Thursday, 27 June 2013
Tuesday, 25 June 2013
Posted By:
Unknown
on 00:56
JANAT WALON SE CHAAR BATAIN
Hazrat Mohammed Salla Hu Ale WaAlihe wasalam ney fermaya jab janat main janati pohnch jayin gay to aik awaz denay wala inko awaz dey ga.
· Aye janat walo tum loog hamisha hamisha tundrust raho gay kabi bemar na ho gay.
· Aor tum zinda raho gay aor tum per kabi mout na aye gi.
· Aor tum loog hamisha jawan raho gay, kisi waqat bhuray na ho gay.
· Tumharey liye faisla hai kay tum hamisha chain aor aram main raho aor kabi takleef aor museebat na dikho.
ADNA DARJAY KA JANNATI
Posted By:
Unknown
on 00:54
ADNA DARJAY KA JANATI
Hazrat Mohammed Salla Hu Ale WaAlihe wasalam ney fermaya adna darjey ka janati who shaks ho ga kay iskay liye asai hazar (80,000) hidmat guzar hon gay aor bahater (72) biwian hon gi aor uskay wastey aik khaimah lagaya jay ga jo moti aor zaberjad aor yaqoot ka bana hua ho ga aor is khaimay ka tool o arz yani lambai churai itni ho gi jitni jabiya se lay ker sana tak. Jabia aik shehr hai sham main aor sana yamen main aik mukam hai goya kay adna darjey kay janati ka khaima lambai aor churai main itna ho ga kay jitna yamen aor sham kay dermiyan fasla hai.
MALK-UL-MOUT ROZANA HER GHER MAIN CHAKER LAGATAY HAN
Posted By:
Unknown
on 00:52
MALK-UL-MOUT ROZANA HER GHER MAIN CHAKER LAGATAY HAIN
Hazrat Hasan (RasiTala Anhu) fermatey hain kay malkulmout her gher main teen martaba rozana chaker laga ker dikhtey hain kay kis ka rizak pura ho giya, kis ki mudat-e-omer puri ho gayi, jiska rizak pura ho jata hai uski rooh kabz ker letay hain aor jab uskay gher waley uski mout per rotey hain to malkulmout derwazay kay chukhat per kharey ho ker kehtay hain: mera koi gunnah nahi, muje to isis ka hukam dia giya tha. Wallah mainy na to iska rizak khaya na iski umer ghatai, na isli mudat-e-eomer se kuch hisa kum kia. Main tumharey gheron main baar baa rata rahon ga. Yahn tak kay tum main se kisi ko bi baki nahi choron ga.
Hazrat Hassan (RasiTala Anhu) nay fermaya ager maiyat kay gehr waley malkulmout ka khara hona dikh lain aor unka kalam sun lain to apni maiyat se gafil ho jayin aor apnay upper royin.
KABER KI PUKAR
Posted By:
Unknown
on 00:41
KABER KE PUKAR
Hazrat Abu Huraira (RasiTala Anhu) fermatey hain kay hum aik martaba Hazrat Mohammed Salla Hu Alihe Wasalam kay hamra aik janza kay sath chaley. Kaberistan main pohnch ker Hazrat Mohammed Salla Hu Alihe Wasalam aik kaber kay pas tahreef ferma hue aor irshad fermaya kay kaber per koi din aisa nahi guzarta jis main who nihayat fasheeh aor saaf awaz kay sath yeh ailan nahi kerti kay Ay Adam: kay betay tu mujhe bhool giya. Main tanhai ka gher hon, ajnabiyat ka gher hon, main whshat ka gher hon, main keeron ka gher hon, main nihayat tangi ka gher hon, mager is shakas kay liye jis per Allah muje waseeh bana dey. Iskay baad Hazrat Mohammed Salla Hu Alihe Wasalam nay fermaya kay kaber janat kay bagoon main se aik bag hai ya dozah kay gharon main se aik ghara hai.
JAHAN BI JAO MOUT AKER RAHAY GI
Posted By:
Unknown
on 00:35
JAHAN BI JAO MOUT AKER RAHY GI
Rawayat hai Hazrat Haseema (Razi Tala Anhu) se kay mulk-ul Mout (Hazrat Izrail)aik bar Hazrat Sulaiman (Alihe Salam) ki majles main aye aor aik shaks ki tarf tajub se kuch deer tak dikhtey rahey. Jab Mulk-ul mout chaley gay to us ne Hazrat Suliman (Alehe Salam) se pocha: “yeh koon shaks tha?” App nay fermaya mulk-ul mout . unsay kaha who meri taraf is tarahn dikhtey they gooya meri roh kabz kernay ka irada rekhtey hain. App nay fermaya” tu kia chahta hai?” unsay kaha muje Hindustan main poncha dijiye. App nay hawa ko hukam dia kay isko utha ker Hindustan main rekh dey. Hawa nay usko Hindustan main pohncha dia. Phir mulk-ul-mout Hazrat Suliman (Alihe Salam) key pas aye. Aap nay pocha : Tum kyun us shaks ko goor se dikhtey they? Kaha mujhe tajub is bat se tha Allah ka hukam meray paas pohncha hai kay uski rooh Hindustan main kabz kero aor yeh apkay pas betha hai.
Posted By:
Unknown
on 00:31
HAZRAT IZRAEEL KA FAAJER AOR MUTEE BANDON KA JAN NIKALNAY KAY WAQAT KIS HALAT MAIN NAMUDDAR HONA
Hazrat Ibrahim (Alehe Salam) nay mulk-ul-mot se fermaya kay tum jis surat main faajer logon ki jaan nikaltey ho muje dikhao. Unhon nay arz kia kay aap iska tahamul na ferma sakhin gay. Hazrat Ibrahim ney fermaya kay nahi main tahamul ker lon ga. Hazrat Izraeel(Alehe Salam) nay arz kia kay acha dosri taraf mu kijiye. Hazrat Ibrahim (Alehe Salam) ney mu pheer lia. Iskay baad hazrat Izraeel (Alehe salam) nay arz kia kay ab dikhiye. Hazrat Ibhrahim nay jab upper dikha to aik nihayat kala admi (diyo ki shakal) baal baohat barey barey kharey hue, nihayat sakhat badbu, kalay kaprey. Uskay mu se, naak se aag ki liptain nikal rahi hain. Hazrat Ibrahim ko yeh dikh ker gash agiye. Kuch dair main afaqa hua to mulk-ul-mout apni pehli sourat main agye. Hazrat Ibrahim nay fermaya kay ager faajer shakas kay liye koi dosri aafat na ho tab yeh sourat hi uski mout kay liey kaafi hai
Hazrat Ibrahim nay mulku-mout se fermaya kay muje who surat bi dikho jo mutee bandon ki jaan nikalany kay waqat hoti hai. To hazrat Ibhrahim nay dikha kay aik nihayat khubsurat jawaan nafees labas pehnay hue khusbu mehkati hui samnay hai. Hazrat Ibrahim nay fermaya kay momin kay liye ager mertay waqat is surat kay ilawa koi bi ferhat ki cheez na ho to yeh bi kafi hai.
