, “Yes,
an older man came,” and she described and praised him.
“He asked me about you and I told him. He asked me
about how we are living, and I told him that we were
living well.” He said, “Did he give you any advice?”
She said, “Yes, he asked me to give you his greeting, and
he orders you to keep the step at your door.” He said,
“That was my father, and you are the step. He ordered
me to hold on to you.”

Prophets Abraham and Ishmael Rebuild the


Ka^bah

Prophet Abraham went away for a time and came


back. At that time, Ishmael was working on his arrows,
sharpening them under a large tree, close-by to Zamzam
water. When he saw his father, he stood up to receive

110
The Honorable Prophets of God

him, and they greeted one another in the loving way of


father and son.
Abraham said, “O Ishmael, God ordered me to do
something.” Ishmael said, “Do what God ordered you.”
Abraham said, “Would you assist me?” Ishmael said,
“Yes.”
Abraham said, “God ordered me to build a house over
there.” Abraham pointed to where the Ka^bah is today.
Abraham and Ishmael laid down the foundations for the
house, building the Ka^bah as we explained in the
chapter about Prophet Abraham. Ishmael would bring
the stones and Prophet Abraham would construct, until
they finished building the Ka^bah.

One Branch of Arabs

Ishmael’s second wife was Lady Ra^lah, the daughter


of Mudad, from the tribe of Jurhum. She delivered
twelve (12) male children for him. From them came
Nabit and Qaydar, and from these two in particular, God
made that group of Arabs multiply.
Ishmael is the grandfather of the branch of the Arabs
that are called al-Musta^ribah as opposed to al-^Aribah.
The Arabs are of two branches. The Arabs of Yemen
are of the Arabs who are al-^Aribah (the original Arabs).
However, the branch of the Arabs who are offspring of
Prophet Ishmael are called the Arabs who are al-
Musta^ribah (literally this means ‘those who became
Arabs’). Prophet Muhammad is from al-Musta^ribah.

111
The Honorable Prophets of God

The children of Ishmael are ‘those who became Arab’


because the father of Ishmael was not an Arab, and
Ishmael was not an Arab either. Ishmael was then raised
in Makkah and married an Arab woman. Ishmael’s
children married Arabs. Ishmael acquired the Arabic
language and was the first among his people to speak
Arabic at its best.
God made Ishmael a Messenger to the many Arab
tribes in that region. It is said that he died in Makkah,
and was buried there in Al-Hijr, where his noble mother
was buried.

112
The Honorable Prophets of God

Chapter 12: PROPHET ISAAC (ISHAQ),


blessings and peace be upon him

Isaac (Ishaq) is a Prophet of God, who is the son of a


Prophet of God. Prophet Muhammad praised Isaac in a
hadith. The Prophet said that Joseph (Yusuf) was a
genuinely generous person, as was his father Jacob
(Ya^qub), as was his father, Isaac (Ishaq), as was his
father Abraham (Ibrahim). Our Prophet praised all four
of these Prophets, saying that they were genuinely
generous.
They were the only four consecutive Prophets, (father,
son, grandson, and great-grandson).
Prophet Isaac was sent to the people of the Sham area
(includes present day Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and
Palestine). God revealed verse 113 of Suratus-Saffat.
This verse means that God gave Abraham the good news
of the coming of Isaac, and that he would be highly
pious. God blessed Abraham, Isaac, and people from
their children. God told that among their children were
people who were fair to themselves, upright, and some
were unfair to themselves and blasphemed.
When the young Isaac grew, Prophet Abraham told
his son that he liked for him to marry a relative of theirs.
Isaac married his cousin, by the name of Rafqah, the
daughter of Batwil. Although for some time Rafqah was
barren, later she delivered for him male twins, ^Is and
Ya^qub (Jacob). Isaac had asked God to let her have
children, and God fulfilled the request of Isaac.

113
The Honorable Prophets of God

It is stated that ^Is, the son of Isaac, married the


daughter of Isma^il, who delivered a son named Ar-Rum.
Some claim that the Romans are the descendants of this
son. This is not a confirmed matter.
Isaac is cited several times in the Holy Qur’an. In
Surah Sad, 45-7 God confirmed the Prophethood of
Isaac. Also, Isaac is cited in Suratun-Nisa’ and Suratul-
Baqarah.
Isaac was a fine Prophet of God, conveying the
message of goodness, like all the other Prophets. Isaac
reminded the people of the purpose of this life. He
taught them the rules of the great, true Religion of Islam.
He told the people of Paradise for some and Hellfire for
others, just as the other Prophets did.
Isaac lived, preaching Islam, for 180 years. He died in
the land of ash-Sham. He was buried next to his father in
the same cave where Abraham and Sarah were buried, in
Al-Khalil (Hebron), Palestine.

114
The Honorable Prophets of God

Chapter 13: PROPHET SHU^AYB,


blessings and peace be upon him

Shu^ayb is one of the Prophets of God who is cited


ten times in the Qur'an. Aspects of the story of Shu^ayb
are stated in verses 85-93 of Suratul-‘A^raf and verses
84-95 of Surah Hud. He was an Arab. Some scholars
said that he was the son of Prophet Lot’s daughter.
Others said that he was among the offspring of Prophet
Abraham. One lineage given for Shu^ayb is the
following: He is the son of Mikil, the son of Yashjar, the
son of Madyan, the son of Abraham. (How could he be
An Arab when he was the son of Abraham? Is Madyan a
direct son of Abraham from other than Sarah? If true,
was this woman an Arab?)
God sent him to the people of Madyan. He lived
among these people who knew him well. Despite living
among them, Prophet Shu^ayb never participated in the
evil practices that his people were committing. Then
God gave him Revelation, and Prophet Shu^ayb called
the people to Islam.

Prophet Shu^ayb is Sent to Tree-Worshippers

We know from the Qur’an that the people of Shu^ayb


were called “ashabul-aykah,” which means “the people
of the thick, heavy trees.” Out of extreme ignorance and
blasphemy, they worshipped one big tree, which was in a
grove of other trees. These people were very renowned

115
The Honorable Prophets of God

traders. They spoke Arabic. They lived in Madyan, a


city of the Hijaz, to the north of Madinah, close to the
Gulf of ^Aqabah. This city of Madyan was close to the
lake of the people of Prophet Lot. It is mentioned in the
Qur’an in Surah Hud, verse 89, that the people of Lot
were not far from the people of Madyan.
As we said, according to a narration, the man Madyan
(that the city is named after) was the son of Prophet
Abraham. Madyan and his people were Muslim,
worshipping God. Yet, after some time, the people of the
region started to blaspheme and become evil. They got
wealthy and gave up worshipping God.
Their trading was extensive. They would go to
Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Egypt. They built up a lot of
wealth, through unfair dealings. When they made an
agreement to sell an amount to another, they would give
less than what they agreed. When they made an
agreement to buy a certain amount, they would take more
than agreed. In addition, they terrorized the travelers by
waiting for a caravan to pass, then raiding it, taking the
goods unrightfully.
God made them rich, with this money taken
unrightfully, and put them to the test. God made
Shu^ayb, a person of their own people, a Prophet.
Prophet Shu^ayb told them to stop worshipping that tree,
and be Muslim, worshipping their Creator only. As well,
Prophet Shu^ayb ordered them to give up gaining money
in an unlawful way. Verse 84 in Surat Hud indicates that
Prophet Shu^ayb advised his people to worship God only,
and not to fall short in weighing while transacting. He
confirmed that they lived well off and he feared a great

116
The Honorable Prophets of God

torture would befall them. Very few people accepted the


message of Prophet Shu^ayb and became Muslim.

Prophet Shu^ayb Spoke Beautifully

Prophet Shu^ayb advised his people, as stated in the


Qur'an. Prophet Shu^ayb spoke and advised in such a
good way that he was known as the 'orator of the
Prophets'. He was articulate, elegant, and rich in his
speech. Shu^ayb would say a short statement, yet it was
full of meaning and impact.
However, his people did not accept this richness, and
indulged in injustice. Most of them walked away from
belief, and exaggerated in injustice. They did not think
that Shu^ayb had a powerful influence, due to the small
number of people following him.
In Surat Hud, verse 91, there is an indication that
those people addressed Prophet Shu^ayb, telling him,
“We find you weak among us; few people followed you
in your Religion. If it were not for your tribe, we would
have stoned you. You are a man that we do not regard as
dear to us.” This verse neither means that they found
him physically weak in a manner that people would
humiliate him, nor that he had a defect or a handicap like
blindness, etc., by which people would consider him
weak as a result.
The scholars of interpretation explained that it is not
befitting to attribute physical weakness to the Prophets,
as Abu Hayyan explained in his book ‘Al-Bahr al-Muhit’.
Hence, the meaning of the word “da^ifan” in this verse of
the Qur’an, which means “weak”, is that only a few

117
The Honorable Prophets of God

people followed Shu^ayb in his Religion. Hence, the


people called him “weak”.
They told him, “If it was not for your tribe, we would
have pelted you until death, because we do not hold
ourselves from killing you personally. Rather, it is for
the sake of your tribe that we did not kill you.”
Consequently, they did not respond to him positively,
although his words to them were among the most
articulate of words, and the highest in meanings. His
clarity and articulation was so strong, that even a dull
person who lacked intelligence, as well as the intelligent
people, could understand the meanings of his words.
Still, his people would not listen to him.

Verse 89 of Suratul-‘A^raf says that Prophet Shu^ayb


told his people, “If we (he and his followers) were to
embrace your (false) religion, then this would be
injustice. May God save us from that”. Prophet Shu^ayb
never followed the false religion of worshipping a tree.
Prophet Shu^ayb was Muslim all his life, just like all the
other Prophets.

God Punishes Those Who Did not Follow Prophet


Shu^ayb

God hit them with an extreme heat that hindered their


breathing. They went into their houses to escape the
heat, but the heat followed them into their houses. They
left their houses escaping towards the open woods. God
sent a cloud that shaded them from the sun. They
experienced coolness, and they felt relaxed. They called

118
The Honorable Prophets of God

one another, until all of them gathered under that cloud.


When they all gathered underneath it, God brought out of
it a flaming fire that fell on them. Then Angel Gabriel
screamed at them. All of them were destroyed. God
protected Shu^ayb and those who were with him.
This is the torture of "yawmudh-dhullah," (the day of
the shade) which is cited in the Qur'an in the verse 189
of Suratush-Shu^ara'.
We ask God, that we hear the good speech of Prophet
Shu^ayb in the Hereafter.

119
The Honorable Prophets of God

Chapter 14: PROPHET JACOB


(YA^QUB),
blessings and peace be upon him

Prophet Jacob (Ya^qub) is the son of Isaac (Ishaq), the


son of Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim). Prophet Jacob is also
called Isra’il (Israel). The name Isra’il means
“^Abdullah” (the slave of God).
Prophet Jacob married two sisters, who were his
maternal cousins. They were two daughters of his uncle
on his mother’s side. Marrying two sisters at the same
time was permissible in his set of rules from God.
(According to the rules given to Prophet Muhammad,
men cannot marry two sisters at the same time.)
Prophet Jacob had 12 sons total from these two wives
and from two women slaves he owned. (Again, in the
time of Prophet Jacob it was permissible for the man to
have sexual intercourse with slave women whom he
owned.
From these twelve sons the twelve tribes of Israel
came. Their names are Rubil, Sham^un, Lawi, Yahudha,
Zabalun, Lashhar, Yusuf (Joseph), Binyamin (Benjamin),
Dan, Naftali, Jad, and Ashar. All the children of Israel
come from these twelve sons and their children.
We tell more about Prophet Jacob, in the story of his
son, Prophet Joseph (Yusuf).

120
The Honorable Prophets of God

Chapter 15: PROPHET JOSEPH


(YUSUF) and PROPHET BENJAMIN
(BINYAMIN),
blessings and peace be upon them

Joseph (Yusuf) and Benjamin (Binyamin) were


brothers with the same mother. Their mother, Rahil, first
had Joseph. Then she died giving birth to Benjamin.
Jacob (Ya^qub) paid special attention to those two sons,
Joseph and Benjamin, due to that they lost their mother,
and that they had a high degree of obedience and good
manners. The other ten brothers envied those two
because of this special attention they received from their
father.
Jacob and his children lived in the country of
Palestine. One time, when he was about 12 years old,
Joseph saw a dream,. He saw the sun, moon and 11 stars
were prostrating to him. Joseph told his father about his
dream. Prophet Jacob told Joseph “Do not tell your
brothers about this dream, so that they do not harm you
out of envy. The devil is a severe enemy to the human.”
Despite the warning of Prophet Jacob, the news of the
dream got to Joseph’s brothers. When they got this news
of the dream, this added to their envy and hatred for
Joseph.

121
The Honorable Prophets of God

Jealous Brothers

These brothers discussed the matter, and said, “The


son of Rahil wants leadership among us. This is why he
said he had this dream.” Some wanted to kill him, but
Yahudha said “No”. Then he took an oath from the
brothers that they would not kill Joseph, but to take him
to an open land and leave him there so he could not get
back to their father.
They went to their father and said, “Let Joseph come
with us tomorrow, while we graze the animals. Joseph
can play while we do that.” Prophet Jacob said, “I do not
like Joseph to leave me. I fear if you take him that you
would get busy, not paying attention to Joseph, and the
wolf would eat Joseph.” The brothers kept insisting until
Prophet Jacob sent Joseph along with them. Prophet
Jacob thought if he said “No”, they would scheme more
about Joseph.
When they reached the open land, with a well, they
threw Joseph to the ground and took off his shirt. Joseph
asked innocently “Why did you take my shirt? I need it
to cover my body. They said, “Why don’t you call the
sun, the moon, and the 11 stars to help you and keep you
company? They put him in the well. When he reached
down, they let him go from the rope. Joseph fell to the
bottom of the well. They did that wanting to kill Joseph,
hoping that he would die as a result of the fall. However,
the well had water in it, and Joseph did not die.
At the base of the wells of that time, were cleaning
platforms. Joseph got to and sat on that platform. God

122
The Honorable Prophets of God

imparted the knowledge to Joseph that a day would come


on which he would face his brothers again, without them
even knowing that they were facing him.
Then, the brothers called out to Joseph, checking to
see if he died. Joseph hoped that it was a call of rescue,
so he responded to them. Instead of helping Joseph, now
that they knew he was alive, they threw stones at him.
The brother who had originally said not to kill Joseph,
stopped those brothers from that. This well is in
Palestine and is called Jubb.
After all of those ill deeds, the brothers stained
Joseph’s shirt with the blood of a baby lamb. Then those
brothers, in their plotting and scheming, decided to wait
until the night to go to their father, Jacob, with the
bloodstained shirt. They chose the nighttime, thinking
that the darkness would conceal their lying to their father.
They came to their father Jacob at night, crying and
screaming. Jacob asked them why they were in that
condition. They said, “We went to play and race. We
left Joseph with our belongings. When we turned around
and looked at Joseph, we saw that a wolf had eaten him
and only his shirt was left.” They presented the shirt of
Joseph to their honorable father. Prophet Jacob was very
wise, and knew that they were lying. He looked at that
bloody shirt, and saw it was not at all torn. Jacob told
them wisely, “According to your story, how gentle that
wolf was, that he would eat my son without ripping his
shirt.”
Jacob told them, “You have conspired, and did
something which your selves desired, and I will be
patient.” (Yusuf, 18)

123
The Honorable Prophets of God

The Capture of Joseph

It is cited that Joseph stayed in the well for three days


waiting for the mercy of God. After those three days, a
caravan passed by. One of the people in the caravan was
nominated to fetch water from the well. He lowered his
bucket into the well. When that occurred, Joseph hung
on to the bucket, and the man pulled Joseph out of the
well. That person was delighted because he found this
beautiful young man alone. He wanted to carry Joseph to
Egypt to sell him and get some money. He planned to
claim that Joseph was a slave that he owned and then to
sell him.
When his comrades saw Joseph, they asked to go into
partnership with him. They wanted to limit it to them, so
the rest of the caravan would not get a share. They
claimed that the custodians of the well had owned him
and that they had asked them to take him to Egypt and
sell him on their behalf.
One of the brothers of Joseph returned to the well to
give food to Joseph. This brother saw Joseph out of the
well with that man. This brother went back to the other
brothers and told them about this. All the brothers,
except Benjamin, came to Joseph. They told the man
that had Joseph, “This is a slave of ours that ran away.”
They took money from the man (saying that they were
selling Joseph to him). They took so little money from
the man for Joseph, that it was not weighed. It was just
counted and given. (Yusuf, 19-20)

124
The Honorable Prophets of God

Then the caravan men took Joseph to Egypt. There,


they put Joseph in the marketplace, where people bid for
slaves. The people were amazed by the beauty of Joseph,
and started competing a lot to get him. A very wealthy
man there, by the name of Qutfir, bought Joseph. Qutfir
had the title of “ the ^Aziz”. He was the treasurer of
Egypt, controlling the resources and expenditures. The
king of Egypt, that Qutfir was under, was Rayyan, the
son of Walid. It is said that this king did not die until he
believed in Joseph.
When Qutfir brought Joseph to his house, he told his
wife, “Be generous to him, so that he would be of benefit
to us when he grows up. Maybe we would take him as a
son.” It was claimed that this man Qutfir did not have
sexual intercourse with women.
Joseph stayed with them, with the people considering
him to be an owned slave. God gave Prophet Joseph a lot
of beauty. Prophet Muhammad said that he had “half of
the beauty”. The wife of the ^Aziz was named Ra’il. It is
also said that she had the name Zalikhah. Ra’il was very
beautiful, with a high social status. She was very pleased
to have Joseph, for she had no children. Joseph was
privileged in the household. Qutfir made him in charge
of all the servants of the house, and they bestowed a lot
of generosity upon Joseph. God saved Joseph from the
darkness of the well, and gave him a comfortable setting.

A Woman Tries to Seduce

After Joseph had grown into such a handsome man,


Ra’il fell in love with him. She had an overwhelming

125
The Honorable Prophets of God

desire to have a sexual affair with Joseph. It is reported


that her husband had never had sexual intercourse with
her.
One day, with Joseph being about seventeen years of
age, Ra’il made a plan. She dressed up and decorated
herself, then shut the doors of a room with Joseph. She
tried to seduce Joseph and get him to fornicate with her.
Joseph said, “I seek refuge with God”. Joseph told her,
“God generously gave me good mannerisms and I would
never do such a thing with you. Those who are unjust
will not succeed. This is abhorrent and serious injustice.”
(Yusuf, 23)
When he refused, she tried to hold on to him and force
him to do the deed. God inspired Joseph to not fight with
her, because if her clothes got torn, later people may see
that, and believe that he attacked her. Instead Joseph
turned from her, without fighting her, and ran to the door
to leave. She grabbed him, and tore his shirt from the
back.
God preserved Prophet Joseph from committing this
sin at the age of 17. After this incident, God bestowed
Prophethood on Joseph at the age of 40. Prophets are
protected from committing such a sin, before and after
Prophethood. There is a verse in Suratu Yusuf that
means, “If God had not protected Joseph from such sins
(by making him a Prophet), he would have been swept
into that sin”.
Some bad interpreters lie about Prophet Joseph. In
their ignorance and evil they accuse Prophet Joseph of
having loosened his pants and wanting to do the sin, but
that then he saw his father biting on his fingers
prohibiting him from that. Then they say, due to that,

126
The Honorable Prophets of God

that Joseph did not complete the act. This is a big lie
about Joseph.
A good scholar named Abu Hayyan wrote a book
called “Al-Bahrul-Muhit”. In it this scholar vehemently
denounced those who put forth this lie about Joseph. He
said, “It is not permissible to accuse someone
unrightfully of an enormous sin. Joseph did not attempt
this sin at all. As stated in the verse, God protected
Joseph from even wanting to do such a sin. Those
sayings which people attribute to the Salaf (the followers
of Prophet Muhammad of the first 300 years of this
nation), claiming that Joseph did this, are fabrications,
and none of it is valid. These stories are lies. These
accusations that they make against Joseph, if made
against another Muslim, would degrade a Muslim who
does commit enormous sins. What about saying these
things about a Muslim who became a Prophet? Prophets
are impeccable, and never commit such sins.”
While in the situation of having his shirt torn, and
trying to escape, Qutfir opened the door and saw the
scene. Quickly Ra’il said, “This man Joseph wanted to
commit fornication with your wife. I pushed him away
and I tore his shirt. What would you do with him
(implying that Joseph deserves punishment)?” Joseph
said, “No, rather she tried to seduce me! I refused and I
went to the door to get away from her. She caught up
with me and tore my shirt.”
The cousin of the ^Aziz was with him. This cousin
said, “If Joseph’s shirt is torn from the front, she is
truthful and Joseph is a liar. If it is torn from behind,
then he is truthful and she is a liar.” (Yusuf, 26)

127
The Honorable Prophets of God

According to another narration, it was a small babe that


spoke those words, a family member of Ra’il.
The ^Aziz saw that Joseph’s shirt was torn from the
back. Qutfir knew that the news of this incident leaking
out to the public would be very embarrassing for all three
of them. Then the ^Aziz said to his wife, “This is a result
of the scheming that most of the women do. You
accused Joseph in order to cover up your own bad deed.
Ask forgiveness of your sin. You were sinful.” Then
Qutfir said to Joseph, “O Joseph, do not mention this to
anyone”.
Nonetheless, some of the news of this incident got to
the women friends of the wife of the ^Aziz and the
women started to talk about the incident. The women
mocked Ra’il, due to that she lusted after one whom they
thought was a young, lowly slave. They had not seen
Joseph yet.
The wife of the ^Aziz got news of this whispering of
her women friends. Ra’il wanted to pay them back for
their gossip. The wife of the ^Aziz got the idea to invite
these women to her home. She prepared a sitting place
for the women and gave them fruits and knives. When
the women started cutting the fruits, the wife of the ^Aziz
had Joseph come into the room with the women. When
they looked up and saw his beauty, they became so
entranced that they began to cut their hands with the
knives without noticing. They exclaimed, “This is not a
human, but a generous angel!” At that, the wife of the
^Aziz told them, “This is the man about whom you blame
me. I tried to seduce him, but he refused.”

128
The Honorable Prophets of God

Joseph is Put in Prison Unjustly

Then the wife of the ^Aziz, out of evil plotting, said,


“If Joseph does not do what I order him to do, I will have
him put in prison”. Joseph said, “The prison is more dear
to me than sinning.” Joseph made supplication (du^a’) to
God to relieve him from the scheming of the women, and
to make him pure from sin. God fulfilled Joseph’s
supplication.
Then, Ra’il said to her husband, the ^Aziz, again lying,
“Joseph, this Hebrew slave, made me scandalous among
the people, because he spoke about the incident of
attempted seduction. Imprison him!”
Although the ^Aziz had liked Joseph, he wanted the
accusations against his wife to settle down. Hence,
Qutfir had Joseph imprisoned for no valid reason.
Immediately, Joseph started to show his excellence to
the people in the prison. Everyone was impressed with
his good manners, sincerity, trustworthiness, and beauty.
Two young men, among those who accompanied the king
of that time went to prison with Prophet Joseph. One of
the men was a baker for the king and the other prepared
the drinks for the king. Those two men had been put in
prison due to being accused of trying to poison the king.
These two men saw the worship of God that Joseph
performed in prison, and Joseph gained their trust. Then,
the two men found out that Joseph had been granted the
knowledge of the interpretation of dreams.
Each of these men had seen a dream, and both asked
Joseph to explain the meaning of their dreams. Prophet
Joseph did not immediately interpret their dreams.

129
The Honorable Prophets of God

Rather, he took the opportunity to talk to them about


Islam first. (Yusuf, 38)
He called them to the correct belief in God and His
Messengers. Joseph ordered them to worship God alone
and not to worship other than God.
Then Joseph explained the meaning of their dreams.
The baker had seen himself in the dream with three
baskets on his head, and birds were eating from the top
basket. The one who prepared drinks had seen three
grape vines in his dream, and he was squeezing juice
from those vines.
Joseph said to the one who saw the grape vines, “You
will get out of prison. After three days the king will send
for you and give you back your job.” Joseph said to the
baker, “As for you, after three days the king will send
for you, crucify you, and the birds will eat from your
head.” This is the meaning of what God made them see
in their dreams. (Yusuf, 41)
Joseph told the man who saw that he would be
released from prison, “When you get released, tell the
king about me and that I am imprisoned unjustly”.
When that man was released from prison, the devil
made him forget to mention Joseph to the king. Hence,
Prophet Joseph stayed in prison for seven more years.

The Dreams of the King

One day the king saw two dreams in one night that
made him disturbed and scared. The king had seen seven
fat cows coming out from the side of the sea, being

130
The Honorable Prophets of God

swallowed by seven thin, weak cows. The king awoke,


but then slept again. He saw seven green wheat plants
and seven that were dry. The seven dry wheat plants also
swallowed the seven green wheat plants. When the king
awoke from those dreams, he looked to find someone
who could satisfy him as to the meaning of these
disturbing dreams. All his advisors could not explain the
dreams.
The one in charge of drinks heard of these dreams,
and finally remembered Joseph. He said, “I can get you
the interpretation of your dreams. This is not through my
knowledge, but I know someone who knows the
interpretation of dreams. Send me to him”. The drink
pourer had asked to be sent to Prophet Joseph in the
prison.
The king had this drink pourer sent to Joseph in the
prison. The man told Joseph the dreams. Joseph told the
man the meaning of the dreams. Joseph said, “It means
that there will be seven fertile years, with rain and good
crops. You will plant every year in this seven years.
Hence, leave the wheat grains in the heads, except for the
amount that you need for eating. By doing this, the
wheat will be preserved. Store it. Then seven years of
infertility will come. You need to start eating the stored
food, eating first that which was oldest. Most of what
you have stored will be consumed. After that, a year of
rain will come, and the trees will bear fruits. You will
squeeze the juice from these fruits.” (Hajj Riad said: This
is a method of wheat storage being taught nowadays.
ASK H R)
When the drink pourer went back to the king and told
the king Joseph’s interpretation, he felt in his heart that

131
The Honorable Prophets of God

what Joseph said was true. The Pharaoh said, “Bring that
man to me”. When the messenger of the king came to
Joseph, to bring Joseph to the king, Joseph did not go at
first. Joseph wanted to meet the king, with the king
totally convinced ahead of time of his innocence. (Yusuf,
51)
Joseph said to the messenger, “Go back to your king
and ask him about the story of the women who cut their
hands. Have the king look into this story and know if I
was imprisoned rightfully or unrightfully.”
The king called those women who had cut their hands.
He asked them, “What is your story? What had
happened? (Yusuf, 51) They said, “By God, we did not
see any wrong doing from Joseph.” Those women
openly declared that Joseph was clear of what he was
accused. When the wife of the Aziz saw that God saved
Joseph, and that Joseph was now important to the king,
she confessed. She said, “Now the truth has appeared
and it stands out clearly. I tried to seduce Joseph. He did
not do anything to me.”

Joseph is Freed from the Prison, Cleared of the


Accusations

The king then knew the truth of the matter of Joseph.


The king was convinced that Joseph was innocent. The
king said, “Bring Joseph to me and he will benefit me”.
When Joseph arrived, the king said, “You have a high
and deep rooted status with us. We have seen great
manners from you and you are trustworthy.” The king
wanted Joseph close to him.

132
The Honorable Prophets of God

Prophet Joseph said, “Make me the treasurer over the


treasures of Egypt.” He asked for this office to
implement the rules revealed by God and to rule in a just
manner. He did not ask for it to show off, or for its
prestige. The king assigned Joseph with that
responsibility and discharged the ^Aziz, Qutfir.

Joseph is the Treasurer of Egypt

Joseph, in his powerful position, invited the people of


Egypt to Islam. Many people accepted, and he was well
loved by the people. Their love for Joseph increased
when they saw how well he filled his position. Joseph
was just, applying the rules of the Religion. The king
himself, at the hands of Joseph, embraced Islam, as was
cited by Mujahid , the student of Ibn ^Abbas.
When the seven fertile years came, Joseph stored the
wheat, as he had advised the king to do. Then the seven
years of drought came to Egypt and other areas as well.
The drought affected the area of Ash-Sham, where
Prophet Jacob and his sons were living. The word spread
to the land of Jacob that in Egypt there was food
available, under the charge of a kind, just treasurer.

The Brothers Come to Egypt

Prophet Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to buy food.


However he kept Benjamin with him. The sons of Jacob
went from Ash-Sham to Egypt to buy food from this just
treasurer. These sons did not have an idea that this

133
The Honorable Prophets of God

treasurer was their brother Joseph. When the brothers


came to Joseph, Joseph recognized his brothers, but they
did not recognize him.
Prophet Joseph made the brothers feel comfortable.
He talked with them, and managed to learn from his
brothers that they had a brother named Benjamin who
stayed back with their father. Joseph started encouraging
them to go back to Ash-Sham, and then come back to
Egypt, and to bring their brother Benjamin. Emphasizing
how accurate he was with his transactions with them, he
promised that if they did not bring their brother with
them, he would not give them food in the future.
Before the brothers left Egypt to go back to their
father with the food they purchased, Joseph ordered the
servants to put the money, which his brothers had paid,
back in their luggage without them knowing. Prophet
Joseph hoped that his brothers would like this surprise
and come back.
When the sons returned to their father Jacob, they told
him about what had happened. Of course, they did not
say they met Joseph, because they still did not know that
they had met him.
They told their father how the just treasurer wanted to
meet their brother Benjamin. Their father, Jacob, said to
them, “How could I entrust you with Benjamin when I
entrusted you with Joseph before and Joseph did not
return?”
Then they opened their luggage and found the money,
which they had paid. They told their father, “We have
met the best of men! Send our brother with us, so we can
go to that man again. We shall protect our brother. We

134
The Honorable Prophets of God

will bring the food to our people. We will gain one more
animal load as well, for the animal of Benjamin will
enable us to bring more food”.

The Brothers’ Second Trip to Egypt

Prophet Jacob sent Benjamin with them on their


second trip to Egypt after he took their promises that they
would protect him. The only justification for not
bringing back Benjamin would be if they all were
defeated at once.
Prophet Jacob told his sons that they should enter
Egypt from separate gates, and not all together. This was
to avoid being hit by the evil eye. They were beautiful in
appearance, and the sight of all of those beautiful sons
together could make for envy among the people.
The brothers went back to Egypt with Benjamin.
They went back to Prophet Joseph, and showed Joseph
that now they had also brought their brother Benjamin.
Joseph fed them and made them feel comfortable. They
were to sleep at the home of Joseph. Joseph wanted to
talk to Benjamin privately. So, he made the
accommodations arranged a certain way. Joseph gave
them mattresses to sleep on that were for two men. Since
there were 11 of them, one would be by himself. Hence,
Joseph said, “Let Benjamin sleep in my quarters, for he
does not have a space to sleep.”
When in the quarters of Joseph, Joseph began to talk
privately to Benjamin. Joseph managed to get Benjamin
to tell that he had another brother that did not come with
them from Ash-Sham. Benjamin thought that his brother

135
The Honorable Prophets of God

Joseph had died. At that, Joseph revealed to Benjamin


that he was his brother Joseph.
Joseph loaded the camels of the brothers with food
and put the jeweled cup of the king in the luggage of
Benjamin, after Joseph told Benjamin that he would do it.
When the brothers were leaving, and it was known
that the king’s special cup was lost. Some of the servants
of Joseph and those who worked for him went after the
brothers of Joseph. They said, “You are thieves”. The
brothers rejected that accusation saying, “We did not
come to your land to do evil”.
Joseph said, “What would be your punishment if you
were liars?” They said, “You should take as a slave the
person with whom you find the king’s cup.” (Yusuf, 76)
They looked for the cup and found it among the things of
Benjamin.2
The brothers said, “If Benjamin has stolen, then also
his brother before him (Joseph) stole.” The brothers
were quick to believe that Benjamin did something
unjust, as they still believed that Joseph had been unjust
in the past. The brothers did not practice thinking well
about these two honorable brothers. The brothers could
have said, “Benjamin would not do such a thing. There
is some mistake here”. Instead the brothers quickly
accepted the idea of Benjamin doing some wrong thing.
They still accepted to think that Joseph had stolen long
ago, which was not the case. The real story about
Joseph, and why they thought that he stole, is as follows:

2
The answer the brothers gave enabled Joseph to keep his brother. According
to the King’s law, Benjamin would be beaten and fined.

136
The Honorable Prophets of God

Joseph, when he was young, was with his aunt who


was taking care of him. Jacob wanted to take Joseph.
Out of her strong love for Joseph, she did not give him
up. This aunt had something, which belonged to her
father, Prophet Isaac. She tied it on Joseph, underneath
his clothing. Then she said, “Where is that thing, I
cannot find it?” When they looked for it they found it in
Joseph’s clothing, as she tied it there.
In the rules revealed back then, the victim of thievery
could keep thieves as their slaves working for them. The
aunt kept Joseph with her until she died. This is the
meaning of the brother's statement that if Benjamin stole,
his brother Joseph had stolen before.
When the brothers realized that they could not bring
their brother back with them, they told Joseph, “Set
Benjamin free and keep one of us in his place instead.”
Joseph refused. The oldest brother, Rubil, said, “I shall
not leave this place until my father permits me to leave or
God endows on me an excuse to leave.” The other
brothers went back to their father and told him about
what had happened.
Jacob felt severely sad about all this (Yusuf, 83) and as
a result of his extreme sadness, he cried a lot to the point
that he lost his sight. When Prophet Jacob had lost
Joseph, the same thing had happened. Prophet Jacob had
temporarily lost his sight, out of crying, and then he
regained his sight. The Prophets of God are not
permanently blind.
When the sons saw their father crying again, this time
due to the loss of Benjamin, they showed their harshness
to their father. The told their father, “Are you going to
get so sad now, just like you did when you lost Joseph?”

137
The Honorable Prophets of God

(Yusuf, 86-87) Jacob told them to go back and get news


about their brother Benjamin and not to lose hope of the
mercy of God.

The Brothers’ Third Trip to Egypt

The brothers wanted to get more food from Egypt.


They brought along with them inferior merchandise to
exchange for wheat. Only some of the brothers went to
Egypt on this trip. When they arrived to Joseph, they
said to him, “We know that this merchandise of ours will
not buy much wheat. Yet, we plead with you to grant us
wheat. We also plead that you set our brother Benjamin
free, because our father is heartbroken”.
When Joseph heard their story, and that his father
Jacob had lost his sight from crying over the loss of his
son, Prophet Joseph started to cry out of sadness for his
people.
At this, Prophet Joseph removed the cover over his
honorable forehead, and revealed to them that he was
their brother Joseph. He asked them in a reprimand,
“You were so unkind to our father, and it is so bad to
deprive people of their rights. Do you know what you
did with Joseph and his brother Benjamin unjustly?”
When Joseph said these words, they knew that he was
really their brother Joseph.
They said, “It is you, Joseph!” He said, “I am Joseph,
and this is my brother Benjamin. This is the outcome for
those who are God-fearing. They will be rewarded for
being steadfast to Islam. God blessed us by bringing us
back together.”

138
The Honorable Prophets of God

At that point, God softened the hearts of those


brothers and they apologized to Joseph. They said, “By
God, God gave you merit over us and we were wrong.”
They expressed their repentance.
God had made Joseph now in a position of great
power over his brothers. Despite all the power that
Joseph now had, Joseph did not retaliate against his
brothers. God praised those people in a position to
revenge, who instead refrain from vengeance against the
believers. These pious people are occupied with praising
God, remembering the Day of Judgment. They do not
find satisfaction in vengeance against the believers.
Prophet Joseph told his brothers, “I will not punish
you today. I ask God to forgive you”. Joseph said,
“Take this shirt of mine and put it on the face of our
father. His sight will be restored. Then come back to
Egypt, bringing back with you all of our people”.
Yahudha said, “Let me bring our father this blessed
shirt, especially since I was the one who brought the
other shirt to him so long ago. I lied to my father, saying
that the wolf had eaten you. Now let me make my father
delighted, as I made him sad before.” It is narrated that
Yahudha was so eager to take this shirt that he ran off to
Ash-Sham with the shirt while he was bare-foot. The
other brothers followed after Yahudha in the caravan.
When the caravan of the brothers left the boundaries
of Egypt, the wind carried the scent of Joseph to his
father Jacob, despite that being 80 farsakhs (~240 km).
Jacob said, “I can smell the scent of Joseph. I think that I
will be with him soon.” The people around Jacob said,
“Are you still heartbroken about being separated from

139
The Honorable Prophets of God

Joseph? Jacob told them, “I have a knowledge from God


that you do not have.” (Yusuf, 94-96)
When the brothers arrived with the shirt, they put it on
Jacob’s face and Jacob regained his sight. Jacob told
them, “Didn’t I tell you that I know from God that which
you do not know?” (Jacob was remembering that dream
which Joseph saw long ago when he was young).
The brothers who had stayed with their father,
repented to God also, when they saw the shirt of Joseph
and heard the news from the other brothers that Joseph
was still alive. Those brothers said to their father,
Prophet Jacob, “Ask God to forgive us”. Prophet Jacob
said that he would.

Prophet Joseph is Re-united with His Blessed


Father

Prophet Joseph sent 4000 soldiers to escort his family


from Palestine to Egypt. Then Jacob, his wife, and his
sons traveled to Egypt. Also, 63 other members of the
family traveled with them. When the family got close to
Egypt, Joseph went out to receive his father and family.
The people of Egypt did the same.
When they came in, Joseph was very generous to his
father, Prophet Jacob, and Jacob’s wife. Prophet Joseph
invited his father to come onto the royal platform. Jacob,
his wife and the brothers prostrated to Joseph (out of
respect and salutation, not worship), putting their
foreheads on the floor. This was allowed during their
time according to the rules that God revealed to them.

140
The Honorable Prophets of God

Joseph said to his father, “This is the meaning of my


dream (the sun, moon and 11 stars prostrated to me)”.
Between the dream, and the exposing of its explanation
there were 40 years. This means that Prophet Joseph was
about 52 years old when his father came to Egypt.
It is narrated that eventually Prophet Joseph became
the ruler of that area of Egypt, with a king over his
position. There is a narration that Joseph lived for 23
years after his father came to Egypt. Another narration
says that Joseph lived 110 years after that. Our master
Jacob stayed in Egypt and died there. Jacob had left a
will to be buried where his father was buried. Prophet
Joseph carried out his will. He went to Hebron (Al-
Khalil), in Palestine, and buried him there where
Abraham and Isaac had been buried. Joseph also left a
will to be buried with his parents. It is narrated that
Prophet Joseph died 361 years after the birth of his great-
grandfather, Prophet Abraham.
Prophet Moses later on carried out the will of Joseph.
Prophet Moses took Joseph out of Egypt and buried him
with his parents. This happened many years after the
death of Joseph.
Here, we draw your attention to some important
matter. After knowing what the brothers of Joseph did to
Joseph, among all their ill doings, it is not permissible to
say that those brothers were Prophets. They hid their
brother, were unjust to him, and they harmed him. Also
they confronted their father, who was also a Prophet,
with dispraise and harsh words, which is blasphemy, as it
is stated in a verse of the Qur’an.
Even though the brothers repented, still God would
not make those brothers Prophets. Benjamin did not do

141
The Honorable Prophets of God

all those bad things that the other brothers did. It is


famous that Benjamin was a Prophet of God. From those
brothers, though, came children from among their
offspring who were Prophets. They are “Al-Asbat”
referred to in the Qur’an.
We ask God to enable us to meet Prophet Joseph and
his father Jacob in the Hereafter.

142
The Honorable Prophets of God

Chapter 16: PROPHET JOB (AYYUB),


blessings and peace be upon him

Prophet Job (Ayyub) is a Prophet who is cited in the


Qur’an. His name is Ayyub Ibn Mus. His wife was from
the children of Jacob. Prophet Job had a lot of property
in the land of Ash-Sham, money, livestock, and many
children and servants.
Prophet Job was thankful to God for all these
endowments upon him. Job called the people to worship
God only. He ordered the people with the good acts and
forbade them from committing sinful acts.

The Afflictions upon Prophet Job

Then, God afflicted Prophet Job by making him lose


all his money. Then, all his children died. Then, Job
became ill with a very severe sickness that remained for
18 years. God did not tell us in the Qur’an what the
sickness was, nor did our Prophet tell us. However, it is
known that it was an extreme sickness that did not make
Prophet Job repulsive to the people. No Prophet had a
repulsive illness that would drive the people away from
him.
This illness did not cause worms to emerge from his
body, as some said, nor did his flesh fall off of his body
as some claim. All of that is repulsive and does not occur
to a Prophet. Also, Prophet Job was not dumped on
garbage for seven years as some Jews said.

143
The Honorable Prophets of God

Job was inflicted with this severe illness for so long,


that his patience with his illness became famous. People
would say, “This requires the patience of Job,” using him
as an example of a patient person.

The Patient Wife of Job

The people got tired with serving Job through this


extremely long illness, except his wife who remained
patient with him. One day, she could not find anything to
feed her husband. She did something that she should not
have done. She cut her hair and sold it to the wife of a
rich man. Job’s wife used that money to buy food for
Prophet Job.
When she offered the food to her husband Job, he
asked her, “From where did you get the money to buy
this food?” Job’s wife said, “Do not ask, and just eat”.
However, Prophet Job insisted to know from where she
got the money. Then, she told her husband Job how she
had cut her hair and had sold it to buy that food.
Prophet Job became angry with her, for the sake of
God. It was forbidden in the rules of Prophet Job, as it is
forbidden in the rules now, for a woman to cut her hair
and sell it to someone who will use that hair to braid it
into her own hair. Both the one who sells it and the one
who buys it and uses it are sinful. Prophet Muhammad
said that in a hadith. Prophet Job swore that when he got
cured from his sickness, that he would whip his wife one
hundred lashes because of her doing this.
A man who used to visit Prophet Job apostatized. The
devil whispered to him that Prophets are not hit with

144
The Honorable Prophets of God

afflictions. Hence, this man believed Prophet Job must


have committed an enormous sin. Prophet Job was very
sad concerning the apostasy of this man. Then Prophet
Job asked God to cure him, and God gave the cure.
One day, after eighteen years of sickness, Prophet Job
left for an errand. He met an angel who ordered Prophet
Job to strike the ground with his foot. Prophet Job did so
and water sprang out of the ground. The angel told him
to bathe with the water and drink from it. Prophet Job
did so and became healthy, as he had been before. As
well, God made Prophet Job youthful again.
Prophet Job’s wife became worried due to the length
of time Job was away. She went out to look for him.
When Job’s wife saw him, she did not recognize him
with his youthful appearance. She asked him, “O slave
of God, have you seen the Prophet of God, the one who
is inflicted with illness? You resemble him greatly.”
Prophet Job told her, “It is I”. Then she recognized her
husband. God also made Job’s wife youthful again, as a
reward for her patience with the illness of her honorable
husband. God gave them a great amount of money and
more than 20 children.
Concerning the oath that Prophet Job made to lash his
wife when he was cured, God revealed something that
made it easy on the wife. God revealed to Prophet Job to
take a palm branch with 100 leaves and to strike his wife
with it once. This would fulfill his vow. God ordered
that as a reward to the wife of Job for being so patient
with her husband’s illness.
It was narrated that Prophet Job died at the age of 93
years. There was a man called Al-Mukhshabiyy who
said something wrong about Prophet Job. He said that

145
The Honorable Prophets of God

Prophet Job got inflicted with the illness because he


obeyed the devil. This is a false statement and a Prophet
would never obey the devil.
Praise to God, the One Who enabled us to narrate the
true story of the honorable Prophet Job.

146
The Honorable Prophets of God

Chapter 17: PROPHET EZEKIEL


(DHUL-KIFL),
blessings and peace be upon him

As for the Prophet Ezekiel (Dhul-Kifl), there is great


difference in opinion concerning him, among the
scholars. Even concerning who his father was, and were
he was raised, there are different sayings.
Some said that he was Bishr, the son of Job. God
made him a Prophet after his father. Allah ordered him
to call people to worship God only. He lived most of his
life in ash-Sham area. He died at the age of 75.
Others said that he was not a Prophet but instead a
righteous man. Some said that he committed himself to
performing one hundred rak^ahs every day. This is why
he was called Dhul-Kifl.3 It was cited that he took it
upon himself before one of the Prophets that he would
establish justice among his people.
The verses of the Qur’an indicate that he was a
Prophet, since his name is cited along with the names of
other Prophets (Al-Ambiya’ 85-86; Sad, 48).

3
The word “kifl” indicates committing oneself to do something.

147
The Honorable Prophets of God

Chapter 18: PROPHET JONAH


(YUNUS),
blessings and peace be upon him

Prophet Jonah (Yunus) is “Yunus Ibnu Matta”. He is


from the city of Ninawa, a city next to Mosul, in Iraq.
Prophet Jonah is cited in the Qur’an. Jonah’s people used
to worship idols. He called them to worship God, but
they did not obey him. Jonah warned them that a major
torture would befall them, if they did not believe.
Jonah left his city angry with his people. However he
left before it was revealed to him to leave his city. While
away, the torture approached the city. The people saw it.
They made supplication to God and expressed true
repentance. God lifted that torture from them.
As for Prophet Jonah, when leaving his people, he met
people on a ship. When this ship went a certain distance
in the sea, it stopped. The people said that this vessel
was not moving due to the presence of a particular
person. They said, “We are going to put the name of
each person on an arrow, and throw them in the water.
The arrow that floats has the name of the person who is
causing our ship not to move.” They did this throwing
three times and every time the arrow with the name of
Prophet Jonah on it was the one that floated.

148
The Honorable Prophets of God

Prophet Jonah is Swallowed by a Whale

Then they all agreed to throw Prophet Jonah in the


sea, and they did. A whale in that sea swallowed Prophet
Jonah without chewing him. Prophet Jonah stayed in the
stomach of the whale, praising God. He was in three
darknesses: the darkness of the night, the darkness of the
sea, and the darkness of the interior of that whale.
Prophet Jonah said, “O God, there is no God but You.
You are clear of non-befitting attributes. I did injustice
to myself by leaving my people before receiving
permission from You.” Jonah’s statement is cited in
verse 87 of Suratul-Ambiya’. Jonah’s deed was not
blasphemy, a great sin, or a small sin with meanness.
Like all the other Prophets of God, Jonah never
committed any of these, both before and after
Prophethood.
Had Jonah not been a pious Muslim, who worshipped
God constantly, he would have remained inside the whale
until the Day of Judgment. However he was a noble
Prophet, and God rescued him from the whale. The
correct worship has secrets and blessings, and the stories
of the Prophets bring many lessons for the one who is
pensive about them.
The whale spat out Prophet Jonah on land in part of
Iraq. Prophet Jonah had become sick. God made a
pumpkin grow. Prophet Jonah ate from that and shaded
himself with the huge foliage of the plant. The pumpkin
has many merits: it grows quickly, its leaves are wide and

149
The Honorable Prophets of God

are good for shading, flies do not come near it, the fruit is
nourishing, and it is edible whether cooked or raw.
Prophet Jonah became cured from his sickness and
God ordered him to return to his people. They were
100,000 or more people and Jonah stayed among them,
guiding and teaching them, as all the honorable Prophets
did.
Prophet Muhammad said, “Do not give me merit
above Prophet Jonah, the son of Matta”, as narrated by
Muslim. Some scholars said that our Prophet said this
before he received Revelation that he was the best of the
Prophets. When it was revealed to Prophet Muhammad
that he was the best of the Prophets, Prophet Muhammad
then said about himself, “I am the best of the sons of
Adam. I do not say this out of boasting and arrogance”.
Others said that the first saying of our Prophet means,
“Do not give me merit above Jonah in a manner which
degrades Prophet Jonah”. The Imam of al-Haramayn, al-
Juwayniyy said, “Do not think that because Prophet
Muhammad went up through the seven heavens and
above, and Prophet Jonah went down in the sea of this
Earth, that this means that Prophet Muhammad was
closer to God, by distance, than Prophet Jonah, because
God exists with being in a place.”

150
The Honorable Prophets of God

Chapter 19: PROPHET AL-KHADIR,


blessings and peace be upon him

The name of Al-Khadir is Balya, the son of Malkan,


from the children of Sam the son of Noah. His kunyah (a
name generally saying that he is the father of his first
son) is Abul-^Abbas. He was called Al-Khadir (the one
who makes things green) because he sat on a piece of
bare land and it became green with plants.
The life of Al-Khadir is very long. It is said that he
was a leader at the front of the army of Dhul-Qarnayn,
the pious Muslim who trapped the two evil tribes of Gog
and Magog (Ya’juj and Ma’juj). Al-Khadir reached a
source of water called the water of life. Al-Khadir drank
from this water and God made his life long, as God
willed eternally.
There is a difference among the scholars about the
status of Al-Khadir. Some scholars said that Al-Khadir is
a Prophet and Messenger; some said that he is a Prophet
and not a Messenger. Others said that he is not a
Prophet, but is a waliyy (a righteous follower of a
Prophet). The saying with the most weight is that Al-
Khadir is a Prophet.
The reason that it is most probable that Al-Khadir is a
Prophet is due to a conversation Prophet Moses had with
Al-Khadir. Prophet Moses asked Al-Khadir, “How did
you know that I am Moses?” Al-Khadir responded, “The
One Who made you know that I am Al-Khadir, also made
me know that you are Moses”. This saying of Al-Khadir
carries a sign that Al-Khadir receives Revelation. Al-

151
The Honorable Prophets of God

Khadir received special orders from God that surprised


Prophet Moses.