Saturday, 22 June 2013
WHAT ARE THE PLACES WE SHULD VISIT IN MAKKH
Posted By:
Unknown
on 00:54
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Friday, 14 June 2013
jannat ul baqi
Posted By:
Unknown
on 00:36
jannatul baqi
Jannatul Baqi
Jannatul Baqi (Garden of Heaven) is the main cemetery of Madinah. Buried there are many members of the Prophet’s (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) close family, around ten thousand of his companions (Sahabah) and many prominent, pious personalities.
- Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported (that whenever it was her turn for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) to spend the night with her) he would go out towards the end of the night to al-Baqi and say: “Peace be upon you, abode of a people who are believers. What you were promised would come to you tomorrow, you receiving it after some delay; and God willing we shall join you. O Allah, grant forgiveness to the inhabitants of Baqi al-Gharqad.” [Muslim]
- Baqi means the land in which the roots of different trees are embedded, Gharqad is the name of a thorny tree (Boxthorn) which were abundant in Baqi. Hence the cemetery also came to be known as Baqi al-Gharqad.
- The first person to be buried in al-Baqi was As’ad Bin Zararah (may Allah be pleased with him), an Ansari companion who died soon after the Prophet ‘s (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) migration to Madinah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) chose the spot to be a cemetery. The first of the Muhajirun (Emigrants) to be buried there was Uthman bin Mazoun who died shortly after the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) returned from the battle of Badr.
Some of the blessed personalities resting in Jannatul Baqi are:
- All the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him), also known as the Mothers of the Believers including Aisha, Hafsa, Sawdah (may Allah be pleased with them) etc. except for Khadijah bint Khuwaylid who is buried in Makkah and Maymuna bint al-Harith who is buried in Sarif.
- The daughters of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him), Fatima, Ruqayyah, Zainab and Umme Kulthum (may Allah be pleased with them)
- Ebrahim (may Allah be pleased with him), the infant son of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) by Maria al-Qibtiyya
- Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him), the grandson of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him)
- Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), the uncle of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him)
- The aunts of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him), Safiyyah and Aatikah (may Allah be pleased with them)
- Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), the third Caliph and son-in-law of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him)
- Halimah Saadia , the wet-nurse of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him)
- Sa’ad bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him)
- Abdur-Rehman bin Auf (may Allah be pleased with him)
- Abdullah bin Mas’ood (may Allah be pleased with him)
- Abu Saeed Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him)
- Imam Malik (may Allah be pleased with him)
- The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said, “On the day of Qiyaamah my grave shall be opened first and I shall step forth. Then shall Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) step forth and then Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). Then shall I proceed to Baqi and take all its inmates with me. Then shall we await the inmates of the graveyard of Makkah, who shall meet me halfway between Makkah and Madinah.”[Tirmidhi]
- During different times of history many domes and structures were built or rebuilt over many famous graves in Al-Baqi in order to identify the inhabitants. On April 21, 1925, mausoleums, domes and structures in Jannatul Baqi were demolished by the order of King Abdul Aziz Al Saud with the objective of complying with the hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) to not cover or build structures over any grave and to prevent people from seeking help from the dead.
- It is virtuous to visit Jannatul Baqi (preferably on a Friday) and supplicate to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) for all those buried in its noble earth.
References: History of Madinah Munawwarah – Dr. Muhammad Ilyas Abdul Ghani, Wikipedia, Virtues of Hajj – Sheikh Muhammad Zakariyya Kandhalvi
jannat ul baqihazrat adam history in urdu and english
Posted By:
Unknown
on 00:26
hazrat adam history in u
Hazrat Adam History in Urdu
ThIslam provides us with the astonishing details of the creation of Adam[1]. Both Christian and Jewish traditions are remarkably similar yet importantly different to the Quran. The Book of Genesis describes Adam as being made from “the dust of the earth,” and in the Talmud, Adam is described as being kneaded from mud. And God said to the angels:
“‘Verily, I am going to place mankind generations after generations on earth.’ They said: ‘Will You place therein those who will make mischief therein and shed blood, while we glorify You with praises and thanks and sanctify You.’ God said: ‘I know that which you do not know.’” (Quran 2:30)
So begins the story of Adam, the first man, the first human being. God created Adam from a handful of soil containing portions from all its varieties on Earth. Angels were sent to earth to collect the soil that was to become Adam. It was red, white, brown, and black; it was soft and malleable, hard and gritty; it came from the mountains and the valleys; from infertile deserts and lush fertile plains and all the natural varieties in between. The descendants of Adam were destined to be as diverse as the handful of soil from which their ancestor was created; all have different appearances, attributes and qualities.
Soil or Clay?
Throughout the Quran, the soil used to create Adam is referred to by many names, and from this we are able to understand some of the methodology of his creation. Each name for soil is used at a different stage of Adam’s creation. Soil, taken from the earth, is referred to as soil; God also refers to it as clay. When it is mixed with water it becomes mud, when it is left to stand the water content reduces and it becomes sticky clay (or mud). If it is again left for some time it begins to smell, and the colour becomes darker – black, smooth clay. It was from this substance that God moulded the form of Adam. His soulless body was left to dry, and it became what is known in the Quran as sounding clay. Adam was moulded from something akin to potter’s clay. When it is rapped it produces a ringing sound.[2]
The First Man is Honoured
And God said, to the Angels:
“And (remember) when your Lord said to the angels: ‘I am going to create a human (Adam) from sounding clay of altered black smooth mud. So when I have fashioned him and breathed into him (his) soul created by Me, then you fall down prostrate to him.” (Quran 38:71-72)
God honoured the first humman, Adam, in countless ways. Allah blew his soul into him, He fashioned him with His own hands and He ordered the Angels to bow down before him. And God said to the Angels:
“....Prostrate to Adam and they prostrated except Iblees (Satan)....” (Quran 7:11)
While worship is reserved for God Alone this prostration by the Angels to Adam was a sign of respect and honour. It is said that, as Adam’s body trembled into life, he sneezed and immediately said ‘All praise and thanks is due to God;’ so God responded by bestowing His Mercy upon Adam. Although this account is not mentioned in either the Quran or the authentic narrations of the Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, it is mentioned in some commentaries of the Quran. Thus, in his first seconds of life, the first man is recognized as an honoured creature, covered with the infinite Mercy of God.[3]
It was also said by the Prophet Muhammad that God created Adam in His image.[4] This does not mean that Adam was created to look similar to God, as God is unique in all His aspects, we are unable to comprehend or form an image of Him. It does mean, however, that Adam was given some qualities which also God has, although incomparable. He was given qualities of mercy, love, free will, and others.
The First Greeting
Adam was instructed to approach a group of Angels sitting near to him and greet them with the words Assalamu alaikum (May God’s peace be upon you), they answered ‘and also upon you be God’s peace, mercy and blessings’. From that day forward these words became the greeting of those submitted to God. From the moment of Adam’s creation, we his descendents were instructed to spread peace.
Adam, the Caretaker
God told mankind that He did not create them except that they should worship Him. Everything in this world was created for Adam and his descendants, in order to aid us in our ability to worship and know God. Due to God’s infinite Wisdom, Adam and his descendants were to be the caretakers on earth, so God taught Adam what he needed to know to perform this duty. God mentions:
“He taught Adam all the names of everything.” (Quran 2:31)
God gave Adam the ability to identify and designate names to everything; He taught him language, speech and the ability to communicate. God imbued Adam with an insatiable need for and love of knowledge. After Adam had learned the names and uses for all things God said to the Angels...
“‘tell me the names of these if you are truthful.’ They answered ‘Glory be to You, we have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Verily it is You the All Knower, the All Wise.’” (Quran 2:31-32)
God turned to Adam and said:
“‘O Adam! Inform them of their names,’ and when he had informed them of their names, He said: Did I not tell you that I know the unseen in the heavens and the earth, and I know what you reveal and what you have been hiding?” (Quran 2:33)
Adam tried to speak with the Angels, but they were occupied worshipping God. The Angels were given no specific knowledge or freedom of will, their sole purpose being to worship and praise God. Adam, on the other hand, was given the ability to reason, make choices and identify objects and their purpose. This helped to prepare Adam for his coming role on earth. So Adam knew the names of everything, but he was alone in Heaven. One morning Adam awoke to find a woman gazing at him.[5]
e first Prophet on this Earth was Adam. He was given an epithet of Abul-Bashar (Father of Humanity) and “Khalifatullah Fil-Arz” (Aide of God on Earth). In Quran, his story in seven “Surahs”. He was sent on earth when he broke the laws of Allah in heaven. He died in the age of 930 years. Read the life history of Hazrat Adam in Urdu.history of islam in urdu
Tareekh e Islam 2 urdu history book. The free pdf urdu book on islamic history. Tarikh e islam urdu pdf book free online.
HAZRAT ADAM ALAIHISSALAM Adam was the first man and Prophet of Allah. Quran tells us that Adam was created from dust (Imran, 3:58). He was created and was granted inspiration (Hijr, 1:28). He was created to rule on earth (Baqara, 2:30). Quran says that after creation of Adam, Allah said to the Angels: I am going to place a ruler in the earth. They said: Will Thou place in it such as would make mischief in it and shed blood? And we celebrate Thy Praise and extol Thy Holiness, He said: surely I know what you know not.
And He taught Adam all the names, then presented them to the angels, and said: tell Me the names of those if you are right.
They said: Glory be to Thee. We have no knowledge but that which Thou has taught us. Surely Thou art the knowing, the Wise.
Allah said: O Adam, inform them of their names. So when he informed them of their names. Allah said: did 1 not say to you that I know what is unseen in the heavens and the earth? And I know what you manifest and what you hide.
And when We said to the angels: be submissive to Adam, they submitted, but Iblis (did not). He refused and was proud, and he was one of the disbelievers.
And We said: O Adam, dwell thou and thy wife in the Garden, and eat from it a plenteous (food) wherever you wish, and approach not this tree, lest you be of the unjust.
Rut the Devil made them slip from it, and caused them to depart from the state in which they were. And We said: go forth, some of you are the enemies of others. And there is for you in the earth an abode and a provision for a time.
Then Adam received (revealed) Words from his Lord, and He turned to him (mercifully). Surely He is Oft-returning (to mercy), the Merciful.
We said: go forth from this state all. Surely there will come to you a Guidance from Me, then those who follow My Guidance, no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve.
And (as to) those who disbelieve in, and reject Our Messages, they are the companions of the Fire; in it they will abide.
Adam lived in this world for about 1000 years. After him his son Shis, and after Shis his son Noah, and after Nosh his son Qalbitan, and after Qalbitan his son Mehla'eel, was the successor, and during the life time of all these the belief in the Unity of God was maintained.
After the death of Mehla'eel, however, the Satan succeeded in persuading his son to make an idol of Mehla'eel for "Ziarat" for all who visited his place. The practice of "Ziarat" continued for some time and thereafter the idol-worship started and took the form of religious practice.
Stories of the Pious: Hazrat Adam
(as), Hazrat Idris (as)
It is necessary for us to learn about the biography of the pious people like the Prophets (a.s.) and the companions of the Holy Prophet (s.a.). Through this study, we can learn about the characteristics of a leader and the conditions of his people. We can also pick valuable lessons from the mistakes committed by the past nations that we may refrain from them.
Consider the following questions:
1. Is there absolute concurrence in the parables of the Prophets (a.s.) as mentioned in
the Holy Quran and other divine scriptures?
2. Have these incidents been tampered with in these scriptures?
3. If so, then what was the reason for these alterations and how much does this
influence our belief in the infallibility of the Prophets (a.s.)?
4. What is our responsibility in a situation when the facts relating to the Prophets
(a.s.) have been misrepresented?
We shall discuss these queries hereunder.
Except for the Holy Quran, all other scriptures, have been altered radically so far as the
lives of Prophets (a.s.) are concerned. Regarding the third question, as to why and how
had all these changes been incorporated, history has recorded the various machinations of
the power hungry, who doctored the changes in the divine texts to suit their selfish
motives. They wished to dominate the populace taking considerable and of course, undue
advantage of their ignorance.
The Torah (Old Testament) and the Bible (New Testament) are a case in point. The Jews and the Christians after the passing away of their Prophets (a.s.), completely altered their scriptures. Consequently, they reverted to their disbelief.
The present Torah and Bible are replete with lewd descriptions of fornication and actually
attribute lying, consumption of wine, adultery and other vices to the divine messengers,
thereby advocating the evils. The parables mentioned in these books would completely
baffle a lay Muslim, putting a big question mark in his mind as far as the infallibility of
the Prophets (a.s.) is concerned.
The following incident from the present Bible will illustrate the aforementioned point.
"Now Lot (Hazrat Lut ) went up out of Zo'ar, and dwelt in the hills with his two
daughters, for he was afraid to dwell in Zo'ar; so he stayed in a cave with his two
daughters. The elder said to the younger, "Our father is old. Now there is none from the
progeny from our father who will become his heir. Come, let us make our father drink
wine and we will sleep with him that his progeny may continue." So they made their
father drink wine that night; and the elder went in and lay with her father, he being
completely unaware about it. And on the next day, the elder said to the younger, "Behold,
I lay last night with our father; let us make him drink wine tonight also; then you go in
and lie with him that we may preserve offspring through our father." So they made their
father drink wine that night too; and the younger slept with him, with he being totally
ignorant about it. Thus, both the daughters of Lot bore children through their father. The
first born bore a son, and called his name Moaab; he is the father of the Moabites to this
day. The younger also bore a son, and called his name Ben-ammi; he is the father of the
Ammonites to this day."