Prophet Al-Khadir has a very Long Life

Most of the scholars say that Al-Khadir is still alive


and lives on Earth. A Shaykh named ^Amr Ibnus-Salah
said that Al-Khadir was alive, and the Muslims at large
joined with him in that belief. An-Nawawiyy and others
said the same. As said, and cited in the Qur’an, Al-
Khadir is the pious slave who met with Prophet Moses.
Once a person told Ibn ^Abbas, “A person claims that
Prophet Moses is not the same Moses in the story of
Moses and Al-Khadir (in Suratul-Kahf)”. Ibn ^Abbas
said, “This is wrong.” Then Ibn ^Abbas narrated a long
story. We narrate this story in the chapter about Prophet
Moses (Musa).

Some say that the man that Prophet Muhammad said


would be killed by Ad-Dajjal was Prophet Al-Khadir. If
confirmed, then it is another support for those who say
that Prophet Al-Khadir is still alive. This is so, because
that event of Ad-Dajjal sawing a man in half has not
happened yet.
It is said that mostly Al-Khadir stays on the water.
Many of the pious salaf and khalaf met with Al-Khadir
and benefited from him.4

4
Once, there was a judge in Lebanon who now has died, named Shaykh
Muhyiddin al-^Ajuz. He openly narrated that the great Shaykh of our time,
^Abdullah al-Harariyy (who is still alive) had met with Al-Khadir, peace be

152
The Honorable Prophets of God

The Story of a Pious Man Meeting Al-Khadir

It was related that long ago a pious man named Bilal


Al-Khawwas was walking in the place where the
Children of Israel had been lost for 40 years. Suddenly
he found a man walking with him. It occurred to Bilal
that the man next to him was Al-Khadir. This man said
to Bilal, “What do you say about Malik the son of Anas?”
Bilal said, “He is the leader of the imams of this nation
(Imamul-a’immah).” Then the man asked him about ash-
Shafi^iyy. Bilal said, “He is among the high ones of the
Awliya’ (Awtad).” He asked about Ahmad Ibn Hambal
and Bilal said, “He is Siddiq” (a high status). He asked
him about Bishr al-Hafi, and Bilal said, “There is no one
like him after him”.
Bilal asked, “Who are you”. The man said, “I am Al-
Khadir.” Bilal asked, “What is it that I did to earn seeing
you?” Al-Khadir said, “It is due to your being so good to
your mother.” Then Al-Khadir was gone. Bilal said, “I
turned around and did not find Al-Khadir any more.”
Similar to that there are many narrations about other
pious people meeting Al-Khadir, including the pious
Caliph of the 100th Islamic year, ^Umar ibn ^Abdil-^Aziz.
These reports are sound narrations.

upon him. Shaykh Samir al-Qadi of Lebanon heard this from this judge. Some
people told Shaykh Samir al-Qadi that Shaykh ^Abdullah al-Harariyy went
somewhere and Al-Khadir surprised our Shaykh by being there. God knows best
about the truth of this. This is something which is not far fetched considering
Shaykh ^Abdullah al-Harariyy and his piety, we ask God to protect him. (Should
this be kept?)

153
The Honorable Prophets of God

Chapter 20: PROPHETS MOSES


(MUSA) and AARON (HARUN),
blessings and peace be upon them

Later, well after the death of Prophet Joseph, Egypt


began to be ruled by an evil Pharaoh who was deeply
blasphemous and evil. This evil Pharaoh was cited
several times in the Holy Qur’an as an example of an
extremely evil type of human, whom we must hate, and
not imitate.
The offspring of Prophet Israel (Jacob) continued to
live in Egypt after the death of Jacob and his son, Prophet
Joseph. The offspring of Jacob and his twelve sons are
known as “The Children of Israel” with ‘Israel’ meaning
Prophet Jacob, and not the place nowadays.
This evil Pharaoh hated the Children of Israel in his
country, and treated them as slaves, torturing and
humiliating them. The Children of Israel spoke the
Hebrew language.
Pharaoh saw a dream one night that a fire came from
Jerusalem and burnt the houses of the Egyptians, but
spared those of the Children of Israel. After he woke up,
the Pharaoh gathered his astrologers and sorcerers who
told him that his dream meant that his reign would perish
at the hands of a child born to one of the Children of
Israel. Hence, the Pharaoh decided to kill all the baby
boys of the Children of Israel. The Pharaoh was advised
that if he killed all the baby boys, then soon they would
run out of strong slaves to do their work. Hence, the

154
The Honorable Prophets of God

Pharaoh proclaimed that every other year all the baby


boys of the Children of Israel would be killed.
A woman of the Children of Israel gave birth to a boy
named Aaron (Harun), on the year that the boys were not
killed, but she gave birth to a dear baby boy, named
Moses (Musa) in a year that the baby boys were being
killed.
God inspired the mother of Moses to put the baby
Moses in a basket and put the basket in the Nile River.
God threw in her heart that she should not worry and that
her little son would come back to her and would become
a Messenger of God.
A member of the household of the Pharaoh found the
basket carrying little baby Moses, and pulled it from the
river and brought him to the palace. The wife of the
Pharaoh, Asiyah, was a kind-hearted woman. She begged
her husband not to kill this baby. She said that they
might benefit from him. Asiyah said that even they may
adopt him as a son.
The heart of the mother of Moses had longed for him.
God strengthen her heart and inspired her to tell Moses’
sister to secretly follow the basket and see what would
happen to it, so that her heart could be encouraged.
Moses’ sister saw that her brother had been taken into the
household of the Pharaoh. She also got news that her
brother would not nurse from any of the wet nurses
brought to him.
Moses’ sister came forward and said, “I can lead you
to a woman who would be able to feed him!” The people
at the palace agreed. Moses’ sister led them to Moses’
mother, without telling them who the woman was. When

155
The Honorable Prophets of God

Moses’ mother took him, Moses nursed from her breast.


Hence, the household of the Pharaoh made the mother of
Moses the “wet-nurse” of Moses. God returned Moses to
his mother, which delighted her. The name of the mother
of Moses was “Yuhanidh”.
The people started to call Moses “The son of
Pharaoh”. When Moses started to be of an age when he
did not need to nurse and could move about, the mother
of Moses brought Moses back to Asiyah in the palace.
When Moses was playing with Asiyah, Asiyah handed
him to Pharaoh. When Pharaoh took Moses, Moses
grabbed the beard of Pharaoh and pulled out some of the
hair. The Pharaoh was so angry with this that he wanted
to kill Moses.
Asiyah started to sooth the Pharaoh’s anger by saying,
“He is so young. He does not understand what he is
doing!” The Pharaoh remained very angry. Asiyah had
to think of an extreme measure in order to save Moses
from being killed by the evil Pharaoh. She had the
servants bring a date and a burning coal. Asiyah told
Pharaoh, “If the boy reaches for the date, he knows what
he is doing, so kill him. However if, when given the
choice of the two, he chooses the burning coal, then this
is a proof that the child does not know what he is doing”.
God inspired Moses to reach for the burning coal and
placed it immediately inside his mouth. This coal burned
the tongue of the little Moses. This burn from the coal
left a light effect on the tongue of Moses, but not to the
extent that it impeded the speech of Moses, or made him
alter the true sound of letters when he spoke. No Prophet
would be unable to express himself properly.

156
The Honorable Prophets of God

The meaning of the verses in Surah Taha, 27 and 28,


is that Moses asked God to cure him of the light effect of
this injury to his tongue. It does not mean, as some say,
that Moses could not speak properly and people could not
understand him.
Moses grew up in the palace of Pharaoh. God gave
help to the Children of Israel through Moses. He helped
and protected them from injustice by the followers of
Pharaoh.

A Man is Killed

One day Moses entered Manf, a place in Egypt. It


was the mid-day when the sun was very hot. It was the
time of the siesta, with most people napping. The streets
were empty. Moses passed by two men fighting, one
from the Children of Israel and one from the followers of
Pharaoh. The Israelite sought the help of Prophet Moses.
Prophet Moses came and punched that follower of
Pharaoh, not intending to kill him, but instead to stop
him. Surprisingly the disbeliever died.
According to one saying, God had already bestowed
Prophethood on Moses when that event occurred. Verses
15 and 16 from Suratul-Qasas indicate that Prophet
Moses did not approve of what he did, because he fought
before receiving the Revelation of fighting with the
disbelievers. Moses remained that day and the following
day waiting, seeing if someone would come for him,
since he killed that person (by mistake). Moses saw the
same man from the children of Israel seeking his help, as
he had sought it before.

157
The Honorable Prophets of God

Moses said to that man, “You are an extremely


misguided person”. Despite this, Moses did step forward
to help him again. However, the Israelite got scared and
feared that Prophet Moses would hit him, saying, “Will
you kill me, as you killed someone before?”

Prophet Moses leaves Egypt

The news of the killing reached Pharaoh, who ordered


that Moses be killed. A man came and told Moses.
Moses left his home in Egypt, not following the routine
roads until he reached Madyan, the city of Prophet
Shu^ayb. Moses covered a very long distance. Moses
did not carry food with him, but he ate that which he
found on the way.
When Moses reached Madyan, he came to some
water, which the people of Madyan used to water their
animals. He found a group of people watering their
livestock. Moses found two women behind these people
with animals they wished to water, to help their older
parents. The women were waiting for the rest to finish so
they could water theirs. Moses helped them with that and
they liked his manners. They went home and told their
father about Moses’ good manners. Their father sent one
of them to invite Moses to stay with them.
When they started to go to the woman’s home, Moses
walked in front of her, so that his eyes did not fall on her
back. She stayed behind him, directing him where to go.
The father of the women was Shu^ayb. According to
one saying, he was Prophet Shu^ayb, and according to
another saying he was a different Shu^ayb. Moses told

158
The Honorable Prophets of God

their father his story. Shu^ayb comforted him saying,


“Do not be afraid. You have been saved from those
unjust people”. Shu^ayb offered his daughter in marriage
for eight years of service. Moses chose to make it 10
years out of his generosity.
Moses took care of Shu^ayb’s sheep for ten years, and
married the daughter of Shu^ayb. Every Prophet was a
shepherd, up to and including our Prophet Muhammad.
They took care of sheep in preparation for their role of
being Prophets, learning to manage people
compassionately and patiently.

The Staff of Moses

It is said that Angel Gabriel gave Moses a staff. It is


also said that Prophet Shu^ayb gave Moses this staff.
The staff was originally brought down from Paradise
with Prophet Adam. The story of this staff is fascinating.
The staff of Moses is cited in the Qur’an in Surah
Taha, verse 18. From this verse we know that Moses
said, “This is my staff. I lean on it. I beat the leaves with
it to make them fall (as food) for my sheep. As well, I
use it for other purposes.”
The staff was long, being 15 feet. It is reported that if
a beast tried to attack, the staff would drive the animal
away on its own. The staff would drive away scorpions
from Moses as well. The staff used to stride along with
Prophet Moses and converse with him.
It had a fork on one end on which Moses could hang
his bow and arrows. At night the two prongs of the fork
would light up like candles. If Moses wanted water, the

159
The Honorable Prophets of God

forked end would turn into a bucket, and Moses could


lower it into a well for water. If there was no well,
Moses could plunge the staff into the ground and water
would flow out. When Moses removed the staff from the
ground the water would stop flowing.
When Moses wanted shade, he would plunge the staff
in the ground, and the prongs of the forked end would
extend. Then Moses would put his cloak on the prongs
and that made a shade. If Moses wanted fruit, he could
plunge the staff into the ground and fruit would grow
from it for him to eat.

Prophet Moses Heard the Eternal Speech of God

After completing the ten years of work for Shu^ayb,


Moses took his family and went out of Madyan in the
cold of winter. Moses took out an instrument, which he
used to spark fire, but it would not spark and start fire.
When Moses could not start a fire for them he looked
around and saw the signs of a fire in a direction. Moses
went to that direction. This fire had no smoke. Moses
heard a sound calling from the right side of the valley,
saying that he who is fetching this fire is blessed
(referring to Moses), and those who are around it are
blessed (referring to the angels).
At that God made Moses hear His speech, which is
not a letter or a sound, and which is not any language. It
does not have a beginning or an end. It does not
resemble our speech. It is does not occur as a result of
the movement of lips or tongues. It is the speech that
does not occur one batch after the other. It is the speech,

160
The Honorable Prophets of God

which is an attribute of God, which does not resemble


our speech. God created in the ears of Moses the
strength to hear the Speech of God, although it is not a
sound.
God ordered Moses to take off the shoes that he was
wearing. This is because they were made out of the
untanned skin of a dead donkey. Hence, they were najis-
filthy (religiously filthy and if worn affects one’s
worship).
Then, God ordered Moses to throw his staff, the
special one, which he carried. When Moses threw it, it
turned into a giant snake (Suratul-Qassas, 31). This
snake had a mane, like a horse, and was extremely large.
It is said that its mouth was about 70 feet wide. The
snake began to swallow everything in its way, including
trees and rocks. Prophet Moses heard the snake
crunching these things after swallowing them.
Prophet Moses had the natural fear that a human
would have when surprised by a giant snake. God
revealed to him not to be afraid. God revealed to Moses
to put his hand in the giant mouth of that snake, in order
to strengthen his heart, and at that the snake returned
back into a staff.
Also God ordered Moses to put his hand into the
opening of his shirt (Suratul-Qasas, 32). Moses put it in
and took it out. His hand was shining white like snow,
not patchy white like leprosy. Then, Moses put his hand
back in and took it out. His hand was now his natural
color, which was a swarthy shade.
God revealed to Moses, “These are two miracles for
you to confront Pharaoh and the ones who are with him.”

161
The Honorable Prophets of God

God ordered Moses to talk with Pharaoh and call him to


Islam. Moses asked God to protect him so that they do
not kill him. Moses asked God to support him by making
his brother Aaron a Prophet, to help each other.

Prophet Moses Returns to Egypt

Moses took his family to Egypt and reached there at


night. God revealed to Aaron that Moses had arrived.
God had made Aaron a Prophet. He went out to receive
his brother Moses. Then they went to Pharaoh. They
told the gates men, “Tell Pharaoh, we are the Messengers
of the Lord of the Worlds”.
When the Pharaoh heard that, he told his gates men to
let them in. When Moses and Aaron entered, Moses told
Pharaoh, “I am the Messenger of the Lord of the
Worlds”.
When Pharaoh looked at him, he recognized him.
Pharaoh told Moses, “Weren’t you raised with us here,
you stayed with us for years, then you killed someone,
and then you escaped?”.
Moses told him, “I went away when I feared your
killing, and God blessed me with the status of
Prophethood, and made me a Messenger.”
Pharaoh requested a miracle to stand as a proof.
Prophet Moses threw down his stick. Immediately, it
turned into that great snake again. This snake was so big
that when it opened its mouth it reached the ceiling of
Pharaoh’s palace. Pharaoh was greatly scared of this
snake and urinated in his clothes.

162
The Honorable Prophets of God

Prophet Moses put his hand in the opening of his shirt


and it came out shining white as snow, as it did when
God revealed that miracle to him before.
Prophets Moses and Aaron advised Pharaoh in a
courteous manner, softly. However, Pharaoh did not
believe, refusing to become a Muslim. Rather Pharaoh
said that Moses was a great sorcerer.
Egypt was then famous for sorcery. Pharaoh ordered
that all his magicians be gathered around him. They
were brought from all the areas of Egypt. Their exact
numbers are not known. Some said that they were
seventy; others said fifteen thousand. God knows best.

The Magicians Believe

The Pharaoh set a feast day that they had coming up,
as a day to challenge Moses. Pharaoh put his magicians
on one side and the people gathered to see this.
Pharaoh’s magicians threw their ropes. The people were
deluded to think that they were snakes moving around.
At this point, Prophet Moses threw down his staff and
again it turned into that real, giant snake. The snake went
and swallowed all the ropes of the magicians, which had
been thrown.
When the magicians saw that, they recognized and
acknowledged that the deed of Moses was not magic.
They believed in God and they prostrated. They said,
“We believe in the Lord of the Worlds, the Lord of
Moses and Aaron.”
Pharaoh was so angry and told them “Did you believe
in them before I gave you permission?” Pharaoh wanted

163
The Honorable Prophets of God

them to commit apostasy. He threatened them, but they


refused to commit apostasy.
Pharaoh cut off their right hands and left feet and
crucified them on the trunks of palm trees. Pharaoh
killed them while they were making supplication to God
to grant them patience, and bless them to die as Muslims.
Those magicians were blasphemous at the beginning of
the day, and they were Muslim martyrs at the end of the
day.

Other Believers

There was among the people of Pharaoh a believing


man who was hiding his belief. At that, he declared his
belief out in the open. He was killed also. He was
crucified along with the magicians. This believing man
had a believing wife who was the comber of the hair of
the daughter of the Pharaoh. This daughter was not from
Pharaoh’s wife Asiyah.
When this believing woman was combing the
daughter’s hair, her comb fell down. The woman said,
“In the name of God” (Bismillah). The daughter of the
Pharaoh asked her, “Do you have a lord other than my
father?!” The woman told her, “My Lord and your
father’s Lord is God.”
When the daughter told her father, the Pharaoh, about
this, he called this believing woman to him. The Pharaoh
ordered her to commit apostasy. She refused. The
Pharaoh brought her children. Then he brought a huge
container, filled it with water, and built a great fire under
the container until the water boiled.

164
The Honorable Prophets of God

Then Pharaoh started throwing her children one by


one into the boiling water asking her to commit apostasy
to Islam. She kept refusing. The Pharaoh reached to the
last of her children, who was a nursing child. The baby
spoke to her and said, “O mother be patient. You are on
the true path”.
At this she told Pharaoh, “I have a request for you. I
request that you collect my bones and the bones of my
children, and that you bury them all together”. Pharaoh
said, “You are granted that”. Then Pharaoh had her
killed.
The bones were buried in one location. Many decades
later, when Prophet Muhammad passed by that location
(on the night of the night journey and ascension), he
smelled a good fragrance coming from that grave and
asked Angel Gabriel about it. Gabriel related to Prophet
Muhammad the story, which we told.
Asiyah, a wife of Pharaoh, believed in Moses. When
Pharaoh killed the comber of his daughter’s hair, Pharaoh
went to his wife Asiyah and gave her this news.
Asiyah said to Pharaoh, “You are so belligerent in
disobeying God, and you will face the great torture”.
Pharaoh told her, “Maybe you have turned crazy like that
comber?” Asiyah told Pharaoh, “No, I am not crazy. I
have believed in God, the Lord of the Worlds.”
At that Pharaoh ordered her tied down to four stakes
on the ground. He tortured her until she died. Pharaoh
would tie people to his famous four stakes and put a
tremendous weight on them, such as a millstone, until
they died. He was known as the “lord of the stakes’ due
to this, as cited in Suratul-Fajr.

165
The Honorable Prophets of God

Before she died, Asiyah said, “O God, build for me a


house in Paradise and save me from Pharaoh and his
doings, and from the unjust people”. This is cited in
verse 11 of Suratut-Tahrim. She died as a martyr.
Our Prophet said that Asiyah was one of the best of
the women of the world. The best women of the world
are Mary, the mother of Jesus, then Fatimah the daughter
of Prophet Muhammad, then Khadijah the first wife of
Prophet Muhammad, then Asiyah, the wife of the
Pharaoh.

Afflictions on the Disbelievers

When Pharaoh and his people rejected the call of


Moses and Aaron, God inflicted them with punishments.
God sent on them continual rain, which affected the
followers of Pharaoh, but did not affect the Children of
Israel, who believed in Moses and Aaron.
The followers of Pharaoh pleaded with Moses, “O
Moses ask your Lord to relieve us of this rain and we will
believe in you”. Moses made supplication to God. God
stopped that rain. When the rain ceased to fall, their
vegetation was so nice and luxuriant that they said, “Oh,
this rain was a good thing for us” and they did not
believe in Moses as they promised that they would. “We
are now delighted that the rain came. Our plants are so
strong now!” is what they said to Moses out of their
extreme stubbornness.
Then God afflicted them with locusts, which ate that
vegetation about which they felt pride. They could not
prevent this extremely numerous amount of locusts from

166
The Honorable Prophets of God

eating their plants. They came to Moses and said to him,


“Ask your Lord to relieve us of these locusts and we shall
believe in you”. Moses made the supplication and God
saved them from the locusts. Yet, when they were
relieved of the locusts, again they did not believe as they
promised they would.
Then God inflicted them with small harmful insects,
which bothered them greatly, sticking to their skin and
causing them great irritation. They did the same with
that infliction, asking for relief, then not believing after
receiving the relief.
Then they were inflicted with frogs, which even
hopped into their mouths. They would find the frogs all
over, even in their pockets, which distressed them
greatly. The same series of event happened, but they did
not believe.
Then God afflicted them with blood. They would go
to fill their containers with water, and when they filled
the containers, the liquid would be blood. Again they
asked Moses to make supplication to God for them to be
relieved of that particular affliction. They promised that
if they got relieved, they would believe. Still then, when
they were relieved, they broke their promise and did not
believe.

Prophet Moses Takes the Children of Israel out of


Egypt

When a long time passed and the followers of Pharaoh


did not believe in Moses, God revealed to Moses to take
the Children of Israel out of Egypt to the blessed land,

167
The Honorable Prophets of God

near Jerusalem. God revealed as well for Moses to take


with him the casket of Prophet Joseph (Yusuf), fulfilling
the will of Joseph to be buried in Palestine.
When Prophet Moses went out with the Children of
Israel from Egypt, they reached a certain location where
they were not certain where to go next. The scholars of
the Children of Israel told Moses, “We have gotten lost
because we did not carry the body of Prophet Joseph with
us, as he requested in his will.” Remember that we said
earlier that Prophet Joseph made a will before his death
to be buried in Palestine, where his father, grandfather
and great-grandfather were all buried. Prophet Joseph
was not originally buried in Palestine after he died, so his
body was to be brought up and moved to Palestine.
The people started to look for someone who knew
where the body of Joseph had been buried. They could
not find anyone who knew, except for an old woman
from the Children of Israel. When Prophet Moses asked
her where the location of Prophet Joseph’s grave was,
she told Prophet Moses, “I will not tell you until you
make a promise to me. Promise me that I would be your
companion in Paradise.”
When Prophet Moses heard the request, he stopped.
He had to wait until he received Revelation about it.
Prophet Moses could not tell her “Yes” without that
being revealed to him from God. Then God revealed to
Prophet Moses to grant her the promise that she
requested. At that, Prophet Moses gave her this good
news.
She then pointed to a location that was covered with
water. She told them to remove the water and dig in the
ground under it. They did as she told them and the

168
The Honorable Prophets of God

casket, with Prophet Joseph inside, appeared. They


carried the casket with them. God made them know
which way to travel to the blessed land. This is narrated
in the sahih hadith of the Prophet, narrated by Ibn
Hibban.5
Prophet Joseph was buried under water so that very
few people would know of his burial site. The general
rule is that one does not dig up and take the dead body of
someone from one city to another, but the case of Prophet
Joseph’s body was an exception.
Prophet Moses ordered all the Children of Israel to
leave Egypt with him and Aaron. They were about
600,000 people. When Pharaoh learned of this plan, he
gathered a huge army and followed them. Pharaoh’s
army was about 1,600,000 soldiers.

5
From this hadith, we learn a rule that is very beneficial for the people of the
Sunnah of the Prophet: It is not forbidden to ask the Prophets for something that
is not customary to ask for (since they receive Revelation from God Who knows
everything). Prophet Moses did not tell this woman that she was blasphemous
for making such a request. On the contrary, Prophet Moses waited for the
matter to be revealed to him, and then he answered her.
One of the Companions of Prophet Muhammad helped the Prophet in
something. The Prophet with his excellent manners rewarded those who helped
him. The Prophet addressed this Companion, “Ask me for something”. This
Companion said, “I ask, O Prophet of God, to be your Companion in Paradise”.
The Prophet asked, “Do you have another request?” This Companion said,
“This is my only request to which my heart is attached.” The Prophet told him,
“Pray a lot and you will be my Companion in Paradise”. The Prophet did not
reprimand that Companion for his request and certainly did not tell him that he
was blasphemous for asking for that.
The Wahhabi sect lied and said that it was forbidden to ask the Prophets for
something which is forbidden to ask from others. This woman asked to be with
Prophet Moses in Paradise, which is something that only God would give.
Unless God reveals it to some of His creation, only God knows what was willed
eternally.

169
The Honorable Prophets of God

When the Children of Israel arrived to the Red Sea,


Prophet Moses struck the sea with his special staff, and
the sea split into 12 pathways, which God made dry for
the Children of Israel to walk on. There were twelve
tribes of the Children of Israel, and there was a pathway
for each of the tribes. God made windows in the walls of
water between the pathways so that the tribes would not
feel lonely as they walked on those extraordinary
pathways.
Pharaoh arrived to the edge of the sea. Pharaoh was
terrified at the sight of the sea splitting into twelve paths.
He was scared to go after Moses, Aaron, and the other
Children of Israel in those pathways.
Pharaoh was riding a male horse. Angel Gabriel
came, riding a female horse, and went into one of the
pathways formed in the sea. The horse of Pharaoh
smelled the scent of the female horse of Gabriel. At that
Pharaoh’s horse rushed in to the pathway after that horse
of Gabriel, carrying Pharaoh into one of the pathways
with him.
Following him, the soldiers of Pharaoh rushed into the
pathways in the sea as well. When the last of the
Children of Israel had arrived on the shore of the other
side of the sea, Pharaoh and his soldiers were in the
middle, and had not reached any of them. As soon as the
last of the believers was on the normal land, God made
the sea close up again, and Pharaoh and all of his
1,600,000 soldiers drowned.
When Pharaoh had reached a point of dying when his
repentance was not accepted. Pharaoh made a

170
The Honorable Prophets of God

declaration of his belief in Moses. This declaration was


not accepted from Pharaoh and he died as a blasphemer.6
Some of the followers of Pharaoh who had remained
on the land got the news of the drowning death of
Pharaoh. They said out of their stubbornness that
Pharaoh did not die and that instead he went away to
China, and he should return. At that God made the sea
spit out the dead body of Pharaoh to their shore, swollen
like a bull. They recognized him by his distinctive grand
clothing. At that, they became certain that he died.

Prophet Moses Goes to Mt. Sinai and Some


Followers Worship the Calf

When God saved the Children of Israel from all those


hardships of the Pharaoh, God ordered Moses to fast for
thirty days. This was fasting like we do now, abstaining
from food and drink and other things, from dawn until
sunset. Then God added ten more days to that fasting of
Moses. God revealed to Moses that after those forty
days, God would send to him the tablets of the Torah
(Tawrah).
All the books given to the Prophets from God were
given in their totality at one time in that Prophet’s life,

6
In the case of Pharaoh, God revealed in the Qur’an that the utterance of
Pharaoh was not accepted from him. This saying of Pharaoh did not absolve
him of his blasphemous state. He will be in Hellfire forever. If we do not have
Revelation about someone who utters the belief at death, we have to go by what
we witnessed and deem this person a Muslim.

171
The Honorable Prophets of God

except for the great Qur’an, which was revealed to


Prophet Muhammad in parts, over a period of 23 years.
Moses obeyed God, fasting these 40 days. Then he
went to the Mount Tur (Sinai). Moses left Aaron behind,
in charge of the followers. There was a man among the
followers named Musa as-Samiriyy, having the same first
name as Prophet Moses.
This man led many of the Children of Israel astray, as
he himself was astray. When Musa as-Samiriyy was
young his parents lost him, and he was without a family.
Angel Gabriel brought him food so that he would not
perish. This Musa as-Samiriyy was raised as a
blasphemer. When Prophet Moses went away from his
people, Musa as-Samiriyy told the followers the terrible
blasphemy, “Moses went to fetch his Lord and his Lord
is right here”.
Musa as-Samiriyy had made the figure of a young calf
out of gold, and had mixed into the gold of this figure
some of the dust from the hoof print of the horse of
Angel Gabriel. This figure made the mooing sound of a
real calf. Musa as-Samiriyy told the followers the
detested blasphemy, “This is your Lord and the Lord of
Prophet Moses. Prophet Moses went to look for his
Lord, but his Lord is here”.
Of course, Prophet Moses did not go to look for a
place where God dwells, because God is not a body and
He exists without being in a place.
This was a test for the people from God. God created
that mooing sound which is not typical to come from a
statue. God knew eternally what these people would do.
So, obviously the tests from God are not for God to “find

172
The Honorable Prophets of God

out what the people will do”. The tests from God on the
creation are a challenge for the creation. If they pass the
test, they will be happy in this life and the Hereafter, but
if they fail the test, they will reflect back on the test on
the Day of Judgment and blame themselves for not
having used their minds with which God endowed them.
Aaron knew of the blasphemy of Musa as-Samiriyy,
admonished him and warned the people about him and
his evil. Aaron forbade them from worshipping the
golden calf, which was clear blasphemy. However, many
of them accepted the words of as-Samiriyy, and went out
of the Religion of Islam, becoming idol-worshippers.
Some of the followers remained Muslim, sticking to
Prophet Aaron and obeying him.
After Prophet Moses had gone away from the people,
at one point in his solitude, Prophet Moses asked God to
see Him. God revealed that Moses would not see Him in
this life. God told Moses, “Rather look to the mountain
and if the mountain remains intact, you will see Me.”
God created in that mountain the ability to see Him.
When that mountain saw God, it crumbled and was
destroyed. When Moses witnessed that event, Moses
fainted. Then God made Moses revive from his faint,
and Prophet Moses praised his Lord.
Moses asked to see God, because it was not yet
revealed to him that man does not see God with the eyes
of this earthly body. The people, who are Muslim in this
life, will be granted the great honor and bliss of seeing
their Lord when they live in Paradise. This will be with
their new eyes of their new, better body of Paradise.
They will see the One Who is not in a direction, unlike in
any way the experience of seeing a creation.

173
The Honorable Prophets of God

After Prophet Moses’ experience of seeing that


mountain demolished, God made the tablets of the Torah
come to the hands of Prophet Moses. When Prophet
Moses returned to his people with the tablets of the
Torah, he was astonished to see them worshipping that
golden calf. He was extremely angered for the sake of
God.
Moses let go of the tablets in his hand, in a manner
that was not disdainful of the tablets. Prophet Moses
reached for the head and beard of his brother Aaron,
showing Prophet Moses’ extreme anger concerning the
situation, but not out of disrespect to Aaron. Nor did
Prophet Moses reach for his brother’s head and beard
implying that Prophet Moses believed that Prophet Aaron
had allowed for this false worship to occur.
Prophet Aaron explained to Prophet Moses the series
of events, his excuse of why he stayed with these
blasphemers, and did not kill them. Aaron explained that
he feared that Prophet Moses would say to him, “You
handled that situation without me and did not wait for my
return.” Aaron felt this because Moses was the leader of
the Children of Israel.
Prophet Moses went to as-Samariyy and humiliated
him severely. Prophet Moses went to the golden calf and
burned it. Then Moses threw those ashes away. Prophet
Moses told the blasphemers that they had done extreme
injustice to themselves by apostatizing from Islam when
worshipping that golden calf.
Moses told them to repent to their Lord, by becoming
Muslim again. After being Muslim again, they were then
to be killed. They were to be killed by those of the
Children of Israel who remained Muslim, and never

174
The Honorable Prophets of God

worshipped the golden calf. This was the way to repent,


for those who worshipped the calf.
Seventy thousand of them were killed. After that
killing, Prophet Moses and 70 of the best of the Children
of Israel supplicated God. Moses said, “That which
occurred is from You God. With it You guide whomever
You will and with it You misguide whomever You will.”
The others said to God, “We repented and returned to
You God”. The name “Yahud” given to the followers of
Moses means: ‘Repenters’.
At that, God revealed to Moses for the killing to stop.
Hence, a group of those who had apostatized by
worshipping the calf, and then returned to Islam, were
saved from being killed.
When the Children of Israel saw what was in the
Torah, of all they were obligated to do, most of them sat
back lazy and did not want to do the obligations from
God.
At that God ordered Angel Gabriel to pull out a
mountain from Palestine. The size of the mountain was
the same size as the area covered by the Children of
Israel on Earth. God ordered Gabriel to suspend the
mountain above their heads. Prophet Moses told them,
“Either you accept the orders of God in our book the
Torah, or God will smash you with this mountain.”
When they were in that situation, they accepted to follow
the Torah.

175
The Honorable Prophets of God

The Story of the Cow

There are many stories of the bad doings of some of


the followers of Moses. We present one of them.
One of the Children of Israel killed his uncle secretly.
This killer was the only heir of this uncle. So, the killer
expected to get all the inheritance of his dead uncle. This
killer threw his dead uncle next to the house of other
people. The killer acted shocked and saddened by the
death of his uncle. He demanded blood money and
revenge on the people of the place the body was. When
Prophet Moses looked into the matter, he asked the
people accused of the murder. They denied that they had
killed that man.
The Children of Israel started to talk a lot about this
incident and Prophet Moses wanted to know who the real
killer was. Prophet Moses then ordered the people to
slaughter a cow.
However, the people did not have the willingness to
immediately obey Moses. They started to delay doing
what they were asked to do by asking Prophet Moses
questions about this order of his. If they had not asked
any questions in order to delay, they could have
slaughtered any cow, fulfilling the order. Since they
asked questions out of desire to delay fulfilling the order,
God made specifications for them, which were hard for
them.
When they wanted to know more about this cow to
slaughter, Prophet Moses told them, “It is a cow which is
not old nor young, not big and not small. Then they

176
The Honorable Prophets of God

asked Prophet Moses, “Now we know about the age, so


now tell us about the color of this cow”. Prophet Moses
told them that it was a bright yellow cow, which would
bring delight to the one who gazed at it. Then, they
wanted more explanation about this cow. Prophet Moses
said, “It is a cow which, when it walks, does not disturb
the soil, and there is no defect in it.”
Finally, after they exhausted their asking, they started
to look for such a cow. After searching, they found it
with a man among them. They bought that cow from
him for a high price. The man who had owned that cow
had been very kind to his mother. God blessed him with
this money.
They brought that cow to Prophet Moses and
slaughtered it. Prophet Moses then took a piece of that
dead cow and struck the murdered man with that piece.
At that, God gave life to the murdered man. The revived
man told the name of the one who really had killed him.
Then he died again.
This is not the only case when God made a dead
person come back to life, speak, and then die again.
Many incidences of this occurring are well known. This
is narrated about some of the Companions of Prophet
Muhammad.

Prophets Moses and Aaron Bear Patiently with the


Lost People

Prophet Moses took the Children of Israel and led


them close to the land of Jerusalem, with the Holy
House. It was a place called Ariha (Jericho). In Ariha

177
The Honorable Prophets of God

there were unjust rulers. The Children of Israel were


ordered to fight those unjust rulers. However when they
reached there with Prophet Moses, most of them sat back
from fighting. Those who sat back said, “We will not
enter this land with those unjust tyrants. O Moses, go
with your Lord and fight. We will be sitting here.”
God inflicted the Children of Israel by making them
get lost for 40 years, after they had arrived so close to
Jerusalem. This was a result of their disobedience. The
land that they were lost in was called At-Tih. Prophet
Moses and Aaron were with them in At-Tih, but were not
punished alongside them. Rather the presence of
Prophets Moses and Aaron was for them to carry out the
orders of God.
At-Tih was a barren land with no plants, water or
shade. The Children of Israel complained to Prophet
Moses about the heat of the sun. Prophet Moses made
supplication to God and was given a great miracle. A
cloud came that provided shade for them. During the day
this cloud blocked the heat of the sun, yet during the
night the cloud did not block the moon, so that they could
use the moonlight. However, if the night was dark and
the moon was not shining, a stick of light descended
among the Children of Israel to illuminate the way for
them.
They continued making requests saying, “What
should we wear? We are afraid that our clothes will rip
and we will not find anything else to wear.” Prophet
Moses replied, “Your clothes will not rip, decay, or get
dirty for 40 years.” Then they came up with another
question, “If a new baby is born what will he or she

178
The Honorable Prophets of God

wear?” Moses answered, “The small clothes will grow


as the children grow.”
They asked, “What are we to wear on our feet, if our
shoes are ruined?” Moses said, “Your shoes will not be
ruined for 40 years.”
It was cited that while in at-Tih, the Children of Israel
ran out of food. They said to Prophet Moses, “What do
we eat now that we have no food left?” He answered
saying, “God will bring down baked bread for you from
the sky.” Each day, bread with a delicious taste called
manna (al-mann) came down from the sky from dawn
until sunrise, just as snow falls from the sky. Each
person would take what he needed for one day. If
someone took more, then the extra bread would spoil,
except for Friday. Each Friday they were allowed to take
more than what they needed for one day, because
Saturday was a day of worship, and the bread did not fall
to them on that day.
Then the Children of Israel asked Prophet Moses,
“What are we supposed to eat with this bread? Do you
expect us to eat it plain with nothing alongside it?”
Prophet Moses answered with patience and compassion
for them by saying, “ God will grant you meat.” “From
where?” they asked. The wind brought to them as-salwa,
fat healthy quails.
Then they remembered something that one could not
go without, whether resting at home, or traveling. They
said, “From where do we get water? There is no spring
or river in this land!” Prophet Moses said, “God will
provide for you.” Then God ordered Prophet Moses to
strike a rock with his staff and water sprung from it.

179
The Honorable Prophets of God

It was narrated that this rock descended with Prophet


Adam when he descended from Paradise, and that it was
passed down through generations until reaching Prophet
Shu^ayb. Prophet Shu^ayb gave this rock to Prophet
Moses when he gave him the famous staff.
Each time the Children of Israel needed water,
Prophet Moses placed the rock on the floor and struck it
12 times with his staff. Each place where the stone was
struck, water would rush out, as plentiful as rivers.
In their habit of rushing matters they said, “If Prophet
Moses lost his staff we will die of thirst.” God then
revealed to Prophet Moses that he should not hit the
stone, and instead he should speak to it. Prophet Moses
from then on spoke to the stone, ordering it to give water.
The stone would obey, releasing water.
Some of the ungrateful among them said, “O Moses,
we shall not be patient with one kind of food (al-mann).
Ask your Lord to bring us crops from the land: grains,
onions and lentils. They left that which was good for
them for something that was less. Prophet Moses told
them to go to a certain land where they would find what
they requested in that country. After the forty years
passed, of being lost, the manna and quail were cut off
from them.
The Children of Israel who refused to fight the tyrants
remained in at-Tih. Those who were more than 20 years
old died except for Joshua (Yusha^, the son of Nun) and
Kalib the son of Yufna, and the young offspring of the
Children of Israel remained with them. They obeyed the
orders of God. When they reached Ash-Sham they
fought the unjust rulers and entered Jerusalem. None of

180
The Honorable Prophets of God

the people who said, “We will not enter it” entered
Jerusalem.

The Fascinating Story of Prophet Moses Meeting


Prophet Al-Khadir

Ibn ^Abbas said, “I heard Ubayy the son of Ka^b say,


‘I heard the Messenger of God say: Moses stood up to
give a speech to the Children of Israel. Some of them
asked Moses, “Who is the most knowledgeable among
the people?” Moses replied, “I am”. This was what
Moses knew. Then God revealed to Prophet Moses that
it would have been better for him to reply, “God knows
best”. God revealed to Prophet Moses that He had a
slave where the two rivers met, who is more
knowledgeable that Prophet Moses in certain matters.
Moses longed to meet this person. Moses said, “O God,
how would I meet this person?” God revealed to Moses,
“Take a salted fish with you in a container. Wherever
you would lose this fish, you would find Al-Khadir.”
Moses set out with Joshua (Yusha^, the son of Nun),
the same one who later became a Prophet himself. They
carried a container with a salted fish. They reached a
rock, and Moses slept. The fish shook in the container,
although it was salted. The fish finally shook so much
that it came out of the container and went into the river.
The next day they proceeded with the walk. Then
they proceeded in the night. Joshua had forgotten to tell
Moses about what happened to the fish. When the next
morning came, Prophet Moses said to the young Joshua,
“We got tired as a result of this traveling. Let us eat.”

181
The Honorable Prophets of God

Moses did not get tired until he crossed the point where
the fish escaped. Joshua told Prophet Moses, “You
remember the rock where we stopped at and slept? The
salted fish jumped out of our container there and swam
away.” Prophet Moses said, “The goal of our travel was
to get to that location. Let us go back”.
They went back following their own traces and
footsteps, until they reached the rock. They saw a man at
the rock. This man was covered with a cloth. Prophet
Moses saluted him. He was Al-Khadir. Al-Khadir said
to Prophet Moses, “Are you Moses, the Prophet sent to
the Children of Israel?” Moses said, “Yes”. Al-Khadir
told Moses, “God gave you knowledge that I do not
know, and God gave me knowledge that you do not
know.” Moses told Al-Khadir, “Should I be with you, so
that you teach me that which I do not know?” Al-Khadir
said, “You will not be patient with me. How would you
be patient with a matter of which you are unaware?”
Moses said, “God willing, you will find me to be a
patient man. I will comply with whatever you order”.
Al-Khadir said, “You can accompany me with the
condition that you do not ask me about anything until I
decide to tell you about that thing.” Moses said, “I
agree”.
Moses and Al-Khadir went walking along the
seashore. A vessel came by. Al-Khadir and Moses asked
the people of the vessel to take them aboard. The people
of the vessel knew al-Khadir. They took them aboard
without a fee. While Prophet Moses and Al-Khadir were
on the vessel, a bird on the edge of the vessel put its beak
once in the water. Al-Khadir said to Moses, “My
knowledge and your knowledge in comparison to the

182
The Honorable Prophets of God

things that God knows is so little. It is less than this drop


of water pulled by this bird, compared to the whole sea.”
Muslim narrated this in his Sahih.
When on the vessel, Al-Khadir reached for one of the
wooden planks of the ship and pulled it off. The people
of the vessel did not see what Al-Khadir did. Moses was
astonished by what Al-Khadir did and said, “Do you do
this to the vessel of people who took us aboard without a
fee, so that the vessel would sink with its people?”
Prophet Moses asked Al-Khadir out of astonishment,
because this was very unusual and not what one would
expect from a pious person. Al-Khadir told Prophet
Moses, “Didn’t I tell you that you would not be patient
with me?” Prophet Moses said, “Do not blame me about
what I forgot. I am tired from traveling.”
Then the two went off the vessel walking. Moses and
Al-Khadir came upon a boy, playing with other boys. Al-
Khadir reached for the head of the boy, pulling off the
head of the boy with his hands, killing the boy. Prophet
Moses at that time told Al-Khadir, “How did you kill a
soul, and this killing is not a prescribed punishment for
killing another?” Al-Khadir said, “Didn’t I tell you that
you would not be patient with me?” Prophet Moses said,
“If I ask you about anything after this, without you
initiating to tell me about it, then I will no longer
accompany you.”
Then they reached a town. The people of the town
did not treat them kindly as guests. They did not offer
them food. Al-Khadir saw a wall that was about to fall
down. Al-Khadir worked and made the wall straight.
Moses said to Al-Khadir, “We came to a people who did

183
The Honorable Prophets of God

not offer us food. If you had taken a fee for your work,
we could have used that money to buy food.”
Al-Khadir said, “Now we must part. I shall tell you
about the truth of these matters that you were not patient
with, not waiting until I tell you about them voluntarily.
As for the ship, it belonged to some poor people at sea. I
wanted to put a defect in it because there is an unjust
king who takes good sound ships away from their
owners. When the king sees this ship he will see that
there is a defect in the ship and will not take it. The
people can fix the defect later with wood.
As to the boy I killed, if he had lived to be adolescent
he would live to be a disbeliever. His parents treated
this boy generously. Had he grown up he would have
been a tyrant on them, and would have exhausted them
due to his tyranny. I wanted God to replace that child
with a child who is merciful to them.
As to the wall, two orphan boys owned it. Under the
wall was something that their father hid for them. Their
father was a pious man. I wanted to preserve that wall
from falling down, and keep the thing for them hidden,
until the boys grow up and are able to take that thing out.
All that which I did, I did not do out of my own. Rather I
was ordered to do all of it by God. This is the meaning
of the matter with which you were not patient.”
Our Prophet said, “May God have mercy on Moses. I
wish that Moses had more patient. More would have
happened and we could have learned more stories.”

184
The Honorable Prophets of God

Qarun, the Evil Cousin

Like all the Prophets, Prophet Moses had many


hardships, which he endured with patience. One report,
that shows the endurance of Prophet Moses, is the story
of the harm that Moses’ cousin inflicted on him.
Moses had a cousin named Qarun. God gave Qarun
so much wealth that strong men could not carry the keys
of the boxes of wealth.
Qarun showed off and was not grateful to God. He
wore fancy clothes and strutted around. He lived in
palaces with many slaves and servants.
Qarun was so arrogant with the people. When people
advised him to give up his arrogance, he refused. Qarun
believed that God loved him and that was the reason he
had all his money. He did not see a need to change his
ways.
God revealed to Moses that he and his people had the
obligation to pay a certain amount of their wealth to
those who deserved. Moses told Qarun to pay one dinar
for each one thousand dinars and one dirham for each
one thousand dirhams.
When Qarun calculated the amount that he would
need to pay, he saw that amount to be enormous. Qarun
was overwhelmed with stinginess and made apostasy.
He stopped being Muslim.
Qarun gathered some of his supporters and said,
“Moses commanded you with so many things and you
obeyed him. Now Moses wants to take away your

185
The Honorable Prophets of God

money.” Qarun’s cohorts said, “Command us Qarun


with whatever you wish.”
Qarun said, “Bring a sinful woman and pay her to lie
and say that Moses wanted to commit adultery with her.”
Qarun’s followers went and gave a sinful woman a lot of
gold to do this.
On a day of feast, Qarun came to Moses pretending to
be loving and said, “Your people have gathered so that
you will command them to do the lawful and abstain
from the unlawful.”
Prophet Moses told the people, “He who steals has the
punishment of his hand being cut off. The unmarried one
who commits adultery is lashed. The married one who
commits adultery is stoned to death.”
Then Qarun, in his evilness, cried, “Even if it is you,
O Moses?” Moses replied, “God help me from you. I do
not even approach sins.” Qarun then said, “The Children
of Israel are lying. They said that you committed
adultery with the evil woman.”
Moses said, “Call her.” They called for her and she
came. Moses then uttered a vow in the name of God
Who cleaved the sea and Who revealed the Torah, and
asked her by that vow to say the truth.
God was merciful with her, and she repented of her
sins. She told the people, “Moses is innocent of these
accusations. Qarun paid me to say that Moses committed
adultery with me.”
Moses made prostration to God and asked God to give
him victory over his oppressors. Moses received
Revelation from God that the Earth would obey him in
whatever he commands.

186
The Honorable Prophets of God

On the next day, Qarun went out in his usual arrogant


procession. He had thousands of servants and attendants.
He wore clothes ornamented with gold and jewels. At
the front, Qarun rode a black and white, ornamented,
female mule, with the others on their mounts behind him.
The people were looking at all of this. The deceived
among them said, “May Qarun enjoy his blessings. He is
very lucky, with his money and high status.”
When some of the pious people heard that, they
advised them not to be deceived by the wealth of this
world.
Qarun reached a place where Prophet Moses was
teaching the people. Qarun called out to Moses, “O
Moses, if you were preferred to me in prophecy, I was
preferred to you with money. If you want, make a
supplication to God against me.”
Prophet Moses came with a steady heart, relying on
God. Qarun started to ask God for help, but he was not
answered. Then Moses said, “O God, command the
Earth to obey me today.” Then Moses addressed the
Earth and said, “O Earth, take them”.
Qarun and his evil followers started to sink into the
ground. First, just their feet sank. Then Prophet Moses
said, “O Earth, take them to their knees”. They sank to
their knees. Then Moses asked that they sink to their
shoulders and they did. Finally, Moses told the Earth to
take them totally, along with all the treasures.
The Earth trembled under Qarun’s house. The earth
swallowed all the money of Qarun within that house.
When the people saw that, they repented and praised

187
The Honorable Prophets of God

God. They thanked God that they were not made like
Qarun and his mean followers.