(Book of Genesis 20 Verse 30-37)
This incident is as ridiculous as it is inconceivable. What conclusion would a lay Muslim or for that matter a lay Christian draw from the incident of Lot and his daughters? Can a divine Prophet who had been raised for guidance allow himself to be intoxicated and become so senseless so as to commit adultery with his very daughters? Is it conceivable that a Prophet, who was sent to reform the people, stoop to a filthy act of incest? Allah can never send such an individual for man's guidance. Human intellect simply does not permit him to accept this humbug. Such interpolations that have found their way in the Bible are nothing short of sacrilege.
Similar myths have been recorded in connection with Hazrat Yaqoob (a.s.) and Hazrat Isa
(a.s.). Hazrat Yaqoob is credited with undertaking a wrestling match with God Himself
and Hazrat Isa (a.s.) is attributed with the position of God's son. Such beliefs are in stark
contrast with the principles of monotheism that was propagated by these Prophets.
Therefore, one harbouring such beliefs would actually qualify as a polytheist.
The divine intent in raising Prophets (a.s.) was to establish justice and equity among the people and to establish an attachment between the creatures and their Creator. However, if the Prophet himself becomes a slave of his carnal desires, he can hardly be expected to realize this divine aim. Therefore, all such references alluding adultery and falsehood are nothing but a figment of imagination of a few incestuous and self-seeking opportunists. Prophet Lut (a.s.) and the other divine messengers were absolutely sinless.
They were infallible as is testified by the Quran,
"And (as for) Lut, We gave him wisdom and knowledge and We delivered him from the town which wrought abominations; surely they were an evil people, transgressors; And We took him into Our mercy; surely he was of the good."
(Anbiya:74-75)
Hazrat Adam (a.s.)
"And when your Lord said to the angels, "I am going to place in the earth a Caliph,..."
(Baqarah : 30)
Allah, the Almighty, created the earth, skies, sun, moon, stars and planets and furnished
all other necessities for man's survival. He created the angels for His worship and
obedience and bestowed them with all the bounties. He taught them the method of His
obedience and veneration. After this Allah, the Wise, created Adam (a.s.) and his progeny
so that they may reside in the earth. Then He informed the angels that He intended to
appoint man as His emissary on earth. He would permit him to partake of the earthly
bounties and unearth the treasures hidden in its womb.
The angels found this untenable that Allah should prefer some other creature over them
for the Caliphate on earth. Hence they said, "What! Will Thou place in it such as shall
make mischief in it and shed blood, and we celebrate Thy praise and extol Thy holiness?"
He said: "Surely I know what you do not know." (Baqarah : 30).
"I know the wisdom behind appointing Adam and his sons as My vicegerents. You cannot comprehend this. I will shortly create Adam. As soon as I create him and blow My spirit into him, you all prostrate before him." (All the Islamic scholars are unanimous that the
prostration of angels to Adam was not a prostration of worship for it would have been an act of polytheism. The prostration was for Allah and Adam was like a qiblah (the center of attention) and the angels prostrated simply in consonance with divine decree.
Allah created the body of Adam from special clay and blew His spirit into him (a.s.). The
Holy Spirit began to circulate in his body and he became a perfect human being, ready to
inhabit the earth. All the angels prostrated before him in conformity with the Divine order
except Iblis, who refused to comply. Allah sought the reason for his disobedience. Iblis
replied haughtily, "I am superior to Adam. You have created me from fire and him from
clay." Shaitan displayed his disdain to the divine mandate and disobeyed Allah. Though
Allah had created Adam by His power, Iblis did not submit, thereby turning into an
infidel and being liable for eternal chastisement.
Allah ordered Iblis out of His presence and said, "Now you have become very far from
Our Mercy and the halter of curse has been put around your neck till the day of
Judgment." Iblis , thereafter called as Shaitan, requested the Almighty to give him
reprieve till the day of reckoning and begged to be kept alive. Allah gave him reprieve till
the "appointed hour." But Shaitan did not thank his Lord even for this obligation. Instead,
he showed his ungratefulness by threatening, "I will forever misguide them all except
Your sincere servants." Allah replied, "Go! Do as you wish and trouble whomsoever you
can with your instigation. Involve the people in your falsehood and deceit and make them
false promises and show them your mirages. But remember well, those of my servants
who are sincere with firm beliefs and an unshakable faith, will not be misled by you. You
will never be able to deviate them. Their hearts and ears will never submit to you
whisperings."
The Almighty bestowed knowledge upon Adam (a.s.) and illuminated him with His light
and taught him the Names.
"And He taught Adam all the names..."
(Baqarah : 31).
According to the traditions of the infallibles, the 'Names' were those of the beloved
personalities of Allah. (Tafseer-e-Ithna Ashari, v. 1, p. 111). When the angels came to
know that Allah had taught Adam (a.s.) the names, they realized that Adam (a.s.) was
superior to them.
"They exalted Him: Glory be to the Thee! We have no knowledge but that which Thou has
taught us; surely Thou art the All Knowing, the Wise. Allah commanded: O Adam !
Inform them of their names. Then when he had informed them of their names, He said :
Did I not say to you that I surely know what is hidden in the heavens and the earth and
(that) I know what you manifest and what you hide?"
(Baqarah : 32-33).
The angels were absolutely ignorant of what Adam (a.s.) knew.
Allah placed Adam (a.s.) and his spouse, Janaab Hawwa (a.s.) [Eve] in Paradise and
warned,
"O Adam ! Dwell you and your wife in the garden and eat from it a plenteous (food)
wherever you wish (but) do not approach this tree, for then you will be of the unjust."
(Baqarah : 35).
Adam (a.s.) began to reside in Paradise and partake of its bounties. This did not go down
well with Shaitan and he planned to deprive them both of this lavishness. Shaitan
disguised himself as a sincere and righteous personality and befriended Adam (a.s.).
Later, he whispered, "Actually Allah has not really prohibited this tree from you for if
you eat from it you and Eve will become angels and dwell forever in this place." But his
instigation had no effect on Adam and Eve. When Shaitan realised that Adam and Eve
were not being influenced by his stratagems, he executed his last trick and swore that he
was their sincere friend and assured them that no harm would befell them. He succeeded
in entrapping Eve with his sweet talk who convinced Adam (a.s.) to eat from the
prohibited tree. Such a contravention is termed as 'Tark-e-Awla' which means neglecting
the preferred course of action. It is actually an action that is better avoided. But it is not
prohibited (haraam), i.e. it is not accounted as a sin. The expulsion of Adam (a.s.) from
paradise to earth was a punishment for this Tark-e-Awla.
Actually Adam (a.s.) had been created for this earth (and not Paradise). The verse of Sura Baqarah (2:30) quoted above is a pointer to this fact. Allah declares (to the angels) even before the creation of Adam that He was going to appoint a Caliph on earth. Therefore, when Adam (a.s.) was finally ordered to dwell on earth, it was not a punishment for a sin. Therefore it has not affected the infallibility of Adam (a.s.). He had simply performed a Tark-e-Awla due to which Allah expelled him from the bounties of Paradise. Adam (a.s.)
and Eve supplicated for forgiveness and implored: "Our Lord ! We had been unjust to
ourselves and if you don't forgive us, we shall be deprived of Your Mercy. Then surely we
shall be among the bereaved." Allah commanded, "Get forth, some of you being the
enemies of others, and there is for you in the earth an abode and a provision for a time."
(Baqarah : 36)
The supplication of Adam (a.s.) and Eve was accepted by Allah when they beseeched him
for the sake of Muhammed (s.a.w.s) and his Purified Progeny (a.s.). Allah made man
subservient to needs and necessities. He made inherent despair and hope in man's nature
so that he may strive for his necessities and wants.
Allah also informed that the life of Paradise was a great bounty and Adam (a.s.) was
being deprived of it and was being sent to a place where there are two paths - salvation
and deviation, faith and infidelity. One who shall remain faithful to the prescribed path
and wards off satanic provocation, will be successful in this world as well as the
hereafter.
Hazrat Idris (a.s.)
"And mention Idris in the Book; surely he was a truthful man, a prophet, And We raised
him high in Heaven."
(Mariam : 56-57)
A brief sketch of Hazrat Idris (a.s.) is being presented hereunder.
Hazrat Idris (a.s.) was the grandson of Hazrat Adam (a.s.). and the successor of Hazrat
Sheeth (a.s.). Hazrat Adam (a.s.) had appointed Hazrat Sheeth (a.s.) as his successor.
When Qabeel (Kane) learnt of this, he came to Sheeth (a.s.) and threatened to kill him
like he had done to Habeel (Abel). It is narrated by Ibne Athir and Tabari, both renowned
Sunni historians, that Hazrat Adam (a.s.) cautioned Hazrat Sheeth (a.s.) to conceal his
knowledge and his appointment as successor, lest Qabeel murders him out of his jealousy
as he had done to Habeel. Hazrat Sheeth (a.s.) followed his father's counsel and continued
to guide the people in dissimulation (Taqaiyya). The Almighty revealed fifty scriptures
upon him. According to Mas'oodi, the famous historian, twenty nine of these were replete
only with glorification and praises of Allah, the Almighty. He lived for 912 years.
The prophethood of Hazrat Idris (a.s.) was marked with tireless endeavours of inviting
the people towards the worship of Allah and restraining them from evil deeds. He also
prophesied the raising of prophets in the future, especially the advent of the seal of
prophets, Hazrat Muhammed al-Mustafa (s.a.w.s) about whom he said, "He (s.a.) will be
an epitome of every virtue and excellence and his religion will be such that it will reform
humanity and secure salvation for the people."
The period of Hazrat Idris's prophethood witnessed the rule of a tyrant and oppressive
king who exercised complete power over the life and property of his subjects. One day he
came out of his palace for a stroll and after a while reached a beautiful garden. He liked
what he saw and was overwhelmed with greed to possess that piece of land. He inquired
from his ministers about the owner of that place. They informed him that it belonged to a religious person, giving his name and whereabouts. The King ordered that he be brought to him at once. As it turned out that individual was Hazrat Idris (a.s.) When the latter was summoned before him, the tyrant demanded, "Give your land to me!" Hazrat Idris (a.s.) replied, "My family needs it more than you." But the king persisted, "If you cannot give it free, sell it to me." But Idris (a.s.) declined. The king returned, infuriated and incensed by the fact that Idris (a.s.) did not submit to his demand. He resorted to his evil machinations to occupy that land.
The King's consort was an evil, profane woman, with no regard for scruples. When she
witnessed the King in a disturbed state of mind, she sought the reason. He told her about
his encounter with Idris (a.s.). That vile woman's scheming mind conjured up a plan. She
summoned some evil-minded persons and told them to go to the King to testify falsely
that Idris (a.s.) had betrayed the religion of the King and had turned a renegade. With this,
she anticipated that Idris (a.s.) would be punished with death and the piece of land would
then come to the King.
Allah is Omnipotent
The evil designs of the king and his consort displeased the Almighty Allah. He informed
Idris (a.s.) (through revelation) of the plot to eliminate him. Allah ordered Idris (a.s.) to
tell the tyrant on His behalf, 'How dare you (conspire to) kill my (Allah's) servant?
Beware! I will take revenge from you and deprive you of your kingdom. I will turn your
palace to ruins and feed the flesh of your evil wife to dogs. My patience has made you
proud and arrogant.' Hazrat Idris (a.s.) conveyed the divine message to the king. The
king, however, was under the influence of the devil who had woven a false sense of
security around the former. He rebuked Idris (a.s.), "Go away before I have you killed!"
Idris (a.s.) went back. But the Queen again instigated her husband saying, "Have no fear
of the divine directive conveyed by Idris (a.s.). I will send some soldiers to have him
killed."
None can harm the one whom Allah protects
Degradation and Disaster are the consequences of oppression. The king's soldiers came to
seize Idris (a.s.). But the Almighty Allah had already informed his Prophet (s.a.) about
their plan and ordered him to abandon the place and hide himself from the people. Hazrat
Idris (a.s.) raised up his hands in prayer and beseeched, "O Allah! Deprive this city of
Your mercy!"
His prayers were accepted. He sought refuge in an obscure cave with the angels
providing him with means of sustenance.
The prayer of Idris (a.s.) became the central theme of all discussions in his nation. Soon,
the King was deposed and ultimately death overtook him while he was unjust. Of no use
was his kingdom and his riches. In fact, these turned out to be the root causes of his
doom.. The queen was devoured by the dogs (as prophesied). Their dominance was
completely routed and another despot replaced them.
- See more at: http://www.islamickorner.net/showthread.php/125-Hazrat-Adam-History-in-Urdu#sthash.4Tq96Y4e.dpufrdu and english
Tuesday, 11 June 2013
The Comeunty of belivers
Posted By:
Unknown
on 00:55
The Community of Believers
Just as the first followers of Jesus did not think of themselves as part of a new religion, the original community around Mohammad did not either, but rather one akin to the Hanifs – they sought the pure form of monotheism and called themselves the “Believers” (mu’minum). Allah was the God of the Jews and the Christians. According to Prof. Donner, the Qur’an uses mu’minum to describe the early community around Mohammad far more frequently than it does the term Muslim. “A number of Qur’anic passages make it clear that the word mu’min and muslim, although evidently related and sometimes applied to one and the same person, cannot be synonyms. For example, Q 49:14 states, ‘The Bedouins say: ’We Believe’ (aman-na). Say [to them]: ‘You do not Believe; but rather say, ‘we submit’ (aslam-na), for Belief has not yet entered your hearts.’” (Muhammad and the Believers) Here belief seems to mean something more advanced than “submission” (islam) which was perhaps a first step in the journey.