Prophet Moses was Full of Merits

Prophet Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon


him, cited many merits of Prophet Moses. Our Prophet
told the story that the Children of Israel used to bathe
naked, able to see the naked body of their bathing
friends. Prophet Moses would bathe alone, away from
the people, so that his eyes would not fall on the area of
their bodies that they were not to show to others. One of
these people said, “What keeps Moses from bathing with
us, except that he has a defect in his body, which he
wants to keep hidden from us.”
Once Prophet Moses went to bathe. He put his
clothes on a stone. The stone moved away with the
clothing of Prophet Moses. He cried, “O stone, my
clothes!” Due to Prophet Moses’ running after the stone
and his clothes, some of those men saw Prophet Moses’
naked body, without Prophet Moses paying attention to
them seeing him. Prophet Moses was busy chasing after
that stone with his clothes. Those people said, “By God,
Prophet Moses does not have any defect in his body”.
When Prophet Moses got to the stone, he took his
clothing and started to beat the stone with his clothes.
Abu Hurayrah reported from the Prophet, “By God, this
stone has six or seven marks left on it as a result of the
hitting of Prophet Moses.”
This hadith brings many benefits. One is that the
Prophets do not have any physical handicaps and defects.

188
The Honorable Prophets of God

God made this extra-ordinary event of a stone running


with Moses’ clothes to manifest to the people that
Prophet Moses’ body was clear of any defects. If
Prophets have no hidden defects, surely they do not have
defects that are apparent. If this were the case with
physical defects, how would Prophets have defects
pertaining to their manners with people? Prophets are
clear of having defective manners with people. Qadi
^Iyad said, “The Prophets are clear from any defects and
handicaps in shape or manners. There is no attention
paid to historians who report things saying that Prophets
had handicaps. Rather, the case is that God made them
clear of all defects. They were clear of everything which
the eyes of the people would judge as ugly and
repulsive.”

The Death of Aaron and Moses

Prophet Aaron died before Prophet Moses, during the


time when the Children of Israel were still lost. After
Aaron died, some of the Children of Israel accused
Prophet Moses of killing his own brother. Prophet
Moses said to them, “Woe to you! You say that I killed
my own brother (who is a Prophet and Messenger)?”
Such black hearts that are like stones imagined that
Prophet Moses killed his brother who was also a Prophet
and Messenger of God! This was blasphemy.
When these people persisted more about the matter of
the death of Aaron, Prophet Moses made a supplication
to God to expose the matter to them. God made Aaron
be raised above them on a platform. They learned that

189
The Honorable Prophets of God

Prophet Moses was truthful in what he said, that he did


not kill his brother.
In al-Bukhariyy and Muslim, it is narrated that one
time, Angel ^Azra’il, the Angel of Death, came to
Prophet Moses. Moses did not recognize him, with him
coming in the form of a man. Moses thought that this
angel was a waylayer coming to harm him. Prophet
Moses hit him and his eye popped out. Then God made
the eye of the angel sound again.
The Angel of Death came to Prophet Moses again.
This time Prophet Moses recognized him. Angel ^Azra’il
asked Prophet Moses, “Do you want to live? If you want
to live, put your hand on the skin of an ox. The number
of hairs on the area which your hand covers will be the
number of years you will live.” Prophet Moses asked,
“After that what would happen?” The Angel of Death
said, “You will die.” Prophet Moses then said, “Let it be
now”. Prophet Moses died. His grave is near a red hill,
next to the road, in Jericho (Ariha). There is a mosque
with Moses’ name, where he is buried.
We ask God for the honor of meeting Prophets Moses
and Aaron.

190
The Honorable Prophets of God

Chapter 21: PROPHET JOSHUA


(YUSHA^),
blessings and peace be upon him

After Prophet Moses died, God chose Prophet Joshua


(Yusha^ Ibn Nun) as a Prophet. It is said that he was
from the children of Prophet Joseph (Yusuf).
When Joshua was young, he was the man that
accompanied Prophet Moses when he went to find
Prophet Al-Khadir.
Later Prophet Moses had asked Joshua to go ahead of
them to fight the unjust blasphemous people. Joshua
went into Jericho (Ariha) and killed the unjust tyrants
there. Those tyrants were from the children of Sam, but
were not Arabs.
Joshua killed some, but some of them remained and it
was close to the time for the sun to set. Prophet Joshua
asked God to hold back the sun from setting. God
answered his supplication and the sun was held from
setting until he killed them all. Prophet Joshua managed
the children of Israel until his own death, after the death
of Prophet Moses. He was not a Messenger, but was a
Prophet ruling with the Torah.
The grave of Prophet Joshua is probably the grave
located on a small mountain outside of Tripoli of
Lebanon. The mountain is called Mt. Turbul in a town
called al-Minyah. People claim that Prophet Joshua is
buried in other locations as well, but this location is the

191
The Honorable Prophets of God

one that the scholars said was the most probable location
of his grave.

192
The Honorable Prophets of God

Chapter 22: PROPHET ELIJAH (ILYAS)


and PROPHET ELISHA (IL-YASA^),
blessings and peace be upon them

Prophet Elijah is Ilyas the son of Yasin. It is said that


he was from the children of Prophet Aaron (Harun). God
sent him as a Prophet to the Children of Israel after the
death of Hizqil. Some salaf said that Hizqil was a
Prophet of the Children of Israel. Also Ash^iya and
Armiya are said to be Prophets.
After Hizqil’s death, the Children of Israel
contradicted the Torah. God sent Prophet Ilyas to them.
Between the rules of Moses and Jesus there was no new
book of rules. Prophet David was a Prophet between
Moses and Jesus, and he did receive a book called the
Zabur. The Zabur, however, was a book of wisdoms, not
a book of new rules. Hence, the Prophets after Moses
(before Jesus received his new book of rules called the
Injil) were to teach and implement the rules of the Torah,
given to Prophet Moses.
Elijah told the people to worship God and be obedient
to Him. He forbade them from worshipping an idol. It
was cited that they were the people of Ba^labakk
(Baalbek), in Lebanon, and the name of the idol was
“Ba^l”.
Most of the people rejected Elijah and only a few
believed in him. Among his followers was Elisha (Il-
Yasa^). After the death of Prophet Elijah, God made
Elisha a Prophet.

193
The Honorable Prophets of God

Prophet Elisha stayed with the people, ordering them


to obedient to and worship only God, and to leave
blasphemy. Then Prophet Elisha died.

194
The Honorable Prophets of God

Chapter 23: PROPHET DAVID


(DAWUD),
blessings and peace be upon him

Prophet David is among the Prophets cited in the


Qur’an. He is David the son of Isha. He is from the
branch of Yahudha, the son of Jacob. Prophet David was
the youngest son.
Once, David went to his father and told him, “Each
time I sling a stone from my slingshot I hit my mark.”
Another time, he went to his father and told him, “I went
between mountains and found a lion there. I rode that
lion holding him by his ears. The lion did not attack
me.” Another time, he went to his father and told him,
“O father, I walked in the mountains and said
‘Subhanallah’ (God is free of all imperfections), and not
a mountain was left except that it said ‘Subhanallah’ with
me.” Each time his father would tell him, “Await the
good news, for these are good signs.”
Once Prophet David was walking on a road. He saw
three stones. The stones spoke to him and said, “Take us.
You will use us to kill Goliath (Jalut)”. Goliath was a
blasphemous tyrant. David took the stones and kept
them in a bag that he carried. David, his father and
brothers went out with Saul (Talut), the king of the
Children of Israel, along with rest of the Children of
Israel to fight Goliath, the tyrant.

195
The Honorable Prophets of God

The Evil Goliath is Killed and David Becomes


King

Goliath was among the strongest and tallest of the


people. Despite that, David came forward to fight
Goliath. When Goliath saw David, he became fearful.
He told him, “You are a young man. I do not want to kill
you”. David told him, “No, it is I who will kill you!”
David placed the stone in his slingshot and slung it. The
stone hit Goliath between the eyes. The stone struck in
such a strong manner that it killed Goliath.
When David killed Goliath, Saul gave up the reign
over the Children of Israel to David. He said, “You will
be the king in my place.” The Children of Israel gathered
around him and David became a Prophet that was also a
king. God revealed the book Az-Zabur to Prophet David
that did not have new rules, but contained wisdoms.
Prophet David worked to earn his money. God gave
Prophet David a special endowment of being able to bend
metal with his bare hands. With this endowment,
Prophet David made the armor called “mail”. Prophet
David did not need to heat the metal, nor did he need to
pound it; he used his bare hands only. Prophet David ate
from what he earned from his own work. Prophet David
sold these armors and lived from this money, despite the
fact he was a king.
God ordered the mountains and birds to say
“Subhanallah” (Praise to Allah) when David said
“Subhanallah”. It did not take Prophet David long to

196
The Honorable Prophets of God

recite the Zabur. He would complete its recitation while


preparing his animals for riding.

When David recited the Zabur, the beasts were very


overwhelmed and attentive to the recitation, to the extent
that one could take them by their neck and lead them.
This was due to the beauty of the recitation of David.
Prophet David had a beautiful voice and produced
overwhelming beautiful tones.

The Piety of David

David was extremely diligent in worship. He cried a


lot. Prophet David is described in verse 17 of Suratu Sad
as being strong and endeavoring in worship, soft in his
heart, and extremely merciful.
He used to stay up at night and perform prayers. He
fasted every other day. He ruled with the Torah. He,
who is like this, is definitely not one who would send the
leader of his army to the battlefield in order for him to
get killed, so that he could marry his wife. This is what
some misguided people say about Prophet David. They
are clearly liars.
Some misguided people misinterpret verses 23-24 in
Suratu Sad. These verses refer to “lambs”. However
some say they really refer to “women”. They say that it
means that Prophet David did some tremendous sin
concerning women.

197
The Honorable Prophets of God

This is false. In this chapter of the Qur’an, the verse


is really referring to lambs. The real chain of events,
concerning these lambs is as follows:
Two people who were adversaries had a dispute about
a matter and came to Prophet David through the back
door. One man told Prophet David, “This is my brother.
He has 99 lambs and I only have one lamb. Despite this,
he wants to take my one lamb from me, and unjustly add
it to his flock!”
When David heard that from the first man, he
believed he was truthful. Due to this, Prophet David
ruled that the second brother did injustice to the first,
before listening to the second brother. A judge is
supposed to listen to both parties before passing a
judgment. It is cited in the Qur’an that David repented
of his action. It was a small sin that was not mean.
Those evil misguided people claim that “lambs” mean
women, and that the story is meant to symbolize that
Prophet David wanted the wife of his general.
Al-Halimiyy, As-Subkiyy, and other Islamic scholars
exposed the falsehood of those who lied about the
honorable Prophet David.

The Opinion of David’s Son, Solomon

Prophet David had a son named Solomon (Sulayman).


When Solomon became a man, Prophet David sought his
opinion about several matters.
Once two disputing men came to Prophet David. One
had an orchard of grapes and one had a flock of sheep.

198
The Honorable Prophets of God

The owner of the orchard complained to Prophet David


that the flock of the other came into his orchard at night,
ate from his grapes, and ruined his orchard. It is an
obligation on the owner of a flock of sheep to prevent his
flock from escaping at night and ruining people’s
orchards. He must contain his flock at night. Prophet
David passed the judgment that the owner of the flock
should give his sheep to the owner of the orchard, in
replacement for the crop of grapes that was ruined.
Solomon told his father, “O Prophet of God, another
judgment would be more suitable”. David asked, “What
would that be?” Solomon told him, “It would more
suitable to let the owner of the flock take care of the
orchard and repair it, while the owner of the orchard
takes the sheep and benefits from them at that time,
taking the milk. When the orchard is back to its original
state, then the sheep go back to the original owner.”
Prophet David liked the opinion of his son, and ruled as
his son suggested.

The Story of the Saturday People

The village of Aylah was by the Red Sea and the story
of its people was cited in the honorable Qur’an. Some
people in that village committed a major sin and as a
punishment God turned them into monkeys and pigs.
These people were called Ashabus-Sabt, the Saturday
People.
Before Prophet Muhammad received Revelation about
this event, the Jews concealed this story. They did not
want people to know that God had turned some of the

199
The Honorable Prophets of God

Children of Israel, who were before them, into pigs and


monkeys, and then destroyed them. God however,
exposed them in the Qur’an when He revealed this story
to Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him.
This story was revealed, warning the Jews not to be
arrogant, and stubborn. They should have accepted the
truth and believed in Prophet Muhammad. The
Revelation of this story was to remind those Jews of what
had happened to those who were before them from the
village of Aylah.
During the time of Prophet David, the Muslim
Children of Israel were prohibited from working, trading,
crafting goods, or fishing on Saturdays, because this was
a day of rest for them. This was a test from God, making
evident to the people who would follow the orders of
God, and who would disobey Him.
Each Saturday fish and whales would come close to
the shore, to the point that one could catch them by hand.
This was because the fish and whales had an instinct that
they would not be harmed that day. The fish would come
to the shore in great numbers gathering there and no one
would frighten them. During the rest of the week, the
fish would remain in the depths of the ocean and the
Children of Israel would not see them until the following
Saturday.
It is easy however for the devil to lead the wicked soul
to wrongdoing and sinning. One of the people of the
village craved some of the fish that came on Saturday.
The devil made the fish seem so tempting that the man
made a plan to get what he desired.

200
The Honorable Prophets of God

One Saturday, he came to the shore and saw a big fish


swimming close to it. He took the fish’s tail and tied it
with a rope. Then he tied the other side of the rope to a
stake and anchored it into the sand. At the end of the day
(with Saturday passing at sunset), he came back to the
shore, took the fish, went home, cleaned it and barbecued
it. The smell of fish surrounded his house, so his
neighbors came asking about the smell.
The man denied having fish. After they insisted on an
answer he said, “It is the skin of a fish that I found, so I
brought it home and barbecued it.” The next Saturday he
did the same thing, and again the neighbors came by
asking him about the smell of barbecued fish. This time,
however he said, “If you want you can do as I am doing.”
“What are you doing?” they asked. He told them what he
was doing, and they imitated him.
Then, they became inventive in their ways to catch the
fish. On Fridays they would make small pools which
were easy to block and were connected to the ocean
through small tunnels. The fish would enter these tunnels
on Saturday and get stuck in the pools.
Some went even further and they would ride their
boats out to the open sea and force the big fish back
towards the shore until these fish got stuck in the tunnels.
They would then close the openings to the pools and the
fish would be stuck there unable to get out until it was
Sunday, when the Children of Israel came and took what
they had caught. Many people did this. Eventually it
reached the point where people were openly fishing on
Saturdays, then selling what they caught in the market.
This of course was a weighty disregard for the orders of
God.

201
The Honorable Prophets of God

When the major sinners sinned publicly, the scholars


among the Children of Israel forbade them from doing
this. The scholars told them to fear God, reminding them
of the torture that was awaiting them, if they did not
repent. The major sinners however did not listen. As a
result, the scholars built a wall in the village that
separated them from the major sinners.
During the night, God punished those sinners by
turning the younger ones into monkeys and the older
ones into pigs. In the morning, the good people among
the Children of Israel (who had ordered with the good
and forbade the wrong) went to their jobs, mosques, and
other places in the community, but they did not see any
of the major sinners. They were shocked and surprised at
this and wondered about what happened to them. One of
them put a ladder on the wall to take a look. When he
looked over to the other side he was astonished to find
monkeys jumping over each other and pigs making ugly
noises.
They opened the doors of the wall and entered into the
side of the major sinners. The monkeys came close to
the humans, smelt their clothes and cried. The humans
would say, “Didn’t we forbid you from doing that sin.”
The monkeys shook their heads indicating, “Yes, you
forbade us.” It is said that 70,000 were changed into
monkeys and pigs. Twelve thousand people forbade
them from doing that sin.
Before the sinners were changed into monkeys and
pigs, the people in that village were of three groups. One
group sinned and fished; they were around 70,000. They
were changed into animals. Another group were the ones

202
The Honorable Prophets of God

who did not fish and forbade the others from fishing.
They were around 12,000.
The last group neither fished nor did they forbid
others from fishing. This group used to say to the group
who forbade fishing, “Why do you forbid these people
who are sinners while God will destroy and punish
them?” They expected God to punish those sinners
relying on stories of past nations who had sinned, and
consequently had been punished and destroyed by God.
The ones who forbade the sinners said, “We are
forbidding them as a reminder to them of the sin they are
doing. Perhaps they will fear God and stop.”
God saved the group who forbade the sinners and the
group who did not sin but did not forbid the sinners. The
only group that turned into monkeys and pigs was the
one who fished on Saturday.
Those people who were changed into animals were
only alive for three days. During that time they did not
eat, drink, or produce any offspring. Their story became
a great lesson for the people who had known them and
knew what happened to them. Similarly, their tale was a
great lesson for the nations that came after them who did
not see them but only heard about them.
Prophet David lived for 100 years as was cited in the
hadith of Al-Bayhaqiyy, and others. We ask God to
enable us to hear the beauty of the voice of Prophet
David.

203
The Honorable Prophets of God

Chapter 24: PROPHET SOLOMON


(SULAYMAN),
blessings and peace be upon him

When Prophet David died, the reign was passed to


Prophet Solomon (Sulayman). Like his father, Solomon
was a Prophet and a king. Prophet Solomon asked God
for a kingdom the likes of which no one would have after
him. God fulfilled that supplication of Prophet Solomon.

The Magnificent Reign of Prophet Solomon

Let us relate some of the special endowments God


bestowed on Solomon. God taught Solomon the speech
of the birds and the beasts. The plants would speak to
Prophet Solomon and tell him about their benefits. In the
assembly of Prophet Solomon, there were six hundred
seats. Both humans and jinn would sit there.
God made Solomon able to subjugate the devils.
Although they did not become Muslim, they worked for
Solomon. They greatly feared Solomon and none of
them dared not to do the work that Solomon ordered
them to do. The devil that did disobey Solomon would
have a great torture befall him. This is why none of them
dared to disobey Solomon. They built high, strong
buildings for him, and large containers. They brought
jewels and pearls from the sea. God made copper come
out of the Earth, already melted for Prophet Solomon.
From that copper, magnificent things were made.

204
The Honorable Prophets of God

The Real Flying Carpet

Among what the devils made for Prophet Solomon


was a wide, carpet-like, wooden platform covered with
gold and silk. This platform was big enough to carry
humans, castles and other buildings, tents, supplies,
horses, camels, and other animals. In the middle of it
was a place for Prophet Solomon to sit. Around Prophet
Solomon the pious people sat on golden chairs. Around
them there were silver chairs for the scholars. The other
people and jinn sat around the scholars.
Despite the vastness of the reign of Prophet Solomon,
he fought in person for the sake of spreading the
Religion. Prophet Solomon was constantly battling the
blasphemers to spread Islam, teaching that God was the
only God, without partners.
God subjugated the wind to Solomon. The flying
carpet carried him, taking Solomon wherever he wanted.
If he wanted to travel or fight an enemy, the carpet would
be loaded with all that an army needs. Then a special
wind that was designated by God to obey Prophet
Solomon would come under the carpet, raising the carpet
into the sky. This wind would be as gentle as a breeze,
carrying Prophet Solomon and his army to their
destination.
If Prophet Solomon wanted to travel faster, he would
ask for a stronger wind, and it would come. This carpet
had an amazing speed covering what was normally a one-
month traveling distance in less than five hours. They
would get to a place in the morning, and be back at home

205
The Honorable Prophets of God

in the afternoon. Birds flew over them shading, and


protecting them from the harmful sunrays.
The city of Tadmur, in the region of Ash-Sham was
the headquarters for Prophet Solomon’s kingdom. It was
cited that the jinn had built that city for him from great
stones, with long pillars of yellow and white marble.
One morning, Prophet Solomon headed out from Tadmur
in the direction of Istakhr, one of the biggest cities of
Persia. In Istakhr there was a mosque known as
Solomon’s Mosque.
It would usually take a month to reach Istakhr from
Tadmur, but Prophet Solomon reached it by noon. He
rested a bit in the mosque, and then he headed towards
Kabul in present-day Afghanistan, which also usually
took a month to reach. Prophet Solomon reached there
by nightfall, slept there, and headed back towards
Tadmur the next morning, reaching it by noon.
Among the proofs for these trips is what was found in
a house near the Tigris River. In that house, a board was
found. On this board, one of the companions of Prophet
Solomon, either from the humans or the jinn, had written,
“We stayed in this house. We did not build it; rather it
was already built. We reached Istakhr at noon and the
next day returned to Ash-Sham.”
Another story that was narrated about Prophet
Solomon was that while riding his carpet he passed over
a farmer plowing his land. The man looked towards him
and said, “David’s family has been given a great
kingdom.”
The wind carried the words of this man to the ears of
Prophet Solomon. Solomon landed and walked to the

206
The Honorable Prophets of God

man. Prophet Solomon told the man, “I heard what you


said, and I came to warn you not to wish for that which
you cannot obtain. One praise of God, that God accepts
from you, is better than the entire world and what is in
it.” The farmer replied, “May God ease your worries like
you have eased mine.”
Out of his extreme generosity, every day Prophet
Solomon slaughtered 100,000 lambs and 30,000 cows
and offered it to the people. Then Solomon himself ate
the bread of the poorest people, barley bread, and drank
sour milk.
The concerns of Prophet Solomon were not, “What
will I eat today? What will I wear today?” When
Prophet Solomon did wear fancy clothes it would be
done for a Religious benefit, not for the purpose of living
luxuriously.
When the highly righteous people take care of their
clothing, it is for the purpose of having people come and
gather around them to listen to the knowledge. This is so
because most of the people judge by the appearances.
Our Prophet cited in his hadith that there are men with
scattered uncombed hair, who are dusty. They wear two
garments only, just one to cover the upper part and one to
cover the lower. If they come to people the people would
not receive them and would instead send them away.
However, if one of them made supplication to God, he
would be answered, because he really has a very high
status in the Religion. Al-Bukhariyy, Ahmad and others
narrated this.
Hence if a highly pious person cares for his
appearance, it is not out of love of luxury, but only so

207
The Honorable Prophets of God

that they are not sent away. They want to be received by


the people, so the people would learn the Religious
knowledge.
The true richness is piety. This is why the Prophet
said that richness is not by owning many things, but it is
the richness of the heart.

The Story of Prophet Solomon and Lady Bilqis

Once, Solomon was walking with others in a certain


location. He needed water. Prophet Solomon asked for
his hoopoe bird. This bird would travel with Prophet
Solomon because it had the ability see the water
underneath the soil. Solomon could not find water, due
to the disappearance of that bird. Prophet Solomon said,
“I shall torture or slaughter that bird unless he gives me a
legitimate excuse as to why he is not here with us.”7
The hoopoe had passed by the palace of Bilqis, who
was a queen in Yemen. She was from the people of a
man named Saba’ who was from a man named Qahtan.
The Arabs of Yemen go back to Qahtan.
The bird had seen an orchard behind the palace of
Yemen and went there. He heard the news from the
palace that Bilqis was the queen with a grand reign. He

7
Ibn ^Abbas said that while the hoopoe is above the earth it sees the water
underground. One of the misguided people said, “If the hoopoe can see water,
while the water is under the earth, why is it that the hoopoe falls prey to the trap
of the hunter?” Ibn Abbas said, “Once destiny comes, the sight is blocked”.
This means that whatever God has willed to happen shall happen, no matter how
cautious and careful the creature is. CHECK THE INFORMATION
SCIENTIFICALLY.

208
The Honorable Prophets of God

also heard that she and her people were blasphemous,


prostrating to and worshipping the sun.
When the hoopoe came back to Solomon, Solomon
asked him about where he had gone. The hoopoe said, “I
learned that which you did not know. I brought you from
Yemen some news which I am certain you do not know.”
Then the hoopoe told Prophet Solomon the story of Bilqis
and her people.
Prophet Solomon said, “I will check if you are truthful
in your claim.” From verses 30 and 31 of Suratul-Naml,
we know that Solomon wrote Bilqis a short letter saying,
“I start with the name of God, ar-Rahman (the One Who
is merciful with believers and disbelievers in this life),
ar-Rahim (The One Who is merciful only with the
believers in the Hereafter). This is from Solomon. Do
not disobey me and come to me as Muslims”.
Prophet Solomon ordered the hoopoe to drop the letter
in the lap of Queen Bilqis. The hoopoe did as ordered.
Bilqis was greatly astonished at seeing a bird come and
drop a letter in her lap that contain such content. She
gathered the heads of her people to get their opinion.
They told her, “We are a people with great strength and
power. It is up to you, our Queen.”
Bilqis said that she would subject Solomon to a test by
sending him a gift. She said that if Solomon accepted the
gift, then she would know that he was a man who was
attached to worldly power, and was not as he said. If he
did not accept it, then she would know that he is a person
dedicated to God.
When her gift arrived to Solomon, along with her
messenger, Solomon said, “Are you giving me money?

209
The Honorable Prophets of God

God gave me better than what He gave you. You are the
ones who are delighted about receiving gifts from one
another. I did not request a gift from you, rather I
demanded that you become Muslim.”
Then Prophet Solomon sent the gift back with the
messenger, and told the messenger to tell Bilqis, “You
will meet a great army which you have never experienced
before. You will be unable to defeat or block the army of
Prophet Solomon. We shall drive you out of your city.”
When the messenger returned the gift to Bilqis and
gave here the message from Solomon she said, “This is
man we cannot handle.” She gathered the heads of her
people and they traveled to Prophet Solomon. When she
got near to arrival, Prophet Solomon told those with him,
among the humans and jinn, “Who will bring me the
throne of Bilqis [which is in Yemen]?” Prophet Solomon
wanted her throne brought to him, to prove to her that he
was a Prophet. One of the jinn said, “I can bring you the
throne before you break for lunch”. Prophet Solomon
said, “I want it quicker than that”. One among the
righteous humans was an assistant of Prophet Solomon,
named Asaf Ibn Barkhiya.
Asaf said, “I can bring you the throne of Bilqis quicker
than the time it takes you to focus your sight from a far
away object to a close object.” Prophet Solomon then
found the throne of Bilqis before him. Solomon said,
“This is a test from God. Will I thank God, or will I
forget?” This was really an amazing feat considering that
the throne of Bilqis was 120 feet long and 60 feet wide,
covered with jewels.
Bilqis was a smart woman. However, she was
misguided to not worship God, due to the habit of her

210
The Honorable Prophets of God

people. Her people were powerful. It is the nature of


most people who are given a lot of strength to not listen
to those who have less strength.
Prophet Solomon, in his brilliance, wanted to lead her
to the correct belief. When Bilqis arrived to Prophet
Solomon, he showed her throne and asked her, “Is this
how your throne looks?” She said, “It is as if it is mine”.
Prophet Solomon told her, “It is really yours. The fact
that you locked your doors did not benefit you!”
Prophet Solomon ordered the devils to build a very
grand structure out of glass. This structure was flat and it
had water running under it. In it were fish and other
things one would see in the sea. Some people told Bilqis
to enter this grand structure. When she entered she
thought it was water. She slightly lifted her dress to walk
and reach Solomon. Solomon turned his eyes away and
told her, “This is made out of smooth glass. Do not fear;
you can step on it”.
When she saw all of this great reign and dominion,
she knew that the strength of her people did not compare
to the great strength of Prophet Solomon. She
recognized that all of that was an endowment from God
upon Solomon. At that moment she was guided to know
that God did not accept her former deeds. She said, “O
my Lord, I have done myself injustice by worshipping
other than You! I have become a Muslim, worshipping
the Lord of the Worlds along with Solomon.”
Her story is cited in the Qur’an and the hadith. It is
famous among narrators that later Prophet Solomon
married Bilqis, but this is not confirmed. Others said that
Prophet Solomon told her to marry a king of Yemen.
God knows best.

211
The Honorable Prophets of God

Prophet Solomon and the Angel of Death

Once, in the session of Prophet Solomon, the Angel of


Death, ^Azra’il, was visiting. The Angel of Death used
to visit Prophet Solomon now and then. The Angel of
Death was looking a lot at a certain man who was with
Prophet Solomon. When that man knew that the Angel
of Death was looking at him, he showed great fear when
the Angel of Death left, thinking about death.
This man asked Prophet Solomon to order the wind to
carry him to the land of India. Prophet Solomon did so,
and the man got to India very quickly. Then the Angel of
Death, ^Azra’il, came back to Prophet Solomon. Prophet
Solomon asked the angel why he was looking a lot at that
particular person. The angel responded “I saw that man
with you, in ash-Sham, and I was ordered to soon take his
soul in India. I was looking at him wondering how he
would get from Ash-Sham to India so quickly.”
Whatever God willed must be.

The Real Version of the Story of the Vow of


Prophet Solomon

In Verse 34 of Suratu Sad is a reference to an event in


the life of Prophet Solomon. This verse was given many
interpretations. Some of these interpretations are not
suitable to attribute to a Prophet. Abus-Su^ud gave the
correct interpretation. Al-Bukhariyy and Muslim narrated
the same from the Prophet. The true meaning is the
following:

212
The Honorable Prophets of God

Prophet Solomon said, “I will have sexual intercourse


with one hundred of my women (who were made
Islamically legal for him) in this one night. Each will
give birth to a fighter for the sake of God”.
However Prophet Solomon forgot to say “in sha’
Allah” (by God’s will) concerning this matter.
Prophet Solomon did have sexual intercourse with one
hundred women that night. Contrary to Solomon’s hope,
only one of them conceived a child. When she delivered,
she gave birth to half a boy who was dead. Prophet
Muhammad swore, “By the One Who controls my soul,
had Solomon said ‘in sha ‘Allah’ all of the women would
have conceived and given birth to knights fighting for the
spread of Islam.”8

The Death of Prophet Solomon

Prophet Solomon stayed in his great dominion for


some time, with the jinn serving him as he willed. When
the time for Solomon’s death arrived, a matter happened
which Prophet Muhammad told us about, as narrated by
Ibn Hibban and others.

8
Some historians reported that Prophet Solomon had 300 wives and 700
slave women with whom he could have sexual intercourse. This report is not
confirmed in the hadith of Prophet Muhammad. What is confirmed is that the
Prophet said that Prophet Solomon said, “I will have sexual intercourse with one
hundred women”. Prophet Solomon did this out of his great love to spread Islam
by jihad. The Prophet did not mention the total number of his wives, but
definitely at that time one hundred women were made Islamically legal for
Solomon. Prophet Solomon provided for all of those women, and treated them
all fairly.

213
The Honorable Prophets of God

Prophet Muhammad said, “When Solomon stood to


pray in his niche (mihrab), a plant emerged. Solomon
asked, ‘What is your name?’ God made the plant speak,
and it told its name. Prophet Solomon then asked the
plant, ‘For what purpose do you grow?’ Then the plant
told him. If it were edible, it would be taken and
cultivated. If it was medicine, that would be written
down.
Once, when Prophet Solomon was praying, a plant
emerged between his hands. He asked the plant what its
name was and the plant said ‘the carob’. He said, ‘For
what were you created?’ It said, ‘To destroy this house’.
This meant that the death of Solomon was near, and
Solomon understood.
Prophet Solomon said, ‘O my Lord, I ask that the
news of my death be kept from the jinn, for the humans
to know that the jinn do not know the unforeseen.’
(Some humans used to believe that the jinn knew the
unforeseen.)
Prophet Solomon took that plant which had grown up
and made a stick out of it. He leaned against that stick
and died. Prophet Solomon stayed in that position for an
entire year, being dead, leaning against that stick. The
jinn stayed travailing, doing work for Solomon, not
knowing that Solomon had died some time ago. One
day, a small insect called “Al-Aradah” came. This insect
chewed on the stick of Solomon and Solomon fell down.
When the jinn saw that, they knew that Prophet Solomon
had died.”
The jinn thanked this insect that revealed the situation
of Prophet Solomon. They brought water to it, to build
its house. This insect creeps on ceilings made out of

214
The Honorable Prophets of God

wood, and it constructs its house from a mixture of soil


and water. One wonders from where this insect brings
the soil and water to make this clay house. It is the jinn
who provide the soil and water in order to thank the
insect. It is in the Sham area.
O God, bless Prophet Solomon, the one You endowed
with a great kingship!

215
The Honorable Prophets of God

Chapter 25: THE HONORABLE


ANGELS, HARUT and MARUT

Before continuing with telling you about more


honorable Prophets of God, we tell of an event that
occurred after the death of Prophet Solomon. This event
is cited in the Qur’an, in Suratul-Baqarah, verse 102.
During the time of Prophet Solomon were a group of
the Children of Israel who gave up Islam, the Religion of
Israel (Jacob) and all the other Prophets. Instead of
following the Torah and the wisdoms of the book given
to Prophet David, Az-Zabur, they became sorcerers.
They had books of sorcery from the devils.

The Cunning Ways of the Devils

In those days, the devils used to ascend to high points


and could eavesdrop on the conversation of the angels.
The angels would talk with each other about some things
copied from the Guarded Tablet, concerning what would
happen on Earth that year.
The devils would go, with information they overheard
from the angels, to the humans on Earth who were
sorcerers. The devils would speak with these human
sorcerers and give them information. The sorcerers and
those they told would see that what the devils told
became true.

216
The Honorable Prophets of God

Consequently, some people started to trust those


sorcerers. The sorcerers would then add false
information, making seventy lies along with each truth.
People wrote the statements of the sorcerers and
compiled books. It began to be spread that the jinn and
the sorcerers knew the entire unknown. Believing that
jinn and sorcerers know the unknown is blasphemy.
Prophet Solomon sent some of his soldiers to collect
those books of the sorcerers and to put them in a chest.
Then Prophet Solomon had that chest buried under his
throne. None of the devils could approach the throne of
Solomon for fear of being burnt.
Solomon threatened the devils saying, “If I hear
anyone say that the demons know the unknown, I shall
break that person’s neck”. The devils were enraged
because God endowed on Solomon command over the
devils, even though the devils did not convert to Islam.
They talked about deaths, disasters and the like. Since
the birth of Prophet Muhammad, the devils could not go
up and hear those conversations of the angels. If they
attempt to, a flaming comet is thrown at them (Suratul-
Mulk, verse 5).

Satan Lies about Prophet Solomon

After Prophet Solomon died, Satan appeared in the


form of a man to a group of the Children of Israel. He
said, “Shall I show you the way to an never-ending
treasure, no matter how much you take from it?” When
they said yes, the devil said, “Solomon was not a

217
The Honorable Prophets of God

Prophet. Nay, he was instead a sorcerer! Dig under his


throne and find out!”
The Muslims of the time, when they got word of this,
were enraged. They said, “Solomon was truly a Prophet
of God, a pious Muslim who never engaged in sorcery!”
Satan came back to those he spoke with and showed
them where to dig for the box of books. The men told
Satan, “You dig and get this box”. Satan told them, “No,
I won’t do that, but I am right here, near you. If you do
not find the box where I tell you, you may kill me!”
Those fools dug and found the box. They opened it
and took out the books of the sorcerers. Then Satan told
them, “Solomon used to control the humans, jinn and the
birds with this magic”. The fools said, “We see and
believe that Solomon was a sorcerer. This is the magic
with which he commanded and subdued us!”
Then Satan flew away and continued to spread the lie
that Prophet Solomon was a sorcerer. Satan added that
the righteous follower of Prophet Solomon, Asaf Ibn
Barkhiya, also was a sorcerer. Remember that he was the
one who brought the throne of Bilqis to Prophet
Solomon, by God’s will.
Hence, those blasphemers among the Children of
Israel started to practice what they read in those books.
These human sorcerers would be tutored by devils. They
claimed to be Prophets and challenged the people with
their witchcraft.
God then sent two angels to the Earth named Harut
and Marut. These two angels were sent to teach the
people the difference between the tricks of the sorcerers
and real miracles of Prophets of God.

218
The Honorable Prophets of God

The angels taught that those sorcerers were not really


Prophets, so that they would not fool people. Witchcraft
can be opposed by more powerful witchcraft, and a
sorcerer can defeat another sorcerer.
In sorcery there is a lot of delusion. Sorcerers call on
devils to work for them with their evil directives. Since
humans do not see the jinn, much harm is done.
Miracles of Prophets, on the other hand, are not the
work of devils. God created those extraordinary events
without devils being involved. When a Prophet
confronted a blasphemer with a miracle, the blasphemer
never could duplicate the miracle. This proves to the
people that God supports a Prophet, and the blasphemer
is not.

God Made Two Angels Descend Showing the


Truth

The two angels, Harut and Marut, descended to reveal


to the people the difference between sorcery (a forbidden
practice) and miracles (that are the proof of
Prophethood).
Harut and Marut taught sorcery to warn the people
about it, and not to encourage them to do it. Didn’t the
Prophets teach about blasphemy, murder, fornication, and
other sins so that we do not do them? The Prophets did
not teach us exactly what sins are, so that we do them!
When Harut and Marut taught sorcery, they warned
that this ought not be done, and that it was a test. The
people passed the test if they did not perform sorcery.
They passed the test if they taught the others the

219
The Honorable Prophets of God

difference between the ugly practice of sorcery and the


good miracles God bestowed on Prophets. They did not
pass the test if they took the knowledge of sorcery and
practiced it.
A false tale is told that those honorable angels, who
are not male or female, met a beautiful woman and
fornicated with her. Even when angels appear in the
form of a man, they do not have any genitals. How could
anyone believe that false story? Furthermore, fornication
is a great sin, and angels never disobey God.
Ignorant people concoct many lies about honorable
Prophets, angels and other Muslims. These lies are set
forth with the intent to slander the noble, righteous
Muslims. We ask God that the true information in this
book will dispel many of these lies.

220
The Honorable Prophets of God

Chapter 26: PROPHET ZACHARIAS


(ZAKARIYYA) and PROPHET JOHN
(YAHYA),
blessings and peace be upon them

Prophet Zacharias (Zakariyya) and Prophet John


(Yahya), his son, are cited in the Qur’an. Prophet
Zacharias is the son of Barkhiya, from the children of
David.
Prophet Zacharias was married to Elizabeth (Isha^),
the sister of Lady Mary. Isha^ was barren. Prophet
Zacharias used to work as a carpenter and eat from what
he earned.

Prophet Zacharias is the Custodian of Lady Mary

When Elizabeth’s mother gave birth to Mary


(Maryam), after a long time of not conceiving, she had
made a vow that the child born would be dedicated to
serve the House of God. When Mary was born, the
people competed over who would raise her. Prophet
Zacharias said, “I have the priority because her sister is
my wife.” The people refused, and went out to the river
Jordan. Each person threw his pen. All the pens sunk to
the bottom, except the pen of Prophet Zacharias. Hence,
Zacharias became the custodian of Mary.
When Mary grew up in obedience, Prophet Zacharias
saw Lady Mary having fruits of the summer with her in

221
The Honorable Prophets of God

the winter, and the fruits of the winter with her in the
summer. When Zacharias saw that sign with Mary, while
she was in the place of prayer, Zacharias became hopeful
that he would have a son, even with him and his wife
having advanced years.
In verses 38 and 39 of Suratu Al ^Imran, there is the
meaning that Zacharias made a supplication to God, “O
God grant me a good child. You are the One Who
answers the supplication”. God answered the
supplication.
Angels called Zacharias while he was praying in that
niche saying, “God gives you the good news that you will
have a child named John (Yahya), believing in Jesus, the
son of Mary. He will be a master. He will not desire to
be married (in this life). He will be a Prophet and among
the righteous.”
When Zacharias heard that, he did not doubt in the
Power of God. He believed that for sure this would
happen. However, Prophet Zacharias did inquire as to
how it would happen, considering that he was so well
advanced in years and his wife was barren. God revealed
to him that God did that which He willed.
God made the wife of Zacharias become pregnant,
although she had been barren for so long. God made the
sign of her pregnancy be that Zacharias would stop
talking to people for three days. For those three days, he
only used signs to communicate to people, although he
did not suffer a speech impediment. However, during
that time, when Prophet Zacharias wanted to mention
God, his tongue would speak freely.

222
The Honorable Prophets of God

The Birth of Prophet John

Then John was born, looking very beautiful. Since a


young age, John was physically strong, and had great
strength in obedience and comprehension as well. John
adhered to the laws of the Torah, and was strong with the
truth (Surah Maryam, verses 12-14).
God made John a noble Prophet. Among the Children
of Israel, there was a king who married a woman who
had a high status. When the wife of the king got older,
she was scared that the heart of the king would move
away from her to someone else. She was afraid that she
would lose the luxury that she had. Due to all of this, she
asked the king to marry her daughter from another man.
This was his stepdaughter and was still forbidden to him,
according to the Islamic laws.
The king asked Prophet John about this matter. John
told him that it was unlawful to marry one’s
stepdaughter. The king told his wife what Prophet John
said. The wife ranted, “How could John disobey you, the
king, and give you such a judgment?!” Then she started
to incite the king to kill Prophet John.
She ordered this daughter to give the king wine to
drink and then to seduce him, so that he would try to
commit adultery with her. The woman told her daughter
that when the king gets to the point right before sexual
intercourse, she should prevent him and tell him, “I will
not let you until you bring me the head of John”.

223
The Honorable Prophets of God

The Unjust Killing of Prophets John and


Zacharias

All of this happened as planned and the king ordered


the beheading of John. Prophet John’s head was cut over
a container. Some of the blood fell outside of the
container and that blood kept on flowing. The blood kept
on flowing on Earth until an unjust blasphemous king
came and killed 70,000 of the Children of Israel. This is
because those Children of Israel did not protect and
defend John, a Prophet of God, from being killed. After
the king had John killed, the followers of the king went
to look for Zacharias, to kill him also.
Prophet Zacharias passed by a tree and the tree called
him. The tree split open and Zacharias went inside the
tree. The devil, however, found out that Prophet
Zacharias was in that tree. The devil went and told the
followers of the king that Prophet Zacharias was in that
particular tree. Those followers of the king went and
sawed the tree in which Prophet Zacharias dwelled, and
Prophet Zacharias died as a result.
Some people misinterpret the verse in the Qur’an that
mentions that Prophet John did not desire women in this
life. Those who misinterpret this verse, say that Prophet
John was unable to have sexual intercourse. This is
incorrect. The truth is that in this life, Prophet John did
not have a desire to have a wife or slave woman with
which to have sexual intercourse. John was physically
able, but simply did not desire it in this life.

224
The Honorable Prophets of God

Chapter 27: OTHER PROPHETS,


blessings and peace be upon them

There were many Prophets other than the ones we tell


you about in this book. The ones we cited are the ones
who are famous in the nation of Prophet Muhammad,
blessings and peace be upon him. Most of these were
cited by name in the Qur’an. Some of the salaf (the
Muslims of the first three Islamic centuries) attributed
Prophethood to other than the ones we have cited such
as: Ash^iya, Armiya, Hizqil and Danyal.
In Surat Fatir, verse 24, God said that every nation
had a Prophet. This indicates the large number of the
Prophets.
Ibn Hibban related that Prophet Muhammad said that
the Prophets were 124,000, 313 of whom were
Messengers. However, there is a difference in opinion
about the credibility of some narrators of this hadith. For
this reason, it is not used to deduce rules in matters
pertaining to the belief. There is another narration by Ibn
Jarir, which states that there are 8,000 Prophets, but this
narration is not confirmed.
Some of the scholars said that the right methodology
is not to specify a number of Prophets, to be on the safe
side. This way one avoids including those who are not
among them, and excluding from the Prophets those who
are among them.
We are making note of this here, at this point in the
book, because all the Prophets whom we do not know

225
The Honorable Prophets of God

about definitely came before Prophet Jesus. Prophet


Jesus is the next Prophet to tell about.
Definitely Prophet Muhammad is the last Prophet to
be born as stated in the Qur’an and the hadith. Also we
know that definitely no Prophet is between Prophet Jesus
and Prophet Muhammad because of the hadith of Prophet
Muhammad stating it. Hence, we can logically conclude
that all those many Prophets we do not know about were
before Prophet Jesus.

226
The Honorable Prophets of God

Chapter 28: PROPHET JESUS (^ISA),


blessings and peace be upon him

Prophet Jesus (^Isa) is cited in the Qur’an many


times. Jesus is the son of Mary, who is the daughter of
^Imran, from the Children of Israel. The name of the
mother of Mary was Hannah or Hamnah.

Lady Mary is Born

Once, Hannah saw a bird feeding its children. She


longed for a baby herself. She asked God to give her a
child. God fulfilled her request. When Hannah felt the
pregnancy she said, “O Lord, I vow that that whoever in
my womb be dedicated as a servant in the Holy House,
worshipping You.” Hannah had thought the child would
be a boy. When she delivered, she saw the baby was a
girl. Hannah named the baby Mary (Maryam) and asked
God to protect her and her children from the devil.
Mary grew up in a pious manner. As mentioned
previously, Zacharias was her custodian. From him,
Mary learned the rules of Islam. Mary endeavored in
performing obedience, until she became the best of the
women in the world. Before attaining the age of 14, she
was already a highly pious woman.
Ibn Jarir and others narrated that one day, Mary ran
out of water. She asked her cousin, Joseph, the son of
Ya^qub, the son of Mathan, to go with her to fetch water.
He is known as Joseph, the carpenter. He said, “I have

227
The Honorable Prophets of God

what is sufficient for me for tomorrow.” Hence, Mary


went by herself to fetch some water.
There, Mary found a man. She feared him, and she
sought refuge with God. This good-looking man was
really Angel Gabriel. He told Mary, “I am one of the
angels of God. God sent me to give you a good child.”

Lady Mary Becomes Pregnant with a Blessed,


Father-less Child

Mary said, “How would I bear a child? I have not


been touched by a man, and I have never been a
prostitute.” Gabriel said, “This was ordained by God and
it is an easy matter to God. This child will be a sign to
the people and a mercy from God to them. This is a
matter that has been preordained.”
When he said that, Mary submitted to the ordainment
of God. Gabriel blew in the opening at the neck of
Mary’s dress. When Gabriel blew, the soul of Jesus went
into Mary’s mouth and into her womb. Gabriel left Mary
pregnant, carrying Prophet Jesus. Mary filled her
container and went back.
Mary’s cousin, Joseph the carpenter, was among the
most worshipful people. (Of course, this is a different
“Joseph” from Prophet Joseph). As days passed, Joseph
saw the signs of pregnancy on Mary. Certainly, he saw
this as a very serious matter. Joseph did not know how to
explain that situation to himself. When he thought to
accuse her of fornication, he would remember how pious
Mary was. Yet when Joseph wanted to declare that Mary

228
The Honorable Prophets of God

was innocent of this sin, he would see the signs of


pregnancy on her. Joseph decided to talk to Mary openly.
Joseph said, “Thoughts come to me about you. I have
been fighting and rejecting them. However, I have
reached the point that I am overwhelmed by these
thoughts. This is why I wanted to talk to you.”
Mary said, “Ask, but in a kind way that does not harm
me.” Joseph told her, “Tell me, will plants grow without
seeds?” Mary said, “Yes.” Then Joseph asked, “Will
trees grow without rain?” Mary said, “Yes.” Then
Joseph asked her, “Will there be a child without a male?”
Mary said, “Yes. Do you not know that God made the
plants emerge the day He created them the first time
without seeds? Do you not know that God created the
trees for the first time without rain? Do you not know
that God created both Adam and Eve without a male or a
female?” Joseph said, “Yes.”
When Mary told him that, Joseph felt at heart that this
pregnancy was something given to Mary from God. He
felt sure of her innocence from sin. It is narrated that
both Prophet Zacharias and Joseph were falsely accused
of making Mary pregnant. It is also narrated that the
wife of Zacharias and Mary had their pregnancies at the
same time, with Elizabeth delivering John six months
before Mary delivered Jesus.

Prophet Jesus is Born

The length of Mary’s pregnancy is a case of


difference in opinion. Some said it was nine months
long; others said it was eight. Other lengths were also

229
The Honorable Prophets of God

narrated. When she felt the pains of delivery, she went to


the east of Jerusalem. She started her delivery while
being under the branch of a palm tree in Bethlehem (Bayt
Lahm) in Palestine.
Mary said, “I wish I had died before this”, due to her
thinking about the reaction of the people. Mary said, “I
wish I had died, and not a trace would have been seen of
me.”
Angel Gabriel called her from the lower end of the
mountain saying, “Do not feel sad. God made a small
river run underneath you. Shake the trunk of the palm
tree, and dates will fall down to you.”
That palm was not fertile, yet when Mary shook its
trunk, it turned green and dates grew on it. Angel
Gabriel said, “Eat, drink and delight yourself.” Prophet
Jesus was born.
As a special endowment from God, Satan was not
present at the birth of Jesus and did not prick him. After
forty days, Mary came to her people carrying her son.
When the people saw Mary they exclaimed, “O Mary,
you have committed an enormous sin.” They told her “O
sister of Harun!” (This meant that Mary had been known
to be like a pious man among them named Harun.) They
said, “Your father was not an evil man, nor was your
mother a prostitute. How did you do this?”
Mary said, “As ordered, I have vowed not to talk to
any human today.” When they still wanted to talk to her,
she pointed at the baby indicating to them to talk to him.
They were angered. They said, “How do we talk to one
who is still in the cradle?” They thought that she was
mocking them.