These Believers differentiated themselves from polytheism in all its forms. The one belief that there is only one God was crucial. Thus Christians who believed in the Trinity would be excluded: “Those who say that God is the third of three, disbelieve; there is no god but the one God …” (Q 5:73). Hence, for example, Christians from communities who had originally fled persecution in Byzantium for refusing to believe in the Trinity were certainly welcome, and we know that Jews were, too. Christians who followed the Gospels, Jews who obeyed the laws of the Torah and converts from paganism who obeyed the injunctions of the Qur’an would all be included.
This ecumenical community was perhaps easier to achieve since the majority in the community would have been illiterate, and most likely only the most basic ideas were held between them. “It is fair to assume that most of the early Believers probably knew only the most basic and general religious ideas we today can find articulated in some detail in the Qur’an. That God was one, that the Last Day was a fearful reality to come (and perhaps to come soon), that one should live righteously and with much prayer, and that Muhammad was the man who, as God’s apostle or prophet, was guiding them in these beliefs.” (Muhammad and the Believers, Fred M. Donner).
Foremost the community strove to live a pious life. They saw this life as a preparation in a sense for the Last Day or Day of Judgment; it should be lived in obedience to God’s word as now laid out in the revelations of Mohammad. They believed that throughout man’s history God has from time to time revealed his intentions to a series of messengers or prophets of whom Mohammad was the last. Their steps towards inner purity included prayer, charity, fasting and pilgrimage. Distractions from the path of piety could include even family: “wealth and sons are the ornaments of the nearer life; but enduring works of righteousness are better before your Lord…” (Q 18:46), a passage that is somewhat reminiscent of a saying of Jesus from the Gospel of Thomas. In another passage the Qur’an appears to contradict it: “O you who Believe, do not forbid the good things that God has allowed you,” (Q 5:87) but the passage goes on to say: “nor go to extremes, for God does not love those who go to extremes.” Their piety was to be always with them as a source of balance and harmony, part of their everyday life. They were to be: “In the world, not of the world.”
After the Prophet’s Death
In the last years of his life Mohammad solidified his military and political situation. Following the conquest of Mecca in 630 he no longer needed to make alliances with pagan communities in order for the community of Believers to survive and grow. Now tribes wanted to become allies, and could do so once they declared their belief in the one true and only God and contributed taxes as a token of their commitment. So the community grew in size and complexity, spreading from western Arabia as far as Yemen in the South, to the East and throughout much of northern Arabia as well.
The history of the collection and codification of the text of the Qur’an is confusing and contradictory. According to traditional scholars such as the late Sirdar Ikbal Ali Shah,Selections from the Koran, Mohammad related his revelations verbatim to Zayd or an available scribe. “The order in which the verses were to stand was arranged by the Prophet Mohamed himself, so that at the time of his demise the entire Koran was in complete written form.” The verses were memorized by the believers and collected into a single volume about six months after his death. Other sources suggest that the recitations were stored in the chest of the companions, and parts of it were written on the leathery sheets, white stones, palm’s sheets and ostrich bones.
Others disagree, and their researches indicate that Mohammad’s revelations were not gathered into the single source we know today as the Qur’an until after his death. One historical tradition holds that the prophet dictated some revelations to Zayd bin Thaabit and other scribes, while others were remembered and repeated by his closest followers who learned them by heart. Shortly after the Prophet died in 632, Arab tribes revolted against the State of Medina. After the bloody Battle of Yamamah in which a large number of those who had committed the Qur’an to memory perished, recording became a more urgent task. The Caliph Abu Bakr assigned the task to Zaid, who, it is said, collected the revelations “from pieces of papyrus, flat stones, palm leaves, shoulder blades and ribs of animals, pieces of leather and wooden boards, as well as from the hearts of men.”
It is possible that the documentation of Mohammad’s revelations may not at the time have been seen as the most important activity, because for them, as for many early monotheistic communities, time was running out: the Day of Judgment was approaching, so spreading the crucial tenet of salvation, “there is no God but God,” may well have been seen as their primary concern and duty. Within ten years of their Prophet’s death the Believers had spread their idea of monotheism to Syria, Iraq, Persia, and Egypt, moving over the next three decades into parts of Europe, North Africa and Central Asia.
The still prevalent idea of Islam being a religion of violence dates from the Middle Ages when the conflict between the West and East and invasions such as the Crusades produced vicious polemics against Islam.
Archaeological evidence challenges the view that Islam’s expansion was primarily by the sword: many churches, some still standing today, were built in lands whose occupation by Islamic activists pre-date their construction. Scholars point out that if Islam’s goal was to eradicate all other existing faiths in favor of forced submission to their own, these places of worship would have been destroyed. On the contrary, the evidence shows that in assuming control of towns and villages a peaceful approach of integration was the preferred method by which the Believers’ message was spread. Communities were adjured to live sufficiently righteous lives and accept the “oneness of God” and to pay taxes to the Umma. Known to the Believers as the “people of the book” adherents to other monotheisms were allowed to maintain their own faith without fear of persecution.
By the time of the third Caliph Uthman (644 - 656) differences in reading the Qur’an in the many dialects of the Arabic language became troublesome, and he was urged to “save the Muslim ummah before they differ about the Qur’an.” Uthman asked a team of companions led by Zayd to collect and compare all available copies and oral versions of the revelations and to prepare a single, unified text. Copies were sent to the main provinces and people were told to burn earlier versions in order to eliminate variations or differences, though many, including key people, refused to do so.
The new young Believers and people in these new communities had no memory of the Prophet himself, so piety became routine and less personal and guidelines needed to be standardized and written down. Eventually about seventy-five to one hundred years after the Prophet’s death the community members started to identify themselves as a different religion. They became Muslims.
During the next few centuries, while Islam solidified as a religious and political entity, a vast body of exegetical and historical literature evolved to explain the Koran and the rise of Islam, the most important elements of which are sunna, or the body of Islamic social and legal custom; sira, or biographies of the Prophet; tafsir, or Koranic commentary and explication and the hadith, or the collected sayings and deeds of the Prophet Mohammad.
To decide which of the sayings and deeds were authentic hundreds of thousands of sayings and stories ascribed to the Prophet were gathered together. Scholars such as Imam Bokari, Ibn Rustam and Asim Ibn Ali spent decades investigating and testing texts for accuracy. Bokari reviewed over 600,000 entries, of which he selected as incontestably correct only 5,000. Those that were deemed by these scholars as authentic were collected and calledHadiths or Traditions. Like The Gospel of Thomas, some of the sayings of the Prophet give us insight into the man and his teaching. Here are some examples from an authoritative collection by Baghawi of Herat in modern Afghanistan, from his Mishkat Al-Masabih:
“Speak to everyone in accordance with his degree of understanding.”
“I order you to assist any oppressed person, whether he is a Moslem or not.”
“Do you think you love your Creator? Love your fellow-creature first.”
“Those who are crooked, and those who are stingy, and those who like to recount their favors upon others cannot enter Paradise.”
"He is not a perfect believer, who goes to bed full and knows that his neighbor is hungry.”
“By the One who holds my soul in His hand, a man does not believe until he loves for his neighbor or brother what he loves for himself.”
“You ask me to curse unbelievers. But I was not sent to curse.”
“My back has been broken by ‘pious’ men.”
“Desire not the world, and God will love you. Desire not what others have, and they will love you.”
“Do not ask for authority, for if you are given it as a result of asking you will be left to deal with it yourself; but if you are given it without asking, you will be helped in undertaking it.”
“Treat this world as I do, like a wayfarer; like a horseman who stops in the shade of a tree for a time, and then moves on.”
“Trust in God – but tie your camel first.”
“Die before your death.”
“The ink of the learned is holier than the blood of the martyr.”
“I order you to assist any oppressed person, whether he is a Moslem or not.”
“Do you think you love your Creator? Love your fellow-creature first.”
“Those who are crooked, and those who are stingy, and those who like to recount their favors upon others cannot enter Paradise.”
"He is not a perfect believer, who goes to bed full and knows that his neighbor is hungry.”
“By the One who holds my soul in His hand, a man does not believe until he loves for his neighbor or brother what he loves for himself.”
“You ask me to curse unbelievers. But I was not sent to curse.”
“My back has been broken by ‘pious’ men.”
“Desire not the world, and God will love you. Desire not what others have, and they will love you.”
“Do not ask for authority, for if you are given it as a result of asking you will be left to deal with it yourself; but if you are given it without asking, you will be helped in undertaking it.”
“Treat this world as I do, like a wayfarer; like a horseman who stops in the shade of a tree for a time, and then moves on.”
“Trust in God – but tie your camel first.”
“Die before your death.”
“The ink of the learned is holier than the blood of the martyr.”
history of islam
Posted By:
Unknown
on 00:52
Pre-Islamic Religion on the Arabian Peninsula
The peoples of Arabia were predominately polytheistic, and Mecca was the place of their most important sanctuary, the Ka’ba (see below). Its ancient origins are unknown but, since all accessible deities were represented there, it was a place of annual pilgrimage for all tribes. At one time there were said to have been as many as three hundred and sixty idols in and around the Ka’ba. This, too, was under the control of the Quraysh, who wisely established a non-violent zone that was Haram (sacred, forbidden), radiating for twenty miles around the sanctuary, and made Mecca a place where any tribe could enter without fear and where they were free to practice both religion and commerce.
The Ka’ba was the most important holy place in Arabia even in pre-Islamic times; it contained hundreds of idols representing Arabian tribal gods and other religious figures, including Abraham, Jesus and Mary. It is a massive cube believed to have been built by the Prophet Abraham and dedicated to al-Lah (The God who was the same God worshipped by the Jews and Christians); it stands in the centre of the Sanctuary in the heart of Mecca. Embedded in the Ka’ba’s granite matrix is the famous Black Stone, which tradition says was originally cast down from Heaven as a sign for Adam.
The Zam-Zam holy well is nearby and is believed to have quenched the thirst of Hagar and her child in the wilderness. (Genesis 21:19). Arabs from all over the peninsula made an annual pilgrimage to Mecca, performing traditional rites over a period of several days. Mohammad eventually destroyed all the idols in and around the Ka’ba, and re-dedicated it to the One God, Allah, and the annual pilgrimage became theHajj, the rite and duty of all Believers.
The historian Ibn Ishaq tells of a reconstruction of the Ka’ba when Mohammad was a boy. A quarrel broke out between the Meccan clans as to which clan should set the Black Stone in place. The solution was to ask the first person who entered the Sanctuary from outside to be the judge. The young Mohammad was the first to do so. He put the stone on to a heavy cloth and had all the clan elders take part of the cloth to raise it and thus share in the task equally.
Like other pre-Axial societies, pre-Islamic Arab beliefs involved a pantheon of accessible deities with whom people could communicate. They also believed in darhor fate which probably helped them adapt to the high mortality rate. Above all of the lesser Gods was the one remote God, al-Lah – the God who was the same God worshipped by the Jews and Christians. He was beyond the reach of ordinary people. Lesser deities were represented in the Ka’ba and in shrines to their individual honor scattered throughout the peninsula. These gods would be prayed to for rain, children, health and the like and would intercede on their behalf to Allah – the God in times of dire need.
This pre-Islamic attitude towards religion provided a framework that was open to ideas and interpretations. The Sasanian presence in the Arabian Peninsula had brought with it the influence ofZoroastrianism, in which Ahura Mazda and Ahriman, the Gods of Light and Darkness, were in constant battle for the souls of humanity. Jewish presence in the area dates possibly from as early as theBabylonian Exile in 597 BCE and certainly from the time of the Great Revolt in AD 70, almost six centuries before Mohammad. Scholars note that a symbiotic relationship existed between the two peoples: Jews were Arabized and Arabic speaking and over the centuries Arabs had absorbed Jewish beliefs and practices. There were Jewish merchants and Jewish Bedouin, farmers, poets and warriors. What today is the center of Islam, the Ka’ba in Mecca, has ancient Semitic roots: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and others were associated with it long before the rise of Islam. Both Jews and Arabs were believed to be descendants of Abraham, an idol of whom could be viewed inside the pre-Islamic Ka’ba.
Since their earliest times Christian groups were established in Syria and Mesopotamia. In AD 313, the Emperor Constantine made Christianity legal and it became accepted as the imperial religion by Rome. The First Council of Nicaea in AD 325, declared Christ to be both fully God and fully man and established belief in the Trinity which represented God as three in one: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Those who disagreed with this new orthodox position, Nestorians, Gnostics, and Arians for example, were excommunicated and declared heretics. Many fled from persecution, beyond the reach of the Byzantine Empire into the Persian and Arab worlds. Theirs was a proselytizing faith and as they spread throughout the Peninsula a number of tribes were converted. The Ghassanids, who wintered on the border of Byzantium, became the largest early Christian tribal community, the Nabateans another, and by the sixth century the Yemenite city of Najran was a center of Arab Christianity.