230
The Honorable Prophets of God

Baby Jesus Speaks to the People

At that point, God made Jesus speak. Baby Jesus


said, “I am the slave of God. God will reveal a Book to
me and make me a Prophet. There are blessings
wherever I am. God will order me with prayers and
Zakah as long as I am alive.”
The first thing that Prophet Jesus uttered was his
declaration that he was the slave of God. This is a strong
proof that Jesus is not God, nor is he the Son of God.
Mary’s people wanted to punish her when they first saw
the child with her, because they thought that she had
committed fornication. However, after baby Jesus spoke,
the people refrained from punishing her, and left her
alone.
After that, Jesus did not speak until he reached the age
when children normally speak. Mary took Jesus to
Egypt. They stayed there for a period of time. Then
Mary and Jesus went back to the land of ash-Sham, to a
city known as Nazerith (an-Nasirah), in Palestine. Jesus’
followers were called Nasara, in reference to that city
(according to one of two sayings).
It is not reported by trustworthy sources that Mary
married her cousin Joseph. This is the story of the
Christians, and is not reliable. The reliable report is that
Mary never married until her death. Some scholars say
that she will be married to a Prophet in Paradise. Mary
was the best of all the Muslim women. It is blasphemy to
say that she is the “mother of God”, as some Christians
say. God does not have a mother or a father.

231
The Honorable Prophets of God

Jesus Follows the Torah before Receiving a New


Book

Jesus, peace be upon him, studied the Torah in school


and memorized it. Jesus followed the Torah until God
sent the Revelation to him, when he was 30 years old.
God made him a Prophet and Messenger. Jesus told the
people of his Prophethood. God gave Jesus a new book,
the Injil. The Injil abrogated some of the rules that were
in the Torah. When Prophet Jesus announced that he was
a Prophet, and that he received a new book, a lot of the
people following the Torah did not like this. They
wanted to stay with the Torah, and refused to give up
following the rules in the Torah to follow the rules in the
Injil. Those who did not accept the Prophethood of Jesus
and the new Holy Book, and instead clung to the Torah,
are those called the Jews.
God made many miracles occur at the hands of Jesus.
At Jesus’ hands, God created the cure of many with
leprosy, and other severe diseases. Jesus also made the
dead become alive, by the Will of God—in defeat to
those who objected to and opposed him. God gave Jesus
these types of miracles, because the people of Jesus’ time
were famous for their medicine. Despite that, they could
not do what Jesus did, by God’s Will.
Jesus was circumcised and did not eat pork. (The
Christians know these facts. They admit that Jesus was
circumcised and that he did not eat the swine. However,
a long time after Prophet Jesus was raised, some deviant
monks came together and changed these two rules, to

232
The Honorable Prophets of God

encourage others to come to their perverted religion).


Also Jesus did not drink wine, although Christians claim
that he did. None of the Prophets drank even a drop of
alcohol their entire lives.
The complexion of Jesus was fair. He wore clothing
made out of thick, unspun wool. Jesus used to eat raw
green vegetables, like endive (hindaba’) and
mulukhiyyah, green vegetables of the Palestine area.
Jesus was extremely detached from the world. He did
not have a house of his own. He used to sleep wherever
the night fell upon him. If the night fell when Jesus was
in the place of prayer, he would sleep there. (At Jesus’
time, there were specific places dedicated for prayer.
Although they were not called ‘masajid’ like we call
them today, these specific places were present). Jesus
did not get married.

The Story of the Spread of Food from the Sky

Prophet Jesus had ordered Al-Hawariyyun


(Supporters), the best people, who had believed in and
followed him, to fast 30 days. Upon the completion of
the 30 days, they were with Jesus in a desert. When
Prophet Jesus traveled, thousands of people would follow
him. Some of them were Jesus’ Companions, and others
were sick wanting a cure. However, a group of people
followed to mock and belittle Jesus.
The Hawariyyun asked Prophet Jesus if they could
have a spread of food descend on them from the sky, to
confirm to them that God accepted their fast. They
wanted to have something special to eat on the day they

233
The Honorable Prophets of God

broke their fast. They also asked that the spread would
be enough for all of them, both rich and poor alike.
Prophet Jesus was fearful for the Hawariyyun, thinking
that they might not thank God properly, if He gave them
this endowment. Moreover, they had seen many
miracles, so why did they want more?
When Prophet Jesus addressed them with his concern,
their answer was that they wanted the blessings that
would accompany this spread of food. After their
insistence, Prophet Jesus went to the place where he
usually prayed, placed a cloth made from unwoven wool,
and cried out of fear of God. Then, Jesus made
supplication that the Hawariyyun’s request would be
answered.
God accepted Prophet Jesus’ supplication and a
spread of food descended from the sky between two
clouds. One cloud was above it and one was below.
Around it, there were angels. Slowly, it neared the
ground and during its descent Prophet Jesus continued
making supplication to God asking Him to make this
spread of food a mercy for his people, bringing peace and
blessings, not being an infliction.
The spread of food landed near Prophet Jesus. It was
covered with a cloth. Prophet Jesus took this cloth away
while saying, “In the name of God, the best Sustainer”.
Once the spread was uncovered, the people could see
seven big fish, seven loaves of bread, vinegar, salt,
honey, pomegranates, and other fruits. The food of this
spread had a wonderful smell, which the people around it
had never smelled before.

234
The Honorable Prophets of God

The news of the feast reached the Jews. They came to


look at this unusual and extra-ordinary occurrence, while
being sad about its happening.
Prophet Jesus ordered the Hawariyyun to eat from the
spread of food, but they replied by saying, “We will not
eat from it until you have eaten from it.” Prophet Jesus
told them, “You are the ones who asked for it. You eat
from it.” Still they refused. At that, Prophet Jesus
ordered those who were poor, ill, diseased, handicapped,
or blind to eat from it. Their number was close to 1,300.
They all ate from it.
The blessing that resulted from this great miracle was
that all those who ate from it, whether they were
handicapped or had a sickness, were all cured.
Furthermore, the one who was poor among them became
rich. As a result, those who first refused to eat from it
regretted their refusal.
The number of people who wanted to eat from this
feast became so huge that Prophet Jesus made them take
turns. Each person, from the very first person until the
last, ate until they were full. It was cited that everyday
7,000 people ate from the table.
Forty days after the food spread had been among
them, God revealed to Prophet Jesus to allow only the
poor people, and not the rich, to eat from the feast.
Prophet Jesus warned the people to be honest, and for the
rich people to stay away from it, as they had been
ordered.
Jesus also ordered the poor people who ate from it not
to store any of its food. They could not take food away
with them and save it for the next day. However, the

235
The Honorable Prophets of God

people did not obey Prophet Jesus. Many rich people ate
from the food spread, and many took away food wanting
to store it.
As a result the food spread was lifted, which was a
great hardship for many people. The hypocrites among
the followers of Prophet Jesus used this as an excuse to
shed doubt about the truthfulness of Prophet Jesus and
spread that among the people. God revealed to Prophet
Jesus, “I will torture those who blaspheme.”
Thirty-three people who had blasphemed woke up the
next day to discover that they had been transformed into
ugly pigs. As pigs, they ate and slept on the dirt and filth
from the trash piles, after they had been eating good food
and sleeping on comfortable beds.
When the people saw this they gathered around
Prophet Jesus and cried. The pigs also came, hanging
their heads in shame and crying. Prophet Jesus knew
who those pigs were. Jesus said to them, “Aren’t you so
and so” and each one shook his head up and down,
unable to speak.
The people who blasphemed remained as pigs for
several days. Then Prophet Jesus made supplication to
God to take their souls out of their bodies. They
disappeared and it was unknown whether the earth had
swallowed them or something else had happened to them.
The people talked about this miracle. Consequently,
many people embraced Islam. Likewise, the faith and
belief of those who were already Muslim increased. The
account of the food spread is cited in Suratul-Ma’idah,
verses 112-115, of the Holy Qur’an.

236
The Honorable Prophets of God

Prophet Jesus is Raised to the Heavens

When Prophet Jesus was thirty-three years old, the


Jews wanted to kill him. However, God saved Jesus
from them. God made one of Jesus’ students look like
him, and that student was killed in place of Jesus.
Ibn Abi Hatim and An-Nasa’iyy narrated that Ibn
^Abbas said that Jesus was with twelve of his
Companions in a house. Prophet Jesus said, “Among you
there will be those who commit apostasy after being
believers.” Then Jesus said, “Who among you volunteers
to be made to look like me and will be killed in my
place? He will be my Companion in Paradise.”
The youngest man among them stood up and said, “It
is I.” Prophet Jesus said (kindly), “Sit down.” Prophet
Jesus repeated his question. This youngest follower stood
up again and said, “It is I.” Jesus again said, “Sit down.”
Then Jesus repeated the question a third time. That
youngest person said, “It is I.” At that, Prophet Jesus
said, “It is you.”
That person was made to look like Jesus. When
people came to capture Jesus they thought this student
was Jesus. They took that student and crucified him.
Before this crucifixion, Prophet Jesus was raised from a
window, from the upper corner of the house. People
used this window to get to the roof. Prophet Jesus was
raised through it. This is from a sahih hadith.
The story which some tell, that a Jewish man was paid
a lot of money to disclose the place of Prophet Jesus, is
false. The story says that then this man guided them to
the house, went inside before them, and when they

237
The Honorable Prophets of God

followed him, they thought him to be Prophet Jesus, and


they took him. Again this is false. Another story, which
is told, that the person killed was the leader of the Jews is
incorrect. Ibn Abbas’ narration is the correct one.

Prophet Jesus is Still Alive and Will Come Back to


Earth

Jesus, peace be upon him, now is present in the


second heaven. He shall descend before the Day of
Judgment. His descent will be one of the great signs of
the nearing of the Day of Judgment. Abu Dawud and
others narrated that Prophet Muhammad said, “Jesus, the
son of Mary shall descend among you. Know him. He is
a man average in height. His hair is smooth, not curly. He
is neither thin, nor heavy. He will remain on Earth for
forty years. All religions will be destroyed, except the
Religion of Islam.” This is a sahih hadith by unanimous
agreement of the scholars of hadith. (After Prophet Jesus
comes to Earth, there will be a time when no non-Muslim
human being will live on the face of the Earth).
When Jesus descends he will be wearing two yellow
garments. Prophet Muhammad said that Prophet Jesus,
the son of Mary, will descend and rule justly. Jesus shall
perform Hajj and travel to the grave of Prophet
Muhammad, with the purpose of saluting the Prophet.
The Prophet will return Jesus’ salutation.
The breath of Prophet Jesus, when he returns, will
reach as far as his sight reaches. The blasphemer who
did not yet embrace Islam will die when the breath of

238
The Honorable Prophets of God

Prophet Jesus reaches him. Either he believes or he dies.


God will destroy all the religions other than Islam.
At the time of Prophet Jesus, the people of Gog and
Magog (Ya’juj and Ma’juj) will appear on the Earth.
They will cause a lot of evil on Earth. Prophet Jesus will
take the believers to Mt. Tur (Sinai) where they will
make a supplication to God.
At that, God will send to the people of Gog and
Magog worms that will go inside of them, and kill them.
After all of them die, God will send a heavy rain to wash
all their corpses into the sea. After that, the Muslims will
live in peace, comfort, and safety.
There will be so much peace that the wolf will be with
the sheep grazing and not kill them. The baby will play
with the snake without the snake harming him. Money
will be in great surplus to the extent that no one will take
it. At that time, the Earth will bring up the gold inside of
it. The person will be burdened when he wants to pay
Zakah (an obligatory payment to deserving people) due
to that he will not find a poor person to receive Zakah.
The Earth will be ordered to bring forth fruits that are
very blessed by God. A whole group of people will be
able to eat from one pomegranate. God will bless milk
so that the milk of one cow will be sufficient for an entire
tribe. The milk of a sheep will be enough for one branch
of a tribe.
When he comes back to Earth, Prophet Jesus will
marry and have children. Then Prophet Jesus will die as
all men do. The Muslims will perform the funeral prayer
for him and bury him. The great Companion of the
Prophet, ^Abdullah ibn Salam, said that in the original

239
The Honorable Prophets of God

Torah given to Prophet Moses, it is written that Prophet


Jesus would come, and be buried with Prophet
Muhammad in his same chamber. From this, as well as
the Qur’an, Sunnah (sayings of Prophet Muhammad),
and consensus of the scholars, it is known that Prophet
Jesus did not die yet, and that God raised him from Earth
to the heavens, while he was awake.
A verse of the Qur’an means that God raised Prophet
Jesus from this Earth alive. After that, Prophet Jesus will
come back to Earth, live, and then will die. God saved
Prophet Jesus from the people who blasphemed and
wished to kill him. This is the interpretation of
^Abdullah ibn ^Abbas, the great explainer of the Qur’an.
Verse 157 of Suratun-Nisa’ explicitly indicates that
Prophet Jesus was neither crucified nor killed. He who
believes that Prophet Jesus was crucified or killed, has
denied the Qur’an and becomes a blasphemer due to this
conviction. He needs to correct his belief, and say the
two Professions of Faith, to enter Islam. He must
declare, “I profess that no one deserves to worshipped
except God, the Creator, and I profess that Muhammad is
the Messenger of God.”

Jurayj, the Pious Follower of Prophet Jesus

After Prophet Jesus was raised to the second heaven,


his Muslim followers were following the Injil and
teaching Islam. These Muslims were persecuted
frequently. They left the towns and lived in isolated
areas in the mountains to avoid the harm of the
disbelievers.

240
The Honorable Prophets of God

One of these followers was named Jurayj. Once


Jurayj was praying an optional prayer when his mother
called him. Jurayj did not respond to her call, but instead
continued with his prayer. His mother was upset and
said, “May you not die until you see the faces of the
prostitutes.”
Jurayj was known for his piety. Some evil people
wanted to tempt Jurayj and see him fail in his quest to
obey God. They got an idea to send a prostitute to him.
They wanted him to fall into her trap to discredit him.
The woman got dressed up and went to the small hut
of Jurayj, away from the people of the city. When she
proposed the sin of fornication to Jurayj, he immediately
rejected her, and sought refuge with God. When the
prostitute found that she could not seduce Jurayj, she
went to a shepherd she saw, and did the evil sin with him.
This prostitute got pregnant from that shepherd.
When she gave birth, she claimed that the baby was from
Jurayj. When the people of the city heard that, they now
had their alleged reason to discredit Jurayj. The people
went to the small hut of Jurayj and destroyed it. They
began to drag Jurayj through the streets. They were
proclaiming that Jurayj was not really pious and was a
fraud.
Jurayj asked to pray two rak^ahs of prayer. The
people granted him that. After Jurayj did that, Jurayj
asked the newborn baby who his father was. God made
the newborn baby speak clearly. The baby said, “The
shepherd is my father.”
When the people heard this, they stopped accusing
Jurayj of this act. They offered to re-build his house out

241
The Honorable Prophets of God

of gold. Jurayj said, “No, just re-build it as the same


simple hut that it was”.

The People of the Cave

The following story is cited in the Holy Qur’an, in


Suratul-Kahf. One of the followers of Prophet Jesus
went to a city called Ufsus, in nowadays Turkey. An evil
king named Duqyanus ruled that city. This king told his
people to worship idols.
This righteous follower of Prophet Jesus worked at a
public bath there. When the bath owner sensed the
blessings of this worker, he put him in charge of all the
work to be done.
This righteous follower of Prophet Jesus became
acquainted with some young men of the city. He took
the opportunity to teach these young men the Religion of
Islam. He told them that God did not have any partner,
and that they ought to worship God only, not the idols.
The young men believed and embraced Islam. The
names of the youths were Maksalamin, Amlikha,
Maratunis, Yanyunis, Sazamunis, Dawanawanis, and
Kashfitit.
The story of the Religion of these young men spread
in the city. When the news got to the king, Duqyanus, he
was furious. The king was told that the young men had
left the king’s religion, mocked his idols and defied them.
The king called the youths to his court and ordered them
to leave Islam, threatening to kill them if they did not.
Although the youths stayed steadfast to Islam, the
king thought they did not yet have mature minds. Hence,

242
The Honorable Prophets of God

the king did not kill them immediately. He sent them


back to their homes to think about the matter, before he
carried out his threat.
After sending those youths to their homes, the king
traveled from the city. Those youths took that
opportunity of the king being away, to flee the city and
find somewhere else to practice Islam. One of the youths
said, “I know a cave in the mountain. My father used to
secure the sheep in it. Let us go there and hide until God
grants us victory.” They all agreed to this.
The youths went out playing and rolling a ball in front
of them, so that no one would notice something unusual.
Then suddenly they fled towards the cave. A barking
dog, named Qitmir followed them. The youths were
worried that the disbelievers would hear the dog’s
barking, and be led to them. The youths threw stones at
the dog and pushed him away. Still the dog did not
return.
Finally the dog raised its front paws to the sky, as if
he was making supplication to God. Then God made the
dog talk saying, “O people, why are you driving me away
and hitting me? Do not be scared of me. I do not
disbelieve in God.”
When this amazing event happened, the youths were
certain that God, out of His mercy, would protect them.
These youths sought refuge with God, and supplicated,
“O God, grant us mercy from You, and create good
matters for us.”
They continued walking until they reached the cave.
Within the cave they found fruits and water. After eating

243
The Honorable Prophets of God

and drinking, they lay down to rest. All seven youths


slept heavily on the floor of that cave.
God made those youths sleep continuously for years
and years. They did not hear anything. Neither gusts of
wind, nor the sound of thunder woke them.
When the sun rose, it did not hit them with its high
heat, a sign of their high rank. When the sun rose, it
moved to the right of the cave, and when it set, it passed
by the left. Hence, the youths did not get much of the
heat of the sun. They were not hit by its sunbeams,
neither at the beginning nor at the end of the day. As a
result, the color of their skin did not change, and their
clothes did not get worn out.
God made them sleep with their eyes wide open. If
one were to look at them, one would think that they were
awake. God made them keep their eyes open, to keep
their eyes from getting impaired. Their eyes got exposed
to air, and did not suffer the ills of a lengthy closure.
It was narrated that an honorable angel was in charge
of turning them in regular intervals. They were turned on
their left and right sides twice a year. This was so that
their body would not decay. If one were to look at them,
one would be frightened by them and run away.
However, people could not see them and could not
approach them.
After three hundred and nine years of sleep, God
made them wake up. They woke up very hungry. They
talked with each other about how long they thought they
had slept. One of them said, “I think that we slept only
one day, or less.”

244
The Honorable Prophets of God

Another one said, “We went to sleep this morning,


and now the sun is getting ready to set”. Yet another
said, “Let us stop wondering. God knows best how long
we stayed. Let one of us go with some money to buy
some food. That one must be alert and smart. No one
should recognize him, or else he would be followed.
King Duqyanus and his followers must not know of our
location, or else they would come and torture us to make
us leave Islam.”
In reality, Duqyanus had died many, many years ago.
The present king was a pious Muslim, following Prophet
Jesus. The people of the city of the king were in
disagreement about the matter of the Resurrection on the
Day of Judgment. Some said that they thought only the
souls of the people would be gathered on the Day of
Judgment, and that their bodies would stay decayed in
the soil. Others had the correct belief, that the bodies
would be recreated and assembled with their souls.
The pious king was upset with their argument. He
asked God to give a clear proof to the people, so that they
would all have the correct belief about this issue.
Amlikha was the youth chosen to go out and get food,
being fearful and watchful. When he reached the city he
was used to, Ufsus, he was surprised to see many
changes. An area that had been a wide, open grazing
land for sheep was now full of high castles. Other castles
that Amlikha was used to had collapsed. Amlikha did not
recognize any face he saw.
Amlikha became confused. Seeing the youth in this
state, someone asked him, “Are you a stranger to this
city? What are you looking for?” Amlikha said, “I am

245
The Honorable Prophets of God

not a stranger. I just want to buy food, and I cannot find


the place where I normally shop.”
The man took Amlikha by the hand and led him to a
food store. Amlikha took out his money and gave it to
the seller. The seller became amazed, due to that
Amlikha gave him an ancient coin, with the picture of the
ancient king Duqyanus on it who had died about three
hundred years earlier. The seller thought that Amlikha
had discovered an ancient treasure, and was keeping a
great wealth somewhere. People gathered around
Amlikha and took him to the Muslim king.
The king got the news of the youth, before the youth
arrived. The king had heard a story from his grandfather
of some youths who were Muslim and had disappeared.
The king was very eager to meet Amlikha, hoping that he
would be one of those youths.
When Amlikha got to the king, the king made Amlikha
feel comfortable and asked him about his story. Amlikha
told his story and realized that he and his friends had
slept for hundreds of years. The king was very pleased
with these events, and turned to his people saying,
“Certainly, God sent you a sign to show the truth of the
matter about which you differ.”
The king and the people of the city walked with
Amlikha to the cave. When they got near Amlikha said,
“Let me go in first so that my friends do not get scared.”
Amlikha went in and told his friends what had happened
to them. He told them that they had slept for hundreds of
years, Duqyanus had died long ago, and that a pious
Muslim king now ruled their city.

246
The Honorable Prophets of God

The friends were very happy with this news. They


went out of the cave and greeted the king. Then they
returned to the cave. When the people of the city saw
that God had made those youths sleep for more than three
hundred years, awaking youthful, fresh and healthy, they
gave up their wrong belief. They believed that God,
Who made that happen, has the Power to resurrect the
people on the Day of Judgment, both in body and soul.

Other Followers of Prophet Jesus

The followers of Jesus went to various lands, teaching


the Injil to the people. However, the Injil started to get
changed by the people. The Injil, although it was
revealed after the Torah, was changed by the people
before the Torah was. The book called the Bible is not at
all the Injil, the real Holy Book given to Prophet Jesus by
God. The real Injil is not present on Earth any more. It
was raised to the heavens.
(Some one told me that but I want it checked)

About 200 years after the raising of Jesus to the


heavens, false teachings were widely spread about Jesus,
saying that he was the “son of God”. The ruler
Constantine established a false doctrine about Jesus and
many followed that false doctrine. Hence, those who
followed that false doctrine were called Christians, but
they really did not follow Jesus at all.
Throughout the years leading to the Prophethood of
Muhammad, some people continued to have the correct
belief about God, not believing that Jesus is the Son of

247
The Honorable Prophets of God

God. Five years before God gave the first Revelation to


Prophet Muhammad, the last person on Earth to have the
right belief about God died. When we say “the last
person” we mean, of course, other than Prophet
Muhammad, and Prophet Al-Khadir. This gives you an
idea of how bad the people were on Earth, when Prophet
Muhammad started calling them to Islam. Prophet
Muhammad revived calling the people to Islam, just like
all the Prophets about whom we have just told you.
God’s peace and blessings be upon all of them!

248
THE GLORIOUS LIFE OF
THE LAST PROPHET:
MUHAMMAD,
blessings and peace be upon him
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

O Muhammad!

Born in Makkah, so long ago


Was the best man, the world would ever know.
Nursed by Halimah, she watched him grow.
Raised by his uncle, the people loved him so!

He is Muhammad. O Allah bless him!


He is Muhammad. How we love to praise him!

He met Khadijah, such a fine woman.


They had children, but no boys lived to be a man.
Who’d place the Black Stone? Then in walked the man.
It was As-Sadiq. They all loved his plan.

He is Muhammad. O Allah bless him!


He is Muhammad. How we love to praise him!

Then came the angel, when he was forty,


He brought the message, full of glory!
He was a Prophet, like the ones of old.
Just like Jesus, their message must be told!

He is Muhammad. O Allah bless him!


He is Muhammad. How we love to praise him!

He called the people to leave their blasphemy.


He was rejected, except by a few so great to see.

251
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

He was patient; he didn’t waver in his faith.


Then more believed him, although the evil ones did hate.

He is Muhammad. O Allah bless him!


He is Muhammad. How we love to praise him!

Went to Madinah, the city of light.


He called the Jews there. They saw his great might.
He fought at Badr. The angels fought along with him,
The bad of Makkah. Allah gave us the win!

He is Muhammad. O Allah bless him!


He is Muhammad. How we love to praise him!

Battle of Uhud, a test for every man,


Some were impatient, but our Prophet was so grand!
Ahzab Battle, three groups came to fight Islam.
They were vanquished. Allah supports our man!

He is Muhammad. O Allah bless him!


He is Muhammad. How we love to praise him!

There was a treaty, how good it would be!


He fought at Khaybar, with a sure victory.
Event the Romans, with numbers big to see,
Felt defeated, by this noble army!

252
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

He is Muhammad. O Allah bless him!


He is Muhammad. How we love to praise him!

Then the great help from our Lord came,


And Makkah, the Muslims now could claim.
And the people, became his followers in droves,
And forgiveness is what our Prophet shows!

He is Muhammad. O Allah bless him!


He is Muhammad. How we love to praise him!

Like all men do, our Prophet had to die,


And his story brings tears to our eyes.
But what he likes for us all to do,
Is tell his message, this message O so true!

O Muhammad! O Allah bless him!


O Muhammad! How we love to praise him!
O Muhammad!

253
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 29: The Parents and


Grandfather of Prophet Muhammad
(Muhammad),
peace and blessings be upon him

Prophet Muhammad’s parents were both from the


tribe of Quraysh, in Makkah, in nowadays Saudi Arabia.
Quraysh is the tribe with the highest rank among the
Arab tribes. The mother of Prophet Muhammad was
Aminah the daughter of Wahb, from the family of
Zuhrah, from the tribe of Quraysh. The father of Prophet
Muhammad was ^Abdullah, the son of ^Abdul-Muttalib.
^Abdul-Muttalib was high in the community of
Makkah, when Prophet Muhammad was born. He was in
charge of giving water and food to the pilgrims who
came to Makkah. Years before Muhammad’s birth,
^Abdul-Muttalib did not feel himself to be in such a high
position.
Remember the well in Makkah that was dug for Lady
Hagar and Prophet Ishmael? That well of Zamzam had
gotten covered. ^Abdul-Muttalib, before having his son
^Abdullah (the father of Muhammad), had a dream that
he was digging that blessed well. However, the people of
Quraysh tried to prevent ^Abdul-Muttalib from digging
that well. ^Abdul-Muttalib felt weak in the tribe, because
he only had one son. He felt that if he had a lot of sons
the people would not treat him badly. ^Abdul-Muttalib
made a vow that, if God gave him ten sons, he would

254
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

sacrifice the last of these ten at the Ka^bah. Of course,


this is not a right thing to vow.
God did give ^Abdul-Muttalib ten sons. The tenth son
was ^Abdullah, who would become the father of Prophet
Muhammad. ^Abdul-Muttalib especially loved this tenth
son. However, ^Abdul-Muttalib wanted to keep his vow
and prepared to slaughter ^Abdullah. At that, the people
of Quraysh told ^Abdul-Muttalib, “If you slaughter your
son, other people will imitate you in this and start to
slaughter their sons for the same reason. We see this as a
bad thing!”
Hence, ^Abdul-Muttalib went to a person for advice.
This advisor said, “Put up ten camels, draw, and see if
the arrows say the camels or your son. If they say your
son, keep on adding ten camels and drawing until the
arrows say the camels.” They did so and the arrows did
not say the camels until 100 camels were put up. As a
result, ^Abdul-Muttalib slaughtered 100 camels instead of
his son, the future father of our Prophet.
^Abdul-Muttalib kept his ten sons, and did re-excavate
the well of Zamzam, as he had dreamt.
Instead of being slaughtered as a baby, ^Abdullah
grew to be one of the most handsome men. One day,
^Abdullah was walking with his father and passed by a
woman of a tribe called Asad. The woman called out to
^Abdullah, “Where are you going O ^Abdullah?” He
said, “To a place with my father.” She said, “I would
give you an equal number of camels to the number that
were slaughtered in your place, if you would have sexual
intercourse with me right now.” ^Abdullah said, “I am
busy”. Then he said poetry that meant, “I prefer to die,

255
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

than to do an abhorrent thing. You did not mention a


lawful marriage. So how would I do what you asked?”
Later that day, ^Abdullah got married to Aminah, with
Aminah moving into ^Abdullah’s house that night. The
next day, after consummating the marriage, ^Abdullah
again passed by the woman of Asad. On this day, the
woman did not say anything to ^Abdullah. ^Abdullah
was curious as to her change, and inquired as to why she
was not talking as she was yesterday. She replied to him,
“Yesterday I saw a light in your face. I don’t see it
today.”
It is said that from that first wedding night, Aminah
conceived Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be
upon him. ^Abdullah traveled to trade in Madinah with
his uncles from his mother’s side there. ^Abdullah got
sick in Madinah and died therein at the young age of
twenty-five.

256
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 30: The Story of the Year of the


Elephant

Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon


him, was born in Makkah in the year when Abrahah, the
Abyssinian, came to destroy the Ka^bah. Instead God
destroyed Abrahah and his army. At that time in
Makkah, the people named years by major events.
Therefore, it is said that the Prophet was born in the
“Year of the Elephant”. It is the year 571 of the western
calendar.
Abrahah was a Christian ruler in Yemen, ruling on
behalf of the Abyssinian king. By that time, the true
teachings of Jesus had been perverted and Abrahah had a
blasphemous belief. Abrahah had built a church called
Qullays in Yemen and wanted the people to come there
instead of to the Ka^bah. However, when he found that
the Arabs’ hearts were still attached to the Ka^bah, he set
out with his army to destroy it. They brought a big
elephant, which was the leader, along with other
elephants. When the army came close to Makkah,
Abrahah ordered his troops to attack the livestock. They
took some of ^Abdul-Muttalib’s camels.
^Abdul-Muttalib Ibn Hashim was one of the leaders of
Makkah and the grandfather of our beloved Prophet
Muhammad. As most of the people in Makkah, he was
from the tribe of Quraysh.
The king sent one of his soldiers to Makkah where he
met with ^Abdul-Muttalib. The soldier said, “The king
has sent me to tell you that he did not come here to fight

257
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

you unless you fight him first. Rather, he came to


destroy this house (meaning the Ka^bah). Then he will
leave you.” ^Abdul-Muttalib said, “We do not have the
ability to fight him. We will not try to confront him.”
The messenger of Abrahah came back with ^Abdul-
Muttalib to Abrahah. When ^Abdul-Muttalib entered the
king's chambers, the king praised and honored him.
Then he told the translator, “Ask him about his need from
the king.” The translator asked and ^Abdul-Muttalib
replied, “My need is for the two-hundred (200) camels
that were taken from me during the attack to be given
back to me.”
Abrahah told his translator, “Tell him: When I first
saw you I was impressed, but now I do not think highly
of you. I came to destroy something you consider holy in
your religion and you do not discuss that with me, rather
you talk about the camels that were taken?”
^Abdul-Muttalib replied, “I am the lord (owner) of the
camels; as for this House, i.e., the Ka^bah, it has a Lord
Who will protect it.” Abrahah returned his camels to
him. Fearing that the army would harm people on its
way to Makkah, ^Abdul-Muttalib instructed Quraysh to
disperse in the mountains. They obeyed him.
Abrahah directed his army towards Makkah with the
big elephant in the front. However, the elephant refused
to move despite the beating and orders given to it. To
their surprise, when they directed it towards Yemen and
ash-Sham areas, it ran quickly without delay.
Then, God sent birds from the direction of the sea in
small groups. Each bird had three stones, two in its feet,
and one in its beak. Each stone was bigger than the size

258
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

of a lentil but smaller than the size of a chickpea, and on


each was written the name of one of Abrahah's soldiers.
The stone would fall on the named soldier, enter from his
head, and leave from his bottom, killing him. Thus,
Abrahah’s army was destroyed and did not enter into the
Holy Mosque of Makkah.
It was said that there were 60,000 soldiers. None of
them returned, except for a small group with their
commander, who told their story; then he died. Abrahah
became very sick. His body fell apart, small piece by
small piece. Abrahah did not die until his heart came out
of his chest.

259
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 31: The Birth of Prophet


Muhammad,
blessings and peace be upon him

At the time when Prophet Muhammad was born, most


of the people of Makkah were in a terrible state of
worshipping idols. They believed that God was only one
of many gods. The people of Makkah made many
statues, and worshipped them unrightfully. They
believed that the Ka^bah was a special house, but they
put their ugly idols around the Ka^bah. The people used
fortune-telling arrows in order to make decisions and
went to fortune-telling people for advice.
People came from all around to visit the Ka^bah and
worship the idols. They claimed to be making Hajj
(Pilgrimage). However, what they called Hajj was
changed from the Hajj performed by Prophet Ibrahim
before them. They went around the Ka^bah naked while
clapping and whistling. The Makkans got wealthy from
the spending of the tribes who came to their city to
worship unrightfully.
Some say that the Prophet was two months old when
his father died, and others say that Aminah was still
pregnant with the Prophet when ^Abdullah died.
^Abdullah left five camels, some goats, and a female
slave called Barakah (also known as Umm Ayman).
Aminah narrated that she did not feel the weight of the
pregnancy like other women do. During her pregnancy
Aminah saw a dream (with her feeling in a state between

260
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

waking and sleep). In this dream someone told her, “Do


you know with whom you are pregnant? You are
pregnant with the Master of this Nation and its Prophet.”
The birth of the Prophet was an easy one. It was on a
Monday, on the 12th day of the Islamic month of Rabi^ul-
Awwal. The Prophet’s birth was about 50 days after the
incident of the Elephant attack of Abrahah.
It was narrated that the Prophet’s umbilical cord was
already cut when he was born. Hence, no one had to do
that cutting. Also it is said that the Prophet was born
already circumcised.
Aminah sent a message to ^Abdul-Muttalib to tell him
of the birth of his grandson, and to come. ^Abdul-
Muttalib came and Aminah told him about wonderful
dreams that she had while pregnant with the baby, and
how easy the birth was. ^Abdul-Muttalib was very
pleased and took the blessed baby to the Ka^bah. He
went inside of the Ka^bah with the baby, thanking God
for the birth of this special grandson. ^Abdul-Muttalib
gave the baby the name Muhammad, meaning, “the one
praised by many for his numerous good attributes”.
This was not a famous name at the time among the
Arabs. Only seven children had received this name
before and all of that had been recent. Those seven
children had been named Muhammad because at that
time, the Arabs were hearing that shortly a Prophet
would be born named Muhammad. Those people hoped
that their son would be that Prophet. So, they named
their sons Muhammad, before the naming of our Prophet.
Yet the name Ahmad, that is also a name of Prophet
Muhammad, was never given to one before our Prophet.

261
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

This is the name cited in the book of Prophet Jesus, the


Injil, as well as the name Muhammad.
Ibnu Sayyidin-Nas and others narrated that when the
Prophet was born fourteen balconies of the biggest palace
of the king of Persia fell down. Also the fire that the
Persians worshipped went out, even though it had not
gone out for one thousand years.
The name for the title “king” in Persian is “Kisra”.
This Kisra saw a dream about which he felt very
uncomfortable. The Kisra gathered his advisors and
consulted with them about the dream. The Kisra told his
advisors that he saw in his dream camels guiding horses.
These animals crossed the river of Tigris and from there
they spread through his kingdom.
While Kisra was telling this dream, they got the news
that the fire they worshipped had gone out. The Kisra
got more disturbed. The religious head of the Kisra told
him, “I saw the same dream this past night. I interpret it
as follows: The Arabs will get out of their country and
overcome the rulership of Persia. Those Arabs will rule
our areas. This will take place after fourteen Persia kings
rule, equal to the number of balconies that just fell from
the palace.”
That Kisra thought to himself, “It will be a long time
before fourteen kings pass. I don’t want to care about
this now.”
After the birth of the Prophet, 10 Kisras succeeded
one another in just four years. After those four years,
four more Kisras reigned over a period of about 80 years.
The Persian Empire then totally fell to the Muslims,
under the rulership of Caliph ^Uthman, about 20 years

262
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

after the death of Prophet Muhammad. Ever since then,


that area has been a Muslim area until today.
When baby Muhammad was born, the news spread
among the sons of ^Abdul-Muttalib that they got a new
nephew. One of the sons of ^Abdul-Muttalib acquired
the name “Abu Lahab”. Abu Lahab received the news of
his new nephew from a slave woman he owned named
Thuwaybah. Abu Lahab was so happy that he set that
slave woman free that Monday. Later, when Muhammad
became a Prophet, that same uncle became one of the
worst of enemies.

263
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 32: The Nursing of Prophet


Muhammad

First, Aminah nursed her son, Muhammad, for a short


time. Then another woman nursed him. However, Lady
Halimah was the main nursing mother of Prophet
Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. In those
days in Makkah, women wanted their children nursed by
Bedouins who lived outside of the city. They believed
that their children would be healthier by being raised in
the desert. Aminah wanted her son to have a good start.
Therefore, she too desired to have him nursed outside
Makkah.
The following is told by the nursing mother, Halimah,
“I went with other women from Banu Sa^d searching for
nursing babies in Makkah, riding a female donkey in a
year of drought which left us with no food. My husband
was with me on an old female camel that would not even
give us a drop of milk. In addition, I had a son with me
that would not let us sleep at night because of his crying
and my breasts did not have what was enough for him.
When we reached Makkah, the Messenger of God was
shown to every woman and every woman rejected him
because he was an orphan. We all were seeking the
reward from the father for nursing his child. Every one
of my companions had a child to nurse except myself. I
hated to return without having any child to nurse. I told
my husband, ‘I swear by God I will return to that orphan
and take him.’

264
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

When I returned, my husband said, ‘You did the right


thing. May God bring goodness through this child.’ I
swear by God, as soon as I put him in my lap, the milk
started flowing out of my breasts. Muhammad and my
son nursed until they were satisfied. My husband went to
the female camel and found her udders full of milk. So,
we milked as much as we wanted and my husband and I
drank until we were satisfied. That night our children
and we slept full of food, and with our thirst quenched.
My husband said to me ‘O Halimah, I swear by God, I
see that you have brought a blessed human. Our children
have slept!’
We went out of Makkah. I swear by God, my female
donkey ran ahead of the caravan and my companions said
surprised, ‘Isn’t this your female donkey that you rode to
Makkah?’ I said, ‘yes.’ I swear by God that she was
ahead of them until we reached our camps.
We came to the most barren land. I swear by the One
Who controls my soul, my lambs would go out in the
morning with other peoples’ lambs, and in the afternoon
my lambs would come back with full stomachs and
udders while their lambs would return hungry and
without milk. Then, we would drink whatever we
desired of the milk and no one around would even have a
drop of milk from his or her animals. The people would
ask their shepherds, ‘Why don’t you graze your sheep
where Halimah does?’ So, they would graze their
animals wherever we grazed ours. Their animals would
return hungry without milk and ours would return full of
food and milk.
Muhammad became one year old and was a strong
boy. We went to his mother and I told her, ‘We should

265
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

keep him lest he would be inflicted with disease in


Makkah.’ I did not want to give him up to his mother
because of the blessings that we witnessed from him. We
kept on talking with his mother until we convinced her to
leave him with us.
One day my son came and told us, ‘Help my brother
from Quraysh! Two men came and laid him down and
cut open his chest.’ We ran fast and found Muhammad
standing, with a changed color. We both embraced him.
He told us, ‘Two men with white clothes came and laid
me down and cut my chest open. I do not know what
they did with me.’ My husband said, ‘O Halimah, this
child is hurt and we need to return him to his family.’
[Halimah and her husband were worried that Muhammad
became mentally sick].
When we got to his mother, she said, ‘Why did you
bring him back when you were so insistent on keeping
him with you?’ I said, ‘We have taken care of him and
have done what we were obligated to do; then we feared
for him.’ His mother said, ‘I swear by God, this is not
the reason. Therefore, tell me what happened.’
When we told her what had happened she said, ‘You
were worried about him? I swear by God, my son will
have a great rank. Let me tell you about him. When I
carried him, nothing was lighter or more blessed than he
was. When I was pregnant with him I saw a dream that a
strong light came out of my body. This light was so
strong that it lit up the palaces in Busra [a city in ash-
Sham. When I delivered him, he did not fall as other
babies do. He fell with his hands on the ground, raising
his head to the sky. Leave him with me and go back to
your business.’”

266
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 33: Some Events in the Prophet’s


Early Life

Our Prophet, Muhammad, peace and blessings be


upon him, was about five years old when he went back to
live with his mother and grandfather. Aminah was very
happy. Muhammad had many uncles, the sons of
^Abdul-Muttalib. His eldest uncle, Abu Talib, was very
fond of him. His uncles Hamzah and al-^Abbas were
about his own age. These two uncles later embraced
Islam.
The dear mother of our Prophet, Aminah, died when
the Prophet was five years old (and some said six years
old). She had taken her son to Madinah, to the grave of
his father. On the way back, she died and was buried in a
place called Abwa’.
His grandfather ^Abdul-Muttalib then took charge of
him. His grandfather was about 100 years old by that
time, but he was still active. He took the little
Muhammad with him where he went and gave him
special attention.
^Abdul-Muttalib used to put a small rug next to the
Ka^bah and sit on it. He did not want anyone to sit on it
but him. ^Abdul-Muttalib’s own sons sat next to this
carpet. They kept others from sitting on it. Due to all
this, when the little grandson, Muhammad, came and sat
on the carpet, his uncles tried to remove Muhammad as
they did with the others. ^Abdul-Muttalib said, “Leave
him. I feel that he will have a great status in the future.”

267
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

^Abdul-Muttalib died only about two years after


Aminah (with some saying the Prophet was seven years
old, and others saying eight). Due to the death of
^Abdul-Muttalib, the Prophet’s uncle Abu Talib (the son
of ^Abdul-Muttalib) took on the care of the young
Muhammad. Although he was poor, with a lot of
children, Abu Talib made young Muhammad part of his
household, putting him ahead of his own children.
The children of Abu Talib woke up with messy hair
and mucus in their eyes. Abu Talib noticed that
Muhammad, on the other hand, woke from sleep with his
hair looking neat, as if it had been oiled with olive oil.
As well, instead of having mucus, the eyes of
Muhammad looked bright, as if some one had applied
kohl to them.
Abu Talib noticed that whenever they ate together
with young Muhammad present, the food was enough for
all of them. They felt full. However, when they ate
without Muhammad, the food did not satisfy them.
Hence, when the family wanted to eat Abu Talib said,
“Wait until my son (Muhammad) comes.” With
Muhammad present, they got full and still had some food
left at the end.
Abu Talib used to give the cup of milk first to
Muhammad, because he noticed that when Muhammad
was the first to drink, the milk would be enough for
everyone. Due to all of this, Abu Talib declared, “This is
a blessed child!”
Umm Ayman, the Prophet’s nanny, said, “As a child,
the Prophet never said that he was hungry or thirsty like
the other children do. He used to wake up and go drink

268
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

from the well of Zamzam. After that, when we offered


him food he would say ‘I am full’.”
There were no schools in Arabia at that time and few
people of the city could read or write. Muhammad grew
up not reading or writing, not because he was unable, but
because he did not go to school for that knowledge.
Despite not going to school, Muhammad spoke and knew
the Arabic language flawlessly. Muhammad memorized
his knowledge without the need to write it down.
When Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him,
was twelve he went with Abu Talib, who was a merchant,
towards Ash-Sham land (the area of Lebanon, Jordan,
Palestine, and Syria). A priest called Bahira saw
Muhammad. He embraced him, and then offered him
food. Then, he uncovered Muhammad’s back and looked
for a mark between his shoulders, which he knew the last
prophet would have. Bahira knew signs of the last
prophet from the teachings of Prophet Jesus that had been
preserved.
Bahira said to Abu Talib, ‘Your nephew has a very
high status. Return with him to your hometown and
guard him against the Jews, lest they notice the signs that
I noticed’. Abu Talib hurriedly finished his trade and
returned him to Makkah. After that he did not travel with
him, fearing for him.
Remember, at that time, there were people who were
Christians and people who were Jews. By that time, the
Christians were not having the right belief about Prophet
Jesus, saying that he was the son of God, and the Jews
were not truly following Prophet Moses, because they
denied the Prophethood of Jesus. At that time, the Jews
still had the Torah, which was revealed to Moses.

269
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

In the Jewish scriptures, God revealed there would be


a last Prophet, his description, and they should follow
him when he came. The same news was in the scripture
revealed to Jesus. However, by the time of Prophet
Muhammad, this scripture had been perverted. Due to
these facts, we hear many stories about how Christians
and Jews had heard that a last prophet was to come, and
they knew signs of how to recognize him.
What is called the “Old Testament” nowadays is not
the Torah revealed to Moses. One proof, is that in the
“Old Testament”, it is written that God created the
heavens and Earth in six days, and then He rested on the
seventh day. In reality, God never revealed to any
Prophet that He rested. In the greatest verse of the Holy
Qur’an (Suratul-Baqarah, 255), God refutes those who
say this about Him. God mentions that neither slumber
does seize Him, nor sleep. In another verse of the
Qur’an, God mentions that He created the heavens and
Earth in six days, and He was not overwhelmed by
fatigue (Suratu Qaf, 38). Praise to God.

270
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 34: The Trading and Marriage


of the Messenger of God

We know from our beloved Prophet, peace and


blessings be upon him, that he was a shepherd at some
time in his life. Our Prophet said that every Prophet
tended sheep. Being a shepherd prepared the Prophets
for the great task of caring for and guiding people.
When Prophet Muhammad became 25 years old, he
was known in Makkah by the name “al-Amin” (The
Trustworthy), because of the good traits that he had. Abu
Talib was suffering from being quite poor. Hence, when
an opportunity came for his nephew to make some
money, Abu Talib encouraged him, although he feared
for him.
Trading was a point of pride for the people of
Quraysh. Abu Talib said, “O nephew, I am a man with
no money. We had bad years and we have no money and
trade. Here is the caravan of your people about to leave
to the Sham area. Khadijah bint Khuwaylid is sending
men from your people to trade for her and get some
earnings. If you go to her and let her know you are
available she will prefer you to others because of what
she has heard about your purity. I dislike your going to
the Sham area and I fear for your safety from the Jews.”
The Messenger of God said that Khadijah might send
after him. Abu Talib said, “I worry that she may hire
someone else.”
Khadijah bint Khuwaylid was a trading woman with a
high status. She made a lot of money from her business,

271
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

of sending her goods to ash-Sham. She used to hire men,


give them money to invest, and share the profits with
them.
Khadijah got news of the dialogue between
Muhammad and his uncle. Before that she had received
news about the truthfulness, trustworthiness, and good
manners of the Prophet. She said, “I did not know that
he was interested in this.” She sent after him. She said
to him, “I received the news about your truthfulness,
trustworthiness, and good manners. I will pay you
double of any other man of your people.” The Prophet
agreed and told his uncle. Abu Talib said, “This is
sustenance that God gave to you.”
Prophet Muhammad set out with Khadijah’s servant
Maysarah until they reached the Sham area in the market
of Busra. The uncle of Prophet Muhammad told those
involved to take care of Muhammad. Muhammad went
under the shade of a tree close to the hut of a monk who
knew Maysarah. The monk was called Nastura.
Nastura asked, “Who is this under the tree?” Maysarah
told him, “A man from Quraysh of Makkah.” The monk
told him, “The one under that tree is a prophet.” Then he
asked Maysarah, “Does he have some redness in his
eyes?” Maysarah said, “Yes, it never leaves him.” The
monk said, “He is the last prophet. I wish I would be
alive when he is ordered to leave his city.” Nastura
knew this sign from his teachings.
Maysarah understood the words of Nastura. Then he
went with the Messenger of God to the market of Busra
and sold his goods. Maysarah bought an item and had a
difference between him and a man. The man swore by
al-Lat and al-^Uzza, two idols. The Messenger of God

272
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

said, “I never swear by them.” The man said, “This is


true.” Then he told Maysarah privately, “This is a
prophet; our clergy find his description in their books.”
Maysarah understood these words. Then everyone in the
caravan left.
Maysarah noticed a cloud over Muhammad, shading
him, when it was very hot. Maysarah loved the
Messenger of God and accompanied him as if he was the
Messenger’s slave.
When the Prophet returned from the trip, he entered in
Makkah at noon while Khadijah was with some women.
She saw him riding in with a cloud shading him. She
showed that to her friends who were surprised. The
Messenger of God told her about the profits that they had
made and she was happy. Then Maysarah told her about
the monk, the man in the marketplace, and how
Muhammad was shaded.
The Messenger of God gave Khadijah her goods. She
profited twice as much as usual and she paid him twice as
much as she had mentioned earlier. She was a very
honorable and intelligent woman, had a high status, and
the most riches of all the women of Quraysh. Every man
desired to marry her if he could.
One of Lady Khadijah’s friends gave our Prophet a
hint that Lady Khadijah would accept a marriage
proposal from him. Prophet Muhammad went to Lady
Khadijah’s uncle with his uncle Hamzah and proposed to
her. The Prophet was twenty-five and she was forty.
Although they were not of the same age, they loved each
other dearly and had a very happy marriage.