The distance from both empires enabled beliefs in the Arab Peninsula to evolve and flourish independently, especially in Mecca. According to Fred M. Donner, Professor of Near Eastern History at the University of Chicago, by the sixth century paganism was receding in the face of the gradual spread of monotheism. Hanifism arose in Mecca and spread throughout the Hijaz. Its members “turned away from” idolatry, seeking to follow the original monotheism of Abraham, before the establishment of either Judaism or Christianity. The Prophet Abraham, who is traditionally believed to have built the Ka’ba, is the ancestor of the Arabs, according to the Old Testament, and the ancestor of the Muslim believers through his faith, according to the Qur’an.
The Hanifs regularly spent some of their time away from the polytheist environment and made retreats to nearby hills to pray, as did Mohammad. One such hill was Hira’ the location where Mohammad would receive his first revelation from the Archangel Gabriel (Jibreel). Hanifs worshipped only the one God, who required commitment to a moral code: believers had to strive to be morally upright, mindful of an afterlife when one’s choices would be judged.
There is a tradition that tells of a meeting between one of the four founding Hanifs, Zayd, and the young Mohammad. Whether that took place or not, there is little doubt that Mohammad would have been aware of Hanifism since his youth and would have heard Hanif preachers in Mecca. The Qur’an has several entries that mention Hanif, for example: 22:31Be hanif in religion towards Allah, and never assigning partners to Him: if anyone assigns partners to Allah, it is as if he had fallen from heaven and been snatched up by birds, or the wind had thrown him into a distant place.
The History of Mohammad
Less than one hundred years after Mohammad’s death in 632 the first Muslim historians began to write about his life. These were Muhammad ibn Ishaq (d. 767), Muhammad ibn ‘Umar al-Waqidi (d. c. 820); Muhammad ibn Sa’d (d. 845); and Abu Jarir at-Tabari (d. 923). These scholars reconstructed their narrative from oral traditions and early documents, and through their effort we know more about Mohammad than we do any other Prophet.
Nevertheless we need to keep in mind that the stories of Mohammad’s life were written to satisfy contemporary norms and included miraculous and legendary stories that might be misinterpreted today. As we have noted with the stories surrounding the Axial Sages, the Old Testament and the Gospels, such accounts are not to be taken literally. According to Reza Aslan they “function as prophetic topos: a conventional literacy theme that can be found in most mythologies. Like the infancy narratives in the Gospels, these stories are not intended to relate historical events, but to elucidate the mystery of the prophetic experience. They answer the questions: What does it mean to be a prophet? … It is not important whether the stories describing the childhood of Muhammad, Jesus or David are true. What is important is what these stories say about our prophets, our messiahs, our kings: that theirs is a holy and eternal vocation, established by God from the moment of creation.” (No god but God, The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam, Reza Aslan.)
Not much is known about his early childhood, but according to tradition Mohammad was born in Mecca in 570, the year known as the year of the Elephant, in which Mecca was miraculously saved (see below). He was a Quraysh from the clan of Hashim. Many stories surround his childhood and birth, which was announced in a tale similar to the Christian story of Mary: Mohammad’s mother, a widow named Amina, one day heard a voice say to her: “You carry in your womb the lord of this people, and when he is born, say: ‘I place him beneath the protection of the One, from the evil of every envious person’, then name him Muhammad.”
The Year of the Elephant
Tradition tells that Abraha, the Abyssinian Christian ruler of Yemen, attacked Mecca with a herd of elephants imported from Africa. Abraha’s goal was to destroy the Ka’ba and make the Christian church at Sana’ the new religious center of the Arab world. The terrified Quraysh had never seen an elephant, much less a whole herd, so they ran to the mountains to escape, leaving the Ka’ba with no defense. But just as it was about to be attacked, the sky went dark as a flock of birds, each carrying a stone in its beak, rained down on the invading army which was forced to retreat.
Mohammad was orphaned at the age of six when his mother died, and went to live with his grandfather Abd-Al-Muttalib, who was in charge of providing the water of the Zam-Zam to pilgrims. But by the time he was eight years old, his grandfather, too, had died and Mohammad was taken in by his Uncle Abu Talib and employed in his successful caravan business, so he was saved from a life of slavery or indebtedness experienced by so many orphans at the time. In a story that resembles that of Samuel in the Old Testament and others of that genre, it was on a trading expedition to Syria, when Mohammad was only nine years old, that a Christian monk named Bahira recognized him as “the Messenger of the Lord of the Worlds.”
At twenty-five, when Mohammad was still unmarried and dependent on his uncle, he met a very distant cousin, Khadija, a beautiful widow, then probably in her late thirties. Khadija was unusual for a woman of her time, she was a respected member of Meccan society and a very successful businesswoman in her own right. In spite of his tenuous social circumstances, according to Ibn Hisham, Mohammad had a reputation for “truthfulness, reliability, and nobility of character,” and Khadija entrusted him to take a caravan of goods to Syria and sell it. When he returned home with more profits than she anticipated, she proposed marriage to him and he accepted, thus acquiring status and entry into Meccan society. Although polygamy was the norm at the time, Mohammad and Khadija were in a monogamous marriage for twenty-five years until her death. They had six children.
As an orphan himself, Mohammad would have been aware of just how easy it was to fall outside Mecca’s religio-economic system. With his marriage and his businesses doing well, he now had access to the prosperous life. He saw firsthand that although the leading families of the Quraysh believed in the one God, this belief was not relevant to their lives; they had forgotten that everything depended upon Him. Now that they were rich, they adhered to the very worst aspects of murawah and had thrown away the best: they were arrogant, reckless, niggardly and egotistical; they had become self-centered, no longer believing in anything but riches and took no responsibility for people outside their immediate, elite circle.
Mohammad saw the decline in traditional values as a threat to the very existence of his tribe. But he was sure that social reform had to be based on a new spiritual foundation for it to actually take effect. As a trader, Mohammad came in frequent contact with Jews and Christians and would have been familiar with stories from both the Old Testament and the Gospels. According to the scholar Ikbal Ali Shah, Mohammad made “an exhaustive study of other religions.” He was aware that his own people, although they believed in al-Lah, lacked a sacred book of their own. “The people of the Book” had codified Laws that were both religious and social, governing their behavior from dawn to dusk. His own people had no such thing and because of this their lives were in chaos, many were suffering and destitute, and the whole tribe was in danger of extinction.
Before the revelations, he had no idea that his destiny would be to implement these vital changes. He was from a minor clan, the Hashim, and scholars point out that, in common with other prophets before him, he initially wanted nothing to do with what was happening to him and was extremely upset, so much so that without Khadija’s intervention “Mohammad might have gone through with his plan to end it all, and history would have turned out quite differently.” (Reza Aslan)
He was prone to spending long hours in retirement in meditation. He would provide himself with simple food and water, and then head directly for the hills and ravines in the neighborhood of Mecca, particularly to the cave named Hira in the Mount An-Nur two miles away from the city, a place also visited by the hanifs. According to the historian Tabari, there he would perform devotions and distribute alms to the poor who visited him.
Monday, 10 June 2013
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