273
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 35: The Children and Household


of Our Blessed Prophet and Lady
Khadijah

After his marriage to Lady Khadijah, the young man


Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, had
comfort which was new to him. Although Khadijah was
at an age when a lot of women stop having children, she
gave birth to six children for her husband. The first boy
was named Al-Qasim, who died at a very young age.
This was one of the many hardships that Prophet
Muhammad and Lady Khadijah bore with beautiful
patience. They had four daughters: Zaynab, Ruqayyah,
Umm Kulthum and Fatimah.
All of these children were born before Prophet
Muhammad received Revelation. It is said that their last
child was a boy named ^Abdullah, who was born after
our Prophet received Revelation. He was also called At-
Tayyib and At-Tahir. This son also died at a young age,
which made some evil people mock our Prophet,
laughing about that he had no sons. They claimed that
the Prophet would be forgotten due to having no sons. It
is to be observed that their last son was born when Lady
Khadijah was past the age of fifty-five, may God raise
her exalted rank!
Before receiving Revelation, the Prophet gave some
of his daughters in marriage. At the time when our
Prophet received Revelation, Fatimah was still young
and lived at home with her beloved parents. Also, in the
household were ^Aliyy, the son of Abu Talib, Zayd Ibn

274
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Harithah, and Barakah. All of these people became


great Muslims, dear Companions of our beloved Prophet.
All of these Companions have interesting stories.
Concerning our Lady Fatimah, we ask God to bless her
greatly, she became the best woman of her time. She was
the only daughter of our Prophet who outlived him; she
died six months after his death. Fatimah was a woman of
great faith, and as a young girl she saw her father hurt so
much by the blasphemers. She helped her blessed father
in her own way and was very dear to him. Fatimah grew
up to give birth to the beloved grandsons of our Prophet
through her marriage with her second paternal cousin,
^Aliyy Ibn Abi Talib.
Our Prophet wanted to help his uncle, Abu Talib, who
had helped him when he was a young orphan. This is the
reason that ^Aliyy was raised in the Prophet’s home. The
Prophet offered to care for ^Aliyy to help Abu Talib with
his financial problems. Al-^Abbas, the brother of Abu
Talib took in his son Ja^far and Abu Talib kept his son
^Aqil with him. Hence, ^Aliyy had the great blessing of
being raised by the best of creation! ^Aliyy was only ten
years old when the Revelation came to his cousin,
Prophet Muhammad.
Zayd Ibn Harithah was a slave of Lady Khadijah.
She gave him to our Prophet who later set him free.
Although Zayd became free, he loved Muhammad so
much that he wanted to stay living with him. Even when
the true father of Zayd found that his son was alive, Zayd
preferred to live with Muhammad, rather than go with his
real father. Seeing that Prophet Muhammad adopted
Zayd, he was thus called ‘Zayd Ibn Muhammad’ (Zayd,
the son of Muhammad) until God made adoption

275
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

prohibited. He then was again called “Zayd Ibn


Harithah”.
Barakah was, as we said earlier, the slave of our
Prophet’s father. She was a woman from east Africa.
Our Prophet set her free. She continued to stay with the
Prophet’s household and enjoyed the great blessing of
seeing the last Prophet grow up and become the greatest
teacher of mankind. She continued to live close to the
Prophet, even after the Immigration. God made her a
woman of great faith, to the extent that He endowed an
extraordinary event on her.
For a reason, Barakah had to immigrate from Makkah
to Madinah by herself. En route to Madinah, she became
very thirsty. A short time later, she heard flapping of
wings and saw a pitcher of water. Barakah drank from
that water after which she never felt thirsty again. She
married Zayd Ibn Harithah and they had a son, Usamah,
who was also very dear to our Prophet.
When our Prophet was thirty-five an incident
occurred. It was the rebuilding of the Ka^bah by
Quraysh. This happened about five years before the
Revelation came to the Prophet.

276
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 36: The Rebuilding of the


Ka^bah

As a young man, Muhammad, peace and blessings be


upon him, was known for his truthfulness and honesty.
In addition to calling him Muhammad, many people
called him As-Sadiq, the truthful, or Al-Amin, the
trustworthy. When he said something, people believed
him. They trusted him so much that they left their money
and valuable things in his care. They knew he was fair
and wise in dealing with difficult matters.
Around this unique, fine young man, most people
were in a state of moral decay. Wine drinking,
fornication, and petty fighting were prevalent. Some
Arabs were in the habit of burying their baby daughters
alive. Tribes would back each other up with fierce
loyalty, even when a member of the tribe was unjust.
When Muhammad was a young man, floods damaged
the Ka^bah. The Arabs considered the Ka^bah very holy
and believed that a supplication made there would be
answered. Quraysh decided to rebuild it. Taking part in
its rebuilding was considered a great honor. The families
of Quraysh tribe divided up the work and the Ka^bah
was soon rebuilt.
Then came the time to set Al-Hajar-Aswad (The
Black Stone) in its place. The Black Stone was originally
in Paradise, then God made it come to Earth. Since
everyone wanted to have the honor of replacing the Black
Stone, an argument began. Various members of Quraysh
tribe were about to fight each other over it.

277
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

For four days they quarreled. On the fifth day, an old


man suggested, “Wait until the morning. Then let the
first person who enters the Masjid (a specific area
surrounding the Ka^bah) decide on the matter.”
Everyone agreed to this suggestion.
Early the next morning, Muhammad was the first one
to come to the Ka^bah. Everyone was happy to see him.
“Here comes As-Sadiq! Here comes Al-Amin!” they said
eagerly. They knew Muhammad would be a fair judge.
He would do what was right and would bring peace.
They explained the problem to Muhammad. He
listened to them carefully. Then he said, “Let each clan
select a representative.”
The clans did what he asked. Then he spread his own
mantle on the ground and placed the Black Stone on it.
He asked all the representatives of Quraysh to take hold
of the mantle and lift it up. When the mantle had been
lifted high enough, Muhammad himself put the Stone in
its place. This made everyone happy.

278
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 37: Receiving the Revelation

All Messengers are Prophets, but not all Prophets are


Messengers. When Muhammad, peace and blessings be
upon him, became forty years old, God made him both a
Prophet and Messenger. All Prophets are distinguished
with receiving Revelation from God. Messengers are
prophets who also receive a new set of laws. The people
must follow the laws given to the present messenger. In
our Prophet’s case, he is the last Messenger, and the laws
given to him apply for all people until the Day of
Judgment.
The Messenger before Prophet Muhammad was
Prophet Jesus. Hence, the set of laws given to Prophet
Muhammad replaced the previous set given to Prophet
Jesus, just as the set of laws given to Prophet Jesus
replaced the set of laws given to Prophet Moses, peace be
upon all the blessed prophets. This replacement does not
mean that all the laws were different. For example, God
revealed to all the Prophets that they and their followers
must pray, but the number of times a day and details
differed from one messenger to another to suit the time,
according to God’s wisdom. According to that, there is
no need for a new set of laws after Prophet Muhammad.
Thus, God made him the last Prophet and Messenger.
One of the Companions asked our Prophet about
receiving Revelation. The Prophet said that sometimes it
came to him like the ringing of a bell and that this was
the heaviest on him. It would last until he knew all that
God revealed. He said that sometimes an angel would

279
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

come in the form of a man and talk with him telling him
what God ordered to be revealed. At times, the Prophet
used to sweat when he received the Revelation due to the
heaviness of the matter. He would sweat even if it were a
cold day.
All of the Qur’an is Revelation from God received by
Prophet Muhammad. As well, our Prophet received
Revelation that was not the Qur’an. Before our Prophet
began to receive the Qur’an, he had dreams that became
true. Before receiving the first Revelation of the Qur’an,
he loved to go out of Makkah to the cave of Hira’, where
he worshipped God in solitude for many nights. Then he
would come back to his home, take food and water, and
return to the cave.
One day, in the month of Ramadan, when our Prophet
was forty, Angel Gabriel (Jibril) came to Prophet
Muhammad while he was in the cave. Angel Gabriel told
him to recite. The Prophet said that he had not learned
what to recite. The angel repeated that three times. Each
time the Prophet said that he had not learned what to
recite, the angel embraced the Prophet and released him.
After the third time, the angel gave the Prophet the first
Revelation of the Qur’an. Angel Gabriel revealed the
first five verses of Suratul-^Alaq.

These verses mean, “Recite starting with the name of


your Lord, the Creator of everything, the One Who
created man from a blood clot. O Muhammad, recite with
the help of your Lord, Who is the Most Generous and is
clear of any defect, the One Who enabled man to acquire

280
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

knowledge through writing and to acquire knowledge


which man did not know.”
Shortly after the Prophet saw Angel Gabriel in the
cave, God made Prophet Muhammad see Angel Gabriel
in his real, original form, filling the entire horizon.
Wherever the Prophet looked he saw this great angel.
The Prophet fainted out of awe. Later, our Prophet
related that he did not know before that time, that God
had created such a magnificent creation.

281
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 38: Lady Khadijah Comforts


Prophet Muhammad

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him,


returned to his house and asked Khadijah to cover him,
which she did. Then he told Khadijah what had
happened and that he feared that he would get sick from
the heaviness of the Revelation. Khadijah answered,
“No, do not worry. This is good news.” She confirmed
that by saying, “Certainly you are kind to your kin and
you tell the truth. You help the needy and give him more
than he expects. You are generous to your guest, and
help others with their misfortunes.”
Then Khadijah took Prophet Muhammad to her
cousin Waraqah Ibn Nawfal, who was a Christian at the
time. He used to copy from the Injil of that time, before
he became old and blind. Prophet Muhammad described
to him what had happened. Waraqah said that this was
the same angel who came to Prophet Moses. Then he
added, “I wish I was a young man and alive when your
people make you leave your city.” The Prophet asked,
“Will they do that?” Waraqah said, “Yes. No man
before you came with what you bring, except that he was
shown enmity. If I live until then I will support you
strongly.” However, Waraqah died a short time later.
The Revelation stopped coming for a while. Later,
Angel Gabriel came to the Prophet who was then under a
cover. Then, Angel Gabriel revealed the first verses of
Surat al-Muddaththir.

282
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

They mean, “O [Muhammad] who is under the cover,


stand up and warn the people against the torture of God.
Say Allahu akbar (God is great). Clean your clothes
from any najasah (filth) and avoid associating partners
with God.”
The Qur’an continued to be revealed to the Prophet
throughout 23 years. Every year, Angel Gabriel
reviewed the Qur’an with Prophet Muhammad in
Ramadan. However, the Ramadan before the Prophet
died, it was reviewed twice. The last verse revealed to
the Prophet was verse 281 of al-Baqarah.

It means, “Fear a day when you shall return to God


and every soul shall find what it earned without any
injustice.”

283
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 39: The First Converts

After receiving Revelation and becoming the


Messenger of God, our Prophet, peace and blessings be
upon him, immediately started to call people to Islam.
He called the people with wisdom, following the
guidance of the Revelations he was receiving. The first
person to believe in Prophet Muhammad was his wife
Khadijah bint Khuwaylid. Then ^Aliyy Ibn Abi Talib
believed, and later his two older brothers, Ja^far and
^Aqil. Some said that ^Aliyy was 10 years old at the time
when he embraced Islam.
Zayd Ibn Harithah embraced Islam and was the first
freed slave to accept the Prophet’s call.
The first free man to accept the Prophet’s call was
Abu Bakr, who was ^Abdullah Ibn Abi Quhafah. He was
a very close friend to the Prophet. The Messenger of
God said, “Everyone I called to Islam had hesitation (at
first) except Abu Bakr.”
Due to the invitation of Abu Bakr, ^Uthman Ibn
^Affan, Az-Zubayr Ibnul-^Awwam, ^Abdur-Rahman Ibn
^Awf, Sa^d Ibn Abi Waqqas, and Talhah Ibn ^Ubaydillah
embraced Islam. Abu Bakr took them to the Messenger
of God, and they embraced Islam.
Then others embraced Islam. Some were: Abu
^Ubaydah Ibnul-Jarrah, Abu Salamah, ^Uthman Ibn
Madh^un, Sa^id Ibn Zayd, ^Abdullah Ibn Mas^ud,
^Ammar Ibn Yasir, Suhayb Ibn Sinan, Abu Dharr, and
Bilal.

284
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

All of these early Companions have fascinating


stories. The blasphemers of Quraysh in Makkah, who
did not want them to believe, tortured most of them.

285
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 40: Stories of Early Companions

In this lesson, we present pictures of several of our


Prophet’s early followers. The early followers have the
distinction of believing the truth from our Prophet, before
embracing Islam became popular in the Arabian
Peninsula. Additionally, many of them suffered severe
tortures from the blasphemers, simply because they
believed our Prophet, loved God, and worshipped their
Creator correctly.
^Abdullah Ibn Mas^ud was a young shepherd when he
first met the Prophet. This was at an early time during
the Prophethood. He told of his meeting our Prophet and
his embracing Islam.
^Abdullah Ibn Mas^ud said, “I used to tend some
sheep of the family of ^Uqbah Ibn Abi Mu^ayt [a terrible
blasphemer]. The Messenger of God came with Abu
Bakr. He asked, ‘Do you have any milk?’ [He said he
did not and these were not his sheep. So, the Prophet
asked for a sheep that did not give milk]. I brought to
him a sheep that did not give milk. The Prophet passed
his hand on the place where the udders were and an udder
full of milk appeared. [The animal was milked and] the
milk was put in a rock container. The Prophet gave it to
Abu Bakr, then to me; then he drank. Then he told the
udder to shrink, and it shrank as it was before. When I
saw that I said, ‘O Messenger of God teach me.’ He
passed his hand on my head and said, ‘May God bless
you. You will be a knowledgeable person.’ One day
when we were with the Prophet on Mt. Hira', the chapter

286
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

of Al-Mursalat was revealed to the Prophet. I took it


fresh from the mouth of the Prophet. The Prophet taught
me 70 surahs, man to man, without any third person with
us.”
^Abdullah Ibn Mas^ud was a great Companion. He
narrated many sayings of the Prophet, and was very
respected among the Companions for his knowledge of
the Qur’an. He lived about 20 years past the death of the
Prophet and did not tire from spreading Islam, even in far
away areas.
A slave from Abyssinia, named Bilal, believed in our
Prophet. His owner hated Prophet Muhammad. He
tortured Bilal, in order to break his belief in God. Bilal
was taken out at noon, bare-chested, and was forced to lie
on the burning pebbles. Then a large stone was put on
his chest, so he could not move. Bilal never said the
blasphemy, which they wanted to hear. Instead he said,
“Ahadun Ahad” (Allah is the only God).
Our Master Abu Bakr, full of compassion, bought
Bilal from his owner for a high price; then he freed him.
Henceforth, Bilal accompanied our Prophet, immigrated
to Madinah, and had the honor of calling the believers to
prayer (making adhan), along with his many other good
deeds.
A married couple and their son were early converts to
Islam. Their names were Yasir and Sumayyah, and their
son was called ^Ammar. The three of them were slaves
of a Makkan blasphemer. Upon seeing long, merciless
torture inflicted upon them by their owner, our Prophet
told them “Be patient. You will meet again in Paradise.”

287
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

The blasphemers threatened to kill Sumayyah if she


did not leave Islam, but she refused to renounce her faith.
They killed her. She was the first female martyr in our
nation. When Yasir received the same threat, he also
refused to blaspheme and was killed. After seeing the
threat was real, ^Ammar said blasphemous words, when
he was likewise threatened with death if he did not
blaspheme. All the while ^Ammar had rejected these
words in his heart.
Our Prophet reassured ^Ammar that he had remained
a believer, for he did not accept the blasphemy he had
only uttered due to the real threat of death. ^Ammar was
a noble Companion, who went on to live a life full of
good deeds, knowing that he would be reunited in the
Hereafter with his brave parents.

288
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 41: The Harm of the


Blasphemers upon Abu Dharr

Another early follower of our Prophet was a man


known as “Abu Dharr”. His name was Jundub Ibn
Junadah, from the tribe of Ghifar. Our Prophet said
about Abu Dharr, “There is no man under the sky or on
Earth who is more truthful than Abu Dharr”.
When the news of the appearance of the Prophet in
Makkah spread and reached Abu Dharr, he said to his
brother, “Ride to Makkah from our valley and find out
about this man who claims to receive news from the
heavens and tell me.” His brother went to Makkah,
listened, then he went back to Abu Dharr and said, “I saw
him ordering with good qualities of behavior and words
that are not poetry”.
When Abu Dharr heard these words, he said, “You
did not get to the depth that I want. I want to know
more.” Abu Dharr set out to Makkah carrying an old
canteen. He went to the Holy Mosque. He did not want
to ask others about our Prophet, in case they were the
enemy. He stayed there until night came, and he lay
down in that area.
Our Master ^Aliyy, then still a young person of about
12 years, passed by and saw Abu Dharr. He knew Abu
Dharr was a stranger. ^Aliyy followed him wherever he
went. They did not talk until morning. Abu Dharr took
his canteen and went back to the Masjid and slept in the
same area. Then ^Aliyy said, “Isn’t it time for the man to
know where to sleep?” Then he took him to his house as

289
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

his guest. The third day, Abu Dharr went to the masjid
and ^Aliyy took him home at night. ^Aliyy asked after the
third day, “What brings you to this city?” Abu Dharr
replied, “If you promise you will fulfill my request
without trouble, I will tell you.” ^Aliyy gave his word.
Then, Abu Dharr said that his goal was to meet
Muhammad. ^Aliyy said, “Yes, it is true. He is the
Messenger of God.” In the morning, Abu Dharr was
instructed by young ^Aliyy to follow him. If ^Aliyy
sensed danger, he would make a sign of pouring water,
and Abu Dharr should not get near him. ^Aliyy said that
if he went into a house, Abu Dharr should follow him
into the house. They proceeded as planned and entered a
house. Abu Dharr’s eyes fell upon the best of creation.
He listened, and immediately embraced Islam.
Our Prophet instructed Abu Dharr to go to his tribe
and tell them about Islam. He was told to wait there until
the Prophet gave him further instructions. Abu Dharr
said, “I swear by the One Who controls my soul, I will
shout out my acceptance of Islam among the people of
Makkah! I will not just tell my own people.”
Hence, Abu Dharr went to the Holy Mosque and
shouted the Shahadah loudly. The blasphemers were
upset and beat Abu Dharr, until he lay on the ground. Al-
^Abbas, one of the Prophet’s paternal uncles, came and
checked on Abu Dharr. Then he said to his people,
“Woe to you! Don’t you know that he is from the tribe
of Ghifar? When you travel to trade in Ash-Sham, you
have to pass through his tribe’s valley. If you hurt one of
them, you will not be able to pass through safely!”
(Before Islam, the Ghifar tribe was known to cause
trouble for travelers.)

290
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Although Al-^Abbas saved Abu Dharr, by God’s will,


the next day Abu Dharr made the same announcement
and the blasphemers gave him the same beating. Again,
by God’s will, al-^Abbas saved Abu Dharr by making the
same appeal.
Then, Abu Dharr followed the Prophet’s instruction,
and his tribe became Muslim even before they met our
blessed Messenger.
Abu Dharr went on to live an outstanding life, full of
amazing events. He dutifully narrated many precious
words from our Prophet. He stood firm with the truth, as
our Prophet said, including after our Prophet’s death. He
lived until a time during the Caliphate of our Master
^Uthman. At the end of his life, he lived away from the
people, for he saw the love of this life creeping into some
hearts, and when he bade with purity, many did not bear
it.

291
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 42: The Public Call

After three years of Prophethood, fearlessly calling to


and teaching people Islam with skilled tactics, God
revealed to Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be
upon him, to make a public call. God revealed ayah 214
of ash-Shu^ara’ in which God ordered Prophet
Muhammad to warn his relatives, calling them to Islam.
Prophet Muhammad went on the top of as-Safa, a
mountain in Makkah, and called the different clans by
their names. They came in a hurry. The Prophet said,
“If I were to tell you that there was an enemy ready to
attack you, would you believe me?” They said, “Yes.
We never experienced except truthfulness from you.” He
said, “I am a warner to you of a very severe torture (if
you do not hold the proper belief).” Abu Lahab, one of
the uncles of the Prophet, cursed him. He was mad,
thinking that our Prophet was wasting their time and
trying to destroy their lifestyle.
Shortly after that incident God revealed the surah
called al-Masad in which it is mentioned that both Abu
Lahab and his wife will receive severe torture in Hellfire.
The news of this surah reached the wife of Abu
Lahab, Umm Jamil, who was a very wicked woman.
When Umm Jamil heard the surah, she came to the area
of the Ka^bah with stones in her hand. She addressed
Abu Bakr threatening to harm the Prophet by saying, “I
heard your friend has dispraised me, and I will show
him.” Abu Bakr asked her, “Do you see anyone with
me?” She said, “No. Are you mocking me?” She

292
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

continued to dispraise the Prophet, who was sitting next


to Abu Bakr. After she left, the Messenger of God told
his Companion, “Some angels blocked her from seeing
me and saved me from her evil.”
Once, one of the leaders of the blasphemers, ^Uqbah
Ibn Abi Mu^ayt, saw the Prophet praying next to the
Ka^bah. He took the clothes of the Prophet and strangled
the Prophet severely. Abu Bakr came and pushed him
away from the Prophet and said, “Do you kill a man
because he says: God is my Lord?”
One of the main leaders of the blasphemers was a man
called Abu Jahl. This was the name that the Muslims
gave to him meaning “the very ignorant person”. When
our Prophet started calling people to Islam, Abu Jahl
became a big enemy of the Muslims, mocking and
torturing them. Once, Abu Jahl urged his cohort to put
the stinking innards of a camel on the back of our
Prophet while he was prostrating in prayer. It was done,
while Abu Jahl and his friends mocked our Prophet.
Brave, little Fatimah, the daughter of our Prophet,
removed that filth off her father, who completed his
prayer. Fatimah was only about ten years old at the time.
The Prophet carried out the order of God to call his
relatives as well as other tribes to Islam. He degraded
their idols, which angered them. They all agreed to
consider him as their enemy. The uncle of the Prophet,
Abu Talib, protected him from the harm of Quraysh’s
blasphemers and others. This angered the idol
worshippers of Makkah and a group of their leaders said
to Abu Talib, “Your nephew has cussed our idols and
slandered our religion. Either you stop him or you give
him up to us. After all, you follow the same religion that

293
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

we do.” Abu Talib talked to them gently and they left


him.
The Prophet continued with his mission and the hatred
of the idolaters to the Prophet increased. They went
again to Abu Talib and said, “You have an age, status,
and honor among us. We had asked you to stop your
nephew, but you did not. We swear by God, we will not
be patient with his cussing our fathers and idols. Either
you stop him or we will fight him and you, until one side
is victorious.”
Abu Talib found it hard for himself to be away from
his people and his heart was neither inclined to embrace
Islam nor to let the Messenger of God down. However,
he said to the Prophet, “O nephew, your people told me
so and so. Avoid getting yourself and me killed. Do not
put on my shoulders that which I cannot bear.” The
Messenger of God thought that his uncle was letting him
down and pulling out his support for him. He said, “O
uncle, I swear by God, were they to put the sun in my
right hand and the moon in my left to leave out calling to
Islam, I would not do so until God makes Islam
victorious, or I die while conveying it.” Then the
Prophet wept. His uncle called him and said, “Come
back my nephew. Say what you like. I swear by God
that I will not give you up.”
When Quraysh realized that Abu Talib was not going
to give up his nephew, they increased their persecution
and torture of the Muslims under their hands.
The Messenger of God used to address the people
saying, “O people, God orders you to worship Him and
not to associate anything with Him.’ Abu Lahab would

294
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

walk behind him and say, “This man wants you to leave
the religion of your fathers.”
The blasphemers met at their Hajj season to agree on
something to say about the Prophet. (They would do
some of the actions that we do nowadays in Hajj but they
did it with their wrong belief. Hajj had been done by
Prophet Isma^il, but through the years its performance
had become perverted). Some said, “We will say he is a
fortune teller.” Others wanted to say he was insane; and
others wanted to say he was a magician. Others wanted
to say that he was a poet. However, they all agreed that
he was not any of that. Finally, they agreed to say that he
brought a religion that separates between the person and
his father, brother, tribe, and his wife.
As a result of warning against the Prophet, he became
very famous among the various Arab tribes. Thus, many
of his own people were against him at that time. Yet, he
was trying to save them from Hellfire, by God’s Will.
An Arab tribe at his time believed that God had married
an elite woman of jinn and that they gave birth to angels.
Of course the truth, which our Prophet declared, was that
God was not a man, and He never took a wife. God had
no children. Additionally, angels were neither male nor
female. Our Prophet was unshakeable in his mission to
spread the truth about God and His attributes. The
threats of misguided people did not scare him.
After making the public call, two brave men who
were respected in Makkah became Muslim: Hamzah (the
Prophet’s uncle) and ^Umar Ibnul-Khattab. ^Umar was
set on killing the Prophet after the public call. Yet, after
he read some verses of the Qur’an that his Muslim sister

295
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

had, he went to our Prophet. God changed ^Umar’s


heart, and he professed his Islam to our Prophet.

296
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 43: Immigration to Abyssinia

The harm of the blasphemers intensified against the


Prophet and his Companions. The Prophet, peace and
blessings be upon him, told some of his Companions to
go out to the land of Abyssinia (East Africa). Eighty-
three men and eleven Qurashiyy women immigrated to
Abyssinia. Among them were ^Uthman and his wife
Ruqayyah (the daughter of our Prophet), Az-Zubayr,
^Abdur-Rahman Ibn ^Awf, ^Abdullah Ibn Mas^ud, and
Ja^far Ibn Abi Talib. They were of two groups, one
leaving before the other. Take note that the daughter of
the Prophet, Ruqayyah, had married the honorable
^Uthman. ^Uthman became one of the best followers of
Prophet Muhammad.
Ashamah An-Najashiyy, the King of Abyssinia, was
Christian. The King welcomed the Muslims and honored
them. He allowed them to stay in his country and
practice their Religion. Word of this got to the
blasphemers of Makkah. As a result, the idolaters of
Quraysh sent two men with gifts to the king of
Abyssinia, requesting that he hand over the Muslims to
them. Their effort was fruitless. The King sent after the
Muslims. Ja^far Ibn Abi Talib pointed out the teachings
of the Prophet about Jesus, that he was the slave of God
and His Messenger. Moreover, he recited some of the
Qur’an, which caused the king to cry. He protected them
and did not allow the blasphemers to hurt them.
This honorable king embraced Islam. He received a
letter from our Prophet and became one of the upright

297
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Muslims. A few years after embracing Islam, the king


died. On the same day, the Messenger of God said,
“Today your brother, An-Najashiyy died. He is a
righteous man.” He ordered the Muslims to perform the
funeral prayer for An-Najashiyy, which the Messenger
led.

298
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 44: The Boycott and the Year of


Sorrow

Meanwhile, the Muslims in Makkah suffered many


tight conditions. They were isolated into a particular
rocky area outside the city of Makkah (a place where
people would not normally live) where no one was
allowed to buy from or sell to them. They were patient,
seeking the reward from God. This extremely harsh
situation continued for three years. Still, Prophet
Muhammad went out to the Ka^bah and bravely called
the people to Islam.
Although he would not become Muslim, Abu Talib,
and other blasphemers among the Prophet’s clan stayed
with the Muslims in this valley, suffering from the lack
of food as well. It was the character of Abu Talib to keep
his vow to protect his nephew, no matter the
circumstance.
As the years passed, the relatives of the Prophet
disputed about the boycott of the Prophet and the people
with him. Some were not in favor of the extreme
injustice. The blasphemers had posted a proclamation on
the Ka^bah concerning the confinement of the Muslims.
Our Prophet received Revelation that insects had eaten
away this proclamation, except for the name of God.
Abu Talib informed the people of this Revelation. They
checked the parchment and found it eaten away except
for God’s name.

299
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

At this, they stopped the boycott. The Muslims, and


the Hashim clan members, returned to their homes. Our
Prophet was starting his tenth year of Prophethood.
Six months after leaving the confinement, Abu Talib
became sick. The Prophet came to him. There, he found
Abu Jahl and another blasphemer at Abu Talib’s
deathbed. While Abu Jahl urged Abu Talib to stick to
idol-worship, our Prophet continued to urge him to
embrace Islam. Abu Talib said that he would not leave
the religion of his father, ^Abdul-Muttalib, and died as a
blasphemer, a person of the Hellfire.
Two months later, the honorable Lady Khadijah also
died, at the age of sixty-five. Our Prophet felt the sorrow
of missing her, although he knew without doubt that all
her suffering was over; she would be one of the highest
women of Paradise.
The Prophet was left with daughters without their
mother with them. After the death of his dear Khadijah,
and in the same year, our Prophet married Lady Sawdah,
an early convert to Islam who had suffered many
hardships, and was then a widow.
Shortly after Lady Khadijah’s death, our Prophet saw
Gabriel in his dream showing him ^A’ishah, the daughter
of Abu Bakr and saying, “This is your wife.” Abu Bakr
and his wife were delighted to give their daughter in
marriage to the Prophet. This wife, ^A’ishah, lived long
after the death of our Prophet and helped the Muslim
community greatly by continuously relating the sayings
she heard from the Prophet until her death about 55 years
after the death of Prophet Muhammad.

300
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 45: The Trip to Ta’if

After the death of his beloved wife Khadijah, in the


month of Shawwal, in the tenth year of Prophethood, the
Prophet went out to Ta’if with Zayd Ibn Harithah. Our
Prophet was seeking support from the Thaqif tribe,
hoping that they would accept what he brought to them
from Allah. Ta’if is about forty miles southeast of
Makkah.
There the Prophet spoke to some leaders. They
showed their disbelief in him. The Prophet left them.
Then the people there pelted the Prophet with stones until
his feet bled. Zayd was protecting the Prophet from the
stones, and Zayd’s head got cut open. The Prophet went
under the shade of a vineyard, while bleeding and in
pain. Two boys saw him and felt compassion for him.
The boys called ^Addas, their Christian slave, and
ordered him to bring grapes on a platter and offer them to
the Prophet. When the Prophet started eating, he said
“Bismillah.” ^Addas said, “People of this area do not say
such words.” When the Prophet asked ^Addas from
which land he was, he said that he was from Ninawa.
The Prophet said “The town of the righteous man, Yunus,
the son of Matta?” ^Addas said, “How do you know
about Yunus, the son of Matta?” The Messenger of God
said, “He is my brother. He was a Prophet and I am a
Prophet”.
^Addas started kissing the head, hands and feet of the
Prophet. Then when ^Addas went to the two boys, the
boys warned him against the Prophet, and told ^Addas

301
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

not to change his religion. ^Addas told those boys that


there was no one on Earth better than Prophet
Muhammad.
Al-Bukhariyy and Muslim narrated that the Prophet
said, “[During the trip to Ta’if] I called Ibn ^Abd Yalil
and he did not accept. I left sad and walked until I was in
Qarnuth-tha^alib. I raise my head and saw a cloud
shading me. I saw Gabriel in it. He called me saying,
“God heard the response and rejection of your people to
you. He sent you the angel of the mountains, to order
him with whatever you wish.” The angel of mountains
saluted the Prophet and said, “[I will do] what ever you
wish. If you wish for me to close the two mountains on
them, I will do it”. The Prophet said, “I hope that God
will bring from among their children those who worship
God without associating partners to Him.” The Prophet
did not wish for retaliation. Our Prophet was hopeful
that some people from them would become Muslim.
Our Prophet relentlessly spoke with people of
different tribes about Islam and gave them the clear
proofs of the Qur’an. Among the special distinctions of
the last Messenger, is that Muhammad was sent to the
humans and the jinn. Jinn are creations who are not
human. They live on Earth, some of them being
believers in Islam, but most of them are not. The
disbelievers among the jinn are the devils. The first
devil, Satan, is a jinniyy; he was never an angel or a
human. Our Prophet was the only Prophet sent to the
jinn, as well as humans. He would go to certain places
and teach them. In general, humans cannot see the jinn
around them, as we cannot see the angels around us
either.

302
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Four people traveled from Yemen to Makkah, not


knowing about our Prophet and his call. Before reaching
Makkah, at night one of them could not sleep. He heard
a voice, without seeing a body. The voice said, “O you
traveling people, when you come to Makkah with the
Ka^bah, give our salutation to Muhammad and tell him
that we are your followers, as Jesus, the son of Mary, told
us to do”. This jinniyy had been alive during the time of
Jesus, and had heard Jesus teaching about a last prophet
to come named Muhammad. When Muhammad
proclaimed Prophethood and the jinniyy found out, this
same jinniyy knew to follow our Prophet, as he had
followed Jesus before. This jinniyy had heard Prophet
Jesus, although Prophet Jesus was not ordered to call the
jinn specifically.
Prophet Muhammad (Muhammad), peace and
blessings be upon him, is the last Prophet born, and is the
Prophet with the highest rank. All the other Prophets
love and respected Prophet Muhammad. All the other
Prophets told their people about the coming of Prophet
Muhammad. They said, “If you live to his day, follow
him”.

303
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 46: About the Miracles of our


Prophet,
blessings and peace be upon him

While the Prophet lived in both Makkah and Madinah,


his followers and the blasphemers were witnessing
magnificent miracles that God bestowed on the Prophet,
peace and blessings be upon him. Prophet Muhammad
had never told a lie. Hence, all the people who knew him
should have believed him when he told them that God
had made him a Prophet. Nonetheless, God made
Prophet Muhammad perform awesome miracles, the likes
of which the people with him had never seen before.
These miracles supported Prophet Muhammad’s claim of
Prophethood. The blasphemers could not duplicate these
miracles themselves.
God bestowed miracles on all the Prophets, showing
the people that the prophets are true in their claim of
Prophethood. Prophet Noah was enabled to bring a male
and female of each kind of animal on the ark. Prophet
Abraham was thrown in a giant fire and did not burn.
Prophet Moses was given a staff that turned into a real
giant snake. Prophet Moses also struck that staff and the
sea split into twelve dry pathways. Prophet Jesus formed
a bird out of clay and it came to life.
We love all the Prophets, and do not praise our
Prophet in a way that degrades any other Prophet.
Without degrading the other Prophets, we know that
Prophet Muhammad's miracles were more numerous than
the miracles of the other prophets. In addition, Prophet

304
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Muhammad was given the greatest miracles. Imam ash-


Shafi^iyy said, “For every miracle God gave to the other
prophets, He gave Prophet Muhammad one miracle like
it or greater than it.”
The greatest miracle given to Prophet Muhammad
was the Holy Qur’an. Nothing had ever been recited in
Arabic like it before, and as it began to come down, no
one could imitate it. If both the humans and jinn were to
try to come up with something like the Qur'an, they
would not be able to do so.
The Arabs around our Prophet prided themselves in
their beautiful language. They were masters of the
language, and would compose long poems on the spot.
Those in the community who were eloquent in their
speech were raised in status. When our Prophet began to
recite the Qur’an to his people, they knew that this was
not like something they had heard before. It was not
poetry, which they prized, but something better, and
beyond poetry.
Prophets before Prophet Muhammad received Holy
Books in their complete form at one moment, but our
Prophet received the Qur’an part by part, and not in the
order of the book. Our Prophet memorized all of the
Qur’an, as it came, and knew where each verse was to go
in the order of the Book.
God narrates in the Qur’an many events of the past of
which the Prophet did not know before, and events to
happen in the future which did and shall happen.
Prophet Muhammad performed miracles both while
he was in Makkah, and after he immigrated to Madinah.
In this book we are citing only a few of the miracles of

305
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

our Prophet. In addition to the miracles mentioned


throughout the lessons, two more miracles which Prophet
Muhammad was given while he lived in Makkah are:
Splitting the moon: When Prophet Muhammad
announced to his people that he had been made a
Messenger of God, the blasphemers of Makkah asked the
Prophet to show them a miracle. At that, he pointed to
the moon and it split into two halves. Both people who
were inside and outside of Makkah saw this split. Those
who saw it and did not want to believe said in their
arrogance and ignorance that Muhammad had bewitched
them.
The Appearance of a Fierce Camel: In Makkah, the
evil Abu Jahl made deal with a merchant and did not pay
the merchant. The merchant came to Abu Jahl to get his
money, but Abu Jahl refused to pay. When the merchant
went to other disbelievers, they did not help. One of the
disbelievers suggested, “Go to Muhammad the son of
^Abdullah. He will help you get your money!”. This
disbeliever was not sincere. He expected Abu Jahl to
never respond to our Prophet, and wished for the
merchant to curse the Prophet.
The merchant went to Prophet Muhammad, and our
Prophet agreed to go with the merchant to Abu Jahl,
helping the merchant get the money owed.
The merchant knocked on the door of Abu Jahl and
Abu Jahl came out. Our Prophet said, “Give this man his
right”. Abu Jahl said, “Alright”. Quickly he went into
his house, got the money, and gave it to the merchant.
As a result, the merchant praised the Prophet a lot.

306
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

The other disbelievers were angry with Abu Jahl


about this, and complained to him. They said, “How
could you have done this? Don’t you hear the merchant
praising Muhammad?”
Abu Jahl said, “You did not see what I saw. I saw a
camel the size of which I have never seen behind
Muhammad! This camel had big teeth. If I had said
“No”, this camel would have killed me! I could not have
said other than what I said!” Hence, God created that
miracle for our Prophet, foiling the evil plan of a
blasphemer.
(IF THE FOLLOWING MIRACLE HAPPENED
AFTER HIJRAH, IT NEEDS TO MOVE TO THE
OTHER CHAPTER ON MIRACLES):
Another miracle was what happened with a Bedouin
man known for treating the mentally ill. Prophet
Muhammad called that man to Islam. The Prophet said,
“Let me teach you something beneficial to you”. The
man said, “What is that?” The Prophet said, “To testify
that no one is God except Allah, and I am the Messenger
of God.” The man looked at the Prophet and said, “Do
you need a treatment for your mind?” The Prophet said,
“No”. The man said, “Do you have anyone to testify and
support you in that claim?” The Prophet said, “Yes, this
branch of a palm tree”. The Prophet ordered the branch
to come. It came off of the tree and came to the Prophet
bowing and prostrating on the ground. Then it stood in
front of the hands of the Prophet. It testified three times
that no one was God except Allah and Muhammad was
the Messenger of God. The man then believed and
became a Muslim. No one could imitate that miracle to
discredit the Prophet. WHO NARRATED IT???

307
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Another miracle bestowed on Prophet Muhammad,


while he still lived in Makkah, is narrated in the next
three lessons.

308
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 47: Isra' (The Night Journey)

After all the hardships of the boycott, the deaths of


family members, and the reaction at Ta’if, God blessed
our Prophet with a magnificent honor and experience.
Two years before immigrating to Madinah, when Prophet
Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was 51
years old, he went from Makkah, from the house of Lady
Umm Hani', his paternal cousin, on a night journey
(Isra’). The journey was by both body and soul, which is
confirmed in the Qur'an and Hadith.
The Prophet relates that it was night and his chest was
cut open like when he was a young boy with Halimah.
This was to prepare him for the greatness of what was to
happen to him. Angel Gabriel cut open his chest and
washed his heart with Zamzam water. Then, he brought a
golden bowl that he emptied into the Prophet’s chest. As
a result, his heart increased in wisdom and faith. Then
the angel closed up his chest.
Angel Gabriel brought al-Buraq to him. Al-Buraq is
one of the animals of Paradise. One stride of this animal
goes as far as his furthest sight. The Prophet rode behind
Gabriel on al-Buraq and they passed by al-Madinah
(before the Prophet migrated to it). The Prophet
descended and prayed. He then passed by Madyan, the
city of Prophet Shu^ayb and prayed two rak^ahs there.
Then he reached Mt. Sinai (Tur Sayna') and prayed two
rak^ahs there. Then they reached Bethlehem (Bayt
Lahm), the birthplace of Prophet Jesus, where he prayed
two rak^ahs. When he reached Jerusalem (Bayt al-

309
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Maqdis), he tied al-Buraq to the ring that the other


Prophets had used. Then, he entered al-Masjid al-Aqsa
that Prophet Adam built 40 years after he had built the
Ka^bah.
On the night of the Journey, a huge honor for the
Prophet occurred. God gathered all the prophets from
Adam to Jesus in al-Masjid al-Aqsa. The Prophet led
them as their imam in prayer.
Previously, all the Prophets had taken an oath to God.
They vowed that, if they were alive when the final
prophet received his Revelation, they would believe in
and help him to be victorious. Each one of the prophets
had ordered his followers to comply with this oath as
well.
During this night Journey, Prophet Muhammad saw
many unusual things; among them:
• On his way to Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), he saw
the world in the shape of an old woman.
• The Prophet saw the devil on the side of the road,
calling him, but not daring to hurt him.
God created signs that indicate the extreme goodness
of some deeds and the extreme badness of others.
Among these signs, which Prophet Muhammad saw,
were:
• Seeing people planting and reaping in two days.
Gabriel told him, “Those are the people who exert effort
and fight to spread Islam”.
• Seeing people with their lips and tongues clipped
with fiery clippers. Gabriel said, “Those are the people

310
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

who speak words to mislead people. They invite others


to straying, corruption, cheating, and treachery”.
• Seeing heads of some people being smashed then
returned as they were. Gabriel said, “Those are the ones
whose heads feel heavy to perform the prescribed
prayers”.
• Seeing people competing to eat some rotten meat
and leave out eating the good meat. Gabriel said, “Those
are people from your nation who leave out consuming the
permissible items and instead, consume stinking,
prohibited items. They are the fornicators and
adulterers”.
• Seeing people drinking from the disgusting pus of
the fornicators and adulterers. Gabriel said, “Those are
the drinkers of alcohol in this life”.
• Seeing people scratching their faces and chests
with brazen fingernails. Gabriel said, “Those are the
ones who used to backbite others”.
Our Prophet smelled a nice scent from a grave and
asked Gabriel about it. Gabriel told him that it was the
grave of the woman who used to comb the hair of the
daughter of Pharaoh.
(The Pharaoh referred to was the extremely unjust
ruler of Egypt, during the time of Prophet Moses. He
declared to the people that he was their Lord. If a person
refused to worship him, he would kill him in a torturous
way. He was known as the “lord of the posts”, for he
would tie those who did not believe in him to four posts,
and torture them to death. He even killed his own
wonderful, compassionate wife by having her tied under
a huge millstone, for she believed in Moses. Her name is

311
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Asiyah. God mentions in the Qur’an, in Suratut-Tahrim,


verse 11, that she is one of the best women, along with
Mary, the mother of Prophet Jesus.)
This combing woman was a pious believer. While
she was combing the hair of Pharaoh’s daughter, the
comb dropped from her hand; she said: ‘Bismillah’ (in
the Name of God). The daughter of Pharaoh asked her,
“Do you have a Lord other than my father?’ The woman
replied, “Yes. My God and the God of your father is
God.”
The daughter told her father. Pharaoh ordered the
woman to change her Religion, i.e., the Religion of
Islam. She refused. Pharaoh had a big container filled
with water on a fire to boil. Then he threw her children
into it. When he wanted to throw a young nursing child
of hers, God enabled the child to say, “O mother, be
patient. The torture in the Hereafter is greater than the
torture you bear in this world. Do not waver, you are on
truth.” The woman said to Pharaoh, “I ask you to fulfill
my wish and gather the bones and bury them together.”
Pharaoh said, “You have that.” He then threw her into
the container. She and her children died as martyrs.

312
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 48: Mi^raj (The Ascension),


(Part 1)

Our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was at


al-Masjid al-Aqsa. Then, he rose up to the heavens. The
Prophet of God said about his Ascension, “We ascended
to outside the first heaven and Gabriel asked for
admittance. It was then said, ‘Who are you?’ He said,
‘Gabriel.’ He was asked, ‘Who is with you?’ He said,
‘Muhammad.’ He was asked: ‘Was he called for?’
Gabriel said, ‘He was called for.’ It was then opened for
us. There I saw Adam. He welcomed me and made
du^a’ (supplication) for me.
Then, we ascended to the second heaven and Gabriel,
peace be upon him, asked for admittance. It was then
said, ‘Who are you?’ He said, ‘Gabriel.’ He was asked,
‘Who is with you?’ He said, ‘Muhammad.’ He was
asked, ‘Was he called for?’ Gabriel said, ‘He was called
for.’ It was then opened for us. There I saw the two
cousins ^Isa (Jesus) the son of Maryam (Mary) and
Yahya (John) the son of Zakariyya (Zacharias). They
welcomed me and made du^a’ for me.
Then, we ascended to the third heaven and Gabriel
asked for admittance. It was then said, ‘Who are you? ’
He said, ‘Gabriel. ’ He was asked, ‘Who is with you?’
He said, ‘Muhammad.’ He was asked, ‘Was he called
for?’ Gabriel said, ‘He was called for.’ It was then
opened for us. There I saw Yusuf (Joseph), who was
given great beauty. He welcomed me and made du^a’
for me.

313
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Then, we ascended to the fourth heaven and Gabriel,


peace be upon him, asked for admittance. It was then
said, ‘Who are you?’ He said, ‘Gabriel.’ He was asked,
‘Who is with you?’ He said, ‘Muhammad.’ He was
asked, ‘Was he called for?’ Gabriel said, ‘He was called
for.’ It was then opened for us. There I saw Idris
(Enoch). He welcomed me and made du^a’ for me.
‘Then, we ascended to the fifth heaven and Gabriel
asked for admittance. It was then said, ‘Who are you?’
He said, ‘Gabriel.’ He was asked, ‘Who is with you?’
He said, ‘Muhammad.’ He was asked, ‘Was he called
for?’ Gabriel said, ‘He was called for.’ It was opened
for us. There I saw Harun (Aaron, the brother of Moses).
He welcomed me and made du^a’ for me.
Then, we ascended to the sixth heaven and Gabriel,
peace be upon him, asked for admittance. It was then
said, ‘Who are you?’ He said, ‘Gabriel.’ He was asked,
‘Who is with you?’ He said, ‘Muhammad.’ He was
asked, ‘Was he called for?’ Gabriel said, ‘He was called
for.’ It was opened for us. There I saw before me Musa
(Moses). He welcomed me and made du^a’ for me.
Then, we ascended to the seventh heaven and Gabriel
asked for admittance. It was then said, ‘Who are you?’
He said, ‘Gabriel.’ He was asked, ‘Who is with you?’
He said, ‘Muhammad.’ He was asked, ‘Was he called
for?’ Gabriel said, ‘He was called for.’ The door was
then opened. There I saw Ibrahim (Abraham) leaning
against al-Baytul-Ma^mur, into which 70,000 angels
enter every day and after they leave it they never return
to it.”

314
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 49: Mi^raj (The Ascension),


(Part 2)

On that night God spoke to the Prophet, as God had


spoken to Moses before him. God speaks without a
tongue or lips, for God is not a body or a creation. God
does not need a place. He is not a body. He does not
occupy spaces. God is clear of any attribute of the
creation. Hence, our Prophet did not go to a place where
God resides. God is majestically high beyond residing in
a place. Prophet Muhammad did go to a place where no
one had ever disobeyed God.
God informed the Prophet that five prayers a day have
become incumbent upon Prophet Muhammad and his
followers. God also informed His Prophet that the one
who sets one’s heart to do a good deed, but does not do
it, acquires one reward. If one does it, one gains ten
times the previous reward. The one who hesitates about
performing a sin, but does not do it, has nothing written
against him. Rather one gets one reward for refraining
from doing it, for God’s sake. However, if one does it,
one acquires one sin written against him.
Among the wonders the Prophet, peace and blessings
be upon him, saw during his Ascension were:
• He saw Malik, the angel who is the keeper of
Hellfire. Malik did not smile to the Prophet. So, Prophet
Muhammad asked Gabriel, “Why didn't Malik smile like
the others?” Gabriel replied, “Malik has not smiled since
God created him; had he smiled for anyone, he would

315
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

have smiled for you.” (Paradise has its own keeper,


whose name is Ridwan.)
• The Prophet saw Hellfire and signs of who would
be punished there in the future. He said that most of the
people in Hellfire would be women.
• The Prophet saw Sidratul-Muntaha. This is a great
tree that has beauty that no one can describe. Butterflies
made of gold cover it. Its base is in the sixth heaven and
it reaches up to the seventh. The Prophet saw it in the
seventh heaven.
• God gave the Prophet the honor of entering
Paradise and seeing signs of who would be admitted
there in the future. Our Prophet said that most of the
people of Paradise would be the poor. On that night,
even our Prophet did not see, hear, or imagine certain
enjoyments of Paradise, which only God knows, and has
reserved for our Prophet and other highly righteous
people in the Hereafter.
• God gave the Prophet the honor of seeing Angel
Gabriel in his true form again. This time the Prophet was
stronger to see his greatness; hence he did not faint.
After his trip the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon
him, returned to Earth on the same night and told people
of his night journey. Since the blasphemers knew that he
had never been to Jerusalem before, they mocked him
and asked him to describe Baytul-Maqdis. God made it
appear to his eyes and he described it to them. Those
who were present there before had to admit that his
description was exact.
Some scholars said that the Night Journey of the
Prophet to Baytul-Maqdis (Jerusalem), his Ascension to

316
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

the heavens, and his return to Makkah all occurred during


one third of the night. The Prophet physically went to
these places. It was neither a dream, nor a ‘spiritual lift’.
Surely, God has the Power to make this journey occur.
Praise is to Him, the One Who has Power over
everything.

317
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 50: The Prophet Meets with


Some of the People of Madinah

At the time of Hajj (done in an invalid way by the


blasphemers at the time), the Prophet, peace and
blessings be upon him, used to meet with the various
tribes and call them to Islam. During one of these times,
he met with a group from Madinah. He called them to
Islam, and they believed. They said to him: ‘We will
return to Madinah and convey Islam to our relatives
there’. They also told him they would meet with him the
following year. When they returned to Madinah, they
called the people to Islam, and some of the people there
became Muslim. These were called the Ansar
(Supporters).
In the following year, twelve men from the Ansar
came and gave allegiance to the Prophet. They said that
they would not associate partners with God, steal,
fornicate, kill their children (this was an existing practice
during the time of ignorance, before the Prophet's call to
Islam), or disobey him. The Prophet, peace and blessings
be upon him, sent Mus^ab Ibn ^Umayr to teach them the
matters of the Religion. Many of the residents of
Madinah became Muslim, until there was no single
family without a Muslim in it.
During the next season of Hajj, around seventy from
the Ansar came to Makkah and gave allegiance to the
Prophet during the night.
Then, God revealed to our Prophet that he and his
followers must immigrate to Madinah. The blasphemers

318
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

of Quraysh found out about the allegiance and that the


Prophet had ordered his Companions to go to Madinah.
They tried to prevent Muslims from leaving to Madinah.
Many Muslims left secretly. The blasphemers had a
meeting and decided to kill Prophet Muhammad before
he left also.
Gabriel came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be
upon him, and told him of the blasphemers' plan. He also
told him not to sleep where he usually did. The Prophet
then ordered ^Aliyy to sleep in his place, and to cover
himself with the cover of the Prophet. He also instructed
him to return to their owners what the Prophet was
safekeeping for people. When the Prophet went out of
his house, there were several young men surrounding it
ready to kill him. God made the men unable to see our
Prophet. Our Prophet took a handful of dirt and
sprinkled it on their heads, while reciting the first nine
verses of Suratu Yasin. In these verses, God tells that He
made the blasphemers unable to see him.

319
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 51: The Hijrah (Migration) to


Madinah

After our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him,


left his house, he went to our Master Abu Bakr's house
and told him that he had been given permission to
migrate. Abu Bakr asked the Prophet if he could
accompany him and the Prophet agreed. Abu Bakr then
cried out of happiness. Then, they rode their female
camels, which Abu Bakr had been preparing for the trip,
until they reached the cave of Thawr, which they entered.
This cave was not in the direction towards Madinah, in
order to throw off the enemy. A few men were helping
our Prophet and Abu Bakr secretly.
God ordered a tree to grow in front of the entrance of
the cave, which concealed it. Then two wild birds made
their nest in front the entrance. The blasphemers were
following the Prophet. When they arrived at the cave,
they sent a man to scout the area. When he saw the nest
and the tree, he went back and told them that there was
no one in the cave. If he had only looked down at his
feet, he could have seen our Prophet and Abu Bakr, but
God prevented him.
Some time after the blasphemers left, the Prophet and
his Companion continued on their way to Madinah.
However, a man named Suraqah Ibn Malik could follow
and find them, after he found out that the blasphemers of
Quraysh had offered a reward for bringing the Prophet
and Abu Bakr. When he came close to them, the Prophet
made a du^a’ (supplication) against him and the legs of

320
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

his horse sank into the ground. Suraqah then asked the
Prophet to make du^a’ for him, promising that he would
not tell anyone about their location. The Prophet made
du^a’ for him and his horse returned to its original state.
Suraqah returned to his people and kept his promise.
About eight years later, Suraqah became Muslim.
On the way to Madinah, Abu Bakr, ^Amir Ibn
Fuhayrah, the slave of Abu Bakr, and the son of Urayqit,
who guided them on their way, were with the Prophet.
They passed by Umm Ma^bad from the tribe of
Khuza^ah, who did not know them. The Prophet said to
her, “O Umm Ma^bad, do you have milk?” She said,
“No, by God.” He then saw a female sheep in the house
and asked her about it. She said that it was an old sheep
and did not produce milk anymore. The Prophet passed
his hand over its back and udder. Then he asked for a
container. He milked the sheep and filled the container.
Then he gave the milk to his Companions to drink. He
milked the sheep again to fill the container for Umm
Ma^bad and he left. Later, upon her husband’s return,
Umm Ma^bad described our Prophet in glowing terms.
She said,
“He was innocently bright and had a glowing
countenance. His manners were refined. Neither was his
belly bulging out, nor was his head deprived of hair. He
had black, attractive eyes, finely arched by continuous
eyebrows. His hair was black.
His neck was long. His beard was thick. His
expression was pensive and contemplative, serene, and
sublime. He is fascinating from a distance, but with
proximity the fascination is changed into attachment and
respect. His expression was very sweet and distinct.

321
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

His speech was well set and free from the use of
superfluous words, as if it were a string of beads. His
stature was neither too high, nor too small to look
repulsive.
His Companions always surrounded him. Whenever
he uttered something, the listeners would hear him with
rapt attention, and whenever he issued any command,
they vied with each other in carrying it out. He was a
master and a commander…”
The Muslims in Madinah had heard that the Prophet
was on his way to them. Everyday they were on the
lookout for his arrival. However, on the day that he
arrived, they waited until the sun became too hot for
them to bear and returned to their homes before he
arrived.
When the Prophet and Abu Bakr arrived, just one man
saw them. He shouted as loud as he could, informing the
people of the Prophet’s arrival. All came out to greet
him. Many people there had become Muslim and still
had never met the Prophet. Thus, they were thrilled to see
him for the first time. When the Prophet arrived, he was
exactly 53 years old, for it was the same day and month
of his birth, Monday the 12th of Rabi^ul-Awwal. The
Islamic calendar counts this entire year as the first year of
the calendar, beginning with the month of Muharram.
Hence the year that the Prophet immigrated to Madinah
is known as the 1st Hijrah (Immigration) year.
The Prophet entered Madinah riding on his female
camel. He let it walk freely until it reached a spot and
sat; at this spot the Prophet would build his mosque. The
spot belonged to two orphans. They wanted to give our
Prophet the land but he insisted on paying for it. The

322
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Prophet stayed at the house of Abu Ayyub al-Ansariyy


until he completed building his mosque and his wives'
rooms, adjacent to the mosque. The Prophet took part in
the labor of building. The ceiling was made of palm
leaves and the floor was of sand.
At that time, our Prophet had two wives, Lady
Sawdah and Lady ^A'ishah, who arrived in Madinah after
the Prophet, along with Lady Fatimah, Lady Umm
Kulthum and other close members of the household.
Lady Zaynab stayed in Makkah a while longer.
It was an individual obligation for the Muslims to
immigrate to Madinah if able. It remained an obligation
until the Prophet opened Makkah about eight years later.
It continues to be an obligation for a Muslim to move out
of a place ruled by non-Muslims if he believes that
staying there will result in him committing blasphemy or
sins.

323
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 52: The City of Madinah

What a great blessing from God was the arrival of the


Prophet in Madinah! Before accepting Islam, the two
Arab tribes of Madinah, al-Aws and al-Khazraj were
fighting frequently. Then, God made the hearts of both
tribes inclined to Islam and love for God and His
Messenger, blessings and peace are upon him.
The Muslims who immigrated from Makkah were
called the Muhajirun (the Immigrants) and the Muslims
of both tribes of Madinah were called the Ansar (the
Supporters). After arriving in Madinah, our Prophet
paired men from the two groups to be special Muslim
brothers. The “brother” from the Ansar welcomed and
helped his “brother” from the Muhajirun get established
in Madinah. The Muhajirun brother helped his Ansar
brother by teaching him from what he learned from our
Prophet while in Makkah. God instilled love in their
hearts for one another.
The Ansar liked to farm their land, and helped the
Muhajirun learn this skill. Also, there were marketplaces
in Madinah where the Muhajirun could conduct the work
they were used to in Makkah.
Many Jewish tribes were also settled around Madinah.
The Ansar had been used to living and dealing with them
before our Prophet came. After his arrival, our Prophet
called the Jews to Islam. Their top scholar, ^Abdullah
Ibn Salam, recognized our Prophet as the final Prophet of
whom Prophet Moses had told his people. He embraced
Islam, and became a good, honorable Companion. Other

324
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Jews, among their scholars and laymen, also became


Muslim. Despite this, a number of Jewish scholars
remained stubborn and refused to accept the Prophethood
of Muhammad.
Our Prophet made a treaty with the Jewish tribes, in
which they promised not to fight the Muslims or assist
others against them. The Jews did not keep to this treaty,
as will follow.
Also, in Madinah, a group of Madinah residents were
the munafiqun (hypocrites). These people said the two
Islamic Professions of Faith (I profess that no one is God
except Allah and I profess that Muhammad is the
Messenger of God), but in their hearts they really hated
Prophet Muhammad. They stealthily worked to destroy
the new Islamic society of Madinah. They would come
to the Mosque and appear to pray, but they secretly
cooperated with the Jews and hostile Arab tribes, to
attack and destroy the Muslim society.
God protected our Prophet and his followers from
being defeated by both of these groups. Despite their
harm, the city of Madinah began to flourish with the light
of faith and became al-Madinatul-Munawwarah, the
Illuminated City.

325
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 53: The Fascinating Conversion


of the Top Jewish Scholar

As we told you in the previous lesson, ^Abdullah Ibn


Salam was the top scholar of the Jews of Madinah,
knowing and teaching the Torah revealed to Prophet
Moses. As we had said before, when Prophet Jesus
became a Prophet, and called the people to follow the
new set of laws revealed to him, the Jews made the
serious mistake of not accepting the Book revealed to
Jesus (the Injil) and instead stuck to the Torah.
^Abdullah Ibn Salam knew, from the Jewish
teachings, that there were three questions, whose answers
only the last prophet would know. When the news
reached him that a man had arrived in Madinah, who
claimed to be the last prophet, ^Abdullah Ibn Salam went
to our Prophet.
When ^Abdullah Ibn Salam posed these three
questions to our Prophet, Prophet Muhammad told
^Abdullah that Angel Gabriel had already told him the
answers to these questions. ^Abdullah Ibn Salam stated
that Gabriel was the enemy of the Jews.
The three questions were: What is the first sign of the
Day of Judgment? What is the first food of the people of
Paradise? And why is it that some children resemble
their father, and others resemble their mother?
It was revealed to our Prophet, by angel Gabriel that
the first sign of the Day of Judgment (Is not the
appearance of ad-Dajjal the first big sign??) was a fire

326
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

that drives the people from the east to the west. Knowing
this, our Prophet answered ^Abdullah.
Angel Gabriel had told our Prophet that the first food,
which the people of Paradise will eat, is the extra lobe of
the whale’s liver. Knowing this, our Prophet answered
that question of ^Abdullah.
Angel Gabriel had informed our Prophet that the
reason that some children resemble their father, and
others, their mother, is due to the fact that if, during the
sexual intercourse which caused that pregnancy, the fluid
of the man comes out first, the child will resemble him.
If the fluid of the woman comes out first, the child will
resemble the mother. Knowing this from Revelation, our
Prophet victoriously answered that third question of
^Abdullah as well.
Upon hearing the clear truth, wisely ^Abdullah Ibn
Salam said the two Professions of Faith, and entered
Islam. After that, ^Abdullah hid in a close place, while
our Prophet spoke with his people.
Prophet Muhammad asked them, “What do you say
about ^Abdullah Ibn Salam?” His people said, “He is the
best and most knowledgeable among us, as is his father.”
Our Prophet asked, “What would you say if he embraced
Islam?” They said, “O God, protect him from that!”
Then ^Abdullah Ibn Salam came out from his hiding
place, and professed his Islam in front of them. They
said, “He is the worst among us, and the most
ignorant…”
It is narrated in the collection of hadith, Sahih
Bukhariyy, that our Prophet gave the good news that

327
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

^Abdullah Ibn Salam will be one of the people of


Paradise.

328
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 54: Good Confronts Evil at Badr


(Part 1)

Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon


him, was calling the people to Islam by talking to them,
because he had not been ordered to go to battle yet. After
his immigration the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon
him, was permitted to fight the blasphemers. The
Prophet himself, peace and blessings be upon him, led 27
campaigns (ghazwahs) and many times he sent the
Muslims to engage the enemy without going himself
(sariyyahs). The Prophet told us that if it were not for the
needs of some of his followers, he would have gone to
every battle (for he was the most courageous and
diligent).
The people of Arabia were used to war and regarded a
brave warrior highly. Seeing the Muslims winning one
time after another, despite their small numbers compared
to their opponents, convinced some people to become
Muslim themselves. The Arabs used to go to war over
personal matters. However, our Prophet never fought
over personal matters. He fought for the sake of God.
By conducting battles, some woke up and became
Muslim before fighting, some made peace treaties with
the Muslims without a fight, and some refused to believe
and were killed, thereby saving the believers from their
evil ways.
God has revealed to our Prophet that those Muslims
who die in battles to spread Islam were martyrs with a
special rank. All their sins are forgiven at the first drop

329
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

of bloodshed, and their souls go to Paradise while their


bodies are in their graves. Then, on the Day of
Judgment, their soul will return to their resurrected
bodies. They will not fear and will not be questioned
about their deeds. They, in body and soul, will then enter
Paradise to live forever.
At the Prophet’s time, the battles were not conducted
randomly, but under the authority of the Prophet.
After some smaller battles with blasphemers, the first
major battle occurred on Friday, the 17th of Ramadan in
the second Hijriyy year. It is known as the Battle of
Badr.
It was said about the battle that a group of 30 men
were returning from ash-Sham to Makkah headed by Abu
Sufyan Ibnul-Harith. When Prophet Muhammad started
calling to Islam, Abu Sufyan was among the people who
stood against the Prophet and became one of the leaders
of the blasphemers of Makkah. The caravan led by Abu
Sufyan was important for the blasphemers’ economy.
They invested heavily in this trade caravan. God
revealed that it was allowed for the Muslims to take that
caravan.
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, urged
and directed Muslims to go with him to intercept the
caravan. Abu Sufyan learned about the Muslims coming.
He sent word to Makkah telling Quraysh that
Muhammad was targeting him. People left Makkah
rushing to join Abu Sufyan. Their number was 950 with
100 horses. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon
him, left Madinah with 313 men; 77 were from the
Immigrants and the rest were from the Ansar. There

330
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

were only 2 horses with them and 70 camels. Hence,


they used to take turns riding on them.
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him,
stopped at the strait of as-Safra'. He received the news
that the camel caravan was close to Badr and that the
blasphemers had come out of Makkah to protect it. The
Muslims did not capture the caravan of goods, and
instead they decided to fight. The Prophet, peace and
blessings be upon him, then left the place and stationed at
Badr at the side of the water closest to Quraysh. Sa^d
Ibn Mu^adh suggested building a post of palm branches
for the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him. It was
then built and the Messenger of God sat in it with Abu
Bakr.
Quraysh continued on. When the Prophet, peace and
blessings be upon him, saw them he said, “O God, here
comes Quraysh with their stride walking with pride
rejecting Your Prophet. O God, grant us the victory You
promised me.”

331
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 55: Good Confronts Evil at Badr


(Part 2)

The two parties came close to each other. Three of


the mushriks (blasphemers): ^Utbah Ibn Rabi^ah,
Shaybah Ibn Rabi^ah and al-Walid Ibn ^Utbah came out
asking for a duel before the battle. The Prophet, peace
and blessings be upon him, ordered that ^Ubaydah Ibn
al-Harith Ibn al-Muttalib would duel with ^Utbah,
Hamzah the uncle of the Prophet, would duel with
Shaybah, and ^Aliyy Ibn Abi Talib would duel with al-
Walid Ibn ^Utbah.
Hamzah killed Shaybah and ^Aliyy killed al-Walid.
^Ubaydah and ^Utbah hit each other. Then ^Aliyy and
Hamzah came at ^Utbah and killed him. They carried
away ^Ubaydah with his foot cut off, who died a short
while after that. People then walked slowly towards each
other and the Messenger of God and Abu Bakr were at
the post. The Prophet was saying, “O God, if this group
of people (Muslims) are destroyed, You will not be
worshipped on Earth. O God, fulfill for me what You
promised me.” The Prophet stayed like this until his
cloak fell off. Abu Bakr placed it back on him. Then the
Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, made one
sudden move and became alert. He said, “Rejoice, O
Abu Bakr, the victory of God has come.”
The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon
him, then came out of the post strengthening the people
to fight. He took a handful of pebbles, threw them at

332
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Quraysh, and said to his Companions, “Press on them.”


Then, the defeat happened.
In this battle, God sent 3000 angels to fight the
blasphemers along with the human Muslims. The
Companions would see a head fly off the enemy before
their own sword had struck. This was due to the help of
the angels, by God’s Will. It is narrated that Angel
Gabriel came to the Prophet and asked, “How do you
regard among you those who fought at Badr?” The
Prophet answered, “As the best of Muslims.” Gabriel
said, “The same applies to the angels who were present at
Badr.”
The combat was on Friday morning, the 17th of
Ramadan. ^Abdullah Ibn Mas^ud killed Abu Jahl Ibn
Hisham Ibn al-Mughirah. Hence, one of the worst of the
enemies of faith was dead.
Fourteen of the Muslims died as martyrs: six from the
Immigrants and eight from the Ansar. Seventy idol
worshippers were killed in Badr; seventy were captured.
The property seized from defeated blasphemers after a
military victory is called “spoils”. In the laws revealed to
previous prophets, the spoils were gathered in one place.
Then God sent a fire that consumed them. In the rules
revealed to Prophet Muhammad, the spoils were divided
between our Prophet and Muslims who participated in
the battle. The Prophet used his share of the spoils to
help Muslims and not to amass personal wealth. Prophet
Muhammad said that, out of God’s Mercy upon them,
and due to their weakness, God allowed them to have the
spoils.

333
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

This battle is mentioned several times in the Qur’an.


One reference is in Suratu Al ^Imran.

Verses 12 and 13 of Suratu Al ^Imran mean, “(O


Muhammad) say to the disbelievers: you will be defeated
and gathered together to Hell, and worst indeed is that
place of rest. There has already been for you9 a sign in
the two armies that met in combat (the Battle of Badr).
One was fighting in the cause of God; the other was
blasphemous. The blasphemers saw the Muslims as
twice their number. God does support with His aid
whomever He wills. Verily, in this is a lesson for those
with minds.”
After the victory, the Prophet kept watch in the battle
area for three days. The slain bodies of twenty-four
leaders of the blasphemers of Quraysh were thrown in a
well at Badr. Our Prophet stood over the well and started
to call the dead by name saying, “Would it not have been
much better for you if you had obeyed God and His
Messenger? Behold, we have found that our Lord’s
promise came true. Did you also find that the promises
of your Lord came true?’ When a Companion questioned
his talking to the dead, the Prophet swore by God that the
Companion does not hear his talk better than those dead
in the well.
Although Abu Lahab was not present at the Battle of
Badr, he died out of sadness in Makkah quickly after

9
The scholar of Qur’an, al-Qurtubiyy, said that “you” in this ayah refers to
(1) the believers, (2) all disbelievers, or (3) the Jews of Madinah.

334
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

receiving the news of the death of Abu Jahl, other friends


of his, and the great and evident victory of the Muslims.
One of the great Companions of our Prophet,
^Uthman, did not fight in the battle of Badr. This was
due to that his wife, Ruqayyah, the daughter of Prophet
Muhammad, was very ill and he was caring for her.
They had come to Madinah from Abyssinia. When our
Prophet returned from Badr, he was told that his daughter
Ruqayyah had died. Again our Prophet was patient with
the death of a beloved one.

335
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 56: Reflections on our Blessed


Prophet and his Honorable Companions

God made the Companions of our Prophet of mercy,


the same in belief, but diverse in characteristics. This
“unity in diversity” is what is so appealing about our
Muslim nation.
Our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, taught
his followers that in the body there is a lump of flesh,
which if good, the whole self is good, and if corrupt, the
whole self is corrupt. It is the heart. (Narrated by al-
Bukhariyy and Muslim)
Our Prophet spoke to the people’s hearts. He
appealed to their hearts, not only by his words, but also
by every action and response from his exalted self.
Addressing our Prophet, God said in the Qur’an (Al-
Kahf, 6):

It means, “You would perchance die out of concern,


following after them, in grief, if they do not believe in
this message”. Our Prophet said to a Companion, “I am
like a man trying to hold you by your waists to save you
from Hell, but you are escaping from my hands.”
(Narrated by Muslim)
The Prophet knew without a doubt that he himself
would be saved in the Hereafter. Despite that, he
continued to extend himself to the utmost, hoping that
others would be saved as well. Truly, he loved for his

336
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

brother what he loved for himself, peace and blessings be


upon him (Narrated by al-Bukhariyy and Muslim).
Concerning his dear Companions, our Prophet would
never let any wrong actions of theirs go unchecked.
Since his Companions were not prophets, they were
liable to make mistakes, even mistakes that were serious.
(Prophets are spotless of any sin, except of committing a
small, non-mean sin). On the other hand, if Companions
repented of sinning, our Prophet never reminded them of
their former sins, thus avoiding humiliating them. He
knew that God had that sin erased.
He told his Companions that those who covered the
faults of a believer in this life, would be granted a cover
by God on the Day of Judgment, where there will be no
cover but the one granted by Him. This means that those
kind, compassionate people in this life, will not be
exposed and humiliated before the people on the Day of
Judgment. God, the One Who knows all things, will
keep this person’s secret bad doings a secret from the
people, and God will forgive him.
The Companions of the Prophet were different kinds
of people, some from countries other than Arabia. Many
were very young, especially those Companions who are
so famous for narrating hadith and telling the true
meanings of the Holy Qur’an.
In order to heighten your awareness, let us tell you the
ages of some well-known Companions in the year our
Prophet immigrated to Madinah.
^Abdullah Ibn ^Abbas, the great explainer of the
Qur’an, and the cousin of our Prophet, was four years
old. ^Abdullah, the son of our Master ^Umar was 11

337
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

years old. Abu Sa^id al-Khudriyy was 11 years old.


Jabir was 16 years old. Usamah Ibn Zayd was 6 years
old. Anas Ibn Malik was 10 years old. Zayd Ibn Thabit,
a translator for our Prophet and the compiler of the
written sheets of Qur’an in the hands of the Companions,
was 12 years old. ^Abdullah Ibnuz-Zubayr was born in
that year. Lady ^A’ishah was 9 years old. Even our
Master ^Aliyy, was only 23 years old and his wife, Lady
Fatimah, was 18 years old. Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn, the
Prophet’s famous grandsons, were not even born yet.
Although Abu Hurayrah narrated the most hadiths of
any Companion, he was also just a young man during
those years he continually accompanied the Prophet. Abu
Hurayrah accompanied the Prophet only for the last four
years of our Prophet’s life.
If you go to any volumes of hadiths, these are the
names that you will read over and over again, saying
what they heard from the blessed Prophet.
Truly, the Companions of our Prophet of mercy were
better than extremely precious jewels of all different
sizes, shapes and colors. Yet they would say that they
were jewels in the rough until their hearts were
awakened, by God’s mercy, having the gift of Prophet
Muhammad’s presence and example in their special,
blessed lives.

338
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 57: Dealing with Banu Qaynaqa^

After the great Battle of Badr, God exposed the


treachery of the Jewish tribes of Madinah who had made
a treaty with the Muslims. They were jealous, felt
threatened by the victorious Muslims, and began to break
the terms of the treaty.
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him,
gathered them in the marketplace of Qaynaqa^ and said,
“O Jews, beware of the torture of God and do not let the
torture that befell Quraysh fall on you. Embrace Islam
because you know that I am a prophet sent with a
message; you find that in your book.” However, the
Jews, in general, were too stubborn and arrogant to
accept the truth.
The Jews of Qaynaqa^ were from the rich people of
Madinah and had fortresses there. In spite of the advice
of the Prophet to them, they continued practicing evil
behavior and annoying Muslims. One day, one Arab
woman sold her goods in the market of Qaynaqa^. She
sat at a goldsmith shop. A group of Jews came to her,
started bothering her, and asked her to uncover parts of
her body. She, of course, refused. The goldsmith tied
part of her dress to her back. When she stood up her
private parts became exposed. The Jews laughed at her
and mocked her. She screamed. A Muslim man came to
the rescue. A fight occurred in which this Muslim killed
the goldsmith. The Jews gathered around the Muslim
and killed him.

339
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Quickly, the Jews rushed to their castles in


preparation for war and shielded themselves by the
fortresses. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon
him, besieged them for fifteen nights and no one could
leave. They then accepted the judgment of the Prophet
and surrendered. A hypocrite named ^Abdullah Ibn
Ubayy interceded for them and insisted until the Prophet,
peace and blessings be upon him, spared them from
being killed. The Prophet then ordered them to leave
Madinah.
^Abdullah Ibn Ubayy was a sly character that made
great harm to the Prophet and other Muslims. Before the
Prophet immigrated to Madinah, the people of Madinah
were preparing to crown him as the ruler of Madinah.
When the Prophet became the ruler instead, ^Abdullah
Ibn Ubayy was filled with resentment. After some time,
^Abdullah appeared to enter Islam, and prayed with the
Muslims. The Prophet took him to be a Muslim as
Islamic law dictated. He was truly the head of the
hypocrites of Madinah, as God revealed later.

340
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 58: Events in the First Part of


the Third Year and The Enemies of Truth
Come to Uhud (Part 1)

With the help of God, our Prophet, peace and


blessings be upon him, was building a good, strong
community of Muslims in Madinah. God blessed our
Prophet with thinking of all the different aspects of a
good community. Much of the time, our Prophet was
surrounded with male Companions, teaching and guiding
them, but he had a great concern for the women of the
community as well.
One way that our Prophet helped the women of the
community was by having several pious wives at the
same time. They lived without luxuries, but had the great
blessing of being close to and learning directly from the
Prophet. Several of these wives had been widows who
were in need of help. These wives, before and after the
Prophet’s death, spent their time teaching the women
(and men) of the Muslim nation. Although some people
might not be used to this idea, truly it was a great virtue
of our Prophet that he had a number of wives in the later
years of his life.
The daughter of the Companion ^Umar, Hafsah, had
lost her husband. Our Prophet proposed to her, to the
delight of ^Umar. They were married in the third Hijriyy
year.
The Muslims had won a great victory over the
blasphemers in the Battle of Badr, killing many of them.

341
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

The blasphemers returned to Makkah, which was still


under their control, defeated and dejected. They found
that the caravan of Abu Sufyan had returned safely, and
they agreed to sell the items brought back in the caravan
and use the profit to prepare an army to fight Prophet
Muhammad, may peace be upon him. They thought that
by waging another war they would avenge the killing of
their fathers, brothers, and sons.
The tribe of Quraysh gathered to fight the Prophet.
They sent delegates to some of their allied tribes calling
on them to fight with them. Followers from the tribes of
Kinanah and Tihamah joined them. Three thousand
blasphemers in total gathered with their armors and
swords prepared to fight. Two hundred of them were
mounted on horses and seven hundred of them were foot
soldiers with shields. On these camels they built al-
hawdaj (which is a small room built on the back of a
camel). The blasphemous women would sit in these
rooms during the battle, urging the men to fight and
reminding them of their defeat in Badr. Foremost of
those women was Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan.
This major attack happened a little over a year after
the Battle of Badr. While the blasphemers were preparing
for the war, Abu Sufyan asked Al-^Abbas the son of
^Abdul-Muttalib to fight with them against the Muslims
but he refused. Al-^Abbas is the uncle of the Prophet.
Al-^Abbas secretly sent a message to the Prophet
forewarning him about the impending danger.
The news reached the Prophet. Then the Prophet saw
a dream on a Friday night before the battle. He woke up
and told a group of his Companions about the dream.
The Prophet said, “I saw in my dream cows being

342
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

slaughtered. I also saw that the blade of my sword was


cracked, and finally I saw that I put my hand into a strong
shield that I interpreted to be Al-Madinah.” The Prophet
interpreted that the cows that he saw in the dream were
Companions who would be killed in the battle, and the
crack in the sword was a man from the family of the
Prophet who would also be killed.
The blasphemers traveled to and assembled at the
bottom of the valley before Mount Uhud, which is a
mountain right outside Madinah. When Abu Sufyan and
the other idol worshippers came down to Uhud, the
Muslims cheered for the coming battle with the enemy.
They said, “God brought us what we were awaiting.”
The Prophet then said to them, ‘”If you stay in
Madinah and leave the blasphemers where they are, their
stay there will be one of the worst. If they raid us we will
fight them in Madinah.”
One of the Muslims, whom God honored with
martyrdom later that day, said, “O Messenger of God,
take us out to our enemies. That way they would not see
us as cowards or too weak to fight them.” ^Abdullah Ibn
Ubayy, the hypocrite, said, “Stay in Madinah and do not
go out to them.”
Those who loved to go out of the city and fight the
idol worshippers, and some who missed the Battle of
Badr continued talking to the Prophet, expressing how
they wanted to go out to fight. The Prophet then went in
and put on his war gear. This was on a Friday after he
had finished the prayer. He went out ready for battle, but
the people regretted that he would go out to fight. They
said, “O Prophet of God, we insisted that you go, and we
should not have done that. Stay, if you will, may God

343
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

raise your rank.” The Prophet replied, “When a Prophet


puts on his war gear, he should not take it off until after
he fights.”
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, went
out with one thousand men of his Companions until they
reached ash-Shawt, an orchard between Madinah and
Mount Uhud. Only one hundred of the foot soldiers of
the Muslims had shields and two men on horses. In an
attempt to weaken the Muslims, the hypocrite ^Abdullah
Ibn Ubayy pulled out with one-third of the people, before
fighting.
The Prophet had his soldiers face al-Madinah and put
Mount Uhud behind him. He ordered them not to initiate
the fight, and not to fight until ordered. The Prophet
protected their back with 50 archers who climbed onto
Mount Uhud that overlooked the battlefield. The Prophet
appointed one of the great companions ^Abdullah, the
son of Jubayr as the leader of the archers. The Prophet
ordered them all to stay in their position on the hill until
he indicated that they could come down. The Prophet
told them, “Protect us from their horses coming from
behind by shooting the arrows at them. Do not leave
your place if you see that we defeated them. We will
continue to win as long as you stay affixed in your
place.”
Our beloved Prophet divided his Muslim army into
many divisions and placed a leader for each one. The
battle started and the blasphemers started advancing but
were met with powerful blows from the Muslim swords.
The horses of the blasphemers ran three times towards
the Muslims. Every time they did so, they were shot at

344
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

with the arrows and they went back short of success. The
Muslims pushed on, killing the enemies of truth.
The Prophet gave Abu Dujanah, a brave companion
and a proven warrior, a sword. He took it and tied a red
piece of cloth on his head as a sign of fighting. Then he
drew his sword, and anything that stood in his way was
destroyed. One of the blasphemers was targeting the
wounded Muslims and killing them. Abu Dujanah
followed him to rid the Muslims of his evil. When they
met, the blasphemer hit Abu Dujanah, who received the
blow with unshakable determination and firmness, then
he struck the blasphemer with a powerful blow that killed
him.

345
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 59: The Enemies of Truth Come


to Uhud (Part 2)

The fighting was intense. The Muslims shot a lot of


arrows on that day, including the Prophet, who was an
excellent archer. As well, our Prophet was proficient
with a spear. The archers on the mountain did their job.
They were among the reasons that made the blasphemers
retreat and withdraw; defeat was upon the blasphemers.
In the midst of all of this, a painful incident happened
that changed the outcome of the battle. Seeing the
success, many of the archers thought that the battle was
over. They wanted to go down to get their spoils. Their
leader, ^Abdullah Ibn Jubayr warned them not to leave
their spots, but all left thinking that the battle was over,
except less than ten who stayed with their leader. The
ones who refused to leave their post were saying, “We
will obey the Prophet of Allah and stay in our position.”
Khalid the son of Al-Walid, still a blasphemer at the
time, saw that only a few of the archers were left. He
took a group of blasphemers who snuck up and surprised
the few archers left killing them, including the leader of
the archers ^Abdullah the son of Jubayr. When this
happened the yells of the blasphemers became loud, and
the Muslims were surprised to find that were now
surrounded. Many were killed and the situation became
difficult for the Muslims. Blasphemers who had left
came back, and viciously attacked the Muslims and
raised their dirty banner off from the ground.

346
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

At the beginning of this battle, Hamzah was


overcoming the enemy, smashing them with his sword.
One of the blasphemer slaves, called Wahshiyy, (which
means monster), was a very good spear thrower. It was
said about Wahshiyy that he never missed hitting his
target with a spear. He had targeted our Hamzah and
intended to kill him. Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan had
told Wahshiyy before the battle that if he managed to kill
Hamzah he would be set free. Hind wanted Hamzah
killed because Hamzah had killed Hind’s father and
brother in the Battle of Badr. Wahshiyy spent the battle
seeking the opportune moment that would enable him to
kill Hamzah. Finally he found himself face to face with
Hamzah, he raised his spear and threw it at Hamzah, it hit
his body and he fell, dying as a martyr for the sake of
Allah.
Another of the martyrs among the Muslims was
Handhalah Ibn Abi ^Amir. The Prophet saw Handhalah
being washed by angels after he was killed. The Prophet
told his Companions to ask the wife of Handhalah the
story after the battle. The wife of Handhalah said that
before the battle they had sexual intercourse. Then
Handhalah heard the call to battle. He did not have time
to perform the full shower that one makes after
intercourse, and simply went immediately to battle. This
is why, after Handhalah died, the angels gave him that
bathing. In total about seventy of the Muslims were
martyred that day.
The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon
him, was there at the back of the Muslim army with only
a few other fighters. These few Companions fought so
bravely to protect the Prophet. Five of them were killed

347
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

protecting the Prophet, all of them from the Ansar. One


fought until he was killed. Then the next stepped up and
did the same until the five Ansar were killed. The last
one was ^Umarah Ibn Ziyad or Ziyad Ibnus-Sakan. He
fought until he could not rise up from the ground due to
all the wounds he suffered. The Prophet said, “Bring him
closer to me”. Some men brought him and the Prophet
put the man’s cheek on his honorable foot. The
Companion died with his cheek on the foot of the
Prophet.
The Banner of the Muslims was with Mus^ab Ibn
^Umayr. Mus^ab fought carrying the banner and reciting
from the Qur’an until he was killed. Then ^Aliyy Ibn Abi
Talib took the banner.
A number of blasphemers had agreed among
themselves to attack the Prophet all at once. They took
advantage of the separation of the Prophet from many
Companions to attack him. Some of them hit him with
their swords on his honorable forehead, while others
threw rocks at him and broke one of his teeth. His
honorable lip was wounded and one blasphemer attacked
and wounded the upper part of the Prophet’s cheek. The
blow to the cheek made the rings of the Prophet’s helmet
embed into his cheek. Then this blasphemer lifted his
sword to hit the Prophet, but the Prophet held him back.
The Prophet however, may peace be upon him fell and
injured his honorable knee, which began to bleed. The
two great Companions of the Muhajirun, Talhah Ibn
^Ubaydillah and Sa^d Ibn Abi Waqqas were fighting near
the Prophet protecting him.
Those Companions left with the Prophet fought
bravely, preventing, by God’s Will, the blasphemers

348
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

from killing the Prophet. Talhah fought so fiercely, that


he sustained more than thirty wounds and his hand was
hurt severely. Whenever the day of Uhud was mentioned
around Abu Bakr, he would say that it was Talhah’s day.
Prophet Muhammad, blessings upon him, said if one
desired to see a martyr walking on the ground, one
should look at Talhah Ibn ^Ubaydillah.
Abu Dujanah ran over to the Prophet and used his
back as a shield to protect the Prophet. The arrows
would come flying at him while he was bent down
protecting the most honored of Allah’s creations with his
body and soul.
Then a larger group of Companions came to the aid of
the Prophet when they realized the situation, foremost of
them was Abu Bakr. Another of them was Abu
^Ubaydah Ibn al-Jarrah. They attended to the Prophet,
pulling the rings of the helmet out of his blessed cheek,
and then to Talhah who sustained those many wounds.
One of the blasphemers cried out that the Prophet had
been killed. On hearing this cry, some Muslims felt
hopeless and left the battleground. Of course, the
Prophet was not killed. The Prophet, although wounded,
moved to a part of his army. Among a certain group of
Companions, Ka^b Ibn Malik, from the Ansar, was the
first one to recognize the Prophet and see that he was not
killed. Ka^b saw the eyes of the Prophet from under his
helmet, and recognized him by his eyes. Ka^b shouted,
“O Muslims, be guided, here is the Messenger of God”
reassuring them that the Prophet had not been killed.
This encouraged a large group to resume their fighting.
The Messenger of God was with Abu Bakr, ^Umar,
^Aliyy, Talhah, Az-Zubayr and others. Ubayy Ibn Khalaf

349
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

had sworn to kill the Prophet of God, long before this


battle, in Makkah. The Prophet had told him at the time,
“No, I will kill you, God willing.” Now, in this battle,
Ubayy came on his horse, carrying his spear, aiming it
towards the Prophet. Some Companions of the Prophet
said they would take care of him, but the Prophet said
that he would do it. The Prophet reached for a small
spear and threw it at Ubayy and it hit his neck. Ubayy
fell off his horse and yet no blood came out of his wound.
Ubayy said, “Muhammad killed me”. The friends of
Ubayy told him that it was not a serious injury, and that
he was just scared. Ubayy remembered that the Prophet
said that he would kill him. Ubayy said, “No, I am
dying”. He died before reaching Makkah.
Abu Sufyan, who was the leader of the enemy, was in
a place high on the mountain. The Prophet said, “Those
blasphemers should not be in a location higher than ours.
^Umar fought them with a group of the Muhajirun, until
they forced them off the mountain. The Muslims
defended the Messenger of God valiantly. The
blasphemers realized that they could not defeat the
Muslims, and consequently they stopped the fight. Abu
Sufyan called out, “We have an appointment in Badr next
year!”
The Messenger of God told a man to say, “Yes, we
have an appointment between us and you”. The
blasphemers did not continue to attack; rather they
showed their hard hearts by going around the dead
Muslims, cutting off parts of their bodies, such as their
ears and noses. Some of the women they brought made
necklaces out of these body parts, and wore them around

350
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

their necks as they danced madly. Abu Sufyan’s wife,


Hind, chewed the liver of the Prophet’s uncle, Hamzah.
Abu Sufyan wanted to know if the Prophet, Abu Bakr
and ^Umar were dead. He called out, asking the
Muslims if they were alive. The Prophet did not respond.
Abu Sufyan happily said to those with him, “As for those
(three) you have been relieved of them.” However,
^Umar could not hold back, and said, “O enemy of God,
those whom you have just mentioned, I tell you that they
are still alive. God has maintained what you hate.” Abu
Sufyan started to praise the idols Hubal and Al-^Uzza.
The Prophet told the Companions to call back to him,
declaring the praises of God.
Abu Sufyan felt that he and his men had made revenge
for the Battle of Badr, with a similar number of Muslims
killed at Uhud as the blasphemers who had been killed at
Badr. ^Umar shouted to him that it was not the same, for
the Muslims who died are housed in Paradise, whereas
his dead will be in Fire.
Abu Sufyan wanted to talk to ^Umar face to face.
Thus, the Prophet told ^Umar to go. When ^Umar
reached him, Abu Sufyan implored him: ‘Have we killed
Muhammad?’ ^Umar responded firmly that the Prophet
was still alive. Abu Sufyan declared to ^Umar that he
considered him more reliable than his own man who had
declared that the Prophet was killed.
It is important to point out that our Prophet was not
defeated and did not retreat in the battle of Uhud. Also,
Abu Bakr, ^Umar, ^Aliyy and similar men from the early
Immigrants and Ansar were not defeated either, and did
not retreat from fighting with the Prophet. May God
greatly reward all of them. We do not say the Prophet of

351
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Allah was defeated, rather we say that those who did not
obey the Prophet’s orders failed and they themselves lost
out.
The Muslims buried their martyrs in Uhud, where
they had died. The Prophet returned to Al-Madinah amid
a sad atmosphere. When one of the Ansar women was
told that both her father and brother were killed in the
battle she asked, “What happened to the Prophet, may
peace be upon him?” They told her that he was in a good
condition. She said, “Let me see him”, and when she
saw him, her eyes watered out of happiness. She said,
“Every calamity other than the calamity of your death is
tolerable, O Prophet of Allah. No affliction has as hard
of an impact as the tragedy of losing you.”
This was the way the battle of Uhud ended, in the
middle of the month of Shawwal in the third year of
Hijrah. It was a lesson in which the Muslims learned the
importance of following the orders of the Prophet and his
honorable teachings. All the orders of the Prophet hold
happiness for the one who follows them.

352
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 60: The Aggression of al-Ahzab


(The Allied Factions)

After the Battle of Uhud, our Prophet, peace and


blessings be upon him, was continuously working to
teach and spread Islam. At the request of some tribes,
Prophet Muhammad sent some of his Companions to
teach them Islam. In the fourth year of Hijrah, 70
Companions who went to teach were betrayed and
murdered instead. The Jewish tribes in the area of
Madinah were continuing to betray the Muslims as well.
Our Prophet expelled the Jewish tribe of Banun-Nadir
from Madinah, due to their secret plot to kill him.
In this year, our Prophet married two more righteous
women. The first was Zaynab Bint Khuzaymah. Her
husband was one of the martyrs of Uhud. She was very
concerned for the poor and helped them a lot. God
willed for her to die several months after her marriage to
our Prophet.
The second woman was also a widow. Her husband,
Abu Salamah, had been a dear Companion of our
Prophet. Her name was Hind, but she was known as
Umm Salamah. Umm Salamah lived a long life (died 60
H) and along with ^A'ishah (died 56 H) taught Islam and
narrated hadith after our Prophet’s death. She was a
knowledgeable, wise, and upright Muslim.
In the fifth year of Hijrah, the Battle of Khandaq (the
Trench), took place. It was also called the Battle of
Ahzab (the Allied Factions). A number of Jews from the
leaders of Banun-Nadir, whom the Prophet expelled out

353
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

of Madinah, left their area seeking Makkah. They called


upon the blasphemers from Quraysh to fight the Prophet
of God. Then, they agreed among themselves to fight
him.
The Jews left and went to other Arab tribes who had
not embraced Islam. They invited them to fight the
Messenger and the Muslims in Madinah also. They
promised each other to fight on a particular day and at a
particular place while the Prophet was in Madinah.
Hence, three groups, the Jews, the blasphemous Quraysh,
and other blasphemous Arab tribes formed an alliance
against the Muslims (the Allied Factions).
This news reached the Messenger of God, peace and
blessings be upon him. He gathered his Companions and
told them about the news of the enemy. He consulted
with them. Salman Al-Farisiyy was a Companion who
was originally from Persia. He was raised as a wealthy
fire-worshipper in his native land, as that was the
prevalent practice in Persia at that time. He rejected that
belief, and went away from his land, meeting Jews and
Christians. From them, he heard that a last messenger
was to come. He harkened to that information. Salman
got captured and was made the slave of a Jewish man.
The Jewish man had Salman work picking his dates in
Madinah. Hence, when the Prophet immigrated to
Madinah, Salman was there as a slave. News reached
Salman that a man had moved to Madinah, claiming to
be the last prophet and messenger. Salman managed, by
God’s mercy, to meet our Prophet, become Muslim, and
gain his freedom. Henceforth, Salman stuck to our
Prophet.

354
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Salman told the Prophet that a trench had been dug in


his country in time of war. Our Prophet thought this idea
was very good and ordered that a trench be dug at the
vulnerable points of their city.
The Prophet left Madinah with his Companions and
camped at the side of a mountain, which the Muslims
kept to their back. All the Muslims came forward to dig
the trench along with the Prophet. There were three
thousand Muslims, whereas the number of the Allied
Factions was about ten thousand.
The Prophet worked relentlessly with his
Companions, encouraging them. He carried so much
sand with his own hands that his skin was covered with
it.
The Companions of the Messenger of God from the
Muhajrun (Immigrants) and the Ansar (Supporters) used
to chant, “We are the ones who gave Muhammad the
allegiance for Jihad, as long as we live, keeping this
perseverance.” When the Prophet heard this he replied to
them, “O God, there is no real goodness except the
goodness of the Hereafter; [O God] bless the Ansar and
the Muhajrun [who believed in Muhammad, the
Messenger].”
The Prophet continued digging the trench with his
Companions around Madinah with a rock tied to his belly
out of hunger. The Companion, Jabir Ibn ^Abdillah, saw
this scene and rushed to his place with the hope to fetch
some food to offer to the Prophet and his Companions.
He asked his wife to prepare food for him. She did.
When the little food was ready to be fully cooked, Jabir
went to the Messenger of God and said to him, “O

355
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Prophet of God, come with one or two men.” He told


him about what he had done.
In Jabir's house a great and splendid miracle became
clear. It is one of the many great miracles with which
God supported the Prophet. The Prophet shouted to the
Immigrants and Ansar, saying to them: ‘Come on.’ He
was telling them that Jabir had prepared some food.
Jabir then ran to his wife telling her that the Prophet of
God was bringing the Immigrants and the Ansar and
those who were with them. She asked, “Did he ask you
how much food you have?” He said, “Yes.” She then
replied, “God and His Messenger know best.”
The Prophet entered with his Companions to Jabir's
place and started breaking the bread. He would take
from the pot with the bread, and then cover it while it
was still on the fire. Thus he kept giving food to all the
Companions until they ate in full. An amount of food
was left as well. The Prophet said to Jabir's wife, “Eat
this and give to others. The people had been struck by
famine.”
The Prophet went back from Jabir's house with his
Companions to continue digging the trench. When they
had finished digging it, the Allied Factions reached
Madinah and were choked by this great trench that was
preventing them from reaching Madinah. They camped
around it, besieging the Muslims, and their hearts were
full of disappointment.
The Prophet sent a man who had secretly embraced
Islam with a mission. He sent him to dissolve the
allegiance among the Allied Factions. Since they thought
that he was one of them, they listened to him. This man
instigated key elements of the Allied Factions against one

356
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

another and, by God’s Will, each group started accusing


the other with betrayal and distrust.
Afterwards, God, praise to Him, sent a fierce, fearful
and uncompromising wind during a dark, chilling night.
The wind hit the Allied Factions, turned over their pots,
uprooted their tents, and spread terror among their ranks.
On the next day, they fled in panic, heading towards
Makkah. Their plot to fight the Prophet and his
Companions failed. The Prophet, peace and blessings be
upon him, went back to Madinah with full confidence
about God, the One Who controls everything. He was
victorious and so were his Companions. God protected
them from the evil of those blasphemous parties.
Concerning this battle, God revealed Ayah 25 of
Suratul-Ahzab:

It means, “God turned back the disbelievers


disappointed without acquiring any goodness. God
spared the believers the fight. God has Power and
Glory.”

357
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 61: Events Between the Battle of


Khandaq (Trench) and the Signing of the
Treaty of Hudaybiyah

After the Battle of Uhud (3 H.) and before the Battle


of Khandaq (5 H.), the Prophet, blessings and peace be
upon him, had expelled the Jewish tribe of Banu-Nadir
out of their settlement in Madinah (Rabi^ul-Awwal, 4 H.)
to an area some 25 miles north of Madinah called
Khaybar. Khaybar was a rich agricultural site inhabited
by the Jews at the time.
During the Battle of the Trench, the chief of Banu-
Nadir, Huyayy, convinced another Jewish tribe of
Madinah, Banu Quraydhah, to break an agreement they
had with the Prophet and to fight against the Muslims.
As soon as the tribes that formed the Allied Factions
had left Madinah and the Prophet had returned to his
home, Angel Gabriel came to the Prophet. Angel Gabriel
told him that he ought to fight the Jewish tribe of Banu
Quraydhah (which still lived in the Madinah area).
The Prophet immediately responded. He put a trusted
Companion in charge of the affairs of Madinah, and went
to Banu Quraydhah with about 3000 men. The head of
Banu Quraydhah told his people that, if they became
Muslim, their life, wealth, women, and children would be
secure. The Jewish people did not accept to become
Muslim.
The Jews had a lot more food than the Muslims, and
the Muslims had just fought a month-long war.

358
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

However, God put a lot of courage in the hearts of the


Muslims, and a lot of fear and weakness in the hearts of
the Jews. They surrendered.
The Prophet had the men of Banu Quraydhah
handcuffed and the women and children confined away
from the men. Before, a great leader of the Ansar, named
Sa^d Ibn Mu^adh, had had relations with Banu
Quraydhah. They were his allies. Therefore, the Prophet
agreed that Sa^d Ibn Mu^adh would be chosen to decide
what would be done with the Jewish tribe.
Sa^d Ibn Mu^adh had been severely wounded during
the Battle of Ahzab, but he was brought to the site when
he knew of the request of the Prophet. As he came, the
Jews begged him to be easy on them.
Sa^d said that the able-bodied men should be killed
and the women and children taken as captives. He said
that the wealth of these people should be divided among
the Muslims fighters. The Prophet said that Sa^d had
judged in accordance with the Command of God.
Among the Jewish men was the head of Banun-Nadir,
Huyayy. He refused to become Muslim and was killed
along with the men of Banu Quraydhah. A few men of
Banu Quraydhah said the shahadah and their lives,
women, children, and wealth were spared.
Right after the event of Banu Quraydhah, Sa^d Ibn
Mu^adh started to bleed a lot from his wound from the
Battle of Ahzab. He died later.
The riddance of Banu Quraydhah took place in Dhul-
Qa^dah, 5 H. In this same month, our Prophet married
another righteous Muslim, his cousin Zaynab Bint Jahsh.
She had been married to Zayd, the man our Prophet

359
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

raised in his home, but they were not happily married and
Zayd divorced her. God revealed in verses of the Qur’an
that she was to be the Prophet’s wife and that was for the
people to know that adoption was prohibited and that a
man could marry the divorced wife of his adopted son.
This Zaynab was also devoted to serving the poor. She
lived as a good Muslim and was the first wife of the
Prophet to die after his death.
In Sha^ban 6 H, the Prophet heard that an Arab tribe
called Banul-Mustaliq was preparing to attack the
Muslims in Madinah. The Prophet put a trusted
Companion in charge of the Madinah matters and took
his men to the battle. The Muslims were successful and
only one Muslim was killed (by mistake by another
Muslim).
The Prophet married the daughter of the chief of the
tribe of Banul-Mustaliq, as she had become Muslim.
Due to this marriage, many of the tribe members became
Muslim and were freed. Her name was Juwayriyah. She
died in the year 56 H.
During this time, ^Abdullah Ibn Ubayy, the head of
the hypocrites, was stirring up a lot of trouble. He was
very jealous of the Prophet, and wished to be in charge
instead.
On the way back from the battle, by mistake, Lady
^A'ishah was left behind. She was found and brought
back to Madinah by a Muslim man who had followed
behind the caravan. ^Abdullah Ibn Ubayy started a rumor
that Lady ^A'ishah had committed adultery with this
Muslim man. God revealed verses to the Prophet telling
that she was not guilty of this accusation, and giving
instructions of how to punish those who falsely accuse

360
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Muslims of fornication and adultery. Several Muslims


were lashed as was prescribed.

361
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 62: The Treaty of Hudaybiyah

In the sixth Hijriyy year, Prophet Muhammad, peace


and blessings be upon him, saw in his dream that he was
performing ^Umrah with his followers. When the
Prophet told his Companions of his dream, they were so
happy and hopeful to return to the Ka^bah after six years
of being away. Consequently, at the end of the sixth
Hijriyy year, in the month of Dhul-Qa^dah, the Prophet
and 1500 of his Companions set out to perform ^Umrah.
News of their approach had reached the enemy in
Makkah, who sent out an army to oppose them.
The Prophet consulted with his Companions. They
agreed not to fight unless they were prevented from
performing ^Umrah. The Prophet and his Companions
settled at a spot with a well, called Hudaybiyah. Some of
the blasphemers tried to attack the Muslims but were not
successful. Then some blasphemers came to talk to the
Prophet. He informed them that he had not come to
fight, but to perform the blessed ^Umrah. Finally, it was
decided to send ^Uthman to talk with the blasphemers in
Makkah, as he was a man some regarded highly.
^Uthman spoke with Abu Sufyan and others in a
goodly way, explaining their intentions and calling them
to Islam. The enemy refused to allow the Prophet to
perform ^Umrah, but offered to ^Uthman that he himself
may perform it. ^Uthman said, “How would I avail
myself of this opportunity, when the Prophet is denied of
it?”

362
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

The return of ^Uthman was taking a long time and the


Companions at Hudaybiyah feared that the enemy had
killed him. They gathered with the Prophet under a tree
and made a famous pledge to the Prophet called
Bay^atur-Ridwan. The Companions pledged that if the
fight erupted they would not run away or escape the
battlefield. God referred to this pledge in the Qur’an (Al-
Fath, verse 18), informing us that He would reward the
believers who gave their pledge to the Prophet under the
tree.
The disbelievers saw the solidarity of the Muslims
and instead of fighting them, agreed to make a treaty with
them. The treaty was to be written down. The clauses of
the treaty were as follows:
• The Muslims could not make ^Umrah that year,
but can come back the following year. At that time, they
could not stay in Makkah for more than three days.
• They could not come back armed, but could bring
with them swords only, sheathed in scabbards, and these
should be kept in bags.
• War activities would be suspended for ten years,
during which both parties would live in full security and
neither would raise sword against the other.
• If anyone from Quraysh went over to Muhammad
without his guardian’s permission, he would be sent back
to Quraysh. However, should any of Muhammad’s
followers return to Quraysh, he would not be sent back.
• Any tribe, who wished to join Muhammad, or
enter into treaty with him, would have the liberty to do

363
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

so; and likewise anyone who wished to join Quraysh,10 or


enter into treaty with them, would be allowed to do so.
When writing the treaty, the disbelievers refused to
allow that the Prophet be called the Messenger of God.
The Prophet accepted that they write “Muhammad the
son of ^Abdullah. The Muslim scholars said, “The
Prophet agreed with them to write 'Muhammad the son of
^Abdullah' instead of writing the Prophet of God. He
also agreed with them on returning those who come from
them and their not returning those who go to them. The
Prophet did so for the important benefit that would result
from the treaty.”
Completing this treaty brought a prosperous outcome
and fruitful results. This reached its climax by the
opening of Makkah, all the people of Makkah embracing
Islam, and other people embracing the Religion in
groups.
Many people before the treaty did not mix with the
Muslims, but when the treaty was established, people
started mingling with the Muslims. They came to
Madinah and the Muslims went to Makkah. Different
people learned from the Muslims about Islam. They
learned from them about the Oneness of God, the
obvious miracles of the Prophet, the repeatedly supported
signs of his Prophethood, and his attractive manners and
beautiful way.
Some of them came forward to embrace Islam before
the opening of Makkah such as Khalid Ibn al-Walid. As

10
“Joining Quraysh” did not mean to adopt their false religion. It simply
meant to be an ally of Quraysh. Our Prophet would never agree to people
adopting a false religion.

364
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

you remember, he is the same man who had renewed the


attack against the Muslims in the Battle of Uhud. God
changed his heart, like ^Umar before him. Both men
totally changed, becoming Muslim. They went on to
love the Prophet with true sincerity and fought bravely
for Islam.

365
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 63: Letters Sent to Rulers

Immediately after the blessed Prophet, peace and


blessings be upon him, returned from Hudaybiyah, he
had letters prepared to be delivered to the rulers of other
areas of the time, calling them to Islam. A silver ring
was prepared with the words, “Muhammad, the
Messenger of God”, with which the letters were sealed,
showing their authenticity.
The Prophet appointed various Companions to deliver
the letters that were dictated by the Prophet to scribes.
The letters began by saying “From Muhammad, the
Messenger of God, to...” and the ruler was named. The
letter proceeded to say: ‘peace be upon those who follow
true guidance and believe in God and His Messenger.’
Appropriate verses of the Qur’an were written. The
letter called on them to become Muslim, stating that if
they accepted Islam, they would have reward from God
and safety from the other Muslims. However, if they
rejected the call, they bore the responsibility of the evils
of their non-believing people.
Among the letters sent were letters to: The King of
Abyssinia; the Vicegerent of Egypt; the Emperor of
Persia; Heraclius, the King of the Byzantines (Romans);
the Governor of Bahrain; the Governor of Yamamah; the
King of Damascus; and the King of Oman.
Various Companions were sent with these letters in
Muharram of the seventh Hijriyy year, a few days before
the Prophet and other Companions set out to Khaybar to
deal with the Jews in that area.

366
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Some of the rulers embraced Islam on receiving the


letter, others did not but were polite, and others still were
furious concerning the letter’s contents.
The Governor of Bahrain and the King of Oman did
embrace Islam, but the King of Damascus did not. The
King of Abyssinia had embraced Islam. The Prophet
sent him a letter, which the King treasured. The Prophet
asked that the Muslims who had immigrated to his
country be sent back. They returned to Arabia during the
Battle at Khaybar.
The King of Abyssinia died several years after
receiving the letter, shortly after the Battle of Tabuk in
Rajab, 9 H. The Prophet announced his death to the
Companions and prayed the funeral prayer for him.
The Vicegerent of Egypt read the letter, told the
Companion that he would consider the call, but that he
expected the last Prophet to be from Syria and did not
accept the call. He sent back with the Companion gifts to
the Prophet: two slave women and a mule. The Prophet
accepted the gifts. He gave one slave to a Companion
and kept the other, Mariyah.
The Emperor of Persia did not accept Islam, and
instead ripped up the letter. He ordered that his governor
in Yemen have the Prophet arrested and brought to him.
Men came to the Prophet from Yemen. God revealed to
the Prophet that the son of the Emperor had killed him.
The Prophet told the men from Yemen. The men went
back to the Emperor’s governor in Yemen. The governor
had received the same news from Persia, and as a result
the governor and the Persians in Yemen accepted Islam.

367
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Heraclius, the ruler of the Byzantines (part of the


Roman Empire), received the letter and at the time Abu
Sufyan was there, as he would trade with them.
Heraclius proceeded to ask Abu Sufyan a lot of questions
about the Prophet. At that time Abu Sufyan had still not
embraced Islam, but Heraclius had arranged a setting
where Abu Sufyan found it hard to lie about the Prophet,
for if he did, he feared that his friends with him would
consider him to be a liar. It may have looked like
Heraclius was about to embrace Islam, as he even asked
his people if they would like that he would. His people
showed their disdain to the call, and Heraclius did not
embrace Islam. However, he did send presents back with
the Companion.

368
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 64: Justice at Khaybar

After making the Hudaybiyah Treaty, it was time to


deal with the Jews in a strong way. Many Jews who had
been expelled from Madinah had settled in Khaybar,
with its rich agriculture. After the Companions had been
sent off with their letters to rulers, the Prophet, peace and
blessings be upon him, and 1400 Companions set out to
Khaybar during the month of Muharram 7 H. The army
marched until they reached Khaybar at night.
The Prophet had called the Jews to Islam many times,
and had made fair treaties with them when he first
arrived in Madinah. However, most of them refused to
become Muslim, even though their top scholar,
^Abdullah Ibn Salam did embrace Islam as soon as the
Prophet came to Madinah. What increased their
despicable state was that they knew from their book that
the last prophet was to come. Muhammad fit the
description; yet they rejected him. God made miracles
appear from the Prophet, but they were mad that
Muhammad was from the descendants of Isma^il
(Ishmael) instead of Ishaq (Isaac).
These Jews had breached treaties and helped the
enemies of the Muslims one time after another.
In Khaybar, the Jews lived comfortably in very
fortified castles. Nonetheless, when some Jews spotted
the Prophet and his army approaching, they were struck
with terror. Prophet Muhammad said, “God is Great.
Khaybar shall face destruction. Behold! When we arrive

369
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

to the heart of the enemy’s land, it will be a bad day for


those who have been forewarned.”
The Messenger of God opened the fortresses one at a
time. Before opening one of them, Prophet Muhammad
said, “Tomorrow, I will give the banner to a man who
loves God and His Prophet and he is beloved to God and
His Prophet.” All the men hoped to be the one. Then,
the Prophet gave the banner to ^Aliyy Ibn Abi Talib.
^Aliyy pledged he would fight the enemies until they
embraced Islam. The Prophet answered him saying,
“Take your time until you reach their positions. Then,
invite them to accept Islam, and brief them on their duties
towards God. I swear by God that if only one should be
guided through your example, that would surely
outweigh the best of our camels.” Our Prophet did not
conduct wars for personal reasons, but instead with the
desire for people to become Muslim and be saved from
Hellfire.
Khaybar was in two parts, five forts in the first and
three in the second. The Prophet began by attacking the
minor forts. The Jews of one fort would come to fight,
then give up and move to another fort. Then the Muslims
would move on to the fort to which the Jews moved.
Some of the big heroes of the fight besides the Prophet
were ^Aliyy Ibn Abi Talib, Az-Zubayr Ibn Al-^Awwam,
and Abu Dujanah. May God bless them.
When ^Aliyy needed a shield, he picked up a heavy
door of a castle and used it as a shield. Later, after the
fighting, the people found that eight men together could
not even flip that door, let alone carry it. This was a
miracle for the Prophet which ^Aliyy was following, and
showed a blessing (karamah) of God upon ^Aliyy.

370
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Among the forts of Khaybar was one that was


strongest, where the women and children were kept.
When the Jewish men were defeated at all the other forts,
they went in this fort. The Jews stayed in the fort, threw
stones and shot arrows at the Muslims from inside. The
Prophet ordered for the fort to be rammed and the
Muslims entered. The men fled, leaving behind their
women and children.
Then the Prophet and his men moved to the second
part of Khaybar and laid siege on it for fourteen days.
When the Muslims were about to ram the forts again, the
Jews asked to make a peace treaty.
The Prophet agreed not to kill the men if they left
Khaybar and the adjacent land, leaving behind their gold
and silver. Although the leader of the Jews agreed, he
and his brother tried to keep a bag full of wealth. When
this was discovered, the two men were killed. It is
reported that 93 Jews were killed in this battle and that
only about 17 Muslims were martyred.
Although the Jews were supposed to leave Khaybar,
they begged to stay as workers for the Muslims who were
now in charge, and they would give half of all the
produce to the Muslims. The Prophet agreed, as the
Muslims had the hand over them and if they showed
treachery they could be expelled.
The conquest of Khaybar gave great economic
benefits to the Muslims. The son of ^Umar said, “We
never ate our fill until we had conquered Khaybar.”
Also, immediately after conquering Khaybar the Prophet
proceeded to conquer other nearby Jewish settlements,
punishing them for their treachery and conspiracies
against the Muslims.

371
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Among other events that occurred at this time, was


that the Companions who had been in Abyssinia returned
to find Khaybar already won. In addition, Abu Hurayrah
became Muslim and started accompanying the Prophet.
Although Abu Hurayrah spent only about four years with
the Prophet, he chose a very simple lifestyle, only
involving himself in learning from the Prophet and
memorizing his words. He proved to be a very
trustworthy narrator of the words of the Prophet and
narrated the most hadiths of any Companion.
After the conquest of Khaybar, among the prisoners
was the leading lady of the Jews, Safiyyah. She was a
descendant of Prophet Harun. The Companions insisted
that she was only appropriate for the Prophet to take.
The Prophet took her as his slave. When she became
Muslim, the Prophet freed her. Then he married her, all
before returning to Madinah. She lived in Madinah for
about forty years after the death of the Prophet and died
as a pious Muslim, one of the mothers of the faithful.
In addition, after the conquest of Khaybar a tragic
incident occurred. A Jewish woman presented the
Prophet with a cooked sheep as a gift. The woman had
secretly poisoned the sheep. When the Prophet put the
first bite in his mouth, he spat it out without swallowing
it; the meat spoke to him informing him that it was
poisoned. Sadly, a Companion ate from the meat and
died immediately from the poison. The Prophet had
gotten some of the poison in his body. However, as a
miracle, God did not make him die from that poison until
his death, more than four years later. The Prophet bore
patiently from ill effects of the poison during those years
preceding his death, blessings and peace be upon him.

372
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Early in the same year, our Prophet proposed to marry


the daughter of Abu Sufyan. Abu Sufyan was still a big
enemy at the time. His daughter was named Ramlah.
She also was called Umm Habibah. She, unlike her
father, had embraced Islam at an early stage. She had
immigrated with her husband to Abyssinia when
Muslims did. In Abyssinia, her husband apostatized and
became Christian. She stayed steadfast to her Islam in
that foreign land suffering hardships. Our Prophet heard
of her situation and proposed to her. She came to the
Prophet, as other Muslims were coming to Madinah from
Abyssinia, and became his wife. She lived around the
mosque in her own small room along with the other
seven wives. She died in the year 44 H.

373
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 65: Approaching the Desert


Bedouins

Remember the Battle of Ahzab, where the three


groups of blasphemers (The Allied Factions) joined
together to exterminate the Muslims with no success?
Who were the three groups? They were the blasphemers
of Makkah (from the tribe of Quraysh), the Jews of
Arabia, and the desert Bedouin tribes of Arabia.
After the Prophet made the Hudaybiyah Treaty with
the Makkans, then subdued the Jews, he sent out a
number of expeditions to the desert Bedouin tribes. This
occurred right after the Battle of Khaybar.
The tribes roamed the area of Arabia called Najd,
looting and plundering. The Prophet got news that a tribe
called Ghatafan was gathering to fight the Muslims. The
Prophet and about 500 Companions set out to fight them.
However, no fighting took place because the Ghatafan
agreed to make reconciliation.
After this expedition, the other blasphemous Bedouin
tribes were afraid of the Muslims. Some truly embraced
Islam and others pretended to become Muslim without
really believing in Islam.
As per the Hudaybiyah Treaty, the Prophet and some
of his Companions performed the ^Umrah in Makkah. It
occurred one year after signing the treaty, in Dhul-
Qa^dah of 7 H. The Prophet had told his Companions to
go around the Ka^bah in a very energetic way. This was

374
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

for them to appear strong and steadfast to the Makkans


who were watching their every move.
At this ^Umrah, the Prophet was offered Maymunah
as a wife by his uncle Al-^Abbas. This marriage
cemented ties between the Prophet and influential men of
Makkah. Maymunah was the last woman the Prophet
married before his death, peace and blessings be upon
him. At this time, until his death, our Prophet had nine
wives. Having nine wives at one time was a special
allowance granted to the Prophet. Other Muslim men,
under the rules God gave to Prophet Muhammad, can
only have up to four wives at one time.
After this ^Umrah, the Prophet dispatched more
military operations towards the blasphemous Bedouin
tribes.

375
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 66: Brave Men Go to Mu'tah

During the eighth Hijriyy year, the Battle of Mu'tah in


Ash-Sham occurred in the month of Jumadal-Ula. The
reason for this was that the Prophet, peace and blessings
be upon him, had sent Al-Harith the son of ^Umayr al-
Azdiyy with a letter to Ash-Sham to the Roman ruler of
Busra. This Companion was intercepted by one of the
Romans allies and was killed.
When the news of this incident reached the Prophet,
he was very disturbed by it. Immediately, he prepared an
army to be sent to Mu'tah (a place in Syria). He put Zayd
the son of Harithah as their leader. The Prophet said: ‘If
Zayd was killed, then Ja^far Ibn Abi Talib would be the
leader, and if he was killed, then ^Abdullah Ibn Rawahah
would be the leader of the army.’
Then, the Muslims prepared themselves for the battle.
Their number was large, three thousand (3,000) of them,
similar to the number of Muslims who participated in the
battle of Ahzab. The Prophet did not go. He said that if
it were not for the needs of some of his followers he
would have gone to every battle. He advised them to go
to the scene of al-Harith’s murder and invite the people
to Islam. If they accepted, then there would be no war.
When they reached an area near Syria, they received
the news that Heraclius, the Roman ruler, had gathered
tens of thousands of Roman soldiers and their allies from
the Arab tribes Lakhm, Judham, Bulqin, Bahra', and
Baliyy.

376
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

The Muslim troops debated how to approach such a


big enemy. Some wanted to write to the Prophet telling
him how many men were with the enemy seeking his
advice. ^Abdullah Ibn Rawahah made a speech to
encourage them. He said, “In our fight, we do not count
on the number of soldiers or equipment, rather on the
faith with which God has honored us. Dart to win either
of the two: victory or martyrdom.” The people said, “By
God, he is right.”
The Muslims encamped in a town called Mu'tah.
Then the fierce fight with the enemy began.
The Muslims met the Romans and their parties and
fought. Zayd the son of Harithah fought while holding
the banner of the Prophet until he was killed. Then
Ja^far the son of Abu Talib took the banner and fought
with it until he was killed. He was holding the banner
with his right hand and when it was cut off he held it with
his left. Then they cut that hand off. So, he held it
between his shoulders until he was killed, may God have
mercy on him. He was just 33 years old.
After Ja^far was killed, ^Abdullah the son of
Rawahah took the banner while he was riding on a horse.
He fought until he was killed. Thabit Ibn Aqram then
took the banner and said, “O Muslims, decide on a man
among you.” They said, “We decide on you.” He said,
“I am not the man for it.” So, they decided on Khalid Ibn
al-Walid who protected the army from defeat.
As you remember, Khalid was one of the leaders of
the blasphemers in the Battle of Uhud. Then God
changed his heart and made him Muslim after the signing
of the Hudaybiyah Treaty. This battle was a chance for
Khalid to use his skills fighting on the side of truth. God

377
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

endowed Khalid with a great war strategy. Khalid


reshuffled the right and left flanks and brought a forward
division from the rear to make the Romans think that
fresh reinforcements had arrived. Then, the Muslims
fought, then retreated and then fought again. This made
the Romans think that they were being entrapped and
drawn in the heart of the desert. By God’s Will, the
Romans stopped their attack fearing what Khalid wanted
them to think.
Miraculously, God made the Prophet, peace and
blessings be upon him, able to see the condition of his
army. Hence, he rose onto the mimbar and called the
people. When the people assembled he said, ‘”I will
inform you of your fighting army. They met the enemy
and Zayd was killed as a martyr.” Then he asked
forgiveness for him. He continued to say, “Ja^far then
took the banner and charged at the enemy until he was
martyred.” He then asked forgiveness for him. The
Prophet said, “Then ^Abdullah the son of Rawahah took
the banner and was firm until he was killed.” Then the
Prophet asked forgiveness for him.
The Prophet said, “Then Khalid the son of al-Walid
took the banner. O God, he is a sword among Your
swords. So, make him victorious!” From that day,
Khalid the son of al-Walid was named “the Sword of
God”. The Prophet said about Ja^far, “Instead of his
hands, God has given him two wings with which he will
fly in al-Jannah (Paradise) wherever he likes.”
When the Islamic army returned and came close to
Madinah, the Muslims went out eagerly to meet them.
The Prophet thought of how the son of Ja^far would not
see his father return. Our Prophet said, “Give me the son

378
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

of Ja^far”. So, ^Abdullah the son of Ja^far came. The


Prophet took him and comforted him concerning the
death of his father. The Muslims who were martyred
were 12, whereas the Romans lost a large number.
The news of this battle, with Muslims facing a huge
army of a huge empire gave the Muslims a great military
reputation. People concluded that Islam must be correct
when they heard of this great support from God, and
many tribes embraced Islam.

379
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 67: Opening of Makkah (Part 1)

After some time under the treaty, Quraysh violated


one condition of the conditions of Hudaybiyah. They
assisted the tribe of Bakr (which allied with them) against
Khuza^ah (which allied with the Prophet, peace and
blessings be upon him).
Quraysh sent Abu Sufyan to Madinah to renew the
Treaty of Hudaybiyah, but this did not take place. Abu
Sufyan went to the home of his daughter, Umm Habibah,
the wife of the Prophet. She did not receive him as he
had expected and would not even let him sit on the bed of
the Prophet.
Prophet Muhammad prepared for Jihad against the
blasphemers of Makkah. He called on the Arabs around
him to join. He marched with an army that was close to
10,000 men strong. This event occurred in Ramadan in
the eighth Hijriyy year.
When the news reached Quraysh, Abu Sufyan and
some other men went out seeking the news about the
Messenger of God. The Muslims captured them and took
them to the Prophet. God changed the heart of Abu
Sufyan and it was at that time that he embraced Islam.
The Prophet told his uncle Al-^Abbas to have Abu
Sufyan, the new Muslim, stand in a certain place. In this
place, he saw the whole Muslim army pass by him. In
this way, Abu Sufyan saw how great the Muslim army
was. When Abu Sufyan saw the Prophet and those
fighters with him, he told al-^Abbas, “No one could resist
such an army.”

380
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Al-^Abbas told the Prophet that Abu Sufyan likes to be


respected and honored. Now that he became Muslim, the
Prophet did something that delighted Abu Sufyan. The
Prophet entered Makkah, and an announcer shouted by
the order of the Prophet, “The one who enters the Masjid
is safe, the one who enters the house of Abu Sufyan is
safe, and the one who closes the door of his home and
stays inside is safe.”
The Prophet had sent different Companions to place
banners at different points around Makkah. He sent az-
Zubayr to the north, Khalid Ibn Al-Walid to the south,
and Sa^d Ibn ^Ubadah (the leader of Ansar) to the
northeast of Makkah. The Prophet ordered all of them
not to start fighting, but only to fight in self-defense if
necessary. Some blasphemers did start fighting with
Khalid, who fought back killing twenty-four.
The Prophet entered Makkah in the blessed month of
Ramadan, 8 H, without fighting, wearing a black turban.
The Prophet, who had previously been mocked in
Makkah, was humble. He recited from the Qur’an while
assuming this great victory of overtaking the city of his
birth. Now the Muslims ruled the city of Makkah, and
the Islamic laws were to be carried out as they had been
in Madinah.
The Prophet went to the Ka^bah where 360 ugly idols
surrounded it. The Prophet jabbed them with a stick
saying, “The truth has come and the false is destroyed.”
Any idol the Prophet poked would fall on its back
although they were tied down with lead. This was a
miracle. The Prophet did this to humiliate the idols and
those who worshipped them.

381
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

The Prophet also sent Khalid Ibn Al-Walid to destroy


an idol called ^Uzza which was located outside of
Makkah.
Abu Bakr’s father had not embrace Islam yet. Abu
Bakr brought him to the Prophet. The Prophet was gentle
with him for he was about 80 years old. He became
Muslim at that time.
The Prophet went inside of the Ka^bah and found
pictures drawn representing Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim)
and his son Ishmael (Isma^il). The pictures showed them
using fortune-telling arrows. The Prophet was upset and
ordered the pictures wiped out and stated that those two
great Prophets never used these.

382
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 68: The Opening of Makkah


(Part 2)

The people of Makkah who, for so many years, were


used to looking for signs from arrows and fortune tellers,
were seeing true miracles from the Prophet, peace and
blessings be upon him. As well, he was not telling them
to demolish the Ka^bah, just to destroy the idols and
have the belief that Prophets Abraham (Ibrahim) and
Ishmael (Isma^il) truly held. They had news of the
Muslims even scaring the powerful Romans. The leader
of the Muslims, Prophet Muhammad, was from their own
tribe. All of these matters had effect on the people of
Makkah.
Our Prophet stood and addressed the people of
Makkah. He said, “O Quraysh, God has taken away from
you the habit of bragging about your fathers. All people
came from Adam, who was created from soil.” The
Prophet went on to recite verse 13 from the surah called
al-Hujurat:

It means, “O people, We (God) created you from a


man and woman and We (God) made you peoples and
tribes so you get to know each other. The best among
you to God is the one who is most pious.”
Our Prophet said, “O Quraysh, people of Makkah,
what do you think I am going to do to you?” They said,

383
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

“We expect good from you. You are a good brother and
cousin.” Our Prophet said, “You are free.”
The people of Makkah proceeded to come to the
Prophet and some of his Companions. They became
Muslim in droves. Even some of the big enemies of the
Muslims had their hearts changed, and the Prophet did
not punish them for their past abuse. Some of these were
Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan, who had chewed on the
liver of our Prophet’s uncle Hamzah, and the killer of
Hamzah, Wahshiyy.
Seeing the Prophet in the city of his birth, some of the
Ansar were concerned that the Prophet would like to stay
in Makkah and not live in Madinah anymore. The
Prophet knew of their concern and assured them that he
planned to live in Madinah until his death.
Consequently, this was the “Opening of Makkah”.
The people of Makkah became Muslim without a fight.
After this, immigrating to Madinah was no longer an
obligation on the Muslims.

384
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 69: Events at Hunayn (Part 1)

Our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, stayed


in Makkah for 15 days after he opened it. The Arab
tribes of Hawazin and Thaqif came to Hunayn, which is a
valley between Makkah and Ta'if. They intended to fight
the Prophet. Their leader was Malik Ibn ^Awf An-
Nasriyy.
When the Prophet heard about their intentions, he sent
^Abdullah Ibn Abi Hadrad Al-Aslamiyy to them. He
ordered him to stay among them, and then come back to
the Prophet with the news about them. Ibn Abi Hadrad
came back and told the Prophet about what he had seen
of them and how they intended to fight the Muslims. The
Prophet decided to march to them. He left with 12,000
Muslims until he reached the valley of Hunayn. Notice,
after the Opening of Makkah, the large increase in the
army of the Muslims. 10,000 marched with the Prophet
from Madinah, and now the Prophet had 2000 more.
At dawn, the Prophet and his army passed through a
narrow valley. Hawazin ambushed the Muslims
severely, pouring arrows and other projectiles on them.
When the front part of the army encountered this, they
turned around to escape. When they did this, they simply
faced the back part of their own army, as if to force the
back part of the Muslim army to retreat also.
The Prophet, however, never felt the urge to retreat
and continued forward. A group of Muslims stayed firm
as well, such as: Abu Bakr, ^Umar, Abu Talhah, ^Aliyy,
Al-^Abbas, al-Fadl, and others from the Muhajirun and

385
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Ansar. Abu Sufyan Ibnul-Harith, was holding the reins


of the Prophet’s mule. Our Prophet could have ridden a
fine horse, but on purpose he rode his slower mule as a
sign of his bravery and reliance on God.
The scholars said, “The riding of the Prophet, peace
and blessings be upon him, on the mule (Duldul) during
war when the people are in extreme need for him, is the
extreme in courage and steadfastness. He will be then
the reference that the Muslims go back to and in their
hearts they will find tranquility by his presence and
place. The Prophet did that on purpose because a mule is
not the suitable animal for running away. After all, the
Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, could have
ridden many well-known horses.’
Prophet Muhammad ordered his uncle Al-^Abbas,
whose voice was loud, to say, “O people of Ansar, O
people of the Immigrants, O people of Khazraj.” When
they heard his voice they replied, “Labbayk. Labbayk.
(We obey you. We obey you.)” Many Companions
rushed to be with the Prophet. If their animal did not turn
quickly enough, then they would jump off their animal
and come on foot to the Prophet.
When any Muslim wanted to come close to the
Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, it would be
hard for him to move forward with his camel due to the
many defeated people. This soldier would hold his
sword and shield, descend from his camel, releasing it,
and head towards the Messenger of God. By that time
the Prophet had close to one hundred men around him
who fought off Hawazin by striking at them.

386
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

The battle intensified. A good deal of stabbing and


sword fighting took place. The Messenger of God, peace
and blessings be upon him, started saying:

It means, “I am the Prophet without a doubt. I am the


(grand)son of ^Abdul-Muttalib.” No one among the
people was seen to be stronger than the Prophet. He
showed the ultimate courage, steadfastness, and patience.
God put fear in the hearts of Hawazin when they
finally reached the Messenger of God, peace and
blessings be upon him. When they came face to face
with the Messenger of God, he shouted at them once and
threw pebbles at their face and said, “Ha Mim, they will
not be victorious.” No eye of theirs was safe from what
he threw at them. They could not see and they were
defeated. About this incident, God revealed in Suratul-
Anfal, Ayah 17 that means, “It was not you who created
your throwing of pebbles. God is the One Who created
it.”

387
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 70: Events at Hunayn (Part 2)


and Events Before Tabuk

Many spoils were collected from the Battle of


Hunayn, including 6,000 women and children, 24,000
camels, 40,000 sheep and 4,000 ounces of silver. The
Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in his wisdom,
did not distribute the spoils immediately. Instead, he had
them taken to place near Makkah to be kept.
Survivors of the other opposing tribe, Thaqif, went to
Ta’if, which was their town. They fortressed themselves
in their castles. Our Prophet and his army went to Ta’if
and surrounded their castles for 15 days so they could not
get out. People of Thaqif tribe and people of Hawazin
tribe that had not been killed in the war started to
embrace Islam.
Those who had embraced Islam requested that they
could get back their women, children, and wealth.
However, they had been the ones to wage war on the
Muslims. The Prophet dealt with these new converts
with great wisdom. He said, “You know I am not the
only one of this army. The fighters have rights and I am
not the only one to implore. Tell the truth. What is
dearer to you, your women and children, or your wealth?
On purpose, I delayed dividing the spoils until you came
to me as Muslim.”
The new converts chose their women and children.
Then the Prophet, again with great wisdom, addressed his
army praising God, “Your brothers have come to us as
Muslim, and I like to return their women and children to

388
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

them. Those among you who love to give up their share


of these may, and those who love to wait may.”
When our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him,
did not hear everyone say they give up their share, he
waited until their commanders went to him and told him
that everyone liked to give up their share of the women
and children. Hence, those new converts from the tribes
of Hawazin and Thaqif were reunited with their women
and children.
Concerning the spoils that were not given back, the
Prophet divided them and gave a lot of the spoils to the
new converts who had come with him from Makkah to
fight Hawazin and Thaqif. The Prophet did not give
spoils to the Ansar brothers, although they too fought in
the battle. Some of the Ansar began to talk about this.
They wondered about the reason. The Prophet explained
that he gave to those new Muslims to attract them more
to Islam, whereas he relied that the Ansar were firm on
Islam. Our Prophet said, “Do you not accept that they
get these animals and that you get the Prophet in your
own city? I swear by the One Who controls my soul, had
I not made Hijrah, I would have considered myself from
among the Ansar. O God, have mercy upon the Ansar,
their children, and their grandchildren.”
The men from Ansar started to cry until their beards
were heavy with tears, and said, “We accept that the
Prophet is our share to take back with us to our homes.”
Our Prophet went back to Makkah and performed
^Umrah. Our Prophet appointed a governor of Makkah,
and then he returned to Madinah a little before the end of
the 8th Hijriyy year.

389
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

In Madinah, a happy event happened for our Prophet


at the end of the 8th Hijriyy year. A son of his was born
whom he named Ibrahim. Ibrahim was the only child of
our Prophet, after his children with Lady Khadijah. This
son was not from any of his nine wives. Instead
Ibrahim’s mother was a slave woman of the Prophet,
named Mariyah. At first, Mariyah was not a Muslim,
when she was sent by the ruler of Egypt, as a gift to the
Prophet. This was common in that day. She then
became the slave of our Prophet. Afterwards, she
became Muslim (she died in the year 16 H). In Islam, the
female slave of a Muslim man is like his wife in some
ways. An example is that they can have children
together.
In Islam, Muslim slaves have some difference in some
of their obligations. For example, they are not obligated
to perform Hajj. Although the slave does not have some
obligations that the free man has, he may obtain a high
status religiously. The slave is treated in a good way.
The Muslim who owns a slave provides suitable shelter
for the slave. He is urged to clothe him as he clothes
himself and to provide him with the food he himself eats.
He is not to overburden him with work, and he is
encouraged to help his slave with the work.
Ibrahim, the son of Prophet Muhammad died in the
year 10 H. He was the last of three sons to die. The
Prophet wept for his death and stated that weeping out of
sadness for the departure of a dear one was permissible.
When Ibrahim died, an eclipse took place. Our Prophet
emphasized to his Companions that the eclipse was not
due to Ibrahim’s death; it was just one of God’s
creations.

390
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 71: More Miracles of Prophet


Muhammad,
peace and blessings be upon him

Our Prophet and his Companions were witnessing


many, many miracles while they lived in Madinah and
during the various battles and trips for the sake of God.
We will relate some more to you.
• Curing Qatadah's eye after it was pulled out: Al-
Bayhaqiyy narrated from the route of Qatadah, the son of
an-Nu^man that Qatadah's eye was injured on the day of
Badr. Qatadah’s eyeball was left resting on his cheek.
Some wanted to cut his eye out. However, they asked the
Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him,
whether they should do so. The Prophet said, “No.” The
Prophet called Qatadah over and pressed his eye with his
palm to its socket and his eye was cured. Later, Qatadah
could not tell which of his two eyes had been injured.
Are we sure that the following happened AFTER
HIJRAH?
• The food that mentioned God's name in the hand
of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: Al-
Bukhariyy mentioned from the hadith of Ibn Mas^ud that
he said: ‘We were eating with the Prophet, peace and
blessings be upon him, and we could hear the food saying
subhanallah.’
• The wolf speaking: Once a man saw a wolf going
after one of his sheep. The man prevented the wolf from
getting the sheep and the wolf spoke to the man. The

391
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

wolf said, “Why do you prevent me from getting my


sustenance?” The man was so amazed and said, “A wolf
speaks?” The wolf said to him, “What is more amazing
is that in Madinah is a man who is a Prophet of God”.
The man went to Madinah and inquired about our
Prophet. He found our Prophet and told him what had
happened. Our Prophet confirmed what the man said,
and the man became Muslim.
• The speaking of the camel: Once a man treated his
camel unjustly. The camel spoke to our Prophet and told
our Prophet about the injustice done to it. Prophet
Muhammad went to the owner of the camel and
reprimanded him, telling the man that the camel spoke to
him.
• The crying tree trunk: The Prophet used to give
his speech in his mosque in Madinah leaning on a trunk
of a dead palm each time. Once some of the Companions
said, “Let us build a pulpit (mimbar) for the Prophet’.
They made one and the Prophet used it instead of leaning
on that palm trunk. When the Prophet started speaking,
the palm trunk began moaning loudly, like a little child.
All the people who were in the mosque heard this
trunk moaning. The Prophet went down from the
mimbar and put his hand on the palm trunk. The trunk
started to calm down, as a little child does when he is
comforted. This miracle was witnessed by a large
number of people, and they told others making it very
famous and undoubted.
• The water that sprung from between his fingers:
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was once
given a container of water that did not cover all of his
fingers. When the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon

392
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

him, placed his honored hand in the container, water


started springing from between his fingers. Then all the
people (about 1500) who were present made ablution
(wudu') and drank from this water.
Al-Bukhariyy and Muslim narrated from the route of
Jabir that he said, “People were thirsty on the day of
Hudaybiyah and the Prophet, peace and blessings be
upon him, had a bowl of water from which he was
making wudu'. The people started coming towards him
and he asked, ‘What is wrong?’ They said, ‘O Prophet of
God, we do not have any water to make wudu' or drink
from except that which you now hold.’ The Prophet
placed his hand in the bowl and the water flowed out
from between his fingers as if springs were there. We
drank and made wudu’.” Jabir was asked, “How many
were you?” He said, “If we had been 100,000 it would
have been enough; we were 1,500.”
These are just a very small number of the hundreds of
miracles God gave to Prophet Muhammad, may God
greatly bless his honorable self.

393
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 72: Off to Tabuk

After the Opening of Makkah, the Prophet, peace and


blessings be upon him, received many delegations in
Madinah. These were people of different areas, longing
to meet the Prophet who was becoming so well known.
As well, our Prophet was sending out knowledgeable
Companions to help people of other areas establish the
practice of Islam in their area. The Prophet’s
Companions destroyed several idols outside of Makkah.
In the ninth year, an event happened which gives a
lesson to the Muslim women. The nine wives of our
Prophet were good Muslim women who were
memorizing the Qur’an and the sayings of their blessed
husband. The Prophet lived without luxury, sharing this
kind of life with his wives. At this point of time, a lot of
riches were coming the way of the Muslims. All of his
wives together asked him for more of the worldly things.
Our Prophet was displeased by this request and made an
oath to stay away from all of his wives for one month.
Then, God revealed verses of the Qur’an concerning
this situation. The wives were to choose. If they wanted
the glitter of this world, they could choose that and the
Prophet would divorce them. If they accepted to live a
life without luxury, they could choose to stay his wives.
The Prophet went to Lady ^A'ishah first, giving her the
choice. She and then all of the wives chose to stay
married to our Prophet and accept the amount of food,
clothes, and other things that he gave them without
complaint.

394
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

In this year, Prophet Muhammad told his Companions


that he was to gather an army and lead them to face the
Romans in the North. Our Prophet learned that Heraclius
had gathered some armies to invade the Prophet in his
country. In addition, the Prophet did not want the Arab
tribes living next to the Roman Empire to side with the
Romans.
This happened during a time of drought and intense
heat. In spite of that, Prophet Muhammad ordered
preparation for the fight. He urged the rich to equip the
deprived. ^Uthman Ibn ^Affan, may God bless him,
spent a huge sum of money which was not equaled by
any other. Abu Bakr As-Siddiq donated all his wealth.
^Umar Ibn Al-Khattab donated half of his wealth, and al-
^Abbas and Talhah gave a great deal of money. The
women gave away all that they could afford of their
jewelry. When the people gathered, the Prophet had an
army of thirty thousand infantry and ten thousand
horsemen.
The hypocrites gave excuses to the Prophet of why
they could not go. On the other hand, three Muslim men,
who were not hypocrites, did not go although they were
able. Their case is mentioned in the Qur’an (At-Tawbah,
verse 118). Additionally, there were other men who were
so eager to go, but there were not enough supplies to
include them. They wept, not being able to go, as
mentioned in Suratut-Tawbah, verse 92.
The great warrior, ^Aliyy Ibn Abi Talib, was appointed
by the Prophet to stay in Madinah to take care of the
Prophet’s family. ^Aliyy had always participated in
battles. The hypocrites taunted him about staying
behind, saying that the Prophet did not like him. Our

395
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Prophet consoled him saying, “Are you not pleased to be


in the same status with me as Harun was with Musa,
except that there is no Prophet after me?’ (Remember
Harun, a Prophet, looked after Musa’s people while
Musa went to receive the Tawrah.)
It was the habit of our Prophet not to go in a direct
route to the enemy in order to confuse them. However,
in this attack the route was direct due to the length of the
travel and weather conditions.
This army was called the “Army of Hardship” due to
that three men would take turns riding one camel, and the
lack of food and water.
One of the many miracles God gave to our Prophet
occurred as the army was on its way. Some of the army
came to the Prophet asking if they could slaughter some
of their camels and eat them, due to their hunger. The
Prophet permitted them, but before they did so, ^Umar
Ibnul-Khattab made a suggestion. He said, “If you allow
them, then we will have less animals to ride. O
Messenger of God, have the people bring their bits of
food and ask God to bless the food.” The Prophet agreed
to this.
A piece of leather was spread on the ground and the
Prophet had them put their food, which was very little, a
handful of corn, dates, and bread. Prophet Muhammad
asked God to bless that food. The Prophet told the
Companions to take from the food and fill their
containers. All the containers in the camp were filled
with that food. They ate their fill and there was food left
behind, praise to God.

396
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

The army passed by the city of Thamud tribe.


Remember Thamud and Prophet Salih? Our Prophet
forbade his soldiers from entering those houses that the
blasphemous Thamud had carved out of stone.
When the army was in great need of water, Prophet
Muhammad asked God for help and a great rain cloud
came and, by God’s Will, supplied them with the water
they needed.
The Muslim army arrived in the city of Tabuk. There
they set up their camp. Our Prophet addressed them with
blessed, encouraging words. The news of the Muslim
army got to the Romans. The Romans chose not to fight
the Muslims, feeling terror in their hearts. Some of the
cities of the area became under the control of the
Muslims. They paid jizyah to the Muslim state, and in
turn were protected. Jizyah is payment of non-Muslims
to the Muslim state. By paying this, the non-Muslim can
live in the Muslim state and will receive protection.
The army returned to Madinah without a bloody fight,
and with a great victory. Our Prophet and the army
returned to Madinah in Ramadan 9 H., with this
expedition taking 50 days total. This was the last major
campaign of our Prophet.

397
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 73: Events upon the Return from


Tabuk and The Farewell Pilgrimage

Our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him,


returned to Madinah, with his big army, from Tabuk.
The pious Muslims who had been left behind were
joyous to see their return and to hear of their success.
Prophet Muhammad told his army, “Certainly in
Madinah, there are people who whenever you crossed a
valley (as if) they were with you. The only thing that
kept them from the army was their valid excuse.”
Although there were so many good Muslims in
Madinah, the community was still bothered by some
hypocrites. The hypocrites came forward to the Prophet
making their excuses of why they did not go to Tabuk.
In the 9th year, an event occurred affecting those
hypocrites. Their leader, ^Abdullah Ibn Ubayy died.
When he died, the Prophet did not have proof that he was
not Muslim. Every time a Muslim of the community
would hear blasphemy from him, ^Abdullah Ibn Ubayy
would deny that he said it. He would profess the
shahadah and pray with the Muslims. Even on his
deathbed, ^Abdullah Ibn Ubayy asked for a piece of cloth
of our Prophet. He indicated that he wished to be
shrouded with this cloth, seeking the blessings of God by
it.
Therefore, Prophet Muhammad prayed the funeral
prayer for him. After that, God revealed to the Prophet
that ^Abdullah Ibn Ubayy did not die as a Muslim.
Instead he died as a hypocrite and will be in Hellfire

398
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

forever. After that Revelation, the Prophet never asked


forgiveness for him.
After the return from Tabuk, many tribes came to the
Prophet, embracing Islam. When it got near to the time
of Hajj that year, our Prophet sent Abu Bakr to lead the
Hajj actions. After Abu Bakr left, some verses were
revealed and our Prophet sent ^Aliyy to go with Abu Bakr
to inform the people of these new verses. In these verses,
God informed those who still worshipped idols that they
had four months of safety after which they had no
assurance of safety, unless they became Muslim.
Our Prophet ordered Abu Bakr to proclaim at Hajj that
after that year no blasphemer could come to perform
Hajj. Also, no person could anymore perform tawaf
naked.
The 10th Hijriyy year began. In that year, more tribes
came to Prophet Muhammad, embracing Islam. In an
area of Arabia, a man started to make trouble, claiming to
be a Prophet. His name was Musaylimah, the liar. Our
Prophet warned against him, and soon after the death of
our Prophet, Musaylimah was killed.
Our Prophet appointed governors to all the areas that
had become Muslim. Then our Prophet prepared to make
Hajj himself, the Hajj of the year 10 H. Our Prophet did
not live to perform another Hajj, so this Hajj is known as
the Farewell Pilgrimage.
Many of our Prophet’s Companions joined him in this
Hajj, learning from him the required and optional parts of
Pilgrimage. At Hajj, our Prophet delivered an important
and touching speech, which is now known as the

399
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Farewell Speech. We present some of the content of this


honorable speech.
After glorifying God, our Prophet said, “O people,
hear my sayings for I may not be able to stand with you
in this place next year. Certainly the blood and money of
your brother is forbidden for you. You will die and be
asked about your deeds. I have done my job.
Whoever was entrusted with something, give it back
to the rightful owner. The usury of every debt must not
be paid. You have the right to take your original amount
of money and not more.”
“The Devil has given up being worshipped in Arabia.
However, the Devil wishes that you disobeyed God in
less than that. I warn you against him.”
Our Prophet warned a lot against the Dajjal as well.
The Dajjal is a human man who will claim to be God.
He will appear before Prophet Jesus comes back to Earth,
and spread evil. Then Prophet Jesus will return to Earth
and kill him.
Prophet Muhammad told the people that a person of
one race did not have superiority over one of another
race; the superiority is only by piety.
Our Prophet said, “O people, you have rights on your
wives and they have rights on you. I command you to
treat the women well. The women are like prisoners in
your hands. So, do not take advantage of them and harm
them.”
“I have conveyed what I was ordered to convey”.
Our Prophet asked if he had conveyed and the people
confirmed that he had conveyed.

400
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

During this Hajj, the last whole surah of the Qur’an


was revealed which is Suratun-Nasr.

This surah has the meaning, “O Muhammad, when


the victory of God comes to you and (God) gives you the
opening, and you see the people coming to Islam, one
tribe after another, then declare God’s perfection, praise
and thank God, and ask Him to forgive you. Certainly,
He forgives.”
When our Prophet received this chapter he said: ‘As if
I am dying.’
An ayah revealed during this Hajj is in Suratul-
Ma’idah, verse 3. In this verse God reveals that on that
day all of the basic rules of the Religion have now been
revealed.
After Hajj, our Prophet went back to Madinah, and
continued his work of teaching and spreading Islam.

401
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 74: Events of the Year 11 H and


the Death of Our Beloved Prophet,
blessings and peace be upon him

Early in the 11th year, our Prophet, peace and


blessings be upon him, instructed the Muslims to set out
for the land of Palestine, headed by Usamah, the son of
Zayd. At that time, Usamah was not yet twenty years
old, but the Prophet knew that he was the right one to
lead the army. Great Companions, who were much older
than Usamah, set out under his command. However,
soon this army was ordered to slow down. This was due
to the pains of the Prophet.
One night, our Prophet went out to the cemetery of the
Muslims called Al-Baqi^. He asked God to forgive the
Muslims buried there, and then he went home. The
following morning, he began to have severe pains. He
had a very serious headache. With his pains growing,
our Prophet continued to move from house to house each
night, visiting his wives. When he was in the house of
Lady Maymunah, his pain got very severe. He gathered
all his wives and asked their permission to be taken care
of in the house of Lady ^A'ishah. They accepted.
Our Prophet sat on the mimbar and addressed his
Companions. He said that a slave of God has been given
the choice to have the enjoyments of this life, or to get
what God has in store for him on the Day of Judgment.
This slave chose what God has in store for him. Abu
Bakr started to cry and called out to the Prophet. The
other Companions were perplexed. Only Abu Bakr had

402
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

understood that our Prophet was referring to himself, and


that he was going to die soon.
Our Prophet gave several signs that Abu Bakr should
be the ruler of the Muslims after his death. When our
Prophet could no longer lead the people in prayer, he
insisted that Abu Bakr be the one to lead the prayers. In
addition, our Prophet said that all the doors of the houses
around the mosque (the door that went from the house
directly into the mosque) should be closed up, except for
the door of Abu Bakr.
Our beloved Prophet had a severe fever as well.
When one Companion commented on the severity of the
fever, our Prophet said, “We Prophets are like that. We
are given the greatest hardships and our reward is
multiplied for us.” Our Prophet would put water on his
face and say, “La ilaha illallah (No one is God except
Allah), certainly there is suffering in death.” He
continued to praise God and asked for the highest ranks.
The Prophet’s loved ones, his dear daughter Fatimah and
others came visiting. Prophet Muhammad informed
Fatimah that she would be the first to follow him in death
and that she would be the foremost of the women of her
time in Paradise.
On Monday morning, the 12th of Rabi^ul-Awwal,
11H our Prophet got up, stood at the door of the Masjid
and looked at the people making Fajr prayer. The
Companions could see him. They felt so happy, and
opened their lines for him. Our Prophet signaled to
remain in their prayer and not change. Anas narrated that
he had never seen our Prophet more beautiful than when
he saw him standing there that day. The Companions
were hopeful that the sickness of our Prophet had passed.

403
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Prophet Muhammad went back to his small room.


God, the Exalted and Wise, had the honorable soul taken
from the best of creation, our beloved Prophet
Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. His
suffering had ended, and his honor and happiness will
last forever.
After his death, our job is to continue to follow the
Religion he taught and to spread it to others until the Day
of Judgment.
Praise to God, Muslims have the right belief about
Prophets. We know that they are all men, whom God
created and that they all will die. Prophet Jesus will die
as well, but God willed that he live a long life. Jesus did
not die yet. He will come back to Earth before the Day
of Judgment, and then die. Prophet Jesus will then be
buried next to our Prophet Muhammad. Our Prophet
was buried where he died, in the house of Lady ^A'ishah
in Madinah.
Prophet Muhammad practiced what he taught. He
was the best of all people, an ideal man, and a model
human being. He showed Muslims how to live the
teachings of the Qur’an. His example is called the
Sunnah. His Sunnah is recorded in his Companions’
reports of his sayings and actions. These reports are
called hadiths. The hadiths are collected in many books.
Our Prophet said that the Prophets are alive in their
graves, praying. Then, on the Day of Judgment, they will
rise from their graves along with the other people, and
they will have the highest rank and honor.
As a special honor, the bodies of the Prophets do not
decay while they are in their graves. In his grave, God

404
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

gives news to our Prophet about his followers, as God


wills. When we say “as-salamu ^alaykum” (peace be
upon you) to our Prophet, angels take that greeting to our
Prophet in his grave, and God enables our Prophet to
respond to our greeting.
We ask God to be in the company of our beloved
Prophet on the Day of Judgment and to enter Paradise
after him. Amin.

405
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

Chapter 75: Events after the Death of


Prophet Muhammad

The Muslims, after the Prophet’s death, paid


allegiance to Abu Bakr, we ask God to bless him greatly.
Abu Bakr became the Caliph, the leader of the Muslim
nation. Abu Bakr immediately addressed many difficult
situations. Abu Bakr lived very simply, as the ruler, and
followed the example of the Prophet closely. Abu Bakr
died less than 2 1/2 years after the death of the Prophet.
Abu Bakr elected ^Umar to be the Caliph after him.
Abu Bakr had good sons, but he elected ^Umar, showing
the people that the Caliphate is not decided by blood, but
by religious rank.
^Umar was a good strong ruler. The Islamic state
grew a lot during ^Umar’s rulership. ^Umar ruled for
about ten years. Again, ^Umar lived very simply, and
did not get involved in the luxuries coming the way of
the Muslims. ^Umar was extremely fair and diligent in
carrying out the rules of the Religion.
When ^Umar was dying, he appointed six very pious
Companions to pick the next Caliph from among them.
They picked ^Uthman, and he was the next Caliph. Like
Abu Bakr, ^Umar had good sons, but none of these six
were his sons.
^Uthman again followed the example of the Prophet,
lived simply, and ruled fairly. During the time of
^Uthman, some of the Muslims deviated and started to
spread lies about ^Uthman. This sedition ended up in the

406
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

murder of ^Uthman, with the exact killers unknown to


the next in charge. ^Uthman ruled for about 12 years,
extending the Nation, and being diligent in having the
Qur’an sent to all the parts of the Muslim nation.
When ^Uthman died, the top Muslims elected ^Aliyy
to be the Caliph. Those top Muslims were high in piety
and knowledge. At that time, in Syria, was a Companion
Mu^awiyah, governing an area there. Mu^awiyah was
not a pious Companion. Mu^awiyah wanted the rulership
for himself. So, he kept concocting reasons, according to
him, why ^Aliyy was not really the rightful Caliph.
Mu^awiyah was the only governor not to pay allegiance
to ^Aliyy.
It ended up that Mu^awiyah organized an army of
misguided Muslims, and two groups of Muslims fought,
those with Mu^awiyah and those supporting the rightful
Caliph ^Aliyy. Many thousands of Muslims were killed
as a result of Mu^awiyah’s folly. ^Aliyy ruled for over
four years, despite the opposition of Mu^awiyah.
Eventually a misguided man murdered ^Aliyy. Still, the
Caliphate did not pass to Mu^awiyah immediately.
The Muslims who deserved to elect the next Caliph,
elected Al-Hasan to be the Caliph after ^Aliyy. This is
not because Al-Hasan was the son of ^Aliyy, but because
Al-Hasan was the most qualified. Al-Hasan was the
Caliph for only six months. Al-Hasan decided to make
an arrangement with Mu^awiyah in order to prevent the
bloodshed of more Muslims.
Al-Hasan arranged with Mu^awiyah that Mu^awiyah
could be the Caliph, and then, after the death of
Mu^awiyah, Al-Hasan would reassume the Caliphate.
After Mu^awiyah assumed the Caliphate, it is said that it

407
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

was arranged by the son of Mu^awiyah, Yazid, for Al-


Hasan to be poisoned. Al-Hasan died as a result of
poisoning long before the death of Mu^awiyah.
Mu^awiyah ruled for about twenty years. Mu^awiyah
wanted his son Yazid to be the Caliph after him, just as
kings do. All the pious Muslims opposed Yazid being
Caliph, due to the sins he committed. Hence after the
death of Mu^awiyah, there were many power struggles
among unjust people who wanted the power of the
Caliphate, and pious Muslims who deserved the
Caliphate.
Al-Husayn, the son of ^Aliyy, was promised support to
be the Caliph, but was betrayed and killed. Another of
the rightful leaders of the Muslims was ^Abdullah the son
of the Companion Az-Zubayr. The unjust leaders of the
Umayyad family were always opposing him. ^Abdullah
Ibnuz-Zubayr was the true Caliph for about 9 years, but
misguided people saw it otherwise.
The next guided, rightful Caliph was ^Umar ibn
^Abdil-^Aziz, ruling from 99 H. to 101 H. He only ruled
for about two years, but in that short time he worked to
reform the mess made by Mu^awiyah and those like him.
^Umar ibn ^Abdil-^Aziz was also poisoned, and his great
rulership was halted.
After some time the rulership was taken over by a
different branch of the tribe of Quraysh, those going back
to Al-^Abbas. Hence, this time was called the Abbasid
era.
Some of those Caliphs were good, like Harun ar-
Rashid in 170 H. Still as you study history, you will see
that love of money, undesirable love of power and

408
The Glorious Life Of The Last Prophet: Muhammad

suppression of others drove many of the Caliphs. Even


though many of the Caliphs were not pious Muslims, still
there were many very pious Muslim scholars who lived
all through the years, since the death of the Prophet,
through the times of unjust rulership, and until today.
These great Muslims, by God’s Will, preserved the
Religion of Islam, and it remains unperverted and
practiced in its proper way.
Some of the pious rulers that followed Harun ar-
Rashid were Salahuddin, during the time of the Crusades
in 583H/1187, and Muhammad al-Fatih that finally
opened Constantinople for the Muslim nation in
857H/1453.
The Muslims continued to have a Caliph until about
one hundred years ago, at this writing. The last Caliph
was ^Abdul-Hamid, the Second. The capital of his
Caliphate was in Istanbul. Due to the evil workings of
some Europeans and others, the Caliphate was dissolved
and the Muslim territories were made into national
countries, instead of all the territory being under one
Caliph.
The Muslims will be united under one Caliph again.
This man is named Muhammad, the son of ^Abdullah.
The Muslims nowadays await his coming, as told by
Prophet Muhammad, God’s peace and blessing be upon
him.
We now present a section of the book, telling you
about signs of the coming of the Day of Judgment, and
what will happen during the Day of Judgment.

409
THE COMING DAY OF
JUDGMENT

410
The Coming Day of Judgment

Chapter 76: Small Signs of the Coming of


the Day of Judgment

There are signs that appear before the Day of


Judgment. These signs were cited in the Qur’an and the
hadith of the Prophet. Among them there are many small
signs that come first, and ten major signs. (Will there be
small signs mixed with the major signs?)
Let it be known that our Prophet was in a session with
some of his Companions and told them a lot of things
that would occur before the Day of Judgment. Muslim
narrated this in his book “As-Sahih” from the Companion
Hudhayfah Ibnul-Yaman and others.
Among the small signs of the coming of the Judgment
Day that the Prophet cited is that killing unjustly would
be spread widely. A person would be killed without
knowing why he was killed, and the killer does not know
why he is killing that person.
In regards to that time, the Prophet stated a hadith
about the merit of the person who is steadfast to perform
the obligations at such a time. The Prophet said that the
person who performed the obligations, the actions of
worship, when the killing unjustly would be widely
spread on Earth, would have the status of the person who
immigrated to the Prophet, when the immigration was an
obligation on the person able to do so (before the opening
of Makkah).
Our Prophet said, “A part of my nation shall stay
steadfast to the truth in an apparent way and no one can

412
The Coming Day of Judgment

harm them (in a way that makes their call disappear) until
the Day of Judgment.” The Prophet did not say “until the
last moment before the Day of Judgment”. So, we know
that as long as the Nation of Prophet Muhammad exists,
there will always be people of his nation steadfast to the
truth and no one can cancel their call. At one point all
the Muslims will die, after which only blasphemers will
be on the Earth. Then the Day of Judgment will occur.
All the Muslims die after Prophet Jesus dies.
Also, among the small signs are that fornication and
adultery, along with open drinking of alcohol, will be
widely spread.
Muslim narrated from the Prophet, “This Religion of
Islam started as a stranger among the people. At one
point of time it will again be like a stranger. This has
already occurred. We are living in that time.
This means that the one who adheres to applying the
rules of the Religion will face great hardships among the
people. This is the case nowadays, just as the Prophet
said.

The Guided One is Coming

Among the small signs is the appearance of Al-


Mahdiyy (The Guided) who is Muhammad the son of
^Abdullah. He is a pious, just person, from the lineage of
the Prophet, who will enforce the rules of Islam.
Abu Dawud related that our Prophet said, “The Day of
Judgment will not occur until a person from my family
appears. He will have the same name as mine and his
father’s name will be the same name as my father’s

413
The Coming Day of Judgment

name. He will spread justice on Earth just as injustice


would be spread on Earth before his appearance.”
This hadith is narrated in a number of books of
Hadith. It is in the book compiled by Ibn Hibban
‘Sahih’, and Abu Dawud in ‘As-Sunan’ and Al-Hakim in
his book ‘Al-Mustadrak’ and others. ^Abdullah Ibn
Mas^ud is the Companion who heard the Prophet say
this. A lot of Companions narrated hearing about the
Mahdiyy from the Prophet.
Other minor signs of the Day of Judgment cited by the
Prophet are that the Euphrates River will change its
course, so a big amount of gold will appear. Because of
this, the people will fight each other severely to get that
gold, to a point that 99% among those who fight for that
gold will be killed.
Also among the minor signs is that the believers will
face very great hardships, to a point that a believer will
pass by a grave of his Muslim brother and will wish that
he were the dead person in the grave. Muslim narrated
this from the Prophet.
Another minor sign is that some whole mountains
would be removed from their places.
Another small sign is that several people will claim
the status of Prophethood falsely. It is narrated that our
Prophet said that thirty people would falsely claim
Prophethood after him. This means at least thirty.

414
The Coming Day of Judgment

A Great Battle to Come

Our Prophet told us about a great battle that would


take place between the Muslims and some people of the
West before the coming forth of the Dajjal (a man
claiming to be God). Al-Mahdiyy will be the leader of
the Muslims.
This battle will last for four days. The enemies of the
Muslims will gather a very big army to fight the
Muslims. In the first day some of the Muslims will
retreat.
At that, a part of the Muslims will make an oath that
they would fight and never retreat. They will fight the
rest of the day, until the night. Then the two armies will
separate, the one from the other, during the night. Most
of the Muslims who fight will die.
On the second day another group of Muslims will do
the same thing. Also, almost all of those Muslims will
die. On the third day, also a third group of Muslims will
do the same thing: fight and most of them are killed.
On the fourth day, all the rest of the Muslims in the
army will fight the enemy, all of them at the same time.
On that fourth day, by the Will of God, the Muslims will
be victorious and the enemy defeated. A lot among the
Westerners will be killed, to the point that their dead
bodies would cover a very large area.
In the battle, the Muslims will lose many people, to a
point that if one hundred persons go back to one
grandfather, 99 of them will be killed, and one will
survive.

415
The Coming Day of Judgment

While they are in that situation, the news of the Dajjal


(Imposter) will come to them. The Muslims will choose
ten knights among them to check the roads, as scouts.
The Prophet said that he knew about these ten knights.
He knew their names, the names of their fathers, and
even the color of their horses. The Prophet praised these
knights highly, saying that they would be among the best
knights on Earth at that time.
These are only some of the small signs that the
Prophet cited of the coming of the Day of Judgment.

416
The Coming Day of Judgment

Chapter 77: The Ten Major Signs of the


Coming of the Day of Judgment

The Imposter
The first of the ten major signs of the Day of
Judgment is the appearance of Ad-Dajjal (the Imposter).
He is human that is alive now. He even was alive when
the Prophet lived. He was found during the time of the
Prophet chained up on an island.
This imposter will come forth and proclaim that he is
God. Many people will follow him. He will travel all
over the Earth, but will not enter Makkah or Madinah.
Ad-Dajjal will have two rivers, one that appears to be
cool water and one that appears to be fire. The one that
he throws into the river of fire will really go to Paradise.
Ad-Dajjal will point to the sky and say rain, and the
sky will rain. God creates this rain, but some will follow
him in his saying that he is God. Ad-Dajjal will split a
believing man in half and tell the two halves to come
together and they will. Ad-Dajjal will ask that believing
man if he now follows him and the believing man will
say that he is surer that he is Ad-Dajjal. Then Ad-Dajjal
will kill that believing man, dying as a great martyr.

417
The Coming Day of Judgment

Prophet Jesus Will Come Back to Earth

The second great sign is the descent of Prophet Jesus


from the sky. Prophet Jesus will come down at
Damascus, Syria. The Mahdiyy will be preparing to lead
the believers in prayer. The Mahdiyy will ask Prophet
Jesus to lead the prayer, but Prophet Jesus will tell him to
lead that prayer, and he will follow. That is to indicate
that Prophet Jesus did not come with a new set of laws.
Then after that Prophet Jesus will lead the prayers.
Remember, Prophet Muhammad is the last Prophet.
Jesus was born before Prophet Muhammad. Also
Prophet Muhammad received a new Holy Book, after
Prophet Jesus received a Holy Book. Just because
Prophet Jesus will die after Prophet Muhammad, does not
make Prophet Jesus the last Prophet. Prophet
Muhammad is the last Prophet, and the Book he received
has the rules that Prophet Jesus will follow when Prophet
Jesus comes back to Earth.
Prophet Jesus will kill the Dajjal. Prophet Jesus will
marry and have children and live for 40 years on Earth.
Then he will die. During his time on Earth a great peace
will occur with all the people being Muslim. Then,
Prophet Jesus will die and be buried next to Prophet
Muhammad, in Madinah. After the death of Prophet
Jesus, at one point all the other Muslims on Earth will
die. Then only blasphemers will be on the Earth.

418
The Coming Day of Judgment

The Appearance of Gog and Magog

The third is the appearance of Ya’juj and Ma’juj (Gog


and Magog). They are blasphemous people, humans
from Prophet Adam, who exist now. They are extremely
numerous. God put them in a place in this Earth
unknown to us. It is a concealed place. A great waliyy,
Dhul-Qarnayn built a wall to prevent them from harming
the other people. This is cited in Suratul-Kahf in the
Qur’an.
Before the Day of Judgment they will make a hole in
that wall. Then they will come out on to Earth. They
will cause a lot of tribulations for the other people on
Earth. They are so numerous that they will come to a
lake drink the whole lake leaving it dry. Prophet Jesus
will take the believers to Mt. Tur (Sinai) protecting them
from Ya’juj and Ma’juj. Then God will make a worm
enter the necks of Ya’juj and Ma’juj. They all will die.
The Earth will smell from all their rotting bodies. Then
God will make all their bodies go into the sea and the
smell will leave.

The Sun will Rise from the West, and an Animal


will Appear

Another of the ten signs is the rising of the sun from


the west instead of the east. It will happen one day. On
that same day ‘Dabbatul-Ard’ (the animal of the Earth)
will appear. This animal will put a mark on the believers
and a different mark on the blasphemers. When these

419
The Coming Day of Judgment

two signs occur, the gate of repentance will be closed,


after which no repentance will be accepted. Belief will
not be accepted from any blasphemous person, and
repentance of a sin will not be accepted from any sinner.

A Fog

Another of the ten signs is a fog. A fog will spread on


Earth. The blasphemers will feel very disturbed and
would feel himself suffocating. However they will not
be killed from this fog. The believer would not be
harmed a lot from this fog. The believers will just have
the feeling similar to having a cold.

Three-Earth Splits

Three of the ten signs are three-Earth splits. In three


separate places, the Earth would split and go down. One
will be in the East, one in the West, and the third in the
Arabian Peninsula. (East means east of the Arabian
Peninsula, and west means west of the Arabian
Peninsula). There is not a long period of time between
these three splits.

A Spreading Fire

Another of the ten signs is a fire that will spread


slowly. It will start in ^Adan, a city in Yemen. This fire
will spread slowly, not fast like the wind. People will

420
The Coming Day of Judgment

escape from this fire to the Western areas, meaning west


of the Arabian Peninsula.
One hundred years before the horn is blown the first
time, all the believers will die. God will send a good
breeze that will take their souls and cause their death.
After all of these 10 signs occur, Angel Israfil will
blow the horn for the first time. He will blow very
strongly into that horn. All the people alive on Earth at
that time will be blasphemers. They will be very afraid
from this blow. The first one to hear that blow will be a
person fixing the basin for his camels to drink. Due to
the strength of that blow, the hearts of those blasphemers
will rupture and all will die. All the living jinn will die
also. All those who had already died will faint, except
the souls of the martyrs in Paradise. Concerning Prophet
Moses, Prophet Muhammad told us that God gave the
mountain the power to see God, and the mountain totally
crumbled. When Moses saw that he fainted. Hence, the
Prophet said that he did not know whether or not Moses
would faint when the horn will be blown the first time.
Among the things that occur before that first blow is
that people will not inhabit Al-Madinah. Only animals
will be there. An unjust ruler from Abyssinia will
destroy the Ka^bah to take a treasure from underneath it.
These things occur after all the Muslims on the Earth die.
As long as this nation (followers of Prophet Muhammad)
is on Earth, belief will remain in Al-Madinah. Pious
people will be living in Al-Madinah, as our Prophet told
us.
Also our Prophet told us that there was a great merit
in the land of Ash-Sham. He said that angels cover these
countries with their wings. This means that the Religion

421
The Coming Day of Judgment

of Islam will always be practiced in that land despite


hardships and calamities. This takes place until all the
Muslims on Earth die.
Forty years after the first blow, God will resurrect
Angel Israfil. He will blow the horn a second time, after
which all the people will be resurrected.
God will send a rain on the Earth. The people will be
resurrected, just as the plants come out of the earth when
it rains.

422
The Coming Day of Judgment

Chapter 78: The Day of Judgment

The beginning of the Day of Judgment is the rising of


the humans out of their graves. This is why the Day of
Judgment is called the Day of Qiyamah, meaning the
Day people rise out of their graves. The first person to be
resurrected is Prophet Muhammad, then the people of
Makkah, then Madinah, then Ta’if. They will be the first
people to be resurrected with our Prophet.
Even the animals will be resurrected on the Day of
Judgment. However, after they get their rights they will
be turned to dust. The animals are neither rewarded with
Paradise, nor are they tortured in Hellfire.
The people will be gathered on this same Earth that
will be changed. This Earth will be changed, but not
destroyed. It will be flat with no mountains or valleys.
The mountains will become like dust. It will be white
like silver with no landmarks.
When the people have been resurrected and gathered
on the changed Earth, the sun will be much closer to their
heads, as narrated by the Prophet in a sahih hadith,
narrated by Muslim in his “Sahih” and at-Tirmidhiyy in
his “Sunan” and others.
The Prophet said that on the Day of Judgment, the sun
would be closer to the slaves, about one or two miles
away. This word “mile” may be something other than
the distance we use to measure. Nevertheless, it means
that the sun will be very close to people.

423
The Coming Day of Judgment

Our Prophet said that some of the people on that Day


would be very affected by the sun. They would sweat
profusely. The sweat of some will cover their feet. The
sweat of others will reach their knees. For some it will
cover their whole lower body. Some would have their
sweat reach their mouth. The level of sweat increases
with the level of sinning. Each will have his sweat
unmixed with the sweat of others.
With the sun so close, some of the people will be
shaded and will not be hurt by the sun. These are the
Prophets and their pious followers. They will be shaded
under Al-^Arsh, the largest creation. In a hadith, Prophet
Muhammad tells us about seven kinds of people that will
be shaded from the sun by the ^Arsh on the Day of
Judgment. They will be on shining high places on the
Day of Judgment. The seven kinds are:
1. The just ruler. Despite being in a position of
power over people, he controls himself and is just
with the people.
2. The one who grows up adhering to the obedience
of God and stayed away from sinning even when
young.
3. The one who is attached to the mosque. It is hard
for the person to overcome his bad inclinations and
come back to the mosque for every prayer. The one
who overcomes his weaknesses and loves to come to
the mosque for every prayer reaches a high status.
4. The people who love each other for the sake of
God. They advise each other to do good deeds and to
leave the bad deeds. They come together for the sake
of God and leave each other for the sake of God.

424
The Coming Day of Judgment

5. The one who is called to fornication by a woman


of high social status and beauty and says, “I fear God.
I will not do that”.
6. The one who pays charity in secret, to the extent
that his left hand does not know what his right hand
does.
7. The one who mentions God when he is alone, and
cries out of fearing Him.
The Prophets and martyrs will feel delighted for
these people due to their special status and the
endowment they get.
In Al-Bukhariyy’s Sahih, and At-Tirmidhiyy’s Sunan,
the Prophet said that the people on the Day of Judgment
would be gathered like they were first created, without
shoes on their feet, without clothes covering their bodies,
and uncircumcised. However, some people, like the
Prophets, will not be naked.
The people would have the same parts of their body
that they had when they were born. The Prophet recited
a verse of the Qur’an that means, “Just as God created
the people at the beginning, God will recreate them.”
God said that and this is what shall happen.
The first one to be clothed among the people will be
Prophet Abraham. When we say, “clothed”, it does not
mean that before that Prophet Abraham would be
resurrected with his area between the navel and knees
bare. Instead it means that he will be the first to receive
special clothes. The Prophets will not go through a stage
of being naked on the Day of Judgment.
According to a saying there are two basins. One basin
is before crossing the bridge, and the other is on the land

425
The Coming Day of Judgment

after crossing the bridge. Our Prophet said that some


people that he knew to be his Companions would be
drawn away from the first basin. The angels would draw
them away from it. The Prophet would say, “O God,
these are my Companions.” The Prophet would be told,
“O Muhammad, you do not know what they did after
you. After you died they apostatized, leaving Islam.”
The Prophet would then say, “What a low grade is the
grade of the person who apostatizes after my death”.
After the Resurrection, the Questioning and the
Presentation of the Deeds will begin.

426
The Coming Day of Judgment

Chapter 79: The Questioning (Al-Hisab)

The Day of Judgment is 50,000 years long and has 50


stations. Each station lasts 1000 years. The first of the
50 stations is the station of being asked four questions.
All the people will be questioned about their deeds.
God will enable every slave to hear God’s speech. They
will understand that God is questioning them about what
they did with all the endowments that God endowed upon
them. The pious believer will feel a great deal of
happiness. As for the blasphemer, he will not be happy.
The blasphemers will be so devastated about what they
hear that if death were to occur in the Hereafter, they
would die as a result. Yet they do not die.
In a hadith narrated by Ahmad and At-Tirmidhiyy, the
Prophet said, “Everyone among you will hear the speech
of God on the Day of Judgment without the need for
anyone to interpret the meaning of this Speech.” They
will know the real meaning.
This event of everyone hearing the Speech of God
does not take a long time. God told us that in the Qur’an
in verse 62 of Suratul-An^am and verse 202 of Suratul-
Baqarah. This is a proof that the Speech of God is not
sounds, or made up of letters, because if the Speech of
God were like the speech of the creation, it would take a
long time for everyone, one by one to be questioned by
God. It would have taken longer than the 50,000 years of
the Day of Judgment, and this is only one stage of the
Day of Judgment. Each one of us does numerous deeds.
Some creations live very long as well. The Devil

427
The Coming Day of Judgment

remains alive until the first horn blow. If the Speech of


God were like our speech, it would take an extremely
long time to question the Devil exclusively about all the
evil deeds he did. Yet God said that the Questioning is
very quick. This proves that the Speech of God does not
resemble the speech of the creation in any way.
When the people are first gathered on the Day of
Judgment, in the first stage, no one will move even one
step except after being asked about four matters. This is
narrated in a hadith narrated by At-Tirmidhiyy. The four
questions are:
1. What did you do with the knowledge that you
acquired?
2. What did you do with the money you acquired?
3. What did you do with the body that you were
given?
4. What did you do with the time you were given?
How did you spend it?
Among the matters that occurred among people, the
first to be judged and settled will be the matters of
bloodshed. Imam ^Aliyy, may God bless him greatly
said, “I am the first one who will kneel down on the Day
of Judgment asking for the judgment of my disputes with
others.” Is he first other than the Prophets? Is he first of
this nation excluding Muhammad?
This is among the people of the nation of Prophet
Muhammad. As you learn history, you will know that
many Muslims fought Imam ^Aliyy unjustly. On the Day
of Judgment, the one who is in the right will be apparent.
It will be clear who is right and who is wrong. ^Aliyy

428
The Coming Day of Judgment

knew this because it was revealed to the Prophet and the


Prophet told him.
The Day of Judgment is the Day when all get their
rights. The Prophet said that the one who did injustice to
his brother or sister, let him clear himself from this
injustice before a Day comes on which he cannot use
either the dinar or the dirham to clear himself of this
injustice.
In a hadith narrated by Muslim in As-Sahih and At-
Tirmidhiyy in As-Sunan, the Prophet said everyone would
get his right on the Day of Judgment to a point that the
sheep that had horns and butted a sheep without horns in
this life would, on the Day of Judgment, be butted by the
one who did not have horns in this life. God would give
that sheep, on the Day of Judgment, horns with which to
butt.
After the animals get justice on the Day of Judgment,
they will all be turned to dust. No animal will be tortured
in Hellfire. The blasphemers, when they see that, will
say how they wish to be like that: turned to dust. Instead,
they will continue to suffer until they meet the ultimate
suffering of Hellfire that will last forever.
Complete justice will occur on that Day. God will
give all their rights. That is why some pious people,
when hit unjustly in this life, do not retaliate. They say,
“I leave that for the Day of Judgment”. They have a deep
faith in the reality of the coming of the Day of Judgment.
At one station on the Day of Judgment, God will
make the blasphemers unable to speak. Then instead of
them speaking voluntarily, their skin, hands and legs will
testify about what they did during their life. Even the

429
The Coming Day of Judgment

ground will testify on the Day of Judgment about what


the people did on it, as we know from the Qur’an in
Suratuz-Zalzalah.
Our Prophet, as narrated by At-Tirmidhiyy in As-
Sunan, recited verse 4 of Suratuz-Zalzalah. This verse
means that on that Day the Earth will tell its news. Then
the Prophet asked his Companions, “Do you know its
news?” They said, “God and His Messenger know best”.
The Prophet said, “On that Day the Earth will testify
about what the people did on it. The spot where the
person disobeyed God will talk on the Day of Judgment
and it will say that so and so did such and such a thing at
that time. Also the spot where the person did a good
deed will testify on the Day of Judgment. It will say, “So
and so did such and such good thing at that time…”. The
Prophet said, “This is the news of the Earth.”
On that Day every person is given the book in which
the angels recorded his deeds. The believer will receive
his book by his right hand. The blasphemer will receive
his book with his left hand from behind his back. Some
of the people will be happy when they see their books,
and others will feel so bad. The people will see all their
deeds written it their book.
Receiving the book will be made easy for some. They
will receive their book, without being questioned about
everything in their book. These people would be safe on
that Day, because the one who will be questioned
severely that Day about everything will be tortured, as
the Prophet told us.
^A’ishah said that she heard from the Prophet that the
one who would be questioned severely about everything
on the Day of Judgment would be a loser and would be

430
The Coming Day of Judgment

tortured. Then ^A’ishah said to the Prophet, “God said in


the Qur’an a verse that means, ‘As to the one who will
receive his book by his right hand, he will be questioned
lightly’.” The Prophet told her, “That is only the
presentation of the deeds. The one whom God did not
will to be tortured will not be questioned about every
deed he did.” This was narrated by At-Tirmidhiyy.
A narration in As-Sahih of Muslim helps to clarify the
last hadith cited. From this hadith, we know that the
word “hisab” has more that one meaning. In the verse of
the Qur’an that ^A’ishah cited, hisab means, “the
presenting of the deeds” and not severe questioning. In
other cases, the word hisab means the severe questioning
about everything in the book that is only done to those
who will be tortured.
When the Prophets are questioned on the Day of
Judgment, it is done to show their merit and not as a
reprimand.
The Prophets have no sins written in their books. The
only sin that possibly could have occurred from a Prophet
will be a small sin without meanness. If a Prophet did
that kind of sin, he would immediately repent of it, even
before Prophethood. The angel that writes the sins does
not write a sin immediately. The angel waits for a certain
period of time for the person to repent. Hence, the
Prophets do not even have any sins written in the first
place, because if they did a small non-mean sin, they
repented immediately.
Even a person who does get a sin written for him will
get it erased if he repents. Among the people who die
with sins written for them, some will have those sins

431
The Coming Day of Judgment

concealed by God, out of His generosity, on the Day of


Judgment, and they will not be exposed.

432
The Coming Day of Judgment

Chapter 80: The Balance (Al-Mizan)

On the Day of Judgment will be a Balance. It is a real


instrument similar to the balance in this life having two
bars connected at the fulcrum with two pans. One of the
pans will be for the good deeds, and the other will be for
the bad deeds. The deeds of each person will be weighed
in this Balance. This Balance is huge, much bigger than
the usual Balance you see in this life. God said in the
Qur’an that the weighing on that Day is very accurate
and just.
Some scholars interpret from the texts that on that
Day God turns the deeds into objects and these objects
will be placed in the pans. Other scholars interpret that
that books written by the two angels will be the things
that are weighed. Whether is it the one way or the other,
definitely the deeds of all the people will be weighed in
the Balance.
The two special angels of high rank, Gabriel (Jibril)
and Michael (Mika’il), will be the ones controlling this
weighing of the deeds on the Day of Judgment. The ones
whose good deeds have more weight will be safe. Those
who have equal good and bad deeds will have a status
lower than those first ones. The ones with equal good
and bad deeds will have a higher status than the ones
whose bad deeds outweigh their good deeds. All those
who have more bad deeds than good deserve torture, but
some God will forgive.

433
The Coming Day of Judgment

The Muslims with more good deeds than bad will


enter Paradise without torture. They will not be in need
of intercession from any creation.
Also, the ones with equal good and bad deeds will not
be tortured, but are not of the highest level. They will
have to remain on a wall for a period of time. This wall
surrounds Paradise. It is a very wide wall. They will
wait for the first type to enter Paradise. Then they will be
admitted into Paradise.
Those Muslims whose bad deeds outweigh their good
deeds will be the ones who died without repenting of
enormous sins. They deserve to be tortured by God.
They are under the Will of God. If God does not forgive
them, they will be tortured in Hellfire. Some will receive
intercession and get out of Hellfire before the time they
deserved to get. Some will not get intercession and will
receive severe punishment in Hellfire. It is known for
sure that some of the Muslims will suffer in Hellfire
before entering Paradise. However, no one who dies as a
Muslim will remain forever in Hellfire.
Some Muslims on the Day of Judgment would be
“bankrupt”. Those are the Muslims who did some
obedience, but wronged other Muslims. Those wronged
Muslims will take from his rewards. If he runs out of
rewards for the people to take, the sins of those wronged
Muslims will be added to his sins. He will fall in
Hellfire, and be one of the Muslims who will first suffer
in Hellfire before entering Paradise. Ibn Hibban and
Muslim narrated this from the Prophet.
There is a hadith saying that on the Day of Judgment
a person will not remember any good deeds that he did.
Then the angels will bring a tablet with the Shahadatan

434
The Coming Day of Judgment

written on it and put it in his pan of good deeds. This is


because the person was a Muslim, having said and
believed the Shahadatan. Just this tablet will outweigh
all of the bad deeds of this person, even though this was
not a pious person. (Of course this does not happen for
every Muslim because some Muslims will suffer in
Hellfire before going to Paradise.)
The blasphemer will not have any good deeds in the
pan of good deeds. God already compensated any good
deed that he did in his life in his earthly life. God gives
him food and water during his earthly life because of the
good deeds that he did. However he will not get reward
in the Hereafter because he neglected the first obligation:
to believe in God and His Messenger.
All the reward that God gives is from God’s mercy. It
is not an obligation on God to reward the obedient
people. Once the Prophet said, “No one’s deeds admit
him into Paradise.” The Prophet was asked, “Even you
O Messenger of God?” The Prophet said, “Even me,
except if God endows His mercy on me. Seek the correct
path.” God rewards whomsoever He wills out of His
generosity, and punishes whomsoever He wills out of His
justice. God promises to reward the believers, but God is
not obligated to reward them.

435
The Coming Day of Judgment

Chapter 81: The Bridge (As-Sirat)

The Bridge is a wide physical body stretched over


Hellfire. All the people will go to it on the Day of
Judgment. It is smooth, very slippery and dangerous.
The entrance of the bridge is on the changed Earth, and
the exit is on the land before Paradise. The changed
Earth will not be at the same level as Paradise. Paradise
will be much higher.
Some of the people will not get across the bridge and
instead will fall off of it into Hellfire. Those who will
fall immediately are the blasphemers. Some of the
Muslims who were enormous sinners will step on it and
then fall. Others will step on the bridge and cross to the
other end. Some will almost fall in, but will not. On the
sides of the bridge are hooks. Some people will be
dragged by these hooks and be close to falling in Hellfire.
Then they will be saved after being scratched and scared
by these hooks. Some will cross above the bridge
without stepping on it or touching it at all. Some will
cross as quickly as lightening and others will cross as
quickly as the blink of an eye. The speed of the people
going over the bridge is according to the deeds they did
in this life.
When a nation of a Prophet starts to cross the bridge,
this Prophet will start to make du^a’ for these people
crossing the bridge, asking God to grant them safety.
The Prophet said that the bridge is sharper than a
sword and thinner than a hair. This is not literal. It
means that the bridge is very dangerous because crossing

436
The Coming Day of Judgment

it easily is contingent upon the amount of obedience a


person did, and no one knows the exact amount they have
except God. It was narrated in the hadith that the people
cross the bridge in accordance with their deeds.

437
The Coming Day of Judgment

Chapter 82: Intercession (Shafa^ah)

Prophet Muhammad spoke of several points, on the


Day of Judgment, when God will allow intercession.
Intercession is the asking of one for the help of another.
On the Day of Judgment, some creations will ask God to
help creations other than themselves.
Let it be known that the intercession on the Day of
Judgment will only be for believers, that is, Muslims. As
we said, the Muslims are of two types on the Day of
Judgment: Muslims who are not tortured, and Muslims
who are tortured but will finally get to Paradise. The
Muslims who are tortured are called “great sinners who
were not forgiven”. Those Muslims, who were great
sinners and were not forgiven, will have various tortures
and humiliations, we ask God not to be among them.
When the Muslims who are able to intercede see those
other Muslims being tortured, they will ask God to lessen
their fellow Muslim’s torture, or make it end before the
time they deserve. One point when intercession will take
place is when the heat of the sun tortures some Muslims.
Another time is after crossing the Bridge. After crossing
the Bridge, some Muslims will have fallen into Hellfire.
Other Muslims, who made it across the bridge, will ask
God to take their fellow Muslims out of Hellfire, before
the time they deserve.
The Prophets will intercede for their own followers.
As well as Prophets, other creations are granted the
ability to intercede. Some of these are: angels, practicing

438
The Coming Day of Judgment

scholars of Islam, martyrs for seventy of their family


members, and children for their Muslim parents.
Prophet Muhammad said that his intercession is for
the major sinners of his Nation. Prophet Muhammad
also said that the one who visited his grave would receive
his intercession. God said in the Qur’an in verse 28 of
Suratul-Ambiya’ that the intercessors do not intercede
except for those who died as Muslims.

439
The Coming Day of Judgment

Chapter 83: The Basin (Al-Hawd)

When Muslims cross the bridge they come to a land


before Paradise. On this land is a Basin (al-Hawd).
There is a basin for each Prophet. Our Prophet said that
the water of Paradise pours into his basin. This is the
river Al-Kawthar, cited in the Qur’an, given to Prophet
Muhammad. The people drink from this basin before
entering Paradise.
The length and width of the basin is each one-month
walk long. It has containers to use to drink, as many as
the stars in the sky. The drink, which is in it, is whiter
than milk, sweeter than honey, and more fragrant than the
musk. Although God prepared a basin for every Prophet,
the basin of our Prophet Muhammad is the biggest.
The people that drink from the basin are of two types.
One type drinks from the basin out of pleasure only,
without thirst. The other type drinks because of thirst.
That thirst that the second type feel will be the last thirst
they will ever feel. Then after they drink from the basin,
they will never be thirsty again.

440
The Coming Day of Judgment

Chapter 84: Hellfire (Jahannam)

Hellfire is already created. The fire of Hellfire was lit


for one thousand years until it was red, then for another
thousand years until it was white, then for another
thousand years until it was black. It is a black fire. The
blasphemers will be in Hellfire forever, without dying or
their torture lessening; they will only get more. There is
also a place of Hellfire, with unbearable cold. There are
scorpions that torture them. The people of Hellfire will
drink from boiling hot water and pus. They will eat
things that will torture them.
The blasphemers in Hellfire will mock the Muslims
that get in Hellfire. They will say, “Look, you are here
also. Your faith did not benefit you”. Then the Muslims
will be taken out of Hellfire and only the blasphemers
will remain in that misery.
Every time a batch of people fall into Hellfire,
Hellfire will be asked “Are you full?” and Hellfire will
ask, “Are there any more?” and it will not be full.
Finally, God makes the last batch fall into Hellfire and
Hellfire will say, “Enough, enough, I am full”. Then the
parts of Hellfire will come together to surround the
people on every side. Hellfire does not have a soul, but
God has the Power to enable the things that do not have a
soul to speak. God has the Power to create recognition in
creations without souls.
On the Day of Judgment, the idols that people
worshipped in this life will be thrown in Hellfire. The
people of Hellfire will be told, “Had these idols been

441
The Coming Day of Judgment

gods as you claimed, they would not have entered


Hellfire”.
As to Paradise, it will not be full by the people who
will enter it. Then God will create creatures that will
inhabit the extra room in Paradise.

442
The Coming Day of Judgment

Chapter 85: Paradise (Al-Jannah)

The first to enter Paradise is Prophet Muhammad.


Prophet Muhammad will take the ring of the door of
Paradise, which is used for knocking. The Prophet will
move that ring and the angel of the door will say, “You
are the one for whom I was ordered to open. Not anyone
will enter before you.”
The nation of Prophet Muhammad is the first nation
to enter Paradise. The first batch of Prophet
Muhammad’s followers is made up of 70,000 Muslims
who will enter Paradise without being questioned
severely or tortured. Their faces will be shining like the
sun or the full moon. With every 1000 of these 70,000,
70,000 enter Paradise. This is 4,900,000. This is only
part of the people of this nation who enter Paradise. The
second group of 70,000 has faces shining like stars.
They praise God.
Two thirds of the people of Paradise will be from the
nation of Prophet Muhammad and the other one third are
from all the other nations.
Paradise is already prepared and existing. Paradise is
created by God, Who has willed that it will not be
demolished. Prophet Adam first lived in Paradise, and
then went to Earth. Hence, we know that Paradise has
been existent for a long time. On the night of the Night
Journey and Ascension Prophet Muhammad said, “I
entered Paradise and saw that most of its inhabitants will
be the poor believing people”. Paradise is above the

443
The Coming Day of Judgment

seventh heaven. Paradise is not connected to the seventh


heaven. Part of al-^Arsh is its ceiling.
Paradise has levels, with the highest level being Al-
Firdaws. The rivers of Paradise spring from Firdaws.
Four of them are rivers of water, milk, honey, and wine
that does not intoxicate. These are not the only rivers of
Paradise.
There are 100 levels of Paradise. The distance
between each rank is like the distance between the Earth
and the first heaven.
Paradise is very wide. It is much wider than Hellfire.
The Prophet said that there are a lot of gardens in
Paradise. There are no ruins. In Paradise, there are two
specific gardens. They have all the furniture and the
containers that people need, all made of gold. There are
two others with the things made of silver.
God gives some description of Paradise in Suratul-
Ghashiyah. Some of this description is that Paradise has
running water that does not get contaminated like the
water on Earth. Paradise has places to sit, made of gold
decorated with different types of jewels, such as rubies
and emeralds. These seats are high except when the
people of Paradise come to sit on them. When the person
wants to sit on them the seat comes down to the person.
The seat will then go high so that the people that sit on
them will see the wonders of Paradise.
Paradise has goblets to drink from put next to the
water. Paradise has pillows to lean comfortably against.
Paradise has the finest carpets spread for the delight of
the believers. Paradise has trees and every one has a
trunk of gold.

444
The Coming Day of Judgment

The Prophet said that in Paradise is a very wide tree.


If one spent 100 years riding a quick horse one will not
leave its shade. From that magnificent tree, the clothes
of the people of Paradise come. When the trees of
Paradise sway, they give a beautiful sound, much more
beautiful than music. The people will love this sound.
Some people in Paradise will have such high
chambers, that other people will point to their high
chambers like we point to the stars of the sky. Each
person in Paradise will have many servants who are
delightful. The least person in Paradise will have
100,000 of these servants, carrying trays of gold and
silver, for serving. These servants are youths, who were
not people of the Earth. They are very beautiful, like
untouched pearls.
The buildings of Paradise are made from gold and
silver bricks. The mortar for these bricks is musk with a
very strong fragrance. Some homes are one gigantic
hollowed pearl, 60 miles high and wide. The pebbles of
Paradise are all precious stones and pearls. The combs
are of gold. The incense burners contain al-^Ud, the
most expensive fragrance. The ^Ud of Paradise does not
need fire in order to release a scent. The perspiration of
the people of Paradise is musk. Instead of urine and
defecation, this is released after eating and drinking,.
The men of Paradise have at least two wives. They
will be so beautiful and pure to the point that he can see
the inside of the bones of their legs. None of the people
of Paradise dispute or hate each other. Their hearts are
all like one heart, loving each other. Some men will have
many more than two wives. The women have one
husband and feel happy about that.

445
The Coming Day of Judgment

All people of Paradise will be at the age of 33 years.


No one is unmarried in Paradise. Even the small baby
that dies after he is just born will be married in Paradise.
There will be more women than men in Paradise. We
know this because men will have more than one wife,
and all the people will be married.
Some of the women in Paradise are called Hurul-^In,
who are not descendants of Adam. They never lived on
Earth, yet they will be suitable for men who lived on
Earth. Their name means that the iris of their eye is very
black and the white of their eye is very white. They have
big, beautiful eyes. These women will be given as wives,
in Paradise, to men who lived on this Earth.
If a married couple were Muslim, then they will be
married in Paradise. The believing woman in Paradise,
one who lived on this Earth with all the struggles, will
have a much higher status in Paradise than the Hurul-^In.
The wife in Paradise will not be jealous of the other
wives. Everyone will be happy and satisfied and will
have whatever their heart wishes for. They will not have
children, and will not wish to have children. They will
never be tired, poor, or sad. The married couples have
sexual intercourse in Paradise.
Paradise has animals that are all good animals, not
nasty ones that bother people. The horses of Paradise fly.
The people of Paradise praise God with no difficulty,
just like we take a breath in this life.
The people of Paradise praise God, in the times that
equate to the morning and the sunset, but there is no sun
and there is no day and night. There is no darkness in
Paradise. Paradise is full of light and is shining. There

446
The Coming Day of Judgment

will be signs that let the people know when a day has
passed instead of having a sunrise and sunset.
The women wear something covering their head that
does not hide the beauty of their hair. If a piece of this
material came to this Earth, the whole Earth would shine.
If a part of the finger of this woman appeared in this life,
it would illuminate all of it.
Some scholars said that in Paradise the humans see
the jinn and the jinn do not see the humans, but we do not
know a hadith about this.
The people of Paradise have the form of their
forefather, Adam, being tall, 60 cubits tall and seven
cubits wide. They will all have beautiful shapes. They
will not have the body hair that bothers people, but will
have beautiful head hair and beautiful eyebrows. The
men will not have beards.
There is no mucus to spit in Paradise, and no blowing
of the nose. Nor is there urinating or defecating.
All the enjoyments of this life compared to the
enjoyments of Paradise are like a trace of water on a
dipped needle compared to the water of the ocean.
The last Muslims to get out of Hellfire will exit like a
burnt black coal, except for the parts of their bodies that
touched the ground in prostration. Then, those burnt
Muslims will be immersed in a special river of water.
When they come out of the river they will be changed
immediately to a very nice shape. Then they will enter
Paradise.
We humbly ask our Almighty God to grant us
entrance into Paradise, enjoying its pleasures forever! O
God, protect us from any torture in the Hereafter. O

447
The Coming Day of Judgment

God, guide us and forgive our sins. We ask You for all
of this, O God, by the status of our honorable Prophet
Muhammad, the Prophet of mercy!
Praise and thanks to God Almighty, the Lord of the
Worlds, the One high above having a son or any partner.
God knows best.

448
The Coming Day of Judgment

449
The Coming Day of Judgment

450

S-ar putea să vă placă și